unity (14)

Lord, help the Arab peoples to see your awe-inspiring works and glorify you.

“And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying ‘We have seen extraordinary things today.’” Luke 5:26
Pray for the local churches in the Arabian Peninsula, especially for unity and healed hearts of reconciliation. Pray for believers to boldly share the Gospel. Pray that Muslim background believers may be bold in sharing their faith and inviting their friends and family members to study the Word together and learn about Jesus.
Pray for wisdom among workers in the Arabian Peninsula as they look for people of peace and disciple many into the Kingdom. Pray for good soil in the hearts of those in the Arabian Peninsula. Pray that no birds would steal the seed and that thorns won't choke out the seed that sprouts. Pray for a multiplication of harvest.
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PRAYING TOGETHER IN MARRIAGE

The Scripture I want to look at in this blog actually addresses only men. However, I believe ladies can read over our shoulders and get a firm grasp on some things that we need God to do in our marriages. My experience is that ladies are much better at doing that than men.

The verse is 1 Peter 3:7.

“Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.”

The goal of Peter's admonition points to a great spiritual power afforded to husbands and wives. In Matthew 18:19 Jesus said,

“If two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.”

The depth of unity that can be developed between husbands and wives brings an Earth shaking power in prayer. Need I say that our enemy the devil will do anything he can to hinder our united prayer. Let's look prayerfully at what the Holy Spirit teaches in this verse that will enable us to overcome the barrage of the enemy.

DWELL WITH

Peter begins by telling men, “live with your wives.” There is a mindset related to this. We need to develope an attitude of unity with one another in marriage. It is God's will for the two of you to become one. Thinking together requires time together? We should desire for our unity to be as complete as that of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit bound together in ultimate love. This may be counter productive to say, because such unity is absolutely impossible for us. But I can say, Men, we are to live in union with our wives. We are to bind ourselves to them with the love of Christ.

UNDERSTANDING

Possibly the most crucial thing God tells us here is to live with our wives with understanding. If you think this is easy, you probably haven't tried. You will not think like your spouse. In the 1990s John Grey wrote, Men are from Mars; Women are from Venus. He made a clear point that men and women don't think alike. Although I believe the differences commonly pointed out by social scientists are too uniform and simplistic, we are different. You will not be able to understand your partner by reading a book. You will have to spend time with your wife to begin to understand her. You will have to spend time thinking about what she needs and wants. Most of all you will need to pray about it. If God does not show you how she is thinking, you will remain obtuse. And while this is a life-long endeavor, what God shows you should change your attitudes and behavior. If you are not considerate, you don't understand at all.

HONOR HER

We are to put our wives on a pedestal of the love of God. First, because they are the weaker vessels. I am aware that all women are not physically weaker than men. And there will always be ways in which the wife will actually be stronger than her husband. But there is something precious about her weakness. Treat her like fine china.

Then we are to honor our wives as spiritual equals, “heirs together of the grace of life.” Of course, this is how we begin. But in many, possibly most cases, the wife has matured beyond her husband spiritually. And in every case, God will give each of you strengths and gifts that He has not given the other so you can draw from one another.

The point of all this is that you can pray for one another and pray together. Each person in a marriage ought to have a list of things you consistently ask God to do in your partner. These should include some things you feel like you need from your spouse. They should include things you know your spouse   needs, possibly from you. And you need to pray for the purposes God has revealed for the person with whom you are partnered.

And because our lives are so busy, we need to work at finding time to pray together. Every couple may do this differently. You may need to be patient with your partner in this. But make it a goal. You can even pray for God to help you find time and incentive to pray together. Who knows what God will do in answer?

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Website

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YouTube

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UNITY IN THE FAMILY

Last Sunday our pastor preached on Psalm 133. And God spoke to me as he preached. I am reminded of something I once heard from a spellbinding preacher. He said God gave him his best sermons as He spoke to him when he was listening to other preachers preach. Well, in fact, although my preaching is now done with my pen, God still seems to be giving me sermons. And I would like to share this one with you. And my sharing will be most blessed, if at some point in reading this God gives you a sermon to preach to His people.

UNITY AMONG BROTHERS

I once heard a denominational leader say he could tell the spiritual temperature of a church by simply walking into a worship center as people were gathering for the service on a Sunday morning. I think he was absolutely right. You can sense excitement in the people or the lack of it. And most of all you can feel the love and unity binding the church together. Jesus said all men would know we are his disciples by the way we love one another.

One of my favorite Psalms is Psalm 133. The first verse of Psalm 133 calls us to see the goodness of unity in the family of God.

“Behold, how good and pleasant it is
   when brothers dwell in unity!”

The wording of this reminds me of the creation account in Genesis 1. There the Hebrew word tov, which translates to our English word “good” is first used in the Bible. Again and again as God creates, the scripture says “God saw that it was good.” But after He created man, we have His greater exclamation in verse 31 which begins with the word, “Behold.”

“And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.

With this call for us to sit up and pay attention, Psalm 133 is calling us to see that in the unity of the family of God, He is restoring the goodness of His creation.

And he says it is good and pleasant. There is a sweetness that is not only enjoyed by our Heavenly Father, but that He shares with us in the unity of the Church of Jesus Christ.

  • CONSECRATION

Verse 2 of Psalm 133 paints a vivid picture for us.

“It is like the precious oil on the head,
   running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
   running down on the collar of his robes!”

The Holy Spirit is comparing unity in the family of God with the consecration of the priesthood. What this must have brought to the minds of the Children of Israel is something very similar to some things God did in my early life.

I grew up in Oklahoma going to Falls Creek Baptist Assembly. You do not have to be from Oklahoma to have herd of the largest Youth Camp in the world. But I remember going as a young person with thousands of other young people and listening to the word of God preached. At the end of each evening service hundreds of young people would go forward in the altarcall to commit their lives to Christ. When they would finally bring that invitation to a close they would lead those young people to the chapel where where there was counseling space. And as they marched away we would all sing, I have decided to follow Jesus. I seldom sing that hymn without chills rising up on my neck and the the backs of my arms as I remember seeing those crowds of young people, and myself being one of those committing our lives to Christ.

The psalmist here is saying our unity is a God thing. He brings it about. And it is an expression of consecration to him.

But I said this reminds me of two things in my early life. The other is when I first sensed God calling me to preach. I struggled with His calling for an entire semester in college. And when I became convinced that God was indeed calling me, that became the driving force of my life. It is that to this day. You may not be called to preach. But as you sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ you have been given a calling by God. And like Aaron and all the priest who followed him you have a special anointing, a purpose that is to be the driving force of your life. This picture says the unity of the church is an expression of our

  1.   PURPOSE AND THE GOSPEL.

The next picture given in verse 3 is very different but quite as vivid.

“It is like the dew of Hermon,
   which falls on the

   mountains of Zion!
For there the Lord has commanded the blessing,
   life forevermore.”

This is a picture of rich blessing from God.

III.   BLESSING

Mount Hermon is a snow capped-mountain, part of a snow-capped range just north of Israel. We lived for 30 years in the Pacific Northwest surrounded by glorious snowy mountains. And the rain fall was a continual mist of blessing. We had a 90 foot Douglas Fir in our backyard. There was a hundred fifty foot tree in the park two blocks from our house. And our library had in a glass case a cutting of the largest Douglas Fir ever removed from the forest. The base of that tree was over 12 feet in diameter. In this picture God is saying unity the church grows from his continual blessing upon us. And it ends by saying this blessing is itself eternal life.

  1.   ETERNAL LIFE

When we see and enjoy unity in the family of God we ought to immediately think of John 3:16. Let's say that verse together in the version we have projected.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Do you have a longing in your heart to be part of the unity of God's family?

The sermon that God gave me is different from the sermon our pastor preached. And I suspect if God speaks to you through this brief, the sermon you preach to your people will be much different than mine. However, I suspect any sermon preached on Psalm 133 would depend upon similar fundamentals. In the days when I was preaching week by week I always began with the basics listed below. With these basics in my mind I would usually take a walk. As I walked my sermon I would preach everything that came into my mind on these basic points. And so I actually composed my sermons out loud.

THE CENTRAL IDEA OF THE TEXT : The psalmist exclaims over the God given goodness of unity among brothers.

PEOPLE : believers who make up this church

  Felt/Need : unity in the church

PURPOSE : Doctrinal; I want my hearers to know unity in the church is a work of God.

THRUST : Unity in the church is a God thing.

PICTURE : The Dew from Mt. Hermon

STORY : Oil on, Aaron's beard

POINTS :

Introduction :

Good and Pleasant

  • Consecration
  • Purpose, Gospel
  • Blessing
  • Eternal life

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Website

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YouTube

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PTAP: Prayer for Yemen amid War

We pray for grace and strength for those in the community who have lost love ones in the civil war in Yemen, for strength for all the mothers as they continue with their responsibilities even in the middle of war times, for them to nurture and teach their children in the community in the ways of the Lord, being an example of strength and grace to their children.
We pray for those who teach, mentor and disciple regularly with the new believers, to seek the Lord as they prepare their lessons as they meet regularly. We pray for the Holy Spirit to speak to their hearts as they discover the Word of God.
Also, pray for those organizing retreats to hear the voice of the Lord, study, and prepare for the different activities, lessons and fellowships, that they will be building trust, and strengthening each other.
Pray for the leadership team as they make difficult decisions. Pray for the peace of God to be their guide as they make those decisions. Pray for them to discern the true followers, from those who may want to harm them. Pray against the plans of the enemy against the lives of the community families. Pray to send help to the leaders to support them, spiritually, physically, and emotionally.
Pray for the situation to improve, for those who have the power to stop the war to come to a peace term. Pray for the different villages where the conflict has increased. Pray for the protection of their families.
Pray for provision of food and water where the help has not arrived. Pray that the Lord would remove any obstacles from the roads for supplies to be able to reach their community, for them to have their needs met. Pray for the different AID projects, water, food, electricity, communication, education, transportation, media, and we pray for those who are providing, giving, organizing, leading, and working in the different projects. May the Lord multiply resources, for each and every project.
Pray for people not to lose hope but to put their eyes on the Lord, the only one that can solve conflicts, hunger, and any lack. Instead, pray that they would use that energy to work, to study, to help and encourage one another.
We pray for those who are seeking the Lord, to meet regularly with those who speak Truth and to open their spiritual eyes to understand, believe and make decisions to follow Him.
Pray for those who fear as their faith weakens, to focus on the Lord and nothing else. Pray that the Presence of God will be more real than the reality the community is experiencing through the war.
Pray Psalm 27:3-4 - "Though an army besiege me my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident. One thing I ask form the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple"
Pray that the different believers will be able to meet once again, to strengthen each other, and encourage each other and most important to pray for one another, and to pray for the community of believers.
Pray 1 Corinthians 12 for the church--that there may not be divisions in the body of Christ, but that the members may have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
Pray for a country that continues to be plagued by war. Starvation is a reality to many who live there. Pray especially for those who don't know where their next meal will come from. Ask that embargos will be lifted and that food will be brought to those who need it. Pray for crops to grow well and for farmers to be able to get food to market. Ask for God's mercy on this country.
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Morning by Morning, January 20 - Hear from Heaven and Heal Our Land
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Let Your name be the first word from my mouth this morning and let my relationship with You -- God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit -- have the first place in my life.  ...
 
"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJ).
 
To change the heart of our nation, we have to choose to humble ourselves and allow You to change our hearts. As we seek You in prayer, as we turn to You in repentance, as we embrace You in faith, You hear and Your forgive and You heal.
 
As You change us, You awaken us and revive us. You remind us of Your calling and Your destiny for us as Your people who are called by Your name here in our land. May we be found faithful in our generation to accomplish all You've intended in Your heart through our hearts that turn to You in prayer, repentance, and faith. We make our appeal to heaven in prayer. And You answer from heaven in power.
 
O Lord, my God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- hear from heaven and heal our land. May the honor and glory of Your name be great again in our hearts and in our land. "Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your presence -- as fire burns brushwood, as fire cause water to boil -- to make Your name known to Your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at Your presence!" (Isaiah 64:1-2 NKJ) In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
 
May you be moved in the unity of God's Spirit with all who are called by His name in prayer, repentance, and faith to turn to Him in your heart, that the Lord may hear from heaven and heal our land, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me as I join with you in agreement in that prayer (Matthew 18:19; Psalm 133; John 17:18). God bless you, my friend!
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Ramadan Prayer
As Muslims pray and fast during Ramadan, we pray for them.
June 29, 2016
 
Yemen  
"From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us."  - Acts 17:26-27
 
"All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations."  - Psalm 22:27-28
 
Christians focused on Yemen are asking for prayer based on Acts 17:26-27 and Psalm 22:27-28.
There are at least four major factions fighting in Yemen with outside forces also involved. However, the situation changes daily. Pray for stability across the country. In the absence of electricity, water and medical supplies - in addition to escalating food and transport costs - there is a critical need for humanitarian aid to be able to enter the country.
 
Pray for the groups of believers meeting in the two main cities and for the scattered believers in other areas, that they would be established in Christ. Pray local believers would become family to one another, forgiving and including one another. Pray God would help them focus on being trustworthy, that they would desire to give honor rather than seek it, and that they would count others as more important than themselves. Pray for Christians inside Yemen to set an example by modeling a lifestyle of holiness.  If foreign workers are able to return, pray they would live out and model to local believers how to love one another in spirit and in truth.
Source: Christians who lived in Yemen
 
Bless Yemen with peace, for they have known so much fighting and war.
Bless them with rains that will nourish their crops and bring an increase of food, providing for the poor.
Bless the Church with deep fellowship together, great worship of the Father and with strength to live in these hard times.
Father, bless them with You as their shepherd, knowing that in You they will lack nothing; bless them with green pastures and quiet waters. (Prayer based on Psalm 23:1-2, 2 Chronicles 7:14 the Holy Bible)
Source: WIN International Network
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PTAP: United Prayer

Prayer is communicating with God, hearing from Him, and gaining His perspective on things. In prayer we seek to hear His voice and learn His heart for the people, lands, and situations for which we are interceding. Prayer is one of the ways in which God invites us into what He is doing in the world. Jesus taught us to pray, "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Matt 6:9-10).

Please pray that the believers all over the AP will rise up in prayer, unite, inquire of God, and seek to come alongside His heart for the people of the region. Pray that believers will be willing to be God's hands and feet; to be His ambassador's wherever they are placed (2 Cor. 5:20). In the turmoil that surrounds the region, many people are unsettled and questioning their faith, thus providing opportunities to share the Good News.  Pray for these connections.
Pray for unity over the body of believers in this area of the world. John 17:20-21 says, "I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me." Unity in the body is one of the greatest witnesses to the world that the Father sent the Son and speaks volumes to those of other faiths looking on.
Pray for opportunities for spiritual conversations in all walks of life and that these connections will bear fruit. Pray for protection over each opening for the believer and the non-believer.  Pray that the believers in the region would realize the incredible opportunity they have for Kingdom purposes and be intentional.
For those places where the Son is not known, prayer needs to be a large part of releasing the Gospel into hearts. Prayer makes a Kingdom difference.
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NATIONAL UNITY 2

I wrote last week that I am alarmed over the seriousness of our national disunity in America. But in that blog I pointed out that Jesus did not come to bring unity but a sword. Believers are called to certain convictions that we can never compromise and that the world may never accept. 

But I believe it is more important that I write to you about how to interface with a society that differs from us at such crucial points.

Some years ago I read about some of western people involved in the Chinese church's Back to Jerusalem Movement being amazed that they were not praying for the fall of the communist government. They were instead praying for God to work in it.

1 Peter 2:13-15 reads

"Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every Authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men."

Paul wrote something nearly identical in Romans 13. These men lived in a world where Christians were already being persecuted. Paul appealed to Caesar when he was arrested in Jerusalem. But he stood up to the authorities who wanted to quietly release him and Silas in Ephesus.

How does that speak to us today? Could King George have been as wicked as Nero who burned Christians alive on poles to light his garden parties? How do we know which to do in the circumstances that we face today?

We need to begin by saying we will have to struggle with the issues that we face. There are no simple answers to modern questions.

We will have to struggle with right and wrong. It will not always be simple or obvious.

And we will need to struggle over our witness and the glory of God. This will include decency, integrity, humility, and honesty.

And most importantly, we must struggle to discern the will of God.

I basically agree with Francis Schaefer's statement in The Christian Manifesto that a government that breeches its calling by God should be overthrown. But I believe he missed a point in his argument. That is the issue of God's timing. When God told Abraham he was going to give his descendants the land of Canaan, He said they had not filled up their sins. Four hundred years would pass before God said it was time.

I don't know where we are in America. But I know it is the will of God to pray for our country and for our leaders by name and by need. And I will struggle in prayer and God's word over the issues of politics and voting and our country.

 

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Ramadan Prayer
As Muslims pray and fast during Ramadan, we pray for them.
June 26, 2016
 
United Arab Emirates
"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith 
and pierced themselves with many griefs."
- 1 Timothy 6:10 (NIV)
 
Materialism blinds people from seeing their spiritual and emotional neediness. 
Arabs have a heritage of being fatherless in that Abraham, the father of Ishmael, sent his son away (Genesis 21:9-14).  Pray for restoration of fellowship with the Father of the fatherless (Psalm 68:5), that Emiratis would see their neediness and ask questions, and that the Father would reveal eternal truth. 
 
Pray for the leaders of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to have wisdom and tolerance, allowing citizens to change their faith. Pray for the government to be able to keep the country safe from insurgent/terrorist groups and provide policies that encourage young people to be motivated to work hard for the good of their country. Pray for the UAE's relationships with other countries in the region, like Iran (tension over disputed islands). Pray for further disillusionment with Islam and rejection of the radical groups that would lead to discovery of the Truth that will set them free! 
Pray for unity, not uniformity, among the expat churches in the UAE. Pray the churches will partner together for the sake of the gospel. Pray for the Lord to send mature and capable leaders to disciple the many international believers who come to faith in the UAE and for solid Bible teaching. Pray for the churches to share their faith with locals so that indigenous fellowships of believers will arise in the cities and villages of the UAE. 
Pray Christian workers will be not be distracted by the materialism, comforts and amenities in the UAE. Pray for Christians serving intentionally in the UAE to be people of prayer, asking God to move miraculously in this land. Pray Christians will seek and find new avenues and opportunities to engage with locals as the country changes politically, economically and culturally.
Source: Christians in the UAE
 
Bless the leaders of the UAE as they seek to understand how to protect their own land from Daesh (IS) and other forms of militant Islam.
Bless the government of UAE because they allow expatriates to worship freely in many locations across the country.
Bless the very few Believers of Jesus from the UAE with a great desire to know and worship Him.
Father, bless them with the ability to love You, to walk in Your ways and to follow Your laws and commands. (Prayer based on Deuteronomy 30:16, the Holy Bible)
Source: WIN International Network
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During the month of October, thousands of people around the world are joining in and praying through the countries of the 10/40 Window. Today is prayer on behalf of Bahrain. PTAP is delighted to join in these prayers, especially for the seven countries on the Arabian Peninsula.

Praise Report
Praise God that there are very open expressions of the Lord Jesus in Bahrain, Christian Hospitals, Churches and Christian Bookstores (The Bible, Acts 22:15).

Prayer Request
Pray that these different ministry centers will continue to have freedom to shine their lights and that many locals will seek out these places of truth (The Bible, Isaiah 45:19).

Pray that the government will have wisdom to care for people living in their country from both the Sunni and Shi'ite Islamic background. Right now the divide seems to be increasing (The Bible, 1 Peter 2:17).

Call to Salvation
Pray that God will bring Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims to Himself and they will dwell together in unity (The Bible, Colossians 3:14).

Source: WIN

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PTAP: God is Building His Church.

Praise God for the handfuls of known believers in this country. Every person who is given faith is a miracle of God's washing and regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5)! Praise him for his grace that has appeared, bringing salvation for all people (Titus 2:11).
Pray for these believers, that they would renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age as they wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ (Titus 2:11). Praise Jesus that he will continue to purify a people for himself for his own possession who are zealous for good works (Titus 2:13-14). So pray that these believers would continue to grow in their knowledge of God and who they are in Christ and as a result, be very zealous to do good works, to practice love, and to meet the needs of others before their own (Phil 2:1-11).
Pray for unity among the believers. The evil one plants distrust and fear among them and it is difficult at times to be united as one community for Christ. Pray that they know how much God loves them so that love would reign among them so that fear is cast out (1 John 4:18, 19). Pray for unity (Psalm 133, 1 Cor 12:12-26). Pray that they would attain the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to mature manhood to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Eph 4:13).
Pray for a zeal for outreach as well. Part of growing in the knowledge of the Son of God is to reach out and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20). Pray that they would be filled with the Holy Spirit and thus be bold in their witness (Acts 4:29-31).
Most of the believers come from the same areas of the country. The other regions are totally unreached. Pray that God would bring in his sheep from these unengaged regions, that they would hear the Shepherd's voice, and that they would unite with other members of Christ's body here so that there will be one flock under one Shepherd (John 10:16).
Pray for the people of this country who study abroad as international students and become believers there. Praise God that this is happening. Pray for continued outreach to all people from the Middle East who study abroad and who are exposed to the knowledge of the Son of God for the first time in their lives. Pray that God would continue to build his church among "aliens", "immigrants", and "sojourners" because He loves them as He loves orphans and widows (Deut 10:18-19).
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PTAP: Qatar Ramadan

Qatar, Arabian Peninsula

Day 14 - July 1, 2015

As Muslims are praying and fasting during Ramadan, we pray for them.

 

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

 

I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one- I in them and you in me-so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

 

Christians in the Arabian Peninsula are asking us to pray John 13:34-35 & John 17:22-23 over Qatar.

 

Qatar is a relatively politically stable country. But what we do see is a struggle to maintain its cultural and especially its religious values amidst ongoing and aggressive modernization and development. Pray that the government's response, which can often be influenced heavily by Islamic fundamentalists, will be driven by the desire to embrace that which is honoring to God-respecting and protecting the rights of especially the majority expat workers through the observation of international labor laws and basic human rights.

 

We praise God that Qatar has granted property for the building of churches and places of worship. But the reality is that there is simply not enough space on the compounds to accommodate the large number of Christ followers. Pray that the government will grant permission for groups to meet outside of the compounds in places like restaurants, hotels, etc. Please pray for the various fellowships, that God would bring increasing unity among them. Pray that God would use the existing fellowships to meet the growing needs of the very poor migrant communities, especially in the labor camps, and that they would be bold to proclaim the Gospel to these people.

 

An ongoing struggle continues to be unity and community among the Christian workers in Qatar. Several years ago, the government cracked down on Christian workers, resulting in a few getting deported and causing the community to fragment and become fearful. Most recently, one of our workers was temporarily detained. Since then, this particular couple has been under very obvious scrutiny resulting in many of the other workers cutting off ties with them. As you can understand, they are feeling very lonely and discouraged. Pray for God to break the spirit of fear and that He may rebuild the trust and unity of the workers so that they can begin to work in concerted effort again. Pray that the workers would even be willing to come together to pray and fellowship together. Pray that God would grant the different fellowships a united heart to impact Qatar with the Gospel. Source: Christian leader in the Arabian Peninsula

 

Qatar makes the news because of World Cup Football, their airlines, and their financial support of Daesh (ISIS), al-Qaeda and other violent Islamic groups. After the killing of 21 Coptic Christians in Libya, Egypt criticized Qatar for their funding of such an organization. Pray that Qatar will stop any and all funding of radical Islamic groups. Pray that the grip that this form of Islamic terrorism has on them will be removed and be replaced with freedom in Christ. Pray for the very few Qatari believers in Jesus to grow in their faith and their love of God (The Bible, Ephesians 3:14-21). Source: The 10/40 Window Prayer Points for Every Nation (April 2015)

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OK, so some of you have already branded me as a heretic. "How can this guy not care about revival?"  Others are at least curious and will read on. Maybe one or two (my best friend and wife perhaps) can't wait to hear more.

Trust me, at least here at the start, when I say that I would love to see revival in my city (Austin), country and the world. I've read about the great revivals in our past (of which there have been few) and heard many messages and exhortations to pray for the next one. I certainly don't criticize others of you who long for a revival of some sort in your lifetime.

But let me tell you why I'm not currently spending a lot of time praying for one.

First, I'm not sure what I'm praying for if I do.  Am I asking for large crowds to pack stadiums, for millions to suddenly march to their statehouses and kneel on the steps, for churches to suddenly be filled with worshipers? What would a revival in the classic sense look like?  And if revival isn't going to occur like it has in the past then what do I ask God to do today?  I would suggest most of us don't have a clue.

If some sort of spiritual awakening is going to happen then perhaps only God knows what it will look like and He wants us to simply till the soil well in our churches and communities so that fruit will easily grow.

Second, there are a lot of other things that need the passionate prayers of God's people right here, right now. In America we need our government leaders and politicians to get a grip on reality and start leading our country with wisdom, discretion and integrity. Marriages in our churches are tanking every day. Families are struggling and priorities are way out of line when it comes to the things of God and what really matters for eternity. 

It seems to me that if we pray for God to work in lives and  homes from the inside out that the revival we seek will more likely occur in some way than if we just pray for the revival itself.

Third, I don't see much Scriptural evidence or encouragement to pray for or seek revival. We are admonished to be holy, to go into the world and make disciples and to love God and people radically.  I feel more compelled to pray for those things to be true in me and in other believers and see what God does as a result.

Finally, I think we are often praying for something that God can do much more subtly and slowly. I remember a man in my former church who was put into a coma to basically save his life. I don't remember all the details but I do know that he miraculously lived but had to be revived from his coma slowly.  Revival isn't necessarily going to be quick or stupendous. We may never see the kind of revival, at least on the surface, that we've seen in the past.

However, God can still do something amazing in our churches, cities and country. Perhaps he'll do it one person or church at a time. Maybe we won't see it while it's happening but we'll look back five years from now and realize that Christians have been renewed and revitalized by the power of the Holy Spirit. I've written elsewhere that God is doing something special in my city of Austin, Texas. It's happening slowly but it's happening. Somehow I'd rather keep praying for that.

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The Next Spiritual Awakening

If you don’t believe we are in need of a spiritual awakening in our nation, you are not obsessed the news networks like I am! Seriously, you cannot live in this nation without some awareness that a movement of God is desperately needed.

Historically, this nation has experienced some powerful spiritual awakenings that have dramatically changed the spiritual climate of society. However, we are perhaps 150 years overdue for another nationwide, saturating awakening.

But there are hopeful signs! Before every great spiritual awakening, there were some common indicators that we’re beginning to see emerge once again. Billy Wilson of Awakening America Alliance shared some encouraging observations with me in an interview.

One of the first signs is an increase in the use of revival and spiritual awakening language. In the past few years, great movements of prayer have been rising up, including alliances of Christian ministries devoted to prayer for revival. Eighteen years ago I wrote my first article on revival. I wasn’t quite sure what it was, but I was aware that there had to be something more to faith in Christ than what I was seeing displayed in the Church. Now the call for revival is becoming commonplace in prayer circles.

Another sign is an increase in the fervency of prayer among the “remnant.” These are the pastors and intercessors who have prayed faithfully and sought God for a greater move of His power in our midst. More and more prayer warriors are joining the ranks of those praying fervently for revival. This is one of the most encouraging and hopeful signs, as almost all revivals have started with less than 12 people praying. God loves to work through a remnant!

As we close in on a desperately needed move of God in our nation, there are two more indicators that will increase just prior to revival breaking out:

  • There will be an increase in united, extraordinary prayer. This prayer is passionate, fervent, and repentant in nature—and this is increasing exponentially!
  • There will be a restoration of integrity to the pulpit. You will begin to hear greater boldness in messages based on the truth of the gospel, and it will include the message of repentance. Not only will the messengers of the gospel proclaim the integrity of the gospel more clearly, they will also experience their own repentance and transformation. This is something we should all long for our own lives.

Keep your eyes on the horizon. Revival fires are not far away. Keep praying; keep repenting. As we humble ourselves in brokenness, God will draw closer and closer to us. Come, Lord Jesus!

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