I took sometime yesterday and today to fast and pray for the upcoming ministry to Burundi.
This is a powerful discipline that I have grown to appreciate whenever I am entering a season of intense ministry or tremendous personal life changes. It allows me to hear God more clearly, draw great strength and inspiration from the Holy Spirit, and focus on the mission at hand.
I need all these at the moment as I prepare the messages for the thousands of people we will minister to in Africa.
I had also invited our ministry leadership and travelling teams to fast and pray alongside as they are able. Over the years we have found this to be a critical piece in team preparation as we are unified in our purpose and mission.
I got thinking about Jesus' encounter with the demoniac and his response to the disciples' inquiry as to why they could not cast out the demon. The story is in Matthew 17:14-22.
In the story, Jesus and his disciples are surrounded by a crowd. Then a man comes falling at Jesus feet pleading for him to cure his demon possessed son. He also informs Jesus that His disciples were unable to cure the youngman. Jesus proceeds to cure him.
While it is common throughout the gospel of Matthew for Jesus to rebuke his disciples for their lack of faith as he does in this instance, he does however add something else. In verse 21 He says, "But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."
Of course some translations point out that this verse does not appear in the earliest manuscripts. Some biblical scholars do therefore argue that it is possible it was added later by a zealous scribe. But is it not true that fasting and prayer bring with them tremendous break-through?
One point of praise: Yesterday I shared with you that we need to raise $ 19,000 over the next few days to meet our budgetary needs for Burundi. I did declair my faith and confidence that God was going to provide in time. Well, today my faith continues to be affirmed. Provisions are coming in and now what we need is $ 13,000.
As I shared with you, faith is trust that the invisible hand of God that beckoned you to follow will also provide and sustain you with its in-exhaustible resources. I know that God's hand beckoning us toward this work will supply and sustain us until it is completed. Glory to God!
You wanto to help reach out to the people of Burundi? Visit our secure website @ http://www.swimministry.org/.
Yes, I want to tell you all about what God is doing here in Muhanga but my body fails me. I want to tell you how He is moving through our Kinderroots team where already several thousands of children have been ministered to over the last two days on hills, plains and valleys surrounding Muhanga. Where hundreds have already given their lives to Christ. I want to tell you how God is moving through our Prisoners of Hope outreach program to where three thousand prisoners were reached with the love of Christ earlier this afternoon with hundreds of them giving their lives to Christ. Where we delivered supplies worth several thousands of dollars to the delight of the prison officials following a devastating fire at the facility that gutted much of what they had beyond salvaging. How God worked to open doors so our team could go in and bring the Good News of Christ. How doors to another prison with even more inmates are wide open for the gospel tomorrow morning. I want to tell you of s
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