Why I Dedicated My House
Why I Dedicated My House
Joe Freudenberg
As I sat down with my friend Todd for lunch at Skyline Chili (God's unique gift to Cincinnati) he asked me how we were settling into our new house...
“It’s been great in so many ways, but our kids are having a hard time adjusting, and honestly, so are we... Luke is grieving the loss of the only home he’s ever known, Lily had her finger crushed by a loose window, and Charlie is noticeably confused and stressed.
We’re also feeling attacked by the enemy as we try to consider what living missionally looks like in this new home. It’s been a little rough!”
Todd listened to me vent for several minutes, sharing that his family had gone through the same difficult transition when his kids were young.
Then he made a simple but profound suggestion.
“You guys should do a house dedication night, you need prayer support.”
My immediate reaction was “Wow, YES!”
But…
- Would asking people to pray for ME and MY family and MY house be a little selfish?
- What if only one person shows up?
- Is it fair to ask people to come spend their Sunday night doing this?
I realized pretty quickly that these questions were coming directly from the ENEMY.
So we sent out some invites. The result?
10 of some of our closest family and friends came to walk our property, pray for each room, and spend time sharing all the things the Holy Spirit revealed. There were tears, beautiful visions, authoritative prayers, and deep encouragement. We haven’t felt such peace in a LONG time. And our kids felt it too.
Weeks later I’m still thanking the Lord for friends, a home, and Skyline with Todd!
If you’re asking similar questions regarding how your home can operate as a place of mission and community, check out our two coaching intensives, Made For Mission and A House For Community!