We received our first newsletter update from Ivan & Susy, missionaries in Guatemala. Good to see people and ministries collaborate to share the Good News!
An Update from Joel & Hailey Altena - Lithuania
Dear friends,
We are eager to send you an update of what has been happening in ministry at LCC International University. Thank you for your faithful prayer support and for your continued partnership in ministry over the past five years. We look forward to a summer of more rest and eagerly anticipate beginning our sixth year at LCC! We think of you often and pray for you regularly.
With joy, Hailey & Joel
Give God Your Undivided Attention
Below is an article found and shared by our Prayer Team.
For those who have come by faith, Christ—through His death and resurrection—has taken us by the hand and walked us into the Throne Room. God is on one side, we are on the other, and Jesus has introduced us to the Father. We once were at war with the One on the throne, but now we have “peace facing God!” What a glorious privilege! What an unspeakable honor!
Pause as you enter and look around. As you gaze throughout the Throne Room you will see Christ seated at the right hand of the Father and you will notice that He “always lives to make intercession” for His children. Angels hover around the throne. Praise is unending. Let the wonder of this environment overwhelm you. Your heart will begin to be filled with worship.
As you have entered, begin to pray. Filled with this vision, you will probably not rattle off meaningless rituals. You are going to “close the door and pray TO YOUR FATHER.” There is a singular direction. You are not praying to others. Your whole vision is filled with the Almighty. You are directing your prayers to the One who is seated upon the Throne!
Rosalind Rinker said, “I have discovered that prayer’s real purpose is to put God at the center of our attention and forget ourselves and the impression we are making.” This posture changes everything for us in prayer. We are looking at Him, and Him alone. Everything else pales in comparison to this vision.
If we will enter in like this, giving God our undivided attention, the greatest reward will be God Himself.
Father, my heart is filled with worship as I consider what Your throne room must be like in reality. I don’t have to wait until the end of my life to experience some of what Your word says is truly taking place right now in heaven. Help me to focus on the lovely description of the place where I will spend all of eternity! I can’t even comprehend the beauty of it! For the rest of my life, my deepest desire is to be in Your presence!
---Adapted from Simply Prayer by Bill Elliff. This book is available at prayershop.org.
Prayer Points
Praise God, who is perfect in beauty and holiness (Ps. 50:2).
Thank him for making everything beautiful in its time (Eccl. 3:11), including your own life.
Confess those times during this past week when your words or actions did not reflect to others the beauty of Christ.
Commit yourself to being transformed into his likeness (2 Cor. 3:18).
Ask God daily to change the ugliness of sin in your life to his loveliness.
Pray that the spirit of worship may fall upon all who enter your church’s sanctuary on Sunday, that they may desire “to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple” (Ps. 27:4).
Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayershop.org.
Full Access to God
Below is an article found and shared by our Prayer Team.
“But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:6).
The most significant transformation in my prayer life came while reading Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ commentary on this verse. Lloyd-Jones said that when he began to understand the meaning of this verse, he realized he could enter into his “closet” with the Lord whether he was in his private study or standing in a crowd of thousands. His wife would say after his death, that what she missed most about “The Doctor’s” ministry was not his preaching, but his praying. He knew how to enter in.
God is not necessarily talking about a physical closet in this verse, although such a practice is fine, but is not always available. I have a mental picture when I begin to pray that has changed everything for me. Let me paint it for you in hopes that it will enhance your praying.
Imagine opening a door and stepping into a foyer … the entrance to God’s Throne Room. Now, turn behind you as you enter and shut the door. Shut the door on others and on last week and next week. Even (in a sense) shut the door on yourself. Your sole focus is the One you are about to encounter.
Next, consciously step into the Throne Room of God! You have total access here because of Jesus Christ. Paul says this well:
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:1-2).
Beautiful God, thank You for Your word that reminds me of my complete access to You in prayer! When I lean into You I literally enter Your throne room! Help me to shut the door on every distraction and focus on You alone. May I long to step into Your presence continually throughout the moments of my day.
---Adapted from Simply Prayer by Bill Elliff. This book is available at prayershop.org.
Prayer Points
Praise the One who sits upon his throne, supreme in power and authority.
Give thanks that the Almighty is your Father in Jesus Christ.
Confess your own hardness of heart and disobedience against God’s authority over you.
Commit yourself to God so that you “do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires” (Rom. 6:12).
Ask God to help you endure, so that you may reign with Christ (2 Tim. 2:12).
Pray that the relationships among your family and friends will be spiritually honest and productive. Pray that Jesus Christ will be a frequent and comfortable topic of conversation.
Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayershop.org.
Just You and God
Below is an article found and shared by our Prayer Team.
While I am a proponent of a morning “quiet time” (a set time each day to read Scripture and pray), I encourage struggling and beginning pray-ers to find what works for them. Don’t force yourself into a pattern that might not fit who you are. Do you walk each day? Pray while you walk. Do you have a commute each day? Pray while you drive. You do not have to sit in the same chair in your living room for prayer to be effective.
But my mind will wander if I pray when I walk or drive, you might be thinking. So what?! When you walk with a friend and are deep in conversation, plenty of things might interrupt your conversation—another person coming toward you, a squirrel darting across your path, a siren in the distance. You pick your conversation up again. The same can happen if you’re praying. In a real sense, Jesus is walking with you. If something interrupts your conversation, simply start talking again.
Prayer is not as difficult as we often make it out to be. Just talk about what’s on your mind—and listen. No special words, no props needed. Just you and God.
Lord, keep me from the need to be “perfect” when I pray or from feeling inadequate if something interrupts my time with You. Help me to persevere in Your presence, and to not make prayer harder than it is! Show me how to find spare moments in my day to reach out to You – moments that might otherwise be wasted time. Whisper into my ear whenever there is an opportunity for us to talk with one another and let me be willing and able to walk with You whenever and wherever I find myself.
--Adapted from The Power of Personal Prayer (Learning to Pray with Faith and Purpose) by Jonathan Graf. This book is available at prayershop.org.
Prayer Points
Praise the Lord, who is your strength, your rock, your fortress and your deliverer (Ps. 18:1-2).
Give thanks that “the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength” (1 Cor. 1:25).
Confess your desire to rely upon your own strength.
Commit yourself to doing everything through him who gives you strength (Phil. 4:13).
Ask God to cause you to serve him with the strength that he provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 4:11).
The gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes (Rom. 1:16). Ask the Lord to apply this power to individuals whom you know are without it.
Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayershop.org.
Sincerity of Heart
“When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full” (Matthew 6:5).
The common practice of the religious leaders in Jesus’ day was to stand in the most conspicuous places possible and pray loud prayers. Their primary intent was to be seen by men. There could be only one motivation behind this practice: PRIDE.
God is very clear about what pride does in our relationship to Him. God resists the proud. He actively stands in opposition to those who approach Him in arrogance. This is even true of His own children.
Have you ever had the frustrating experience of talking to someone and quickly realizing they are looking over your shoulder? They are talking loudly, hoping to be noticed by others. You sense they are searching for the next person they can talk to—the one who they feel is more important than you.
Can you imagine doing this in the presence of the God of the Universe? And yet, this is what much of our prayers are like. Unaware of the One we are approaching, we engage in surface prayers for the sole purpose of impressing others. God does not hear nor respond to such insincerity.
We must enter into His presence sincerely with the sole desire of communing with God alone.
Father, forgive me when I let pride enter into my life of prayer. Keep my eyes on Jesus rather than those around me. Let me be more concerned for His fame than for my own reputation. Teach me the humility of the Son of God, who gave up His life for me so that I might have eternal life! Help me to enter Your presence with a deep desire to know You more!
---Adapted from Simply Prayer by Bill Elliff. This book is available at prayershop.org.
Prayer Points
Read Psalm 108 and praise the Lord, whose love is higher than the heavens and whose faithfulness reaches to the skies.
Give thanks for specific acts of faithfulness to you so far this week.
Confess any unfaithfulness which has robbed God of his glory.
Commit yourself to praising God among the nations (108:3).
Ask him to show you the nations in our cities and around the globe.
Pray that everyone will see clearly that human strength cannot win the battle for peoples’ hearts (108:12-13). Ask God to gain the victory over spiritual enemies that bind the unsaved.
Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayershop.org.
Thank You! from Dave Gifford
To all our supporters and supporting churches,
A big thank you for your donations and prayers in March. We are now at 69% of our goal thru June for our regular support, and already have $1,100 donated to our new $12,000 project to get Logos Bible software packages in the hands of Christian leaders that I (Dave), James Lee and Abe Lee work with here in Mexico. There is not yet an online giving page, but I will include a "clip and send" in our prayer letter, which I hope to send out this week.
Since I am sending the prayer letter out soon, I will be brief: I had a wonderful time in the state of Nuevo León March 23-26, leading the Compa region there in a conference on the book of Titus. Seventeen Bible study leaders and four Compa personnel spent seven and a half hours journeying with me through this short but practical book of the New Testament, and enduring my sense of humor. They participated boisterously with questions and comments and verses. I feel spoiled to get such amazing groups to teach, and such encouraging teaching experiences. Thanks for making it possible.
Please remember to check our monthly-updated prayer requests at https://giffmex.org.
Blessings in Christ,
David Gifford
Mexico team leader, Mexico City
Resonate Global Mission
Engaging People. Embracing Christ.
A Ministry of the Christian Reformed Church
resonateglobalmission.org
From March 11 to April 30, thanks to a matching donation campaign, you can double your impact by making a gift to Resonate’s "where most needed fund" at https://www.resonateglobalmission.org/double.
Praying When You Get the Wind Knocked Out of You
Below is an article found and shared by our Prayer Team.
When I was in my junior high years we lived in the small town of Sherrill, NY, on a street with nine guys within a year of each other in age. We had a lot of fun and got into some innocent trouble together. A great time in life!
I recall one night hanging out in the Swan boys’ backyard, trying to think of something fun to do. They had a two-tiered yard with a small hedge between the two levels of ground. We got the idea of running at the hedges, jumping over them, and landing on the ground beyond—a drop of about three feet. From the point of leaping over the hedge to the bottom of the drop off was about five feet. We had fun doing this a number of times. But then the inevitable happened.
One time when I ran toward the hedge (probably getting a little tired and sloppy), I did not jump quite high enough. My foot caught the hedge. Rather than falling feet first, I landed with a thud directly on my chest and stomach. The wind got knocked out of me and I could not breathe. I still remember that awful feeling of lying there trying to gasp for air—any air. I thought I was going to die.
Of course, I eventually caught my breath. All was well until another day of shenanigans.
Catch a Breath and Pray
I have recently found myself praying with the wind knocked out of me. You know those times. It’s when things are not going well and you’re attacked on every side. Every little thing goes wrong, and you feel like you can’t catch a break (or a breath).
How do you pray and walk in faith during those seasons? How can you pray in a way that allows you to catch your breath, get up, and move forward?
Some people would advocate praying the Psalms during this time. Nothing wrong with that remedy. But for me, in this situation I go to a passage from one of Paul’s letters:
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Phil. 4:4–8).
Just as I had to force myself to try to breathe when I got the wind knocked out of me, I force myself in these challenging times to rejoice. I think of the good things I have, the things that are going well—and I begin to praise Jesus for those things. It is amazing how this simple practice can fhttps://prayershop.org/the-power-of-personal-prayer/ill your spiritual lungs with air again. Try it. You’ll breathe again!
–Jonathan Graf is the president of Church Prayer Leaders Network and the author of The Power of Personal Prayer.
Prayer with No Intermission
Below is an article found and shared by our Prayer Team.
“Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
It bothered me for years. Right in the middle of Paul’s very practical list of admonitions is this simple, three-word command. Our tendency is to gloss over this very direct phrase, but these words form life's most important door.
Most look at this command and walk away, feeling it is unattainable. But a perfect God cannot demand of us something that we are unable to do, by His grace.
Unceasing prayer! We talk about prayer, know we should pray, encourage others to pray, but don't pray. We fail to understand that the Word of God and prayer are God’s primary means of communion with Him. Prayer is opening the door to Christ, letting Him into our needs. It is being with Him. It is humility, for real prayer is admitting our failures and weakness. It is faith, because it is acknowledging a Source beyond ourselves.
Apparently, God thinks we need to pray with no intermission.
Father, sometimes it’s hard to remember that You have commanded me to pray without ceasing. I confess to being overwhelmed by what You are asking. Forgive me for the busyness of my life that keeps me from turning to You for all things. Help me to have greater faith to trust You and to take You at Your word that when I pray, I am entering into Your presence. Show me how to pray even in the midst of my busy life as well as during the quiet moments…and all of the time in between.
---Adapted from Prayer with No Intermission by Bill Elliff. This book is available at prayershop.org.
Prayer Points
Praise God for being perfectly just in all his works.
Thank him for loving righteousness and justice (Ps. 33:5).
Confess any ungodly bias you harbor toward any people.
Commit yourself to viewing others with a loving, Christlike attitude.
Ask God to help you value justice more highly in all relationships of life.
Pray that the members of your family will treat each other with mutual love and respect.
Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayershop.org.
The Cure for Anxiety
Below is an article found and shared by our Prayer Team.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
It happens regularly nowadays. A beep goes off in a room full of people. In response to the beep, someone gets up, leaves the room, and makes a phone call. Something needed immediate attention, and the phone call took care of it.
Life is full of things that need immediate attention. Problems, frustrations, and distresses can produce anxiety and rob us of peace. God doesn’t want this to happen, so he has provided a way that we can get in touch with him immediately when anxiety attacks.
Anxiety is God’s beeper system alerting us that it’s time to talk to God about a situation that worries us. God invites us to come to him in prayer when anxiety threatens, and he promises that he will restore peace in our lives.
We are welcome to come to God with any request, large or small. Nothing is too great for God’s power; nothing is too small for him to care about. If it is a concern to you, it is a concern to God.
We’re encouraged to come “with thanksgiving.” Thanksgiving arises from remembering who God is and what he does for us.
Remember that God is love and that nothing can separate us from his love (1 John 4:16; Romans 8:38-39).
Remember that God is mighty and that his strong right arm is our defense (Psalm 60:5).
Remember that God’s goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life (Psalm 23:6), and you will always be thankful (Colossians 2:7).
The result of prayer is peace—“the peace of God, which transcends all understanding”—a peace that is beyond the ability of humans to contrive or produce.
God not only works out for good the situations we place in his hands (Romans 8:28); he also works in us to guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).
Is God beeping you through some concern in your heart or life? Get in touch with him immediately. Don’t delay! He’ll be glad to have you come. He’s invited you. He has a wonderful peace to give you.
Pray
Praise God—the hearer of prayer, the peace giver, the One who guards your heart and mind in Jesus Christ.
Ask God to forgive you for any times you may have handled anxiety improperly.
Thank God for the peace he gives in the midst of troubling situations.
Ask God to give you peace and to guard your heart and mind.
–Dr. Alvin VanderGriend is the author of numerous books on prayer, including Love to Pray from which this article is adapted.
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Update from Dave & Blanca Gifford - March 5, 2024
Greetings from Mexico City! Blanca and I want to thank you for your support and prayers for our ministry here.
We left February 15 for Honduras. We had a good time at our regional retreat. It was great to see the missionaries from the Mexico-Caribbean region. Then we stayed in Honduras to visit Blanca's family. It had been 19 years since we had seen many of them.
I came home February 26, enjoyed a nice restful birthday on the 27th, then dove into the pile of administrative work that had built up. Blanca returned today (March 5), and now I am preparing for preaching and for my conference on the book of Titus for a COMPA regional camp March 23-26 in Santiago, Nuevo León. I hope to also add more Spanish materials to giffmex.org/b/ soon, now that the heavy admin season is done, and allergies appear to be subsiding.
Thank you all again, and blessings in Christ,
David Gifford
Mexico team leader, Mexico City
Resonate Global Mission
Engaging People. Embracing Christ.
A Ministry of the Christian Reformed Church
resonateglobalmission.org
The Mystery of Prayer
Below is an article found and shared by our Prayer Team.
A mystery! There’s no other way to describe prayer. Think of it! If you have come into a relationship with Jesus Christ, you have the privilege of communicating with the Divine. You can talk to God. And, if you listen, you can hear Him speak too.
Simply put, prayer is communication with God. Some have defined it as “being with God.” I can talk to God any time of the day or night. Anywhere—whether in my favorite chair, walking the dog, driving the car, taking a shower, mowing the lawn, or sitting by a quiet stream in the mountains. Al VanderGriend calls prayer the “talking part of the most important love relationship in my life.”
Somehow, for some reason, almighty God has not only decided that He wants to be in relationship with us and to communicate with us, but He also has provided the method to do it. Prayer. A. B. Simpson, founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, said it well a century ago: “The mystery of prayer! There is nothing like it in the natural universe . . . marvelous bond of prayer that can span the gulf between the Creator and the creature, the infinite God and the humblest and most illiterate child.”
While we cannot fully explain it, the fact remains: Prayer is an awesome privilege! If you are starting out on your faith journey, do everything you can to grow in prayer. It will bring adventure, mystery, and a sense of the presence of God into your life. Prayer will prove to be the key to a vibrant relationship with God.
Father, how I long to grow in my understanding and practice of this mystery called prayer. Forgive me for continually forgetting that You are actively engaged in hearing and answering because You uniquely designed me to connect with You. May I be continually aware of Your presence moment by moment so that as You prompt my heart to seek You for what is on Your heart, I will be obedient to respond. May Your life be alive in me!
--Adapted from The Power of Personal Prayer (Learning to Pray with Faith and Purpose) by Jonathan Graf. This book is available at prayershop.org.
Prayer Points
Praise God, the ultimate owner of all, who gives and takes away the privilege of managing those resources (Daniel 4).
Thank God for specific resources he has put under your care.
Confess any attempts to own (rather than manage) “your” money.
Commit yourself to being a faithful steward who puts God’s kingdom and righteousness first (Mt. 6:33).
Ask him to teach you the secret of being content in any and every situation (Phil. 4:12).
Pray that God will give you, your family, and your friends the daily provisions you need (Mt. 6:11). Ask also that you all will excel in the grace of giving (2 Cor. 8:7).
Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayershop.org.
Praying Friends and Family to Jesus
Below is an article found and shared by our Prayer Team.
Praying Friends and Family to Jesus
One of the most important assignments believers have is to pray family and friends to Jesus Christ. Jesus interceded for future converts when he said to the Father, “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their (disciples) message” (John 17:20). Paul interceded for the salvation of fellow Jews with heart-felt prayer: “Brothers and sisters, my hearts desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved” (Romans 10:1, TNIV). In a letter to Timothy Paul urged that, “requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone.” Such praying said Paul “pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” The New Testament picture is certainly clear. Prayer precedes conversion.
To pray effectively for unconverted persons we need to see them as God sees them. The Bible makes it plain that God has a heart for unsaved persons. He does not want anyone to perish, but wants “everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). He is willing to grant them “repentance leading . . . to a knowledge of the truth . . . and escape from the trap of the devil” (2 Timothy 2:25-26). He sent his Son “to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10). And his Son, who came “to save the world” (John 3:17), commissioned others “to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins” (Acts 26:18). Our Father God, like the father in Jesus story of the prodigal son, yearns for and watches for his prodigal sons and daughters to come home. He wants to save! He is able to save! He moves in the lives of people when we pray.
Satan, on the other hand, does everything in his power to keep unsaved persons in his grip. Jesus exposed Satan as the “strong man” who tries to keep his possessions “safe” by being “fully armed” as “he guards his own house” (Luke 11:21). This same evil one seeks to hinder their salvation by blinding their eyes “so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:4), and snatches away the seed of the gospel message sown in their hearts (Matthew 13:19). Those who reject the gospel remain in “the trap of the devil…taken captive to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:26).
Scripture gives us important insights on what to pray for those who don’t know Christ.
Pray that the Father will draw unsaved persons to himself. Jesus said, “No man can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (John 6:44). The unsaved persons for whom you pray will not go to Christ out of their own volition. They can’t. But the Father who can draw them delights to do so in response to our asking.
Pray that they will come to repentance. The Lord wants unsaved persons to come to repentance and to be saved (2 Peter 3:9). And, he wants us to pray for that. God will welcome their repentance so that he can purge out what hinders their salvation and give them new life.
Pray that they will hear and understand the gospel. They have to hear. Paul was making this point when he asked, “How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?” (Romans 10:14). And they have to understand. Jesus warned that Satan would snatch the seed of the gospel away from those who don’t understand (Matthew 13:19).
Pray that their minds will be opened. Satan tries to blind the mind of unbelievers, “so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:4). God wants to open their minds so they will see the “light.” Opening human minds is God’s business. But moving God’s Spirit to do so is prayer business.
Pray that they will be freed from Satan’s bondage. The devil is a defeated enemy. He is the “strong man” who is bound by Jesus (Luke 11:21). He is the “power” disarmed by Jesus (Colossians 2:14). The devil can deal with any force that we humans can bring against him, but he cannot deal with the hands of almighty God moved through our prayers. Ask God to thwart Satan’s plans by un-binding and un-blinding the persons for whom you pray so that “they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil” (2 Timothy 2:26).
Scripture also gives some clues on how to pray for those who don’t know Christ.
Pray with a compassionate concern that reflects the Father’s heart. Intercession is not of matter of dispassionately presenting our thoughts and words to God. God not only hears our prayers, he weighs them—weighs the burden in our hearts.
Pray with faith. Believe that the Lord is willing. He “wants all people to be saved” and is pleased with the prayers that make this happen (1Timothy 2:4, TNIV). Believe that he is able: “With God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).
Pray with boldness. In Jesus story of the midnight visitor the host, who pleads with a neighbor for bread to serve his friend, knocks persistently and boldly. Jesus commends his boldness and says, “because of his boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs” (Luke 11:5-8). Pray boldly for persons who do not know Jesus. God will be pleased.
Be willing to invest time, plenty of time. Intercession is work and all work takes time. Effective intercessors are always on watch for the Lord (see Isaiah 62:6-7).
Finally, pray continuously. Never give up! God’s time in not our timing. He wants “all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). That includes unsaved family, friends, and neighbors for whom you are praying.
–Alvin VanderGriend from Praying God’s Heart (PrayerShop Publishing).
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Maranatha Media - January 2024
Shari has added new books to the library this month! Check out her reviews in the latest Maranatha Media. Plus this cute snowman in the library!
Maranatha Media - December 2023
Although the cold temperatures haven’t been too bad, it’s still a great time of year to get cozy and read a book! Shari has reviewed several new books that have been added to our library recently.
Article Shared by the Prayer Team
How can I learn to pray out loud so I can pray with others?
God can hear our prayers anytime, anywhere, and at any volume! He is able to hear us even when we think our prayers to Him rather than voice them. Yet, so many of us struggle and would like to be able to verbalize prayers in a group setting.
Here are a few tips on how to stretch yourself a bit and grow in this area:
One of the best ways to grow in praying out loud, is to practice listening to yourself reading prayers from Scripture. You could start with the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13. Hearing your own voice as you pray out loud is an important step.
Read Psalm 145 out loud back to the Lord and then say, “Lord, You are___ (fill in the blank with some of the attributes you find in this Psalm). Looking for ways to praise God in His word is a powerful way to express your love for Him out loud. The more you know about Him and His goodness and love, the more you will want to express what’s on your heart to Him.
After using Scripture to help you pray out loud for a while, try to voice your own prayers based on those you have been praying. Here is just one way: try looking at pictures of some of your family members and tell God what you want to pray for each of them. For example, “Father, my daughter Emily is really struggling to make friends in her new school this year. Would you bring her some godly young women to get to know?” Or, “Lord, my husband has such a stressful job. Please help him to feel Your presence and to be filled with peace instead of anxiety.”
When you are ready to try praying in a group, first recognize that you are talking only to God, and not to the other people around you. Flowery or “super-spiritual” language is not required. Nor is adding extra information in your prayer for the benefit of others in the room. God knows the details. Talk to Him as you would talk to a good friend about the person or situation you are concerned about. Don’t worry about how others view your prayer; it is between you and God alone.
Spend time with others who are in love with Jesus and listen to them pray. Ask them how they learned to pray out loud and see if they can give you some good ideas as well!
As with anything new you undertake, the more you practice praying out loud, the more confident and comfortable you will become.
–Kim Butts is the co-founder of Harvest Prayer Ministries.
"Keep Your Focus on God" - shared by our Prayer Team
“The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1).
As we pray, we need to keep our focus on God. Picture him. Remind yourself of his character traits. Think of him as he was on the earth. What kind of a man was he? How did he deal with people?
Recently, I struggled with a tough relationship issue. Fear was at my doorstep. Could I trust God to meet this need, really? I decided I needed to understand more of what kind of a man Jesus was in order to trust him in this relational struggle. I began an in-depth study of the gospel of Matthew. I carefully studied how, as a man, Jesus ministered to people. I was reminded of his compassion when he cared for the hungry crowd and fed the 5,000; his tenderheartedness as he touched and healed the leper; and his love for the poor as he taught the Beatitudes. Reading each day about his life gave me confidence that he was, and is, someone I can fully trust.
As I prayed about this over the next few weeks, fear concerning this particular relationship was replaced by peace and confidence that God was in control. In every situation for prayer, whether great or small, we will be faced with the choice either to acknowledge the existence and control of God or to allow ourselves to be in control.
Imagine a place without his presence. It would be a pretty miserable place. When we pray we need to remind ourselves of his existence. When we’re aware that the Lord is with us, we act differently. Our thoughts are different. Our concerns are different. I don’t know about you, but when I am aware of the fact that God is present, I’m not only more careful of how I act, but I’m not afraid. I’m at peace. This has to be the way it is when we pray. It’s easy to get caught up in mindless, mundane praying. When we pray, are we convinced that we are in the presence of the risen Christ? Do we see his hand at work in our daily lives?
As we practice choosing to keep our thoughts, our emotions, and our focus on the existence and presence of God, we will have victory in our prayer lives. What an awesome God we serve! Don’t let the enemy or the world steal this joy from you!
Father God, I acknowledge Your patient and loving presence in my life today! Give me the ability to be continually aware of the peace that passes all understanding and the full knowledge that with You I can be victorious in all things. Help me to stand against the attempts of the enemy to steal my joy in the midst of the abundant life You have blessed me with. Keep me focused upon all that You are and attentive to Your hand at work.
--Adapted from Ultimate Connection: Eight Principles that will Transform Your Prayer Life by Barbara Ho.
Prayer Points
Praise God as the fair judge and ruler who never lets wealth, appearance, or earthly power influence his decisions.
Give thanks for God’s constant concern for those in positions of weakness and poverty (Jas. 1:27).
Confess those times when your support of the poor has been in word only and not in action (1:22-25).
Commit yourself to seeing people as God sees them, not as our society sees them.
Ask God to open your eyes to those who are “poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith” (Jas. 2:5).
Pray for specific individuals and families in your church who may be having a hard time financially. Ask God what you can do to help (Gal. 6:9-10).
Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayershop.org.
"Praying for Missionaries" - shared from our Prayer Team
“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24).
What do we mean when we ask God to bless the missionaries? Jesus did not pray that God would rescue the disciples from the hardships of the world. He asked the father to “keep them from the evil one” (Jn. 17:15). After Saul’s Damascus Road experience, Christ said He would show Paul “how many things he must suffer” for Jesus’ name (Acts 9:16). God’s call upon the life of a missionary (or any believer for that matter) does not remove the reality of pain, suffering, sickness, and persecution. This theme of serving Christ through persecution and suffering is both a biblical and historical reality.
How many of us have heard the testimonies and requests of persecuted house church leaders in China. They plead with us not to pray for the suffering and persecution to end, but rather for God to be glorified through the persecution. With persecution comes kingdom growth. It has always been so. Tertullian said the blood of the Christians is holy seed.1 Christ said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Mt. 16:24).
So, perhaps we should pray less for the “success,” happiness, and comfort of the missionaries and more for their endurance and character as cross-cultural disciplers. In their book, Called to Reach: Equipping Cross-cultural Disciplers, Yount and Barnett identify eight characteristics of effective missionaries. When we pray for the missionaries (expatriates and locals), perhaps we should pray that they would:
1. Depend on the Holy Spirit in all they do (spiritual character).
2. Live according to the teachings of the Bible (biblical character).
3. Be good thinkers and teachers across cultural barriers (rational character).
4. Be willing to suffer with those they witness to (compassionate character).
5. Endure as they suffer for the sake of the gospel (impassioned character).
6. Build lasting, witnessing relationships (relational character).
7. Stay focused on God’s mission, not their own (maturational character).
Lord God, as I lift up those who have answered Your call to the mission field, I ask that You would place in them Your godly character and that each one would live according to Your word. May they have clarity of mind, a willingness to suffer with others and for Your sake! Help them to develop lasting relationships with those they serve, and to keep their focus upon Your holy face.
--Adapted from Giving Ourselves to Prayer: An Acts 6:4 Primer for Ministry, Chapter 66(Strategic Prayer for God’s Mission and Missionaries) by Mike Barnett. This resource is available at prayershop.org.
Prayer Points
Praise God, whose “every word . . . is flawless.”
Thank God for being “a shield to those who take refuge in him” (Prov. 30:5).
Confess times of not believing or listening to his Word.
Commit yourself to hearing God speak to you today.
Ask him to truly be your refuge.
Pray for God’s flawless Word to be clearly and practically preached throughout the world. Ask God’s Spirit to open hearts so that his kingdom and righteousness may grow.
Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayershop.org.
Maranatha Media - October 2023
Shari has another joke for us this month! See the bottom of this post for the answer.
Answer: Under the covers!
"Life Shaping" - shared from our Prayer Team
“Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith. Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you” (1 Thessalonians 3:10-11).
Have you ever noticed that with some believers you just know that they are growing in their faith, but with others, you do not see signs that their walk with God is going anywhere? What makes the difference?
Certainly some do not have a strong desire to grow. They have made some commitment to Christ, but it does not go deep enough to radically shape the way they live. But many believers simply have not had any real encouragement to grow. No one has ever come alongside them to mentor or disciple them. I bet most believers who are active in their faith have at points in their lives had people encouraging them and challenging them in their walk with Jesus. Someone modeled what a vibrant faith looks like for them.
Paul did that for his converts. People up and down Asia Minor who were in the churches planted by Paul grew because of Paul’s personal interest in them. Paul prayed regularly for them. And he prayed that God might grant him a way to touch their lives personally again.
What about you? Are you actively praying for ways to mentor a fellow believer? No matter where you are in your faith’s journey, no matter what is lacking in your knowledge of Jesus Christ, someone could use your encouragement. Someone is not as far along as you! Why not begin to pray for that person? Then look for ways to encourage, sharpen, and challenge him or her in the faith. Become a mentor like Paul.
Father, I lift up ____________________to You right now. I know he (or she) has a heart for You, but lacks a drive or desire to go deeper. I pray that You would give him a greater hunger and passion to know You. Draw him to Yourself, O Lord. Show me ways that I might be an encouragement to him in his walk with You. I am willing, if You would open the door, for me to mentor ____________________. Just show me the action I should take. Amen.
--Adapted from Praying like Paul (Learning to Pray the Kingdom for Those You Love) by Jonathan Graf. This resource is available at prayershop.org.
Prayer Points
Praise “God, from whom all blessings flow!”
Thank him for making his blessings available to you in Christ Jesus.
Confess that you are spiritually poor in yourself.
Commit yourself to gratitude to God for replacing your poverty with all the treasures of “the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 5:3).
Ask for a renewed appreciation for this tremendous, gracious exchange.
Pray for those caught in addictions to drugs, sex, self-reliance, etc., to admit that they are powerless to overcome these evils by themselves.
Ask God to use you this week to point at least one person to him and his resources.
Prayer Pointer: “Prayer becomes a battleground where we wrestle with what it means to live God’s life in the world.” —Maxie Dunnam
Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayershop.org.