For this Mt. Carmel {XinJiang}

We are preparing to head back into the land we love.  My heart is full and our lives are full, feeling packed with things to do (packing!!) and good-byes.  Thank you for praying with us as we re-enter the battleground and all that that entails.

We should be sending an update soon and will spill all the details for this there... but we are still lacking financial support, so your prayers with us for that (and perhaps the Father might lead you to give?) would be greatly appreciated.

But for now... here are some words that have encouraged me this afternoon (from a book that I'm enjoying some parts of):

"Remember how Abraham tried to help God out of His difficulties and because of his folly)had Ishmael?  We try to do the same thing today.  On the other hand, Elijah made it as difficult as he could for the Lord.  He wanted fire, but yet he soaked the sacrifices with water!  God loves such holy boldness in our prayers.  "Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heather for thine inheiritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession" (Psalm 2:8).

"Oh my ministering brethren!  Much of our praying is but giving God advice!  Our praying is discolored with ambition, either or ourselves or for our denominations.  Perish the thought!  Our goal must be God alone.  It is His honor that is sullied, His blessed Son who is ignored, His laws broken, His name profaned, His Book forgotten, His house made a circus of social efforts.... (Ravenill, Why Revival Tarries, p 41.)

"Poverty-stricken as the Church is today in many things, she is most stricken here, in the place of prayer.  We have many organizers, but few agonizers; many players and payers, but few pray-ers; many singers, but few clingers; lots of pastors, few wrestlers; many fears, few tears; much fashion, little passion; many interferers, few intercessors; many writers, few fighters.  Failing her, we fail everywhere. (p 25.)"

"The ugly fact is that altar fires are either out or burning very low.  The prayer meeting is dead or dying.  By our attitude to prayer we tell God that what was begun in the Spirit, we can finish in the flesh.  What church ever asks its candidating ministers what time they spend in prayer?  Yet ministers who do not spend two hours a day in prayer are not worth a dime a dozen, degrees or no degrees. (p 21)."

He asks, 'Where are the Elijah's of God?'  Oh Lord may they be found in us... the writer and the readers here!  Send your fire into us Lord, even as we beg like inattentive children...  Lord, teach us to pray!

We go, we give, we pray, we preach.... All for You, all for You

What a holy, magnificent privilege this is, 
to give and live our all for You, in You. 

For your glory God!