-Taiwan: 200,000 Christians Gather Praying Against Invasion

tom-ritson-ehf8SFStOvM-unsplash

          (Taipei City by Tom Ritson)

Over 200,000 Taiwanese Christians are involved in praying for their nation against a potential invasion by China: 

A remarkable prayer movement has taken hold, as individuals from various walks of life come together in continuous prayer sessions. Their focus lies in calling for spiritual revival, unity, repentance and protection for their homeland.

Taiwan’s Christians stand united, fervently believing that their petitions will reach God, and His guiding hand will bring peace and protection to their beloved nation. In the midst of rising tensions, they find comfort and assurance in the words of

Philippians 4:6, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with gratitude, make your requests known to God.”

Another key scripture for the prayer movement is:

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

<<Read the whole article>>

Response: According to Taiwan sources, the potential for an attack is far greater than our media is letting us know about and the seriousness of it does not seem to bother the current President and his administration.

Christians here in America should join these free Taiwanese Christian brothers and sisters in praying for their continued freedom and against war.

-National Day of Prayer 2018

Today is the National Day of Prayer. Every day is a good time to pray for our nation particularly today. Join thousands across America in prayer for our nation and people, Unity is the theme for this year. Something we really need right now. Here’s a link to the National Day of Prayer website.

2018 NATIONAL PRAYER FOR AMERICA:

Our Dear Heavenly Father, while we come to You in complete humility, we also come to You with boldness in the authoritative name of Your One and Only Son, Jesus Christ, who is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. In Jesus’ name, fill us now with Your Holy Spirit and lead us as we pray in Jesus’ name for America.

Oh God, we are burdened for our nation today. We turn from the sins that we have committed against your Word and your Name. We turn away from our contentious words and ways toward one another that has led us to division and polarization. We turn away from our disrespect and lack of dignity toward each other, and we turn away from our continual devaluation of all human life from the womb until death in this world. We also turn away from and refuse to participate in skepticism, criticism, and cynicism in our nation. We turn away from anything that divides us, and we run toward the gospel of Jesus Christ that is the only thing that has the power to unite us together.

Lord, in this critical hour in our nation, we pray for unity in America. Only You can bring unity, harmony, and oneness in America. As your Word calls us in Ephesians 4:3clip_image002, “Making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace”, we ask You to empower us to make every effort to live in unity, to call for unity, and to forward unity in America continually.

We pray for the churches in America to unify in Jesus Christ and to pray as one unified spiritual family for America. May Your Church pray for America passionately, perpetually, privately, and publicly.

We pray for God’s power to unify families, workplaces, communities, and cities in America. By Your Spirit, lead us to forgiveness, reconciliation, healing, and unity.

We pray for people of all ethnicities and races in America to come together as one, living in peace and unity together. Oh Lord, because each of us is created in Your image, please give us the courage to stand against all racial and ethnic division, denouncing it as evil and sinful, while simultaneously coming together in unity with all persons knowing this is God’s will for us.

We pray in unity for the security of our nation. We ask You to preserve the United States of America from the forces of evil that are threatening our lives and our future. God, please guard all persons in public and private settings from anyone or anything that desires to harm us or take our lives. Our future is in Your hands.

We agree clearly, unite visibly, and pray extraordinarily for the next Great Spiritual Awakening in America. Oh Lord, wake up Your church spiritually and convict Your people to agree clearly, unite visibly, and pray extraordinarily until the next Great Spiritual Awakening occurs in our generation.

Oh God, we stand together upon Your words in Psalm 133:1clip_image002[1], “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony.” Through Jesus’ name and by the Holy Spirit’s power, we pray for all Americans to unify and to live together in unity.

In the mighty and majestic name of Jesus Christ who is the Only Savior and the Only Hope in this world, we pray. Amen.

Dr. Ronnie Floyd

President, National Day of Prayer Task Force
Senior Pastor, Cross Church

-My Prayer: Let Their Legacy be Peace, Love, and Reconciliation

image

Psalm 11

In the Lord I take refuge; …if the foundations are destroyed,
what can the righteous do?”

The Lord is in his holy temple…his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.
The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.
…For the Lord is righteous;
he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face. (ESV)


Our Father,

In the news today, more Christians were killed in the Middle East, a whole village in Africa. The evil words of a young racist who killed nine praying folks in a church continues to haunt America and others continue to stir the pot of hate between the races in our big cities. Many are saying that riots are on the horizon while police are being ambushed and young black people continue to die in our streets. The voices of hate are running hot today with no relief in sight.

Father God, you are still our refuge and by your Holy Spirit let the agents of your love rise up and mediate between the forces that would tear our country and cities apart. Let agents of your love and justice rise up and speak words of conciliation in our communities and drown out the shouts of division and hate. Let believers in your Son Jesus walk over the bridges together in love Like they did with Martin LK in former days.

Let a legacy of peace and love come out of the church in Charleston, may they not have died in vain. Let Americans rise up and honor their prayers and faith. Let us be renewed and battle the hate that perpetrated this evil deed. Let it stop here, let their legacy be one of peace, love, and justice not more strife, recrimination, and division.

Let believers rise up and proclaim that you are still on the throne and your Kingdom of love and justice is coming. Let your Spirit reach down and touch the hearts of America this Summer and bring love and reconciliation all across our cities. Let your love, peace, and justice reign as never before.   

In Jesus name, Amen.

–We Should Be Praying For Our Leaders Regardless

image

    (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There are very few political leaders right now in America that I whole heartedly agree with particularly the President and the Governor of the state I live in.

Nevertheless we should be praying for them regardless. This reminder is for me if no one else. Remember Paul counseled the early Christians to pray for the Roman leaders and as bad as some are in the USA none are in the category of a Nero or Caligula at least not yet.

Here’s a short article reminding us to pray anyway from Citizen Link President Tom Minnery:

“In the Old Testament, in the day of Daniel,” Minnery said, “through the means of directing Cyrus, Nebuchadnezzer and Darius, God handled those despots fairly well to effect His own desires for the Israelites. We saw that in the Old Testament time and time again.

“Obviously, God can, and does, direct the heart of any leader at any time He wills it – even those who don’t believe in Godly principles.”

“Pray for righteousness, pray for our leaders, pray for them to act,” he said. “Do not give up in expecting that God will maneuver human circumstances to accomplish His will.”

Response: While we are at it, remember to pray for our judges and judicial system. Our religious freedoms sometimes are hanging by a thread as cases make there way through the courts. We should particularly be praying for the current Supreme Court justices for their health and for them to receive and accept Godly wisdom.           

-When The Foundations Are Being Destroyed?

image

“When the Foundations are being destroyed what can the righteous do?” –Palm 11:3

The very foundations of our country were shaken when 26 children and teachers were recently killed in Newtown, Conn. What is the real answer to the causes of events like this in our country. Is is really all about guns? 

In 2013 we are living in a culture where the foundations are being destroyed. What is our role? We now live in a country where  evil is now considered good and visa versa. What now can we say?

A couple of weeks ago a Christian preacher who was chosen to give the benediction at the inaugural was deemed unworthy and dismissed because he once preached a Biblical sermon against homosexuality. Also another evangelical pastor was sued for “crimes against humanity” for his anti-gay teaching. We now live in a world that is upside down- Gay is good and traditional Biblical teaching about homosexuality is bad.

Some in the media are now calling for the Bible to be changed and there is a serious ongoing discussion about doing away with prayers and the Bible when political leaders are sworn into office. Some actually now claim that the Bible is too ‘evil’ and full of ‘wrong teaching’ that offends 21th century cultural sensibilities. It also opposes a secular/progressive agenda for necessary change so must be eliminated. How can Bible believing Christians respond to all of this?

When the foundations are being destroyed it is time for believers to stand on the sure foundation of the Word of God and refused to be moved. It is also time to celebrate and rejoice and demonstrate the real blessings that we have received and continue to receive through the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit sent by our Father in Heaven.

May His Kingdom break through in America in ways that can no longer be hidden or ignored and let us continue to stand on the one foundation that can never be destroyed in time or eternity.          

-Millions of Youth Pray for Spiritual Awakening

image

From Charisma News:

Before the opening bell on Wednesday, millions of students from across the country gathered at their school’s flagpole to pray for their nation, their towns and cities, and their schools at the annual See You at the Pole (SYATP) prayer gathering.  …

The First Amendment guarantees students the right to pray on school grounds. During any noninstructional time—before or after school, in between classes, during the lunch hour or on the playing field—students may express their opinions verbally or in writing. Prayer is a form of speech, and therefore during noninstructional time, students have the constitutional right to pray individually or in groups.

<Read the whole article>

Response: Yesterday was the 22nd annual SYATP prayer rally and according to reports it is an event that continues to grow. This year the focus was upon spiritual awakening for America.

With a crucial election around the corner and world wide challenges to our Constitutional rights to free speech and religion it was more than timely to have millions of youth praying across America for our future and for revival.  Praise God- may those millions of prayers move heaven and earth and bring a new Awakening to a dry and thirsty land. may God bless America once more.  

-An Encouraging Sign: Prayer Movements

image

            (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

From Charisma News:

A rising tide of concern is sweeping through the body of Christ as America drifts farther and farther away from its moral and biblical moorings. In response, prayer initiatives are budding in an attempt to call people across denominational and parachurch ministry lines to seek God’s intervention on behalf of America.

The article goes on to name a number of prayer movements across America. This is an encouraging development because it means that thousands of Christians are finally waking up and praying to save our declining nation.

This is anecdotal, but I participated in an all day 12 hour prayer meeting several years ago for California and the nation at the football stadium in San Diego- TheCall. Around 30,000 showed up including a number of key leaders and pastors from Southern California. What impressed me most was the variety of denominations and races represented. Better yet was the unity that the Holy Spirit brought to the place as the day rolled on. TheCall movement was not mentioned in the article but it is still going on sponsoring prayer events all across America and internationally. Their focus is on revival which I believe is our only hope to turn back the current tide towards moral decline in America.

Actually you can now see and witness the decline nearly on every front. Politically, religiously, economically, morally…

It is time to get down on our knees and pray for our nation but also pray for forgiveness since the church and most of us Christians in America have been in slumber for nearly a generation believing that we could solve our moral problems through political action. It didn’t work and now its time to pray for help and direction.           

-The Family, Same-Sex Marriage, and the Future of America

image

            (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the last several months there has been a dialogue going on in America concerning our direction and the future of this nation when it comes to the major building block of society- the family.

Sunday we celebrated motherhood but earlier in the week the topic of conversation was same-sex marriage as President Obama came out in support of it and ironically cited the teachings of Jesus and the Golden Rule as having a part in his decision.

In April one of the big topics on the political scene was a comment that was made by a Democratic operative that Ann Romney never worked a day in her life since all she ever did was stay at home and raise 5 boys. In March the big controversy revolved around contraceptives and abortives and whether the government would force insurance companies to pay for them -even self insured religious organizations who were opposed to their use. It really was a matter of freedom of religion but the mainstream media and one political party styled those who opposed that idea as being in a ‘war against women.’

However, the real war in America is against motherhood, parenthood, and God’s design for humanity and Creation itself. My question is this:

Can God continue to bless America the way we are going? I believe that the answer is no and that our very future is hanging in the balance.

Honoring God’s order and design of the family was important enough to be included in the 10 commandments as a requirement for those who were seeking his blessing:

Ex 20:11-12
12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
ESV

This was also confirmed in the New Testament teaching on the family in Ephesians:

Eph 6:2-4
“Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”
ESV

Do you really think that we are really honoring God’s plan for mothers, fathers, and the family in America today? So many children are brought into the world with single parents or in households where the parents are not fully committed to each other in marriage. And now if that is not bad enough, marriage itself is being re-defined as including same-sex partners and families are being re-defined to include all of these different perversions. Not only that, but Christians who question this direction in our culture are being cast as bigots, homophobes, and hopelessly on the ‘wrong side of history.’

If we continue in this direction I am afraid that America will ultimately be on God’s wrong side of history.

Again, can we expect God to continue to bless America in the midst of this rebellion against his order in Creation? As long as we were a nation that honored God and followed his order in creation for marriage and the family we could expect his blessings and that our days would be long and prosperous in this land. But that is no longer the case .

How we need revival.                    

-71,000 Christians Attend Prayer Event in Cairo, Egypt

image

Most of the time ‘bad news’ is coming out of Egypt, for once here’s a sovereign work of God.

The following report comes to us from long-time Christian blogger Andrew Jones (Tall Skinny Kiwi) who was visiting in Egypt at the time and attended the ‘Day of Prayer 11.11.11’:

– 71,000 attended the all-night prayer meeting in Cairo.

– It was the largest Christian event in Egypt for over a thousand years

– It was held at the cave church on Cairo’s largest garbage city, Mokattam. This church is called St Simeon the Tanner Coptic Orthodox Church.

– The gospel was proclaimed during the Prayer event and some people responded to the challenge call to follow Jesus.

– Prayers for healing were made at midnight and some people were healed of physical problems.

– It was an Egyptian event. Buses took people to this event from all over Egypt. …

One Egyptian Evangelical leader told Andrew following this event:

“I saw signs of the beginning of revival that I have never seen before!”

<<Read the entire report and the instructive comments following>>

Also while you are at it, read some of the other stories of Andrew’s visit in Egypt. They are eye opening and heart warming to say the least.

Response: It was remarkable on a number of different levels. Folks being healed and coming to Christ plus a real unity displayed in the Christian community. Also read Andrew’s report of prophetic words coming to the Christian leaders there. Obviously the Holy Spirit is at work awakening all of the Christians in Egypt including the Coptic Church. Amazing.

Note how in the report the Evangelical pastor was seemingly slighted at the prayer event but continued anyway in support and unity with his fellow Coptic Christians. What a great example for all of us.

The Christians in Egypt have been constantly under pressure and attack from the radical Islamists since the storied beginning of the so-called ‘Arab Spring’ which the Western media has cast as a push towards Western-style democracy.

However, it is in reality an Islamist revival with undercurrents that have brought increased intolerance and persecution of the Christian community. We should remember to throw up a few prayers of our own in agreement and support for our Christian brothers and sisters in Egypt. Also let’s pray that real revival will spring up and bring a new kind of ‘Arab Spring’ starting with this event in Cairo.  

-Halloween? No–Reformation Day—a Great Time to Pray for Revival

image

On October 31, 1517 Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the door of a church Wittenberg, Germany starting the Reformation of the Church. The enemy likes to use this day for propagating his dark agenda but this is also Reformation Day—a great day to pray for revival.

Generals International Ministry are sponsoring a conference of over 2,000 intercessors today to pray and intercede for this nation. According to Cindy Jacobs the meeting is all about responding to a call of the Spirit to prayer :

“Believers across America are deeply concerned about the state of our nation. Prayer warriors are writing and calling us daily to warn that they feel we are on the verge of something catastrophic in scope coming to the nation.”  …

“We’re going to pray for a reformation back to a biblical worldview in our nation, against terrorist attacks, for the economy [and for] the state of the nation.”

“We’re not for the donkey or the elephant; we’re for whoever stands up. This is not the time to water down the message. … We definitely feel the Holy Spirit stirring, and we are very concerned for our nation. There is a feeling of sobriety in our country.”

The message that some of the prophetic folks around the nation are getting right now is that it is time to pray. What ever else we do today let’s remember to join in prayer continually for this nation and people, and for Revival to flood across America once more.