What a crazy month! So many things are happening. God is on the move! Lives are being changed and touched all over Bismarck, and I’m blessed to be able to see it first hand. This month has been another month of seeing God’s goodness and grace through the midst of trials. God has been making it clear to me that I am physically unable to change anyone’s life or make their choices for them. However, He can totally do that and I am just blessed to be used by Him.
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”
-2 Corinthians 8:9
I am blessed to have what the Lord has given me. And how He became poor and literally spent Himself to make others like you and me rich is crazy to me! My desire is to spend myself, my energy, my money, my time, my words, to make others rich too. Not rich in money or fame, but rich in life. The life that comes from having a rich relationship with Christ!
“Jesus said, ‘I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
-John 14:6
“Yet to all who receive him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
–John 1:12
My prayer for everyone I meet is that they would receive Jesus and believe in Jesus so that they too can have the right to become children of God. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. We are separated form God because of our sin. But, because Jesus died, He died for our sin and He gave us His life and He took our sinful life. He died so that we could know God personally. And my desire is to share that hope with all those around me.
“Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”
-Luke 12:21
I’m praying for your relationship with God today, that it may be rich and you may understand how much more valuable it is than riches on this earth. Thank you for your partnership in the truth of the Good News- we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus!
Mostly what has happened this month is directly related to the prayer requests of last month, so I wanted to share the news with you.
Prayer requests #1: Ability to pour out this joy, knowledge, and love into the people around me, especially those high school and college students I am discipling.
Answer: I’ve had so much joy this month and been able to share that Joy in knowing Jesus with these students this month. There have been lots of ups and downs in the lives of these students, but being able to encourage them and show them how amazing it is to know Him has been a blessing in my life. One day at a time God is changing my life and theirs for His glory! Specifically, I have seen students who have not been reading, start to read their Bibles. I have seen students who have not been coming to any event come. I have had positive responses from students about meeting and the excitement in meeting. It seems like God’s love is really flowing through me to these guys and I am so thankful I can see that. Thank you for praying for this!
Prayer Request #2: Motivation and energy with long days. There are lots of late nights, early mornings, long meetings, and deep conversations that seem like they go nonstop.
Answer: Crazy how God gives us just what we need in the time we need it! I have been sick for the last week or two and I finally am back to normal. I have been blessed even without caffeine to have so much energy to not only keep up with the students but to have amazing conversations. I had 2 students commit to a 16 week discipleship with me this week and they have been students I have been trying to hang out with since September! Amazing to see that “the Joy of the LORD is our strength” and being able to be joyful in him daily has helped me tremendously. Also, that “His power is made perfect in my weakness.” Because when I was feeling under the weather, it was very difficult to be able to want go to some of these appointments with students.
Prayer Request #3: Generosity to be shared toward this mission as I speak in Bismarck at Word of Faith Church (January 22nd), as well as a Calvary Evangelical Free Church in Rugby (January 29th).
Answer: Generosity was shared tremendously over the course of the last few weeks! I’m so blessed to have partners throughout the state and nation. God allowed over $5,500 to come in from the two churches over the course of 8 days! Talk about provision. Though this provision I hear God is saying, “You are going and I’m just showing you that I am with you through it all.” Thank you for your prayers and for your generosity in helping send me to the nations!!!
Prayer Request #4: Pray for the words to speak at these churches that they too will understand the importance of bringing the Good News to those who have never heard the name of Jesus before.
Answer: I saw this tremendously in the body of believers in Rugby. I received so much encouragement and was felt like this message the LORD gave me was well received. I also have had many amazing conversations with people explaining God’s heart for the world! Truly believe this prayer was answered in a real way and thankful for all who prayed specifically for this. Also, at Word of Faith in Bismarck, I had the privilege to talk to many who were amazed by opportunity I have to go. And not only that, but I witnessed some of them grasp the vision of the importance of the world getting the Good News. Overall, I believe God spoke through me and gave me just the right words to say. Thank you for praying for this specifically.
Prayer Request #5: Endurance and obedience daily as I follow the Lord one day at a time.
Answer: I have had some amazing devotional times recently. When I am full it is so much easier to pour out what God is speaking and doing to others. One day at a time, staying in the Word has been able to help me follow His desires and not my own fleshly desires. The LORD gave me this today as an encouragement that maybe someone needs to hear,
“Life with love is God given and awesome. It’s amazing because even though you can’t see it, you feel it and it comes through every part of our actions and emotions. Love touches not only the heart, but also the whole body. And not just the whole body, but also all those you encounter. Jesus is love; He affects my whole being and those who I come in contact with because His love moves me. A life of love is full because Jesus completes me. It is hard because people and the world are full of sin. But the light shines through the darkness just as love transcends evil. ‘Lord help me to live a life of love. Because a life of love is a life with you.’ Love changes us and will change the people around us. Love. Love. Love. Northing can separate us from Gods love.”
ODAAT- One Day At A Time
Obedience- following His words and His ways
Discipline- being disciplined to follow daily his direction and instruction (prayer and reading)
Adoration- extoling the one who made us by adoring who He is (loving Him for being Him)
Acceptance- accepting God and His word as truth
Termination- cutting out the bad and evil things out of our lives
Other prayer requests for next month!
- T-shirt fundraiser continues to go well. I am selling shirts for $20 and for every 75 shirts sold, I will raise $1,000 for my trip.
- For my students and I to continue to have a desire to grow and know God. Specifically pray for Jayce, Dougles, Carter, Ray, Steve, Dominic, Luke, Brandon, and Carson. These guys I meet with weekly to read the Bible and they all have their own battles, but the Lord is doing a work in their lives. Pray for seeds to land on fertile soil that the Lord will allow to grow.
- For the Red Lodge Ski Trip coming up (February 17-20). That it would be more than a ski trip and that these students would truly understand the goodness of God and a new inspiration to walk with Him.
- Lastly, protection over my family and I. The evil one knows what I am about to go do and he knows my weak points. Please pray for health and for angels to protect them as I prepare to go and leave for the race.
