In 2019, when Pete & Lyssa Kirwan moved into their house, they immediately began praying and contending for their neighbors.
The day they moved in, their neighbor, we’ll call him Randy, came over to say, ‘Hello.’ He asked Pete what he did.
The minute Pete told him he was a pastor, Randy’s face fell, and he said, ‘Okay, I’ll see you later’ and went back home. That wasn’t a great start!
Pete prayed for him and contended for Randy and his wife; we’ll call her Tina. Nothing changed for the rest of that year, but Pete and Lyssa continued praying.
Toward the end of the year, Randy approached Pete after church one Sunday, making small talk. Pete started to go inside, and right when he moved toward the door, Randy asked him, ‘So you’re a man who prays, aren’t you?’
Pete knew that was a chance the Father had provided. God had heard his prayers on Randy’s behalf. It gave Pete a chance to have a spiritual conversation with Randy, who was navigating a family crisis. Pete got a chance to confirm that, yes, he would pray for him. It was a beautiful moment.
Fast forward to 2020 during COVID, when everybody was confined to their home. Even then, Pete had more opportunities to deepen his relationship with Randy and Tina. Interestingly, one of the best ways their friendship has grown is that Randy likes to serve Pete and Lyssa. Lyssa said you don’t always have to be on the giving end in a relationship. When the person you are attempting to reach serves you, they believe you are worth the investment. It shows progress in the relationship.
Pete continued to contend for them by praying through blesseveryhome.com. Pete and Randy were able to establish a deeper friendship. Today, Randy’s asking Pete questions about Jesus. They are still in the middle of the journey to Jesus, and there is momentum in the right direction.
Pete says, Blesseveryhome.com is a vital tool for those who believe Jesus calls us to make disciples. We are called to do the same thing He did. Not only does the blessseveryhome.com app give us a daily reminder, but also a place to start with our prayers and actions.
You can sign up to be a Light in your neighborhood at https://blesseveryhome.org/lovekc. The account is free. When you add your address, you receive a map of your neighborhood with the names of your closest 40 neighbors. Every day you receive an email reminder inviting you to pray for five neighbors.
Each day you receive an email with five neighbor’s names to pray for. Over a month, it digitally walks you around your neighborhood. Join the 3,808+ people in Kansas City who live on mission by loving their neighbors where they live, learn, work, and play.
At Love KC, our big prayer is that everyone in Kansas City will hear the Good News of Jesus from a friend. There are 18,000+ neighborhoods, so we need a lot of friends living as Lights for Jesus.
Brooke Powell
Love KC Editor