“There is a work going on in you right now that you may not be fully aware of,but without fasting, prayer, and wilderness experiences,you will never be qualified to handle what God has for you in the future. Fasting prepares you for what is yet to come!”

Hey, Hey! Ashley again!

Today is an exciting day because TOMORROW, Saturday, Oct 19th, we begin our final 3 day fast for this 30 days of prayer. The culmination of prayer leads to the PBM board meeting on Monday night. So we fast and pray for that and for the personal things going on in our lives.

I’d like to encourage you to join us. But also to up it. Grab a piece of paper. Or several. Write down what all you want to pray for and put them in obvious places so you remember to constantly pray over those things. Add the PBM board meeting and anything else God has put on your heart. For instance, my daughter’s ears are full of fluid causing her hearing to be even worse than moderate-severe. It dawned on me yesterday that I need to fast and pray for her, that it would all clear up and her tests would come back normal next Friday. Other things on my list will be the right rental house, the perfect timing in a new used car, my future husband, if God so blesses  (because he’d be getting 5 very independent girls so all those prayers are very much needed), and less painful pregnancy. You see that they range from not super important to critical. God truly cares about it all when we are willing to bring it before Him.

So go make your list and get ready to start fasting with us tomorrow!

Before I end, I want to share with you more of what God did in this year with Luke and I. (Sunday’s email I’ll be sharing all that God has done since Luke entered Heaven).

Early March, after Luke came home from flying the plane back to Guatemala, we finished packing up our stuff and headed out to California to live with his family for a month. We had chosen to end our lease back in December so the 60 days were up and we were officially homeless with 3 kids and freshly pregnant with our fourth. The plan was to go back and forth between our sets of parents and then our hometown of Longview, TX while raising our support. I knew that God had moved so fast before this point and that He would continue through our fundraising and moving process. But it still stretched our faith.

We also hadn’t started fundraising until March 4 (when I had time to camp out in the back of the van and write up the initial email on our way to California). Some people had told us to start earlier, but that was as early as God opened up the doors for it. He had led us to other priorities, like moving out by March 1, and so we just obeyed and trusted. By May we were done fundraising. We had surpassed “normal” expectations and were ready to head to Guatemala. Luke then drove our car loaded down with stuff to Guatemala and had a very simple uneventful trip. Another God thing as he drove through Mexico.

However, in May we also learned that the kids had significant hearing loss which was the source of many questions and frustrations. Luke went to an Inspection Authorization course to supplement his aircraft mechanic certification, the same week I took the twins to Texas Children’s Hospital. He asked me how it was going as we both expected something simple like tubes put in their ears. I responded with, “well we already got one fitted for hearing aids and we can’t leave until the other one is finished too. I’ve already cried.” It was a lot to handle at once, along with moving and it looked to be a giant bill for all the appointments. But God blew us away again, He poured down more than enough money and halved the bill! June 7th they got their hearing aids and we flew out to Guatemala on June 8th!

This might all seem like random facts and things (there were many, many more) that would have happened anyway. But the timing was SO fast, it was ONLY God. Looking back, I realize that most of it were for me. I went into the year fasting and praying for (Luke and me) and learned that half of it was for ME because there wouldn’t be an us anymore. Franklin says it so well,
“There is a work going on in you right now that you may not be fully aware of, but without fasting, prayer, and wilderness experiences, you will never be qualified to handle what God has for you in the future. Fasting prepares you for what is yet to come!”

So many of you will never be called to walk what I have gone through, but God is working in your lives for a greater purpose. He’s working behind the scenes even when you think nothing is going right. So let me encourage you with this truth,
“…when you stop praying, you start operating in the flesh, and it is just a matter of time before weariness and fear begin to overtake your life. This is what happens to prayerless, carnal Christians”.

I know that the last thing that I personally need is for fear and weariness to overtake my life. I would hazard a guess that many of you feel the same way. I’d go even further to say that some of you have passed that point and feel trapped and overwhelmed by everything. So let’s all go together, fast and pray to receive God’s peace and power. His authority comes when we do. So fast and pray until you feel it come back and strengthen. I promise it’s the most perfect place to be.

Tip for you everyone:
“[Confess, Proclaim] the greatness of God.
The people [of Israel] were speaking forth the truths and promises of God’s Word as they worshiped.
While you’re fasting, always confess the truths and promises of God over yourself and your family.
Worship is critical during a fast.”

This is the only way that I have made it in the last few months, and the only way you will make it. God is bigger than everything you will ever face and everything He will ever take you through. It’s for His Glory and it’s 100% worth it. If you ever think it isn’t….well go fast, pray, and worship that lie away. 😉

Ready to join us for fasting and prayer tomorrow?? Don’t miss it!!

Ashley