Prayer – No Ordinary Day Planner

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A reflection from a former employee

I had the privilege of working for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) for almost 8 years. During those years, I often had days where I paused to remember everything this organization accomplished, an organization started by a simple farm boy who was obedient to the call God put on his life.

It is simply impossible for me not to reflect on my experience and what I learned from Billy Graham as we celebrate his life. Here are the nine things I learned while working in various departments at Billy Graham’s organization:

One of the first things I noticed when starting my job at BGEA is that Billy Graham was bold and adventurous. Billy Graham used every medium available to communicate the gospel message, and this continued with each new wave of communication. No new medium has gone untouched. BGEA learns about and creatively leverages each medium for gospel purposes.

The desire for everyone to know they are loved by God and to call them into a relationship with Jesus Christ is at the core of all that the BGEA does because it is the heartbeat and calling of Billy Graham. So, he took risks when new mediums emerged desiring to meet people where they are and where they spend their time.

Billy Graham was a man of prayer. With crusades in over 185 countries reaching over 200 million people, one could start to think that he simply had a goal to go to every country and state to preach the gospel, or that he threw a dart at a map to pick where he would go to preach the gospel that year. Not so. Each crusade had the humble beginnings of citizens in a community praying for the people of their town/city/country to know Jesus. When this prayerful group, or person, would connect with the BGEA for Billy to come to their city, the organization would ask if they told their pastor their desire. If this pastor had the same desire as the prayer group, their pastor was challenged to talk and to pray with other pastors in the area, especially pastors of other denominations. This was to see if they too had a burden for a Crusade in their community, desiring not just for Billy to come but for there to be an opportunity to reach people in their community for Christ.

The Billy Graham Crusades all had humble beginnings – people praying for others to know Jesus. And Billy and those working at the BGEA would be praying for these communities too, to see where God would have them go next.

Billy Graham loved the local church. A Crusade did not take place unless it was orchestrated by multiple local, Bible-believing churches of various denominations. The churches were the ones who organized their people to reach out to their neighbors and their city. BGEA came alongside the church to train them how to share their faith and how to invite friends to church, not just to the Crusade. Billy was very aware that his Crusades were only for a short time, so local churches in every Crusade city were trained for caring for new believers after the event. New believers would be contacted and invited to church as they began their relationship with Jesus Christ.

Billy’s message was consistent throughout the decades. When I started working for BGEA in 2005, I loved watching Billy’s old crusades alongside his most recent because the message never changed throughout all his years of ministry. Each of the countless sermons he preached remained gospel-centered and filled with Biblical truths.

Billy Graham was humble. While he was often the center of attention when he traveled to Crusade cities, he did not want to keep the focus on himself, but he would take every opportunity to communicate the truths of the Bible and the love of Christ. In countless interviews, Billy found ways to turn the conversation to the saving gospel of how much God loves you, that we are all sinners, and that the way to heaven is through Jesus Christ (John 14:6).

Billy Graham was a student of the Word of God. When you listen to his messages from Crusades, and even interviews, they are saturated with Scripture. Billy Graham knew that his words didn’t change a person’s heart to come to know God, but that God’s Word would not return void.

Billy Graham was faith-filled and focused. I listened to an interview he gave one day where he simply stated that he didn’t understand everything the Bible said, but that he accepted everything the Bible said by faith.

Billy Graham was a man of integrity. He put up safeguards to protect his own marriage like never being alone with a woman who was not his wife. He put those same safeguards in place as policy for those working in his organization. I loved working at a place that desired to honor God by protecting the marriages of its employees.

Billy Graham knew who he was in Christ. As we continue to see the quote “My home is in heaven. I’m just traveling through this world.” we see his focus and that he knew not only whose he was, but where he was going. In his messages, he confesses that he is a sinner and in great need of a Savior.

Billy Graham is proof that God uses ordinary people for extraordinary things. A boy who grew up on a dairy farm, who had the makings of a small community pastor, who knew his calling from God for ministry was used by God to tell others that God was real and that He really loved them. He traveled the world urging people wherever he went to see who they are in view of what the Bible said: that we are sinners in need of a Savior. He urged people to confess their sins, believe in God, and surrender their lives to the God of the universe who knew them and loved them.

I will always be grateful for my days as an employee at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. I will always be challenged by the example that Billy Graham gave as he lived a faith-filled, focused life in obedience to his calling from God. I look forward to the day when I am home in heaven singing praises to our great God alongside not only Billy Graham, but the countless other children of God, when God’s glory will truly be the song we sing.

Mr. Graham, thank you for living a life focused on making the name of Jesus known and giving all the glory to God. You set out not to make your own name known, but to lift high the name of Jesus Christ. Thank you for being a man of prayer and a student of God’s Word. The extent of your impact will only be known in heaven as countless men and women walk through eternity because you were obedient to what God called you to do – to preach His Word. We may never know the rippling effects of one of those people confessing Christ after hearing the Gospel you preached to them on the radio, or on TV or over the Internet; entire generations of families changed as a result. Thank you for giving us Jesus.

“God loved the world so much, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

John 3:16-17

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8 in 1

I used to be notorious for overcommitting myself and my family. This left not just me frazzled, exhausted and weary for the next week, but even my family!

This happened the most when I didn’t use a paper planner. Nothing against our digital age and the ease it provides for some routines. Schedules and items that need my attention stick better in my brain when I actually take time to write them down on paper. I had finally learned that I function better with pen and paper.

When I write schedules & commitments down, and I see it all in front of me, it is easier for me to see where we are overcommitted, where we need to back off and when we can take family adventures, even if it’s just a picnic in a park. Let’s face it, mom life is hard. Why should I make it harder on my whole family by overcommitting our time and making everyone a tired, emotional mess? Including me!

Moses asks the Lord in Psalm 90:12 to “Teach us to number or days that we get a heart of wisdom.” We should be praying this same prayer and asking the Lord to teach us to number our days and to give us a heart of wisdom. But how do we do that?

Plan your week.

Write out everything you’ve committed to for the week.

This is a habit I’ve had for a long time, and its benefits are countless. Every Sunday night after the kids go to bed, I write out what is happening in our families lives and when for that week.

I try my best to meal plan for the week during this time. We have learned as a family that when we don’t meal plan, we are more likely to eat out and spend more money than our budget allows for food. While this piece is not my favorite, it brings peace to my mind and helps us avoid confusion to know what’s for dinner ahead of time.

Don’t fill up your days to 100% capacity, but 70% capacity.

This is wisdom passed down to me that has proved itself extremely helpful and healthy for our family. As mom, I’m the timekeeper for our family. For our family, when we have something every day, we are a worn out bunch before Friday. And friends, that is not a pretty picture in our house. It means exhausted kids and parents, later bedtimes, earlier mornings and usually a good dose of unnecessary drama and tears because we are more tired than we realize.

Just because you see an empty hour or two in your days does not mean you have to fill them up. These are margins of time that should be left unplanned and empty. The margins allow for the unexpected to happen – whether good or bad – and provides flexibility for us to navigate them with less stress than if we didn’t have margins. When the school project takes longer than expected, or that one ingredient was forgotten at the store. Another trip to the dentist is needed to repair braces, or a friend needs you to pick up their kids from school. Without the margins, the unexpected can leave you frazzled and frayed.

And if those unplanned hours remain unfilled, enjoy them!

Keep the first things first.

What is most important to you? Is it reading time with your child? Maybe having that lunch date with your spouse? Is it completing your Bible study? Or learning a new discipline like Scripture memory?

Yes, plan for those! Make time for what matters most.

If we write down what is most important to us, we plan for that time. We find ourselves protecting it.

I write down in my planner a daily reminder to have a quiet time. This is not to have a box to check every day and feel good about myself, but it’s a reminder that I need to spend time with my Creator and Maker. I need to be in the Word of God putting my eyes and mind on the One who knows me and knows all things.

Don’t be afraid to say no.

My sweet Lee is constantly reminding me, just because it’s good doesn’t mean you should do it. And you know what, he’s right. Just because I can or because I have a little bit of time, does not mean it is best for me or for my family, even if it appears to fit in the margins of life.

8 in 1 to Make Life Run

All of these points led me to create The No Ordinary Day Planner, an 8 in 1 tool to help make the most of my days. I wanted a planner where I could write all our commitments down as a family, but would also help me to surrender these plans to the Lord and to walk with my eyes focused on Him.

Monthly calendar and weekly planning pages – These are not just empty spaces to be filled, but spaces for you to write down your family’s commitments to see if you are above capacity, to help plan for the margins and to help you say no. Making the most of your time and your families time each month and each week.
Scripture – The weekly planning pages have Scripture to help focus your thoughts and plans on the Lord by learning about His attributes, His character, who He is. There’s nothing more powerful to get your mind off yourself than to read about who God is.
Praying for the nations – The weekly planning pages also have a country’s outline. This is a country that does not know the Lord, has been difficult for the gospel to get into, and the people of these nations need us to pray for them to know Jesus. When I feel frustrated by things not going my way, it’s easy to get my eyes off myself by praying for a nation who does not have the freedoms I do to know Jesus. And when I don’t know what to pray for this nation, I refer to the country focus page for that month where there are specific ways to pray and information provided about this nation.
Prayer & Praise page – How often do we tell people, “I will pray for you.” But after leaving the conversation, we quickly forget. Each month has its own prayer and praise page to quickly jot down prayer needs. Then, we can go back and see how the Lord has answered them!
To-Do Lists and Brain Dump – We just need this space. Whether it’s a project or house work, it’s so helpful to have a place to write all the to-do items down and have a blank space for creativity or notes.
Goals & Gratitude – Start each month making 3 goals. When we take the time to write down and acknowledge what is most important to us for that month, we are more likely to do it! On the same page is a place to pause and be thankful, writing down 3 things we are grateful for from the previous month.
Date’s to Remember – Just because I’m terrible at remembering birthdays doesn’t mean I have to be! Each month has a place to write down those important dates. Having them all in the same place helps you see the big picture for the month and plan accordingly.
Beautiful, original artwork is throughout the planner. Each month is a hymn inspired piece of art that will encourage and spur you on, often leaving you singing the hymn of praise to the Lord.

Having all of these tools in one place is just what I needed! After using this planner for a year, I have grown in my walk with the Lord, better managed our families’ calendar and time, and I have found myself praying something I never did before, “Lord, teach me to number my days that I may have a heart of wisdom.”

The No Ordinary Day Planner is available as both a paper planner and as a digital download. We would love for you to plan along with us for 2018! You can purchase the No Ordinary Day Planner by going to Kickstarter! Hurry! This is a limited time offer!

Tag: Prayer

Thank you Billy Graham

No Ordinary Day Planner