Well, I just topped my truck off with diesel fuel after some ministry this past Sunday and the pump shut off at $100! I thought that was bad enough until I had to pump another $20 into the tank to fill it up - and I had over a quarter of a tank when I started! No doubt the fuel crisis is getting worse and obviously will have an impact on those traveling in ministry. As I write this post, oil has now climbed to over $129 a barrel - an unbelievable amount of money compared to only 2 years ago.

I just finished reading an article at http://money.cnn.com/ and found it interesting at some of the results they found. I must admit I have been guilty of a couple of these, but even with the best fuel-efficient vehicle - a lot of miles equals a lot of fuel. This has made me pray harder, fast more often, and talk about the high price of fuel more - albeit I probably shouldn’t.

If you find yourself struggling with the ever-increasing fuel costs, prayerfully consider mentioning the mileage from your last place of ministry (or home) to the next church, how much you would appreciate them “agreeing with you in prayer that God would help meet your travel expenses above the normal love offering or honorarium planned.” You can mention this in your confirmation letter or any correspondence that you send prior to your service - at least one month out. This way you have made the need known in a humble, non-threatening, way. Then it’s up to God to move upon people’s hearts during your time of ministry there. Don’t try to manipulate folks - just leave it in God’s hands and know that He is able to move on people’s hearts better than you.