Hey Reader,

When I arrived in Cape Town, South Africa, in October 2010, I didn't know what to expect.

But I was excited to meet people!

Because over 4,000 Christian leaders representing 198 countries had gathered for ten days of worship, messages, and fellowship at Lausanne's Cape Town Congress.

I had arrived earlier to be trained as a table host. After each plenary talk, we gathered around our table to discuss what we had heard, share what it meant in our cultural context, and provide additional insights from our respective experiences.

Sometimes, we gleaned more wisdom from the discussion than we did from the keynote.

Throughout the conference, there was one question in particular that I asked many people:

I wanted to hear stories of how God's people experienced God.

Here are some direct quotes from my notes about how they pursued God in prayer:

• "Two hours every morning."
• "Each morning, 40 minutes with my wife, then one hour with the church staff, and 30-40 minutes with the family in the evening."
• "1-1.5 hours each morning, then 30-60 minutes in family devotionals."
• "The staff gathers to pray for the first hour of every day, and we don't make any significant decisions without first giving it over to God in prayer."

These were the typical, ordinary, but enthusiastic descriptions of their time in prayer.

'What motivates such prayer?' I asked one prominent African church leader.

He told me, "I pray to enjoy being with God! You burn out if prayer is some activity or a duty, but if you are meeting with God and enjoying His presence, then how can you burn out? If I have the whole day, I can read the Bible the entire time without getting tired because I am enjoying it!"

This is a man who has suffered greatly for the gospel.

I didn't learn any new techniques for prayer. Instead, my heart was overflowing with joy and enthusiasm to know God.

When we share our stories, we get more than ideas - we get connection.

To God. To each other. Across cultures. From one generation to another.

So, what's your story?

• How did you come to know God?
• What were the milestones in growing closer to Jesus?
• How have you experienced the Holy Spirit?

As we share our stories with one another, we build the foundation for all the other connections and conversations we'll have in the Academy.

It's one of the greatest blessings of the Uncommon Pursuit Academy - an opportunity to recreate my experience at the Cape Town Congress.

But you don't have to buy a plane ticket, book a hotel, and register for a conference.

And online, we can build relationships together, not just for ten days, but for ten years!

If you want to hear these stories and add your own, sign up for the Academy today:

Get Started!

I hope to connect with you soon!

​

gratefully,

Carson

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The discount is already applied to your order at this link: https://academy.uncommonpursuit.net/offers/NMXqP2nG?coupon_code=25OFF​