PLC’s prayer blog (week of October 14, 2013)

October 15, 2013AdminScottPresbyterian News and Analysis

Prayer Quotes from Augustine —

The desire is thy prayers; and if thy desire is without ceasing, thy prayer will also be without ceasing. The continuance of your longing is the continuance of your prayer.

And…

Prayer of Trust in God’s Heavenly Promise — My God, let me know and love you, so that I may find my happiness in you. Since I cannot fully achieve this on earth, help me to improve daily until I may do so to the full. Enable me to know you ever more on earth, so that I may know you perfectly in heaven. Enable me to love you ever more on earth, so that I may love you perfectly in heaven. In that way my joy may be great on earth, and perfect with you in heaven. O God of truth, grant me the happiness of heaven so that my joy may be full in accord with your promise. In the meantime let my mind dwell on that happiness, my tongue speak of it, my heart pine for it, my mouth pronounce it, my soul hunger for it, my flesh thirst for it, and my entire being desire it until I enter through death in the joy of my Lord forever. Amen.

Prayers for the week…

As neighbors and citizens: Pray for our nation during this federal government shutdown. No matter what one’s political stripe may be, harsh economic realities do not disappear through rhetoric. Pray for wisdom for those making important decisions which impact hundreds of millions of people.

Pray for the pro-life movement around the world. Find someone who suffers with a terminal illness. Befriend them and their family. Show them love and concern and Christian grace.

Pray for the Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) ministry taking place at Texas Christian Univeristy — led by Ryan Anderson:

Ryan and Laura are most recently from St. Louis (Laura’s hometown). Ryan is from Franklin, Tenn., and went to college at the University of Tennessee. After finishing college, Ryan worked with a high school ministry back in Franklin before moving to St. Louis to do graduate work at Covenant Theological Seminary. While in St. Louis he met Laura, and they were soon married. Laura went to Davidson College and has a Master’s in Counseling from Covenant as well. The Andersons enjoy good food, exercising, hanging out with college students and rock collecting (nope … not that there’s anything wrong with that). Lastly, Go Frogs!!

Using the new 2013 “watchlist” produced by Open Doors, we pray for the persecuted Christians of a different country each week.

Teachers/parents, consider this a great way to introduce geography into the weekly lessons. Show students where the nation is, then pray for Christians in that place.

This week we pray for the Christians of Azerbaijan, which ranks No. 38 on the watchlist.

The majority of the population is Muslim, and Christianity is associated with the country’s arch-enemy, Armenia. Azerbaijan is officially a secular state and the government is negative toward any kind of religion. The Committee on Religious Affairs controls almost everything. It is illegal for churches to meet if they are not registered, yet registration is almost impossible. In 2012, there were raids on persecuted Christian homes and churches. The Greater Grace Protestant Church was even liquidated in April 2012 with no formal justification.

Pray:

For Muslim converts in rural areas who face the most pressure; Islamic influence is growing in Azerbaijan

For the many Christians who are unable to find or keep jobs and are watched closely by the secret services

For pastors and church leaders being monitored by the authorities.

Prayer for the nation – focusing this week on the state of Ohio.

In 2013, we are praying together by name for Christians in 50 nations, Christians in all 50 states and all the presbyteries of the Presbyterian Church (USA), Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC), Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) and the emerging new Reformed body, ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians. You are encouraged to add specific pastors, lay leaders, congregations, missionaries, new church developments and other ministries to the list by posting a comment to the blog. (Please do not publicly post the names of missionaries serving in contexts where exposing their identity would cause them harm or bring harm to those they serve in Christ’s name.) Let us kneel before the Father and ask His will be done.

Prayers for the PCUSA: Pray for the presbyteries of the Southern California and Hawaii Synod: Hanmi, Los Ranchos, The Pacific, Riverside, San Diego, San Fernando, San Gabriel and Santa Barbara.