Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Not Alone


I love Tozer....there are times in my life where other than reading the stories of missionaries or men of the Bible I feel a little alone in some of the decisions I have made through much prayer and fasting...but again Tozer has shared something that reminds that I am not alone...

It's just nice to know that there are really others who think the same things and pray the same things I have.

Oh...not that I am in any way saying I am on the same level as Tozer or the others I mentioned.....but it still feels nice to know I'm not alone.

-------------------------------------

"But even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at
Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the
gospel of God in much conflict."
-1 Thessalonians 2:2

"It is good for us to remember how strong He is--and how weak we are.
I settled this issue a long time ago. I tell you I have talked to
God more than I have talked to anyone else. I have reasoned more
with God and had longer conferences with God than with anybody else.

And what did I tell Him? Among other things, I told Him, "Now, Lord,
if I do the things I know I should do, and if I say what I know in
my heart I should say, I will be in trouble with people and with
groups--there is no other way!

"Not only will I be in trouble for taking my stand in faith and
honesty, but I will certainly be in a situation where I will be
seriously tempted of the devil!"

Then, after praying more and talking to the Lord, I have said,
"Almighty Lord, I accept this with my eyes open! I know the facts
and I know what may happen, but I accept it. I will not run. I
will not hide. I will not crawl under a rug. I will dare to stand
up and fight because I am on your side--and I know that when I am
weak, then I am strong!"

Monday, March 7, 2011

Praying for the Persecuted Church - North Korea #2



Just as a reminder to keep praying for North Korea and our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ there!

Here are some more prayer points:

Pray for the Christians in North Korea that they will be safe and that the Lord will put a hedge of protection around them.

Pray that they will grow in their knowledge of the Word and in their knowledge of our Savior.

Pray that the Lord will bless them with fellowship of other believers and that this fellowship would be protected, kept safe, secret and will bring them encouragement and blessing.

Pray that the Christians of North Korea will be light, salt and examples to everyone that they come into contact with. That the light of the Lord will shine through them and that their lives will bring glory to God.

Pray for boldness and wisdom, pray that the Lord will provide opportunities for them to share who He is with those around them.

Pray for strength physically and spiritually for the Christians of North Korea as they fight a tremendous spiritual battle in this spiritually dark country.

Pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon North Korea, pray that the Spirit will transform lives, that people will be saved, that lives will be changed, that there would be hope for eternity, and joy in this life.

Pray for the underground church in North Korea that it will grow and be protected. Pray that it will flourish and that the enemy will not be able to stop its growth!

Thank you for joining me in praying for North Korea! The Lord has so much to say about prayer in the Bible. We are called to pray for each other in the body of Christ. We can't forget those who are isolated and oppressed! Let the Lord do what we cannot physically do ourselves .... prayer is so important!

:)

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Answered Prayer

Can I just say that I LOVE it when I am specifically praying for wisdom in something, and then I open up my Bible to my daily reading, picking up where I left of yesterday (no coincidences here!) and I read a verse that SO completely answers my prayer that there can be no doubt in my mind that the Lord had that verse waiting for me tonight!

It's pretty awesome when He does that. If it has happened to you, then you know what I mean, if it has not happened to you, then I suggest you ask Him to speak to you and then you need to get into the Word, daily, and spend time in prayer daily....and see what He has to say to you!

For me tonight it was Exodus 14:14
"The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace."

That was all I needed to hear....my prayer was answered with wisdom...now I just need to trust in Him and to remember Philippians 4:6
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;"

and Luke 11 where it tells us to keep asking, keep seeking and to keep knocking...persistence with the Lord through prayer....and to not just forget about it, but to keep bringing it before Him and to wait and watch Him work....

:)

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Praying for the Persecuted Church - North Korea

"Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit,
with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty.
To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance,
interceding in behalf of all the saints"
From Ephesians 6:18 (The Amplified Bible)

OK, so I would like to say that I do this all the time....pray for the persecuted church around the world, but I don't do it all the time. I do try to do it though when I am reminded or receive an email from Voice of the Martyrs.

Anyway, tonight it is on my heart...so I think we need to do a monthly praying for the persecuted church. A country a month for the year. So we will start with North Korea...


Print out this pic, or make a note of your own...something to help you remember to pray for North Korea, something that will be a reminder for you, that every time you look at it, you will remember to lift up our brothers and sisters in North Korea.

Need help on what to pray for? I'll be listing things through the month...but let us begin with some country info from Persecution.com:

"North Korea is one of the most repressive and isolated regimes in the world. Government officials deny the country’s citizens even the most basic human rights. The country’s previous leader, Kim Il Sung, founded an ideology called “Juche,” which centers on the worship of the country’s leaders. Government-organized religious activities exist solely to provide the illusion of religious freedom.

Category: Restricted Nation
Religion: Non-Religious 64.31%, Traditional ethnic 16.00%, Chondogyo 13.50%, Christian 1.69%
Ideology: One-man dictatorship/Communism
Head of State: Chairman Kim Jong Il

North Korea is the worst perpetrator of persecution against Christians in the world. Christians must practice their faith in deep secrecy and are in constant danger, but many continue to stand strong under relentless persecution. The government considers Christians to be a stability threat, and they are hunted all over the country. Being a Christian carries a more severe punishment than espionage. The largest number of Christian worshipers in North Korea exists in concentration camps. In addition, one out of four Christian prisoners are sent to political prison camps where prisoners almost never leave. Experts estimate that of the 200,000 people incarcerated in political prison camps, at least 40,000 are Christians. Many North Korean Christians have fled to China, where there are an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 North Koreans. The Chinese government offers a bounty for North Korean refugees equal to one year’s salary. When refugees are caught, they are returned to North Korea, where they face torture, imprisonment and often death. This year the UN’s Human Rights Council passed a resolution expressing concern at “ongoing grave, widespread and systematic human rights violations” in North Korea. Despite this horrific oppression, some Christians have returned to North Korea to share the gospel. As many as 100,000 are thought to worship secretly. In 2009, the authorities are said to have stepped up their surveillance of Christians, and house searches are said to be more rigorous than in the past. Across North Korea, Christians continue to pray privately for evangelism and unity."

Here are some things to pray for from Operation World:

  • Praise God for the faith of Christians in North Korea. Pray that they will be able to share the good news with trusted friends and family. Pray for grace, mercy and perseverance for persecuted Christians.
  • Pray that NGOs will feel burdened to serve in North Korea and help to improve the health system. Pray for the safety and effective witness of Christian NGOs in the country.
  • Pray for all those in prison camps in North Korea. Prison staff are taught to regard prisoners as unworthy of respect, mercy or kindness. Pray that God would convict the hearts of prison guards and pour down his grace and mercy on those suffering in unbelievably harsh conditions.
  • Pray that non-Christian prisoners would be struck by the faith of Christian prisoners and hunger to know more.
  • Pray that Kim Jong-Il would discover the reality of the true God. Pray that he will care and work for the good of the North Korean citizens.
  • Pray that it would become a country that the international community can trust. Pray that ongoing mistrust regarding nuclear issues may be resolved.
  • Pray for North Koreans who have gone to South Korea via other countries, that they will be treated with mercy and kindness. Pray for people who help those Koreans.
  • Pray for a just government that honors God and relates well to those in the South.