Pray First Updates

Recently, I had to do a hard thing for Jesus. I had to make a hard decision. It wasn’t a decision between right and wrong or sin and righteousness. It was one of those “gray area” decisions; you know, those decisions between what’s good vs. what’s best. Decisions that keep you second guessing yourself before and after you make them.
Moments like these drive the most independent believer to the throne of grace in prayer. We cry out to the Lord for the help that He has promised in our time of need. What do we pray for exactly? What should we be looking for as an answer to our prayer? How do we know if the Lord has answered?
Next time you find yourself in a “gray area” decision, consider praying for these four things:
1. Wisdom
James 1:5-6 reminds us: “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.”
2. Discernment
Pray as the Psalmist did: “I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes.” (Psalm 119:125)
3. Direction
The Lord tells us in the Psalms: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” (Psalm 32:8)
4. Peace
Jesus promises, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)
After much prayer, I made my hard decision. It wasn’t easy and was even harder to follow through with. Yet, I am certain it was what the Lord led me to do. Looking back, I am thankful for the hard decision. It tested my faith, gave me a much needed humbling, and showed me once again that Jesus’ way is always best.
The next time you are faced with a hard decision for Jesus, go to the Lord in prayer and keep doing hard things.
Praises
- Many grounds / facilities projects completed over the past month
- Summer staff + volunteers coming together
- Registrations already received for our fall retreats!
Pray For
- Volunteers for our remaining summer roles (kitchen, facilities and grounds)
- Opportunities for our staff to get some R&R before the busy summer season of ministry
- Obedience by those the Lord is leading to attend camp this summer but have not yet signed-up
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Thanking God for You!
Posted May 9, 2023God’s provision keeps surprising and encouraging us…
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Cultivating a Spiritual Legacy
Posted April 4, 2023You may remember that our camp theme is Legacy, so we’re talking about what it looks like to pass on the faith at every opportunity!
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Ways to Pray for Your Pastor
Posted March 7, 2023You might not think about it, but pastors need your prayers too….
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Share your story!
Posted February 2, 2023Would you be willing to share your story of how God changed you through the ministry of Camp Maranatha?
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Rethinking Resolutions
Posted January 4, 2023Individually and as a camp, we’ve been rethinking priorities, considering where to invest time, and pondering how God transformed us throughout 2022. We hope you have too.
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Continuing the Legacy
Posted December 1, 2022As we celebrate 50 years of camp ministry, we’re thinking deeply on what it means to continue our legacy of faith.
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A Vision for the Future
Posted November 1, 2022God has also been working in my heart in regards to Pond View. The overwhelming feeling I would get when I saw the unfinished building has quickly turned to one of confidence that God was going to complete this project.
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A Story of Impact
Posted September 6, 2022At camp, we don’t often get to see or be part of the growth produced in people’s lives as they go home and apply what they’ve learned and experienced here. What a treasure when we do get a glimpse into Jesus’s work in lives!
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Summer Review
Posted August 10, 2022Thanks for praying for our summer camps! God’s faithfulness, protection, and provision were evident throughout each week. He continues to provide in unexpected ways and in the small details (see below for more!)
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Family Camp Update and Youth Camps Ahead
Posted July 15, 2022Thank you for praying for our family camps! We saw many answers to prayer during those two weeks. We look forward to sharing more later. A couple testimonies from families:
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Family Camps
Posted June 17, 202210 days til our first family camp of the summer! We have two back-to-back weeks of family camp and are so excited to serve and pour into these families. These weeks allow families to rest from the chaos of life, hear gospel-centered teaching, and…
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Guiding our Steps and Stops
Posted June 2, 2022Often we think of God’s blessing in terms of gifts. But what if the best thing for us is the loss of something or the detour of our own plans? As Muller says, God sovereignly orders our stops. We tend to see lack as bad, but God’s perspective is so much larger than ours. We learned recently that Grace Cottage is in need of…
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Exciting Staff Update!
Posted May 17, 2022We’re excited to announce the arrival of two new staff members! To meet the needs of camp and continue stewarding our budget well, all our staff are currently raising missionary support to serve in full-time or part-time capacities. This minimizes the need for team members to work additional jobs while volunteering in vital camp roles. We’re excited to see how God continues to build…
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More than Weed Whacking
Posted May 1, 2022Spring means time for spring cleaning and gardening! But to produce a healthy garden, you have to weed. Weeding is tedious. You start pulling, just to realize you’ve simply plucked the tops of the weeds off–the roots remain stuck. It’s easier to pull the small weeds than the huge ones. But it is also tempting to…
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An Invitation
Posted April 1, 2022God is moving across the world, building His Kingdom, and He’s inviting us to be part of that! How? One essential way–faithful prayer. The incredible thing about prayer is that it joins us in the work God is already doing, that we maybe were oblivious to. We know He’s building His Kingdom, but where and how? One essential way–
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Camp is Ablaze!
Posted February 24, 2022Announcing our 2022 theme: Ablaze! We anticipate an exciting ministry year as we commence our first-ever annual camp theme. Based off 2 Timothy 1:6-7, the Ablaze theme encourages us to “fan into flame the gift of God.” We’re asking God to..
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Celebrating another year of ministry!
Posted December 14, 2021God is GOOD! As I walk around the grounds, I can’t help but see signs of God’s faithfulness everywhere. From the echoes of guests, to the laughter of volunteers, to the noise of hammers and saws, God truly did do great things here in 2021!
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Exciting News!
Posted September 13, 2021Through the last two years of transition, the board recognized the urgency in establishing a full-time director to help carry and stay true to our revitalized mission of inspiring life-changing encounters with Jesus.
After much prayer and counsel, we are very excited to announce that…