Keeping Prayer Fresh, Vital and Enjoyable. Part 1

It was pitch black as we made our way to the prayer meeting. No street lights or lights shone from around the huts. This wasn’t Atlanta, Georgia, but right on the border between Thailand and Burma. There was no electricity. The only light was from candles burning, showing where the meeting was going to take place. Climbing up a bamboo ladder, we joined the assembled village Christians, sitting cross-legged around the perimeter of the room with 8-10 candles in the middle. I was scared the flimsy bamboo mat floor wouldn’t take the weight of four large, Western men. Then I was worried that I would knock over one of the candles and burn the meeting room down! Suffice it to say, neither happened, but what remains with me today are some significant reminders about prayer. We came to bless these faithful people, but actually what they imparted to us was far, far greater. Sitting in that environment brought home to me again how uncomplicated prayer is and yet how profound is the mystery of it. Here are some lessons I’m learning about keeping prayer vital, fresh and enjoyable! 1. Simple We can make prayer and prayer meetings too complicated. In this small hut meeting room, there was no PowerPoint, live music, video clips or pizza! Just simply people committed to meet and pray, knowing that God would meet with them. There was no program or agenda or personalities, or egos–just time spent before the Throne. Richard and I (another Englishman) lead many prayer meetings together, and he coined the phrase that we try and follow for these, which are sometimes a hour long, or two hours, a weekend or 10 days of 24/7. Our prayer meetings are simply Unstaged, Unhurried, Unsafe, Unscripted, but not unprepared. When we come to listen, be guided, by the Holy Spirit and ask the Lord to mess us up, it’s surprising what can happen! It’s not about numbers (there were only maybe 8-10 people in that hut), but in God’s eyes it’s an army. And that’s what counts! I meet with 4-8 people each week early in the morning for prayer. Right at the beginning God told us not to worry about numbers. In His eyes, one plus Himself is a majority! Very often it’s a small group that meets, but that’s enough to pull down strongholds because the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God for the pulling down of strongholds. There is nothing there about needing a certain number before that will work. Numbers, size, strength are man’s ways. God’s plumbline is about holiness, humility and unity. Nor is it about location. Anywhere is good enough to pray. We don’t need comfy chairs or kneeling benches. In fact I rarely sit when I am praying. Walking around helps keep me concentrating (and awake!). Jesus used a mountain, a quiet place; Paul used a prison; Koreans use caves; some prayer fanatics in a Southeast Asian country use long-distance buses! It’s not about performance. Jesus said to His disciples, Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense His grace. The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and He knows better than you what you need.” Matthew 6:6-8. (The Message) God listens to broken and desperate people with hearts totally dependent on Him. The outward show is nothing. It’s the heart and history we have in God in secret that matters. But it’s about His promises. “For apart from me you can do nothing.” And yet there is a lot of nothing we engage in. We have His promises throughout scripture, and we can know them, memorize them, meditate on them, pray them, and believe them. And lifestyle. Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists have a prayer culture, whereas we Christians have a prayer meeting. God never intended prayer to be merely a value or a duty but a lifestyle. “Engaging in continual prayer and fasting means embracing a way of life before the Lord that challenges everything in us. When the church corporately (or the student group) embraces and approaches prayer as a lifestyle and not a meeting, she will begin to take significant steps toward her ultimate destiny, which involves partnering with God to shape history, affect the spiritual atmosphere, and influence nations.” Dave Sliker Let us learn the secret of crying out to Him day and night to see justice released into our community, nation and world! (Luke 18:7).

Hajj. Day 3

Sacred Act #3: Jamarat (stoning) and Sacrifice As the pilgrims leave Muzdalifah, they pass through Mina again. They head to the three pillars, which represent Satan coming to Abraham three times*, to tempt him to ignore the instructions of God concerning the sacrifice of his son**. Muslims believe that Abraham threw stones at Satan. Using the stones or pebbles that they have collected, they throw them at the pillars, which represent Satan. In the stoning, pilgrims renounce evil and declare their willingness to sacrifice all they have to God. After this battle with Satan, pilgrims will kill a sheep, a goat or maybe a camel in remembrance of God's provision of a sheep sacrificed instead of Abraham's son. This sacrifice ends the formal time of Hajj. It is on this day, as well, that Muslims all over the world will sacrifice a sheep or some other animal. This is the biggest Islamic feast of the year, called Eid el Kabir (literally the Big Feast) or Eid el Adha (the Feast of Sacrifice). Key Scripture to Pray The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him. John said, "Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world." John 1:29 CryOut to the Father Ephesians 6 states "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against... the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Muslims understand there is a spiritual battle caused by Satan. Throwing rocks at Satan during the day of stoning is meaningless apart from the cross and resurrection which defeated Satan. Pray that they would see that only Jesus defeated sin, Satan and death. May they know that in Christ, we have mighty weapons "for the tearing down of strongholds." (2 Corinthians 10:4) Thank the Lord that Muslims see the importance of sacrificing an animal. In the Old Testament, it meant forgiveness of sins. After Jesus died on the cross, animals no longer were sacrificed, for His death covered all of our sins. Pray that Muslims will understand the meaning behind the sacrifice and cross of Jesus. Ask that God would overwhelm people with the truth and reality of Jesus' death on the cross. Ask that the Holy Spirit would move in people's hearts so that they can receive this as truth. Ask God to give Muslims understanding that Christ has overcome all the powers of Satan on the cross and pray that they will experience the reality of that victory in their lives through spontaneous healings and deliverances by calling on Jesus' name. What does the Bible say? * The Bible does not talk about Satan visiting Abraham, nor stones, Genesis 22. ** The Quran does not actually say which son of Abraham it was. It is Islamic tradition that says Ishmael. The Bible says that it was Isaac, Genesis 22.

Hajj Day 2

Hajj Day 2 Sacred Act 2: Wuqoof (standing at Arafat) In the morning after prayers, the pilgrims proceed to the Plain of Arafat. It is believed that Muhammad delivered his final sermon from a hill above this plain during his last pilgrimage. Here, pilgrims perform the central ritual of the Hajj, the standing, or wukoof, to atone for sins. The pilgrims face Mecca and pray from noon to sundown. These prayers are done in a prescribed way: they should remember God, ask for forgiveness and pray other Islamic prayers. Muslims believe that they leave this day cleansed of sin*, which also brings freedom from shame. Shame is a great burden to most Muslims. But with this act, they believe honor is restored. As the sun sets, the people are not required to quote any prescribed prayers. During this time, pilgrims are to be alone with Allah. They ask that their sins and lifelong shortcomings be forgiven. At sunset, a cannon sounds. Pilgrims leave Mount Arafat going to Muzdalifah, where they sleep or stay up all night under the stars. On the way, they can pick up stones and pebbles for the next day's ritual. Many Muslims not on the Hajj fast on this day of wuqoof. Key Scripture to Pray Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and all the people in your house. Acts 16:31 CryOut to the Father At least five times a day, devout Muslims say these words, "Show us the straight way, the way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace, those whose [portion] is not wrath, and who go not astray." Pray that God will answer their prayer in such a way that they can grasp God's grace through Jesus Christ, that they will see He is the straight way. As the pilgrims head to Muzdalifah, may what happened to Paul in Romans 7:7-13 well up in them, that theirs sins would continue to overwhelm them. Pray for conviction of sin deep in their hearts and minds. Pray that God would reveal His heart - that He is grieved by our sin, but that He offers a way to receive His forgiveness. Jesus takes guilt and shame away which brings real freedom. Pray that God would reveal His heart of love for the people. He loves them so much. Pray that people will have encounters of God's love for them. Pray that God will speak to them in dreams and visions, as they spend the second night of the Hajj praying for their shortcomings and needs. Ask God for an open heaven for many who are genuinely seeking an encounter with God. What does the Bible say? * The Bible talks about sins being cleansed by the blood of Jesus. Matthew 26:28, Acts 2:38, 1 John 1:7

Egypt Prayer Gathering

This from Jericho Walls International Prayer Network Earlier this month about 10,000 Christian young people came from all across Egypt for three days to worship the Lord and to seek God's blessing for their country. The worshipers, mostly ranging from ages 13 to 30, gathered from 10 o'clock in the morning until 8 each evening. Many traveled hundreds of miles to the worship site in the middle of the desert north of Cairo. "To sit among over 10,000 young people, worship with them in a roaring holy noise, listen to powerful and challenging messages and pray for God's powerful presence in our lives; really, it is hard to describe in words," says a Christian leader. "Sitting at the very back of the small soccer stadium gave me a good view of the scene. Thousands were sitting to my right, thousands to my left and thousands more in the middle. Hardly any empty gaps! Pray to the Lord that He will continue to strengthen Christians in Egypt and give them boldness and courage. Pray that the amount of Christian youth will increase in number. Pray that these young people will continue to grow in the knowledge of God the Father and Jesus Christ whom He has sent.

Extraordinary prayer

We live in extraordinary circumstances. It is time for extraordinary prayer. We worship an extraordinary God who has extraordinary promises for those who love Him. We have an extraordinary commission and mandate. Let us then expect extraordinary results. Life's opportunities come to us packaged as impossibilities - but let us worship this God for whom nothing is impossible. • Extraordinary prayer demand extraordinary intensity in prayer. It is prayer with your whole heart, your mind and all your strength. It is prayer with tears, deep travail and desperation. • Extraordinary prayer demand more time than usual. It demands more than the usual 5 or 10 minutes people spend in prayer. It demands prayer times where I pray until my heart has been prayed up, until I am saturated with God and until I know I have broken through to God's throne. It is to pray until we receive answers, no matter how long it takes. • Extraordinary prayer demands that people pray in larger numbers than before. The apostle Paul calls entire congregations to prayer. We read in 2 Cor.1:11 that the prayers of many bring gracious favor from God. When people pray together, God breaks their will and they come in line with the will of God. They hear God corporately in their prayer times. Let us mobilize entire congregations to stand before God and call on His Name. • Extraordinary prayer demands extraordinary perseverance. Prayer from a heart that knows God and believes in Him, is prayer that does not become discouraged. It is prayer that never takes "no" for an answer and knows that our God answers prayer. Keep on standing. Persevere in prayer.

Papua New Guinea:

With a focus on church mobilization, most of the activities of OM Papua New Guinea (PNG) revolve around the recruiting and training of local believers for world missions. Monthly meetings on world missions are taken in churches, and quarterly prayer meetings are held as combined church events. The OM PNG team also speaks at Bible colleges and youth camps, and missions conferences and seminars are organized regularly. A short-term team is hosted in PNG annually, and a one-month missions training program offered to new recruits. An annual “Barnabas Weekend” geared towards sending churches, partners and donors is also planned. “One of the greatest challenges the [local] church is facing is how to deal with other religious groups that are coming into PNG,” continued Kini. “We have other faiths that are also targeting PNG and as a result, many believers are leaving the church. On top of that, the church is faced with the challenge of social and health issues, and the response in terms of practical help is very slow and limited. The main concern now is that the church does not have a strong voice in some of the national issues that are affecting our nation. It remains silent and is not vocal to protect Christian beliefs and practices. Godly leadership, stewardship and sound biblical teaching are [also] often lacking.” There are currently 11 Papua New Guineans serving in Zambia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand and on the OM ship. With only three full-time workers in the home office, the OM PNG team is busy! Pray that more people would join the OM PNG team, and for an increase in personal support and fundraising. Praise God for the 11 PNGs on the field, and for the impact they are making through their lives and ministry.

MEETING ON THE MOUNTAIN - Turkey:

Harry and Hope, two believers from the plains of Anatolia, Turkey, came to know the Lord through the Bible Correspondence Course (BCC) eight years ago. The persecution they've experienced from their village has been severe, and they were finally forced to move onto a lonely hillside. But their witness continues to radiate, and they begged the staff at the BCC to help serve food and share the Good News with their neighbors. Imagine the shock of the BCC staff to learn that this couple had invited over 100 people to the event. The mayor's assistant arranged the loan of chairs and tables and brought them to the mountain top. Though the place was baron of houses-except a few small sheds for shepherds-more than 50 people came. They listened to worship songs, watched a drama and heard a message about the lost son. Believers shared their testimonies and people asked questions. Many villagers said they were touched. Several cried during the drama and one confessed he was like the lost son. Though Harry and Hope have suffered much persecution, people still come to them for prayer. Please pray that Harry and Hope would be strengthened amidst persecution. Pray also that their testimony would continue go out widely

Haiti: On 18 August, Marc-Hancy Saint Charles, a Haitian missionary serving with OM since January 2010, was shot and killed during an apparent robbery in Port-au-Prince. He had recently made a bank withdrawal to purchase materials for an OM project to build a roof for a church in a nearby village. Marc served with OM France from 1989 to 1990 and on Logos II from 1990 to 1991. He then served as Evangelism Pastor at the Baptist Tabernacle in Delmas. After the 2010 earthquake, Marc joined the OM Caribbean team as an Island Coordinator. He leaves behind his wife Jocelyn, son Christo (15), and daughter Stassie (13). We remain steadfast in our mission, and Marc’s, to mobilize the church and to see the name of Jesus Christ carried to those who do not know him. Haiti struggles with civil unrest from poor living conditions and failed economic policies. Major crime continues to rise, especially in the Port-au-Prince area. During the third week of August, there were 22 murders, 31 robberies, and five kidnappings tied to various NGOs. Yet churches and other groups that OM has partnered with continue to see great fruit. Trinity Baptist Church in Limonade baptized nine new believers on the day Marc was killed. Churches continue to grow and the sustainable businesses that OM has helped start are doing well. Many churches, schools, orphanages, and local farmers are seeing significant income as a result of OM’s sustainable business initiatives. Pray for Marc’s family as they come to terms with this huge loss Pray that through his life and witness many would find Christ