Jesus Prayed...

DON'T FORGET TO PRAY!!!
Friends and family: I am sorry that this is a bit on the tardy side...we had our prayer meeting on Monday, and I wanted to share this with you all sooner so that we could all pray together, but things have been wild, and the internet connection less than desireable! Thank you so much for your love, patience, and most of all, PRAYERS!!! The Lord is our only true source of comfort, strength and understanding!!!!

These are the PRAYER POINTS for December:

It’s December! It is that time of year when we are reminded of the birth of our precious Savior, and his life here on this earth, humbled, yet triumphant, living a perfect life so that He could be the perfect sacrifice for us.
I often wonder A) what if He had slipped up, acted on a temptation, during a moment of weakness, spent one day NOT fellowshipping with the Father, and committed ONE sin??? I mean, He took on humanity, and the Scriptures say that he was tempted as we are, therefore it was not easy for Him (sweating blood is NOT normal!). B) If WE were in true unity with the Father, submission to His will, making every decision based on a true, intense desire to love, please, and obey Him, taking full advantage of the power that He has given us (through the SAME Holy Spirit that Jesus had), wouldn’t we not only see and perform miracles, but be able to live a holy, pure life, such and HE did (not forgetting the minor detail that He was born supernaturally and not into sin as we are -- soiled upon arrival!). C) If we truly understood the SUFFERING Jesus endured during 33 years that He walked this earth, being tempted by Satan, ridiculed, mistreated, betrayed, tortured, and murdered in the most shameful way possible -- knowing that it was all for this poor, wretched race of sinners that He loves so much, not for his own benefit – would it not cause us to follow his radical example and give of ourselves to the dying sinners that we encounter every day…forsaking the temptations and distractions of this evil world, placing our thoughts on a higher goal? Shouldn’t this knowledge, penetrating our hearts, plaster us to the ground, drive us to our knees, humble us and fill our mouths with an outcry of sorrow and a desperate plea for salvation, forgiveness, and redemption????
Well, He did not sin, He did die for us, and He made it possible for us to have close fellowship with the Father, and to intercede with broken hearts for the fallen world.

During the last few prayer meetings, we have looked at the lives of many Biblical heroes that have shown a special commitment to Righteousness: Ruth, Esther, Daniel, etc. Each of these sinners had a special relationship with the Lord and spent much time seeking His face. Often, we put these people on a pedestal, thinking that we can’t really reach the same level of spirituality or holiness, because we aren’t living in Bible times. Study the lives of all of the great heroes of the faith, the prophets, and even Jesus, and the common thread becomes apparent. They all spent much time on their knees communing with the Holy Father. This is the key. How often did Jesus talk about praying and fasting…how many times do the Scriptures mention Him going off to spend time alone with His Father? The answer is that this was habitual for Jesus, not just when things were getting rough, or when His death was drawing near, but every day He spent time alone in the presence of the Father.

“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:16-18 ESV)

• Please pray for all the leaders involved in the ministry to be drawn into true fellowship with the Father (Gene, Jordana, Marjorie, Maria Augusta, Henry, Kristin, Noele).
• Pray for the Christmas activities in Wisconsin, Guayaquil, Cuenca, and Quito, Ecuador.
• Pray for Noele and her family – her grandfather passed away -- she is going home for 10 days.
• Pray for Kristin and her family -- her paternal grandmother passed away this last Friday. Pray that this opens the eyes of the unsaved family members. Kristin will not be returning to the US for the funeral.
• Pray for the finances of the ministry (our support base in the US is down 70%)

** I would also like to remind us to be aware of the prayers that God is answering as we set aside these times. If you remember back in September, we were praying for Flor’s situation, and I am pleased to report that we are in the process of getting her moved, hopefully in the beginning of January, to a brand new facility here in Cuenca! God is definitely listening to our requests, and acting on our behalf. Praise HIM! Please continue to pray for this, because there are many details to be worked out!**