Missio Colonia | Kevin and Kathi in Cologne, Germany

As we've mention many times before, this whole process of support raising has been a continual refinement of our prayer lives and how we view God. Over the past few months, God has challenged us in this - not necessarily with how much or how little we pray, but with what kind of heart. Another kick in the rear happened the other day when I read Mark 11:22-24:

"'Have faith in God,' Jesus answered. 'I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, "Go, throw yourself into the sea," and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.'"

I'm blown away by this verse. Such faith seems so foreign to the kind of shifting sands that I experience. But, if I'm reading the verse right, God wants us to pray in the assurance that you have already received what you prayed for. Notice the tense. Not that you will receive but have already received. Astonishing. Who can pray like that? In my prayers the past two days, I've been confessing this weakness and asking God to have grace for me when I doubt.

As some of you may know, we've been praying for the last six weeks that God would raise up the rest of our support by the end of the year. We're continually affirmed in our spirits that this is a prayer He wants us to pray. But, there doesn't seem to be anything in our support raising to suggest that this will happen - quite the opposite. But, we're are being called to believe in the God of the impossible. To believe that we have already received it. That's so hard for us. What happens if our prayers aren't answered? Please pray for right now in the battle of prayer that we are experiencing. Pray that God would give us confidence in our prayers - the same confidence and assurance that Jesus taught in Mark 11.