Prayer Guide for Muslims During Ramadan
Dear friends,
About a week ago I wrote you to let you know about the special prayer guide, 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World. This guide will help you (and others you know or lead) to pray with informed hope for Muslim people—in your community or anywhere in the world.
As you know, Muslims observe a 30-day period of fasting and prayer every year that they call "Ramadan." It's an ideal time to pray for God's purposes of love to be fulfilled in their lives and families. This prayer guide is timed to give you ideas and information to pray during these same 30 days (July 20 - August 18) with Christ-like sensitivity and relevance.
I'm writing to remind you to order. We've had to re-order from the supplier several times because of the significant response. We were told yesterday that only a few hundred of the children's version are left. So order soon! The starting date (July 20) is just a few weeks from now.
If you haven't already done so, check out a few sample pages of this beautiful, full-color resource by going to our website (www.waymakers.org/30-days.html).
WayMakers has made it easy to order from our website or by phone. The cost begins at $3 for a single copy ($3.50 for children’s) with discounts as great as 60% when ordered in quantity. Check out the details online at www.waymakers.org/30-days.html or call us at 512.419.7729.
A Year of Sustained Transformational Prayer for Nigeria
During a regional session at the recently concluded World Prayer Assembly, which held at Jakarta, Indonesia, from the 14th to the 18th of May, 2012, at which Pastor E.A. Adeboye was one of the International speakers, the over 25 delegates from Nigeria, after an exhaustive discussion about the situation in our country, resolved to call the Church in Nigeria to a one year transformational prayer campaign commencing from 1st August, 2012 to 1 July 2013. This urgent call to prayer is necessitated by the myriad and intractable problems facing our nation, some of which are underlisted below:
1. The high rate of insecurity, especially the bombing of the Boko Haram sect and the attempt to destabilize the nation.
2. The looming prediction by the CIA and other western organisations that Nigeria would be a failed state by 2015.
3. The feverish pitch and inflammatory comments which the 2015 national elections is already generating and what it portends for our democratic system.
4. The ever-increasing rate of unemployment in the country without any solutions in sight.
5. The cancerous problem of corruption in our society, the hypocritical and cosmetic treatment which successive leadership give as panacea to the problem.
6. The fallen standards of education and mass failure during WAEC and NECO exams by our students.
7. The total neglect and marginalization of the less privileged, the poor and those with physical challenges in our society.
8. The absence of any assuring engagement and rehabilitating plans for our youths and children.
9. Inter-ethnic and inter-religious religious conflicts in Jos, Ebonyi and Adamawa states.
10. Political thuggery, arson and assassination of opponents.
11. Erratic power supply despite the colossal amount spent on the Independent Power Projects.
12. The fuel subsidy, pension scam, and billions of naira fraud they have unearthed.
13. A self-centered National Assembly whose actions are so unpatriotic and uninspiring.
14. An inefficient judiciary that is allegedly ridden with corruption, where justice is most times delayed or denied.
15. The prevalence of ritual killings and occultism in politics and governance in the land.
16. The kidnapping of people has fast turned to a profession and the raping of women and teenage girls.
17. Our roads and highways are littered with carnage; we lack maintenance culture on virtually all our infrastructure.
We are not unmindful of the fact that this call to National repentance and prayer is a huge prayer task. Critics of prayer would ask what impact prayer has made on our national life. Others would say, have our problems not increased and worsened because we simply pray when we should be working or thinking strategically about how to solve our problems. Suffice it to say, that without prayer, Nigeria would not be where she is now. Prayer does not negate real hardwork as a means of solving societal problems. At all times, the Church has the mandate to pray for all men, and for those on authority, no matter how good or bad the times may be. We have a divine responsibility to pray for the peace of our nationa, our leaders and the Church.
Daily and weekly prayers should be held in groups, churches, cities and should cover such areas as:
1. The Nation – the economy, families, the youth and children.
2. The Seven Mountains (spheres of the society) which comprises politics and governance, the Church, Arts, Media and Entertainment, Business and Commerce, the Family, etc.
3. Global Institutions and Events – the global economy, wars, victims of natural disasters, terrorism, environmental challenges, etc.
4. The Church – the leaders, unity in the Church, revival in the church, the persecuted church, missionaries, etc.
5. Africa – regional organisations like ECOWAS, natural disasters like famine, wars, coups, poverty, diseases, etc.
6. The Unreached People Groups and the 10/40 Window.
For us to make success of this prayer project, we call on all Churches and Christians to commit themselves to a one-day fast once a week. We also implore church leaders, ministry leaders and intercessors to introduce creativity, varying patterns of prayer, from time to time so as to enliven the prayers during this one-year period. Men, women, youths and children should be sensitized and made to be involved in this prayer.
For more information, please contact Austen Ukachi (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
INSIGHT: Christian input into Olympics
Fusion is bringing people from 15 countries to take part in a Pilgrimage of Hope during the Olympic Games. From 22 July, 75 people from South America, Africa, Europe, China and Australia will be helping communities in the UK to enjoy the Games. After three days of training in community transformation, the pilgrims will head off in teams of 10 to work alongside local Christians in running community events, such as youth cafes, kids clubs and festivals. The outreach draws its inspiration from the legacy of small groups of Christians that many years ago made a huge impact, such as the Clapham Sect, which included William Wilberforce and campaigned successfully for an end to the slave trade. After eight days of mission, pilgrims will travel to Iona and Lindisfarne to retrace the steps of some of the heroes of the Christian faith. http://www.christiantoday.com/article/fusion.focuses.on.communitybuilding.during.olympics/30239.htm For a handy resource to aid churches, homegroups and houses of prayer to intercede for the Olympics use the INSIGHT article (pdf download).
Pray: for all those participating in these events that they will bring community transformation. (Gen.28:3)
Info: http://site.prayer-alert.net/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=393&Itemid=93
Olympic archer quotes Scripture while competing
Olympic archer, Jennifer Nichols, 28, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, is a devout Christian from Texas who is intent on winning a gold medal in the upcoming games in London. ‘I take comfort in knowing that I'm here because the Lord brought me here and I’m glad to be able to offer whatever I can to be able to glorify the Lord in what I do,’ said Nichols ‘I memorize a lot of Scripture to recite while I'm shooting,’ she adds. ‘I carry a little book in my quiver that has Bible verses in it that I memorize as I'm walking back and forth to the target. And sometimes I'll recite them while I'm on the line shooting. It plays a large part.’ Thank God for Jennifer’s testimony and pray that God will bless her.
Pray: for Jennifer's witness and that sharing the Word will bring many blessings. (Ac.22:15)
More: http://www.breakingchristiannews.com/articles/display_art.html?ID=10316