Pray Network Forum

desert (4)

PTAP: Bahrain & Qatar

Posted by Merton J. Hershberger on December 11, 2018 at 10:11
Bahrain National Day - December 16
1. Praise God for a handful of new contacts in recent months, local believers and those who are interested in reading the Bible. Also, praise God for increased and extended prayer for Bahrain which has brought about new interest in knowing more about Jesus.
2. There is a causeway between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia where Saudis can drive to Bahrain which they do on weekends. Pray that many Saudis will hear the gospel in Bahrain where there is more freedom to do so.
3. Pray for the Sunni population and the Persian-Bahraini communities which have great spiritual needs at the moment. The majority of Bahrainis are Shia.
4. Pray that God would raise up many laborers for the harvest from various places such as expat churches that have many believers who could reach out to the Bahraini people. Pray for unity of vision and passion among all believers to reach the Bahraini people. Also, pray that there would be more seasons of extended prayer and worship!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9F0eJcrnIvM&list=PLiujm0LZ5YjZDf5WUs7ajBBQuNDeJAaUA

Qatari National Day - December 18

1.  Qatar is truly a dry and barren land, both physically and spiritually.  Pray for streams in the desert, that the Qatari people would eat and drink from Jesus, the living water and bread of life.  In addition, pray for the believers in Qatar.  It can be a very discouraging place to be spiritually.  Pray for the Holy Spirit to bring revival and renewal.

2.  Pray 1 Timothy 2:1-4.  Pray for the leaders of Qatar, especially the ruler - Sheikh Tamim bin Hamed al Thani, so that many will be saved through the knowledge of the truth of the gospel of grace found only in Jesus Christ.  Pray that the local and expat believers would be able to live tranquil and quiet lives in all godliness and dignity for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior.  Pray that whole Qatari families will know the one God, the one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus who gave himself as a ransom for all.

3.  In 2022, the spotlight will be on Qatar as they host the World Cup.  Pray that even now, doors of opportunity would open for the gospel in a land that has been closed on many fronts for years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDXE0g2QB0k

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City Focus Prayer - Yanbu, Saudi Arabia

Posted by Merton J. Hershberger on January 7, 2018 at 19:44
Yanbu is a beautiful city located on the shores of the Red Sea. The name Yanbu comes from the Arabic word for a spring. The city dates back some 2,500 years when it was a trading and caravan stopping post. Spice and incense traders would have been common.
In more recent years, the city has grown because of the oil refineries, petrochemical industry, and a large desalination plant. Being on the Red Sea and also a port city, Yanbu is a strategic outlet. It has direct access to the Suez Canal. In addition, King Fahad Industrial Port is the largest oil and petrochemical exporting complex on the Red Sea. It is this port that has transformed the city.
There are around 500,000 people that live here. This is because the Saudi government designated Yanbu to be one of the country's two new industrial centers. Otherwise, it would still be a sleepy village. As a result, Saudis and others from around the world come here to make a living.
Prayer Points
•We can pray for the Juhayna, Harb and Ashraf tribes that are prevalent in the Yanbu area. Pray that God would reveal himself to them in dreams and visions of Jesus. Pray that God would break through the thick wall of Islam so that the people can read the Word and learn about who Jesus really is. Pray that whole tribes would come to faith.
•Pray that Yanbu's name would come true spiritually, that the people would believe and receive the Holy Spirit, the river of living water (John 7:38, 39). Pray that Springs of Living Water would flow through this land, and that many Saudis in Yanbu would come to faith in Christ.
•Pray for the Lord of the Harvest to send believers to work in the Yanbu Industrial area to be witnesses for Him.
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PTAP: City Focus: Dhaid, UAE

Posted by Merton J. Hershberger on September 13, 2017 at 8:44
Dhaid is an oasis town in the UAE.  It is what a typical city might look like in the United Arab Emirates if oil wealth had not radically changed the country.  This city does not boast any massive skyscrapers like its neighbors Dubai and Abu Dhabi, but is a desert city with some agriculture and many date palms.
                                        
Throughout history, the nomadic Bedouin tribes would pass through Dhaid because there was fresh drinking water and beautiful oases. Desert cities like this need life-giving water. Because of city growth and the expansion of agriculture, much of the ground water is drying up.
 
In the past, this was a political center for certain Bedouin tribes.  The Kitbi tribe is prominent in Dhaid.  This is the tribe of Fatima Mubarak al-Kitbi, the "Mother of the Emirates," the third wife of the founder of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed. 
 
The city is expanding and more industry is being developed here.  However, some of the locals are still Bedouin in their thinking and like to be in the desert with their camels.  

Prayer Points:
  1. Pray that the Lord of the Harvest, Jesus Christ, will send workers into Dhaid and the surrounding area to be witnesses for Him.
  2. Jesus Christ is the living water and the bread of life.  Pray that Emiratis in Dhaid will come to Him as the giver of living water and eternal life and be satisfied in Him alone. 
  3. Pray that the Kitbi tribe would come to know the Lord Jesus and use its influence to lead others into His Kingdom.  Pray that they would be known as an Emirati tribe that follows Jesus Christ! 
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Learn to Sing in the Desert

Posted by Debbie Przybylski on May 21, 2013 at 10:41


“And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, even with joy and singing" (Isaiah 35:1, 2).
 
Have you ever been in the desert? I’ve been in many deserts, both physically and spiritually. My husband likes to minister to people who live in the desert where there are miles and miles of sand. There are huge sand dunes with nothing else that the eye can see. Miles and miles of sand everywhere. We’ve spent a lot of time in Australia as well where there are vast amounts of unpopulated areas throughout the middle of the country. Vast wastelands.
 
We were given a desert rose from North Africa that was forged under heat and pressure in that vast desert area. Even in the driest of situation, toughest of places, there is life. I cherish that special rose made out of rock and sand. It is so beautiful and so meaningful to me. See a desert rose.

During those personal times in the desert you may feel like everything has shut down for you. You may not sense favor where you once did. You may feel that your relationships are more distant and may even feel that God has abandoned you. But I want to say to you, “Do not fear. God is in the desert. He is developing you into a rose."

God brings us into the desert in our spiritual life, often not because we are doing something wrong, but because He wants more of us. He wants our undivided attention. He may even take us out of a busy and fruitful time, and this may seem so inconvenient and unnecessary to the carnal mind. But always know this: your Father knows exactly what He is doing.
 
What are you leaning on for your support? Is it ministry, popularity, or money? God wants you to lean solely on Him. He will make you strong in days when everything else is shaking. He is always strategic and purposeful in all that He does. If you are in a desert experience, He has set you apart for Himself in this season for a purpose.

Learn to Sing
 
“I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness and speak comfortably to her, and she shall sing there” (Hosea 2:14).
 
In the desert we must learn to sing. Our natural tendency is to have a gloomy outlook and give up, but this is exactly when we need to learn to sing with all our heart.
 
When we are in this situation in our life, how can we get the most out of our desert experience? Here are some ways:

  • Fix your eyes on God. Walk in faith. This may not be an easy time. After all, you are in a desert where most things have dried up. But it’s you and God alone and this is most valuable to Him. He desires our intimacy. Jesus alone is your “Bread of Life”.

  • Resist the enemy. If the enemy is telling you that there is no way out and that your situation is hopeless, resist him and stand firm in your faith. This is a time when the enemy comes in with his relentless lies. He did this with Jesus in the desert (Matthew 4).

  • Embrace the desert. Embrace it wholeheartedly by the grace of God. See the tremendous value of this time in your life, and thank God for it.

  • Examine your heart and invite God’s purifying fire. During this time God will show you areas that need change. Cooperate with His Spirit and invite Him to change you deeply on the inside. Ask Him to remove every barrier that keeps you from Him and His purposes for you.

  • Get a journal and write down what God is saying to you. He is always speaking, and now you have no distractions from hearing His voice. By faith believe that He wants to share His secrets with you during this time and listen expectantly.

  • Study whole books of the Bible. Especially study the Song of Solomon because it is all about intimacy with God.  

  • Pray God’s Word out loud back to Him. This is God’s personal season with you. Personalize the Bible. Take a phrase and pray it. Listen to God's voice carefully throughout the day.

  • Learn to sing in the desert. Sing praises to God instead of complaining. Watch your tongue very carefully and keep from negativity. Become an extravagant worshipper.

  • Study the attributes of God daily. Worship God for who He is, not just for what He gives you. Dwell and meditate on His attributes. Sing and pray those attributes back to Him.

This is the time to learn to sing with all your heart. We must not only sing with our voice, but we must sing with our words, our eyes, our attitudes, our prayers, our writing, our praise, and everything else. 

We must come to the place where all that is within us gives praise to God.
 
Study the Song of Solomon
 
“Set me as a seal upon your arm, as a seal upon your heart, for love is as strong as death, its jealousy as ardent as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord” (Song 8:6).
 
The desert is a wonderful place to study the Song of Solomon in the Bible. The Song of Solomon is an eight-chapter love song revealing the passionate desire of God for His Bride. If you want to understand how God sees you and feels about you, then this is a good book to study while in the desert. Nothing will empower your heart more than having a revelation of God’s affection for you personally. God will empower your heart to trust Him in this season of your life.
 
The Song of Solomon is Mike Bickle’s most popular teaching series here at the International House of Prayer. He studied it for 20 years. I recommend his teachings and am planning on writing more articles on it in the future. For a 24-part series by Mike Bickle, see Song of Songs.
 
It’s time to shake off the lies and begin to enjoy the desert. Sing! Sing in your heart and thank Him for this time. It is time for you and Him without any distractions. Waters will break out in your desert, and you will find streams that will water all those you come in contact with. Don’ despise this time but learn to enjoy it. What looks like an endless desert with no life will turn into springs of water. God is preparing you now for what He has for you in the future. He will bring forth flowers in your desert, and He has a plan for you. You are not forgotten but God wants to speak tenderly to you. You are His beloved and He cherishes every moment you are with Him in the desert. You are His desert rose.
 
“Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing. For in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water….” (Isaiah 35:6, 7)

Intercessors Arise News


Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
International House of Prayer (IHOP) KC Staff
deb@intercessorsarise.org
www.intercessorsarise.org

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