Thoughts on Prayer

I’m actually writing this last week. This week I’m in Haiti serving God wherever and however He leads. In getting to this point, I’ve seen some miraculous answers to prayer. Many people have been praying for me, just to get me to Haiti. Those prayers have been answered.

Many people continue to pray for this mission trip. Maybe some of you have been praying since I initially wrote about this trip on November 23, 2017 (you can look that up by choosing the date from the list of blogs on the left side of this page). I thank you for those prayers. Please continue this week. (We are scheduled to be home on Saturday, January 27).

One of the things people have been praying for is the finances. I didn’t have much time to raise support and I was prepared to spend my “new computer savings money” to round out the balance. However, GOD came through in a big way. In about four weeks, people gave enough to cover my expenses and to provide extra towards materials and supplies for the various projects on which we will be working. I’m grateful to these people, but I’m also very grateful to God for working in people’s hearts to give, and give generously.

I’m expecting to talk more about the various God-sightings from this week in future blogs. Please pray we will see God at work and rejoice in Him. Please pray we will accomplish out goals (one of which is to build six roofs while we are there). Please pray for our safety as we travel and mingle with the people of Haiti (specifically in Les Cayes on the south side of the long, skinny peninsula, about four hours from Port-au-Prince by car). Please pray for the health of the team (six members including myself; five men and me!) Please pray we will be excellent witnesses for Christ and good representatives of what some Americans are like.

Thank you in advance for your prayers. A report will follow shortly.

                                            Les Cayes                     

The End of Daniel

So we finished discussing Daniel 12 and summarizing Daniel. There is still much I could have gleaned from the text and the notes, but for now I have a better understanding of Daniel and his prophecies.

I don’t want to forget some of the early lessons from Daniel’s life. First, he determined he would not defile himself by giving up God’s laws. I also need to be determined to follow God’s commandments and take a stand whenever necessary. The examples of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego are poignant. They stood up to rulers and the prominent “wise-men” of Babylon in order to stay pure before the Almighty God. Am I willing and able to take a stand when it counts? Do I know God’s commandments well enough to know what to stand up for and what not to? My prayer is that God will continue to show me, through the study of His Word, what is worthy of a stand.

Through the prophecies I’ve learned that God is in control and at work, even if we cannot see it in the here and now. One thought is worthy of being called a summary for the book. (It’s not my original thought. I wrote it down from the notes.) “God’s power and our deliverance come not through our strength but through our weakness.” This is demonstrated throughout Daniel, but it’s also true throughout history. When the Biblical characters (including the nation of Israel as a whole) were at their weakest, that’s when God’s power shown through and miracles were performed. Whether it’s Abram and Sarai having a son when it seemed impossible or Jesus’ death and subsequent resurrection, God’s power is seen when things look the most dire. God comes through when we are weakest. It’s His power that prevails in our weaknesses.

In Daniel’s life and in the prophecies, we see God at work. We see God fulfill His promises for our welfare. We can be confident that He will continue to take care of the faithful in our weaknesses. I’m counting on His promises as I move into my future and I’m trusting God will meet your needs as you go into your futures.