A Wishing Well or The Living Water?

All glory goes to God for the fruitfulness that has already been seen on the Ulot River this summer! Ministry during the first half of this summer has been encouraging; we have seen so many come to know the Lord and to follow in believer's baptism. My team has also worked very well together and we have been working towards the same goal of winning others to Christ. God truly has blessed us as we have made this journey to expand the Kingdom of God.

As I was resting on our mid-summer break this past week, the Lord convicted me of my prayer life and how needy it had become over this first half of the summer. I was no longer praising God for who he was; I was just asking him to provide for my needs, or the needs of my team. It was no longer an act of worship to pray to God, but a wish list. I found myself treating God more like a "wishing well" than the Living Water. My personal prayer life seemed to be shallow and selfish, instead of God glorifying and kingdom moving.

In spite of my wimpy prayer life at the beginning of this summer, God still moved. He is faithful and He is so good. My prayer life is changing this second half of the summer to focus more on WHO God is, than on what He can do for me. Because once I realize how big God is, it will be much easier for me to trust Him with all of the "smaller needs."
My friends, Our God is Holy and is worthy of more praise than what I have been giving him. The conviction that the Lord has brought upon me turned my eyes to Luke 11, where Jesus taught his disciples to pray. The first line is "Father, hallowed be your name. Your Kingdom come." Hallowed means for God's name to be kept holy. I have not been keeping God's name ever on my lips in praise. Then it says "Your Kingdom Come." We should be praying for the Kingdom of God to shake the nations! 
I truly believe when we get our prayer life in order that God will do even greater things than we can imagine. "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations,  forever and ever, amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21) God wants to use us as vessels for His "Kingdom come." May we pray for God to be glorified above all things. We also must pray fervently and urgently for His Kingdom to come to the Waray Waray, here in Eastern Samar.
I urge you to examine your prayer life to see what you are praying for. Are you taking time to honor God as your King? Or are you just throwing needs up to God like He is a wishing well? God has began to change my prayer life and I hope He will do the same in your life. I pray that He stirs in your heart to praise Him; for He is holy. And also to pray for the nations to hear the Gospel and to know Jesus as Lord.
Yours in Christ,
Hannah 

Waray Riverboat members with their national team mates