A Dangerous Prayer
Jul 17, 2022 | by The Fellowship
In January 2021, my wife and I were discussing faith -- and that true faith requires some kind of risk. However, examining our own lives, we felt there was really no risk. We lived comfortably: I worked for a church as the lead student minister, and she was in school. We lived generously but not uncomfortably -- which we felt was the “sweet spot.”
However, this conversation led my wife and me to pray a dangerous prayer: “Lord, lead us to rely on You and abandon the distraction of comfort!”
This is not a story about us upping our giving percentage and watching God work. Instead, we now know that God had a different plan! Only a few weeks later, we heard God clearly telling us to leave our church home. This change would prove to be one of the hardest things we have ever endeavored, but we knew it was that step of faith for which we prayed.
With my wife and me both in graduate school, we had two tuitions to pay, bills, etc. Even though we did not know where my next job would be, I went and spoke to the Senior Pastor. Agreeing to stay until the end of the semester, I began to look for a new job as we continued with this step of faith.
I only applied to three or four jobs total, but none of them stood out the way the Residency Program at The Fellowship did. It would allow me to continue my education while gaining valuable church experience. However, what stood out the most was the support-raising element of this position. Immediately, we knew that support-raising would be our next step of faith! After the interviews and accepting the job offer, my wife and I excitedly jumped into this new endeavor!
On April 7th, I began raising support, something I had never done before. Seeing the total dollar amount we needed to raise was terrifying, but we trusted God and prayed for Him to meet our needs through those around us. Then we began to see a pattern: the more we submitted to Him and trusted ... He would then reveal how and through whom He would provide. Within a few days, 35% of our needs were pledged!
Like a cycle, every time I felt like support-raising was something I could do on my own, the percentage would freeze and people would start telling me “No.” When those humbling “No’s” came my way, I went to my knees (as did my prayer partners). After fervently acknowledging God’s complete control of our situation, we would begin to see God open doors and nudge us to initiate conversations with people I had never expected to partner with us financially!
Before starting this process, we had some idea of who might support us – like family and friends who loved us and believed in our call to ministry. However, while many of those became financial supporters, we were shocked by the unexpected people who are partnering with us. They include several people we had not interacted with in more than a decade, college friends just beginning their careers, parents of college friends, families from the church we had just left, and friends of our parents. What a beautiful surprise that they chose to invest in God’s Kingdom through our ministry!
We have seen God work and answer prayers at every twist and turn. Now 96% raised, we are excited to see how God will supply the last 4%! The most important lesson we have learned is: We need to need God!
As we grew to recognize His complete control of our needs, He revealed how He would meet them. Every little step of faith has shown that God will keep us upright! In the midst of our excitement about Him working in and through us in this ministry, we stand in great awe of how God has and will answer our prayers!
T.D.
His divine power has given us everything we need
for a godly life through our knowledge of him
who called us by his own glory and goodness.
2 Peter 1:3