The Hajj is an annual pilgrimage required of all Muslims who are able.  During the 3-day event, around 3 million Muslims from all over the world flock to Mecca (Saudi Arabia) to perform sacred acts and follow the steps of Muhammad, their prophet. This year, the Hajj will start on September 21st and last for 3-4 days.

Muslims participate in the pilgrimage and rituals of  Hajj because it allows them to seek forgiveness for their sins; however, even the Hajj is not a guarantee of forgiveness.  Muslims know Jesus as Isa al-Masih, a prophet recognized by Mohammed; but to speak of him as Savior or as God is blasphemy to a Muslim.  The city of Mecca itself is forbidden to all non-Muslims.

Christians around the world pray for Muslims during Hajj (similar to prayers for the Muslim world during Ramadan).  This is a time where Muslims making the pilgrimage are sensitized to spiritual matters.  Some have had visions of Isa al-Masih during this time - proof that God is still breaking through to Muslims even as they seek to earn forgiveness from someone who is not God.  A prayer guide for the Hajj, from Praying Through the Arabian Peninsula (PTAP) is attached.  Please join us in prayer!

Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam, and one of the harshest countries in the world for Christians.  Ranked #12 on Open Doors' 2015 World Watch List, Saudi Arabia is defined by a purist version of Islam called Wahhabism.  Practice of any other religion is forbidden, and conversion to another religion is punishable by death.  According to the World Watch List, radical Islam finds a breeding ground in Saudi Arabia, and Saudi funding of terrorism abroad is the main source of Sunni terrorism in the world.  Converts to Christianity from Islam face the risk of being killed or abused by their own families. House churches are often raided by the religious police. 

Saudi oil money funds a worldwide propagation of Islam through aid to sympathetic countries, building mosques, sending missionaries, distributing literature, and funding of Western educational institutions with the condition that they must build a center for Islamic studies.  The Saudi government denies Christians the liberty to share their faith, but expects Muslims to be granted this liberty elsewhere.

All Saudi citizens are officially Muslim and it is impossible for a non-Muslim to gain citizenship. However, the large expat population (more than 30 percent) includes Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs. It is not permissible to practice any form of religion publicly, other than the government-sanctioned interpretation of Sunni Islam. Despite this, there are a number of secret Saudi believers – perhaps even a large number.

September 23 is the annual Saudi Day of Prayer, this year coinciding with the final day of the Hajj.  We invite you to join in prayer on this day for the country of Saudi Arabia, as well as for Muslims on the Hajj.

Prayer Guide for Hajj:  Hajj2015US.pdf

Operation World: Prayer for Saudi Arabia:  http://www.operationworld.org/saud

World watch list prayer for Saudi Arabia:  http://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/saudi-arabia/

Catalyst

So just what is a catalyst? Chemistry students will likely think of a substance that brings about a chemical reaction. But another definition is, a person or thing that precipitates an event. Have you ever experienced a person enter into a room full of hostile and hateful people and seen them thaw out, smile, and enjoy a new atmosphere for a while? This reminds me of a report from the earlier Welsh revival. The revival so vividly transformed the vocabulary of the coal miners, that they had to retrain the mules to understand their new commands.

When a movement sweeps in and overnight changes what comes out of the mouth of a salty coal miner, this is an unmistakable work of God. If you doubt that, just how successful have you been in controlling your own mouth?

But this introduction merely sets the stage for a difficult question. What precedents might have led up to such a sweeping revival that is impossible for men to orchestrate? So in our considerations today of possible factors that have preceded revival, we now ask, “what might be considered a catalyst for revival?” From our beginning definition I’d like to propose that we are looking for a person or thing that precipitates an event. I am going to suggest that a revival catalyst is a person whom God uses through persistent prayer and godly attitudes and attributes to precipitate revival that only God can bring about. What might that list of qualities include?

Listed below are several attributes that seem to capture God’s attention as he looks us all over to find a heart that he can trust.

• Humility
• Brokenness over personal, regional, and national sin
• Hunger and thirst for God
• Obedience, as a way of responding to God’s love
• Keeping our word, especially when it hurts
• Patience and endurance, especially in prayers of humility, repentance, adoration, & intercession
• Integrity
• Holiness
• Passion (Hot; NOT lukewarm)
• Respect, Honor, “Fear,” Worship of God
• Desperation

Please respond in two ways: 1-let me know what qualities are missing; 2- join me in praying for revival beginning with us and moving outward throughout God’s sphere of influence.

For inspiration I have two suggestions: 1-go next week to see the movie War Room; 2- read up on the Moravians who gave up their bickering, gripes, and hostilities for unquenchable round-the-clock prayer that promoted John 17 unity and whetted the appetite for thousands to love and serve God!

A House of Prayer - DWELL has been set up to service the St George and Sutherland Shire areas in NSW, Australia. Check out the website www.dwell.org.au. It is early days but if you live in either of these areas and want prayer support contact Dwell or myself ron@bakb.com.au. I have two other websites www.livingeternal.net which largely defends the authority of scripture and the other for business people www.buildakingdombusiness.com.

See You at the Pole, Wednesday, September 23, 2015  - Global Week of Student Prayer

Sunday, September 20 through Saturday, September 26, 2015 

Have you heard of See You at the Pole? It is a time when students gather around the school flagpole to pray. ! The Global Week of Student Prayer is dedicated to prayer and launching your on-campus Bible clubs, prayer strategies, and student ministries.

I think it is great time for grandparents to pray for this event, especially if you have teenage grandchildren. One - that the school will allow students to gather at the flagpole to pray,. Second -  that Christian students will take a stand strong in the Lord to unite in prayer interceding for their generation.

We read in Acts 1:14, “They all met together and were constantly UNITED in prayer.”  The theme verse follows Paul’s famous passage on the armor of God, challenging and encouraging Christ followers to stand strong in the Lord and be His representatives to share the Good News of the Gospel. For the last 25 years, See You at the Pole has been about one simple act—prayer. See You at the Pole is about students uniting themselves in prayer before God interceding for their generation.

There are two opportunities to unite in prayer with their friends:

• DAY: SEE YOU AT THE POLE day is on Wednesday, September 23, at 7:00 a.m. local time. All around the globe, in every time zone, students will be gathering at their flagpoles, praying for their school, friends, families, churches, and communities. SEE YOU AT THE POLE is a day committed to global unity in Christ and prayer for your generation.

WEEK: The GLOBAL WEEK OF STUDENT PRAYER (Sunday, September 20 through Saturday, September 26) encourage students to find new and unique ways, places, and times to pray throughout the week. Whether your grandchildren attend PUBLIC SCHOOL, PRIVATE SCHOOL, or HOME SCHOOL, encourage them to gather with their friends wherever and whenever and pray.

Pray for:

• Your school’s event on Wednesday, September 23. See You at the Pole™.
• The students who are leading and planning your See You at the Pole™ at your school.
• The Christians at your school to show up ready to pray on See You at the Pole™ day.
• The non-Christian students on your campus who will see or hear about See You at the Pole.
• Christian students on your campus to make the most of this unique opportunity to explain what happened on the morning of See You at the Pole™ and to be a witness for Christ.

To learn more about See You at the Pole go to the website: http://syatp.com

By Lillian Penner

The Hajj this year is next week, September 21-23. Every year, over two million Muslims go on this pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia to perform sacred acts and follow in the footsteps of their prophet, Mohammed. The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and should be taken by every Muslim if possible.

PTAP wants to encourage the world to pray during this crucial time. To help you pray, please visit PTAP's website and watch a video on the Hajj. You can also download prayer materials that will help you pray in detail.

http://prayforap.com/hajj

One of the main beliefs of the Hajj is that Allah will forgive all sins. Pray that the Muslims who go will have dreams and visions of Jesus during these three days and that they would find that true forgiveness of sins can only be found in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Pray all of Hebrews 9 - no rituals or sacrifices can atone for sins, only our High Priest, the Mediator of a new covenant, can bear the sins of many.

On September 11 last week,
a crane fell falling on worshippers in the Grand Mosque in Mecca where the Hajj takes place. More than hundred people were killed. This has caused different responses. Some think it is a blessing that these people died praying in the most holy place and that they will go straight to heaven. Others think of it as a punishment from God. Pray that it will make people think and seek the Truth of Jesus Christ.

And continue to pray for Yemen. "Our family is starving" - Pray for the many in Yemen who are hungry. Pray that money for them to buy food will be sent from friends and aid organizations outside of the country. Pray that their needs will be met. Jesus offers the "bread of life", to all who ask for it. Pray that these needy people will not only be physically fed but also hear the news of a Savior who will meet their spiritual needs.

I have begun a series of blog entries on the foundations of prayer. And I think The Lord's Prayer is a logical place to start. Last week I discussed approaching God as father. This week I want us to note that Jesus told us to address God as "Our Father." This whole prayer is plural. "Give us our daily bread." "Forgive us our trespasses." "Lead us not into temptation."

I am always stirred by the prayer in Acts chapter 4 that is preceded by the words,  "They lifted their voices together to God." The power of God is mightily unleashed as we pray together. In Matthew 18 Jesus gave us a special promise when we agree in prayer. He gave us that in the context of reconciling with someone who has sinned against you. And He made such reconciliation a matter that concerns the entire church. In such situations we must pray together. But his statements about His being with us when we come together in the church and when we pray together seem to apply to many situations.

Our prayers should also be in tune with God's love for all persons. I often think of Samuel's word in 1 Samuel 12:23. "God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you." It is sin for us to neglect praying for others God has brought into our lives. And that includes people we may think are less important. God is no respecter of persons. I pray daily for a family who has an autistic child. My heart is stirred every time I pray for that boy. God seems to be reminding me that He longs for that boy to come to repentance quite as much as He cares for his parents. I believe God can use that boy with his handicap quite as easily as He can use the most gifted person I know of. And even if He does not use him mightily, God loves him every bit as much as He loves me.

Lance Wallnau, says, “You get to choose the environment you create. You can create an environment that draws people to the Kingdom or pulls them out.” 

Rather than adopting your street with the intention of implementing program, folks who join ‪http:lovejax2020.org‬ and sign up to adopt their street spend time talking to God about their neighbors before they talk to their neighbors about God .… engaging in the ministry of presence and becoming more aware, alert, and awake to the fullness of the immediate moment.

Among its various ministries, the Church Prayer Leaders' Network conducts prayer conferences at local churches.  These conferences provide teaching in the form of keynote sessions and breakout groups, as well as opportunities for worship and prayer.  They also bring together a great selection of books and other resources to help participants grow in prayer.

Last week I concluded by saying I was going to ask God to put His loving arms around everyone I met that day. Frankly, I found that more difficult than it sounds. It took me the whole week to get into that groove. But I also found this to be a greater blessing on my prayers than I had suspected. 

FATHER

(The Foundations of Prayer 1)

This week I am beginning a series on the biblical foundations of prayer. We will start with The Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6. Its first words are, "Our Father."

Coming to God as our father is essential to Christian prayer. There are people who come to God as if He were their employer. They seek God to give them what they have earned by their sincerity or their righteousness. "I've been good or I will be good, so reward me, God." But coming to God as our father means we trust His fatherly love.

Coming to God as our father assums a special relationship. No one can approach the President or Prime Minister or a King in the middle of the night for as small a thing as a drink of water, but his child. Again and again Jesus urged us to bring audacious requests to God. As His children we can ask Him for anything. And of course that means we trust Him not to give us that which would harm us. Have you ever thanked God that He did not answer your prayers exactly like you prayed. I have.

As children we know we don't understand everything our parents know. We may resent or resist that fact, but we know it is true. Coming to God as our father is to rest in His understanding above our own. And yet we know He who is all powerful loves us with an infinite and everlasting love.

If I am taking The Lord's Prayer word for word, I skipped the word, "our." Next week I will deal with that little word. I am to pray not only to my father, but to our father.

http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/

http://daveswatch.com/

If you lead others in prayer, either individually or in a group setting, or if you facilitate prayer ministry, check out the Prayer Leaders group here on PrayNetwork.org.  Started by Phil Miglioratti in 2010, the group is targeted to prayer leaders, seeking to equip leaders in both their personal prayer lives and prayer ministries.

Grandparents may not have financial wealth to pass on to their children, grandchildren, and future descendants. However, it is only 10 days until National Grandparents’ Day.

Let’s invest in a Spiritual Trust Fund for our grandchildren by making it a Grandparents’ Day of Prayer on September 13.

Author Jennifer Kennedy Dean shares in her book, The Legacy of Prayer, about a spiritual trust fund that will only increase in value. She writes, “We can leave behind for our descendants a spiritual trust that can never be stolen, squandered, or lost. We can lay up a storehouse of imperishable wealth by praying for our grandchildren and future generations. Our prayers are deposits in their spiritual trust fund and will be for withdrawals when needed.”      

Our descendants do not inherit salvation. Nevertheless, we can pray our descendants will live in a constant awareness of God’s presence. Be firmly established in His Word, which will prepare their hearts for the time when they are presented an opportunity to step into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.   

We read in Proverbs 14:26, “He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge.” Jennifer Kennedy Dean also says, “As we seek the Lord ourselves, we are laying up treasures for future generations by the way God is reflected in our lives. As we invest in our own walk with the Lord and our prayers for our grandchildren and future generations, we are investing in eternity.”2 Now that is a great investment return all of us would enjoy seeing.   

I am happy to have the opportunity to invest in a Spiritual Trust Fund for each of my grandchildren, and now my three great-granddaughters. 

Let’s make Grandparents’ Day of Prayer on September 13 a day of investing prayers in the lives of our grandchildren, their parents and future generations. Help us promote this event by forwarding this blog to your friends and sharing it with your friends on Facebook.

I feel like God is waiting for us, as grandparents to unite in prayer to keep our grandchildren from falling captive to the enemy’s deception in the world they are living. I often hear grandparents say, “I may not be around very long, but I am really concerned about the future for my grandchildren.” That statement reminds me of the urgency of developing a spiritual trust fund filled with prayer for my grandchildren.  

Will you invite a group of grandparents to join you or commit to deliberately pray alone on September 13 for your dear grandchildren and their parents by going to http://www.grandparentsdayofprayer?

The greatest gift we can give our

children, grandchildren and future generations

is the legacy of a praying grandparent.

By Lillian Penner, Prayer Coordinator for Christian Grandparenting Network, info@gdptpr.com

1.   Jennifer Kennedy Dean, Legacy of Prayer Birmingham, New Hope Publishers, p. 15.

2.   Ibid p.48-49

Just wondering—Three reasons why many churches are not houses of prayer.

--One is the lack of Seminary Training in prayer and prayer ministry.

--The second is that many preachers are men—unfortunately a majority of men have trouble working through heart matters, which true deep prayer is about.

--A third reason follows the second possible reason. Since many men have a hard time relating to heart issues, they have a hard time following a pastor who does-especially when it comes to prayer.

Would like to hear comments from pastors who have struggled with their church being a house of prayer.

I took a break from my blog during the month of August, 2015. And I told you I would see you in September. Well, it is September. And I am back as I said I would be. I pray for God to speak to each of you in these entries.

I am so blessed to have people whom I love and love me on daily prayer lists. I am not sure anything cultivates my love for them like prayer. I also have the names of people on prayer lists who are hard to love or even like. Exercising kindness toward them is necessary for feeling and growing my love for these people. But these actions must begin with and be carried out in prayer.

FORGIVENESS AND PRAYER

I have people on prayer lists who have wronged me, or worse, harmed people I love. God clearly impressed me to put these people on prayer lists. But I do often find it difficult to pray for them. Praying in general helps me understand and apply the truth of God's grace to them. God's forgiving love begins to rub off on me. Especially as I put forgiveness into words by asking God, even against my will, to forgive them.

PATIENCE AND PRAYER

Interestingly enough I often need more patience with people who are closer to me than those I have trouble loving. They are sinners. And I am a sinner. We sin against each other. I thank God that prayer brings me into contact with God's patience with me. Despite what the devil accuses I can go to God in confession immediately after sinning. I am still His child even after I sin. Praying in that grace opens my heart to patience with others even when we rub each other the wrong way.

HUMILITY AND PRAYER

I am not sure anything is as necessary to love as humility. And nothing cultivates humility like access to God by grace in prayer. I do not deserve the privilege of prayer. The Son of God had to die on a cross to purchase it for me. I did not just need a little more righteousness to see the kingdom of God. I had to be born again. And I am no more deserving of God's grace than that person I find it difficult to love.

Today I plan to pray specifically for God to show His great love to everyone one my prayer lists and people I come in contact with all day.

Next week I plan to begin a series of blog entries on the Foundations of Prayer

watchinginprayer.blogspot.com

The attached article Pray for Me.docx was written in response to a request from an international member of our Pray.Network community.

Simple description: How to shift from praying for someone by asking for things to praying for them by asking questions that enable us to hear from the Spirit, scripture and even others who pray in the name of Jesus.

Comments welcome,

Phil

Pray%20for%20Me.docx

This weekend marked the opening of the highly anticipated War Room movie. As you might expect from anything so public with such a solid Christian message, the movie has had a bit of a polarizing effect in early reviews.  The movie's Facebook page has over half a million likes, with many rave reviews about not only the message of the movie, but also the entertainment value.  Reviews from outside the faith are not so positive, ranging from pure anti-Christian rhetoric to doubts about the effectiveness of prayer and the reality of spiritual warfare.

This is the confidence we have in approaching God:

that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. (1 John 5:14)

 Pray for their relationship with God:

•   That at any early age they will come to know Jesus as their Savior.  2 Timothy 3:15

•   That they will love the Lord with all their heart, soul, strength, and mind. ~ Mark 12:30

Pray for their development of godly character:

•   That they will exhibit the fruit of the Spirit. ~ Galatians 5:22-26

•   That they will become more and more like Jesus and reflect his glory. ~ 2 Corinthians 3:18

Pray for their spiritual, physical, and
emotional protection:

•   That they will be protected from the evil one.
~ Matthew 6:13

•   That they will be protected from physical harm.
~ Psalm 91:11

•   That they will be free from anxiety and worry and receive God’s peace.
 ~ Philippians 4:6-7

Pray for their relationship with others:

•   That they will honor and obey their parents.
~ Colossians 3:20

•   That they will love others. ~ Mark 12:31

•   That they will respect and obey civil authorities.
~ Romans 13:13

Pray for willing and effective ministry/service:

•   That they will share the Good News.
~ Matthew 28:19, 20

•   That they will serve the Lord with zeal and spiritual fervor. ~ Romans 12:11-12

•   That they will discover and develop their spiritual gifts. ~ 1 Peter 4:10-11

• Place a hedge of protection over children and grandchildren each day physically, emotionally and spiritually.
• Help them recognize the deception and evil in this world and be strong in their faith so they can resist the enemy.
• Draw them to Him with gentle cords of love.
• Shower them with blessings that exceed your dreams.
• Help your children and grandchildren to see themselves as God sees them full of promise, possibility, and potentiality.
• Help them to guard their hearts and be aware of God’s presence with them.

Lillian Penner, 

National Prayer Coordinator, Christian Grandparenting Network

lpenner@christiangrandparenting.net

Click here to begin reading >>>

http://www.instantflipbook.com/flipbook/AGRMRescue14-0910/

A Tennessee school district bans the American flag from being displayed on student vehicles. Planned Parenthood secretly profits from the harvesting of unborn fetal tissue. A judge orders a Christian bakery to pay a penalty for their decision not to bake an LGBT cake. The issues surrounding us in our world today are unbelievable almost, overwhelming. What should we do? Or in the words of the late Francis Schaeffer, “How Should We Then Live?*”

A close friend of mine called me a few weeks ago, horrified at the breaking news of Planned Parenthood’s atrocities. Prior to having a family, I was director of a pro-life ministry in Boston, and she knew that this issue in particular was close to my heart. She wondered what I thought, and how I was responding to the news.

Her questions are not unlike the questions many Christians are asking themselves as they are assaulted by new (and horrific) events on a daily basis. How should we respond? Are Christians too passive, as some voices have accused? Are we not to be the salt and light of the world? What kind of an impact can I have over a situation where beheadings of my brothers and sisters are taking place at gunpoint? Can I make a difference?

Continue Reading Here: 

The One Thing You Need to Do in Turbulent Times