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Archive for the ‘Prayer Requests’ Category

Pray for Pastors Experiencing Disability

Posted in Prayer Requests on June 8, 2011| 2 Comments »

Several times in the past week I’ve either interacted with or heard about pastors who are experiencing disability in their families.  Whether experiencing disability in themselves or in a family member, those pastors live in even more of a fish-bowl than most people.

My struggles, discouragement and disappointment related to disability happen in the relative anonymity of the pews.

Our pastors living with disability in themselves or a family member are in the spotlight all the time, with the added responsibility of helping and leading their people through this issue.  I know God will supply every need, and that particular need just feels so heavy today.

Let us persist in prayer for them and their families and their churches.

And an email now and then letting them know of your prayers and affection might be helpful, too!

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Thank you to our volunteers!

Posted in commentary, Prayer Requests on June 5, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Pastor John rightfully mentioned Brenda Fischer, the Disability Ministry Coordinator at Bethlehem, during his sermon on John 9:1-4.  She is a tremendous gift to Bethlehem and to dozens of families like ours!

And she is the first to say that the only reason it happens is because God gives her strength and God gives her volunteers.

Today marks the end of Sunday School for the year, and it seems appropriate to make a special thank you to all the volunteers who have served families like mine this past year.

In her most recent article in Bethlehem’s Family Discipleship newsletter, Forgetting the Label to the Glory of God, Brenda notes that we had 46 one-on-one aides this past year!  That is an extraordinary provision from God!  I only know a few of those volunteers, but the ones I have met all say the same thing:  I’m the one experiencing the blessing.

No, we still aren’t able to serve everyone; the need for more volunteers continues and I expect will increase.  But I can remember when we didn’t have ANY volunteers.

So, let us raise a prayer of thanksgiving for what God is already doing here and in many churches who are rising in their understanding of the God-granted dignity and value of people with disabilities.  And let us not stop asking for even more – more families, more people with disabilities, more volunteers, more connections, more wisdom, more capacities.  And most of all, more of God and the joy that comes from treasuring him above all things!

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Reaching out beyond our borders – please pray

Posted in Prayer Requests on May 17, 2011| Leave a Comment »

This past Sunday, Pastor John closed his sermon, You Will Never See Death, with this exhortation (emphasis mine):

(E)ven when we don’t realize it, fear is haunting our choices, making us cautious, wary, restrained, confined, narrow, tight, robbing us of risk and adventure and dreams for the sake of Christ and his kingdom and the cause of love in the world. Without our even knowing it, fear of death is a slave master binding us with invisible ropes, confining us to small, safe, innocuous, self-centered ways of life.

Becker has no solution for this bondage, but Jesus does. “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” Or as he says in John 8:32, “You will know the truth [about death], and the truth will set you free.” The world desperately needs the courage and the Christ of fearless Christians who know they will never taste death. Be one.

Earlier this year, Justin and Tamara Reimer gave up the relative security of a regular job to launch into full-time ministry with The Elisha Foundation.  They are pouring their lives into families like ours, providing respite and retreats.

And right now they are in the Ukraine, working with some dear brothers with InLumine on the next phase – reaching beyond our borders to serve those with disabilities in other parts of the world.

Justin and Tamara are full of “adventure and dreams for the sake of Christ and his kingdom and the cause of love in the world.”

Please join me in praying for these precious people and the ministry they have birthed.  You can follow them on Facebook or on Twitter.

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Please pray for the CDG Conference this week

Posted in Prayer Requests, Special Events on March 8, 2011| Leave a Comment »

On Thursday more than 800 people will be gathering for the 2011 Children Desiring God Conference in Bloomington.  I think nearly 100 are coming from outside the United States!

Please be in prayer for this conference.  We know the enemy of our faith hates the theme of this conference, Holding Fast to the Word of Truth, hates the leaders who are coming, and hates the idea of the next generation learning about the sovereignty of God in all things through the Word.

Yet, it is precisely because it is based on the Word that I have hope it will have lasting impact!  And when leaders (and families) soak in these truths, they are better equipped to deal positively and proactively with families dealing with disability.  So, this isn’t a small thing for us!

The CDG team sent this list of prayer requests for the conference.  Will you join me in praying?

  • Our Plenary Speakers (John Piper, Russell Moore, Kempton Turner, and David Michael) and 26 Seminar Leaders—that their messages will overflow from God’s work in their hearts, bringing honor to Him through His word of truth. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.—Psalm 19:14

  • CDG Team (David, Sally, Jill, Brian, Rachel, Jim, Beth, Sarah, and Karen)—for the Lord’s wisdom and guidance as we prepare, trusting that God can do anything and will provide for all of our needs. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.—2 Corinthians 12:9
  • Our Team of 150+ Volunteers—that the Lord will provide all that they need to serve well in the strength that that He provides. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.— 2 Corinthians 9:8
  • Staff at the Conference hotel and transportation providers—that we can work well together, giving honor to the Lord in all of our interactions before, during, and after the event so that they will be drawn to Him. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.—Matthew 5:16

  • Our Attendees—for those coming from around the U.S. and from other countries. And pray that all of our attendees will be encouraged and equipped to return to their churches and homes to bear kingdom fruit in the hearts of the next generations. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.–2 Corinthians 4:15

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How will we prepare the young people?

Posted in commentary, Prayer Requests on February 20, 2011| 1 Comment »

As I write this I’m sitting about 200 yards away from more than 200 junior- and senior-high aged young people at a retreat in northern Minnesota.  Next to me is a book, Prenatal Testing and Disability Rights, that just makes me want to weep in frustration.  It is full of illogical conclusions from some very intelligent people.  And, for the most part, the people writing for this book are arguing against the destruction through abortion of babies with disabilities – I should be encouraged!

But there is no real, lasting defense of babies in this book.  There are lessons I’m learning, but I’m not sure how to articulate them just yet.

So, I’m thinking about those 200 young people, who are being lead by some of the most disciplined, most Bible-saturated, most delighting-in-God men and women Bethlehem has to offer.  Their schedule is full of Bible (and recreation – those young bodies do need to move around!).  Yet, that won’t be enough if God doesn’t do what only he can do, calling them from death to his marvelous life and light.

So, I find myself praying this morning, please, father, please, save them all, call them all, fill them all with the wonder of who you are and a desire to know your word.  Please give their leaders words of praise and life and hope.

And then, Lord, help us to teach them to think so that they will respect but not be blinded by academic credentials or peer-reviewed journals that do not have one hint of the eternal reality to come or the present, daily help you provide.  Help us to teach them to search for truth, even when that truth is hard, like the reality of living with disability – but in the knowledge that you will never leave us, you will never forsake us, you will always supply what we need, that not one of your children can be snatched from your hand.  That it is better to live ‘as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing’ with a hope in future grace than it is to kill our babies.

Father, please let us be examples of trusting in you.  Let these young people be surrounded by adults who love them and love you.

Lord, help us prepare them for a world that will be perplexed, confused and hostile to a young couple who are not afraid of prenatal tests, but fear you and know they are only safe when close to you.  A world that will wonder at, question and confront why they choose not to destroy their unborn child with Down syndrome or spina bifida, why their grandparents and church don’t counsel them to get rid of that baby, why they choose a life they know will be complicated and full of hardship.

Father, let these young people at this camp taste a little bit of real, God-centered joy this weekend.  Please, Lord, open the eyes of their hearts.  In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Please Pray for the Children Desiring God Conference

Posted in News, Prayer Requests on February 8, 2011| 2 Comments »

Please pray for the Children Desiring God Conference, which is coming up March 10-12.

So much of what we love about Bethlehem has been related to the children and family ministries; our disability ministry is overseen by Family Discipleship.  We know that churches that take this responsibility to the next generations seriously are frequently open to the needs of families dealing with disability.

Their theme this year is “Holding Fast to the Word of Truth” and includes plenary sessions by Pastor John, Pastor David, and Pastor Kempton from Bethlehem and Dr. Russell Moore from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

I’ve heard every one of these men say important things about God and disability.  This conference isn’t about that issue, but I’m still excited to hear them!

Please also pray for the staff of Children Desiring God.  Nearly every member has been hit with something that has laid them low or slowed them down physically, including their Executive Director who needed emergency surgery last week and will be weeks in recovery.  Through it all I’ve seen them encourage each other to remember that God will provide all that they need and they serve in the strength that God provides.

This year, Brenda Fischer and I will again be leading seminars related to disability and the sovereignty of God.  For the first time, there will also be a table dedicated to disability ministry.  Please pray for us as we make our final preparations for this conference.

And related to the theme of the conference, Children Desiring God has released a tool to help with Bible memorization: FighterVerses.com.  The verse this week is absolutely relevant to those of us dealing with disability:

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?  Psalm 56:3-4

Thank you for praying!

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“That light is eternal, it will last from now until the end of time.” Pastor Siud

Posted in News, Prayer Requests on January 30, 2011| 2 Comments »

This video isn’t directly related to disability, but it is so wonderful I couldn’t keep it myself.

The Kimyal Tribe of Papua, Indonesia received the New Testament in their own language in 2010.  This video documents when that Bible was delivered to them.  To see such passion for the Word is humbling – and wonderfully exciting!

Let us pray for more and more such videos as more languages are translated and more people have access to the word of God in their own language.

Rosa Kidd (on this video) and her husband Orin will also be at the Desiring God Pastors Conference!  Please continue to pray for the pastors who are coming.

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Pastors are gathering next week. Please pray!

Posted in News, Prayer Requests on January 28, 2011| Leave a Comment »

On Monday the Desiring God Conference for Pastors begins.  You can get more information about this conference and the speakers here.

The theme:  The Powerful Life of the Praying Pastor: In His Room, with the Family, Among the People of God.

When pastors have a really big view of God as sovereign over all things, when they love the Word of God and preach out of their knowledge AND affections, when they pray earnestly to God who has promised to supply every need, their people are better prepared for disability!

Not just the families experiencing disability – everybody has been prepared to engage this issue, sometimes through radical acts of service in love!

Please, pray for these 1,600+ pastors who are gathering.  May God raise up hundreds more churches impacting thousands more families like ours with the joy of God’s goodness and sovereignty over disability.

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Families experiencing disability are gathering. Please pray for spiritual eyes to see!

Posted in Prayer Requests, Scripture on January 6, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Today The Elisha Foundation welcomes families to the Cannon Beach Christian Conference Center for their winter retreat.  Greg Lucas, author of Wrestling with an Angel, is leading participants through Ephesians 1 and 2 over the four days.

Ephesians 1:15-21 includes one of the longest and most glorious sentences in the Bible:

15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

Pastor John opened this up for me some years ago in a sermon he preached, “Open My Eyes that I May See.”

In Ephesians 1:18 Paul prays this way. He says, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling . . .” In other words, “I’ve taught you these things and you have received them with your external senses, but unless you perceive the glory of them with your spiritual sense (“the eyes of your heart”) you will not be changed. (See also Ephesians 3:14-19; Colossians 1:9 with 3:16). Now these are Christians he is writing to, which shows that we need to go on praying until we get to heaven for spiritual eyes to see.

This was in 1998, when we didn’t know about the autism and multiple other things going on in our son’s body.  All we knew for sure was that he was blind.

But God gripped me when I heard that statement from Pastor John: Paul’s physical blindness was absolutely no obstacle to God’s good work in his life! He did not need eyes in his head to see Jesus, because the eyes that clearly see who Jesus is see through a new heart that only God can provide.

It was another gift from God in building my understanding of who God is, and increasing my affections for him.

The families attending this retreat, if I understand Justin Reimer correctly, are coming with all kinds of issues, and many different understandings of who God is in relation to their family’s situation with disability.  Please pray that we would all have enlightened heart-eyes and would cling to our Jesus! 

 

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“It is a joy to serve the Christians here. . .”

Posted in Prayer Requests, Quotes on December 20, 2010| Leave a Comment »

One of the families we love most in this world live in Southeast Asia serving a people group that has very few resources for learning about God.  Their most recent communication closed with this line:

It is a joy to serve the Christians here and be moved by their faith in poverty and oppression. And it is a joy to wait expectantly for God to advance his Kingdom among the (people) of (this region).

What does this have to do with disability?  Almost everything.  Where God’s Kingdom has advanced, people with disabilities tend to be treated much better than before.

Of course it is true that churches in the United States frequently don’t deal with disability well.  And many mainline denominations have capitulated to the evil of abortion, which is resulting in the slaughter of our pre-born children with disabilities.

But we should never overlook that over the centuries, it has been Christians who have moved to serve vulnerable people, including people with disabilities, when others would not.  Hospitals, schools and orphanages all over the world have their origins in Christian people coming together, called by God, and desiring to serve out of affections for God and a new love for people they would have previously dismissed or disdained.

So please pause and pray for those, like our friends, who are laboring in areas where Jesus isn’t known that the Kingdom of God would advance and many more would see clearly that those God has created to live with disability are equal members of Christ’s church, even indispensable.

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