Prayer Quotes — from Billy Graham
The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, “O God, forgive me,” or “Help me.”
And…
Prayer is simply a two-way conversation between you and God.
Prayers for the week…
- As neighbors and citizens: Pray for our nation during this federal government shutdown. Depending on where you live, there may be people living close by who could use your support — prayer support, financial help, etc.
- Pray for the pro-life movement around the world. In the United States, pray that religious freedoms would not be squelched in the name of universal health care.
- Pray for the Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) ministry taking place at Texas A&M at Corpus Christi — led by Paul Miller:
Paul Miller was born and raised in Salisbury, Md. After moving to Dallas with his twin brother in 1996 Texas soon began to feel like home. He graduated from Dallas Baptist University in 2002. In 2003 he met his wife, Laura, who grew up in Dallas and is a graduate of The University of Texas (’01) with a degree in Interior Design. Within 10 months they were married! Paul attended Westminster Theological Seminary (Dallas campus) where he earned his Masters of Divinity (’08). In June of 2008 Paul and Laura headed down to south Texas where they began an RUF chapter at Texas A&M Corpus Christi. They have one beautiful baby boy, Jack, who was born Aug. 10, 2009. Paul and Laura enjoy movies, going to the beach, outdoor activities, and playing with Jack and their dog, Mathis. Paul is attempting to learn how to play golf … a great exercise in sanctification!
- 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 China, which ranks No. 37 on the watchlist.
The government is still wedded to a Communist ideology but no longer pays lip service to it. Unleashing market forces, whilst holding all the capital, have meant great economic growth, increased freedoms and rapid Westernization for China, but super-power status has made its leaders more nationalistic and anti-Western. Four issues get persecuted Christians and the church into trouble: when they are perceived as too powerful, too political, too foreign, or a cult. However, for the foreseeable future, the new government is likely to use religion rather than exterminate it.
Pray:
- For the Chinese government, which is getting harder to influence internationally – this has huge implications for advocacy work
- For house churches treading warily through an unpredictable space of danger and opportunity
- For Open Doors staff training and mentoring pastors and church workers.
News and Stories from China:
- Prayer for the nation – focusing this week on the state of North Dakota.
- 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 South Atlantic: Central Florida, Charleston-Atlantic, Cherokee, Flint River, Florida, Foothills, Greater Atlanta, New Harmony, Northeast Georgia, Peace River, Providence, St. Augustine, Savannah, Tampa Bay, Trinity, Tropical Florida.
- Prayers for Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC): Central South (Ken Van Kampen, stated clerk).
- Prayers for the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA): the churches of the Chesapeake Presbytery (parts of Maryland).
- Prayers for ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians.
- Prayers for The Fellowship of Presbyterians.