1. Matthew 16:24-25

2. FERVENT PASSIONATE INTERCESSIVE OBEDIENT PRAYER LET IT START WITH

3. PRAYER Please take a moment to prepare your heart

4. Then Jesus said to His disciples “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. Matthew 16:24-25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will find it.”

6. MY JOURNEY OF TAKING THE GOSPEL TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH STARTS WITH BEING A DEVOTED DISCIPLE OF JESUS. HIS CALL TO SEEK, KNOW AND TRULY LOVE HIM IS PARAMOUNT…AND COSTLY.

7. He said to him, “ Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. ” Matthew 22:37, HCSB

8. “I’m realizing that I don’t have to be superhuman to do God’s will, but I do need a heart that trusts Him where He leads me!” Nicole, sub-Saharan African peoples

9. Will I choose to: Confess Him as Lord of my life? Turn away from living for myself and follow Him? Forsake my own life?

10. Just as the psalmist states, “As a deer longs for streams of water, so I long for You, God.” This is the cry of my heart, Jesus.

11. HE HAS CALLED ME TO DENY MYSELF, MEANING I CHOOSE TO NO LONGER LIVE FOR ME BUT SOLELY FOR HIM. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Galatians 5:24, ESV

12. “Putting our selfish desires to death is painful, but it is glorious to live as Christ lives!” Jason, Central Asian peoples

13. Am I so focused on self that MY comfort MY relationships MY plans MY desires come before God?

14. God, please reveal pride in my life. Teach me to deny myself and give You the honor only You deserve.

15. JESUS WAS WILLING TO DO WHATEVER WAS NECESSARY, EVEN DEATH ON A CROSS, TO PROVIDE A WAY FOR MAN TO BE RECONCILED TO GOD. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:27&33, ESV

16. “May I have a heart that refuses to give to the Lord a sacrifice that costs me nothing.” Leslie, Central Asian peoples He is calling me to do whatever it takes to make this way of salvation known to all peoples.

17. Lord Jesus, help me to understand the gravity of what “taking up my cross” really means. Lord Jesus, help me to understand the gravity of what “taking up my cross” really means.

18. THE DECISION TO FOLLOW JESUS IS A DAILY DECISION — FOLLOWING HIM IN LIVING A HOLY LIFE, GLORIFYING THE FATHER AND CARING FOR THE OUTCAST AND BROKEN. “Follow Me…go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God” Luke 9:59,60, NASB

19. Where will He lead if I chose to follow? Jesus cares for the hungry (Matthew 14:14-21) 925 million are undernourished

20. Where will He lead if I chose to follow? Jesus touches the untouchable (Matthew 8:3) 34 million worldwide live with HIV/AIDS

21. Where will He lead if I chose to follow? Jesus is broken over lostness (Matthew 9:36) 1.7 billion have little access to the Gospel

22. “Sometimes what Jesus asks of us is difficult, but we have to make the decision to either follow Him or deny Him.” B., South Asian peoples

23. Jesus, my Lord and Savior, You are worthy to follow! Today I purpose to follow You wherever You lead, no matter the cost.

24. BY LOSING MY LIFE I HAVE CRUCIFIED MY FLESHLY PASSIONS AND DESIRES. AND I COMMIT TO FOLLOW JESUS TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH, NO MATTER THE COST.

25. (Martyred March 15, 2004, in Iraq) Karen Watson’s last letter

26. Am I willing to be like Paul and: count all as loss for the sake of Christ? share in His sufferings? even become like Christ in His death? Father, I completely trust You with my life, even my death. May Your will be accomplished in my life— no matter what that means.

27. How will your following Jesus impact a lost world? Matthew 16:24-25