Can you read that? I'm guessing that the answer is, probably not! Those two Chinese characters, when written together are the word: crisis.

You may not be able to read that, but you certainly understand it. Crisis. It comes to all of us, and it is inescapable-no matter what language you speak. I've noticed that it is in the crisis that we often are most motivated to pray.

Remember the immediate after-effects of September 11th? Remember how our nation was drawn to prayer? No one needed to tell us to pray, we hungered for it. Churches were opened across this land and people flocked to the presence of God.

Crisis can do that to you.

Remember that troubling season in your life? For me it came when a doctor told me I had experienced a stroke. No one needed to tell me to pray. It happened for me after a phone call telling me that my brother had attempted suicide. No one needed to encourage me to pray. It happened on another Saturday night when a stranger called to tell me that my mother was being rushed to the hospital-having suffered a massive heart attack. As I drove to Louisville late that night, I didn't need any help in keeping my prayer life in focus, on target and in the presence of the Almighty.

I'm guessing, that my crises are different than yours. But your experience was the same-in a way. You prayed, didn't you? No matter the language you speak-we all speak the language of prayer when crisis comes.

But I selected this language for a reason. Look again at the Chinese word for crisis. Notice how it is actually two characters, one atop of the other. It's a compound word. Like if we wrote "lifetime" or "grasshopper" or "airport" or "teamwork". A compound word is two words that when put together create a new word with unique meaning. Look again at the Chinese word for crisis. It is a compound word.

The two words that make up the compound word of crisis (in Chinese) are the two words: dangerous, opportunity. That's a great definition of what a crisis is. There is danger involved, but there is also great opportunity-especially when God gets involved. Expect that the crises that come your way (and they will come) are actually opportunities for God to show up, to be glorified, and for you to showcase your faith-so that others who face crisis-might seize the opportunity in the midst of whatever danger they face. Pray for those in crisis-that they might experience the opportunity in prayer.