Praying for the skirts: Part Two

Lord I just praise you for who You are..
I thank you that you have sent your son to be a covenant to the nations,
To open blind eyes and to bring out prisoners from the dungeons, and those
who dwell in darkness from the prisons. Is. 42:6
Lord, I feel that these people walk in the darkness of their traditions and
culture, but Your son can set them free...and when the Son sets us free
we are free indeed. Lord, I don't know how that will look...different than
here I am sure, but Your freedom in any culture brings peace and wholeness.

Lord, here is a whole generations of young girls.I just lift them up to you
Lord would you work in their hearts and give them the desire to learn,
to read, to write to apply their hearts to instruction and their ears to
words of knowledge Proverbs 23:12

In learning to read language they will be able to read Your translated Word!
Let it bring joy to their hearts. Jeremiah15:16
Let them behold wonderful things from your law; things that they have not
seen before Psalm 119:18, and give them understanding to these things.

I pray that the written Word in the Nafe language will go out in Your power
with the Holy Spirit and in full conviction bringing change to this generation. 1Thes. 1:3

Let the truth of the gospel permeate the hearts of these young women to understand
their value in Your eyes.
That they are fearfully and wonderfully made; that their frames were not hidden from
You when they were made in secret, but instead that it was You that formed
their inward parts and wove them in their mother's wombs.
Help them to understand that Your thoughts are are precious toward them, O God!Psalm 139
Let the knowledge of these truths make them better women, better wives and better mothers.

Jesus, You said that with people some things are impossible but with God all things are possible.
Matthew 19:26
I love this truth, God, I don't know how it will all come to look for this generation but nothing is impossible
for You to accomplish.
So I pray that these girls, on this island,
will sing to You a new song.
That they will Sing Your Praise from the end of the earth!
That they will lift up their voices and give Glory To God. Isaiah 42:10

Some of my Scripture prayers for the Ni Vanuatu...

Great are You Lord, and greatly to be praised..Ps. 48:12
Clap your hands all the peoples of this great earth
Shout to God with a shout of JOY..
For the Lord Most High is to be feared,
He is a great King over all the earth...Ps. 41:10

We praise you O Lord,
All the nations, and
all the peoples we laud You for Your loving kindness is great towards us.
Your truth is everlasting; we Praise You Lord...Ps.117

Your Word O God is truth as well as everlasting..
Blessed are You oh Lord.
I ask you that as the people on the island of Tanna hear Your Word
in their own language that You would teach them Your Statutes...Ps. 119:12

Open their eyes Lord that they might see wonderful things from your Law...Ps. 119:18
Please let Your Word penetrate their hearts. Let your Word teach them good
discernment and knowledge...Ps. 119:66

Jesus You are Messiah, You have been appointed by the Father to be a covenant to the people.
You are a light to all the nations on the earth
to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeons and those who dwell in darkness.
Jesus, the Ni Vanuatu dwell in the darkness of their customs.
Please give them eyes to see the error of their ways and that this is sin in their lives...Is. 42:6

Lord, You will not give Your glory to another, nor your praise to graven images...Is.42:8
Please show them that their custom beliefs are deceitful, that they will not bring life they are worthless and a mockery...Jer.10:14
We cannot have it both ways partaking at the table of the Lord and demons...Icor. 10:20
Give the Ni Vanuatu the eyes to see and the ears to hear this truth...to see that this is what they are doing....turn them back that they would repent of their evil ways.

You say that all the islands and those that dwell in them will declare Your praise...I want the people to sing to you a new song of praise a song of praise to the ends of the earth. Is. 42:10
Please God give them a new song to sing....

I believe that it is Your Word that will change the lives of the people on Tanna Island. I pray that Your Word in the tongue of the Tannese will go out in your power, and in the Holy Spirit bringing with it full conviction. Use Erik and Michele as an example to the people that they serve so that these people may be turned back to serve You the one true God...I Thes. 1:5

I love Your Word Lord...You declare that all nations will come and worship before You, all the nations shall glorify Your name...Ps. 86:9

What Joy Lord to know that someday every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, Yes Lord, some of those who speak the Nafe Language will sing a new song to You.
A Song of Praise and Worship because you are Worthy and Worthy to be Praised.
Thank you for this truth Lord...Rev. 5:9

I Pray for these beloved people in the precious name of their saviour and mine Jesus Christ ...
Amen..

His Grace Is Sufficient For Me....

We faced many obstacles when I was in the village, sickness, weather, spiritual blindness, but in all these things I saw the hand of God and his blessings.
Every time that I am with my kids and the other missionaries I am acutely aware of the way God seems to meet their needs. It is a blessing to watch God's power at work in their lives.

One verse that kept coming to mind over the week was in IICorinthians 12:8-10:
"Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me.
And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness."Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake;for when I am weak then I am strong."

In this verse we see that Paul is longing for relief from his "thorn in the flesh", so that 3 times he asked God to remove it. I am not sure what Paul's thorn was but we see God refuse to remove it instead He tells Paul,
"MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU"
IS SUFFICIENT is a verb in the present tense / meaning that there is constant availability....So for Paul and Us, God's divine grace seen in Jesus Christ is constantly available and is enough. God would not take away the problem, but God would provide the grace to endure it.

"MY POWER IS PERFECTED IN WEAKNESS"
Our weakness as humans allows God's power to be more manifest.

I know for sure that when there was no doctor and my grandson was burning up, when the rain was coming in sheets and destroying the road in and out, when there was no one to call to remove a huge tree in the road, when the people walked in darkness and not light, these were the obstacles that allowed God's grace and power to shine through. He did not take them away, but He gave the grace to work through them.

The next verse is the hard part, I think.
"MOST GLADLY, THEREFORE,I WILL RATHER BOAST ABOUT MY WEAKNESSES, SO THAT THE POWER OF CHRIST MAY DWELL IN ME."

I am ashamed to admit that "MOST GLADLY" was not my first reaction, I came to it, but not my first reaction. Paul says He would not rejoice in the pain of his obstacle, but be content(have a proper mindset) in the power of Christ seen through it.
So it's not about the weaknesses or the insults, or the distresses, or the persecutions or the difficulties, but instead about Christ and Him glorified.
That is a tough call for me. Most times my focus was on the difficulties instead of recognizing that the power of Christ had the potential to be seen through the obstacle. I see that missionaries live with so many daily obstacles that their first reaction is prayer and then they face the obstacles expecting God to give His grace to deal with it, and He does.

With each obstacle God kept reminding me that HE was able. That HE was bigger than all the obstacles.
So as a POM, and a POM grandma I will rejoice in the struggles that my children face, and then I will pray that He will be lifted up in their lives.

Lord I Pray.....
That Your Grace will be sufficient for my missionary family, that Your power will be perfected in their weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in them. Help them and me to be content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, and with the difficulties;for Christ's sake; for when we are weak then we are strong.
so Lord that when each obstacle is gone through and the power of Christ is manifest, then You will be glorified. I Pray In Jesus Name....Amen

Praying for Joel

"We must continue to ask God for wisdom and insight
and for the strength to persevere.
He will cause us to rise up and fly like eagles
walking not fainting." Norma Smalley

I have shared how I love praying the scriptures and during a difficult time I find that they give me real comfort as I pray them back to God.

My Prayers for Joel and His family:

LORD, You are God, I give thanks to you as I call upon Your name.
You have made known your deed among the peoples and among our family.
I think of and thank You for Erik's miraculous healing last week. Ps. 105:1

I shall remember the deeds of the Lord, yes surely I will remember Your
many wonders of old to our family. I will meditate on Your work and muse
on Your deeds. Ps. 77 :10,11,12
Your way Oh God is holy. What God is great like our God?
You are the God who works wonders, You have made known Your strength
among the peoples. You have by your power redeemed Your people.

I sing praises to You as I bow before You.

Lord, I call upon You, hasten to hear me, please give ear to my voice when
I call on You. Ps. 141:1,2a
Hear my petition and give ear to my supplication Ps. 143:1
May my prayer be as incense before you. Like the incense of old Lord.

God, I come to you with my little grandson and his family. In You God
We come and take refuge, Please God don't leave us defenseless. Ps. 141:8

Give them a hedge of your protection Job 1:9
Your Word says You keep safe those who suffer Lord, be their safe place
In this time of trouble. Ps.9:9
Cover them with your wings for under Your wings they will find safety
because You are a safe covering and a sure wall Ps. 91:4.
As they wait upon You Lord give them strength, and help them because
they are weak and weary right now.

Help this little 3 year old to be brave when the pain comes from receiving
the medicine. Help both him and his parents to have your strength and
comfort during these medicine times.

You say that we can ask for wisdom if we are lacking and that You will give
it to us. James 1:5 I ask that You will give wisdom to his parents, that they
will know how his treatment should continue.
Give the doctors wisdom and understanding into Joel's needs.

But You God are our Jehovah-Rapha~the Lord That Heals
I ask that if it is Your will that You would heal Joel's leg completely.
That he would have complete mobility back. Have mercy on my
grandson.

God I believe your word, and it says that You cause all things to work together
for good to those who love and are called according to Your purpose because
For those whom You foreknew, You predestined to become
conformed to the image of Your Son. Romans 8:28 ,29
We love You Lord, Let Your purpose be accomplished here in us and those
around us.
In Jesus Name I Pray...

You are My Hope....Help Me to WAIT On You...

It has been a hard week for me. My family here is stuggling with financial woes due to the economy. Erik's computer broke down, so that we have not heard from him, and may not for a while. Last I heard he was sick with malaria. It is easier to cope with anxiety over my missionary family when we have some communication.
I find that when I'm anxious or concerned that I easily can get fearful if I don't choose to get into the Word.
Last week I shared praying the scriptures for my children, and I find that praying the scripture for myself, gives me comfort, reminds me who is in control, and allows me to walk in peace.

My Prayer: Lord, I know that my way is not hidden from you, and I know that though I'm not hearing from my children that their way is not hidden from you. I know that you are the everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth, You neither faint nor grow weary, Your understanding is unscrutable. You, O God, give power to the weak and to those of us who have no might then you increase our strength.


Your Word, says that both young and old can be faint and weary, they can fall, and right now I am feeling very weary.


Help me Lord, to WAIT on you, because You say that You will renew my strength and I will mount up with wings of Eagles. Help me to run and not be weary, then I will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:27-31

Why are you so downcast oh my soul, and why am I so disturbed right now?
I choose to put my hope in You oh God, for I will yet praise You, my Saviour. Please..

Direct Your love toward me during the day, and let your song rest in my mind at night. Psalm 12:5,8

Help me to be strong and to take heart because my hope,(my expectations) are in You. Psalm 31:21


Strengthen my feeble hands and knees, Lord make me steady and devoted to prayer, I know that you hear my prayer and supplications, because You incline Your ear to me. Therefore I shall call upon Your name as long as I live. Psalm 116:1,2

Lord, You are my God, and I love You, You are my children's God and You love them. You are compassionate and You preserve the simple. You and You alone can save us.

Return to rest oh my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with me. Ps. 116:5,7

Forever Oh Lord, Your word is settled in heaven, and Your faithfulness continues through all generations. Ps. 119:90

Yours O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty; indeed everything that is in the heaves and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all.

Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone.

Now therefore, My God, I thank You and praise Your glorious name. IChronicles 29:11-13

I love God's Word...

I brings me hope and comfort.

I heard from Erik not long after this was posted and he is feeling much better.

LORD, Show Me How To Pray....

Earlier I blogged about the importance of praying for our missionaries. Paul said, "I thank my God every time I remember you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, because of your partnership in the gospel."

Paul saw the importance and was thankful for those prayers and those who prayed for him and his work.

I wonder if prayer is not the most important service that we can render in the spread of the Lord's Great Commission? I have read that statement someplace, and I think that it might be true.


I know the importance of praying for the daily needs of the missionary, but I also think that it is important to pray for them and their families emotional and spiritual growth and maturity.

I was reminded of this again this week when I got an e-mail from Michele.
She told us of a death in the village, and the subsequent response of the people.
It had been a hard week with the people calling in a "witch doctor" for his wisdom on the spirit of the dead man.
Michele said that Erik had spoke to the people, and had clearly presented what the Bible had to say on the subject.

Long story short the people chose to respond in their normal way by spitting on one of the villagers so as to protect her from the spirit of the dead man.

I was heavy hearted for several days for the people, and I especially sensed Michele's discouragement over the whole situation.

How could I pray for her discouragement that would not be shallow or general? I asked the Lord.
Since I love to pray the scriptures for myself and others I started digging into the Word.

Here is what I came up with on the subject of encouragement and steadfastness. I share with you the prayers that I am praying over my missionary family.

I pray Lord, that you will be an encouragement and protection for Erik and Michele.
Father God, Help them to STAND FIRM. Let nothing move them or discourage them from doing Your work, that they would always give fully and willingly to the work of the Lord, help them to know that their hard work in You is not in vain." I Corinthians 15:58

Help them to remember that what was written in earlier times was written for theirs and the people they serve instruction. So that through perseverance and the encouragement of the scriptures they might have hope. Hope for change, hope for breakthroughs in "kastum". Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant them to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus.So that with one accord they may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accepting one another just as Christ also accepted all of us to the glory of God. Romans 15:4-7

Help my children to know the encouragement of Christ, and encourage them that Your righteous judgement will render to every man according to his deeds especially to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, and eternal life. Romans 2:6-7

Help them to remember that they will not overcome evil with evil, but they will overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21

I ask that they would not grow weary in doing good 2Thes. 3:13, but they would be sober in all things, give them strength to endure hardship, and do the work of an evangelist, fulfilling their ministry 2 Tim. 4:5

And finally Lord, Help them to keep on fighting the good fight so that some day they can say with all certainty ,I have finished the course, I have kept the faith. Help them to be comforted that if they do this that in the future there is layed up for them a crown of righteousness which You the righteous judge will award to them and all those others who have loved His appearing. 2 Tim. 5:7-8

Oh How I Love God's Word. I find that praying God's word over my family just blesses me, and I know that it is God's will for them.