“The idea that everything would happen exactly as it does regardless of whether we pray or not is a specter that haunts the minds of many who sincerely profess belief in God. It makes prayer psychologically impossible, replacing it with dead ritual at best.”

David Brainerd

This year has proved to be a challenging, yet somewhat rewarding time for me. This isn’t like my usual writings but this is something straight from my heart: this is a personal plea!

This is me sharing what is going on in my life because I honestly need all my brothers and sisters in Christ to pray for me. Asking for prayer is something I am not always keen to do. Yet, it is something I should do.

Just as the quote above, prayer that is seen as useless is psychologically arresting. I don’t want to believe that my prayers go up into nothingness, but that I have a God who hears my prayers and will answer them according to His perfect will. Knowing that all of my prayers get answered is a comfort, knowing that they might not be answered the way I want them to is not.

I feel like as of late that my time with God has become somewhat of a dead ritual. I believe I have allowed Satan to arrest my mind and have me believe that my prayers are useless and that I will not be fulfilled or satisfied in life. I delve into sadness at times thinking that my life will be useless and I will always be stuck in the muck and mire of life.

I want to be free from the muck and mire, I am tired of my life not amounting to anything so I pled with you… if you are reading this just pray for me — that’s it! Just lift up a simple prayer for me, that I will begin to be satisfied again with the Bread of Life and the Living Water. That I will see that God has a plan through all of my suffering and that I can be renewed and have positivity for the future.

So I close with some prayer requests. I plead with you that if you have any prayer requests or needs that you can tell me. I will write them down and pray over them. I don’t want my prayers to be selfish and just focused of self… I want to pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ as you pray for me!

Seeking His face,
Ryan

________________________

Here is what you can pray for me:

1. Interviews

I have already applied and have begun the process this week with interviews. I have several interviews at many different places over the next couple of months for a Chaplain Residency position at several area hospitals. Pray that God will help me in these intense times and that God will lead me to the right place so I can minister to those in need.

2. Provision

I am blessed to have employment but pray for provision in my life. I am in a season of lack and so I pray God will open up more opportunities to work and that God will bless me in a miraculous way.

3. Seminary

I am in my second semester in Seminary and I love it, yet it can be very difficult and draining. Pray that I can be strengthened and endure to the end, and excel, so that I can graduate next year and move on to other things — such as ministry and marriage.

4. Personal Endeavors

Pray for me as I am continuing to write a book and I pray that it can be completed, edited, and published soon. I don’t know how all of this will happen but I serve an amazing God… so pray for continued dedication on my part.

5. Family and Friends

Continue to pray for my brother as God has done amazing things in his life and that He will continue to do so. I have seen a God who is a Great Physician. Pray for some friends of mine who are raising money for mission endeavors to Dominican Republic, India, and Japan. I have seen a God who provides. Pray for many peers and friends of mine who are engaged or newly married, that through these joyous but trying times that they would see grace and share grace to each other. I have seen a God who brings people together as one.

I will post up other prayer requests (and praises) as they come along…