My Life In Pictures (day 26)

My apologies for having not posted a photo in a while; but then again, I suppose I did warn you this may be the norm for this year.

Such as it is, I couldn’t resist posting a photo documenting my daughter’s truancy. After all, she is a PK and this sort of rebelliousness is to be expected I suppose. Now, don’t get me wrong. I dearly love the ladies that operate our church library. Quite honestly, they do a bang up job. But when I saw this note sitting in my box at church, noticed it was for Lily, then read its contents. Well, I’ll admit, I laughed.

I think it may have had something to do with the line that reads, “…the following books, videos, CD’s or Cassettes…” Cassettes. Really! We’re actually taking time to track those down? And who’s checking out cassettes from the church library? I want to tell our ladies that who ever has any of the church cassettes, it’s theirs to keep. You know, as a gift from the church. Now, I know this is a standard, catch all form the ladies use. And I also know we still offer cassettes in the church library… as much as that pains me to admit such a thing. But I’m going on record, making a pastoral decision that all church cassette tapes are free to check out with no due date. In fact, should you return a cassette tape you’ve checked out, you’ll be fined.

The good news is, I covered for my daughter, and returned the Otto book promptly the next day. So all is again, right in the world. Or at least in our small corner of it, as far as the church library is concerned.

Pray for the Nations (days 32-34)

It’s true, painfully true. So true in fact, there is documented proof for the world to see. It’s true, I haven’t prayed each day for a nation. I’ve prayed for every nations that’s come through the 60 day challenge. But I’ve not prayed each day or on the day a particular nation has come through. And there was a time when I would have said of my self that I failed. That I wasn’t measuring up. That I was foolish to believe I could actually do such a thing as pray for 60 straight days for 60 different countries. Thankfully, I’ve come to discover grace, and the freedom grace offers. I could make this 60 day challenge about praying every day, or it could be about prayer. Prayer and an awareness of the move of God in countries I’ve never heard of, or know very little about. It could be about the “check list” or it could be about interceding for people I’ll never meet, but believe wholeheartedly God loves and wants to draw to himself. While it may be something to “hang a hat on,” praying for 60 days straight, I’ll opt instead to pray when I’m able; even if that means I’me a day or two (or three) “late.” The irony is, even though throughout this journey I’ve been off the mark a time or two, God seems to redeem the day as the prayers that day seem to be spot on. Where had I prayed on the day I was supposed to, it may have not quite hit the mark. I say all this to say, I’m going to trust God knows what he’s doing and not worry or beat myself up that my check list is missing a few marks.

Day 32 – Today’s prayer country is Moldova:

Population: 3,575,574

Largest religion: Christian

Percent Evangelical: 3.7%

For prayer information on Moldova, visit the Operation World website and remember to:

Pray for the specific country needs: The influence of the Orthodox Church makes evangelical work difficult…. READ MORE

Click on the ‘unreached peoples’ of that country and pray

Watch and engage with the prayer video

Find even more fuel for prayer for Moldova on page 590 of the Operation World Book, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or eBook

As Mark 11:17 says: ‘Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? Let’s continue to make the global house of God a house of prayer for all nations.

Day 33 – Today’s prayer country is Mozambique:

Population: 23,405,670

Largest religion: Christian

Percent Evangelical: 11.1%

For prayer information on Mozambique, visit the Operation World website and remember to:

Pray for the specific country needs: Mozambique enjoys religious freedom for the first time in its history…. READ MORE

Click on the ‘unreached peoples’ of that country and pray

Watch and engage with the prayer video

Find even more fuel for prayer for Mozambique on page 605 of the Operation World Book, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or eBook

As Mark 11:17 says: ‘Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? Let’s continue to make the global house of God a house of prayer for all nations.

Day 34 – Today’s prayer country is Myanmar:

Population: 50,495,672

Largest religion: Buddhist

Percent Evangelical: 5.0%

For prayer information on Myanmar, visit the Operation World website and remember to:

Pray for the specific country needs: A policy of systematic violence against certain minorities yields… READ MORE

Click on the ‘unreached peoples’ of that country and pray

Watch and engage with the prayer video

Find even more fuel for prayer for Myanmar on page 609 of the Operation World Book, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or eBook

As Mark 11:17 says: ‘Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? Let’s continue to make the global house of God a house of prayer for all nations.

Pray for the Nations (day 31)

Back in 2006, I lead a youth missions trip to Mexico. This was my first time there. I’ll admit, I went in a bit misled about all the Mexico is. I had this impression that Mexico represented the bottom of the barrel, and instead, what I found was a rich heritage that, if given the opportunity, would be able to make an impact on the global stage.

Yes, there was poverty; lots of poverty. Yes, there was danger. But there were also pockets of beauty and history and cultural depth I hadn’t ever known. The reality I came to understand was the people of Mexico aren’t all that different from me. They have similar hopes and dreams, and they also deal with similar problems.

I’ve seen the evangelical church in Mexico, and while not huge, it’s heart is mighty. Here is a church passionate about being the people of God for the mission of God. I pray they be strengthened in their work. That the sense and know God’s love and presence with them as they go into the dark corners of their land to fight evil and injustice. I pray for a move of the Spirit to rush over the land and the people of Mexico and that such a move of the Spirit would help change the perception and the reality of this place. I pray for hearts to be turned toward God. I pray for lives to be changed and spiritually set free. God hear these prayers for the people of Mexico.

Today’s prayer country is Mexico:

Population: 110,645,154

Largest religion: Christian

Percent Evangelical: 8.3%

For prayer information on Mexico, visit the Operation World website and remember to:

Pray for the specific country needs: Many socio-economic challenges face Mexico. The state recognizes… READ MORE

Click on the ‘unreached peoples’ of that country and pray

Watch and engage with the prayer video

Find even more fuel for prayer for Mexico on page 579 of the Operation World Book, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or eBook

As Mark 11:17 says: ‘Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? Let’s continue to make the global house of God a house of prayer for all nations.

Pray for the Nations (days 29 & 30)

It’s a two for one, just to keep caught up. Sorry for not getting these posted sooner… it’s been a fast and furious couple of days. The good news is, God transcends time and space and our prayers don’t really matter the day as much as they matter they were spoken. Keep praying friends, for when we have no other outlet or option; when we don’t know how to help or be involved, we have the One true God who hears our prayers and is able to act. He is not deaf, is is not absent. He hears when his children talk to him.

Day 29 – Today’s prayer country is Libya:

Population: 6,545,619

Largest religion: Muslim

Percent Evangelical: 0.3%

For prayer information on Libya, visit the Operation World website and remember to:

Pray for the specific country needs: Libya’s long isolation is ending. Sanctions have ended, foreign… READ MORE

Click on the ‘unreached peoples’ of that country and pray

Watch and engage with the prayer video

Find even more fuel for prayer for Libya on page 537 of the Operation World Book, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or eBook

As Mark 11:17 says: ‘Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? Let’s continue to make the global house of God a house of prayer for all nations.

Day 30 – Today’s prayer country is Malaysia:

Population: 27,913,990

Largest religion: Muslim

Percent Evangelical: 4.3%

For prayer information on Malaysia, visit the Operation World website and remember to:

Pray for the specific country needs: Malaysian society faces a troubled and contested future as fault lines appearREAD MORE

Click on the ‘unreached peoples’ of that country and pray

Watch and engage with the prayer video

Find even more fuel for prayer for Malaysia on page 555 of the Operation World Book, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or eBook

As Mark 11:17 says: ‘Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? Let’s continue to make the global house of God a house of prayer for all nations.

Pray for the Nations (day 28)

Confession time… I had no idea the reality that the peoples of Japan are living in. I suppose I’ve always thought Japan was a nation that largely “had it all together.” Economically, from my vantage point, which I admit is not very high up, they seemed atop of the world.

I couldn’t help however, be moved by learning of the dismal reality many; especially within the younger generation, face. A sense of hopelessness, and despair. The high rate of suicide. My prayer for Japan is, that God would use this sense of hopelessness and loss to turn the attention back on himself. He’s the one true place we can find hope… where the lost can be found. I pray the younger generation there in Japan, would come to know the plan and purpose God has for them, and that as they come to realize this purpose they’d be encouraged, motivated, and turned in the right direction. God bring renewal to this land, to these people, to Japan.

Today’s prayer country is Japan:

Population: 126,995,411

Largest religion: Buddhist

Percent Evangelical: 0.5%

For prayer information on Japan, visit the Operation World website and remember to:

Pray for the specific country needs: Japan is a nation facing many crises and is a culture with no apparent… READ MORE

Click on the ‘unreached peoples’ of that country and pray

Watch and engage with the prayer video

Find even more fuel for prayer for Japan on page 488 of the Operation World Book, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or eBook

As Mark 11:17 says: ‘Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? Let’s continue to make the global house of God a house of prayer for all nations.