“Make time to pray. The great freight and passenger trains are never too busy to stop for fuel. No matter how congested the yards may be, no matter how crowded the schedules are, no matter how many things demand the attention of the trainmen, those trains always stop for fuel.” M.E. Andross
+++
Perseverance in prayer. Remember that Jesus told the parable of the persistent widow to His disciples “that they ought always to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1). Which is to say, Jesus knew that His disciples – then and now – would need His encouragement to not give up in our praying.
+++
Pray for the judges within all levels of our courts throughout the nation. Pray that they would be free from external corruption and that their internal discernments would be like that of Isaiah 1:17: “seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.”
+++
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. As theologian Albert Mohler wrote this week:
In truth, America – and countless individual Americans – have a divided mind on abortion and the sanctity of human life. We are a long way from a national consensus that could be reasonably and honestly described as pro-life. Four decades after its thunderous arrival, Roe v. Wade still stands, and the death count rises. Restricting the murder of the unborn is not enough. Even reversing Roe v. Wade will not be enough. Our task is to reach the hearts and minds of America with the message that every life is a divine gift, and that abortion is not the only grave threat to that gift. 40 years after Roe, that challenge still looms before us.
+++
Pray for the Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) ministry taking place on the campus of Covenant College – the college of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). This ministry is led by Ron Brown.
Ron was born and raised in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He graduated from Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania and Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi. He and his wife Susan moved to Tallahassee, Florida in 1988 to start RUF at Florida State University. In Tallahassee God blessed Ron and Susan with the birth of their son Chris and daughter Anna Shay. In 1995 they moved to Crystal River, Florida where Ron was called as the Pastor of Discipleship and Education at Seven Rivers Presbyterian Church. In 2002 the Brown family moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee where Ron was installed as the Pastor of Education and Discipleship at First Presbyterian Church of Chattanooga. In 2006 Ron became Campus Minster for RUF at Covenant College.
+++
This week, pray for persecuted Christians in Mauritania:
Using the “watchlist” produced by opendoorsusa.org, we will pray for persecuted Christians in a specific nation 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.
Here is an excerpt from the report on Bangladesh:
In general, believers have freedom to live according to their faith, but they have to be careful, particularly when including Muslims who have converted to the Christian faith. Local authorities and the Muslim majority may disturb church meetings or put believers under pressure. There are also reports of Christians being physically harmed and homes, or meeting places, attacked. On the other hand, believers who stood trial in August were exonerated by the court; they had been accused of “hurting religious sensibility” while organizing a health camp. Another believer was also exonerated for distributing Christian literature near a major Muslim gathering in March. Source: Page 60 of (PDF)
+++
We will also pray for Christians across America by lifting them up by state. Additionally, we will pray each week for our fellow Presbyterians. So, 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 emerging new Reformed body, The Fellowship of Presbyterians (these will be added as they are formed). 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.
+++
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.
+++
Prayers for the PCUSA: Pray for the presbyteries of the Living Waters, East Tennessee, Holston, Mid-Kentucky, Mid-South, Middle Tennessee, Mississippi, North Alabama, St. Andrew, Sheppards & Lapsley, South Alabama, Transylvania and Western Kentucky.
Prayers for Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC): the Pacific Presbytery (Ron Bengelink, stated clerk).
Prayers for the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA): the churches of the Siouxlands Presbytery
Prayers for The Fellowship of Presbyterians.