For today’s prayer focus, on this 24th Day of Ramadan, in addition to joining the 30-Days community in praying for the Kho People,  I’d like to focus our attention on repentance and reconciliation.   I urge you first to read the following article Islamophobia in the Church? (http://warrenlarson.wordpress.com/), and then do some soul searching.

Prayer Suggestions:

1.  If you have harbored any hatred or negative feelings towards any Neighbors, confess that now and repent of that.  As God to help you truly LOVE your Neighbors.

2. If you have been afraid of Neighbors in any way, confess your fear and ask God to give you a heart of faith and love to overcome that fear.

3. If you know about any Neighbors in your immediate community that you have been afraid to talk with or get to know…..or whom you have simply not wanted to meet…..ask God to open doors of friendship with those Neighbors.

4. On behalf of The Church, repent and ask God to forgive the church for our lack of love and concern for Neighbors, and ask God to raise up many more laborers to serve amongst Neighbor people, both at home and abroad.

5.  Ask God to help you be a peacemaker, and a voice of peace, love and courage to your church, family and community.

In a world flooded by violence, greed, brokenness, tragedy, natural disasters, and despair….it is encouraging to know that God is in control and that He is our hope (and the HOPE of the whole world) in the midst of chaos.   Lets pray for those who are experiencing chaos without Christ today, that they too may come to KNOW the King who sits enthroned above the flood.

1.  Pray for the desperate situation in Pakistan where deadly flooding continues to ravage this nation.   Some have estimated that 20% of the country is now flooded, and that 20 million Pakistanis are affected.   Pray that Christian relief organizations and workers are able to get appropriate help to those in need.  Pray that the victims of this natural disaster will turn the Pakistani people to God, to seek Him and find Him.   Pray for peace and stability in this already troubled part of the world.

2.  Pray for peace and stability in China’s far west region of Xinjang.   Just yesterday a suspected terrorist drove a bomb-laden bomb into a crowded area in Aksu City, wounding 14.   Pray for those who are serving in this area that this event will not disrupt their developing relationships.   Pray that Chinese Christians will respond with love and forgiveness.

3.  Lift up students in Indonesia who are being trained to serve in neighbor communities.  May the Lord give them courage and boldness, along with sensitivity and wisdom.   May the love of Christ compel them to serve in difficult areas.   Pray for the trainers and mentors that they will not grow weary in well doing (in well training)….but that they will soon see the fruits of their efforts.

4.  Pray for neighbor training events in a key gateway city in Asia, from September 25 – October 30.   May many people respond to the invitation to be trained and may they begin to implement the tools for outreach in their communities.

5.   Pray along with thousands of others who have joined the “30 Days of Prayer” during Ramadan.  Join the movement at http://www.30-days.net.

]]> http://www.prayingneighbor.com/prayer/rising-above-the-flood/feed/ 0 http://www.prayingneighbor.com/prayer/get-ready-for-ramadan/ http://www.prayingneighbor.com/prayer/get-ready-for-ramadan/#comments Tue, 10 Aug 2010 05:55:26 +0000 prayingneighbor http://www.prayingneighbor.com/?p=346 Praying Neighbor is partnering with 30-Days of Prayer by forwarding to our mailing list the 30-Days online content. Below is the first of many emails from 30-Days.net.

Ramadan begins tomorrow.   If you have not yet subscribed to 30-Days of Prayer, I urge you to do so today.   Love your neighbor through active, obedient prayer.

30-Days of Prayer for the Muslim World Ramadan 2010 / 1431:  August 11 – September 09

Dear 30-Days friends,

welcome to the 19th annual 30 Days Muslim Prayer Focus.

This year we have a special focus on Christlike relationships with Muslims. Jesus calls his followers to experience and live out the love of God. This love is made accessible to all people through Christ, who came into the world “full of grace and truth.” However, because of cultural differences, threats of terrorism and negative stereotypes of Muslims, many of God’s people shrink back from fulfilling Jesus’ command to love all people. We will pray about this on days 1 and 2.

The email edition is an extract of the main booklet and a link is provided each day to the main article. The idea is to give you a gist of the prayer material so you can be praying in unity with the rest of the world. The email is sent one day early to try to include most time zones.

Please use the Bible as much as possible in prayer. We have included various Bible references you can meditate on and proclaim. Ask God to inspire your prayers. That will build your faith and God can give you new insights for prayer based on His Word.

Be encouraged, we hear from all over the Muslim world of many coming to Jesus. This is the time to pray Muslims into the Kingdom of God in faith. Perhaps you can organize some extra meetings to pray in groups. The “Night of Power” (day 27) is a good time. Day 8, as a special focus on Sudan would also be good (August 18). Praying together will help generate more faith and creative prayer.

Whatever the case, I want you to know how much I appreciate you and your participation. It is a privilege to pray with you and humbling to know God is using our prayer to bring light into darkness, send workers to the Muslim world and raise funds for urgent needs of the poor.

PS: On day 08 we will pray for Sudan. The threat of a new continued conflict is very real. I will add extra links where you can read what Christians inside Sudan are saying. I ask other prayer networks to make this urgent prayer request known. Wouldn’t it be great to get to heaven and have the Lord add, “well done, you also helped stop a war in Sudan…”

(Ezekiel 22:30)

Those last four words of this passage are some of the saddest words in scripture.    God was looking (is looking) for people who would faithfully seek Him and intercede on behalf of others….but he could find none.   As a result, a whole nation (and the nations around her) suffered the unnecessary consequences of their sinfulness, rebellion, pride and separation from God.   That is the same fate of many peoples (nations) in our world today who rely on their own efforts, abilities or religion to save them.   They too are lost.  Separated from right relationship with God, unless someONE stands in the gap on their behalf.   Today, will you become ONE of those who intercedes on behalf of the Muslim world (especially during this time of Ramadan)?   Will you change that word none to at least nONE?

Prayer Requests:

1. A good friend of mine works for an ministry organization called GAP – “Global Adopt a People”.    Their whole aim and focus is to get people praying for and adopting unreached people groups.   Please pray for their ministry today.  They are working on some adoption projects with churches for the Pashtun people.   Pray that God will raise up prayer partners for the Pashtun people.   Will you be ONE of them?  (Send us an email if you would like to know more about this ministry or this people group).
2. Pray for friends who are serving the Uyghur people in a key gateway city in China.   They have been able to develop friendships with seekers, some of which are now believers.  Pray for the growth of these groups, that these new Uyghur believes will be able to follow Christ faithfully and lead their families and friends to Christ.
3. Intercede for the Rohingya people, a refugee class of people who are without a home or country.    They are scattered amongst various countries in Southeast and South Asia, but are often rejected or exploited wherever they go.   Pray for a group of believers who are actively seeking ways to minister to this impoverished group of neighbors.   There will be a meeting of partner organizations later this year focused on strategies to serve the Rohingya.   May God raise up the right people and provide the right means and methods to introduce the Rohingya to Christ.
4. This next week begins RAMADAN (August 11 – September 09).   It’s a great time to stand in the gap and focus prayer (and fasting) on the needs of the neighbor world.   A great prayer resource (website and booklet) that I highly recommend is “30-Days of Prayer for the Muslim World.”   Below is pasted a letter from the author of 30-Days.   I strongly encourage you to subscribe and use this great resource to guide your prayers.

————————————————–

Dear 30-Days friends,

Just a reminder that Ramadan begins next week, 11 August through 09 September, 2010.

If your church or prayer group would like to join the email list to pray with us, please send them to the “subscribe” page: http://www.30-days.net/resources/email/.   If you subscribe, you will receive the shortened, daily prayer topics for the 30 days coinciding with Ramadan.

In addition, at the beginning of August there will be a downloadable version on the site as well (at this link: http://www.30-days.net/resources/download/).

That’s it from me for the moment. I am excited and anticipating great things again this year as we pray together for the lost in the Muslim World.

I just wanted to pass along a reminder that Ramadan is coming up soon (August 11 – September 09).   It’s a great time to focus prayer (and fasting) on the needs of the neighbor world.   A great prayer resource (website and booklet) that I highly recommend is “30-Days of Prayer for the Muslim World.”   Below is pasted a letter from the author of 30-Days.   I encourage you to subscribe and use this great resource to guide your prayers.
————————————————–

Dear 30-Days friends,

Just a reminder that Ramadan begins in 3 weeks, 11 August through 09 September, 2010.

If your church or prayer group would like to order the printed booklets, please order from your national rep. or Christian bookstore. Details are here: http://www.30-days.net/order/

I will of course be sending out an email version on this list. So if you read this email, you will receive the shortened, daily prayer topics for the 30 days coinciding with Ramadan.

If you know of others who would like to join the email list to pray with us, please send them to the “subscribe” page: http://www.30-days.net/resources/email/

At the beginning of August I will have a downloadable version on the site as well (at this link: http://www.30-days.net/resources/download/).

That’s it from me for the moment. I am excited and anticipating great things again this year as we pray together for the lost in the Muslim World.

As we pray for the nations today, specifically our Neighbors, praise God for the workers who are answering the call and preparing for service; and ask God to open many more hearts to obey the call.

1.  Praise God: (From a worker in Indonesia) “A new person is coming to our school in August to join in our neighbor training program!”

2.  Prayer Request:   (From Indonesia)  “We are having a new round of training in August, please pray for our instructors, students and all the logistics.   May the head knowledge gained move the students’ hearts to action.”

3.  Request:    A young man in Indonesia is looking for a place to live among neighbors right now, in order that he might develop friendships in the community.    Please pray that God leads him to the right place.

4.  From a key gateway city in a creative access country:   “I meet weekly with a young neighbor who has recently put his faith in Jesus.  His spouse just gave birth to a little girl.  There have been some financial complications in the hospital.  We think the baby is fine.  We need wisdom to know how to encourage these young disciples at this time.”

5.  Another worker in a creative access city:   “My language teacher will give birth in a few weeks.  We need wisdom to know how to walk with her and her husband during this time.  We study at our home.   My teacher has talked with us from the heart more than once.  We hope to involve her husband more.”

6.   From a couple working as tentmaker teachers in another key city:  “Relationships with our work colleagues are rich.  Several, including a couple of neighbors, have spoken with us at the heart level more than once.  We need wisdom regarding when and how to be more intentional.”

7.   Pray for the Lematang people of Indonesia
The Lematang people are very hospitable and friendly when welcoming newcomers. They have a strong sense of community togetherness proven by their adherence to “gotong royong” (neighborhood mutual service and assistance), not only to the Lematang community itself, but also to outside communities. They currently embrace Islam, yet still hold to ancient beliefs concerning magic and mystical powers.

Ministry Obstacles
Scripture is not available in the language of the Lematang, requiring other means to convery Biblical truth.   Ask the Lord to raise up Bible translators and finances to complete this translation project.

Outreach Ideas
Christians may be able to minister to the Lematang through schooling for the children, and through micro-enterprise.

Pray for the followers of Christ
There are only a few known believers among the Lematang. Pray the eyes of their hearts may be enlightened in order that they may know the hope to which they have been called, the riches of their glorious inheritance.

Pray for the entire people group
Pray for improved schools for the children of the Lematang, and that parents will place priority on education for their children.

Scripture Focus
“He will have compassion on the poor and needy, And the lives of the needy He will save.” Psalm 72:13

REMINDER: Don’t forget, Ramadan is coming up — August 11 – September 09 — ORDER your prayer booklet NOW:  http://www.30-days.net/order/ so you can pray intentionally and intelligently along with thousands of others around the world.

This passage is set in the context of Israel’s crossing into the promised land. But God’s fulfilled promises did not stop then and there. As God’s true “Israel” the followers of Jesus the Messiah (Rom. 9-11; Gal. 6:16; Eph. 2) have an even greater promised inheritance that is still being fulfilled. The promise to Abraham was that “all nations on earth would be blessed through you” (Gen. 12). We know that this ultimate blessing comes through Jesus. As disciples of Christ, our “promised land” is PEOPLE — the nations (Ps. 2). Lets continue to pray and work with expectancy that God is still at work fulfilling his promises to draw all nations to himself.

1. God is at work in a major gateway city in Asia amongst a large minority UPG. Tension remains high in this area, but tentmakers are there working and living in community with both majority and minority people. God has raised up at least four house fellowships amongst them in the past 6 months. Please pray for these tentmakers, that God will give them wisdom as they learn how to respond to the emotional responses to mutual mistrust among groups. May their respect and honor for all open hearts for the Truth.

2. Pray also that God will give them wisdom with the weekly groups with whom they meet. Some groups are made up of believers. Some are a blending of believers and pre-believers. Two of our groups have no believers…..YET.

3. A neighbor family in Jakarta (immigrants there from the M.E.) have been adjusting to life in a new city / country. They are searching for truth and open to dialogue about Scripture. This past weekend some believers were visiting them, staying in their home, and had great opportunity to share clearly about Isa al Masih. The neighbor family was receptive. Pray that God’s word and God’s truth sink in and take root, and that God’s Spirit will continue to draw this family to Himself. May they come to recognize Jesus as Messiah and Lord.

4.  We just received a great report from a Jesus Film team working in a creative location.   They are rejoicing about God’s work in two key areas:

• TEAM 1 — “Earlier this month, we showed the film in the home of the J family who had just returned  from an island  where they have lived in a transmigration camp for several years.  There are three children in the family, and one of them, named A, accepted Christ and has started attending services at our church.  PTL!
• TEAM 2 –  “In the face of much opposition, a 29-year-old woman named M has accepted Christ as her Savior after watching the JF.  At the present time we are disciplining her and she is learning to study the Bible.  Pray for her because discipleship for her means facing huge oppostion.”

5. Pray for ongoing preparations and logistics for a conference in Europe at the end of April. This event is designed to awaken and mobilize the church to respond in love to the many immigrant neighbors who are settling into cities all around the world. This is God’s plan to bring the nations to Himself, by bringing them into close proximity with His people — where the church exists. Pray that this conference and others like it will truly spark a strategic response from the church around the world. As you pray, ask yourself — “What am I doing to love neighbors in my community?” (Open your eyes for the harvest is ripe).

By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice.
He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son…(Hebrews 11:17)

Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people;
and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:28)

“Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD ?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams….
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise. (1 Samuel 15:22; Psalm 51:17)

This is a time of celebration, remembrance and sacrifice for Neighbors all over the world. Even now, millions are making their way to Mecca for the Hajj. For many, this is a tremendous financial and physical sacrifice. At the close of the Hajj, most Neighbors around the world will celebrate Eid Ul Adha, “The Festival of Sacrifice.” These events are great opportunities for us to get to know our Neighbors, learn from them, and celebrate with them.

Last year a Neighbor friend invited me to a mosque near my home to observe Eid Ul Adha (Korban), where they sacrificed 144 sheep. (It was actually more like a butcher shop, run very orderly, humanely, and hygienically.) Afterwards, I then had the privilege of sitting with Neighbors from many countries to feast on “mutton byrani.” As we ate together from the communal dish, I was able to share about my relationship with Isa al Masih (the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world).

Pray for open doors for you and other believers to be engaged with Neighbors during these important festivals. In order to be better prepared to pray and participate, we are sharing more info today about the meaning and practice of Eid Ul Adha from our Neighbor’s perspective. There are things we can affirm, and bridges for connecting our friends to Christ. Following this information are some prayer points to focus on today.

Eid Ul Adha

The festival remembers the prophet Ibrahim‘s willingness to sacrifice his son when God ordered him to

Ibrahim’s sacrifice

God appeared in a dream to Ibrahim and told him to sacrifice his son Isma’il. Ibrahim and Isma’il set off to Mina for the sacrifice. As they went, the devil attempted to persuade Ibrahim to disobey God and not to sacrifice his beloved son. But Ibrahim stayed true to God, and drove the devil away. As Ibrahim prepared to kill his son God stopped him and gave him a sheep to sacrifice instead.

Celebrations

Ibrahim’s complete obedience to the will of God is celebrated by Neighbors each year. Each Neighbor, as they celebrate, reminds themselves of their own submission to God, and their own willingness to sacrifice anything to God’s wishes. During the festival Neighbors who can afford to, sacrifice domestic animals, usually sheep, as a symbol of Ibraham’s sacrifice.

The meat is distributed among family, friends and the poor, who each get a third share.

** It is very important to understand that the sacrifice itself, as practiced by Neighbors, has nothing to do with atoning for our sins or using the blood to wash ourselves from sin. This is a misunderstanding by those of previous generations: “It is not their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah; it is your piety that reaches Him.” (Qur’an 22:37)

The symbolism is in the attitude – a willingness to make sacrifices in our lives in order to stay on the Straight Path. Each of us makes small sacrifices, giving up things that are fun or important to us. A true Neighbor, one who submits his or herself completely to the Lord, is willing to follow Allah’s commands completely and obediently. It is this strength of heart, purity in faith, and willing obedience that our Lord desires from us.

PRAYER POINTS:

1. Even though most Neighbors focus on ABRAHAM’s willingness to submit to God and give sacrificially, we can pray that their hearts be turned to the LAMB (the Korban) and it’s full meaning, as intended by God. (Genesis 22)
2. May they come to understand that it is not our sacrifice, or our works that save us, but only God’s provision and grace. (Eph. 2:8-9; Galations 3).
3. May their observance of the sacrifice, open their eyes to their own need for a korban (an atoning sacrifice).
4. Pray for those who are working and living amongst Neighbors that they will have an effective witness, especially during these special holidays and celebrations.
5. May there be special times of reconciliation during these holidays where there is conflict and fighting (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, Iran, etc)

Millions of neighbors worldwide are preparing even now to make their most important of pilgrimages, the Hajj* (November 25-30, 2009) — around the same time this year when many believers in the Western world celebrate Thanksgiving.

In addition, nearly all Neighbors are making arrangements to celebrate the “Festival of Sacrifice” Eid Ul Adha* (Eid Korban) (November 28, 2009). These are great opportunities for us to develop relationships with Neighbors, ask them questions, learn from them, participate in family holidays with them and pray for them. For more understanding of these important events, please read below and/or follow the hyperlinks. This week we’ll focus on the Hajj. Next week we’ll consider some prayer points regarding Eid Ul Adha.

The Hajj:

One fifth of humankind shares a single aspiration to complete, at least once, the spiritual journey called the Hajj. In Arabic, Hajj literally means “resolve” ie; to resolve to some magnificent duty.

Mecca, Saudi Arabia — Countless millions of Neighbors, men and women from the four corners of the earth, have made the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of their Religion. In carrying out this journey they fulfill one of the five “pillars” of their Faith (or central religious duties of a believer).

Their Prophet said, “He who performs the Hajj with no obscenity or evil practices will come out as a newly born baby free from all sins”. For the Neighbors, the pilgrimage is therefore much more than something to be done. It is a sacred and revered journey. Yet without it they have less chance of getting into paradise.

Prayer Points:

• This is often a dangerous journey for many, as every year dozens are killed in stampedes. Pray for the safety of Neighbors who are traveling on the Hajj.
• While performing the Hajj a Neighbor really seeks God. Many are known to have had visions of Jesus. Pray that they may also have visions of Jesus and understand who He really is and “resolve” to follow Him (Joel 2:28).
• Pray for divine appointments, that on their journey to Mecca Neighbors would meet true followers of Jesus who would witness to them.
• That God would put a desire in their hearts to look past their traditions and to look towards Jesus and what He has completed at the cross (John 4:23).
• That they would go away feeling empty, realizing that no amount of sacrifice or good deeds or rituals will bring them into right relationship with God (Ephesians 2:8-9).

OTHER Prayer Requests:

• This week there is a conference “Ibrahim Meetings” taking place in a strategic location, focused on empowering and equipping leadership amongst Neighbors. God is doing incredible things amongst Neighbors, raising up “organic” house churches and fellowships in Neighbor communities. Pray for the leaders of these movements for courage, strength, and boldness. May they be rooted and established in the Faith, and be filled with the Holy Spirit to live Christlike lives and give Godly leadership to these movements.
• Continue to lift up our training workshops to raise up more workers to love and serve neighbors. (See prayer point #4 on August 28th entry)
• Pray for Neighbor communities in Padang, who were affected by the recent earthquake (October). Some Christian NGOs have been actively working there to provide relief, in the form of food , water, clothing and shelter. May these acts of love and compassion draw many Neighbors to Jesus.

I was reading from Ezekiel in my quiet time this morning and came across this familiar, challenging passage in Ezekiel. It reminded me of the importance of intercession on behalf of other people, and it made me grateful for all those “praying neighbors” like you who do “stand in the gap” on behalf of others. I commend you for caring enough for others to intercede for them during these 30 Days of Prayer. And I pray that you too have learned some lessons as you’ve prayed for Neighbors through this season of Ramadan.

In my interactions with Neighbors around me, I have learned to appreciate four main things about Ramadan. These can also serve as today’s prayer points.

1. Spiritual disciplines (like fasting and prayer) are necessary in our pursuit of real relationship with God (read Jeremiah 29:12-13; and Acts 10). Before we find fault with the shortcomings and hypocrisies of other religions, let us first make sure we are disciplined and sincere in our own own walk with God. PRAY that those who have been genuinely seeking God during this time of Ramadan will have experienced (and will continue to experience) a breakthrough in their understanding of who God is. May they continue to seek him fervently even after the fast.
   
2. We all seek and need blessings. Neighbors often seek special blessings (baraka) during Ramadan. PRAY that neighbors would continue to seek and find TRUE blessings, that ultimately only come through Jesus Christ. And DO something practical to bless them yourself. (read Genesis 12:1-3; 1 Chronicles 4:10; and Ephesians 1:3)
3. Family is high priority. Ramadan is a great time for family gatherings, reunions, feasts, and fellowship. It’s a wonderful experience to “break the fast” with neighbor families, where you get to meet extended family. PRAY that your Neighbors and their “entire household” might come experience membership in God’s family through Jesus Christ. And INVITE them into your home to experience your family gatherings. (read 2 Samuel 6:11; Acts 10:23-48 ; 16:31-34 ; 18:8 )
4. Celebration is the spice of life! Celebration is a huge part of most Neighbor families during Ramadan. At the end of the day, after fasting from food, water and other physical things, it is a wonderful celebration to “break the fast” with family and friends and enjoy a feast together. Each Neighbor community has a prescribed time of the day (after sun down) when they are allowed to eat. The break fast begins with a call to prayer, and the meal normally begins with a few dates or healthy soups or drinks. God loves celebration and He continually called / calls on His people to celebrate and commemorate His activities and events. PRAY that God’s kindness (his creation, blessing, provision) would lead our Neighbors to repentance (read Romans 2:4)….that they too will join every tribe, language and nation to celebrate at the feast of the Lamb (read Revelations 5:11-13). And INVITE a Neighbor to celebrate one of your family or spiritual holidays with you.