BECOME... Prayerful

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” -Philippians 4:6

Hi, I'm Kaila Jurado. I had never heard of queso or guacamole before moving to Texas. I was born and raised in Palm Beach County where Tex-Mex is not on any menu anywhere. The horror! However, we lived close to the beach so #beachbod all year around.

I was fortunate to grow up in a Christian home where I learned some techniques on how to pray. I remember reciting before meals, "we thank the Lord for giving this food we need for living. Be with us while we eat it because we really need it", to the tune of The Addams Family and including the finger snaps. Many of us, including myself for some time, are unfamiliar with the power of prayer. Through the BECOME Network, I have been challenged to become prayerful not just in the "before meals" sense (even though, here at BECOME we do love eating together and do so often), but in every situation.

Dallas is a new home for me and I've experienced eye-opening exposure to the city while partaking in Underground, an inner-city mission trip hosted by the BECOME Network. Underground is intentional time dedicated to investing in people prompted by the grace of the gospel. I have interacted with the homeless at West End, the refugees at Vickery Meadows, the college students at SMU, and many others along the way. In some of these conversations, people share their heartbreaking stories, and oftentimes I can feel overwhelmed by the burdens they face. Instead, I've learned to lean into prayer as a method of petitioning on behalf of those that I meet. Prayer is no longer just for my personal requests or a reserved time before meals, but prayer became for me an "in every situation" reaction, and it can be for you too. This shift is transformative! At BECOME, we have witnessed lives changed through prayer and I invite you to join me alongside the BECOME Network as we continue to pray for each other and for our city.

Interested in finding out more about Underground?

—Kaila Jurado