Pray Network Forum

What do all of these Christian Leaders – from different denominations, cultures, continents, and ages– have in common on Oct. 6th? They are praying for the peace of Jerusalem that day. Are YOU?

The annual Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem is the largest Israel focused Christian prayer movement in history. Global participation, for October 6^th, has strongly been endorsed by over 1300 Christian Ministry Leaders. International and well respected ministry leaders such as: Dr. Paul Cedar of Mission America Coalition, Pastor Samuel Rodriguez, President of National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, Kay Arthur of Precept Ministries International, Ron Luce of Teen Mania Ministries, T.D. Jakes - Bishop/Chief Pastor of The Potter's House, John Bornschein – Vice Chairman of The National Day of Prayer Task Force, Indian born Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias, Christian author and speaker Joyce Meyer, author and speaker Doug Stringer- Founder/CEO of Somebody Cares International, First Nations Leader Dr. Negiel Bigpond, and K.P. Yohannan, who has brought the Good News of Christ to millions in South Asia over the last three decades.

Their united call is for ALL believers to fulfill The Lord’s mandate in Psalm 122:6, to pray for God’s peace, blessing, and love to Jews, Arabs and Christians alike in God’s Holy City – Jerusalem.

As a strong supporter of God’s covenant purposes with Israel, Dr. Raleigh Washington - President and CEO of Promise Keepers - states: “Every Christian must reach out to the Jewish Community, bless them and pray for the peace of Jerusalem.”

According to Dave Butts, Chairman of America's National Prayer Committee:

"There is no more urgent call to the whole body of Christ than the Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem. This prayer movement blends the dynamic of tomorrow's headlines with the imperative of praying God's Word back to Him."

In an interview with Eagles’ Wings, Pastor Samuel Rodriguez - President of National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference - said:

“More than ever, we are in an Anti- Semitic wave, emerging not only on college & university campuses, but also in many public arenas and different governmental settings around the world. It’s aiming again at Jerusalem and the Jewish people. The Firewall against Anti -Semitism in the 21st century, IS the body of Christ… the Church of Jesus Christ…”

 Jane Hansen Hoyt, the International President of Aglow International - a global, trans-denominational Christian organization established in 166 nations on 6 continents - explains:

“Never has it been as critical as it is now that we stand in the gap for the nation of Israel and its people. The biblical mandate to ‘pray for the peace of Jerusalem’ must take on greater priority in our lives as we watch the intensity of warfare increase, both in the natural and spiritual realms, over God’s end-time purposes for His people – Israel and the body of Christ."

Joel C. Rosenberg – popular Christian author of the Last Jihad series and founder of The Joshua Fund – shares:

"As the Iranian nuclear threat grows, and leaders throughout the epicenter threaten the Jewish State with annihilation, now is the time for followers of Jesus Christ to bless Israel and pray faithfully for the peace of Jerusalem."

Dr. Dick Eastman - International President for Every Home for Christ - shared:

“Even a child is known by his actions, by whether his conduct is pure and right.”

(Proverbs 20:11)

1. Pray your grandchildren will learn to follow instructions and conduct themselves with right behavior.
2. Encourage your grandchildren to be obedient to their parents
3. Help them to understand that being well behaved is pleasing to God, their parents, teachers, and others. Appropriate behavior will be beneficial to them.
4. Help them to understand that sometimes it is hard to be good, but God will help them to make right choices for appropriate behavior, if they ask him.
5. Pray they will have gentle, kind and honest words.
6. Pray that your grandchildren will recognize when they are tempted to sin, they will think about it and choose to resist the enemy.
7. Pray that if they do sin, they will admit it, confess the sin to God, and ask forgiveness, if they have hurt another person.
8. Pray also they will learn to think before they speak and choose their words wisely.

Taken from the book Grandparenting with a Purpose: Effective Ways to Pray for your Grandchildren by Lillian Penner. The book is available at www.grandparentingwithapurpose.com

Dr. Alice Smith Allow me would like to share some thoughts with you today about intimacy with God. As the Bride of Christ, we will never experience a moment of life alone again. He longs to share as much with us as we are willing to receive. Not only do we have the joy of sharing in the Bridegroom’s victories, but Jesus often invites us to share His burdens. Suppose a mental picture of a family member crosses your mind. Most of the time we think about them, and then from our human perspective we ignore the reason why they came to mind. Instead, ask, “Lord, what about this loved one?”
            The Lord may tell you about a timely need they might have. If so, in faith agree with Him concerning this burden. He may also expose the enemy’s plans to harm your loved one.

For example, the Lord may reveal to you that the devil has designed an airplane disaster for one in your family. So with ambassadorial authority, enter spiritual warfare. “Powers of darkness, I now call your strategy to destroy my family member to a halt in the power of Christ.” If you do not know how to pray, simply agree with God. Pray, “Lord, preserve your purpose for my loved one’s life.”
            A more difficult intercessory assignment is when God places a burden on us without an attached assignment. In other words, we receive the burden from the Lord’s heart, but we have no idea what it concerns. In this case Jesus is asking us to bear His burden by faith and to intercede without knowledge (Rom. 8:26). Listen friend. This is another way the devil deceives us into aborting the process of prayer. We may wrongly assume it makes no sense to bear a burden for something about which we have no knowledge. A mature intercessor will be willing to bear the burden while God alone bears the knowledge. This is faith pressed to the limits!
            We Christians, who consider ourselves intercessory prayer warriors, godly Bible teachers or pastors, listen up! Beware of the trap of trying to acquire a bigger and better “high.” Whether it’s prayer, Christian service or spiritual warfare, this is nothing more than fleshly Outer Court striving. Experienced Christians willingly submit to the discipline of the dry times. Consider the seasons when the Lord is quiet in your life to be times of “spiritual tune-ups.” During transitions, when He chooses not to speak, your spiritual ears are being fine-tuned to hear His voice. In time, your spirit will learn to hear Him, even when He whispers.
            The Lord Jesus doesn’t have to be screaming at us. A secure relationship is one that sitting in each other’s presence without words spoken can be enough. Earthly thrills diminish once we taste the delicacies of this sweet relationship with the Lord beyond the veil.

Finally

For 43 years, Eddie and I have traveled the world sharing the good news of the gospel, and equipping believers in their relationship to Christ. Each year we’ve been blessed to have the support of fellow Christians who share our burden for souls.
            This year (2013), for the first time ever since we began ministry (for Eddie in 1960 and me in 1968), for reasons unknown to us, our ministry income has dropped 60%. This has forced us to make drastic changes in every area. A refiners fire has indeed pruned, refined, re-calibrated and restructured us. But the calling of God has not been rescinded (Rom 11:29); and like the Apostle Paul, we are “confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to...” (Phil 1:6).
            Today we are asking the Lord to increase the number of those who share our vision and who are willing to serve as “senders.” There are those who are called to “go,” and those who are called to “send.” (Rom 10:15)
            Will you come alongside and invest in the U.S. Prayer Center ministry? We have daily opportunities for ministry and see victories both here and abroad. But we need to hear from you. You know us! We rarely suggest a certain amount, but this month, would you send $100 or more? If you can’t, please send your best gift! When you do, enclose your greatest prayer burdens too. We will be honored to intercede for and with you for breakthroughs.

Sincerely serving our King with you!

By Phone:  1-800-569-4825  or  (713) 466-4009

Or make your check payable to:  U.S. Prayer Center

7710-T Cherry Park Drive, Suite 224

Houston, Texas 77095

Thanks you!

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 229 | Wed 25 Sep 2013

by Elizabeth Kendal

WELCOME to the intercessors who have joined the list this month.

PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN: 'LET TEARS STREAM DOWN' (Lamentations 2:18)

On Sunday 22 September, as some 600 worshippers were mingling at the close of the service, two Islamic militants armed with automatic rifles and grenades stormed All Saint's Church, Peshawar. After slaughtering many, they detonated their explosive vests, triggering two huge explosions that blasted shrapnel through the believers. The death toll, presently 89, continues to rise; more than 150 were wounded, many critically. The internet images are shocking and deeply moving.

Two different wings of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have claimed responsibility. A spokesman from TTP Jundullah claimed: 'They [Christians] are the enemies of Islam, therefore we target them. We will continue our attacks on non-Muslims on Pakistani land.' Later a spokesman from Junood ul-Hifsa claimed the attack was in response to US drone strikes. This was the most deadly terrorist attack on Pakistan's Christian community in modern history.

CONTEXT: The church massacre comes as the government is reportedly trying to broker peace with the Taliban. The Taliban opposes peace with the government on principle. Meanwhile, senior military figures see peace, which will involve a military withdrawal and the release of militant prisoners, as akin to surrender. It has also been mooted that the peace talks are a farce, designed to demonstrate the futility of peace talks. It is quite possible that Peshawar's Christians may have been sacrificed - the attack was permitted - to legitimise military action and requests for military aid. Pray for the Lord of Hosts to encircle his Church.

In a short BBC news video a grieving father stands over the coffin of his 11-year-old daughter and the reporter tells us 'somehow he manages to talk of forgiveness'. (See Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin blog for links.)

'My soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is; so I say, "My endurance has perished; so has my hope from the LORD." . . . But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mecies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him."' (Lamentations 3:17,18,21-24 ESV) Indeed, our hope must be in him.

[Six Bible Studies on the book of Lamentations can be found on Elizabeth Kendal's website http://www.turnbackthebattle.com ]


SEPTEMBER 2013 UPDATE - During September we prayed concerning . . .

* REFUGEES & PAKISTAN (RLPB 226), when prayer was requested for Rabeel, a Christian university student from Punjab, Pakistan, who had been betrayed by a trusted Muslim friend into the hands of Lashkar e-Toiba militants who tortured him mercilessly for three days. The family fled in January 2013 and has since been languishing in a refugee camp. Like most persecuted Christians, they have not been able to get police reports or medical reports to substantiate their case. [We thank God for the ministry of the Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS) and pray God's blessing upon them.] We also prayed for all persecuted Christians who struggle to get asylum for the same reasons. Christian Faith and Freedom (Australia, where Rabeel's family has relatives) is lobbying to have this case expedited so Rabeel can receive the medical care he urgently requires. Please pray that God will expedite this case.

[Rabeel's relatives in Australia also had five relatives wounded in the Peshawar church bombing; one critically. In this global age, the pain of persecution is felt right around the world.]

* CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC (RLPB 227), where a humanitarian crisis has been unfolding in this French-speaking predominantly Christian nation since its fall to Arabic-speaking Islamic militants in March 2013.

UPDATE: CAR's Evangelical Alliance has expressed concern that sectarian Muslim-Christian violence could increase. On 8 September pro-Bozize (deposed president) gunmen attacked and killed Muslim civilians in Bossangoa, northern CAR. Seleka, the ruling Islamic rebel coalition, then despatched troops who retaliated by attacking Christians, causing many casualties. This clash left some 100 dead, more injured and over 4500 displaced. Two unexploded grenades were subsequently found in Bossangoa's Catholic Cathedral. The president of the Alliance of Evangelical Churches in CAR, Pastor Nicolas Guerekoyame, has appealed to all communities of the CAR 'not to yield to the temptation of interfaith divide'. Human Rights Watch has released a new report on CAR: 'I Can Still Smell the Dead', (18 September 2013).Pray for peace in CAR, as well as for justice and liberty.

* EGYPT (RLPB 228), where a cycle of violence is emerging: the Muslim Brotherhood militants attack the military government; the military cracks down with deadly force; Muslim Brotherhood supporters react against Coptic Christians. [For a more detailed report see Religious Liberty Monitoring (18 Sept 2013).] Pray for the Church in Egypt.


SEPTEMBER 2013 ROUND-UP - also this month . . .

* KAZAKHSTAN (updating RLPB 223). Pastor Bakhytzhan Kashkumbaev of Astana's Grace Church (Presbyterian) was arrested on 17 May on charges of 'harming health' (essentially for praying over the sick). He was subsequently removed to the Almaty City Psychological-Psychiatric Assessment Centre with his detention extended until 17 September (RLPB 225). According to Forum 18, Pastor Kashkumbayev was transferred in early September, presumably back to Almaty's Investigation Prison, with his detention extended again to 17 October. Pastor Kashkumbaev's family and his congregation remain extremely anxious as nobody has any information as to his actual whereabouts or condition. Pray for Pastor Kashkumbaev and for the Church in Kazakhstan.


* LAOS: FAMILIES EXPELLED FROM VILLAGE OVER CHRISTIAN FAITH

Laotians who practise Asian traditional religion believe Christians anger the ancestral spirits, while the Laos government regards Christianity as a foreign religion that threatens social cohesion and national security and as such must be eliminated. On 30 August village officials in Nongdaeng village, Borikhamsai Province summoned 11 Christian families (50 individuals) to recant their faith and return to traditional religion. The families all refused and on Sunday 1 September they bravely worshipped together as usual, as is their constitutional right. This group has grown from 3 families to 11 families in six months, despite persecution. On 21 September village officials in Huay village, Savannakhet Province, ruled that village Christians must renounce their faith or face expulsion. These Christians too have rejected the order and are claiming their constitutional right. Human Rights Watch for Lao Religious Freedom (HRWLRF) is urging the Laos government to respect the constitution and punish officials who illegally issue Christians with eviction orders. Pray for the Church in Laos, and that God will bless the HRWLRF's advocacy.


* MOROCCO: EVANGELIST IMPRISONED FOR HIS WITNESS

On 3 September a court in Taounate, northern Morocco, found Mohamed El Baladi (33), a Christian for seven years, guilty of 'proselytising' and sentenced him to 30 months in prison. Morning Star News reports that Mohamed had been arrested only one week earlier and had not had time even to find legal representation. Under interrogation, Mohamed gave up names of other converts from Islam who are in no doubt Mohamed was tortured. His friends have since found a lawyer who has launched an appeal and is pressing to have the appeal heard in Fez where it will be more difficult for local authorities to dominate and influence proceedings. Please PRAY about this. Since 2011 the government has been dominated by the Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD) which controls not only higher education and foreign affairs, but justice. Pray that God will overrule.


To view this RLPB with hyperlinks or to access RLPB and RLM archives, visit the Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin blog at http://rlprayerbulletin.blogspot.com

We usually provide a summary to use in news-sheets unable to
run the whole of an RLPB. As a summary is not practicable with
this monthly update posting we suggest one or more of the above
items be used instead.

This RLPB was written for the Australian Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission (AEA RLC) by Elizabeth Kendal, an international religious liberty analyst and advocate, and a member of the AEA RLC team.

Elizabeth Kendal is the author of  'Turn Back the Battle: Isaiah speaks to Christians today' 
(Deror Books, Dec. 2012) http://turnbackthebattle.com/thebook.html

Elizabeth is Adjunct Research Fellow in the Centre for the Study of Islam and Other Faiths at the Melbourne School of Theology. She is Director of Advocacy for Christian Faith & Freedom based in Canberra, Australia.

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How many times have we wished we could do more or give more as we sat in church or in a Missions Conference?

How often have we lamented that we could not go to other countries with God’s Word?
 

Jesus did tell His disciples to “… go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28: 19 & 20)

The good news is that the world has come to us!  The nations now live next door, or in town, or in the next town. Many of them are already Christians and attend a church nearby where English is NOT the first language. You can share God’s heart about prayer for Jerusalem right where you are. No Visa, no luggage, and no immunizations because The Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem has educational resources translated in over 25 languages!   

You see, we have churches in over 175 nations who will be praying on October 6th in their native tongue, and they graciously translate our resources in their particular language. Need Spanish, or Korean, or Chinese? Just go to our DPPJ Homepage and Click onto the tab along the top called “Resources” and then click onto “International Resources” from the drop-down menu, to your right you will find a list of languages from which to choose.

In fact, you might be happy to know that we have an abundance of materials translated into Spanish, including most of our videos for The Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem.

What Can YOU Do?

1. Next time you drive around town, take note of the non-English speaking fellowships that have come to your doorstep. They may be renting space in nearby sanctuaries or they may have a church building of their own.
2. Take note of the language they speak or the country they are from. Then go to your computer to check out our International Resources so you can print out some information about The Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem in their language.
3. We have resources in over 20 different languages!
4. You can mail it to them, but better yet, just stop in to say “hello” to the pastor and personally hand it them. The pastor will most likely speak English and will be thrilled to have information in his language that he can share with his congregation.
5. Don't forget to let your church missionaries know about these FREE resources as well so they can download and share them in the particular language they need.

Today you can reach the nations with God’s heart for Jerusalem by just a click on your keyboard! You can open the door for a people group near you to join this strategic global prayer movement in this critical hour, uniting The Body of Christ around the “City of The Great King” – Jerusalem. Join the nations on October 6th!

INTERNATIONAL PRAYER CONNECTIONS

September 2013

“Globalizing Prayer, Transforming our World”

IN THIS EDITION

1. United Prayer, A Powerful Resource for Social Transformation
2. Prayer Concerns for Five Crucial Initiatives
3. Children’s Prayers are Powerful!
4. New Prayer Resources from World Vision
5. Thousands of Christian Children Pray to Become Change-Makers in Egypt
6. Pray for North Africa!
7. WPA Media Track Report
8. Pray for the Peace and Reconciliation of Pakistan and India
9. Church Bombed in Pakistan
10. Afghanistan and Pakistan Prayer Initiative
11. The Forgotten Genocide: North Korea’s Prison State
12. Invitation for SouthEast Asia Prayer Consultation
13. Philippines
14. New Wave China National Network Launched
15. Solomon Islands House of Prayer Launch – July 11-14th, 2013
16. U.S., China and an Unthinkable War
17. Ten Days of Prayer
18. Evolving Al-Qaeda More Dangerous Than Ever
19. Urgent!! '21 Days For Global Harvest' is almost here; do something!
20. Pray with Youth
21. Pray for Muslims Undertaking the Hajj
22. 1 DAYS - Seeking God’s Face
23. IPC Events Calendar
24. The IPC Website
25. About International Prayer Connect (IPC)
26. Donating to IPC through PayPal
27. Contacting the IPC Office

Click Here

Jesus is the greatest example of a leader and every godly leader should strive to emulate His example of consistent and committed prayer. Unfortunately, Christ-likeness, in this regard, eludes so many leaders today. In addition to missing out on being like Jesus, these leaders miss out on many of the other benefits of a fervent prayer life. Here are ten things leaders who fail to pray always miss out on.

Leaders who fail to pray miss out on the joy of co-laboring with God (1 Corinthians 3:9). Instead of the exhilaration of answered prayer, they experience the monotony of ministry routine.

Leaders who fail to pray miss out on what God could have done in and through them (James 4:2). God can sovereignly choose not to do what His followers selfishly choose not to pray for.

Leaders who fail to pray miss out on God’s unparalleled power (Ephesians 3:20-21). Ministry quickly becomes an exercise of the flesh rather than a powerful work produced by faith (1 Thessalonians 1:3, James 5:16).

Leaders who fail to pray miss out on God’s peace (Philippians 4:6-7). Instead of casting their anxieties on Him (1 Peter 5:7), they struggle to fabricate ministry on their own, resulting in frustration, burnout and pride.

Leaders who fail to pray miss out on victory in spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:10-20). Instead of wrestling in prayer (Colossians 4:12) they resort to passivity and lethargy.

Leaders who fail to pray miss out on God’s blessing (2 Chronicles 7:14). Content with the status quo, they arrogantly get stuck with it.

Leaders who fail to pray miss out on God’s heart. Praying in line with God’s will (Matthew 6:10, John 14:13-14), unites a believer with His heart for His world, His people and His ministry; leaders who fail to pray fail to acquire His heart for those they serve.

Leaders who fail to pray miss out on God’s vision and direction. Instead of prayerfully acquiring God’s wisdom (James 1:5), they negligently rely on their own.

Leaders who fail to pray miss out on partnership with other believers. Prayer is an instrumental component of authentic fellowship (Acts 2:42) and leaders who fail to pray for other believers alienate themselves from them.

Leaders who fail to pray miss out on intimacy with God. Instead of uninterrupted intimacy with their Savior (John 15:5, 1 Thessalonians 5:17) they experience only a fraction of the fellowship they could be having with Him. This is undoubtedly the worst consequence of failing to pray. 

Samuel understood that leaders who fail to pray for those they lead sin against God (1 Samuel 12:23). Unfortunately, I often do just that, following the example of Jesus’ disciples in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46). If you feel the same way, I hope you’ll join me in confessing that failure as sin and recommitting to a vibrant prayer life. Andrew Murray encourages us writing, “Let us not make the feeble experiences of our unbelief the measure of what our faith may expect.” I hope and pray your greatest years of prayerful leadership are still ahead of you. 

Andrew Murray, With Christ in the School of Prayer (Valley Forge, Pa: Trinity Press, 2012), 31.

Thanks to National Public Radio, I learned something new recently: China has spent billions of dollars constructing buildings—and even entire cities—to replicate some of the world’s most renowned architecture.

      If you live in Beijing or Shanghai, you no longer have to travel to Paris to see the Eiffel Tower, for there’s now a copycat version in your own country. If you’ve always wanted to visit Manhattan, you can see a replica nearby, complete with Rockefeller and Lincoln centers and even a Hudson River. And for those looking for something more serene, the gorgeous Austrian town of Hallstatt has been replicated in all its picturesque beauty.

      In most Western cultures, people look down on you for being a copycat. Not so in China. They take pride in their replicas, whether the replicas are of watches, electronics, missiles, or cities. Psychologically, it probably feels as if they have conquered the objects they’ve recreated.

      Personally, I would much rather visit the real Eiffel Tower than see a cheap imitation. And I’ve never been very attracted to Rolex watch knockoffs, because I know there really is a difference between the real and the counterfeit.

      If everyone followed the Chinese copycat philosophy, we would soon reach a point where nothing was real. Creativity and innovation would be a thing of the past, because all we’d ever do would be to copy from one another. In such a world, Steve Jobs could never have created Apple, because there was nothing yet to copy. It’s as if he saw something unseen to model his products after.

      But my biggest criticism of China’s copycat cities is this: The Chinese are seeking to copy the wrong things. Sure, Paris and Manhattan are iconic places in the human scheme of things. Yet why not shoot for a higher model these earthly places?

      Here’s what I mean…

      I think the Chinese ought to take some time to read Augustine of Hippo’s famous fifth-century book about the contrast between the City of God and the City of Man. While the well-intentioned Chinese builders are spending lots of time and money to duplicate the best architecture the world offers in the City of Man, a much better quest would be to reflect the “heavenly city whose designer and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10 TLB).

      Why try to copy each other and replicate earthly models, when our objective should be to model the kingdom of heaven? Yes, it’s certainly easier to reproduce Paris or Manhattan. But in the end, it’s much more rewarding to reflect God’s architecture instead of man’s.

      However, before we’re too hard on the Chinese, we should all ask ourselves some hard questions: What are we building? What model are we patterning our lives around? Are we living for earthly things or for God’s eternal kingdom?

      These questions are at the very heart of the prayer Jesus taught us to pray (Matthew 6:9-13). Our prayers and our lives should reflect a glorious quest for His kingdom to come and His will to be done—modeling on earth what is already happening in heaven. In the end, that’s the only city worth replicating.

      So go ahead and be a copycat. People shouldn’t have to go to heaven to see what it’s like. They should be able to look at your life and mine.

While you and I can often become distracted with the “important” and the “urgent” of the present, we serve a God Who sees “the end from the beginning.” While you and I worship Him as “Father,” The Lord calls Himself “the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” When He blesses us, He also brings an inheritance of blessings to our children and grandchildren, “to a thousand generations”. (Deuteronomy 7:9) In fact, God cares so much about the generations, that He has filled Scripture with repeated instructions about the importance of teaching our children His heart, His wisdom, and His Ways. Scripture is also filled with many admonitions and consequences if we don’t.

Knowing God’s heart for the generations and for Jerusalem, The Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem team has developed wonderful resources to teach young people of every age why and how to pray for God’s Beloved City. What’s even more exciting is that all of these educational resources – which include lesson plans, songs, crafts, and even a video for teens – are absolutely FREE as downloads from our Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem webpage: DPPJ for Kids.

Simply go to our DPPJ website, click onto “All Ages” from the Menu along the top, and then click onto DPPJ for Kids. As you scroll down, you will find a variety of lesson plans, crafts, songs, etc., from which you can choose. Materials are categorized for children 3 – 5 years, 6 – 12 years, as well as Jr. /Sr. High students – ages 13 to 18. These equipping resources can be used by parents and teachers for Sunday School, Youth Group, Christian School, and for Home School.

ARE YOUR KIDS IN COLLEGE?

 We have resources specifically designed for their age category as well! Just click onto the “DPPJ on Campus” option under the same “All Ages” Menu tab at the top of our Homepage. These resources are not only FREE but have also been tested by young adults on many college campuses around the country. These materials have proven themselves as highly effective tools to educate and equip Christian university students who face the most aggressive anti-Israel and anti-Christian rhetoric and indoctrination of any age group today.

Christian children and young adults have the very same Holy Spirit in them as adult believers, and God expects us to train them to cooperate with His Holy Spirit in the disciplines and the ministry of the Kingdom. Teaching a child to pray cannot be just intellectual, but must also be experiential if it is to be transformational in their lives. Plan to include EVERY GENERATION in your family and church fellowship on October 6^th as you pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Download these FREE Resources today!

 Resources for Ages 3 - 19: DPPJ for Kids

Resources for College Students: DPPJ on Campus

 The more we can increase the active participation and partnership with children and young people in the work of The Kingdom, the better we serve them and the stronger The Church will be.

Guest blog by Mary Ann Turner

Grandma and I are seated in her kitchen. Grandma is on one side of the small table, and I am sitting across from her. I am sure that I already know the answer, but I ask anyway:  “If you could choose just one thing you would like for me to know and remember, what would that one thing be?”  Without hesitation, she says, “Have faith in God.”                                                         

She prayed daily; she trusted in God. Her faith is her legacy.  In heaven, Grandma’s prayers are a fragrance, residing in “golden bowls full of incense.” The Bible tells us in Revelation 5:8 that these are the “prayers of the saints.”

When we, as believers in Christ pray, our prayers reside in heaven. God hears every single prayer. What a privilege we have to come boldly before the throne of grace on behalf of our grandchildren. 

I am so thankful for my praying grandmother. After her death, my parents gave me her prayer book.  I look at the treasured gift, and I imagine Grams sitting in the straight-backed chair in her modest bedroom. I picture her turning the pages, giving thanks, asking big and boldly, and maybe shedding tears on our behalf.

I want my grandchildren to know and to remember me as a grandma who prays. What a comfort it is to know that our prayers are a fragrance to God, still active and alive after our feet have left this earth.

Guest Blogger: Mary Ann Turner has been married to Mark for 31 years. They have two married children and two grandsons. Mary Ann leads the Journey Women’s Ministry team at Christ Church in Fairview Heights, Illinois. She writes about the intersection of life and faith at www.maryannturner.com. Check out her blog.

I have heard it said that there are three kinds of people in this world: those who do evil, those who fight evil, and those who do nothing.

WHICH ONE AM I? WHICH ONE ARE YOU?

"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing."-- Albert Einstein

 People are imperfect, and since The Church is made up of people, The Church is imperfect too. Yes, Christians are supposed to be different from the world – after all we DO have the power of The Holy Spirit to enable us to live and love supernaturally. However, we are “sinners saved by Grace” and sanctification IS a process…therefore, The Church – historically speaking – has some “skeletons in her closet.”

 One of them is that the history of the Church has been steeped with Anti-Semitism and violence against the Jews. How so you may ask? Just one courageous look at the actions of “Christians” - generation after generation - towards the Jewish people and sadly we see anti-Semitism and superstitious hatred as justification for:

1. Slanderous and hostile statements against the Jewish people by many of our Church Fathers, including: Origen in 185 AD, Gregory of Nyssa (335 – 395 AD), John Chrysostom (4^th century), and even Martin Luther in his book “Concerning the Jews and Their Lies.”
2. The many Pogroms (i.e., a violent massacre or persecution of an ethnic or religious group, usually aimed at Jews) throughout Christian Russian & European nations.
3. The Crusades where historians tell not only of the indiscriminate slaughter of Jewish men, women, and children, but also of the 6,000 Jews who had fled to the synagogue for safety in 1099, only to be locked inside and burned alive by “Christian” Crusaders who sang hymns about the Cross of Jesus.
4. Forced conversions, expulsions, and torture of the Jews during The Inquisition in the 13th Century and the Spanish Inquisition in 1478.
5. The “Blood Libel” Myth, which began in England around 1144, accusing Jews of murdering Christian children at Passover to use their blood for Passover Matzoh.
6. The Jews were blamed for “The Black Death”- the endemic bubonic plague in the 14th Century that wiped out 1/4 of Europe’s population.
7. The Holocaust (late 1930’s - 1945) in Germany & other European nations, where 6,000,000 Jewish men, women and children or 1/3 of Europe’s Jewish population ,were slaughtered in so-called “Christian” European nations.

As part of the Church, we CAN and we MUST rectify this horrific pattern of our Christian past. Like a modern - day Abraham, Daniel, or Moses, we can take responsibility for the wrongdoings of our Christian ancestors by repenting of those sins in prayer and by actively interceding for the Jewish people, reflecting to them the true love & character of Jesus Christ.

 “Repentance is the first word of salvation (Acts 2:38), the first word of every revival (II Chron.7:14 –“turn”), and the last word of Jesus to the dysfunctional churches of Revelation 2 and 3. Repentance is counter- intuitive. We naturally resist it. However, it is the only thing that releases the supernatural energy of heaven which opens a channel of forgiveness, restoration, renewal and healing.”(Pastor Fred Beveridge)

 We can experience that blessing from God in spite of the past. Join Christians of every denomination, race, and age, in over 175 nations on October 6^th - as we reflect Jesus, The Intercessor, and make right the wrong things done against the Jews in His Name. Become part of The Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem  today!

During seminary, the professors always began their classes with prayer. Before one final exam, a student timidly raised his hand.

"Yes, what is it?" the professor asked sternly.

"Sir, aren't you forgetting one thing?"

"And just what would that be?"

"To pray for us," the student gulped.

—R.E. Lawrie, Rehoboth, Del. "Lite Fare," Christian Reader.

Visit PreachingToday.com for more illustrations and preaching resources.

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 228 | Wed 18 Sep 2013

EGYPT: SETTLING INTO A DEADLY CYCLE

by Elizabeth Kendal

When the military ousted the government of President Morsi on 3 July, it triggered an explosion of violence against Copts (the Christian, indigenous people of Egypt) as Muslim Brotherhood (MB) elites and supporters blamed them for the coup (see RLPB 218, 10 July 2013). The situation then settled somewhat as the MB prepared to challenge the military head on. Two 'sit-ins' in Cairo drew thousands of MB supporters to camp in the streets for six weeks. On 14 August, the military moved in and dispersed the protesters, massacring over 900 Egyptians in four days and triggering another explosion of Islamic violence against Coptic Christians - the worst anti-Christian violence Egypt has seen in contemporary times. A state of emergency was declared. (See RLPB 224, 21 Aug 2013.)

Whilst violence was recorded across the state [See Egypt: Mass Attacks on Churches, Human Rights Watch (22 Aug 2013)], Minya province in Upper Egypt was hardest hit and Delga, the town closest to the main highway, bore the brunt of the violence. [Delga / Delgia, mentioned in RLPB 218, is home to 20,000 Christians.] Samir Lamei Sakr, a prominent Christian lawyer, told The Guardian: 'As soon as the crackdown in Cairo started [14 August], all the loudspeakers at the main mosques in Delga issued calls for jihad.' Christian properties were marked. Sakr's home was attacked and he was hit with 13 shotgun pellets. Worse still, his cousin was killed by Islamists who then tied his body to a tractor and dragged it around the town. Bishop Macarius told The Guardian that though they called for help, 'no one answered. Not the police, not the army, not the fire service'. Even churches within sight of the provincial police headquarters were burnt. More than 100 forcibly displaced Christian families fled Delga with nothing and have nothing to return to.

On 5 September Egypt's Interior Minister narrowly escaped a serious assassination attempt in Cairo. On 12 September the state of emergency was extended by two months. On Monday 16 September heavily armed Egyptian troops stormed into Delga, arresting 56 and liberating the town from two months of Islamist control. According to Stratfor Intelligence (16 September), the military could have liberated Delga from as early as 22 August, but instead spread 'exaggerated rumours about the persecution of Copts to justify operations'. But as was flagged in RLPB 224, it is more probable that the military chose to exploit the very severe persecution (as distinct from exaggerate it), 'rather than prevent it, to legitimise military violence, military rule and requests for military aid'.

Though Christians are understandably relieved, an Egyptian human rights lawyer, Ahmed Salah, believes the crackdown is less about protecting Christians and more about exploiting the state of emergency to take revenge on those who have attacked police and stolen their weapons. Officials from the Interior Ministry confirmed that the military action had nothing to do with protecting Christians. The New York Times (16 September) reports: 'Interior ministry officials said the [military] expedition was an attempt to capture a single fugitive Islamist, and it may depart soon. The overwhelming force, they said, was merely for self-protection [as] the surrounding province of Minya is still considered a bastion of Islamist support for Mr. Morsi.' 

The violence in Egypt is settling into a deadly cycle: (1) The MB challenges the military (resisting the coup); (2) the military responds with force; (3) MB supporters react with violence against Coptic Christians (whom they blame for the coup). Then the cycle starts again. The military cares nothing for Christians and, with money coming from Saudi Arabia, it has no interest in protecting Christians but only in protecting itself. The military would kill Christians without a second thought if it felt it were in its interests to do so, as it did in Maspero, October 2011. With the MB recruiting jihadis in Algeria and beyond, it can only be anticipated that terrorism against the State and genocidal violence against the Coptic Church will increase. Egypt's Christians need our prayers.

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT -

* God, 'the hope of all the ends of the earth', will intervene in Egypt and 'still . . . the tumult of the peoples' (from Psalm 65).

* the Holy Spirit will move powerfully amongst Egyptian Christians, enabling them to stand firm in faith (Isaiah 7:9b) with confidence and assurance (Hebrews 10:35-39), so they might live radically counter-cultural lives, loving their enemies and praying for those who persecute them (Luke 6:27-36); not fearing what people fear, but honouring the Lord in all circumstances and knowing his presence according to his promise (Isaiah 8:11-15).

* the Holy Spirit will bring awakening to Egyptian Muslims, convicting multitudes of 'sin and righteousness and judgement' (from John 16:7-11); as Egypt is 'shaken' may Islam be brought down and the Lord exalted (Isaiah 2:7-21 and Hebrews 12:26-29).


SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE

EGYPT SETTLING INTO A DEADLY CYCLE

The violence in Egypt is settling into a deadly cycle: (1) The Muslim Brotherhood (MB) challenges the military; (2) the military responds with force; (3) MB supporters react with violence against Coptic Christians (whom they blame for the coup). Then the cycle starts again. The military is exploiting sectarian violence for its own ends and cares nothing for Christians. With money coming from Saudi Arabia, it has no interest in protecting Christians but only in protecting itself. The military would kill Christians readily if it felt it were in its interests to do so. With the MB recruiting jihadis in Algeria and beyond, it has to be anticipated that terrorism against the State and genocidal violence against the Coptic Church will increase. Egypt and its Christians need our prayers.


To view this RLPB with hyperlinks or to access RLPB and RLM archives, visit the Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin blog at http://rlprayerbulletin.blogspot.com

We suggest that churches and fellowships using the Summary above might also provide a copy of the listed prayer points to be used in their worship by people who are leading in prayer.

This RLPB was written for the Australian Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission (AEA RLC) by Elizabeth Kendal, an international religious liberty analyst and advocate, and a member of the AEA RLC team.

Elizabeth Kendal is the author of 'Turn Back the Battle: Isaiah speaks to Christians today' (Deror Books, Dec. 2012) http://turnbackthebattle.com/thebook.html

Elizabeth is Adjunct Research Fellow in the Centre for the Study of Islam and Other Faiths at the Melbourne School of Theology. She is Director of Advocacy for Christian Faith & Freedom based in Canberra, Australia.

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http://www.prayonsite.org/blog/being-useful-conduit-lord

PRAYER REALLY DOES CHANGE THINGS!

It changes things from the way they are, to the way they should be…from what exists here on earth, to what God has established in heaven. Your prayers and mine can make that difference; our prayers – TOGETHER – can make that shift.

This is why millions of believers from all different denominations, cultures, and generations, in over 175 nations around the world, will be participating on October 6th

in The Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem.

Will YOU be one of them?

Our prayers to heaven also need “hands and feet” here on earth, in order to give traction to God’s plans and purposes for Jerusalem. This is why hundreds of thousands of Christians - from all different denominations, cultures, and ages – not only pray, but also volunteer to bring this vision to their local church, city, or region.

Will you be one of THEM?

If you have been following our recent blogs, hopefully your questions have been answered, as to WHY Christians should pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Today, we want to answer the question; HOW Christians can be involved in this global prayer movement, right now…right where they are. Here are easy steps, to be part of what God is doing in this critical hour, that are FREE and EASY to do.

• Sign the Call to Prayer Resolution.
• Register your church as one participating in DPPJ on Oct. 6.
• Contact your local or state DPPJ Coordinator to see how you can help.
• Volunteer to mobilize your church, your city, your region, or even your state, if someone is not already doing so. Step into that gap!
• Get a Free DPPJ Informational Packet if your church is not already involved.
•  Download the DPPJ Phone APP for all Smartphones so you have everything you need to share about this strategic prayer movement at your fingertips.
• Sign up for DPPJ Prayer Texts for the 30 days, before October 6^th, so you can pray for the “behind the scenes” key leaders and volunteers, who facilitate this important work and who face daily spiritual warfare to do so.

 In upcoming weeks, we will not only continue to share more educational blogs, but also more practical ones that will link you to:

 General FREE Resources available on our website www.daytopray.com

 FREE Children's Resources for Sunday School, Youth Group, Christian School and Home   School.

 FREE Resources for College Students

 FREE translated DPPJ Resources in many languages

 Ways you can participate in “live” prayer on October 6th right from your own home.

For more information, check out the vast array of educational information and free resources available on The Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem website, or call 1-800- 51 WINGS, or Email us at office@eagleswings.to

God cares deeply about Jerusalem, and so should each one of us who call Jesus - The Jewish Rabbi – our Savior and Lord. A very wise and learned Christian Leader once said: “When we take what is special to God [Jerusalem] and make it special to us, He will then take what is special to us, and make it special to Him.”

No, He commanded you to!

In Isaiah 62:6, The Lord is commanding us to give God and ourselves, no rest, until “He establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.”

To whom is God speaking? The verse says that He is speaking to “You Who Call Upon The Lord.”

 Have you called upon the Lord for salvation? Have you called upon Him for healing, for loved ones, or for a broken marriage? If the answer is yes, then God is talking to You and to Me.

Other Bible versions translate that same phrase as: “You who make mention,” which even today, is a Hebrew business term describing the duty of a secretary, to remind her boss, what he has on his agenda for that day. As The Lord’s co-laborers and servants in our generation, we too are exhorted to remind God of what He has said He will do …to “make mention” of His promises and declarations to Jerusalem, that haven’t come to pass yet. It’s not that God forgets, but rather, He wants us to co-labor with Him, His Word, His Eternal Timeline, and His heart for Jerusalem.

God has only attached His Holy Name to two groups of people; the Church and the Jewish people (Deut.28: 10 and Numbers 6:27). Paul calls the Jews the root of Christianity in Romans 11, and Christians are called the “branches that were grafted in” through Jesus.

Has God not supernaturally ordered events to protect His Holy Land and His Holy City Jerusalem? Has He not revealed His Faithfulness to fulfill His Word and His promises to her?

• “There is no nation in history that was twice destroyed."
• "Jerusalem - Israel’s capital and religious center - was twice destroyed."
• "The people en masse were twice taken captive off the land."
• "The last captivity was for 1900 years."
• "The language was all but extinct."

"So for this nation to be reborn and have the same capital [the same language and the same religion] has to be seen as Supernatural” …the Sovereign act of God!" ( “Israel -The Blessing or the Curse” by John McTernan & Bill Koenig, pg. 48)

So what are commanded to do?

In this Isaiah 62:6 passage, God is telling us to pray: to pray day and night…to pray without ceasing…to pray without sides… and to pray from God’s perspective, not man’s.

We are called to stand in the gap and to pray for His Kingdom to come and His will to be done, on earth in Jerusalem - the spiritual center of the world – where the future Kingdom of God and the redemption of all mankind rests.

And we are to stand in that gap until He makes Jerusalem the praise in all the earth.

And when will that be? It is when all that God has planned and purposed for His Land, for His Covenant people, both Jewish and Christian, as well as for all the nations, come to pass through Jerusalem. It is THEN that “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the GLORY of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” (Hab. 2:14)

Let's begin now. Join millions of Christians around the world - October 6^th - on The Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem.

Finally, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, affectionate, compassionate, and humble.