“We must begin to believe that God, in the mystery of prayer, has entrusted us with a force that can move the Heavenly world, and can bring its power down to earth.” – Andrew Murray
+++
The New Covenant. Jesus Christ inaugurated the beginning of the “days which are coming” (Jeremiah 31:31). Though all the realities of the Kingdom have not yet fully arrived, we are living in post-Cross and post-resurrection days … which is to say that we live in the beginning of the era described by Jeremiah:
I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God and they shall be My people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:33-34)
So, as followers of Christ, let us pray with the knowledge that God has written His law upon our hearts. He has forgiven us of our sin. In Christ, approach the Father’s throne with boldness!
+++
Pray for all the unseen workers who administrate and carry out the business of our local governments – serving the public and earning their living through taxpayer-funded institutions.
Pray especially for the Christians who work in such positions that they would serve, “with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man” (Ephesians 6:5-6).
If all Christians who work in government positions would serve Christ in such a manner … what a difference that would make in terms of the Christian testimony before the watching world!
+++
Pray for pro-life ministries across the nation. This month marks the 40th year since Roe v. Wade – and with the anniversary comes another milestone marker … that of 50 million abortions performed during that time span. Next Sunday is “Sanctity of Human Life Sunday.” Pray that churches who never give any thought to this subject would start something new in terms of their talk and walk. And for congregations who have been at the forefront of these issues for decades, pray that they would persevere and not lose heart.
+++
Pray for the Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) ministry taking place on the campus of Davidson College.
+++
Using the new 2013 “watchlist” produced by opendoorsusa.org, 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 nation once again tops the list of 50 countries where persecution is most severe.
Here is the report on North Korea:
For the eleventh year running, this is the most difficult place on earth to be a Christian. One of the remaining Communist states, it is vehemently opposed to religion of any kind. Christians are classified as hostile and face arrest, detention, torture, even public execution. There is a system of labor camps including the renowned prison No. 15, which reportedly houses 6,000 Christians alone. But despite severe oppression, there is a growing underground church movement of an estimated 400,000 Christians.
Pray: (1) For real political and economic change under the leadership of Kim Jong-Un, (2) Spies have reportedly been sent to China to expose networks. Ask God to protect refugees and those helping them, (3) Give thanks that Open Doors is able to deliver emergency aid into the country.
+++
Prayer for the nation – focusing on the state of Alabama. Pray that this state – a “buckle of the Bible belt” with multiple churches in every town – would be Gospel-impacted by the Christians in those churches.
In 2013, we will pray 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 new Reformed body, ECO: A Covenant Order of 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 Mid-America Synod: Giddings-Lovejoy, Heartland, John Calvin, Missouri Union, North Kansas and Southern Kansas.
Prayers for Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC): the West Presbytery, (Marc Huebl, stated clerk).
Prayers for the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA): the churches of the South Coast Presbytery (The California counties of San Diego, Imperial, Riverside, and Orange).
Prayers for ECO: A Covenant Order of Presbyterians: the churches in the Presbytery of the East and the Presbytery of the West.
Prayers for The Fellowship of Presbyterians and ECO.