days of prayer and fasting

days of prayer and fasting at eMi2 have been a traditional of ours for about three years now, but this season was a little different for two reasons. This year is different for us, because we are celebrating 10 years of existing in India, serving ministries and serving the poor. As part of our office's collective efforts to mark this year as special, we gave these two days to simply praise and thank God for the greatness of his work through us and in us over the past ten years. Our days were also different this season because we had the four guys from tnl joining our team as we prayed and praised over the two days. It was significant for our team to have the additional covering of friends and partners from tnl and for Jared, Dave Simeon and Bobby to experience the more intimate time of prayer and worship with our staff here.

For me (and I think others too) the most significant joy in the days was our intentional setting aside of two, three-hour sessions (one morning and one evening) for worship and praise and prayer togehter. We specifically did NOT bring our personal needs and petitions, but instead only prayed out of our thankfulness and gratitude for what God has done. Let me tell you, this was a discipline that was not easy to hold myself to at first (because we so often bring our needs before God), but it was really beautiful to limit ourselves in this way. Two days out of 10-years previous, we chose to simply say thank you, and recount His kindness, provision and grace.

Although I cant speak specifically for the whole eMi2 team, I know for me, it was a great encouragement to have the team from tnl here to both see how we do this, and to simply agree with us in prayer in how we were exalting God. Though these guys cannot know all the details of how eMi2 thanks God for his work in us, we all know his character and how he has made this work possible. I feel refreshed by the team's time with us in those days, because they have now seen how our eMi2 team operates togehter, and what we are praising God for. It is good to know they have that perspective on my / our lives here.
[ryan k]