Ray Family Update June 2023

Dear Praying Friends,

Just this past week, Brother Nathan Hollingsworth challenged us in our prayer meeting to think of big things we need from God. He reminded us that we often fail to mention these needs to God, at least publicly, for fear that He might not answer in the way that we desire, making Him look like He failed us. Brother Hollingsworth further challenged us that when we do approach the throne concerning these things, we ought to do so specifically and earnestly. After all, this is the way many of God’s people approached Him in times past and God answered accordingly.

The more I have meditated on what Brother Hollingsworth said, the more I have realized that there are at least ten BIG THINGS that highlight my current needs from the Lord. Guilty as charged, I often fail to pray about these specifically, and certainly not publicly, for fear that I might put God on the spot. Shame on me for having so little faith and so little consistency and fervency in my prayer life! God, forgive me! Truth be told, if God answered any one of these big things, it would be an obvious miracle and God would get the credit and glory. While I am not naïve enough to think all of these desires are legitimate needs in the eyes of God, nor that they are all His will, I do know He likes to work in seemingly impossible situations where He, and He alone, gets the glory. I also believe, best I know my heart, I am surrendered to His will and am satisfied for His will to override mine in any or all of these matters.

Even as I write, and rewrite, this update, I wrestle with publicly setting forth these needs. I hesitate, in part, because I DO NOT want man to intervene in the strength of the flesh to try to meet these needs or grant these requests. I want GOD to do it! Sure, I understand that God uses people and He may choose to use you in one of these matters, but be sure it is God and not your love for me, or for our church, or for our family. That being said, will you join me in praying for:

1.) My daughter Hannah to be with child
2.) God to heal my wife and I of some complicated health issues
3.) A personal financial need, known only to my wife and I
4.) $100,000 to finish the building renovations
5.) $2,000 to print The Little Maid
6.) Money to print and send a gospel witness to every mailbox within a ten mile radius of Antioch
7.) The removal of some online articles hurting our testimony and the church’s testimony
8.) The Lord to judge and reconcile in a couple of situations
9.) The healing and growth of our local body
10.) Others to be mentioned later...