We’re breaking up today’s prayer requests a little bit differently than normal…

Last week, while talking to a pastor in Anchorage, he asked, “How can our church be praying for you guys?” We shared some requests – our move to Canada, timing, etc.

But then he asked, “Okay, but how can we be praying for YOU?”

And that was different. Then, it was no longer about our ministry of language learning or big changes that are (slowly) coming down the pipeline. Instead, it automatically felt more… personal. Intimate. He wanted to hear more than just ministry-based requests; he wanted to hear the things that were heavy on our hearts.

So today, we’re sharing some ministry requests and some personal requests. Read them all, or just the ones that really interest you. We don’t mind. And if you’d like, feel free to leave a note about how we can be praying for you, too.

Ministry:

Language school has been tough the last few weeks. It feels like we’re drowning and can’t quite catch hold of the lifeline. Pray for focus, perseverance, and deeper understanding of French.

We have had an amazing time studying scripture with our Sunday morning life group – everyone in our class is in ministry overseas and we’re all that same kind of weird. Pray that God will use our time with them to grow and challenge us in our faith, but to also build deep and lasting relationships.

As we anticipate moving to Canada (sometime) this fall, it’s with excitement and nerves. Pray for God’s timing and His will in our move.

Personal:

We’re working to get in better physical shape through diet and exercise. Pray our efforts will yield fruit.

We’re so tired. Kids wake up constantly throughout the night, we’re up late doing homework and wake up early to go running. And the coffee is only so strong. Pray for restorative rest for our whole family.

Family is our first ministry – our marriage, then our kids. But it’s so easy to push these critical relationships to number four or five on the to-do list. Pray for a strengthened marriage that is covered by intentionality, forgiveness, and love. Pray for our kids, too, that they’ll see Christ in every interaction we have with them.

One more quick note – I had to write a pretty lengthy paper based on a sermon, which is due on Wednesday. The sermon I picked was about the importance of prayer and it’s a sermon I’ll be thinking about for the rest of my life, I think. If you’d like to hear the audio (yes, it’s in French), you can do so here. In a nutshell, here’s what stood out to me the most from the sermon, based on Isaiah 62.1-7, after having listened to it at least five times:

• Prayer can transform situations from desolate and lonely (vs. 4) to joyful and claimed (vs. 5).
• If we don’t set the guard of prayer, we fall into danger (vs. 6).
• If we truly believe that God hears and answers our prayers, we’d be praying day and night without ceasing (vs. 7).
• Praying God’s promises back to Him is like telling Him, “THIS! You said THIS in Your word! And THIS is what I need in my life! Do it for me, too!”

That’s all for today, friends. How can we be praying for you?