Prayer
Listening to God
I’ve been searching for ways and words to express what has been bubbling in my heart as I face some of life’s imponderables—and as I seek to understand what the Lord is saying by the cues and prompts He gives me.
The prophetic book of Isaiah weighs in with some very descriptive counsel along these lines:
"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint.” - Isaiah 40:31
Engaging in the Spiritual Battle
‘For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.’ – Ephesians 6:12
Can you “hear” the hearts of our partners pleading for your prayers?
Can you “see” the “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” that are arrayed against our brothers and sisters in the Islamic world?
Bangladesh: 69 Children Missing
Submitted by Pilgrim. on September 28, 2012 - 09:20
This summer, eighty Christian children were taken under false pretenses by mullahs (Islamic clerics) to various madrasas (Islamic boarding schools) to be trained for jihad. The children were abused if they refused to pray, read the Qu’ran, or learn Arabic. Eleven of the children have been rescued, but the other 69 are still missing.
Faithful in the Little Things
While visiting our ministry partner's compound in Bangladesh (Sept 2010), I was deeply impressed by his humility and constant attitude of service. He sees the orphan and the widow, and cares for them. He meets the alien and stranger, and offers them shelter. Although he bears on his body the marks of persecution, he truly loves his oppressors and seeks their salvation. Yet none of his actions are motivated by gaining praise or attention for himself. Both in the little tasks and the big ones, it’s all about Who he’s serving.
Answered Prayer
In May 2008, Muslims from Saleman village in Indonesia attacked Christians in nearby Horale. They burnt crops, homes, churches, and a school. Several Christians were brutally killed and over fifty were injured. Survivors fled into the jungle. A week later, Muslims claimed that Horale belonged to them. They filed a legal case to claim ownership of the land.
Continuing to Pray
Hope in the Midst of Sorrow
Deeper Life Bible Church in Gomb, Nigeria, is located right next to a mosque. On the evening of Thursday, January 5, gunmen emerged from the mosque and attacked the church during a prayer service. Nine people were killed and nineteen wounded.
Former Jihadist Turns to Christ
When Hassan Sharif Lubenga told his jihadist friends about the dream he had of Jesus, they threatened, “Do not make such a mistake again – we are ready to help you. If you continue with this move, then we will destroy you. You know that you are a sheikh.” Although he says it took years for him to make a full commitment to Christ, in the intervening time he faced persecution just for exploring Christianity.
Prayer - Our Settled Resource
“And whatever you ask for in prayer, having faith and {really} believing, you will receive.” Matt. 21:22
Ayaan Hirsi Ali:The Global War on Christians in the Muslim World
An overview of what Christians are suffering in Nigeria, Sudan, Egypt, Pakistan, Indonesia, Ethiopia etc.compared to the so-called 'Islamophobia' here in the West. "A fair-minded assessment of recent events and trends leads to the conclusion that the scale and severity of Islamophobia pales in comparison with the bloody Christophobia currently coursing through Muslim-majority nations from one end of the globe to the other.
Praying in Saudi Arabia
Although Saudi Arabia is considered to be 100% Muslim, some non-Muslims, many of whom are foreigners, do live there.
The Prayers of Many
Asia Bibi (also known as Asia Noreen) was arrested in June 2009 and sentenced to death for blasphemy in November 2009 in Pakistan. Those who receive the prayer guide have been praying for Asia since 2009.
Christian Prisoner Released in Iran
We don’t have many details about this woman freed from prison in Iran, besides what is narrated in today’s prayer request. How many others are there like her, who have been waiting for their release from prison, in bondage because of their faith? We may not know the details of their stories, but we know that God does! Thank you for praying for this released prisoner and others like her.
The Waiting Continues
Pastor Yousef (alternatively spelled Youcef) Naddarkhani has been in jail for a long time, and may remain there for quite a while longer. He was arrested and imprisoned in October 2009, sentenced to death a year later, and now after a second year his case has been delayed again.
Wrestling in Prayer
The Old Testament is full of examples of faith that challenge us and encourage us to pray. Let’s take a look at Genesis 32:23-31, where Jacob has an encounter with a mysterious wrestler, someone many Christians believe was a manifestation of the pre-incarnate Christ. Jacob, if you remember, is about to be re-united with Esau. He is afraid, and has sent his family and livestock on ahead for their protection.
We pick up the account in Genesis 32:23-31:
A Prayer for Guidance (by George Washington)
O Eternal and Everlasting God, I presume to present myself this morning before Thy Divine majesty, beseeching Thee to accept of my humble & hearty thanks, that it hath pleased Thy great goodness to keep & preserve me the night past from all the dangers poor mortals are subject to, and has given me sweet & pleasant sleep, whereby I find my body refreshed & comforted for performing the duties of this day, in which I beseech Thee to defend me from all perils of body & soul.
God's Promise in Rocky Soil
There is a temptation (and I confess I’m susceptible myself) to expect that if God calls us to do something, then it will be easy. God calls Christians to pray—therefore, prayer should be effortless. However, this expectation of ease is drastically different than the picture we find in Scripture.
By This Time Tomorrow...
Scripture is clear: God is all-powerful; it is His hand that is mighty; it is His kindness that saves. Just look at 2 Kings, chapters 6-7. Israel is in distress—the king of Aram, Ben-Hadad, has besieged Samaria and famine has overtaken the city. There is no food; mothers are eating their children. Israel’s king, Jehoram, is in despair from the misery of his people. He sends his messenger to Elisha, a prophet of God mighty in word and deed.
Children in the Persecuted Church
Normally we tend to think of the persecuted church as comprising adult believers, but children can be equally hit by persecution, and their stories can be especially heartbreaking. A surprising number of the persecution incidents that Smyrna uncovered this past month (and that will be in the March prayer guide) involve kids and teens.
While we prayed...
Three Sundays ago, while I was in a Sunday school class praying for persecuted Christians, Muslim soldiers were torturing Michel Loua, an imprisoned pastor in Conarkry, Guinea. As my friend Jacob opened the service with a hymn, Michel was laying in his own blood, shot through the heart. By the time seminary student David started preaching, the soldiers had already dragged the pastor’s mangled corpse to a hospital and dumped it there.
Yes, we can read......who's asking?
The brutality suffered by Christians outside the West is a reality, and it boggles my mind how we, living in free countries, are still so ignorant and so silent about their torment...especially when even a half-hearted search unearths quantities of documented, modern-day persecution. What are we reading?
Skylines & city streets...
"For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living." - Romans 14:8-9
Skylines & city streets...
Get Literal
"IF you remain in me and my WORDS remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you."
- Jesus Christ, John 15:7.
She was clinging hard to hope.
