Watch & PrayVolume 1 Issue 7

Praying for Nigeria

Insight

The Ministries of Watch Pray Revive:

CURE Internationalhttp://www.cure.org

Open Doorshttp://www.opendoorsusa.org

Joshua Projecthttp://www.joshuaproject.net

Food For The Poorhttp://www.foodforthepoor.org

Operation Worldhttp://www.operationworld.org

Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered. (Proverbs 21:13)

Whenever I was growing up, those commercials would come on tv, and I could not change the channel fast enough. You know, those commercials... the ones about the starving children with the heartbreaking videos and pictures. Those commercials that seemed to last forever. Those commercials every part of my being wanted to ignore.

And that is what I did. I ignored them for years. Looking back now, I think my problem was the fact that I didn’t want to believe such suffering really existed in this world. After all I don’t see anything like that happening in my own country, how could this be?

I deceived myself into believing that it was all a scam. They just wanted your money, is what I believed. I’d heard about it happening with other organizations.

I truly wanted to believe this.

Years later and after finding my life in Christ, I am seeing things from a different perspective now. I read the Bible and see that the Word of God has a lot to say about the poor.

God has a lot to say about the poor, but He also has a lot to say about our responsibility towards the poor. But we don’t want to think about that do we?

I’ll be honest, it would be a lot easier for me to pretend that I won’t be held accountable for what I do or what I don’t do, but I don’t see anything in Scripture that supports that.

We will be held accountable. There will always be the poor struggling. We have been blessed in abundance. I don’t think that it was God’s intention for us to take those blessings and keep them to ourselves.

Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse. (Proverbs 28:27)

God has opened my eyes to the needs of the poor, I can’t turn a blind eye any longer. If you feel the same, I encourage you to visit foodforthepoor.org and see how you can help make a difference in the lives of others.

Members of a Jamaican family pose for a picture outside their shack home -

Food For The Poor

Scripture has much to say about the poor

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Content

Pray for Nigeria Nigeria is #23 on the WWL

Unreached People - Bade Bella Luciana

“Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession.... Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

“If you don’t feel strong desires for the manifestation of the glory of God, it is not because you have drunk deeply and are satisfied. It is because you have nibbled so long at the table of the world. Your soul is stuffed with small things, and there is no room for the great.”― John Piper, A Hunger for God

“The motivation behind our praying for the world is God’s passion for the world. (1 Tim. 2:3-4)”- David Platt

“There is more mercy in Him than sin in us. “- Richard Sibbes

“His authority on earth allows us to dare to go to all the nations. His authority in heaven gives us our only hope of success. “-John Stott

The fact I’m a woman doesnt make me a diff. kind of christian...the fact I’m a christian does make me a diff. kind of woman-Elizabeth Elliot

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“We have One who has been tempted in every way, just

as we are - yet without sin.” - Hebrews 4:15

“The reason why many are still troubled, still seeking, still making

little forward progress is because they haven’t yet come to the end of

themselves. We’re still trying to give orders, and interfering with God’s work

within us. ” ― A.W. Tozer

“We have One who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet without sin.” - Hebrews 4:15

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Nigeria is the prayer focus of Operation World during the next few days.

A couple of months ago we ran a 30 day prayer campaign for the people and the country of Nigeria that truly blessed me.

For one, I was ignorant about the situation going on over there. I had no idea where to start. I had a few resources (mostly the Operation World prayer book) and as I started going through the days coming up with prayer points, it was as though God was sending people and information my way.

God’s 30-Day prayer campaign through Be the Domino Ministries was actually reaching ears outside of the intended scope of things.

People were praying and sharing each day’s prayer points with others. I really feel as though

God moved in a very powerful way, even if it was only in the lives of a handful, His purposes were accomplished through this prayer campaign. This week’s prayer focus is on Nigeria, and here are some of the prayer points that you can pray through this week.

Nigeria is 51 % Christian and 45 % Muslim. By definition of their constitution, Nigeria has freedom of religion, but the north gives preferential treatment to Muslims and discriminate against Christians.

Very little has been done to stop the persecution of Christians in the north.

Hundreds of churches have been burned down and many Christians have been killed.

While many in Nigeria were still celebrating the victory of Christian presidential candidate Goodluck

Jonathan, Christians in northern Nigeria were grieving over the mass graves that would be the final resting place of their loved ones.

In the Muslim north, Muslim mobs reacted to the news of Goodluck’s election on April 18th by launching massive simultaneous attacks against Christian in almost every northern state.

The mobs massacred hundreds of Christians, torched more than 300 churches, and destroyed countless Christian homes.

Nigerian government authorities were in such a hurry to hide the extent of the massacre that they organized mass burials of the victims almost immediately after the attacks. As a result, the exact death toll remains unknown.

Praying for Nigeria

Operation WorldSept 20-22

Nigeria’s economy consists of fertile land, extensive mineral resources, and vast oil reserves. They are highly dependent on income from the export of crude oil and gas – such income accounts for 95% of foreign exchange earnings.

Much of the revenue has been lost through embezzlement by a series of corrupt rulers and wasted through inability to harvest and refine all that is drilled.

“Bunkering” or illegal siphoning by local militia and gangs, and other disruptions bring production to a standstill, threatening the entire nations economy.

Corruption is a massive evil in the country. Despite many different reforms, central commercial banks remain fragile and need stabilizing. The majority in

Nigeria still live below the poverty line.

The average income per person is $1401 which is 3% of the USA. I’m not sure how many of us in the United States could relate to that kind of income, but it paints a picture for us of the lack of resources that are available in Nigeria.

Pray today that the Lord will guide the people of Nigeria. Pray that they will hear His voice, and that they will listen.

Pray for the President Goodluck Jonathan

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has appealed for an end to “unnecessary and avoidable” post-election violence across the north of the country. Since Jonathan is a Christian southerner,

his win will rankle northern Muslims, so the Muslim-Christian violence that plagues Nigeria will continue.

Pray that God will give him the wisdom he needs to lead this country.

Pray for peace, and for an end to the corruption that has enveloped Nigeria.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. (Proverbs 9:10)

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Nigeria is #23 on the Open Doors World Watch List. The World Watch List is compiled from a specially-designed questionnaire of 50 questions covering various aspects of religious freedom. A point value is assigned depending on how each question is answered.

The forceful implementation of the Islamic law in 12 northern states remains a huge challenge for the church. In 2010 there were continued attacks on Christian communities. Extremist Islamic groups have increased their activities. Over the year, more than 2,000 believers were killed in religious violence in the northern states. However, more churches are reaching Muslims with the gospel and the number deciding to follow Christ is increasing.

Pray for comfort for Christians bereaved or made homeless through violence.

Thank God that the church is becoming more united as a result of opposition.

Pray for wisdom and courage for the church leaders reaching out to their Muslim neighbors and caring for converts.

Pray that God will comfort the people of Nigeria, especially those who have been victims of violence and oppression

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

World Watch List2011

Open Doors

Joshua Projectpraying for the

UnreachedBade of Nigeria

The Bade live in Yobe State and Jigawa State, Nigeria. Most are farmers; however, they usually practice some other occupation during the dry season. Those who farm raise millet as their staple crop, and supplement it with sorghum, corn, and peanuts. They raise sheep, goats, and some horses.

Their settlements vary in size; but most contain walled-in compounds surrounding several mud or grass houses with thatched, cone-shaped roofs. These houses are very cool during the hot months. Farmland surrounds each settlement.

Towns serve as local markets and administrative centers. They contain a local school and mosque. Attached to the mosque are smaller schools for religious teachings.

What are their beliefs?

Mixture of Animism and Islam. Some superstitions are still practiced in conjunction with Islam. Charms and amulets are worn around the neck or in pockets for various reasons. There is a charm to ensure a good pregnancy for a mother. There is also one to keep the ghost of the dead from haunting its descendants.

Though there are several hundred believers among the Bade, the churches in the area where they live worship in the Hausa language. There are no known evangelical organizations specifically focusing on the Bade with church planting strategies.

Prayer Points

Ask God to call people who are willing to go to Africa and share the love of Jesus

with the Bade.

Pray that God will use the small number of Bade believers to share the Gospel with

their friends and families.

Ask the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of the Bade towards Christians so that they

will be receptive to the Gospel.

Ask God to raise up prayer teams who will begin breaking up the soil through

intercession.

Pray for translation of the Bible to begin in this people group’s primary language.

Pray for the availability of the Jesus Film in the primary language of this people.

Scripture Focus

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason,

full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

(James 3:17)

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Nigeria’s prayer movement is one of the world’s strongest, stimulated by political stresses, by Muslim persecution of Christians, and by a genuine desire for revival and evangelization.

Some of the largest prayer meetings in history have been in Nigeria (an estimated 3 million in Lagos). Positive political developments and church growth can be attributed in large part to these movements.

Pray today for the Nigeria Turning Point Prayer Movement. The

Nigeria Turning Point Prayer Movement is a pure apostolic prayer to preserve the destiny of Nigeria.

The Ministry of Bishop Francis Wale Oke is known around the world with a testimony of over 33 years of great impact. God has called him to reach the nations of the world with a mandate to turn 100 million souls to Christ and to establish them in the grace of God.

His ministry has taken him around the globe preaching and teaching

the word of God with miracles, signs, and wonders following in the power of the Holy Spirit.

He has conducted mass crusades all over Nigeria and around Africa with a record of over 500,000 in a single service, and tens of thousands soundly born again and filled with the Holy Spirit.

Pray for salvation for the lost in Nigeria.

The dynamic growth of the Church continues to be impressively solid.

The Church of Nigeria has grown from 900,000 in 1960 to nearly 20 million in 2010. The Apostolic Church birthed out of the 1904-05 Welsh revival has six million affiliates globally; 4.5 million are in Nigeria

Deeper Life Bible Church began a campus Bible study in 1973 and it has grown to nearly one million affiliates in Nigeria and many more globally. Pastor Kumuyi’s own Christian life developed because he took the Bible so seriously, and so the Deeper Christian Life Ministry has developed in the same way. In Alan Isaacson’s own words, he “preached Deeper Life into existence.” His sermons were captivating, wrote Isaacson, “I would classify him as one of the greatest living preachers, giving a straightforward Bible-based message, his sermons thorough, and always personally challenging. He always gave a wide range of cross-references which were read in their context, supporting, clarifying and expanding his main points.

He spoke clearly and authoritatively to the Nigerian situation. He dealt sensitively with African culture, but also made a firm stand in highlighting the points where local culture was incompatible with the will of God.

Pray for the Church

Praying for Nigeria

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CUREInternationalPray for Bella Luciana

Condition: Clubfoot

Country: Honduras

Age: 2 years old

Treatment: 10/04/2011

Goal: $1000 needed

Bella lives in Tegucigalpa, about four hours from the CURE hospital. After much frustration for her mother and father with failed casting treatments at a hospital in their hometown, one of her mother’s friends told her about about CURE, and they brought her here for treatment. Bella began with casting treatment but the doctors said today that surgery will be necessary to get the best results for her feet.

Although this has been a long journey with Bella’s recovery, her mother has shown her immense gratitude to CURE for helping her youngest daughter. Bella’s caring big sister has been present at each hospital visit and cannot wait until the day when her little sister will be able to walk on her own.

Pray for Bella today. Pray for healing, and for comfort for her. Praise God that her mom and dad found CURE and are getting the treatment needed to help their little girl.

Scripture Focus

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. “(John 14:1)

Food For the PoorPrayer of the Week“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.” Psalm 111:10 (NIV)

Prayer of the Week

Our Father, may we have a reverent and righteous fear of You. May we not pull away from You, but pray and search diligently to understand Your ways. We acknowledge and praise You for Your awesome sovereignty and omnipotence. I pray all this, in the precious name of Your Son, Jesus.

Amen.

Members of a Nicaraguan family pose outside their home, a shack constructed of mud, sticks and random scrap material.

Students nationwide are encouraged to host an event on their campus to commemorate World Food Day in partnership with the international relief and development organization Food For The Poor. Last year, colleges and universities throughout the United States made a commitment to make a positive, tangible difference in our world. In one night, for the second consecutive year, students raised money to build self-sustaining tilapia ponds in Haiti.

“The tilapia-farming project is not meant to alleviate poverty in the short-term, but rather to help this community rebuild in the long run by ceasing hunger and creating jobs for community residents,” said Isabelle Martinez, who graduated from The Honors College at Miami Dade College in April 2011.

The goal of the All-Nighter For The Poor program is to increase awareness about malnutrition and to fund self-sustaining solutions to poverty – such as tilapia ponds and animal husbandry projects – to alleviate hunger in developing countries. FIU’s third annual event is scheduled for Friday, November 18. Visit this site for more information

All-Nighter to empower students

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The Ugly Truth About Pornography

Uncovering the deception about the deadly effects of pornography

COMING SOON

What do people see when they look at your life?

“For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. (Luke 6:43-44)

If you didn’t go to church on Sundays would anyone know that You are a follower of Christ by looking at your life?

Scripture says that each tree is known by its fruit. What do people see when they look at your life? What do you see? If no one saw you at church on a Sunday could they tell that you are a Christian the other six days of the week?

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Praying the Names of GodEl Gibbor, we lift up Your Name as “Mighty God” over all the earth (Isaiah 9:6-7). May all people fear Your might above all else.

Merciful and gracious God, let the Church arise, live and proclaim You as the One who is slow to anger, and abounding in mercy, that You have not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities (Psalms 103:8-10).

We declare over the earth and its inhabitants: Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool (Isaiah1:18).

Jesus Christ, have mercy, forgive our sins, soften our hearts and renew our minds.

He Is...Abba - Romans 8:15Advocate 1 John 2:1Almighty - Genesis 17:1Alpha - Revelation 22:12Amen - Revelation 3:14Ancient of Days - Daniel 7:9Anointed One - Pslam 2:2Apostle - Hebrews 3:1Author of Life - Acts 3:15Author of Our Faith - Hebrews 12:2

I AM

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.”

And he said, “Say this to the people of

Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

(Exodus 3:14)

I AM THAT I AM

I am a father to Israel

I am a great King

I am alive for evermore (Jesus)

I am Alpha and Omega (Jesus)

I am for you

I am from above (Jesus)

I am God

I am God Almighty

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ReviveThe Fear of God

The fear of God is connected to FAITHBy faith Noah, moved with holy fear, prepared an ark (Heb.11:7). When our soul realises God’s holiness, weclearly see our own sinfulness, and we would like to rectify it. We ‘fear’ God’s holiness, but also trust and dependon what Christ had done for us on the cross. God in His great wisdom couples these two graces of faith and fear.Fear preserves seriousness, faith preserves cheerfulness. The fear of the Lord keep a Christian from becomingproud and presumptuous; and God’s love and faith keep him from sinking in despair

Do you find yourself struggling to engage in an activity you know in your heart God has called you to?

Do you experience feelings of doubt and fear because what He asks you to do seems so overwhelming?

Do not let ungodly fear hinder you from achieving great exploits in His kingdom. Even when we make mistakes,He is greater than our mistakes and through Him we are able to overcome.

Think about the way you make decisions every day. Do you ask God’s advice?

Do you clearly experience Him leading you in difficult situations at work or in your life?

Submitting all these events to Him for guidance may look weak in the eyes of the world, but in the spirit it shows forth the fear of the Lord and honour to His Name.

Ask Him to remind and teach you how to respond in godly fear in every situation

Focus on Sudanese women

Islam tends to be easier on men than on women. Most of the women do not work and often do not have as much exposure to the gospel as the men. There is hope, however.

Twenty years ago it was uncommon to see women drivers, but now they are everywhere. In the universities the majority of the students are now women.

Give thanks to the Lord for answering many prayers about women, especially in a closed country like Sudan.

Please pray for Sudanese mothers. Pray that they will come to Christ and influence their offspring likewise. Pray for some initiatives that have recently been launched to reach Muslim women. (Source: Etrisia Lillie, website:www.sudanpartners.org)

Current News

Magnitude 6.9 eartquake kills 21 in India and Nepal.

Fourteen deaths were reported in India with seven others in Nepal, according to each nation’s Home Ministry. More than 90 have been injured in India.

The quake struck the northern Indian state of Sikkim, where seven people died, causing damage in West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya. Five deaths were reported in West Bengal and two others in Bihar.

Violence rages in Yemen’s Capital

On Sunday, at least 26 protesters were killed and more than 550 were wounded -- hundreds of them by gunshots -- when security forces fired live bullets and tear gas at a massive demonstration in the city, a medic said. The death toll was expected to rise because some were in critical condition, witnesses said.

The U.S. Embassy in Yemen issued a statement saying the United States “regrets the deaths and injuries of many people” in the protests Sunday. “In this tense situation, we call upon all parties to exercise restraint. In particular, we call on the parties to refrain from actions that provoke further violence.” The U.S. government remains hopeful for a peaceful transition, the statement said.

For Children

It is difficult to imagine what God looks like, because we cannot see Him! One of the reasons is because God is aSpirit.

We are made in God’s image, that is why we think of Him in ‘human’ terms. But God is Spirit and no man had ever seen Him. You can’t see Him like you can see your parents or friends.

How then can we know He is real or what He is like?

The answer is simple. It lies in what we call God’s character, as He explains it to us in the Bible.

He has special names that help us understand what He is like. An important word to remember when you’re praying according to God’s character is the word ‘always’. ‘Always’ means ‘eternal’. God has always existed and always will.

With this in mind, take note of these 6 important reminders of God’s character.

1. God is always present. This means God is everywhere, all the time.

2. God is always powerful. God can do anything, nothing is impossible for Him.

3. God always knows. God knows everything, even before it happens.

4. God is always fair. God does only what is right and just.

5. God is always holy. ‘Holy’ means ‘perfect’. God can never sin.

6. God is always good. His plans for your life are for your own good.

For Teens

Keep a prayer journal

George Müller, a famous English evangelist who lived in the 1800s, is well known for his prayer journal. Müller recorded his prayers in a book and never stopped praying for his requests. He simply continued until he could record an answer. Prayer journaling is a way to remember what God has done, is doing and will do for us.

It is easy to spend more time worrying than praying. A prayer journal is a simple and meaningful way to simply ‘start praying’ on paper as you write out those issues troubling your heart and mind. It helps you to focus so your thoughts will not wander into worrying again!

The longer you keep a prayer journal, the more answered prayers you’ll record. Over time, you will have a book filled with the evidence of God’s faithfulness in your life. Many believers find that during times of stress or discouragement, reading through an old prayer journal can provide renewed hope and peace

Believers who keep a prayer journal often come to see how God is guiding their lives. Because they are able to track both their prayers and God’s answers, they can sometimes see how God’s plans are different to, but better than to heir own. Part of prayer is listening. When you study Scripture regarding God’s ways in a specific situation or about a problem you prayed about, it will be easier for you to discern how Godwants you to live.

Give it time! It will take some discipline to get into the habit of keeping a prayer journal, but do not give up tooquickly. Soon you will be completely rid of the frustration of wandering thoughts when you want to pray and readyour Bible!