Our family believes in prayer – we believe God hears and cares and answers. This is especially relevant when it comes to work for the kingdom. God has made promises to us related to prayer and we would be foolish not to avail ourselves of those promises! Not only do we believe these things, but we also believe that prayer is not intended to be a solitary endeavor. Rather, prayer is something that we do with and for each other (e.g. Rom. 15:30; 2 Thess. 3:1). So, while we are certainly in continual prayer about our upcoming work, we desire (indeed we need) for others to be in prayer for our family and our work as well. However, we know many of those who might pray aren’t necessarily sure what to be praying about on our behalf. Below is a list of seven things you can pray for regarding our mission – one for each day of the week. Of course, we won’t complain if you pray for all seven every day!
Pray For Our Fundraising Efforts
As of writing this, we have raised 62% of our bare-bones budget (46% of our full budget). We have had so much support from people we never would have thought to ask; what a blessing to see God’s hand involved in this process! Nevertheless, we still have a good amount to raise before we can begin our mission. We can’t start the mission or maintain it without a certain level of financial backing. Your prayers on our behalf for fundraising success would be a blessing.
Pray For Where We Will Live
We are trusting God for everything in this mission, and that includes not just our financial support, but also where we will live. I’m talking about specifics here – down to the neighborhood, the street, the house or apartment. God knows who is seeking him. He knows those who are contemplating the important questions of life for which the gospel is the answer. We are trusting him to move the pieces in place even now so that we will live in the right location to be effective for his kingdom.
Pray For The People We Already Know
There are many people who we already know and with whom we have relationships. We ask for your prayers for these people and for our interactions with them. I hesitate to write their names on a public blog, so please feel free to write us and ask for specific names. Even without those specific names, God knows the people we have relationships with and we ask that you pray for them. Pray for their hearts to be opened to the gospel, pray for our interactions with them. Pray for us to have the right words at the right time along with wisdom and discernment.
Pray For The People We Will Meet
Matsudo city alone has around 500,000 people. We estimate around 2-3 million people live within a 30 minute radius of the church building. That’s a lot of potential interactions! We are so excited about the possibilities, but we need the right opportunities to meet the right people. Please pray that God will be setting up those interactions even now. Pray that we will have many “well-side” encounters (cf. John 4:1-42). Pray that our eyes will be opened and we will see these opportunities clearly, and will know how to respond wisely and appropriately.
Pray For Our Language Abilities
Japanese is a difficult language, and can be a barrier in multiple directions – it can inhibit us from engaging with others, and it can inhibit them from listening to us. We need God to help us grow in our language abilities. We are already engaged in efforts to grow – studying Japanese study cards, watching Japanese TV shows online, etc. But we need God’s help to make our minds and brains pliable to the language, while helping us hold on to new information effectively.
Pray For Our Family
Moving overseas again is not an easy task. It brings with it significant amounts of stress and even frustration. This is true for every member of our family. Please be praying that our hearts will have peace, that we will be patient with others and with each other, and that we will keep our eyes on the mission with a zeal and love that keeps us motivated. Please also pray for our extended family, especially for both sets of parents. It is difficult to see your children, and especially your grandchildren, move so far away. Please pray for their peace, and their ability to find great joy in the work that is being done.
Pray For the Matsudo Church
The Matsudo Church of Christ has been around for almost 60 years. We want to see it be a force for God’s kingdom for another 60 years and beyond. There is so much that is going to be required for that to happen – many things that only God knows. Please pray for the members of the congregation to be faithful and dedicated. Please pray for us as we try to serve and help the congregation. Please pray that we will all have wisdom and joy and patience and every trait we will need to move forward. Pray for God’s Spirit to work powerfully through and in this small congregation for his glory.
Of course, there may be more things to pray for specifically, so if you think of something else feel free to pray for that as well! But hopefully these seven will give you a start as you pray on our behalf and on behalf of this work. To all who are committed in prayer – thank you so much! Your prayers mean the world to us, and we know that God listens and cares. May it all be to his glory!
Along with your prayers, we need financial partners to make this work possible. Find out how to partner with us by clicking here.
