Pray the Word with David Platt as a resource from Radical.net.

Second John, verse 12. Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink.

Instead, I hope to come to you and talk face to face so that our joy may be complete.

What a verse to hear John say under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that it is good for the completion

of joy to be face to face with brothers and sisters in Christ.

Not to settle for using paper and ink in John's words and to think about that reality today,

how much we communicate over text or email or social media and this way or that way,

instead of communicating face to face, coming together and talking with one another.

It is not good. There is incomplete joy when we settle for communication that is not face to face.

This has huge ramifications for our lives, our relationships and all the more.

So when we think about the metaverse and we think about ever increasing opportunities

for communication through other mediums to never let those replace coming to one another

and talking face to face in ways that increase our joy.

And even as I think about how we are praying for the church in Afghanistan and the spread of the

gospel in Afghanistan this month to realize that yes, there are so many avenues for the spread of

the gospel through technology that we need to explore at the same time. Yes, there are so many

avenues through technology that we need to explore for the spread of the gospel in places like

Afghanistan. At the same time, there is no replacement for going to people sitting down with them

and talking face to face about the greatest news in the world. There is great need for workers in

the harvest field who will do that, who will leave where they live in the United States or anywhere

else and go to people face to face who've never heard the gospel and to share it with them.

So God, we pray that you would help us to properly value and pursue face to face communication.

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