“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (2 Thessalonians 5:16-18) Some moments from the circumstances of this week that I want to give thanks for:
1) I met a new lady who was out walking her dog around the scheme. We struck up a conversation, and she said to stop her and say hi next time I see her if she didn’t see me. This was an encouraging little open door to another person in our community.
2) On Thursday the Bicycle Lady left a written note and box of chocolates for me at our door. She was too shy to knock at the house but had wanted to leave me a little present. What a work of the Lord in softening her heart to the point of wanting friendship!
3) I bumped into several people from Madras Court throughout this week, and it’s always encouraging to see how eager they are to talk with us. Even yesterday I passed a group of them as I was biking home, and they all raised their hands in hello and shouted “hiya!”
4) Last night at our launch team’s prayer meeting I was so heartened by the way the Lord has been growing our team in love for each other and in the deepness of waiting on the Lord in prayer. Each member of our team is very different, and yet we are growing together as family. And that is a mighty work of the Lord.
5) Last Sunday Chris read out the prophecy about Jesus in Isaiah 42, and I was affected by how that passage’s truths are such fuel for the Christian life and for the ministry here in Merkinch. Sometimes trying to reach out to the people here feels like hitting a brick wall. But listen to these words about the Lord’s Anointed who we serve and who goes before us: “I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.” Praise be to Jesus that He is the light for the nations and has the power to open blind eyes, to raise the dead, and to free captives…even here in Merkinch.
How you can pray:
Spiritual growth: I read this quote this weekend and want to make this a prayer for me and the whole launch team here…that we would grow in waiting upon the Lord, for that is our only wisdom: “What He asks of us, in the way of surrender, and obedience, and desire, and trust, is all comprised in this one word: waiting on Him, waiting for His salvation. It combines the deep sense of our entire helplessness of ourselves to work what is divinely good, and our perfect confidence that our God will work it all in His divine power…There can be no good but what God works; to wait upon God and have the heart filled with faith in His working, and in that faith to pray for His mighty power to come down, is our only wisdom.” – Andrew Murray
Evangelism: Please pray for me as I walk the streets and pop into the local shops and walk around the school every week – pray that I would be abiding in Christ and surrendered to the Lord’s will as I go about our scheme, that the Lord would provide “divine appointments” in meeting people, for discernment and grace in conversations, and for the power of God in saving people in our community.
Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer…the prayer room is the engine room of this life and ministry. And you as faithful intercessors are a precious gift of God to us! Press on in the strength of the Lord!
Grace & Peace,
Claire
P.S. Some pictures from the week…
Claire in Scotland 