How to Pray

It has been a while since I last offered an update. Now that could mean one of two things. Either there hasn’t been much going on or there has been too much going on.

So, let’s see here, what have I been doing these days?

• Together for the Gospel conference along with Sandy
• Led an Adventure Camp in Lake Geneva for Living Fire Leadership Ministries
• Had a pulmonary function test and sleep study
• Had my wisdom teeth out

I guess a lot has been going on. But behind all of these things Sandy and I have continued to pray and seek wise counsel regarding God’s direction for our future ministry.

This update is to ask for your specific prayer for next weekend, May 22-23.

That Saturday and Sunday, Sandy, myself, and the family will be traveling to meet with the leadership of a ministry as well as preaching. As I have discussed with the leadership of First Reformed we together agree that while not sharing the location of the ministry it would be very profitable to invite you to pray for our family as well as for the ministry as we seek to discern how the gospel might best be advanced.

Sandy and I want nothing less than to join with the saints in partaking in grace and partnering in the gospel as we stand firm in grace and strive for the faith. It has truly been our joy to share in the ministry of the gospel at First Reformed as we do to his day.

How to Pray ::

• Pray for safety in travel with the family as well as understanding and peace for our children.
• Pray for transparency and shared discernment between Sandy and I and the ministry.
• We continue to work hard alongside the believers at First Reformed. Pray for joy and progress for the ministry here.
• I am preaching on Philippians 1:1-11 this weekend (May 16, 2010) at First Reformed. I have found the language of that passage filling my mind and words in recent days. Pray that I will effectively communicate the gospel this Sunday to my fellow partners in the gospel and partakers in grace here at First Reformed.
• Please pray for my mom, Clara Fyffe. She has recurrent lung cancer moved into our home in January. She was placed in home hospice care at the beginning of May and has had a difficult month. Pray for her mind as well as for peace for her body and soul.

The Lord Bless You & Keep You,
Jeremiah and Sandy Fyffe

When Sandy and I first God married we committed that this relationship was first a ministry relationship. God had brought us together for His purposes. And we have experienced all of the blessings of being centered right in the middle of His purpose.

Today Sandy and I are heading out to Louisville, KY, to go to Together for the Gospel. As I wrote the title to this prayer update I thought, that’s what Sandy and I are. We are together for the gospel. That’s what this prayer site is about. It is asking you to pray for us as we seek God’s direction in leading others to be together for the gospel, whether it is in marriages, friendships, churches, ministries, etc.

We have been in the midst of a very long run the past number of months. We are both tired and even a bit stressed. God has given us the opportunity to be together, run together, talk together, share from the Word together, but we have not been able to get away together for quite a while. We are truly looking forward to this opportunity and are thankful for your prayer as we are away.

How to Pray ::

• Please, pray for our children (and Sandy’s parents) as we are away from them for the next four days
• Pray for Clara (Jeremiah’s mom) as she is home. We are thankful that there are a number of people that will be stopping in to keep her company while we are gone, but feel free to give her a call to say hello while we are gone.
• Two years ago, my experience in hearing the gospel preached with crystal clarity was utterly transformative for me. I am prayerfully expectant that God will move by His Word and Spirit in both Sandy and my soul.
• Pray for continued peace and guidance as we seek the Lord’s guidance for the future. We have been able to reach out to a number of ministry friends and have received truly valuable wisdom and counsel. Thank you!

The Lord Bless You & Keep You,
Jeremiah and Sandy Fyffe

I was just talking to a friend this morning about he fully our house has become after moving my mom in with us. After moving all of my mom’s belongs in with us our home has begun to look more like a storage facility than a home. Our home was full before my mom moved in with us, but now the walls have started to bulge.

Sandy and I are leaving for the Together for the Gospel conference next week. We hope that by then we can clean, sort, and clear out a great deal of the clutter.

Niether Sandy nor I deal well with clutter whether it be in our calendar or in our home. Last night we were able to go for a run together. This was an excellent opportunity for us to work out dome of our physical stress and be together out of the home for just a while (I mean, this was no marathon or anything.).

How to Pray ::

• Pray that we can be patient with each other given all of the stresses of work, school, and home along with the work of discernment.
• Pray for our preparations for the Together for the Gospel conference. This was a life changing event for me in my understand of the gospel, of Christ and His cross. It is with joy that i anticipate participating in this with Sandy.

I am so thankful to all of those who have agreed to pray with my family about our direction in future ministry. I have been blessed in my conversations with many of you following my sharing in the church service at First Reformed on March 21. Thank you for your encouragement and prayer.

Last week Sandy and I took a week of “vacation” to move my mom’s belongings out of her house in Bloomington, IN. Things went faster and better than I expected. Her stuff is not stacked neatly in our basement.

We also had the opportunity to spend a few days with our dear friends, Ronda and Adam Myers and our buddies Elijah and Cyrus (their two boys). Thank God for friends and partners in the gospel like these!

If you would like to commit to pray I invite you to click on the “Commit to Prayer” link at the top of the page and leave a message in the “reply” section at the bottom of that page.

How to Pray ::

• I am preaching at the Maundy Thursday service at First Reformed. I think this is one of my family’s favorite days of the year. I desire to share how Jesus sandwiches the institution of the Lord’s supper between an announcement of betrayal and a denial.
• In the next week I will be meeting with a number of ministry friends, both close and distant. Pray that God will give each of us wisdom and grace as we encourage and pray for one another.
• Throughout the these past two years as God has been working and I have been discerning one of my top requests has been for faithfulness in the present. I have a rock on my desk that says, “BE FAITHFUL :: and if you can choose, then choose legacy.” Pray for continued faithfulness in present ministry.

This morning we shared the the congregation in Sheboygan Falls how God has been leading us in a process of discernment of future direction and ministry over the past two years. We also set up this website as a way to invite believers to join us in prayer for further discernment and ministry.

It is our goal to have at least 30 prayer partners commit to praying regularly for us in the months ahead.

If you would like to commit to pray I invite you to click on the “Commit to Prayer” link at the top of the page and leave a message in the “reply” section at the bottom of that page.

How to Pray ::

• We are seeking discernment between moving forward in the direction of church planting or in the seeking of a body of believers to lead into the vision that God has given.
• For protection, understanding, and joy for our children. Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but the Lord is our stronghold and our Deliverer.
• We pray for the ministry at First Reformed Church, that God would continue to lead and bless me in this ministry in the coming months until His will is revealed.