If God does not give you something you ask for, wait on Him. He will speak with you tenderly and sympathetically about the matter, until you yourself understand that He cannot grant your prayer. O. Hallesby
Last Sonday my eyes were drawn (as they often are) to the bowl of memorial stones on the platform. My stone is in there. I remember adding it there knowing that I was making the biggest faith-based financial commitment of my life. With that little stone I promised Father that I would do my part to fulfil His vision - probably for the rest of my life. By God’s grace I have kept my commitment every year and I have never regretted it. We are gearing up for this year’s VF21 Campaign and I am really looking forward to joining Father in His plans for Fresno First Baptist Church. Please pray that Father will work a miracle through us, His children, and that He will show all of us how we will be making this year’s commitment.
We have been praying for Frank who was involved in the car accident awhile back. An e-mail from his step-daughter reports that Frank is doing great and the skin on his hand is regenerating.
We were also praying for Sherline & her thyroid surgery. I am please to tell you that she came through the surgery with flying colors. Now they are just waiting for the pathology report - please pray that this report is also good.
Danette Joos is requesting prayer for her mom. Her mom is facing outright hostility at her workplace. Please pray for Father’s guidance.
Danette Joos is also requesting prayer for her ex-father-in-law and a growth in his throat. They have been unable to do a biopsy on the growth because his heart rate is so irregular.
Do you know who Joni Johnson is? Let me give you a hint - just recently we were calling her Joni Willis. Joni has married “absolutely wonderful” Bryan Johnson. (Don’t you just love newlyweds?) They start this new adventure as a blended family - Bryan has two children and Joni has our sweet Alexis. As an additional challenge Bryan has to do a lot of traveling in his new job. Please pray for this new family as they journey together.
Anna Hines (the great worship intern we’ve been blessed with) is requesting prayer for friends who have gone on a trip to China. It’s not a mission trip (China doesn’t allow that) it is a trip to teach children to speak English. (God can use any opportunity) Unfortunately the living conditions are brutal. Several of the team members have been forced to come home because they have been refused medical treatment in China. Please pray for the healing of those who have come home, pray for the team that remains, and pray for the children they will teach.
Please pray for a young man named Joe. I do not have the details of what he is facing - but Father knows - and He is the important One.
From Flipside Church we have the following request: Please be in prayer for little Tyler Eric Fahrmeyer, born this last Sunday. Tyler’s mom and dad are Kara and Eric. Tyler is at Valley Childrens Hospital in the NICU. He has fluid on his lungs and high blood pressure. He had a breathing tube in that was just removed today (thank you God). He still needs to be able to eat on his own, and must not have any infections before they can let him go home.
We continue to pray for the following: Kimmie who was involved in a car accident that took part of her family, Cody Gunderson & family after the loss of their 16 year old daughter, Nancy Pippin & a brain tumor, Moises & Kim for the loss of their 9 year old son, Lois Bezona & family after the loss of their 3 ½ year old great-granddaughter, Stephanie Smith & family after the loss of her father’s cousin, Merle Rush and recovery from his stroke, Andrea Spees & recovery from post-operative infection, Bev Borjas’ son, Khamla & her arm, Geri Kinnish’s husband and recovery from surgery, Ashley & the infection in her heart lining, Jane Irwin & ovarian cancer, Judi Wright’s shoulder surgery, my co-worker’s sister with the brain tumor, George & Margie Martin and his cancer, Michael Ferris, Emmy Lou Graves, Laura in Ohio, John Rogers & cancer, new employment opportunities for Dan Hansen, Stan Reed & cancer, Kassel Coon in Afghanistan, Ray Rahn & his wife. Please send me any updates you might have!
Pray for our missionaries - Judy, Faye & Miisaw at the New Life Center in Thailand, Jan & Larry Martin in Thailand, The Reaching Hand Society in India, Dr. George Pe Myat & the hospital in the Congo, Bounkham & Khamla’s mission to Laos, Gospel For Asia, The Faith Alive Clinic in Jos, Nigeria, Laurie Bethall in Prague, and all the missionaries worldwide.
Please keep our two church plants in prayer. Please pray for Karl & Shellie Roth with Flipside. Please pray for Horacio & Cheryl Aleman at the LIFEhouse in Reedley.
Pray for our pastors, our leadership, our ministries, and Father’s provision for His Church. Pray that we recognize opportunities to share our faith with others. Pray for the Church that in these troubled times that she stands strong.
Pray for our country, her leadership and our military.
Abba,
In a just creation we would not be allowed into Your presence because we are unworthy. In a just creation we would not be able to speak to You at all - let alone call You Abba. But You call to us - not through Your justice but through Your mercy. Because of Your mercy we come boldly into Your presence and we are privileged to call You Father. Nothing in our lives compares to this.
Father, tell us what You would have us do with our VF21 commitment. Find our hearts willing to follow You - let us be a blessing to You as You continue to work through us. Use our willing hearts to create a miracle.
Holy Spirit, we praise You for the great reports on Frank & Sherline and ask that You continue to heal them.
We pray, LORD Jesus, that You will be with Danette’s ex-father-in-law and the growth in his throat. Calm his heart so the biopsy can be done. We pray for the situation with Joe. We pray that if it is Your will to restore him - then restore him. If it is Your will to release him - then we ask that You release him. We pray for little Tyler, that You heal him and let him come home to his family.
Thank You for Joni’s new family. We ask that You bless this family and guide them as they grow together.
We ask, Holy Spirit, that You guide Danette’s mom as she faces this hostile workplace. Help her to stay calm and always show You first in this situation.
Great Comforter, be with this team in China and give them opportunities to share You with the children they teach. Let the children be open to them and to You. Ease the living conditions these young people are enduring. Heal those who have been forced to come back to the USA.
God Who fills eternity, we release to You those who continue to be on our hearts and in our prayers. We declare that You are sovereign God and that nothing that will happen in these lives and situations is outside of Your will.
You have blessed us so mightily Holy God, by allowing us to engage this world in Your name in so many ways. We pray for our missionaries around the world. Help us to support them with our resources and our love. We pray for LIFEhouse and Flipside - the two church plants. Continue to bless and prosper them. We pray for our pastors, our leadership and the ministries of Your church and ask that You provide for them.
With humble hearts we ask LORD of All that You bring our country back to You. We lift her up to You LORD God. Bless our country’s leadership and those that serve her in the military.
There are not enough words to describe Your glory. There are not enough songs to adequately praise You. We are not worthy of You or of Your incredible love for us. But You take us just as we are with our stuttering words and inadequate praise. You promise us that we will be made perfect when we are in Your presence. We can’t hardly wait to be with You. We love You.
Posted by Valerie at July 20, 2005 05:08 PM