Father, we lift up those women working in highly resistant areas to Your good news. Grant them the strength, and faith to pray this prayer and that it become a reality in their daily lives. Guard them from comparing themselves and their ministries to others. May they be faithful and persevere where You have called them. Help them rejoice over the baby steps and see them as definite victories. We ask that their time at the retreat be an abundant oasis of encouragement and affirmation of their value as a child of God. Lord, we pray that they will experience rest and much laughter at the retreat. May the fellowship, teaching, worship, be like a fresh cup of water to them. --Day 18, 30 Days of Prayer
... and many, many tears.
We are so very grateful for the ability to have our spirits lifted because the stories that are shared are incredibly dark and heavy. One of our attendees worked with a national woman who ministered to a rebel tribe in the Philippines. This work was so extremely dangerous that the local church would not even pray for her due to the intense fear of reprisal from this tribe. After many months there was fruit-- 30 new believers. The woman asked them why they became believers and they answered, "Because the first time you came to us and ate with us we put poison in your food. When you did not die, we believed in your God."
That is not the kind of story I would imagine happening in the 21st century...
Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, Your justice like the great deep. (Psalm 36:5-6)
Lord God, we ask that You open our hearts to understand Your limitless love for us and Your continual, guaranteed faithfulness. May we be in awe of Your righteousness, allowing You to develop more of it within us. We praise You for Your justice. Even as we grieve over the many unjust situations around us and throughout the world, we are grateful that one day, You will indeed judge, as You are just and holy. --Day 28
Until tomorrow...
