This week God has been in my face about more time praying. Prayer is something I struggle with...not so much praying or speaking to God but with not allowing everything in the world to distract me. As a singles leader, trainer, director, and all the other things I do, I know how critical it is to have a consistent prayer life. I know the enemy doesn't want me to succeed. He will through so many of his darts at me. He will whisper lies. He will thwart my efforts.

But my victory and my strength is IN the prayer life we are all called too. So if today the enemy managed to distract you. If your morning quiet time became your time in the car driving. If your time allowing God to speak to you competed with your boss telling you what to do, then stop now, go to the bathroom, sit in your car, turn off the phone and talk to God.

It's never too late for prayer. But don't forget to listen.
Exodus 9:29
Moses replied, “When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands in prayer to the LORD. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earth is the LORD’s.
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I recently wrote an article for Crosswalk called Jesus, Single Like Me: Friendships That Don't Lead to Marriage. Like most of the articles I write, I get email from those who have read it. Most of the emails are supporting what I have to say, thanking me or praying for my ministry, etc. But last week I had something different sent to me. A young man, 19 or so years old had read my article and proceeded to share with me some of his struggles. He had just recently started going to college. He asked me, how in the world could he be friends with women when there are so many around him. He also shared how he had started to date one of them and she did not believe in God. He was struggling with dating her knowing this. He had basically built the relationship on the physical first before any type of foundation of friendship. A focus on seeking Christ first had been thrown out of the picture until now, until his email.

I first thanked him for his honesty and transparency. It took a lot of courage to stop the relationship he was in. The Holy Spirit had been convicting him that things were not right. However, he wasn't sure what the next step was. He also wasn't sure how in the world do you build friendships with women and not have it go the wrong way. Well between my article and my comments back to him, as with all things, its starts with prayer, seeking Christ first with what He wants, practicing boundaries, protecting the other person/guarding their heart, and living the example because they are watching us, they are listening.

You see, when you are a believer and people know it, they are watching everything we say and do. They are watching to see if we fall. They are watching to see how we handle stress, our money, our attitude, our time, etc. So whether its in our friendship and ultimately who we date, to those we work with, to those who live next doors to even other believers, what we do or say could have an eternal affect on others.

Would you do me a favor and pray for this young man. God knows his name. He needs us to intercede for him to make the right choices, to deal with all those temptations that are around him, to keep Christ first and to find a group of other guys to hold him accountable.

This life can be so hard. I remember my college days (well most of them) and I can't image that its only gotten worse. The devil is on our campuses waiting to pounce. Join me in prayer for our young folks.

Kris Swiatocho, Director
TheSinglesNetwork.org Ministries
YesMarketinganddesign.com
NavigateConference.com
FromHisHands.com
919.434.3611
2664 Timber Drive, Suite 307, Garner, NC 27529
The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy but I have come to give life to its fullest. John 10:10
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