Prayer for Unity

As we have asked God what we need to be praying about as we prepare for this trip, one of the things that has come up the most is the unity of our team. This sounds a little crazy to all of us, because you would be hard-pressed to find another group of women who love each other so much, warts and all! I mean, if I could hand-pick who I would want to be trapped on a desert island with, I would choose Phil first and then these friends! And we all know each other- really well. It's not like we're just in the "honeymoon" stage of friendship.

So, why is God continually pointing us to diligently pray about the unity of our team? Why has He spent most of His time prior to this trip lovingly-but painfully-pointing out and pulling out of our character things like pride, self-sufficiency, selfishness, insecurity, and laziness?

I don't know the specific answer to that, but I know I can trust Him. Completely. And I know His ways are higher than mine and His Word is flawless: "For the Word of the LORD is right and true; He is faithful in all He does" Psalm 33:4. He knows what is coming, and I don't.

As I have to often remind myself, "God's way, Good. Kirsten's way, Bad." :)

And, we all know the spiritual battle there will be fierce. We will be pushed and challenged. We will need to depend first on God, and we will need each other. We need each other here too, in the everyday, but we can get by without really leaning on one another too deeply.

But when we get over there, we will need each other in a way we have not experienced here in the States. And I think that even though we all know that, it might still be a shock to the system once we are in it.

But more than anything else, I know that the Almighty, Sovereign God is clearing the way through our prayers and yours! So let us continue being, like Paul says, devoted to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Below is Colossians 3:1-17 from the Message (a version of the Bible written in very updated language for ease of understanding). I included it here, and italicized specific things we need prayer for. Would you join us in praying for this mighty work God is preparing to do in East Asia, and the beautiful work He is already doing in all of our hearts? I look so forward to sharing with you all the times we thanked God for preparing us in this particular way!

Colossians 3:1-17 (The Message)
1-2 So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that's where the action is. See things from his perspective.
3-4Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you'll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ.
5-8And that means killing off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That's a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God. It's because of this kind of thing that God is about to explode in anger. It wasn't long ago that you were doing all that stuff and not knowing any better. But you know better now, so make sure it's all gone for good: bad temper, irritability, meanness, profanity, dirty talk.
9-11Don't lie to one another. You're done with that old life. It's like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you've stripped off and put in the fire. Now you're dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete. Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ.
12-14So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.
15-17Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

To God be the Gloryn now and forever!
Love-Kirsten