Cool Support Story and Some Thoughts on Prayer

Hey guys,

Can’t believe the trip is almost here! We had our final retreat last weekend, April 14^th and 15^th. For part of the time, we split up into ministry partners to pray before we went into a time of support raising. I prayed that the Lord would provide us with $10,000 of support that day. In my mind I was praying expectantly, but honestly I had some doubt in my heart that the Lord would provide. After our support raising time, and we had all turned in the support we had received since our last retreat, and the total amount came to $10,250. Praise the Lord!! I think that I often hesitate to pray specifically like this because I lack the faith that the Lord will provide.

At the retreat, Jeremy spoke about how our culture tends to pray differently from other cultures, such as China. In China, where there is a lot of persecution of the Christian faith, believers don’t know what the next day brings, or if the next day will be their last day of freedom. In an interview, a Christian in China was asked, “How do you pray?” The believer responded that they just pray for more faith—each day asking the Lord to give them more faith to live how the Lord has called them to live. Why don’t I pray like this? Here in America it’s so easy to fall into a trap of materialism and praying for this thing and that—focusing on things that aren’t eternally important. This realization is shaping the way that I pray—I want to pray like the Chinese do. I want to have a true dependency on the Lord and pray like Jesus calls us to in Matthew 6.

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

-Matthew 6:9-13

With love,

Lauren

22 days!

22 days until our team of 15 students and staff get on a plane to fly across the world for the Glory of God which has been shown to us in the works and person of Jesus. There is still much to be done! $30,000 to be raised, talks to be written, logistics to figure out, prayers to be prayed. I think I can speak for the whole team when I say that there are many fears and jitters leading up to May 11th, but we hold fast that God is in this. There have been many prayers answered even this last week that proves that His hand is on us. However, no matter what happens this summer, we do not hold onto the things that we have done and what will be done for His Glory this summer. As we are in the middle of Holy Week, preparing for this weekend, let us remember our ultimate Hope, and that "It is finished." I challenge us to have a conversation sometime this week that might be a bit awkward for us even alone. This conversation is not with another person, or even ourselves, but with the very thing that is coming after us that we cannot escape: death.

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CHRISTIAN:

Hello, Death, my old enemy. My old slave-master. Have you come to talk to me again? To frighten me?

I am not the person you think I am. I am not the one you used to talk to. Something has happened. Let me ask you a question, Death.

Where is your sting?

DEATH, sneeringly:

My sting is your sin.

CHRISTIAN:

I know that, Death. But that’s not what I asked you. I asked, where is your sting? I know what it is. But tell me where it is.

Why are you fidgeting, Death? Why are you looking away? Why are you turning to go? Wait, Death, you have not answered my question. Where is your sting?

Where is, my sin?

What? You have no answer? But, Death, why do you have no answer? How will you terrify me, if you have no answer?

O Death, I will tell you the answer. Where is your sting? Where is my sin? That's right, It is hanging on that tree. God made Christ to be sin—my sin. When he died, the penalty of my sin was paid. The power of it was broken. I bear it no more.

Farewell, Death. You need not show up here again to frighten me. God will tell you when to come next time. And when you come, you will be his servant. For me, you will have no sting.

O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:55-57)

This is the Good News that we have received. Rest in it! Your sin is no more!

Team Photo

(Lawton not pictured.)