30 Days of Prayer, Day 30: The End is only the Beginning

We've come to the end of our 30 Day Journey of prayer for the Ebenezer Church Building Project.  I want to say thank you to each of you for joining us over this month, for being a part of what God is doing in our 2 communities, bringing us together as one body.  However, I see the end of this 30 Days of Prayer as an opportunity for a new beginning, a chance to build on our momentum and to solidify this partnership through Jesus Christ.  While we won't be posting daily going forward, please check back here on missionmbale.org for the latest updates on Ebenezer Baptist Church and School, and please commit to pray for our brothers and sisters in Uganda.  To God Be the Glory!

Philippians 1:3-6 “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

30 Days of Prayer, Day 29: Prayerful Obedience

Malachi 3:10 “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.”

Heavenly Father, we praise Your name because You are faithful and just.  We are so grateful for Your mighty and powerful love.  We believe Your word is clear and true, and You have proven it again and again.  Today we lift up the people of First Baptist Church Newnan.  We thank You for the way Your Spirit is moving among the people.  We ask you to touch their hearts, show each one how he/she should give, and empower them to follow You in obedience.  Help them to see this church building project as an opportunity to tithe back to You, as the cost of Ebenezer’s project is roughly 1/10^th of the amount of money that was raised to renovate and repair FBC’s own church facilities.  Lord, give the family of FBC a unified vision, Your vision for this partnership.  To You alone be the glory.  Amen.

30 Days of Prayer, Day 28: Faithful Stewards

1 Peter 4:10  “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms.”  

Today, we praise God and lift up the beautiful leaders of Ebenezer Baptist Church.  They are a family overflowing with joy and love for Jesus and for the people of the Namatala slum.  In our posts, you have met Fred, Olive, Julius, Shedrack, and Joseph.  There are so many others who serve faithfully and lead this congregation in worship, in teaching, in preparing meals and ministering to the children, and in church planning.  Not everyone is pictured below, but use these photos to pray:

 

30 Days of Prayer, Day 27: All Creatures Great and Small

Psalm 115:13 "He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great."

We praise the Lord for His immeasurable blessings as we pray over these photos, these precious people, this beautiful family of God. 

30 Days of Prayer, Day 26: Legacy of God's Love

Matthew 19:14 “Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Today, let’s spend some time praying for another member of Ebenezer’s leadership team.  Check out this link to the testimony of Joseph.  https://missionmbale.org/profiles-of-courage/ Joseph serves as the Children’s director, and he and his wife, Mercy, are so faithful to the Lord, especially in demonstrating a godly marriage to the young people in the village.  We are so grateful for his leadership of the children’s activities and managing Mission Mbale’s child sponsorship program.  His passion for the sponsorship program comes from experiencing similar blessings as a young man, and through Joseph's life, God demonstrates the power of His  love to transform.  Given how he is serving how, Joseph is truly building a legacy.

Precious and Holy Father, we praise Your matchless name.  We thank You for blessing Ebenezer Baptist Church with Your humble servant, Joseph.  We are so grateful for the way that he serves You faithfully every day as he leads the children of Ebenezer.  We ask that You pour out Your blessings on Joseph, giving him strength and courage to lead and wisdom and discernment in every circumstance.  We thank You for the testimony of his life and his marriage to Mercy.  We ask that You bless his family, so that together, they would serve as a shining light for You.  Help Joseph to trust in You and to remember that we love him dearly. Amen

30 Days of Prayer, Day 25: Perfect Love

Pray for Ebenezer Baptist Church, First Baptist Newnan, and the Uganda Church Building Project by praying over the following scripture:

1 John 4:16-21 “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.”

30 Days of Prayer, Day 24: Every Circumstance, Every Outcome

Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

Heavenly Father, we praise You because You are the Author and Perfecter of our faith.  You are the Hope in which we can have confidence, because, as Scripture tells us in Romans and Your faithfulness in our lives testifies, this Hope does NOT disappoint!  Lord, we lift up the family of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Mbale to you today.  Help them to call upon Your mighty name, show them the path You would have them to take, and let them be a mighty beacon of Your light for all the world to see.  Help them to seek after You above all else, to trust You in every circumstance, and to give You glory and honor in every outcome.  We lift up the Uganda Church Building Project campaign to You.  Guide the family of FBC Newnan to give in accordance with obedience to You, each one as the Holy Spirit leads, and help us to trust in Your ultimate provision and timing.  Amen.

30 Days of Prayer, Day 23: Remembering You in My Prayers

 From Scripture, a prayer for and greeting to the church of Ephesus from the Apostle Paul, let us pray these verses together for the people of Ebenezer Baptist Church:

"For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all." Ephesians 1:15-23

30 Days of Prayer, Day 22: We are all One

Galatians 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Heavenly Father, we praise Your name because You are a God who sees, who hears, and who answers our prayers.  We thank You for Your protection, Your strength, and Your faithfulness.  Help us to take the lessons you have taught us and truly be changed for Your glory and our good.  Help us to love each other with sincerity and generosity, reaching out beyond the human boundaries of race, creed, and culture.  Help us to see the people around us through Your eyes, and help us to remain focused on our common purpose to share the Gospel of Jesus with a lost and dying world.  Amen.

30 Days of Prayer, Day 21: He meant it for Good

Genesis 50:20 “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

These words were spoken by Joseph in the familiar Old Testament story of Joseph’s journey to triumph over tragedy, misfortune, and misdeeds.  He spoke to his brothers in a powerful moment of forgiveness, as his own family had many years before faked his death and sold him into slavery.  Now Joseph was obedient and trusted God throughout the course of his life, and so was blessed to be in a position to help many people survive a devastating drought, including the brothers who had once betrayed him.  Joseph had been given the clarity and wisdom to see God’s fingerprints on every part of his life, even the bad things, the tough stuff, the set-backs.  All the while God was working out a plan for Joseph that would save the lives of thousands of people, bless Joseph’s sandals off, and ultimately give glory and honor to the Lord.  And like so many stories of the Old Testament, Joseph’s words echo across eternity because they are a foreshadowing of the power of the resurrection.  Certainly the cross of Jesus is the perfect example of the truth Joseph spoke.

 We have witnessed this to be true in Uganda, too.  Over and over, our friends at Ebenezer have faced trials and struggles, both personally and as a congregation, but God is using all the bad stuff for good.  And today, this is happening in Newnan, GA.  Even before the ink was dry on the park permit for a neonazi hate group, God was assembling His people together for unity in Christ.  Once the people of Newnan received word of this group’s intention to rally, we banded together like never before in support of our businesses, our law enforcement, and support for one another.  My prayer is that God’s glory and honor and powerful love will shine brighter than ever through Christians in Newnan—in our coming together as one body, in our speaking out for love, instead of remaining silent in the face of ugliness and hatred.  How many lives might be saved for all eternity through our testimony that the blood of Jesus can bind up wounds--even old ones, can draw us to repentance and faith, a faith that is for all races and creeds, and can heal our land of the sins of our forefathers and our own sins of silence and apathy?

Today, pray for FBC Newnan.  Pray for Ebenezer.  We must obey God’s call to lead our communities in the love of Jesus.  It begins with us, because true healing can only begin in Him.  “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.” Revelation 7:9

30 Days of Prayer, Day 20: May I have a photo?

In Uganda, it is always most polite to ask someone first if you may take their picture--"May I have a photo please?"  So for today, here are 4 photos just for you to pray over...Happy Friday!

30 Days of Prayer, Day 19: Complete Joy

Today, let’s pray this scripture together over our brothers and sisters at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Mbale, Uganda and First Baptist Church, Newnan, GA:

 

Philippians 2:1-4 “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

30 Days of Prayer, Day 18: Don't Give Up!

Galatians 6:9 "Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

Oh Lord, we thank You for the promise of Your Word, for Your faithfulness to us, and for Your perfect timing.  We thank You for our brothers and sisters serving at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Mbale.  We ask that You pour out Your blessings on them, giving them strength to serve you without growing weary of the work.  We pray that they will grow deeper, wider, and stronger in their relationship with You, and they will lovingly disciple one another in the faith.  Guard their hearts, Lord, against temptations of all kinds and protect them from evil.  We pray that they would experience Joy overflowing as they reap a harvest in Your name.  Amen.

P.S. In honor of the end of tax season (she's been working so many long hours!), I decided to include a picture of Mary Faye Moore, one of Mission Mbale's founders.  I just love this photo, taken at the crusade service in Uganda last summer.  She is the perfect picture of that Joy overflowing.  We love you, Mama Mary!

30 Days of Prayer, Day 17: Our Provider

Philippians 4:19 "And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus."

In our time of prayer today, I want to introduce you to a very special member of Ebenezer's leadership, Nambobi Shedrack.  He currently serves as the head of the church's onsite clinic and has also served previously as the children's minister.  Sheddy knows the children of the village so well and they love him--and so do we!  He loves to laugh, is so full of joy, and is always thinking of how to help others.  Shedrack is married to his beautiful wife Mary and they have a brand new baby girl, Adriel.  His testimony speaks of the Lord's perfect provision over his life, giving Shedrack just what he needed at just the right moment.  To read Sheddy's story in his own words, check out the link to a previous blog post below.

Heavenly Father, we thank You for who You are, for loving us, and for providing for our every need in Your perfect timing.  We thank You for the powerful testimony of our brother Shedrack.  We pray that You will continue to bless him and his family, as they faithfully serve the people of Namatala and Ebenezer Baptist Church.  Guard his heart, give him wisdom, and allow him to become the servant and leader that You would have him to be in his home, at the church, and wherever he goes.  Amen.

 



 

30 Days of Prayer, Day 16: More Precious than Gold

1 Peter 1:6-9 “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

 

In today’s message at First Baptist Church, Pastor Jimmy shared about the benefits of trouble and taught from this scripture.  As I listened, I thought about how many of my friends in Uganda have faced so many various trials.  I thought about the beautiful way that they choose daily to rejoice in their salvation through Jesus and they truly have hope.  It is an honor to be a part of a campaign to raise funds to help build a church for this precious Ebenezer family.  As we've reached the middle of our month of fundraising, I’m excited to share that we have raised $42,147.80 so far!  Please continue to pray for this project, for the beautiful people it will benefit, and give God the glory for it all!

30 Days of Prayer, Day 15: All for Good

Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[i] have been called according to his purpose.”

 

Heavenly Father, we thank You that we can trust in this truth of Your Word.  As we come to the midpoint in our 30-day prayer journey, we ask that You continue to pour out Your blessings on the people of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Mbale, Uganda.  We thank You for the love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ, that has brought us together and carried us this far.  We lift up the family of First Baptist Church in Newnan, GA, and we pray that Your Holy Spirit would stir in the hearts of its people, that they may be obedient to Your call to give.  We know that we are making bold requests, but we trust in You, O Lord, our mighty and matchless Lord who is working all things for our good.  Amen.

30 Days of Prayer, Day 14: Pictures to Pray Over

Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

30 Days of Prayer, Day 13: A New Song

Psalm 96:1-6 “Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary.”

We were made to worship the Lord and bring Him praise, and when we come together to worship Him in Spirit and truth, it is like a little taste of Heaven. I’m so grateful for the worship leaders and choirs at Ebenezer that take seriously the instruction of scripture and serve faithfully every week, and I’m so encouraged when I see even the youngest of Ebenezer members lifting their voices to God in praise. They genuinely and effectively communicate the joy that overflows this precious church family, a joy found Jesus Christ alone.

Gracious Lord, we praise your Holy name. We thank You for Your indescribable love and grace. Our heart’s desire is to honor You with our lives and with our worship, both personally and together as a church. We thank You for the beautiful witness of the choirs and worship leaders at Ebenezer Baptist Church. We pray Your blessings be poured out for them, that they would continue to serve You faithfully and feel encouraged as they lead. Amen.

30 Days of Prayer, Day 12: Every Step, Every Day

Isaiah 55:6-9 “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

 

How comforting is that.  To believe that the Lord’s thoughts and ways are higher, and what He requires is for us to seek after Him and trust in His great love and compassion for us.  That we can call upon Him and He is faithful to forgive us and hear our cry.  Even when we say yes to God’s calling to ministry and to missions at home or in Uganda, we as humans tend to take over with our own plans.  We want to see our projects succeed and we get lost in the details, failing to seek Him first.  As we move through this month of prayer for the Ebenezer Church Building Project, we must keep our hearts and minds opens to God’s plan, to understand and trust in His timing and His provision above all.

 

Lord, we praise You that Your thoughts are higher, that Your ways are higher, that You are faithful and compassionate.  We trust You with every detail of this Ebenezer Church Building Project, and we desire that Your will be done.  We give You all the glory and honor through every step, every day.  Amen.   

 

 

30 Days of Prayer, Day 11: He Will Direct Your Path

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.”

 

Today we will spend time in prayer for Pastor Julius Okanya.  Pastor Julius is the executive pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church.  He is a devoted follower of Jesus and is very involved with the ministries of the church.  He is an excellent administrator for the ‘business’ and planning for Ebenezer, and he is a trusted friend of the Mission Mbale board members.  He is also a loving husband and father to his beautiful family, wife Esther and precious girls, Elisha and Gertrude.  To read more about Julius and his personal testimony, check out the blog post from last month:  https://missionmbale.org/profiles-in-courage-meet-julius-okanya-the-executive-pastor-of-ebenezer-baptist-church/

 

Precious and Holy Father, we praise Your matchless name.  We thank You for blessing Ebenezer Church with Your wonderful servant, Okanya Julius.  We are so grateful for the way that he serves You faithfully every day.  We ask that You pour out Your blessings on Julius, giving him strength and courage to lead and wisdom and discernment in every task.  We pray that You will deepen his relationships with Pastor Fred and other church leadership as they disciple and counsel one another.  We ask that You would bless his family, so that together, he, Esther, and the children would serve as a shining light for You.  Help Julius to trust in You and to remember that we love him dearly and we are so grateful for him. Amen



PS.  Pastor Julius must be camera shy--from all the thousands of photos we've taken in Uganda, I did not have many to choose from!

30 Days of Prayer, Day 10: Not Grow Weary

Ephesians 6:9-10 "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."

Heavenly Father, we praise Your holy name.  We thank You that Your mercies are new every morning, and by Your grace and mercy, we can live and breath and worship You.  Help us to hide Your word in our hearts and listen for Your direction as we go about the work You would have us to do.  Guide us in every step of our day, so that we may glorify Your name and share Your love with the world.  Amen.

30 Days of Prayer, Day 9: Giving Update and Prayer of Thanksgiving!

Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”

What an amazing week! Just days into our campaign and we have already raised close to 20% of our goal of $200,000 for the construction of church building for Ebenezer. In addition to that, donors and friends of Mission Mbale have raised nearly half the funds needed to purchase a bus for Ebenezer’s school. Having this vehicle will allow the children to be moved from the temporary tent where they live to the new school site in Namabasa—permanent dormitories in real actual buildings! The school construction is nearing completion and we are hopeful that Ebenezer Christian School will be opening in the next year! So many of you are hearing the call of the Holy Spirit to give, and in your obedience, blessings overflow!
And this is just the beginning! Sunday’s message from Pastor Jimmy Patterson was powerful and encouraging. I am so grateful for the way that he really shared his heart for this church build project, his love for the people of Ebenezer, and the beautiful way these efforts are an extension of our church’s desire to be obedient to God’s call for racial unity through the blood of Jesus. It was just the right message for the people of FBC and incredibly encouraging for our Ebenezer church family, as they watched via live-stream from Uganda! Pressed down, shaken together and running over, for sure!

Heavenly Father, we praise You for the promises of Your word. We are thankful that You do not hold back Your blessings—they are poured out in abundance. We are so grateful to You for the gifts that have been given for Ebenezer. We trust in Your perfect provision and Your timing, and we give You all the praise and glory for Your wonderful works and Your everlasting love! Amen.

30 Days of Prayer, Day 8: Only Pictures

Today's prayer isn't prewritten; we just ask for you to pray as you feel led over these four pictures:

30 Days of Prayer, Day 7: Pure Religion

James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Sounds simple enough, right?  Well, in a country like Uganda, where the median age is 15 years old, caring for orphans is a task beyond monumental.  Thankfully, we have a loving Father who is up to the challenge.  I have witnessed first-hand to the incredible way that God is ministering to the orphans of the Namatala slum in Mbale through the people of Ebenezer.  On many occasions, the care they give--food, clothing, housing, medical attention, and education-- is literally life-saving.  And by caring for these children and their immediate issues, the church is able to minister to their most important need, for salvation through Jesus Christ.   

Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your promise not to leave us as orphans.  We praise You for the way that You demonstrate love to the orphans of Mbale through the work of Ebenezer’s people.  We are grateful to You for the opportunity to partner with them for this most important ministry.  We pray that as these children find help within the walls of Your church, they will come to know you and receive the saving grace of Jesus.  Amen.

30 Days of Prayer, Day 6: A Bold Approach

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

Heavenly Father, we praise Your holy and matchless name.  We thank you that because of Your merciful love, we can confidently approach your throne with our requests and concerns.  We are so grateful that we can trust You with the largest or smallest of requests, because we can count on Your perfect provision and timing.  You have demonstrated Your goodness and faithfulness so many times in the past.  We give You control over this partnership between First Baptist Church and Ebenezer Baptist Church.  We pray that, above all that will be accomplished in construction, we will remain focused on building relationships and spreading Your Gospel.  We desire to honor You and bring glory to Your name throughout this building campaign, as we seek to meet the needs of Your people.  Help us to be bold in our obedience to Your calling.  Amen.

30 Days of Prayer, Day 5: Action Required

Micah 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

The message of this scripture is clear.  Following Christ requires action.  To do justice, Christians cannot remain silent, watching others suffer.  To love and show mercy, we cannot stay seated on our comfortable pews, talking amongst ourselves.  To walk humbly with God requires that we actually go places, we cannot stay still.  When we partner together to do actively obey scripture, the Gospel is spread and the church is multiplied.  When we partner across oceans, or even just across the street, with our neighbors of different races, backgrounds, and cultures, for the glory of God and the spread of the Gospel, we can rest assured that the Lord will astound us with His mighty ways and His perfect timing.  First Baptist Church has been so blessed to have church leadership—Pastor Jimmy and all the staff---that understands this principle and has trusted and obeyed the calling of the Holy Spirit to partner with African American congregations in Newnan, in order to demonstrate and promote oneness in Christ and diversity of God’s kingdom.  Partnering with Ebenezer Baptist Church in Uganda through prayer and ministry is an extension of this commitment to solidarity, to unity, to doing justly, to loving mercy, and to walking humbly with God.  It’s all part of the same beautiful plan.

Dear Father, we praise You, for You are the Almighty Creator of all people.  Thank You for binding our hearts together in ways that transcend our racial and cultural differences.  Thank you for giving us church leaders that step out in faith and set an example for our congregations and our communities of faith in action.  Help us to seek opportunities to extend loving kindness in Your name and to remain unified with ALL of our brothers and sisters in Christ--in Newnan, Georgia, in Mbale, Uganda, and around the world.  Amen.

30 Days of Prayer, Day 4: Unseen and Eternal

 

2 Corinthians 4:16-18  Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 

In the Namatala slum of Mbale, Uganda the needs of individuals are immediate.  Even for the most well-intentioned ministries, it is easy to become bogged down by the massive weight and seemingly endless nature of the physical circumstances of the people.  It requires a special vision and Divine direction to minister effectively--a day-to-day, moment-to-moment discipline of fixing our eyes on the unseen, the eternal.  We are so grateful to God for providing Ebenezer Baptist Church with servant-leaders such as Pastor Fred and Mama Olive.  Truly they have allowed the Lord to use them daily for His purpose, and in and through their obedience to His calling, blessings abound.

O Father, we praise You for Your ways are higher than our ways.  We thank you for Pastor Fred and Olive Mazune, for their love for You and for each other, for their commitment to Your high calling, and for their dedication to Ebenezer Baptist Church.  We ask for Your continued protection over their home, their family, and their ministry.  We pray that they will continue to seek after You, fixing their eyes on what is unseen and eternal.  We give You glory and honor for the blessings being poured out, for the renewal of their hearts, and the hope for eternal glory yet to come.  Amen.  

30 Days of Prayer, Day 3: Glad and Sincere Hearts

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the LORD added to their number daily those who were being saved.  Acts 2:42-47

This passage of scripture paints a beautiful picture of the early Christian church, and when I read it, I can’t help but be reminded of the history of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Mbale.  Beginning with only a few members meeting in a home in the Namatala slum, in 11 years the Ebenezer family has grown to have over 400 people in worship on Sundays.  The faithful obedience of church leadership and members, the sincere hope they have in Christ gives glory to God and bears the fruit of new believers.  Their witness as a church begins with the way they love one another, and the way the Lord has added to their number is truly inspiring.  We are confident that, as Ebenezer continues to grow and a church building is constructed, many more people will come to know the saving grace of Jesus.

Heavenly Father, we praise your merciful and holy name.  We thank you for your faithfulness to Ebenezer Baptist Church, the wonderful way you have grown their family of believers.  We trust in your provision and we rejoice in the sufficiency of your grace.  Help us to remember that our collective witness as a church begins with how we show love and sincerely care for one another.  Help us to seek You and Your word as our guide.  Amen.