Persistant Prayer
As some of you know, I have been in Orlando this past week for an orientation program at Pioneers, the organization I went with to Fiji. It has been a truly amazing week, but to say I am exhausted (mentally and physically) would be an understatement!
I drove in last Saturday, and it immediately felt like I was home when I turned into the headquarters. I was so excited to get to catch up with people, and be back in the world of international missions. I absolutely love all my family back home, but it has been so incredibly refreshing for my soul to be surrounded by people with the same calling to missions. My Pioneers family just loves and supports me in ways that others can't quite understand - just like my family and community back home loves me and encourages me in ways Pioneers can't. I have realized just how much of a gift it is that God has surrounded me with such an amazing team!
Being back here has made me realize again how much I appreciate one of the core values of Pioneers: PRAYER! This is what drew me to Pioneers in the beginning, and has led me to trust in their decisions ever since. I know without a doubt that they take prayer seriously, and have committed so much time in their work, and individual lives, to pray for myself, other missionaries, the nations, etc.
In Fiji, our team prayed constantly: over every meal, before work started, before planning for events, before going out to town, before home visits, and just spontaneously throughout the day. I loved this aspect so much. All of our prayers were heard, and it just made my relationship with the Lord grow in some incredible ways. I still pray every morning and night, and little prayers throughout the day as well. However, it's not with the fervency that I experienced in Fiji, or being back here in Orlando. The intentionality of praying for our brothers and sisters overseas and in our own communities is often so lacking!
Prayer is an amazing gift!! We get to communicate with our Father, praise His name, confess and repent of our sins, and ask Him for good things. How are we not taking greater advantage of this?!
There was one exercise that we did here this week that was by far my favorite. We had a time of prayer for the nations, and it gave me chills. We prayed to God through video and song (watch it here) which is a really cool way to worship and pray! Pioneers also has a daily prayer request for each day of the week for someone out on the field, from nations all over the world. We were able to pray for these strangers who are fighting on the front lines for God's gospel message to spread. Then, we were able to pray for each other. It was so life giving to me - to get to spend time just talking to my Father, and making my requests known to Him.
I love seeing Him answer those prayers as well. Often, we do not have because we do not ask. Jesus tells us over and over in the gospels to ask our Father for things - to make our requests known to Him. I think if Jesus tells us to do it, it is probably good advice to follow :)
This week, I have seen God answer prayers for myself, as well as my teammates. So many people were undesignated when they came here this week, yet God is clarifying where He wants to send them. I prayed for doors to be open and closed, and I realized today that I probably should have left the open part out! :) God provides in some amazing ways, and I know that this whole missions journey will just be full of surprising intercessions and miracles that glorify God.
I am starting a new habit (is it too late to call it a New Year's Resolution?!) where I am keeping track of all the prayers in which God answers me. I already have a small list started, and I am sure I missed many in there! I know it will be such a great reminder to me when things get hard in this process, and life in general, to be reminded of how faithful my Father is, and how He desires to give good things, if only I humble myself and ask Him!
Praying for you my dear friends and family! I pray for the Lord to be at work in your life, and that you experience and remember the amazing things that He has done for you - mainly, sending His beloved Son to die on a cross for your sins - to pay a debt that you couldn't pay, so that you can be covered with a robe of righteousness!
I drove in last Saturday, and it immediately felt like I was home when I turned into the headquarters. I was so excited to get to catch up with people, and be back in the world of international missions. I absolutely love all my family back home, but it has been so incredibly refreshing for my soul to be surrounded by people with the same calling to missions. My Pioneers family just loves and supports me in ways that others can't quite understand - just like my family and community back home loves me and encourages me in ways Pioneers can't. I have realized just how much of a gift it is that God has surrounded me with such an amazing team!
Being back here has made me realize again how much I appreciate one of the core values of Pioneers: PRAYER! This is what drew me to Pioneers in the beginning, and has led me to trust in their decisions ever since. I know without a doubt that they take prayer seriously, and have committed so much time in their work, and individual lives, to pray for myself, other missionaries, the nations, etc.
In Fiji, our team prayed constantly: over every meal, before work started, before planning for events, before going out to town, before home visits, and just spontaneously throughout the day. I loved this aspect so much. All of our prayers were heard, and it just made my relationship with the Lord grow in some incredible ways. I still pray every morning and night, and little prayers throughout the day as well. However, it's not with the fervency that I experienced in Fiji, or being back here in Orlando. The intentionality of praying for our brothers and sisters overseas and in our own communities is often so lacking!
Prayer is an amazing gift!! We get to communicate with our Father, praise His name, confess and repent of our sins, and ask Him for good things. How are we not taking greater advantage of this?!
There was one exercise that we did here this week that was by far my favorite. We had a time of prayer for the nations, and it gave me chills. We prayed to God through video and song (watch it here) which is a really cool way to worship and pray! Pioneers also has a daily prayer request for each day of the week for someone out on the field, from nations all over the world. We were able to pray for these strangers who are fighting on the front lines for God's gospel message to spread. Then, we were able to pray for each other. It was so life giving to me - to get to spend time just talking to my Father, and making my requests known to Him.
I love seeing Him answer those prayers as well. Often, we do not have because we do not ask. Jesus tells us over and over in the gospels to ask our Father for things - to make our requests known to Him. I think if Jesus tells us to do it, it is probably good advice to follow :)
This week, I have seen God answer prayers for myself, as well as my teammates. So many people were undesignated when they came here this week, yet God is clarifying where He wants to send them. I prayed for doors to be open and closed, and I realized today that I probably should have left the open part out! :) God provides in some amazing ways, and I know that this whole missions journey will just be full of surprising intercessions and miracles that glorify God.
I am starting a new habit (is it too late to call it a New Year's Resolution?!) where I am keeping track of all the prayers in which God answers me. I already have a small list started, and I am sure I missed many in there! I know it will be such a great reminder to me when things get hard in this process, and life in general, to be reminded of how faithful my Father is, and how He desires to give good things, if only I humble myself and ask Him!
Praying for you my dear friends and family! I pray for the Lord to be at work in your life, and that you experience and remember the amazing things that He has done for you - mainly, sending His beloved Son to die on a cross for your sins - to pay a debt that you couldn't pay, so that you can be covered with a robe of righteousness!
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