It’s no secret that believers, especially those in full-time ministry, are impacted by our generation’s time pressures and unhealthy tendency to leave God on the sidelines of our lives. Ken Shigematsu challenges us to reconsider our daily, weekly, monthly and annual routines so that we foster a closer relationship with God that will ultimately lead to more supernaturally fruitful lives.
 
Thoughts from Ken Shigematsu – “God In My Everything”

PLENARY SESSION 1 - PRAY EVERY DAY

• The greatest compliment someone can pay you is that the only way they can explain what they see in your life is that the Spirit of God must reside in you.

   

• We can take a lesson from Daniel’s life. Daniel not only survived, but thrived in his relationship with God in the face of adversity. Daniel had a rhythm that helped him commune regularly with God. While serving in a foreign land and faced with the possibility of execution for worshiping God, he still did it several times a day in full view as he had done before( Daniel 6:10).

   

• People who live lives that are beautiful and mysterious have a rhythm of connecting regularly with God. The ancient monks describe it as a “Rule of Life.”A “trellis” is a tool to supports a grapevine so that as it grows it becomes more fruitful. The monks have a “trellis” that supports their life’s activities so that they are more fruitful. We can also use this tool so that we can be more fruitful in doing God’s work. Our trellis can support our relationship with Jesus Christ and help us to display the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

   

• Our trellis should include intentional planning for balanced times of worship, prayer, work, rest, play, relationships, etc. It should feel more like a rhythm of what you “get to” do rather than what you “have to” do.

   

• In John 15, Jesus said He is the vine and we are the branches. We can’t do anything without Him. Our lives won’t bear lasting fruit if we are not abiding in Him.

   

• Ken’s rhythm includes a 24 hour Sabbath, where he doesn’t do anything related to his work. Consider taking one day out of each week to pray and to savour the presence of God. It’s far better to enter work from a place of rest, rather than desperately resting from work. Ken’s rhythm also includes regular exercise. Exercise brings good changes to many areas of our lives. Women who have an intentional 24 hour Sabbath—a time of intentional rest, worship and separation from work-related tasks—add nine years to their life expectancy. Men who do the same add 11 years.

   

• Every day can be considered a time of prayer. We can become more conscious of God and development spiritual friendship with Him. We can develop a more intentional rhythm of connecting regularly with Him each day in spontaneous prayer and/or meditation.
• Whatever activity brings you alive and bring you joy is a sacred pathway to God. Self-care is never a selfish act. It’s simply good stewardship of the only gift you have to offer to others.

   

• God is alive and present as we work, as we play, as we pray, and as we rest. Ken wants us to know God in our “everything” – not just in formal prayer and worship times. As we learn to connect with God more intentionally and consistently, we can begin to experience joy regardless of our circumstances.

Ken Shigematsu is the senior pastor of Tenth Church in Vancouver, BC. A full recording of his session can be ordered by visiting http://paoc.org/events/general-conference/recorded-sessions or http://www.swordfishdigital.com.