Weekly Prayer Posts from Thailand
October 8, 2020
Dear Friends and Loved Ones,
Transition is in the air — you can literally feel it, and breathe it! Where would we be if God had not created seasons? These doorways into the days ahead pull us forward with their promise of better times. Even the slightest breeze that touches our face carries the power to lift our sagging spirit. God has always been in the renewal business. Infusing our lives with joy has been His specialty since the beginning of creation!
“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thorn-bush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever.”
Isaiah 55:10-13
Of course life can also be complicated. There are stretches in our lives where it looks as if the path has been deliberately designed to discourage us from going any further! We are tempted to just give up and throw in the towel. You would think life would be easy — but it isn’t! Back in the days when we were students, we often felt justified to complain about the grade that we had been given. Surely the teacher got it wrong! No matter how hard we tried to change our score, professor Cora Alley’s reply to our lame arguments was always, “Life is full of teeny weeny bummers!” Meaning what? — Meaning you had better hit the books! — that’s what!
Somewhere along the way we discover that life is a journey of epic proportions. Unbeknownst to us, we have all been signed up for roles in an unfolding story that has a cast of millions! Although we have just been handed the script for our part — the story that we’re in has already been in play long before we arrived on the scene. It takes some time for all this to sink in — but once we begin to understand the story, we will gain confidence about our role, and its significance in the overall picture!
“Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” – 1 John 3:2
“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” – 2 Corinthians 3:18
This is our reality — right here and now. We need to believe God when He tells us that He is with us in this very moment. The world may look as if it is imploding all around us. And our own lives may seem to be on the verge of unraveling — but God is faithful — God’s promises hold. God’s promises have always held — God is the Promise Keeper!
“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” – Matthew 28:20
These are momentous times. We can see that the world will never be the same again. But hopefully — we will be given the opportunity to join God in His latest project — the making of a better world! This new work will need to begin with us. There is nothing to be gained by blaming others for the mess we’re in — after all, all this has taken place on our collective watch!
So, let us put our best foot forward and fall in line behind our Commander-in-Chief — Jesus Christ!
Working With You in Hope,
Joni & Nangsar
🙏 Prayer Requests 🙏
- Today Joni turned 71 — that’s a long time to remain young!
- Nangsar and I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you — family and friends — for all the prayers you have so graciously sent up for us over these many years! We are alive and well because of your prayers! Thank you!
- October is the beginning of our harvest season here in Asia.
- Christian communities across the region will be hosting weekend Thanksgiving Celebrations in their villages for the next two months! Please join us in lifting these events up in prayer as many people will have multiple opportunities to encounter Christ afresh at these services.
- October also marks the beginning of our seasonal transition here.
- The rainy season is definitely coming to an end. We have begun to feel the cool breezes that are blowing in from the far north. Yesterday Nangsar and I spotted our first white wagtail birds skipping along a stretch of dirt road. These are small black and white striped migratory birds that arrive in Thailand during the winter months. They are always seen in pairs. Very uplifting — worth praying for!