CHALLENGE TAKEN from the pdf mentioned back here
Suggestion for today from there:
VOICE of the MARTYRS
PERSECUTION BLOG
JOSHUA PROJECT
Day 14: Pray for your Christian brothers and sisters in different countries whose persecution is quite severe compared to our (such as taking 'in God we trust' off coins, or prayers, Christmas in schools, etc.) issues.
Pray for the young lady in China who is being put to death because she professes to be a Christian. Pakistan killing Christian aid workers, or Korea arresting Christians under the auspice of being spies. Chinese house church in Sichuan raided and Chinese members were beaten and two of the bible teachers were arrested and are missing. Philippines and Puterbaugh.
Check out some sites on the Persecuted Church: Persecution International Christian Concern; Voice of the Martyrs; Persecution Blog... choose any and PRAY
Check out some sites on the Persecuted Church: Persecution International Christian Concern; Voice of the Martyrs; Persecution Blog... choose any and PRAY
Pray for teachers in these countries.
Pray that their governments will allow religious freedom. Protection for those holding services in their homes. Gas prices in foreign countries will not hinder traveling preachers from getting to their destinations to preach.
Visit one of the Persecution blogs and say a prayer.
PERSECUTION BLOG
JOSHUA PROJECT
"Around the world, many believers are persecuted -- imprisoned, even killed -- for their faith.
Since Jesus laid down His life, 43 million Christians have become martyrs.Campus Crusade for Christ International (CCCI) *** they also are doing a 40 days of worship
Right now 200 million people face persecution for believing in Jesus and 60% of those people are children, according to Christians in Crisis International Ministry, a prayer advocacy ministry for persecuted believers." ~ CCCI
PREPARATION I love what they are doing a short passage each day
Pathway to Intimacy (March 17-27)"A few days ago, we started the first 10-day segment of our 40-day journey together.We are on a pathway to intimacy that will take us to the very heart of our Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. His heart beats with love, mercy, and tenderness for each of us. The whole story of God is a love story. He is seeking—always seeking to establish or re-establish an ever deepening relationship with us. Remember, our focus during this 40 day is on Jesus. Relax in his presence, hear his voice, and know how deeply you are loved. Enjoy enriching your intimacy with the God who is crazy about you."
"Prayer is first and foremost listening to Jesus, who dwells in the very depths of your heart." –Henri NouwenLike this one:
Day 4, Pathway to Intimacy | March 20, 2011
1 John 4:10: This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
The gospel is first about receiving.
How are you posturing yourself to receive from God and others today?
A week ago, March 17th... they started with Day 1... it was a beautiful start, defining INTIMACY... a PRODIGAL start followed on Day 2 ...
The plan for the first 10 days is "Pathway to Intimacy". This is just what I was looking for when I began my journey of "40 Days Away 2 Pray"... INTIMACY with God... don't be surprised if I add this or switch to this...
Now remember our challenge for today is to PRAY for the PERSECUTED after all this extra stuff might have made us loose track of the challenge for today... Day 14...
7 comments:
The King is Coming
What is on your mind? Are you consumed with your needs, troubled about tomorrow, or meditating on how someone has mistreated you? You can change your thinking --change your perspective by setting your mind on the coming of the Lord, looking for new heavens and a new earth according to His promise, in which righteousness is to abide. Be eager to be found by Him [at His coming] without spot or blemish and at peace [in serene confidence, free from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts] (2 Peter 3:12-14).
PRAYER:
Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! I shout with joy for my King is coming! Jesus, you are the Righteous One, the Victor! Salvation now, GOD � a free and full life! I bless you out of the house of the LORD. I am the righteousness of God in Christ, and I will flourish like the palm tree, and grow tall like a Lebanon cedar along with my brothers and sisters in the Lord. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Scripture Reading: John 12:L13; Zech 9:9; Psalm 118:25-26; Psalm 92:12
The daily prayer is written by Germaine Copeland, author of the Prayers That Avail Much family book series.
©2011 Word Ministries, Inc.
The external things we might do to please God mean nothing to him if our hearts are not right with him. He wants us to seek him in humility and with penitent hearts. Bring those things to him and you will find him.
Read Psalm 51:16,17.
“You do not want sacrifices, or I would offer them; you are not pleased with burnt offerings. My sacrifice is a humble spirit, O God; you will not reject a humble and repentant heart.”
God of love,
bring us back to You.
Send Your Spirit to make us strong in faith and active in good works.
Grant this through our Lord, Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,one God, for ever and ever.
Missionaries
Father, we lift before You those in the Body of Christ who are out in the field carrying the good news of the Gospel not only in this country, but also around the world. We lift those in the Body of Christ who are suffering persecution — those who are in prison for their beliefs. Father, we know that You watch over Your Word to perform it, that Your Word prospers in the thing for which You sent it. Therefore, we speak Your Word and establish Your covenant on this earth. We pray here, and others receive the answer there by the Holy Spirit.
Thank You, Father, for revealing unto Your people the integrity of Your Word and that they must be firm in faith against the devil’s onset, withstanding him. Father, You are their Light, Salvation, Refuge and Stronghold. You hide them in Your shelter and set them high upon a rock. It is Your will that each one prospers, is in good health and lives in victory. You set the prisoners free, feed the hungry, execute justice, rescue and deliver.
In Jesus’ name, we bind you, Satan, and every menacing spirit that would stir up against God’s people.
We commission the ministering spirits to go forth and provide the necessary help for and assistance to these heirs of salvation. We and they are strong in the Lord and in the power of Your might, quenching every dart of the devil in Jesus’ name.
Father, we use our faith, covering these in the Body of Christ with Your Word. We say that no weapon formed against them shall prosper, and any tongue that rises against them in judgment they shall show to be in the wrong. This peace, security and triumph over opposition is their inheritance as Your children. This is the righteousness they obtain from You, Father, which You impart to them as their justification. They are far from even the thought of destruction; for they shall not fear, and terror shall not come near them.
Father, You say You will establish them to the end — keep them steadfast, give them strength and guarantee their vindication, that is, be their Warrant against all accusation or indictment. They are not anxious beforehand how they shall reply in defense or what they are to say, for the Holy Spirit teaches them in that very hour and moment what they ought to say to those in the outside world, their speech being seasoned with salt.
We commit these, our brothers and sisters in the Lord, to You, Father, deposited into Your charge, entrusting them to Your protection and care, for You are faithful. You strengthen them and set them on a firm foundation and guard them from the evil one. We join our voices in praise unto You, Most High, that You might silence the enemy and avenger. Praise the Lord! Greater is He Who is in us than he who is in the world!
In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
Father,
You know that not only the missionaries in the 10/40 window but the people that are in churches that are underground or being persecuted are heavily upon my heart often.
I ask that You surround them with Your Protection, endurance and perseverance! Please cover each one with Your great shield and be their Refuge, Strong Tower and strength. So just like Paul, they will still be able to PRAISE You. Help the Word guarded in their heart come to their mind and encourage them. Let praise songs well up from the inside.May Your love and grace sustain each one. Pour Your anointing over them supernaturally to overcome and defeat their captors, even perhaps win them for You!
Lord, may Your love and Your light pierce the darkness of the world around them and me as we stand strong and faithful for You today like a lighthouse.
Lord,
I come before Your Throne on behalf of those I read about in VOM, and at the Persecution Blog and other places like Open Door.
In the precious Name of Jesus, I pray:
For them to have the strength to remain true to Christ in the midst of their suffering
For their comfort and encouragement in suffering
For God to deliver them from their plight
For God’s care for their families
For their testimony to draw their persecutors to Christ
For God to be glorified and lifted up in their suffering
That we would continue to have a heart for our persecuted brothers and sisters and that God would show us practical ways to minister to them
That we ourselves will remain true to God if faced with persecution for our faith.
Thank You Jesus for being in the "furnace" with our dear brothers and sisters in Christ!
I prayed this LITANY also today written by Jay Blankespoor
Litany of Prayers for the Persecuted Church
One: Our Lord Jesus, in describing to his followers the work ahead of them, proclaims: "But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name.... You will be betrayed even by parents, siblings, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. All people will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish. By standing firm you will gain life." (Luke 21:12-14)
All: Give us the strength, Lord, to endure persecution for your name. Help us and all believers to stand firm in our faith.
One: “Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated-the world was not worthy of them." (Hebrews 11:36-38)
All: Thank You for the faithful witness of those who have gone before us and gave their lives to share Your hope with a dying world. May we learn from their example.
One: “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels." (Mark 8:38).
All: Give us and them courage, Lord, that we may speak forth light in this dark world. Forgive our weakness and our fear, transform our wavering into a certain proclamation of your salvation and justice.
One: In speaking of the body of Christ, Paul reminds us that "if one part suffers, every part suffers with it...” (I Corinthians 12:26). And elsewhere we are instructed, "Remember those in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering" (Hebrews 13:3).
All: Forgive us when we forget.
One: “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:10-12).
All: For all those who suffer for their faith-who face persecution, torment, imprisonment, separation from their families, violence, and hatred-we cry to you, Lord God. Have mercy on them.
One: “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse." (Romans 12:14).
All: We pray for those who persecute. Open their eyes and heal their lives; turn them toward peace.
One: In the midst of a desolate world, our Lord gives us this vision of a future reality: “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.'" (Revelation 21:3-4).
All: Come, Lord Jesus. Come quickly; bring Your healing to this earth.
Together: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? .... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Amen. (Romans 8:35-38).
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