One of the things I love most about summer is that for most of us, it represents vacation time or at least a slower pace of life. I love going to the pool with friends or grilling out (Debbie makes this awesome burger: 50% ground beef, 50% bacon—wow, just wow.)

In the Kingdom of God, though, summer can be so much more! Jesus loves to take all the things we love about summer and leverage them as opportunities to share the gospel.

The extra time we have to be with friends is a chance to care for them and pray for them. Out of town vacations often create once-in-a-lifetime intersections with people who need to know how precious they are to Jesus.

Here’s my “secret” formula for giving Jesus room in my summer:

1. I’m always praying the Include Me Prayer: “Jesus, whatever you’re doing right now, would you include me in it?” He LOVES to answer this prayer…but we have to be praying it.
2. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you the names of 3-5 people that you can pray for every day throughout summer.
3. Look for ways to care for these people in a way that blesses them.
4. When you talk with these people, look for opportunities to share how Jesus has made a difference in your life. Share how they can experience Jesus in this way, too!

Let’s see if Jesus gives us some awesome God stories by the end of the summer!