“Together is my favourite place to be”

A sign on the wall in our dining room above my desk says, “together is my favourite place to be.” Since we have lived in many different places, location doesn’t define what home is. For us, home is not a place but where we are together. Being together with our family is my favourite place to be.

This sign also has significance to me because being together with Jesus is my absolute favourite place to be. Since the time when I trusted Jesus to take the penalty of my sin upon Himself, He has been present with me because His Spirit lives within me. The fact that He is an Omnipresent God, also means He is with me anywhere I am. There is nowhere I can go from His presence and for me that is a great comfort.

However, there are times when I am more aware of His presence.

• Worshipping together with the body of Christ or alone: in prayer, singing, immersed in the Word of God, or serving
• Marvelling at His beautiful creation while enjoying the outdoors
• Experiencing God’s gentle love in my repentance, His comfort when I am hurting, His peace when I am unsettled, His assurance in the waiting, and His power in my weakness
• In my surrender and trust in Him

MORE Network 2024 Theme: Immanuel, God with us

The MORE Network has chosen, “Immanuel, God with us” as our theme for 2024.

For some of us, this may make us think of Christmas, since we have just celebrated God sending His Son, Jesus, to come to earth to take on human flesh and die for our sins. God with us means that and so much more.

In the MORE Network, God is with us…

… in the joy

… in our brokenness, pain, grief, and loss

… in the changes in our lives

… in the waiting

… in our victories

… in the unknown

… in our weakness

… in our challenges and frustrations

… in celebration

… as we walk with others

At the MORE Network, the key verse we’ve chosen for 2024 is Exodus 33:14:

“The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14 (NIV)

Prior to this verse, God had told Moses to lead the Israelites to a land flowing with milk and honey but that He would not go with them. In response Moses says in verse 15, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.”

Just as Moses did not want to go forward without God, neither do we in the MORE Network. Not only do we want God to direct us in the way we should go in 2024, but we also want His presence to go with us.

5 Areas of Prayer for the MORE Network in 2024

We invite you to join with us in prayer for God’s presence in these five distinct areas:

1. Direction

Pray for God to give each of us vision of what He is calling us into, so that we may live and serve purposefully for His glory. Pray that we may be constantly aware of God, walking with Him each day in that calling, humbly drawing near to God and into His presence so that He will draw near to us. (James 4:8a NKJV)

2. Spirit Empowerment

At the MORE Network, pray that we would be empowered by the Holy Spirit to do the work He calls us to in 2024, (Acts 1:8) depending on Jesus as we abide in Him and in His love, knowing that apart from Him we can do nothing. (John 15:4-5; 1 John 4:16)

3. Beholding God

Pray that God would reveal Himself in all His Holiness to us at the MORE Network as we shift our focus to fix our eyes on Him with fear, reverence and wonder at who He is, beholding His beauty! (Ps 27:4 NKJV)

4. Intimacy with God

At the MORE Network we want to increasingly love, know, and trust God deeply. Pray for intimacy in our relationship with the Lord, that our souls would hunger and thirst for Jesus, long for His presence, know Him, and look to be satisfied only by Him. (Ps 63) Pray that we will be changed by being in His presence and spending time with Him.

5. God’s Rest

At MORE Network, we also want to receive the rest God offers us. Pray for us to enter into His rest to be refreshed by His Presence in 2024. (Matt 11:28 NIV)

May you enjoy God’s presence today!

But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign LORD my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do. (Ps 73:28)

We invite you to continue praying with MORE Network! There are lots of opportunities to get involved in praying with & for MORE Network. Visit Praise & Prayer for the most recent prayer update from MORE Network, or subscribe to a monthly prayer update from MORE by visiting Subscribe to MORE Email Lists and selecting "Praise & Prayer Updates".  

Or to read more articles from the MORE Network team, please visit MORE Network, where we regularly share articles on topics such as: transtions for missionaries and their families, TKCs & MKs, and member care resources & opportunities!

Diane Fietje serves with the MORE Network as a part-time administrator and full-time MK champion. Diane, along with her husband Mike and their children, spent 20 years in Peru with a mission organization serving children at risk. Having experienced transition back to Canada, first Mike after growing up as a missionary kid in SE Asia, and then as a whole family returning from Peru, they know how hard it can be to readjust to life in North America and are delighted to be able to help others in similar circumstances.