Praying for Syria

PRAY FOR:
• the Lord to carry out His plans and purposes for Syria. Ask Him to use this time of unrest to draw the people of this nation into relationship with His Son. (The Bible, Isaiah 55:8,9)
• those who have lost family and friends in this violence to be comforted. Pray for security forces to use restraint in dealing with crowds. (The Bible, II Corinthians 1:3,4; Psalm 86:15)
• Christians in Syria to stand firm in the Lord, interceding for their country and sharing their faith with boldness. (The Bible, Ephesians 6:10,11,18,19)
• the salvation of President Bashar al-Assad. Pray for many in the government to put their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. (The Bible, II Timothy 2:1-4)
• the Lord to raise up leaders who will rule Syria with humility and integrity. (The Bible, Daniel 2:21)
• corruption to be rooted out in the government. Pray for the Lord to keep terrorist groups from gaining control. (The Bible, Psalm 12:8)
• Arab Muslims in Syria and throughout the Middle East to have the opportunity to hear the Gospel. Pray for a great harvest of souls. (The Bible, John 4:35)
• the Kingdom of God to come to Syria in power, with signs, wonders, miracles, dreams and visions. (The Bible, Acts 2:17)

Prophetic rain, healings and testimonies!

So this past weekend we did some ministry at a Church down south of us. They have a huge heart to see revival in their community. As we drove down there Cody told me that yesterday he had prophesied that it was going to rain today at 3pm and 3:30pm and that it would be a sign of what God was doing through their Church. Little did we know... 

So we got there and were greeted by some members, we talked about God’s heart for the neighborhood, shared some cool testimonies and then prayed with them. We felt like a prayer walk would be a good idea and maybe meet some of the folks living there. While we were praying we shared how we felt that breakthrough would come as the Churches unite. At that time we knew about another Church having a lunch thing and so we headed there. On our way there, right at 3pm, it rained for about 30 seconds. We laughed and praised God, feeling renewed in our expectancy of that which God was doing. By the time we got to the park the party was over, but we met the leaders of the Church that was hosting the event, and their words - we have come here to unite the Churches and serve the neighborhoods. We laughed and praised God for such a wonderful divine appointment.

I looked at my watch and since Cody’s word was right on the first time at 3pm, i felt my heartbeat raise as we neared 3:30pm, in fact, i was a little worried that this next down pouring would be a little bit bigger than the first. And guess what, at 3:30p the rain started to come down again, this time however it didn’t stop. We walked back, enjoying (somewhat) the fresh rain, and got completely soaked. God doesn’t ever hold back. :-)

We had a great time, reconnected with friends and family. We saw God speak truth to peoples hearts, He encouraged us all through testimonies of what He has done in the past and will do in the future. And some people got healed! This one man had neurological damage in his hands, he had no feeling in his fingers or palms - guess what - now he does! Another man had intense pain in his thumbs - guess what - he doesn’t anymore! Another sweet 82 year old lady was so eager for her hearing to be restored that she took out her hearing aids during the teaching - guess what - she started hearing again! 82! Nobody is too old to get healed, God loves them all and wishes them all to be in perfect health! That’s what Jesus died for! The head pastor had ringing in his ears from a fireworks explosion years ago. 1 ear got 100% healed, another about 80-90%, we’re expecting a full healing testimony soon! We also saw some knees healed and just all round encouragement and excitement for God Himself. He truly is so good.

How can I Pray Effectively for Japan and the Arab World?

How can I pray effectively for the crisis in Japan, in the Arab World, and elsewhere?

• Pray for those in leadership –
o For those who are followers of Jesus: to experience Him as their Wonderful Counselor
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.” Ps. 32:8
o For those who do not know Jesus: to seek the Truth and True Wisdom
“With Him are wisdom and might; To Him belong counsel and understanding.” Job 12:13

• Pray for those suffering—
o For those who know Jesus to experience His presence and peace and be ready to share the hope within them with others
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 4:6-7
o For those who do not yet know Jesus, to ask the eternal questions which cause them to seek with open hearts
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My load is light.” Matt. 11:28-30

• Pray for those responding—
o For His strength, wisdom, protection as they serve
“For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.” Heb. 6:10
o For integrity and endurance
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us…” Eph 3:20
o For believing responders to recognize those whose hearts are hungry for Truth and be able to share good news in a way that is easily understood
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ… Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”Col 4:2-6

• Praise God that He turns what is evil to good for His glory—
o Pray for recognition that God can bring good results from harmful circumstances and for much fruit that remains for His glory
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So, then, don’t be afraid.” Gen. 50:20
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Rom 8:28
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” 2 Cor 4:16-17


• Pray for God to help the scientists and experts address the challenges with nuclear plants wisely: “As you all know, the nuclear plant problem is not of only Fukushima pref. and if it doesn’t get solved, we can’t start restoration process there. I really believe we all should pray fervently in one accord on this matter as an urgent prayer point.”

• Pray for transportation solutions, for food & water to be able to reach those in desperate need, for warmth and shelter for refugees:

Japan: Christian leads nuclear response team

Christian missionaries in Japan report that the man given the task of fixing the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex is Naoyoshi Sato, who is a member of the country's tiny Christian community. Sato is the vice minister of construction and transportation. He has been placed in charge of the response team at the endangered nuclear plant to cool the overheated reactor.

Christians in Japan are asking the global church to pray for Sato. They say he needs God's wisdom and strength to endure the potentially crushing burden of averting a nuclear catastrophe and stop the radiation leaking from the plant. All six of the nuclear complex's reactor units saw trouble after the earthquake and resulting tsunami knocked out cooling systems

Developing a Culture of Prayer

by Billy Humphrey

Many pastors and leaders desire to have powerful prayer ministries in their churches. Most understand that prayer is an essential foundation for ministry. Unfortunately many of our prayer meetings are sparsely attended, while many in our churches are fairly prayer-less. Oftentimes, efforts to cultivate prayer through sermon series or special events only inspire for a short time. After a month or two, interest wanes and we return to the place we began, desiring and needing more prayer.
Over the last several years, I have talked with many pastors and leaders about the subject of cultivating prayer in the local church. It is evident that prayer is an issue the Holy Spirit is emphasizing across the earth in this hour. How then shall we heed the Spirit’s call to really engage with God’s heart?
Perhaps the answer is not adding additional prayer meetings or doing special events for prayer. Perhaps the answer can be found by shifting the culture of our church so that we don’t simply have prayer meetings, but rather we develop a prayer based culture. Certainly Jesus’ words, “My House shall be called a house of prayer,” speak of this concept – the church living and breathing in a culture of prayer and operating from this essential foundation. If we don’t put prayer at the center of our church culture, other pursuits and agendas will always fight against it until we end up with few prayer meetings, with few in attendance.
How then do we embark on developing a “culture of prayer?”
1) It must start with the senior leader. When the senior leader develops a personal lifestyle of prayer, it will lead to the church developing a culture of prayer. This is more than just prayer meetings, but living in intimacy with God through prayer. No one else in your ministry can set the pace for a culture of prayer. Edwin Louis Cole said, “The character of the kingdom is set by the character of the king.” That saying is never truer than with the issue of prayer. Leading prayer is not something you can delegate. You may think that you are too busy to lead another initiative. However, this is one initiative you CANNOT be too busy to lead. Senior-leader led prayer will help cultivate a culture of prayer throughout your church.
2) Make prayer the top priority for your staff. I encourage Pastors to re-think the way they spend time in “the office.” What if you dedicated your first 2-4 hours a day for worship, prayer & study with your staff? Rather than spending your first hours busying yourselves with “ministry work”, gather together every morning for several hours to seek the Lord. Do the works of the ministry only after you have ministered to the Lord of the work. It takes hours in prayer to develop a culture of prayer.
3) Teach on prayer and subjects that build prayer. The culture of our church is largely built by what we emphasize in our preaching. Intimacy with God, The Majesty of God, the Sermon on the Mount, Revival, Holiness and Eschatology are all subjects that help fuel prayer.
4) Recognize prayer is the life source for all we do in the kingdom. Allow prayer to be the catalyst from which preaching, teaching, discipleship & outreach are birthed. Some think of prayer as fertilizer that causes the church to grow. Prayer is not the fertilizer; it’s water – without it there will be NO ministry.
It may seem radical to shift the entire culture of your church in order to simply build more prayer. Truly building prayer however, is more intensive than just adding a new ministry or department. It will require grace, time, patience & real commitment.
If the church is to become a ‘house of prayer’ we must transition the culture of our churches to a culture of prayer. I pray that we hear & obey the Spirit’s invitation and become the praying church that Jesus desires us to be.

Quote: John G Lake's Ministry

"Dr. Lake came to Spokane. He found us in sin. He found us in sickness. He found us in poverty of spirit. He found us in despair, but he revealed to us such a Christ as we had never dreamed of knowing this side of heaven. We thought victory was over there, but Dr. Lake revealed to us that victory was here, a present and possible reality. We regarded death almost as a friend, but Dr. Lake came and revealed to us the Christ, all-glorious and all-powerful, that is triumphant, compassionate, and lovely, and our night was turned into day and despair was turned into laughter. A light shone in the darkness and we, who found Christ at last as He really is, only have words as the words of Thomas, who said, "My Lord and My God." John G Lake Biography

Update from our Team in Japan

Thank you so much for praying for the situation in Japan. Here is the latest from our teams:

There have been well over 150 aftershocks some of them around intensity 5. These are very nerve racking for those who so recently experienced the big earthquake. Another Intensity 7 tremor is forecast on the Pacific Side sometime on Monday to Wednesday – potentially around Nagoya area
Radiation is predicted to come to Ishikawa in three days, where OM Japan is located; the government is evacuating old people in the area of the Fukushima Nuclear Plant
Although electricity is restored, there is a shortage of food and water; telephones and mobile phones are very unreliable.
Volunteers have come from many nations to help. American Nuclear experts are here to help.

• Pray for both Emerita and for Sarah and the family, as Nob and Owen are both away from home attending ILM.
• Pray concerning the nuclear issue, there are suggestions to wear hats and coats outside and shower when coming inside in case of fall out.
• Everyone is stressed by the constant aftershocks.
• Please pray that the predicted earthquake doesn’t eventuate
• Panic buying has started – there is no petrol, bread, candles, rice and many other supplies.
• The weather is forecast to be extremely cold, and with limited electricity, this will make life even harder
• Pray that God can use this for His glory and draw people to Himself

Japan: The Spiritual Temperature

The areas affected by the earthquake and tsunamis of Miyagi, Fukushima, and Ibaraki are some of the most spiritually needy places in Japan. With over 4.9 million people yet only about 9,000 active Christians (about 0.15%). Fukushima has the lowest average worship attendance with only 19 per church. There are one city and 44 towns with no church. There are 86 missionaries assigned to these prefectures.
One town in Ibaraki has over 46,000 people with no church (OperJpn 24) and several others have over 24,000 people with no churches. Average attendance for all the churches in Japan is the lowest in Fukushima prefecture. Ibaraki prefecture has the least number of people claiming to have any religious beliefs.

See http://www.gospelrest.com for more information on this area of Japan

Education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The Ministry of Higher Education is responsible for all the universities and institutions of higher education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The main purpose of education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the sound and complete understanding of Islam and Islamic values as well as enabling Saudis to acquire skills and different aspects of knowledge.

Pray that as students delve deeper into the Qur'an, Jesus will reveal Himself to them as more than a prophet.

OM Team in Japan

On March 11th just before 3pm local time (6 a.m. GMT), the biggest earthquake on record to hit Japan, struck the north east coast in Sendai, triggering a 10m tsunami that swept away everything in its path.

OM Japan faces the Japan Sea side, and so the team were not affected, although they experienced many aftershocks.

OM team members living in Tokyo are all safe. Although they have experienced many earthquakes, this one was longer and stronger than anything they’ve experienced. Pictures fell off shelves, books flew out of bookshelves, the TV crashed to the ground, the printer fell down and heaters shut down. They – along with many others, currently have no hot water nor can they use their oven. Huge aftershocks continued for hours. The café where they have ministry seems to have only sustained minor damage, the microwave falling down, the oven being moved and a lot of crafts falling with some breakages.

Emerita Sakai reports that the devastation of the tsunami is beyond description with people on the rooftops of tall buildings, cars flowing like plastic bottles. Throughout the area there has been significant flooding and a number of fires caused by the quake as well as tsunami warnings. A few nuclear plants have been affected by the earthquake and a petrol depot is burning. People reported seeing a flow of cars being carried by the waves like plastic bottles.

Many have died but numbers are not confirmed yet.

We value your prayers for ongoing safety, for those who have lost lives and properties and for the clean up process.

Our team in Japan thanks you for your prayers and concerns.

Pray for the Saudi People

The Saudi government has banned all kinds of demonstrations. The religious leaders have declared that demonstrations against the country leadership violated Islamic law. More than 17,000 Facebook users are still calling for a 'day of rage' this Friday. There will most certainly be bloodshed if protesters do as planned. Pray for Christ to come to the Saudi people. Pray tens of thousands come to faith. Pray for God's church to be planted among the Saudi people.

China-The National People's Congress

The National People's Congress (NPC) will convene in Beijing in March 2011. This NPC will approve China's 12th five-year plan which give opportunity to see the direction of China and to gauge implication for all working in China. These changes will affect education, economics, foreign policy, and many other areas. How will transition occur while ensuring social stability? The meeting will last for two weeks and is the "supreme organ of state power" making laws and electing the highest leaders in China. It approves the decisions and plans handed down by the Party.
Please pray:for a spirit of harmony among the delegates and a desire to serve all the people of China; that plans developed will be successful at increasing employment in the cities, particularly among the migrant population; that the number of quality primary and secondary schools will be increased, particularly those serving migrant children; that policies adopted will not result in continuing escalation of food prices that will hurt the poor; that such policies will benefit all people and work against corruption in government; and that there would be more openness and collaboration with the international community, reducing tensions and increasing cooperation.
The Christian Church in China has grown immensely, reaching into the tens of millions. Still, there are 427 people groups within China that are unreached or "least-reached". Please pray for the protection and guidance of His people in China; for their witness to be Spirit-filled and full of love and obedience to the Word; for these unreached people groups to have His truth brought to them. ( www.win1040.com)

BURMA: HALF A MILLION MURDERS HAS YET TO CAPTURE ATTENTION

Most of the world continues to ignore a genocide in Burma. Patrick Klein, with Vision Beyond Borders says about half a million people have died at the hands of the Burmese government.
"It seems like what's happening is that the Burmese government is trying to wipe out anybody that doesn't agree with them – especially these tribal people because they're sitting on land that they [the government] want because they need the natural resources to sell to China and to other surrounding countries. So instead of moving the people and then compensating them, it's easier to just wipe them out."

And yet its hardly gained media attention. When asked why, one reputable media source said, "'This is not new; this has been going on for years.' And we said, 'But half a million people have died.' And she said, 'The American people don't want to hear about this right now.'" People are coming to Christ, but victims – especially suffering believers – feel forgotten. "Their cry has been, 'Where is the world? And where is the church? Where are our brothers and sisters in Christ? How come they're not helping us?'"

Burma-Update and Global Day of Prayer

On January 23, 2011, a force of 250 Burma Army troops entered the Manarone area of Ta Naw Tha Ri Township in southern Karen State where many Karen families were hiding. These Burma Army troops fought against the Karen National Liberation Army (ethnic pro-democracy resistance) from January 24-26. On January 27th, the Burma Army burned down 6 houses of the Karen families. On the 28th, 17 houses and a school were burned. There are 236 people from 28 families displaced. Such occurrences are quite frequent in the ethnic conflict going on inside the country. Please pray:for the safety of Karen and other ethnic families suffering as a result of this ongoing war; for the provision of food, shelter, and education; for peace to come to the land and that God's values would reign supreme.

March 13, 2011, is the Global Day of Prayer for Burma-praying for peace, justice, and religious freedom for all the peoples of Burma. www.csw.org.uk

Pray for Lebanon

On February 14, 2005, Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was assassinated. Since that time no group has claimed responsibility and a special tribunal was set up to investigate. Local newspapers are saying that the plan is to make an official announcement sometime between 8th and 10th of March. The announcement as to who the tribunal believes were behind the killing has been pushed off in the past, but no one really knows what might happen if the announcement is made. There has been much speculation that members of Hezbollah will be accused of killing former Prime Mimnister Hariri.

Pray for Lebanon these days, and that no more blood will be shed

Ongoing Protests

The call for political change which began in Egypt and Tunisia continues to have a domino effect throughout the Arabian Peninsula with new protests planned in Kuwait on March 8, Saudi Arabia March 11 and Qatar on March 16. The leaders of GCC countries which include also UAE, Oman and Bahrain are considering together how to appease their citizens with financial incentives.

Please pray for a peaceful resolution to the political challenges that are in motion in Yemen, Bahrain and Oman. Pray that the planned demonstrations in previously unaffected countries will be peaceful. Ask that Justice and Righteousness will reign in the Arabian Peninsula.

Into The Jungle- Hearts Sounds International

In a few hours time I will fly to Lima, Peru and connect with my missionary son, flying up from Chile to join me. We are part of team of 25 going camping. This is camping with a purpose, and it’s no holiday. We move on by plane, bus and boat deep into the jungles to meet up with the Urarina people. There is a medical team to help them develop habits of good health. The leaders of Faith Comes By Hearing will use the Urarina audio NT to help new believers follow Christ. Heart Sounds International co-founder and I are on the music survey and research team making recordings and asking questions how they make music. Our intention is huge--to encourage the Urarina to start a movement of indigenous worship. Our quiet but intrepid leader said it all so simply: “The Urarina is just a beginning for you. We’ve got to trust God for reaching tribals across the planet. Get an army of musicians trained.” In an obscure region of supersized plant and animal life we need some supersized prayers. And don’t forget to pray that the repellant and mosquito nets do their job. For the Heart Sounds International team,

Ongoing Prayer For Libya

PRAY FOR:
• an end to the bloodshed in Libya. Pray for the Lord to touch the hearts of the military forces and for them to refuse to murder fellow citizens. (Romans 12:17)
• the salvation of Muammar al-Qadhafi. Ask the Lord to direct this man's heart and lead him to do the right thing in Libya. (I Timothy 2:1-4; Proverbs 21:1)
• the Lord to raise up leadership in Libya that will bring Him glory. Pray for Him to protect Libya and keep it from being ruled by wicked men and women. (Daniel 2:21; Proverbs 2:12)
• Christians in Libya to avoid the temptation to panic and live in fear. Pray for the Lord to fill them with strength and courage. Ask Him to provide them with opportunities to share the Gospel in this crisis. (Joshua 1:7; I Corinthians 16:9)
• Muslims in Libya to be set free from the lies and bondage of Islam. Pray for the Lord to pour out His Holy Spirit on this nation and its people. (Colossians 1:13; Acts 2:32,33)
• the power of God to be evidenced in this conflict. Pray for God's people around the world to cry out to Him on behalf of Libya. (Psalm 68:28; Colossians 4:2)
• a great harvest of souls from this crisis. Invite the Kingdom of God to come to Libya, as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10)

Arab World Prayer Gathering

March 4, 2011

Visit the following web site for an excellent overview of the region and points to pray on 4th march and the coming days.

http://ywamlife.com/Resources/Arab-World-Prayer-Gathering-Prayer-Pack

Incredible, unprecedented, history making – these are the words people are using to describe what is happening in the Arab World in these days. One TV commentator has said “It's like a giant hand is moving in the region.”

The massive fires of protest movements spreading across the Arab World began with a single spark in a small rural town in the small North African country of Tunisia. In the few weeks following the successful overthrow of its repressive and corrupt government by the Tunisian people, fourteen more Arab countries across North Africa and the Middle East have seen protesters take to the streets. Their hope is that if it can happen in Tunisia, it can happen elsewhere.

Until last month, virtually all Arab countries were governed by a repressive regime. Often, succession has been handed down from father to son, and some countries have had the same leader for over 40 years. The gospel has been severely restricted and, in many countries, Christians have been strongly persecuted. But the last few months have seen a wave of momentous change begin to sweep across the region. As the harsh regime in Tunisia fell, those longing for freedom and expression in neighboring countries have been emboldened to take their own protests to the streets
demanding change. Regimes that inspired fear in their people and looked rock solid have fallen in only a matter of weeks. And in each case it's been a popular uprising, usually led by young people.

In recent years millions of God's people have poured countless hours of prayer in to the Arab World. God led us into many prayer initiatives like the 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World. And now, in response to those prayers, God is moving. “It's like God has been storing our prayers in the bank, but now he is bringing them out to 'spend'. It seems his goal is to transform the whole region”. But this doesn't mean the need to pray is over. In reality, it's just the beginning. Our stored up prayers are the engine of the change God is bringing. Now it is time to pray prayers that will bring direction to that movement.

Will these changes continue to come violently? Will they bring real freedom, dignity and justice to the peoples of the Arab World? Will the gospel continue to be repressed or become freely available for all people? These are the questions that hang in the balance, and this is why we need to be in prayer.


Thank you for joining us at this history-making time for the Arab World. May the Lord
multiply our prayers, and the effects they have on the region.