When Jesus prepared His disciples for Calvary to come, He told them what they needed to know, He commanded them to pray, and He promised not to leave them. Our Lord accomplished these same three things in the Great Commission, preparing us to live most wisely in this life and to best prepare for eternity to come. Our obedience and prayer by faith are for our own good, as well as for those who are to be reached with the Gospel. We thank You, Lord, for the Great Commission!
Please keep praying! The Lord has indeed been gracious and faithful. Here are some examples:
1. Missionaries are leading their churches to respond to local restrictions with faith, prayer, and good old hard work; and God is blessing with growth and much spiritual fruit.
2. Students at Hyles-Anderson College have been especially attentive and diligent in my medical course, as the Lord has awakened them to the reality of ministry medical challenges to come.
3. Several missionary families have faced very difficult health situations, and I’ve been called on to help. With your prayer support, God has provided understanding and direction.
4. Both Lana and I have had an unusual series of medical difficulties since COVID in August, but the Lord has been faithful to provide grace to keep working and progress toward healing.
5. While preaching a Missions Conference in Ohio, the Lord honored all their hard work and everyone’s prayers with a dramatic increase in their Faith Promise, enabling them to take on nine new missionary families. God’s grace was so evident in their joy, giving, and responsiveness.
Please keep praying! Despite the masks, bitter cold, and snow, my soul-winning partner and I have enjoyed an amazing reception in a suburb of windy Chicago. Regularly we’ve seen “divine appointments.” When folks didn’t want to talk at the door, we’d find others sitting in their cars with the motor running, some with the window open on the lee side. Often, they’d patiently listen to the Gospel and would readily trust Christ as their Saviour . . . and then right away, the person they were waiting for would arrive!
Please keep praying! Permit me to illustrate. Last Friday, a missionary couple faced a complex medical crisis. There was quite probably a potentially fatal illness, no transportation, great isolation, rampant crime, no available medical testing or care, and almost nonexistent communication with them. But we worked and prayed, and God stepped in by the day’s end. On Saturday, they were transported to a clinic in another town, where testing was done, care was administered, and medications were given. Today they’re doing a bit better, but none of the root problems have changed. We’re still working, praying, and trusting that God will grant healing, protection, and direction as His people continue to pray.
That all may hear, everywhere,
Dan and Lana Siemer
