As I prepare for this new journey to begin, I find myself waiting in this strange, new middle ground that I just keep wanting to quickly get myself out of. My Pastor, John Dupin recently said, “Waiting isn’t in the way, it is the way.” That statement means so much to me as I feel like this time is literally standing in my way. I am slowly trying to detach from my life as I have known it which has left me with a frequent feeling of boredom. This is new for me as I do not typically allow myself to even get bored. I do believe that God still has something for me right now as well as later.
Somehow, amongst all my restless thoughts, I have forgotten the most important thing in this waiting. Yes, I need to prepare to live out of a backpack for a year, vaccinate myself, raise money and all that “fund” stuff, but I need to spend more time praying and preparing my heart with what is to come. I will be preparing my heart by praying these things leading up to June so I wanted to let you all in on how you can be praying for me as well. Each month I am sure I will have more specific prayer requests but here are 11 general things that I know I will need prayer for the whole trip. If you can begin to pray now and pick one per month while I am gone, it would mean so much to me.
Prayer changes everything.
- Listen and Learn
Pray that I can listen to others that I am on this trip with and partner with from country to country and that I am humble enough to learn whatever God wants to teach me through them. I do not want to miss one thing because I was unwilling to listen.
- Contentment in Stillness
As I mentioned, boredom (feeling weary because one is unoccupied) isn’t easy for me. As this year will be fun and filled with many new adventures, I know that it will also slow me down in a lot of ways. No planner, no car, not much WIFI. Pray that God will change how I see those “unoccupied times” and see Him in it and be present and enjoy those slow moments. I pray that this year will help me forever learn how to Simply Just Be Still.
- Worry and Longing
Pray that I will trust God when I start to worry and long for my family and friends. I pray that this time will grow and deepen my relationships with them and my dependency on God to watch over them And their dependancy on God to watch over me each day.
- Health, Safety and Family
This is an area I do not spend much time praying for because I honestly don’t think about it all that much but please pray for my health and safety and for everyone on my team. Please pray for my family’s safety while I am not able to be there and please specifically pray for my mom as I know this will not be easy on her.
- Empowerment and Boldness
Pray that through this year I can be more confident in the power of Jesus Christ that is WITHIN me. He has given me His power and I pray that I recognize that and use it for the rest of my life.
- Humility
That I will remember who called me and got me there and who that power came from in the first place. It is only through Jesus Christ that I can Go Do any Good.
- Hunger and Thirst
I’m going to be hungry. I snack any chance I can especially when I feel stressed. I won’t get to just go through the delicious chick fil a drive through and get sweet sriracha sauce any time I want to. Sounds silly but its going to be tough. Pray that as I hunger and crave random American things that I would hunger and thirst to know Jesus more and deeper. That is my ultimate desire in life.
8. Alert and Ready
Satan is going to be prowling around throwing all his little schemes to bring our team down and to ty to disunify us. Pray that I am ready to fight. I believe he will be moving in ways I have never experienced before. Pray that I am alert.
9. Lead and Love
Lead. Pray that God can use me to lead others to lead and to encourage them in their strengths and God given gifts. Pray that I can demonstrate God’s love to everyone especially amongst the disgusting evil that I will encounter.
10. Pray Without Fear
Pray that prayer (communication with God) will become my first reaction to any action. I want prayer to be a natural thing for my daily life and that I will pray with confidence and boldness and without fear of whoever is listening.
11. Reach and Understand
Finally, please pray for understanding as I move from culture to culture and try to understand new ways in order to reach the people better. I am praying that somehow God will use this blog (that the world race requires me To have) to reach people in America reading along.
Thank you for praying for me as I pray for all of you reading this.
Whatever it is that you are waiting on, know that God is in the waiting and the He is never in a rush.
“Because of your partnership
in the gospel
from the first day
until now..”
Rachael Santaniello
