Someone from our church family, a very good CPA, posted this on our church network:

"As I was starting my devotions last night, I felt a nudge from the Holy Spirit to pray for the 276 girls kidnapped in Nigeria by Boko Haram. As I began to do so, the number 276 triggered my vague recollection that the number saved after the ship carrying Paul to Rome was shipwrecked on a Maltese reef was around 276. Was it? I read Acts 27, and, sure enough, all were saved and the number was 276 (Acts 27:37). Paul prophesied in verse 34, “… for not a hair from the head of any of you shall perish.” And it was so (v. 44): “And thus it happened that they all were brought safely to land.” I encourage you to pray that it will so for the 276 girls."

I responded:

"Very cool. It would take the mind of a gifted accountant to recall this. This is not numerology or some kind of mystical assurance. It simply points toward a direction to pray from scripture: "Not a hair from the head of any" will perish (Acts 27:34), and that "all [will be] brought safely" home (27:44).

There may be a few other "prayables" in the text: 

• Why not pray that there will be visitations of angels in the night, as happened with Paul in this story (see Acts 27:23-25)? 

• From the words of this angel, we can take encouragement to pray for everyone, as Paul must have been praying: "God has granted you all those who are sailing with you" (27:24). 

• Let's pray that among these captive women there will be spiritual gifts of encouragement and faith, "keep up your courage...for I believe God" (27:25); and, "all of them were encouraged" (27:36). 

• The story might also help us pray that rescue operations don't provoke their captors to murder them, as almost happened in this story: "The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners, so that none would…escape" (27:42). 

• We might also pray that there will be sufficient food and other provisions for them (27:33-34). 

• Let's certainly pray that Christ will be honored and thanked in the presence of all (27:35)."

Whether we use the Maltese cross-reference or not, let's keep praying.

Earlier today I was talking with someone who was ordering copies of Seek God for the City 2014 for eight churches of her community. She asked me how it was that I came to write and publish these prayers. “Could I tell that story and put the video online?” she asked.
 
My reply was “Yes. I think that might be a cool idea. We can do that.” (So watch for that among the resources on our website). But I went on to tell her that the reason people find the prayers compelling is not because of how God led me and many others to pray for communities up and down the west coast of California. Although that’s an interesting story, it’s not why people find the prayers helpful.
 
I think that the reason these prayers are compelling is that in the midst of the dismay and mind-numbing darkness of our day, God’s Spirit continues to breathe a living idea of hope into our hearts: God will do great things. And that’s why it’s so critically important to pray great things. Yes, we need to pray for some specific needs and urgent requests. But what makes sense to those who love Christ and His appearing is that we should do more than merely seek God’s providing and protecting hand. We have got to seek His face. We yearn to seek the glory His kingdom.
 
This year’s Seek God for the City is designed around these very things. The first 11 days focus on seeking God’s face. The next 29 days guide us to seek His kingdom in our communities. They are prayers of substance, expressing the irrepressible hope that God will outdo Himself to bring light in the midst of the growing darkness of our day.
 
Allow me to remind you to order copies for yourself and others in your church or city. Many have already downloaded the companion app that is designed to heighten the value of the booklet with a few extra features. The app makes it possible for many to keep praying in the midst of hectic schedules. I find it tremendously encouraging to know that I am seeking God along with many thousands of others in these great days.
 
Gladly for His glory,
 
Steve Hawthorne
Director, WayMakers
 
PS: It all starts in one month from today on March 5. The forty days end on Palm Sunday, April 13. Contact our team today at 512.419.7729 to order copies or order online at www.waymakers.org. We still have some copies in Spanish available.

I've heard from friends who have enjoyed praying Seek God for the City this year, asking when we'll publish more. I am already crafting more prayers to be published in the future. But to help people form their own best prayers right now—or anytime—I created Fresh Prayer. Check the latest issue of FreshPrayer, posted on the WayMakers website (http://waymakers.org/pray/freshprayer/) as a no-cost, downloadable pdf. Every issue of FreshPrayer contains specific ideas to guide robust, insightful praying for people near to you that are still far from God. The latest issue comes from 1 Thessalonians 5, “For God to fulfill His call.”
 
Here’s the story of how this particular issue came about:
 
One of the key leaders of my church once asked me to pray for his son, who had gotten into some kind of trouble. Instead of doing the praying myself, I urged him to say a few words of prayer and then I would echo his prayer. He looked blankly at me, mumbling something about not knowing what to pray. “Well,” I asked him, “what has God been doing already? What scripture can we pray?” His father-heart was anguished, but he still had no idea what could be prayed. Right then I mentioned a short line of scripture: “Faithful is He who calls you, who will bring it to pass.” I quoted that verse and urged him to pray with that truth. Wow. You should have heard him pray. Suddenly he was praying with articulate passion and hope about the calling God had placed on his son’s life.
 
This issue of FreshPrayer can help you, and others you know, to pray for others with refreshed clarity from the Bible. Each issue comes with a page of creative ideas to stimulate and guide others to pray. It’s all part of how we’re trying to help ordinary people pray with persistence and confidence. Sign up for FreshPrayer updates.
 
Yours in hope,
 
Steve Hawthorne
Director, WayMakers
 
P.S. The past couple of weeks a lot of people have expressed interest in the “Ways to Pray” prayer guides. Take another look at these pocketsize booklets to see whether they might not be fitting for you or others to pray effectively in situations in your community or your mission efforts in distant lands (http://waymakers.org/pray/ways-to-pray/).

As we close the 40-day period of Seek God for the City 2013, the team at WayMakers have heard from some of the thousands who used to the prayer guide to pray beyond themselves toward great things God has promised, many of them for the first time. Here are a few examples:

“I love that you can cover the world in prayer in 40 days.”

“It brought us together to pray strategically for our city.”

“Allowed us to focus on needs outside our four walls.”

“It grows your prayer life by giving you a greater vision for the world.”

I've heard from some that are continuing to use Seek God in the months ahead. Someone figured out that this year there are 40 weeks from Palm Sunday to the end of the year. So they are going to be praying one of the 40 prayers during each week for the next 40 weeks.

Another way to continue praying is to get the Seek God for the City app. Use the app to set a weekly reminder for yourself and tap “Today’s Prayer” to let the app pick a random prayer for you. If you have last year’s app, switch between the two for an even greater variety. www.waymakers.org/app

Mark the dates for next year’s Seek God for the City: March 5 to Palm Sunday, April 13, 2014.

I want you to know of two more upcoming opportunities for united prayer.

Global Day of Prayer2013   

The Global Day of Prayer is coming soon, giving your church an opportunity to pray with many others around the world. Pentecost Sunday, May 19, 2013, will be the ninth year that the United States will be participating in the Global Day of Prayer (GDOP). The vision is as simple as it is profound: The glory of Christ and the blessing of all nations.

GDOP is more than a one-day event. It begins with ten days of prayer, guided and focused with biblical prayers from Thursday, May 9 to Saturday, May 18. This follows the example of the ten-day prayer gathering in the upper room before the first Pentecost. A team of international leaders has written the 10-Day Prayer Guide designed to help focus the prayers of people all over the world. Download and print or photocopy all the copies you need. www.gdopusa.com/resources/prayer-guide

On May 19, 2013, Christians will gather to pray and repent with sincere hearts and united hopes. Once again we will be gathering locally but praying globally. This year we will see even more of an emphasis on local churches praying the “Prayer for the World” as part of their normal Pentecost Sunday services.

30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World 

30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World invite you to pray, using a special prayer guide called 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World. This annual prayer guide calls Christians from all over the world to pray for Muslims during Ramadan, July 9 to August 7, 2013. This is a great way to pray with informed wisdom and hope for Muslim neighbors, and Muslims around the world. Never before has the Muslim world needed more prayer. Check out a few sample pages and order this full-color, 56-page guide at www.waymakers.org/pray/30-days. A single copy is $3 with discounts as great as 60%. The booklets will be available the first week of May. Order today.

Dear praying friends,

Have you taken a look at Seek God for the City 2013? What do you think? The days of united prayer begin this Wednesday, February 13 and continue through Palm Sunday, March 24.

Would you consider suggesting this great resource to your blog, network, or list of friends? Now is a perfect time to download the app and get ready to pray with many thousands of others.

http://www.waymakers.org/app

In hope,

Steve Hawthorne

Friends,
 
I want to pass on to you some of what I've been hearing from others. Even in the midst of reports in the continuing decline of morals or the disarray of some mission conviction, I've been encouraged to hear from several leaders who are sensing that Christians are responding positively, even eagerly, to their appeals to pray for their community and their country. There is increasing disbelief that quick political fixes or economic upturns will ever be able to change our trajectory very easily. Perhaps that very pessimism is turning Christians, with a kind of holy desperation, to pray.
 
I think it's wise in these days to be calling fellow believers to turn pessimism to passionate hope by praying together with scripture. One leader used these words to call others to unite their prayers in hope: "Pray greater!"
 
Of course, I think the tool Seek God for the City 2013 will prove helpful to many to lift and focus their prayers. Whether or not you use Seek God for the City, please find some way to urge others to pray with confidence that Christ will advance and fulfill His long-standing purposes.
 
Yours in hope,
 
Steve Hawthorne
Director
 
PS: It's not too late to get copies in time for the beginning of the 40 days. If you call our office (800-264-5214) or order online (www.waymakers.org) by midday next Monday (February 4), we can still get copies to most places in the USA using standard shipping.
 
PPS: The app format enhances the experience for those with the booklet and involves many others who prefer to pray with their mobile device. Check out the app for smartphones or tablets at www.waymakers.org/app

Dear praying friends,
 
I invite you to pray, using a special prayer guide called 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World. This annual prayer guide calls Christians from all over the world to pray for Muslims during Ramadan, July 20 to August 18, 2012. Ramadan is the special month of fasting and praying in which Muslims pray in special ways according to Islamic tradition.  
 
Many of you have prayed using either of our prayer guides, Seek God for the City or Global Day of Prayer, so I’m sure this prayer guide is something you will want to consider.
 
This full-color prayer guide—available in both adult and children’s versions—is a proven tool to help Christians pray with informed wisdom and hope for Muslim neighbors across the street, and Muslims around the world. Each day focuses on a specific issue or area of the Islamic world. As you read through it and pray, you’ll gain a better understanding of Muslims and find your hope increase for God’s purpose among all peoples.
 
To see a few sample pages of the adult or children’s version, visit www.waymakers.org/30-days.html. WayMakers has made it easy to order from our website or by phone. The cost begins at $3 for a single copy ($3.50 for children’s) with discounts as great as 60% when ordered in quantity. Check out the details online at www.waymakers.org/30-days.html or call us at 512.419.7729.
 
Yours in hope,
 
Steve Hawthorne, Director
WayMakers

Seek God for the City is designed to empower entire churches and even citywide movements to unite their prayers for a special 40-day season. Now the children’s companion guide is available—providing a way to equip children to pray along with each other and their families. The kids’ version of Seek God for the City 2012 is available as a free downloadable PDF file. You have permission to photocopy all that you need. Find it online at www.waymakers.org/childrens-guide.html.                          Put another tool in the hands of moms and dads that will help them teach their children to extend their prayers and passions beyond their own needs.

This year the children’s companion version has been entirely rewritten. Of course, the prayers are framed with clear, simple language, making it easy for kids to express heartfelt prayer for others. Every one of the prayers springs from the same Bible verses as the adult version, making it easy for a family to read and pray together. Don’t let the simple language fool you. The prayers are focused on Jesus, making them richly appropriate for people of any age.

Check out the new pages on our website. www.waymakers.org/childrens-guide.html. You’ll see a short helpful video by Trudy Landis, the author of the kids’ prayers. There are other practical ideas for Sunday School teachers and parents to help young minds learn to express prayers of hope for their community.

Be sure you have plenty of booklets for the adults. Our supply of Seek God for the City 2012 is moving rapidly. It’s not too late to get copies of the English and/or Spanish booklets. Call us today 800-264-5214, or find us online www.waymakers.org/seek-god-for-the-city.html.

I’ve been delighted with the magnificent photo on the cover of this year’s Seek God for the City. The beautiful city, bathed in light, with a river running through it, is Calgary, Alberta, if you’re wondering. Several friends have asked. Only a few days ago I had an insight about that image that I’d like to share with you.

As many do around the turn of the year, I was at home pondering the days ahead. On the table beside me was a copy of Seek God for the City 2012. Recently, I’ve been meditating on Psalm 46. Somehow one phrase from the psalm lit up in full color: “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God.”

Elsewhere in that Psalm there are nations that roar; there are kingdoms that tremble; there are wars and weapons that bring desolation. But in the midst of all the raging chaos, there is a city, unshaken by the noise, sustained with a fearless joy by God Himself. And there is a river that flows, sourced in heaven’s life. But it’s not just one river with a single channel. It has streams, many of them. That gives me hope. Just a little stream of God’s river can bring to life the gladness of hope, the fearlessness of faith and the awesome hush of love.

But it wasn’t just that river with many streams that I saw symbolized on the cover of Seek God for the City, it was the light of morning. Consider these astounding words: “God will help her when morning dawns.” Do you realize that this means that it is not yet the morning? We are even now in the darkest hour before the dawn. God’s presence is steady as a river. But He is coming like a long-awaited dawn. And He will help her (the city is somehow a feminine entity) when that day comes.

Even though the photo depicts a sunset on the city, I was moved by the truth of the coming dawn. How bright the coming of our Lord. How sure His help even now in the day of trouble!

And that was all it took to remind me that amidst all of the other projects and urgencies before me, that I am summoned to pray with the joy of hope. An important part of prayer is knowing what to say. But a greater aspect of prayer is hearing what God is saying. In the midst of the noise of these crazy days, I recognized that God was calling me to hush, to be still, to listen and to know and behold what His works and purpose are all about.

So I’m going to be praying in these days. I want to urge you to do the same. Seek God for the City can be a tool to help you and the people who walk with you to pray with steady uplifted hope. But whether you use this resource or not, let’s pray great things. The river flows. The unshakable city stands steady. And the morning soon dawns.

Yours in hope,

Steve Hawthorne

PS: This year we’ll be releasing Seek God for the City as an app. It’s almost ready. Watch for it in the first days of February. Go to www.waymakers.org/seek-god-for-the-city.html.

It's Day 2 of the GDOP season of continual prayer. You can find the topic here: www.gdopusa.com/june-3-2011

The prayer points are all about the uppermost passion and purpose of God: That He would be known so that He can be loved. Ask God to do something great for His name in your city, in the lives of your friends/family, in the relationships and work of missionaries, and really, just about everywhere.

You'll notice after the points that there is a selection from chapter 2 of Joel. A couple years ago, the circle of people giving leadership to the Global Day of Prayer in different parts of the world kept hearing about movements that the Holy Spirit had focused on Joel 2. So we put some things together from Joel 2 with the idea of praying our way toward a greater Pentecost. Remember that Joel 2 is the prophecy that Peter said was being fulfilled, in part, on the first Pentecost morning.

To make the best sense of the words we wrote about Joel, read all of the verses for the day (Joel 2:12-14), not just the verse that we had room to print in the prayer guide. Well, I guess I can make that easy for you today. Here it is:

From Joel 2:

[2:12] Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “Return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, weeping and mourning; [2:13] And rend your heart and not your garments.”
Now return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and relenting of evil.
[2:14] Who knows whether He will not turn and relent and leave a blessing behind Him, even a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God?

May God bring about a "Yet even now" moment of turning for many. Repentance is a wondrous gift. It is not a ritual or procedure that produces automatic results. Verses 13-14 reveal the relational marvel of our God: He never fails to be gracious and abounding in love, but we cannot make Him out to be an automatic forgiveness machine. He chooses the times and ways of restoring His presence and the and magnitude of His fullness that He will bring. At least that's how I read verse 14. You may wonder about the grain and drink offerings. What's that all about? These kind of worship gifts were often offered to celebrate the abundance and blessing of God. So Joel is saying that God may go way beyond merely forgiving us. He may overwhelm us with fresh abundance that enables us to worship Him with abundant, unfettered joy of being near the One to whom we belong. When Joel says, "the LORD your God" it's a reference to belonging to God in close bonds of covenant love. He's not just the Lord. He's the Lord your God. And we shall be near Him as His people. This reference goes back to Exodus 6:7, echoed in Leviticus 26:12 and many other places.

Yours in hope,

Steve Hawthorne

I’m going to be stirring myself with expectancy starting this Thursday, June 2, as I pray through the ten days before the Global Day of Prayer. I made a decision yesterday. I decided that I am going to really go after these prayers in the ten-day prayer guide as if I really expected them and as if I really, really yearned for God to fulfill them.

Of course, I’ve seen these same requests before. In fact, I wrote them myself in their present form. My resolution goes beyond knowing what is in the prayers. I’m going to stir myself to pray by locking my mind’s eye on what God desires to do in the days to come.

Earlier this week, I ran across Acts 1:14 in my regular reading. That’s where it says that the people in the upper room prayed with “one mind.” The Greek word behind the phrase, “one mind” is made up of two words: the word “homo-” which means “same,” and another word derived from “-thuo” from which we get the word “enthusiasm.” So the “one mind” idea is really all about sharing the same vision, zeal or passion with others.

So how do you get that? Well, Jesus had just talked to them about the kingdom of God. That’s got to be a factor. But they also just went for it by praying out loud together with an expectant focus on some awesome things that God had promised to do.

How do people come to share a common vision about what Christ will fulfill in their day? I don’t think there is any other way than to pray toward that vision. So I’m not going to wait until I feel the zeal to start praying. I’m going to pray no matter what I feel like. I may not pray all day but others will be praying when I’m not. It’s pretty huge to be praying along with hundreds of thousands, probably many millions of others.

So I’m going for it. Join me and many others. Use the prayer guide as a way to get started.

Yours in hope,

Steve Hawthorne


PS The ten days starts today, June 2 and goes through Saturday, June 11. The Global Day of Prayer is Pentecost Sunday, June 12.

Website: www.gdopusa.com
Blog: www.gdopusa.com/blog
Facebook: www.facebook.com/GDOPUSA
Twitter: www.twitter.com/gdopusa

A letter about the Global Day of Prayer from Stephanie Tucker:

We understand the value of gathering before God in repentance and prayer on the Global Day of Prayer. But why pray for ten days before the GDOP?

Since we gather on Pentecost, it is easy to recall the upper room prayer meeting. They prayed continualy for ten days. They weren’t praying about any particular problems or needs. They were praying toward some of the great things that God had promised. And that’s what we’ll be praying during the ten days of prayer this year, from Thursday, June 2 to Saturday, June 11.

Organizing and encouraging ten days of united prayer is easier with the a prayer guide with simple, relevant prayer points. A prayer guide can help people to pray on their own or gather in churches, at work or at home.

A surge of momentum has exhausted our supplies of the 16-page, color format of the prayer guide. On our website we have made available a simple black and white version that can be photocopied on two sides of one sheet of paper. We just put it up today, so take a look.
www.gdopusa.com/prayer-guide

Another way to equip others is to send them an email containing a link that will take them to the prayer points of the day. Find the daily topic in an easy-to-access format on our website.
www.gdopusa.com/june-2-12-2011-daily-prayers

Please encourage the leadership of your church to use 7 to 8 minutes of your Sunday morning services on June 12 reading through “A Prayer for the World.” This powerful prayer is available in an easily photocopied format, or in powerpoint slides.
www.gdopusa.com/a-prayer-for-the-world

For His glory,

Stephanie Tucker
Global Day of Prayer USA

Website: www.gdopusa.com
Blog: www.gdopusa.com/blog
Facebook:www.facebook.com/GDOPUSA
Twitter: www.twitter.com/gdopusa

For years, the Global Day of Prayer has been becoming greater and smaller all at the same time. Around the world the gatherings have been smaller, but, in fact, there are many more of them.

There are still numerous major-size meetings underway. But many gatherings are planning to have two or three churches come together on June 12, 2011, Pentecost Sunday evening in one of the church buildings.

What I’m thrilled to see is how many churches will be using “A Prayer for the World” during the Sunday services on Pentecost.

Please check the updated Global Day of Prayer USA website at www.gdopusa.com.

Are you new to the Global Day of Prayer? Learn more here: www.gdopusa.com/story

Yours in hope,

Steve Hawthorne, Director
WayMakers


PS We still have a good supply of printed Ten-Day Prayer Guides. But we are pretty sure that we will run out before the ten days begin on June 2. Order soon at www.gdopusa.com/prayer-guide or call (512) 419-7729.

Global Day of Prayer USA
PO Box 203131, Austin, TX 78720

Website: www.gdopusa.com
Blog: www.gdopusa.com/blog
Facebook: www.facebook.com/GDOPUSA
Twitter: www.twitter.com/gdopusa