These past few weeks have been some of the most stretching and sacred weeks of our lives. We have felt the resistance. We have seen how easily schedules tighten, fatigue sets in, and distractions try to crowd out what matters most. There were moments when it would have been easier to pull back, to coast, or to let weariness speak louder than truth. But through it all, God’s Word sustained us. When everything else felt uncertain, Scripture stayed steady. When emotions fluctuated, His promises did not. When the enemy tried to whisper discouragement, the truth of God’s Word spoke louder. We have been reminded in a very personal way that whenever breakthrough is near, resistance increases. Whenever truth is about to realign you, opposition intensifies. And yet — God’s Word has anchored us. Instead of asking the Bible to agree with how we felt, we have found ourselves asking, “Lord, what are You saying — and how must we change to align with You?” And that shift has changed everything. Hard passages have softened our hearts. Clear commands have re-centered our priorities. The Word has corrected us, comforted us, strengthened us, and steadied our home. We are deeply grateful — not only for how Scripture has carried us — but for how you have surrounded us. The love, the thoughtful gifts, the prayers, the messages, the quiet encouragement — they have meant more than we could ever properly express. You have been the hands and feet of Jesus to our family. In moments when we felt pressure, your kindness reminded us we were not standing alone. This season has reminded us that the Bible is not helpful advice — it is divine revelation. And when a family submits fully to the authority of God’s Word, it reshapes everything: how we think, how we respond, how we lead our children, how we steward what God has given, how we pray, how we love. Thank you for praying us through. Thank you for loving us well. Thank you for every act of generosity and every whispered prayer on our behalf. God’s Word has sustained us — and your love has strengthened us.

With full hearts,

Ryan & Mandy

Thank you for caring about me when you could not even see me. Thank you for loving me across the miles. Thank you for praying for me when I did not even know your names. Thank you for giving so that I could be safe, fed, taught, and told about Jesus. Because of you, I am not just surviving — I am saved. I am learning. I am growing. I am loved. Your prayers helped protect me. Your giving helped provide for me. Your faithfulness helped change my story. I am a life that was changed and saved — and it is because you obeyed God.

With love and gratitude,


Your Daisy in Kenya💛

GO TO www.belmontbaptistchurch.com/sermons and listen to Sunday’s message.

Psalm 2:8, “Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.”

Prayer is not passive. It is invasion. It is not retreat; it is engagement. When you kneel, heaven moves. When you intercede, borders shift. You may never step foot in another nation, but you can move nations from your knees. Psalm 2:8 is not poetic exaggeration — it is divine invitation. God does not say strategize for the nations first; He says ask. The battlefield of missions is not only across oceans — it is in prayer closets. Fear whispers, “What difference can I make?” Faith responds, “God answers prayer.” The enemy fears a praying church more than a wealthy one because wealth can build buildings, but prayer breaks strongholds.

You may never preach in Africa. You may never walk dusty roads in Moldova. You may never sit in a hut in Kenya sharing the gospel. But when you pray, you enter those places spiritually. Prayer travels where passports cannot. When you ask God to open hearts in unreached regions, to strengthen missionaries, to soften governments, to stir revival — heaven responds. Some breakthroughs in foreign lands begin with whispers in hidden rooms. We often measure impact by visibility, but heaven measures it by obedience. Quiet intercession has shaken kingdoms before, and it still does.

When Peter stepped out of the boat, he walked on water. When he looked at the wind, he sank. The wind was loud, but Jesus was Lord. Fear is simply faith in the wrong voice. When you focus on headlines, statistics, persecution, and impossibility, prayer feels small. But when your eyes fix on Christ, courage rises. You do not need perfect confidence to pray globally; you need obedience. Even trembling prayers, when directed toward a sovereign God, carry authority. The issue is not how powerful you feel — it is how powerful He is.

God could accomplish His purposes without us, yet He chooses partnership. “Ask of me,” He says. Why would an all-powerful God invite us to ask? Because prayer aligns us with His heart. When you pray for nations, your heart enlarges. When you intercede for missionaries, you share in their victories. When you pray for unreached regions, you are sowing eternal seeds. Some souls who come to Christ in distant lands will trace their breakthrough back to believers they never met who prayed faithfully. Prayer is not background support — it is frontline engagement.

Imagine a battlefield where soldiers advance, but behind them stands a communication officer connected to headquarters. He never fires a weapon. He never crosses enemy lines. Yet through constant communication, reinforcements are sent, air support arrives, strategies are adjusted, and victories are secured. Without that line of communication, the front collapses. Prayer is that connection. Missionaries on the field depend not only on finances and presence but on intercession. When you pray, you are not on the sidelines — you are calling down heaven’s resources into earthly conflict.

Prayer is global warfare. It is invasion against darkness. It is participation in redemption. The enemy fears a praying church because prayer releases heaven’s authority into earthly realities. You may feel unseen. You may feel small. But when you kneel, you stand in authority. Nations have shifted because believers prayed. Revival has come because someone asked. God still says, “Ask of me.” The question is not whether He will respond — it is whether we will obey.

Father, in the mighty name of Jesus, I refuse to believe the lie that my prayers are small. I break agreement with fear and intimidation. Enlarge my vision beyond my own needs and give me nations in my intercession. Strengthen missionaries who are weary. Open doors in closed countries. Tear down spiritual strongholds in unreached regions. Let revival rise where darkness has ruled. Make my prayer life bold, consistent, and aligned with Your heart. I choose obedience over doubt and faith over fear. In Jesus’ name, amen.

This week, set aside focused time to pray specifically for missionaries and unreached regions. Choose one nation, one missionary, or one people group and intercede intentionally. Do not rush it. Do not generalize it. Ask boldly. Because prayer is not passive — it is global warfare.

Baby Mary Marin – Home – A Miracle

Britany Smith ~ Breast Cancer

Phillip Roach – Linda & Luther’s Son – Cancer

John McClain’s Mother

Jason Gibson

Darlene Kelley – Cancer Treatment

Don And Carol Franklin – Mae’s Uncle

Ed Franklin’s Son In Law – Heart Surgery

Gloria Young

Jean Partee

Sandra Mitchell

Tammy Shelnutt

Amy Garner’s Dad

Bentley Smith – Broken Leg

Carol Lawhead – Riverside in Conyers

Joni Oberhage

Linda Mays

Rose Fuller – Pruitt-Monroe Nursing Home, Forsyth GA

Brando Echarte

Debbie Foskey 

Don Franklin’s Daughter, Darlene, Son, David

Ed Adkins – Friend of Brian Edwards

Jake Jenkins

June Cronan

Jean Partee’s Sister

Kim McClain’s Daughter, Amanda

Deon Lotter

Doris Loyd

Nancy Brown

Annette Ford

Andrea Nix– Friend of the Shelnutt’s

Angela Bryan’s Sisters

Ann Stanley  

Danny Jarrard  

Darlene Wiggins

Dr. and Mrs. Davis

Eric Magnusson’s Mother

Eric Ward

Friend of Linda Hodge

Gayle Sparks

James Burnette

Jessica Headrick  

June Cronan’s Sister

June Davis

Kailey Bateman

Kim McClain’s Mother 

Kim’s Sisters – Ann & Brenda 

Lillianna Magnusson’s Mom

Lonzo Christian 

Lori Blount’s Mother

Mary Williams

Mary Williamson – Dana Jackson’s Mom

Mrs. Franklin 

Nora Allison

Ron And Johnnie Barry – Friends Of Ashton & Glenda Bateman

Scott Lanier 

Scotty Nix

Stephanie Seivers – Friend of the Shelnutt’s

Steve Michaels

Tom Witcher