By Aaron White, WEGO Storyteller
“Jesus said to [Martha], ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?'”
John 11:40
John 11 tells the story of Jesus raising his friend Lazarus from the dead. Once Jesus arrives in Bethany, he asks Mary and Martha to put their faith in Him on a couple different occasions. In this instance, Martha has just questioned Jesus’ decision to remove the stone from Lazarus’ grave by reminding him that after four days of being dead the body would stink. Jesus responds in the passage above, the stone is removed, and Lazarus is resurrected.
How often do we resemble Martha when we pray? We are willing to cry on Jesus’ shoulder; we are even willing to walk with Him to the tomb. But what do we expect when we arrive? Do we say with Martha, “Lord, he has been dead four days already”? We have faith that God hears us, but do we have faith that He will act?
It is true that God does not always answer our prayers as we expect. He might bring a dead man to life one day and answer in silence the next. But fear that things won’t turn out the way we plan is no justification for retracting our faith once we have uttered “amen”. Jesus is inviting us, just as He invited Martha, to believe that God will act in the way that most shows His glory. He is coaxing us along with a promise that is simply the Gospel boiled down: “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”
Join Us in Praying for Our Home Build!
Please join us this week in praying for the children’s bedrooms in the new home. At the moment, we are only able to provide a room for boys and a room for girls, but the new house will feature four bedrooms so that boys and girls will each have two rooms to divide into by sibling groups or ages. These are the rooms where music will be played, forts will be made, books will be read, and dreams will be dreamed.
How You Can Pray
1) Pray for the older boys to lead the way in kindness, strength, and sacrifice. May they deeply know the love of Jesus and put it on display in our home.
2) Pray for the hopes and dreams of our older girls as they find rest in this room. Pray God clearly directs their next steps towards a specific job or school after they leave our home.
3) Pray for the minds of our younger boys and girls as they go to sleep. May Jesus fully heal the hurt and pain that brought them to our home, and fill them with peace and rest, not fear and anxiety.
Tent of David Church – Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
About Tent of David Church:
Otgonbaatar became the pastor of Tent of David Church over 10 years ago. The church serves their community by sharing the gospel, preparing missionaries and seeking to strengthen the local church.
How You Can Pray:
1) Pray that God will increase the faith of Otgonbaatar and his family, and guide him as he leads the congregation.
2) Pray that God will provide for the church as they navigate lockdowns during the pandemic.
3) Pray that God would grow the church in faith as they seek to glorify Christ in their community.
Iglesia Bautista Fe – Nicaragua
From Pastor Herlin David Parrales:
“I am 40 years old and I have been a pastor for a few years now. My wife’s name is Jessenia Flores. Our church is located in Dirimbia, where we have services twice a week for our twenty members. I love serving the Lord and loving Him with my life. I cannot live without God. I want to thank you all for praying for all the pastors in Nicaragua. It is amazing how wonderful it is to have the support of people like you. We will be praying for your ministry. We also need to be praying for our countries: this virus is not a game. I believe the Lord is telling us something through the situation, so we should put our trust in Him.”
How You Can Pray:
1) Pray that God would keep Pastor Parrales and his family healthy.
2) Pray that Iglesia Bautista Fe would grow in faith and be called to a deeper understanding of the gospel.
3) Pray that God would grow Pastor Parrales in his faith and love for God.
Purevsed – Director of WEGO Mongolia
About Purevsed:
Purevsed (Puje) is the director of all WEGO’s Mongolian ministries. His life has certainly been colorful: he is a father of 4, a grandfather to 5, an accomplished horse-head violinist, a mean chess player, and he has been involved in ministry since coming to Christ around 30 years ago. His wife Aaya is the Director for New Hope Children’s Home, and together they are an absolute blessing to WEGO, reflecting the heart of God for hurting children and the body of Christ in all their efforts.
How You Can Pray:
1) Pray that God would keep him healthy.
2) Pray that God would grow his faith in Christ.
3) Pray that Purevsed’s children would follow Christ and be provided for.
Pastor Carlos – Guard Director, Nicaragua
From Carlos:
“Hey! I just wanted to share that I am blessed to be serving in this ministry. The situation with the coronavirus is slowing down, but we need to take care of ourselves. We’ve been following all the recommendations from the government to use face masks and hand sanitizer. I thank the Lord because He is protecting us. I’ve been praying for all of you and I hope I can see you soon. All of the churches around here are still praying for you and the rest of the nations. I love what I do here, as you can see from the picture. ”
How You Can Pray:
1) Pray that God would heal those infected with the virus.
2) Pray for God to draw the nations to Himself and guide them through these difficult times.
3) Pray that God will bless the Christians in US organizations who serve in Nicaragua.
Ganbayar – New Hope Children’s Home, Mongolia
About Ganbayar:
Ganbayar is a sweet kid with a knack for living each moment with curiosity and joy. At 11, he has already decided to be a driver when he grows up. He enjoys playing sports outdoors and drawing. Lately, he has begun horse-head violin lessons with Purevsed, and seems to be enjoying them!
How You Can Pray:
1) Pray that God will help him to understand all of his subjects in school.
2) Pray that God would help grow him into a healthy, tall, strong man with a love for Christ.
3) Pray that he would stick to the horse-head violin, and that God would enable him to practice well and improve.