How I Pray

I rarely pray that things will go according to my plan, and when I do, I don't really have a peace about it. I pray that God would pay off my student loans because I know He doesn't want me to have any outstanding debts, and I pray that He would do it in a miraculous way because I love to see God glorified and magnified!

Heidi and I set a date for our departure, August 2009. We prayerfully set that date because we wanted to cast a vision for the people who are supporting us. We wanted to have a goal because without a goal there is nothing to work toward. But now I'm wondering why we set a goal based on our ignorance. We don't know how God is working in believer's lives, and we don't know how He wants to provide for us. We don't know how God is moving in hearts in France and Mali. We don't know His timing.

Early on we set support-raising goals. We said, "God has us here to: Encourage the Church, Challenge the Church to Obey Scripture, and Inform the Church About what God is Doing Around the World." That still feels right to me. Those are things I see in scripture. I can be passionate about that.

How can I be truly passionate about leaving in August? It's a month in the year. I am passionate about going as soon as God opens the doors because I believe God has called us to go. I was passionate about going in August 2008 which came and went. It wasn't God's time, and I don't know if August 2009 is God's time either. We are resolved to keep working toward the August 2009 departure because we prayerfully set that date, and we want to work faithfully until God says otherwise. I think it is more important to be faithful than it is to second guess the future. God is capable, and we will work toward an August departure in hopeful expectation of God working miracles.

If August comes and goes and we are still in California, I will say, "My hope was in the Lord Who was able to send us in August, and my hope is still in the Lord Who is still able to send us when He sees fit."

So I don't pray, "Lord send us in August." I pray, "Lord, You are faithful, knowledgeable, and capable. Use me to make Yourself known. Use our family to take the good news about Jesus to the Malian people. We are waiting on You, Lord."