Pray Network Forum

     POWAY, CA -- On January 2, 2012, Moms In Touch International changed the ministry name to Moms in Prayer International.

     The new name clearly reflects the vision of the ministry, gathering mothers around the world to pray for children and schools. While groups meet to pray in more than 130 countries, the name “Moms In Touch” has been hard to translate, resulting in countries using a variety of other names, including Moms in Prayer. The 27-year-old ministry expects the new name to foster more unity and clarity of purpose.

     The ministry remains the same. Only the name has changed.

     “We believe God will use the name Moms in Prayer to advance the ministry in even greater ways, heightening the awareness of prayer for children and schools to the next generation of moms,” says Founder/President Fern Nichols in a Moms in Prayer Blog about the name change.

     In 1984, as Nichols fearfully sent her two eldest children off to public junior high, she asked God to bring her one other mom to pray with her for their children and school. From the cry of one mom’s heart, God grew the prayer ministry to include groups in every state in the USA and in countries throughout the world, such as Pakistan, Russia, Chile and Mongolia.

     The prayer ministry has one goal – to gather women together to pray scripturally and specifically for children and schools. Women around the world meet regularly (usually weekly), spending an hour praying through the Four Steps of Prayer: praising God for who He is, silently confessing any sins, thanking God for what He has done, and interceding on behalf of children, teachers and school staff.

     The key ministry Booklet, available in 49 languages/versions, explains the biblical principle of the Four Steps of Prayer, praying in one accord, agreement prayer and how to facilitate a powerful hour of prayer that not only impacts the lives of the children and school staff being prayed for, but also changes the lives of the moms, as they develop an intimate prayer relationship with our Heavenly Father.

     For more information about Moms in Prayer International, visit www.MomsInPrayer.org. For questions about the name change, please visit Name Change FAQs.

     Our About Us section includes a Bio about Fern Nichols and our ministry Fact Sheet. A demonstration video of a Moms in Prayer group is also available online.

While I struggle to pray as much as I intend to pray for family, I was reminded recently, that God hears any and all of our prayers. I have prayed the briefest of prayers for the company sales staff. "Lord be with ..... " naming each "today as they go about their job." Sometimes I add more, but mostly it is just that.

And God hears and answers the prayers I have prayed because He impressed me to pray for them. Sometimes it feels like I should be much more wordy, elaborate and just more everything, but it struck me how very simply I pray for the sales staff and how I keep hearing we continue to hold in a failing market.

Then I thought about the Lord's Prayer. So simple. "Give us this day our daily bread" No flagellation, just a sentence recognizing that our provisions are from God. A simple prayer of "thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever" recognizing God's sovereignty. Jesus spoke about not being like the Pharisees with their many words and prayers on the street corner.

Obedience to the command to pray before trying to impress anyone (including self) with fine, fancy flowing words.

I was recently with several of men who went to a Korean brother to ask about how to stir our churches to pray for our city. We were impressed with the prayer emphasis in Korean churches. Large numbers gather for prayer at 6:00 a.m. or earlier, seven days a week.

This brother was silent for a moment, and then answered, “We do not pray unless we are desperate.”

From there he began to tell us about the roots of revival among Korean churches. This movement of God began with heart broken repentance. One of the elders of the church in Korea stood up at a meeting and publicly confessed that he had stolen money from a missionary. This confession produced a season of repentance in churches throughout the country.

Over the years the Korean people faced hardships of poverty and oppression. The harsh Japanese occupation crushed the people. Then came the communist invasion and the Korean War. Millions of people died. Several hundred thousand families were displaced and divided. People turned to God in those terrible days. Those years of desperate prayer are bearing fruit to this day.

Finally, our Korean American brother pointed out that God has begun to send signals to America concerning our need for prayer. Are we desperate enough to see the signs of God’s judgment and grace before it is too late? Can you list some reasons God is giving us to call us to serious prayer? __________________

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A Word from Jesus

A seven day meditation on the letter to the Angel of the church in Leodicia

(These excercises are designed to cultivate desperate prayer.)

Jesus gave the words of Revelation 3:14-22 to a church that needed to recognize its spiritual condition. Studying and meditating on these verses may prepare our hearts to turn to God in this hour of spiritual need. These exercises are set up to take one week. You may benefit by taking more than a week to study and meditate on them.

DAY ONE

1. Begin by committing these verses to memory. It is worth the struggle for God to pierce your soul with His word. Spend at least 24 hours going over these verses, thinking about them in every spare moment. Record in a journal or make notes in your Bible the things God impresses on your heart.

DAY TWO (Verse14)

2. What is the significance of Jesus saying, “These are the words of the Amen”? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Why does Jesus identify Himself as “the faithful and true witness”? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Is Jesus still the ruler of all God’s creation? ___________________________

5. What authority for your life should you recognize from these words of scripture?_______________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

DAY THREE (Verse15)

6. In verse 15 Jesus says, “I know your deeds.” How thoroughly does your Lord know your heart and life? _________________________________________ Ask Him to reveal things He wants you to see about yourself. Record some of them here. _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. Rate your spiritual condition on the temperature scale below.

_____ Cold

_____ Hot

_____ Lukewarm

(Verse16)

8. What does the Lord mean when He says, “I am about to spit you out of my mouth? What might that mean to us today? ___________________________ _______________________________________________________________

(Verse17)

9. Jesus accused this church of saying they were rich, but they were wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. Take some time to describe what Jesus meant as He applied each of these words to the church.

Wretched ___________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________

Pitiful _____________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

Poor _______________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

Blind ______________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

Naked _____________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

DAY FOUR

(Verse18)

10. Jesus counsels us to buy from Him “gold refined in the fire.”

1 Peter 1:6,7 says we can rejoice even though we suffer grief in all kinds of trials. “These have come so that your faith-- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

A Peculiar Blessing

The Lord sends difficulties to purify our spiritual lives. All of us face these things from time to time. Unfortunately, we sometimes miss their benefit. Here are four principles for getting God’s blessing from crises.

1. Recognize God’s hand in difficulty.

We often miss the benefit of trials because we do not see them as the hand of God. Hebrews 12:7 commands, “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons.”

We always think troubles are evil, but the Bible teaches that God will use them for good. What troubles came to you today? _________________________ _______________________________________________________________

Did you recognize the gracious hand of God in them? ______

2. Submit to difficulty as God’s grace.

When troubles come we kick and scream, and resist them. Our Lord did not. In the garden before He was to be crucified Jesus prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” Paul recognized in 2 Corinthians 12 that his physical trial was given to keep him from being conceited about his spirituality. Paul had prayed three times for the “thorn in his flesh” to be removed. The Lord answered, “My grace is enough for you.” So Paul said he would rejoice in weakness, because it meant God’s grace would rest on him.

Do you need to stop resisting something God wants to use in your life? ______________________________________________________________

3. Depend on difficulty to bear fruit in your life.

Romans 8:28 says “We know” that God will work all things together for good in our lives. Hebrews 12:11 promises that discipline produces righteousness and peace in those who have been trained by it. Will you trust God to use trials to produce spiritual fruit in your life?

What do you think God wants to do through the trials you are now facing?______ _____________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

What do you think God might be doing with the trials your family or your church faces?_______________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

4. Rejoice in God’s discipline.

James chapter 1 tells us to consider trials to be pure joy because of what God will use them to do in our lives.

What is your attitude toward the things God is using in you life? ________ __________________________________________________________________

Are you offering a joyful witness to people around you of God’s grace in the midst of trials? ____________

DAY FIVE

11. (Rev.3:18, continued) Next Jesus counsels us to buy white clothes to cover our shameful nakedness.

What should you be ashamed of before God? _____________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you remember what Adam and Eve did when they realized they were naked in Genesis chapter 3? They tried to cover themselves with fig leaves. But God made coverings for them out of animal skins. You cannot cover your own spiritual shame. Only God can cover your sins with His righteousness. In Revelation 7, an angel identifies people wearing white robes as those who come out of the great tribulation with their clothes washed in the blood of Jesus.

Take some time to confess what you need Jesus to cleanse in your life. You can trust God to forgive and cleanse you from any sin (1 John 1:9).

12. We need eye salve to heal our spiritual eyes. In Psalm 119:18 David prayed, “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.” Spiritual blindness is a common problem in the church. And tragically, we often don’t even know we cannot see. Many things keep us from seeing what God is trying to show us. We don’t see because of pride. We do not see because of sin in our lives. We do not see because of our desires that blind us to God’s will. What keeps you from seeing God’s will and work around you? ______ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

13. Note that all three of these things are to be purchased. We must desire them enough to pay whatever they costs us.

What will it cost for your spiritual eyes to be opened? ________________ __________________________________________________________________

While grace is free, it will cost you something to receive it. It cost Jesus everything to take away your sins. What will you have to give up to seek His forgiveness? _______________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

Are you willing to endure hardship, for God to work in your life? _______

DAY SIX

14. “Be earnest and repent.” (Verse19)

Are you serious enough about the things God has been telling you to make adjustments in your life. What is the first thing God wants you to change? __________________________________________________________________

(Verse 20)

16. Jesus is knocking at the door of your church. His presence can be frightening. You will no longer be in control. What do you think intimacy with Him will mean to your church ____________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

DAY SEVEN

(Verse21)

17. What will you have to overcome to walk in fellowship with Jesus? ________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

18. What will it mean to share His throne? _______________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(Verse22)

19. What does it mean to have spiritual ears? _____________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

20. This letter was directed to the angel or messenger who would speak to the church in Laodicea. Jesus concludes by saying “Let anyone who has ears, hear.” Do you know someone who might be willing to hear what God has been saying to you? Are you willing to talk to them about this?

After you have done this seven day meditation You may wish to lead a small group to pray together over these verses. Here is a guide you may use to pray through a scripture passage.

1. Say to the people, “Listen for a word, concept, or verse that strikes you as this passage is read.”

2. Read the scripture aloud.

3. Have each person share what struck them in these verses.

4. Have the people listen as the passage is read a second time. (It is good to have a different person read this time.) Tell the participants to think about what God would have them pray.

5. Go around the room again letting the people share what they think God would have them pray. After each person shares, ask the person before to pray for that person. Explain that they are not necessarily to pray for that persons requests but for the person.

6. After the one before has prayed, ask the person pray for the concerns that came to mind in the passage.

7. After each person prays, ask if anyone has a prayer to add to that persons prayer. Often another person’s prayer will speak to someone in the group. Let them pray before you go on to the next person.

8. After everyone has prayed, lead the group to sing something quiet and worshipful.

9. Finally, ask people to share what they believe God is saying. This will help them confirm God’s word to His people.

Over the past two decades, God has been working in many different groups to call for more prayer. We’ve had concerts of prayer, solemn assemblies, prayer and fasting gatherings, days of prayer for various purposes or praying for people groups, prayer teams to pray for specific leaders, prayer ministries, prayer chains, and prayer conferences. Books on prayer fill bookstore shelves. We’ve prayed for revival and spiritual awakening. Perhaps never in history has more prayer been offered to God for a transformation in our churches, society, our nation, and the world. Why then do we find ourselves in a time when our nation seems to be growing farther and farther from God? What we need is not more prayer alone; we need more power when we pray. We need a people who are right with God when we pray so that God will answer the prayers of His people. God’s Word is true:

“The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16, NIV)

Do you want to be a person who has power with God in prayer? Do you want your prayer group and church to have power to work with God in prayer to transform a life, a family, a community, or a nation? Then ask God to guide you to come clean before Him so you can pray with power. Here are 8 ways you can come clean before God so you can pray with power.1

1. Examine yourself. “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith” (2 Cor. 13:5). Joining a church or claiming the name “Christian” doesn’t make you one. A saving relationship with Jesus Christ does. Does His Spirit live in you in such a way that your life is a new creation that looks and acts like Jesus? That’s the starting point for being a powerful prayer relationship.

2. Judge yourself. “If we were properly evaluating ourselves, we would not be judged” (1 Cor. 11:31). Do you know of any sin or impurity in your life that is unlike Christ? Those need to go.

3. Remove idols of the heart. An idol of the heart is anything that captures my love in such a way that I’m distracted from my first love for God. Things, money, pleasures, hobbies, sports, careers, positions of power, or other people can all become idols. If you are loving anything too much, put it away and return to your first love.

4. Consecrate yourself and your home. Have you allowed anything into your life or your home that is impure, unholy, ungodly, or unbecoming of a Christ follower? Get rid of it. Whether others know or not, keep your life and your home pure and clean before God.

5. Reconcile broken relationships. Have you offended anyone and not gone to ask forgiveness or make restitution if needed? Get things right with him, her, or them. Has anyone offended you and you are holding on to unforgiveness and bitterness? Forgive. Let no broken relationships remain outstanding.

6. Humble yourself. Do arrogance and pride show up in the way you relate to others? Are you bearing the fruit of pride through such things as a judgmental spirit, critical attitude, prejudice, controlling behavior, condescending attitude, and so forth? “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Pet. 5:5).

7. Love God and one another. Return to your first love for God and allow His love to flow through you to others in tangible ways. Demonstrate your love by meeting needs.

8. Watch and pray. Draw near to God in prayer and receive His power to resist the temptations that are sure to come your way.

________

1. For more on prayer and revival see my video blog at www.lifeway.com/growingdisciples.

Being Oaks of Righteousness

When Jesus began his earthly ministry he read this scripture. “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting for the Lord for the display of his splendor.” Isaiah 61: 1-3

God is looking for people who want to become oaks for him. Oak trees are one of the most important trees in the world and are symbols of strength. They are used for lumber and fuel. There may be as many as 75 species of oaks in the United States. The fruit from the oak tree, is the acorn and these acorns serve as food for deer, squirrels and racoon.

Why would God want people to be like oak trees? What sort of symbolism is there for us to want to model our lives after?

When we think of how an oak tree begins, it is amazing. The oak starts as an acorn. An acorn looks nothing like the tree it will become. Our faith is like that acorn. When we first accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior we are like that acorn. Everything that we need to become mighty oaks of righteousness is within us. Within an acorn is all that it needs to become a tree. When we are born, God has created us for a purpose. He has a plan for each person in the world. The potential to become what he envisoned us to be is there. Just like the ability to become an oak tree is within each acorn.

There is a conscious effort needed to plant that acorn. If it doesn’t get planted, it will never become a tree. There are many acorns that are never planted, many that are scattered across the earth and never get the opportunity to become the trees that they could be because they either never heard the word of God or they refused to believe it. It is up to each one of us whether we will accept Christ into our hearts. Believing in Christ is the first step toward becoming an Oak tree.

Once we accept the gift God has given us, the gift of eternal life, the gift of forgivness, the potential within us takes on a new life. The seed, the acorn has been planted. Planting for Christians comes in the form of joining a body of believers. Once Jesus has come into your heart, you need to nurture that faith and increase it.

An acorn that is planted soon becomes a little twig. This little twig needs some protection and care to grow straight and tall. It will need some pruning also to form it into the great oak it has the potential to become.

New believers need support and guidance to become the display of God’s splendor that he intended. God will provide the pruning necessary to produce more branches. We have to yield ourselves to God daily and learn to trust him as he teaches us and guides us.

This is where being in a good Bible based church and surrounding yourself with true disciples of Christ makes a big difference. Believers will not grow if they are not nourished and fed the word of God on a regular basis.

As the tree grows, and this process takes years, there will be many storms of life that will threaten it. There may even be lightening strikes, but if that tree is rooted firmly in the ground, secure in God’s presence, no matter what assails it, the tree will stand firm. That is the place all believers want to reach. A place of complete peace and trust.

This is a process. I can imagine that some of the trials I have been going through lately would have totally destroyed me 20 years ago. But today I know that God will help me through any storm that may come my way. When a loved one dies, when there are financial problems, when we go through sickness or pain, these are the times that we grow. These are also the times when we learn to rely on God.

As an Oak tree grows, it sends out branches in three different directions. The lower limbs of mature trees bend toward the ground. These branches can be likened to mature believers who reach out to those people who don’t know the Lord yet. These are people who are living lives for this world. They haven’t heard the good news and accepted Christ Jesus as their Lord and master yet.

The branches half way up the oak reach out laterally. These branches connect with other trees around them. These branches could represent the fellowship of believers. We need to help and encourage others in the faith. As mature oaks, we have much to share with newer believers and our life experiences can make a difference in the lives of others.

The top branches reach toward heaven and as mature oaks, we are in the world but not of the world. We need to continuously seek God and realize that our true home is in heaven. We are only ambassadors here on this earth. Picture believers with their hands raised in praise to God.

As true believers we have a long way to go to become mighty Oak trees. But remember that it is a process. It won’t happen overnight and God will not give up on us. It is up to us to want to grow, we do have a choice. I’m not sure just how long Oak trees can live. I know that they are some of the most stately trees in the world. I also know that when they are cut down they make some of the most long lasting furniture. Oak trees are still useful even when they are dead. I guess that is what we can hope for.

Heavenly Father,

We are so grateful that you are patient with us and that you grow us up into the mature Christians that you created us to be. Thank you for letting us grow at a pace that is suitable for each one of us. Help us to remember that all those around us are also works in progress. That not everyone is growing at the same rate or in the same manner. That you are the one who is in control and that we are to encourage one another and reach out to the lost. May all the things that we say and do bring glory to your name. Because of Christ Jesus. Amen