... Praying at all times in the Spirit

For the last week in June, JoyJoy and I hopped over to the Dolores River to meet up with the team there. On our first day in that barangay a few of us held a Bible Study with two women, one of whom was already a believer. Since she already knew and trusted in the Gospel, we asked her if she had shared the Good News with anyone lately. She looked a little taken aback. "It's hard to share. People don't really want to hear." We discussed the Gospel's implications for all people and why it's important to share, and challenged her to think of one person she could share with that day.

The next day we asked who she has gotten to share with, if anyone. She and her friend named a few people---husband, nephew, friend. That day we read the story of Jesus healing the blind man and talked about how you don't need all knowledge and extensive training to be a witness for Christ, but just a testimony of how He's changed your life. We again asked them to think of a few more people they could share with and encouraged them to share the Gospel as they shared their testimony, too. They didn't just nod or name a person they would share with; they said, "We will tell our whole barangay! We'll go house to house."

On the third day we met at our usual time and place for Bible Study, only they had filled the room with their friends and neighbors. Just like in Acts 10 our friend had gathered women from all over the barangay together that they might hear the Word of God. Nine or ten women listened as we presented the Gospel that morning--- glory and honor to God!

Still, I have never known the powerlessness of humans or the futility of our attempts at eloquence better than I did here. Over and over we reiterated that God is not pleased by our good works, but by our faith in Jesus' perfect, complete work on the Cross. Over and over they nodded along like they understood, but when we checked to see if they were following, nothing had gotten through. How can we have eternal life? "By being a good person!"

In the past I confess that I've bought into the misconception that the bulk of what we do as missionaries is go out house to house, doing Bible studies and presenting the Gospel. We do this prayerfully, and it is a vital aspect of the work. But the Lord opened my eyes to see that the MOST necessary kind of work, without which all of our going is in vain, is the kind that happens on our knees. I left that big group Bible study knowing that if we didn't plead with the Lord to intercede and open their hearts to the Truth, we could go back all day every day and talk til our voices gave out and they would be no closer to salvation.

So, again, to all our our prayer warriors at home and elsewhere: stay in the trenches with us. And thank you.

• Pray for the Lord to lift veils everywhere we go, that our friends would have eyes to see the Truth and the Beauty of the message we carry.  
• Pray that we would be entirely dependent on the Holy Spirit, and not rely on our own strength or wisdom. 
• Pray for salvation to fall on these rivers.