Partnering in Prayer

A devotional I read this morning from Francis Frangipane said: If Satan cannot distract you with worldliness, He will overwhelm you with weariness. Indeed, how easy it is to wear ourselves out; even good works done without recharging ourselves in God can drain us of life and energy. Daniel speaks of a time at the end of the age when the enemy will attempt to “wear down the saints of the Highest One” (Daniel 7:25). God never intended for us to do His will without His presence. The power to accomplish God’s purpose comes from prayer and intimacy with Christ. It is here, closed in with God, where we find an ever-replenishing flow of spiritual virtue. 

These past few days the level of warfare has increased on a variety of levels and I am coming to appreciate the power of prayer. Many people underestimate the darkness here and it is not that we focus on it or dwell on it. The reality is when you are seeking to bring the kingdom of light into places where the darkness has reigned, you are constantly facing opposition and obstacles which envelops you in subtle ways and contributes to weariness in our spirits. If you come here with a naive understanding of spiritual warfare, its like going into battle without proper armor. Today, I went to a prayer meeting that is held 3 times a week at our partners Daughters Cambodia. It is a small group of volunteers at Daughters that gathers from 12:30 till 1:15pm every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. As my spirit has been craving for corporate prayer,  it was such a refreshing time to spend these 45 minutes praying through a variety of issues related to some of the clients at Daughters. It was encouraging to be around other sisters in Christ who are sensitive to the  warfare in their midst as they work with the clients from Daughters. All I can say is after that prayer time, I came out full of energy and felt a lightness in my spirit compared to the heaviness I was dealing with earlier this morning.

Prayer Room at Daughters

But I am also thankful for my intercessors and mentors for their timely words through emails, skype conversations and text messages that have been a source of encouragement. It is comforting to know that whenever I am in need of prayer at a moment's notice, I simply send a text message and in a few minutes someone is not just praying for me but they are also texting me back with a word of encouragement that provides clarity to a situation I am dealing with. Praise God for technology!

 But the Lord is also raising up people here to join with me in prayer. Earlier this week, one of my Canadian missionary friends emailed and asked if I wanted to spend time once a week in prayer. I welcomed her invitation as I am reminded of the words that Ruth Elliot (founder of Daughters) said to my guests from Wellspring last week. They had asked her what her greatest need was and she simply responded: 'prayer is the greatest need, it is the foundation of all we do.' We too at Ratanak echo these sentiments and more so here on the frontlines when the battles come in a variety of forms.

Lois C. another Canadian working with our partner Daughters

So tomorrow Lois a fellow Canadian who used to be a missionary in Brazil for 18 years in the Amazon and is now serving in Cambodia since 2009 will join me in a time of prayer. She currently serves at our partner Daughters Cambodia, helping to oversee the Daughter's cafe and restaurant by providing support to the Khmer staff through discipleship and training. But Lois is also responsible here for short termers who come with Crossworld Missions helping them get set up and adjusted to living here.

But the Lord continued to reinforce the need for more prayer partners on this end when I had another meeting with Sreyhem this afternoon. She brought up the subject of prayer asking if I was interested in meeting to pray at the Ratanak office given all that I am juggling. Once again, the timeliness of her question along with Lois's invitation are all signs that this is a time for increased prayer. So next week Sreyhem will join me for prayer as well.

All this to say, it is my desire and hope to set up a prayer team that meets at least once a week on this end as we have more Ratanak staff join us. Today, I am thankful again at how the Lord is once again going ahead, showing me that He not only knows exactly what I need but He is also raising up people here who I can partner with in prayer. Indeed the power to accomplish God's purposes is only possible as we get on bended knee and seek His face and ask Him to give us the daily bread, the daily strength and a daily dose of His resurrection power to press on to do His will.