Pray to Become New Wine

I have a question for you: do you believe that prayer has power? My answer is yes, absolutely, without a single doubt. Throughout my blogs so far, I’ve talked about some specifics in how prayer has honestly been our ministry; but guess what (and get ready to have your mind blown): prayer IS ministry! I know, absolutely crazy. Now don’t get me wrong, people still need to hear about the goodness of our God, BUT you can’t just launch into a meaningful conversation with someone about Jesus (unless of course God is specifically instructing you in that way). Maybe you’re wondering why, since that’s all we, as Christians, have been taught in regards to sharing about our God. The thing is, most people may just listen to be polite, but they won’t actually take it in unless they trust YOU as a person, as a friend, as someone who is genuinely just trying to love them and not just as someone trying to convince them to join in on your beliefs. On top of that, the description of a true believer is someone who has an intimate relationship with Jesus, our Savior; intimacy is not something that happens overnight. Our God is a God of relationship, so therefore, if we want to try and be more like Him (as we should be doing), we need to be intentional in forming relationships with people we want to share His Word with.

“It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” ~1 Corinthians 13:7&13

Above: The workspace of our friend Nadia, a Ukrainian artist. She is just one of the many beautiful people we met in Petrakyivska, a city an hour outside of Dnipro.

Not only does a relationship create a healthy boundary of trust, it gives us an opportunity to really pour His love into them through our own example. Being an example of love is easier overseas because if you don’t have a translator, it’s one of the only ways we can communicate with someone who speaks a different language. But, it’s also easier because people overseas are used to living in community with one another; community is literally fellowship 24/7, everyday, all the time. THAT is why I recommend everyone to go on a mission overseas at least once in their life because for those living in the US, it’s very hard for us to see what true community looks like/feels like. We call ourselves the United States, but are we really united? NO! Yea, maybe we don’t have civil wars, maybe we are able to be decently cordial with each other, BUT are we willingly giving up seats for our elderly people? Are we serving meals to any of our neighbors without expecting anything in return? What about for those who don’t have a home, a family or a friend? Do we serve them, or do we ignore them, but later claim that we are praying for them when we could’ve had an opportunity to love them and show them God’s love through our actions?

“Be sure you know the condition of your flocks (people), give careful attention to your herds; for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations. When the hay is removed and new growth appears and the grass from the hills is gathered in, the lambs will provide you with clothing, and the goats with the priced of a field. You will have plenty of goats’ milk to feed your family and nourish your female servants.” ~Proverbs 27:23-27

Above: The daughter of one of our other friends, Sergei, who not only gave us a tour of old town (the old history) of Ukraine, but also gave us horseback rides and quality conversation/jokes. 

What about our accomplishments: are we quick to show them off? Do we remain humble when we receive a promotion/reach a goal we’ve been working hard to achieve, giving God the glory instead of making it all about ourselves? Or do we become selfish, boasting/bragging in our successes, comparing ourselves to someone we view as “inferior” to our own skills/luck as a way to make ourselves feel better? Y’all, we really need a good heart check! And, honestly, maybe we also need a good smack to our head in order to get our thoughts working again in the ways He wants us to think/act! I have seen a lot of good examples of community on this journey, through my home church with those who have reached out/keep track of the journey and how I’m doing, through the various countries we’ve gone to and served in the midst of, but I think through this war between Russia and Ukraine, I’ve seen the most prominent example of His Love for us, but also, for the Love He wants us to have for each other.

Ukraine and her people hold a special place in my heart (if you don’t know, take a look back on my previous blogs from our time in Ukraine), so seeing this war happen, these kind-hearted people being attacked so ruthlessly/needlessly has my heart shattering into pieces. Plus, I’ve always had a heart for war torn countries in general, and Ukraine had just recovered from a civil war inside of the city of Kyiv and now they are heading into another, so that’s part of the reason my heart is hurting for them in particular (because until I knew about Ukraine and stepped foot into their country, my heart was stirred specifically for the Middle East, and still is). Another reason for my hurting heart in regards to Ukraine is because it felt like a piece of my heart was found/returned to me the second I stepped out into the city streets of Dnipro. Again, that is explained better in previous blogs, BUT I basically felt like I was home, like I was in a familiar place and felt complete ease instead of anxiety like I had been expecting because of our proximity to Russia.

“Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that HAS BREATH praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!” ~Psalm 150

Now, Putin has officially announced war on Ukraine. Many of the Russian people are not for it, they are protesting against it actually but their leader has other agendas. Of the people we met in Ukraine, some have fled (and have done so successfully as far as I know) while others have stayed in their cities to house injured, homeless, orphans, families, etc, basically helping anyone who needs it. Air strikes keep coming in, especially on Kyiv (1 team was here), Dnipro (where my team was), Lviv (2 teams were here) and Odessa (1 team was here too). Our last team was in a city that’s very far from the Russian border, and their host has also chosen to stay where he is (with his family) in order to help Ukrainians that are fleeing. Basically, we need prayers for Ukraine and her people, the Russians who are persecuting and being arrested because of protesting (also because they will be dealing with harsh conditions as a consequence to Putin’s actions), the countries whom are taking in refugees (Poland, Hungary, Romania, Montenegro, Germany, Italy and Georgia -> where we are now), and for all who are fighting, giving aid, injured, feeling hopeless…the list goes on. Also, even though it’s so hard for me to type it, please also pray for Putin (for He is also God’s child) to have a change of heart, for God to go in and chip away at his hardened heart and for him to see just how wrong and needless this war on Ukraine is.

Above: For Zhenya (not pictured), a man who stayed behind in Dnipro, who made a diy shelter inside of his local church (and it is not a big space) and is providing shelter for anyone who needs it, who just put his elderly mom on a train to leave Ukraine and is still there with his sister. For Vadya/Vadim (top left, green saber) who is also staying in Dnipro still, who only asks for us to prayer for the world in general, not for him or his family/friends, just the world and its leaders. He has a pure heart that adores the orphans we spent so much time with in Dnipro. For Andri (bottom left, light blue saber) who has fled to western Ukraine but is only 23 years old and has a true heart of worship. And lastly, for Nastya, the girl in the bottom middle with the red saber, who has also fled to western Ukraine and I’m not 100% sure if she got there yet. 

But also, pray for all people (especially the Ukrainians and the Russians) to find joy in the midst of these troubling times, for them to look up to God and rejoice in His goodness and provision. Pray that they continuously do so until the day that they come to live with Him/meet Him in person for eternity, or until His return because of the HOPE that only He can give. Also, pray that God changes all of our hearts, all of those who are hating on Russia because of this attack because even if they don’t want to admit it (because I know I also had a hard time admitting it at first), Russia, Putin, all of them are STILL God’s children, our brothers and sisters in Christ and they also deserve prayer and love just like those who are being persecuted do. They belong to Him and deserve just as much grace, mercy, love, compassion, prayers as we get from Him (and much more) because God freely gives it to us, to ALL of His people. If we want to become more like Him, to completely reflect His character and love, we must CHOOSE love over everything else, even on the days we don’t like them. You don’t have to like them (character, actions, thoughts, choices/decisions), but you DO have to love them because God loves them and us as well.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ BUT I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil AND the good, and sends rain on the righteous AND the unrighteous.” ~Matthew 5:44-45

I’m honestly not sorry that this one is so long. Prayer is very important because it’s the tilling of the ground, the softening of a new foundation so that God can go in and plant those seeds, to plant those opportunities to reach out to the lost, to find the ones who are ready to hear and give them little directions that will lead them to the opportunity to hear about Him. Prayer is the first necessary building block so that each specific person can get that first step, that first shred of hope that will eventually lead them to the greatest hope of all: God, our LORD and Savior! Therefore, get out your speaker and spotify playlists of Jesus Lovin’ music, grab your Bible, a pen, a journal and a cozy blanket, and throw yourself down onto your knees, flat on your face before the LORD and PRAISE Him for His goodness, for his love, mercy, grace, compassion, for His protection, healing and provision, for His abundance, for the sacrifice of His Son that took the place of our sins and of our needed death, and thank Him for the opportunity to be His vessel. Surrender yourself to Him again. Let His light shine upon you, let Him look into your heart, searching every nook and cranny, lighting all the darkened/hidden parts of you so that He can chip away at them and heal them. Ask Him to light a new flame inside of you, inside of your soul, to make you into new wine.

“Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” ~Matthew 9:17