NATIONAL PASTORS’ PRAYER NETWORK – US

PRAYERS + PRAISE UPDATE 01/17/2000

As The Spirit Leads You:

· >Bring These Names & Needs To The Lord

· >Distribute Them To Intercessors

· >Photocopy For The Members Of Your PPG NPPN Prayers:

· Our Focus: City-Wide, Cooperative Efforts

· Our Goal: 2,000 Pastors’ Prayer Groups By Year End 2000

I N T H I S U P D A T E

and for our prayers:

*PASTOR PHIL’S PRAYER LETTER

*GIVE THANKS IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES

*PRAYER LABYRINTH IN FLORIDA

*HOUSTON: SPIRIT OF EXCELLENCE

*PRINEVILLE, OREGON: HISTORIC MEETING

*25^TH ANNIVERSARY OF FIRST FRIDAY FASTING

*DAY OF PRAYER FOR MISSIONARY HOSTAGES

*PRAYER REQUEST PROMPTED BY NPPN UPDATE

*FREEPORT, IL: AREAWIDE CONCERT OF PRAYER

*PRAYER FOR MUSLIMS

*PRAYING FOR REVIVAL IN A TRADITIONAL CHURCH?

*CHICAGO: JULY 8, 2000

*SAYING YES TO GOD

*NORTH SHORE, CHICAGO, IL: PRAYING FOR REVIVAL

*PASTOR PHIL’S PRAYER LETTER

God continues to “overly bless” me and my family - and I am convinced it is

because so many of you have taken a moment of your time to petition Him on

our behalf. I continue to trust the Lord for protection. He has placed us,

you and me, in strategic places of planning and ministry and we all know

what Jesus’ enemy thinks of that. May Billy Kim’s words encourage and exhort

us all:

>From: “Crosswalk.com” <editor@crosswalk.com>

...”Prayer is my first advice. Prayer is my second suggestion. And prayer is

my third suggestion,” newly elected Baptist World Alliance President Billy

Kim told delegates at the Baptist World Congress in Melbourne, Australia.

...Kim is pastor of the 13,000-member Suwon church in South Korea, president

of the Far Eastern Broadcasting Company-Korea, director of Christian

Service, Inc., Korea, and chaplain of the Korean National Police. He was

elected to the five-year term last week,

American Baptist Press said.

...”If I had to do it all over, I would do more praying and less preaching,”

Kim told the 6,100 delegates. Christians should pray daily because lack of

prayer leads to lack of spiritual power, he said. “Prayer changes the life

of the church.”

To subscribe to ReligionToday News Summary send a blank email to:

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___________________________________________>>>

*GIVE THANKS IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES

Dear brothers and sisters,

Thank you so much for your gracious and fervent prayers for our daughter

Debbie along with Ron, Marion and Joshua. How grateful we are to the Lord

for you.

We are rejoicing and thanking God. After nine days in the hospital, Debbie

was able to come home today. Although she is still quite weak, she is

making wonderful progress. Ron, Marion and Joshua have all recovered as

well.

We are grateful for victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. And we are so

thankful for each of you who have prayed, cared and shared with us. We are

looking forward to a wonderful year of ministry with you with the fervent

prayer that the Light of our Lord Jesus will shine upon the life of every

person in this nation during the year 2000 -- and beyond!

Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow!

With deep joy, thanksgiving and praise to God,

Paul & Jeannie Cedar - II Corinthians 2:14

___________________________________________>>>

*PRAYER LABYRINTH IN FLORIDA

>From: “Crosswalk.com” <editor@crosswalk.com>

Florida Christians will dedicate a prayer labyrinth on New Year’s Eve.

The 11-circuit labyrinth, part of the Life Enrichment Center, in Leesburg,

Fla., is one of the largest in the world. The labyrinth, as well as a

traveling canvas version, helps people pray, Patricia Brown, director of

spiritual formation at the Florida regional conference, says. “For me, it’s

just a time to clear my mind,” she told United Methodist News Service.

The prayer labyrinth consists of numerous connecting passages. The

concept dates back to ancient cultures and was used first by Christian

churches for prayer and meditation as early as 350. It is not meant to be a

maze, which has “tricks and turns” so that one gets lost, Brown said. “You

can see the entire design before you. All you have to do is stay on the path

in order to walk it.”

The design used in Florida constitutes a walk of more than two miles. A

single path lies in 11 concentric circles with 34 turns leading to the 12^th

circle at the center. It first appeared in the Middle Ages and can be found

inlaid in the floor of Chartres Cathedral in France.

The Florida labyrinth is designed to be Christ-centered. Before walking,

participants hear a talk about its Christian meaning as a prayer tool, Brown

said. The first part of the walk is a time of cleansing and asking for

forgiveness from God. A basin of water sits at the path’s entrance,

symbolizing baptism. Participants offer prayers and petitions at the center,

which contains a cross.

News from ReligionToday is Copyrighted by Crosswalk.com. Content may be reproduced provided proper credit is given to religiontoday.crosswalk.com. Please go to http://www.GOSHEN.net/Copyright.html to be sure you meet all legal requirements. To SUBSCRIBE to ReligionToday News Summary send a blank email to:

join-newssummary@lists.crosswalk.com

___________________________________________>>>

*HOUSTON: SPIRIT OF EXCELLENCE

>From: Jerry Wiles <jwiles@hbu.edu>

Happy New Year. Thanks for all you are doing to mobilize prayer.

I am writing to request prayer for Houston Baptist University and our

upcoming “Spirit of Excellence” event on Tuesday, January 18, 2000. Anyone

interested in attending should contact Jerry Wiles, Office of Church Relations at 281.649.3355 or e-mail jwiles@hbu.edu.

We are grateful for the opportunity to co-labor with you, Mission America,

Mission Houston and other Kingdom initiatives.

Blessings, Jerry

___________________________________________>>>

*PRINEVILLE, OREGON: HISTORIC MEETING

>From: Upwithkids2000@aol.com

I have greatly enjoyed your many letters and stories since subscribing. It blesses me greatly to see the move of God around our Country and World.

Our Pastor waits with anticipation for each new letter at staff meetings. A

true man of God, Pastor Donohue earnestly seeks the Lord, and has been praying for years for a mighty move of His Spirit within our body.

Pastor Jim has asked me to submit this to you - He felt impressed by the

Lord to share this with others.

Blessings to you, Gail Holmes, Children’s Pastor

First Assembly of God, Prineville, Oregon

A historic meeting was called for the 24 pastors, representing all

evangelical churches in our city. It will take place on Thursday, January

2000. This will be a “first-time-ever” for the pastors in our city and

county (Crook County) to come together for prayer and unity. We will be

viewing the video Transformations. This video has made a great impact on me

and other pastors who previewed it back in November.

The burden for this meeting came in the beginning of November as the Lord

instrumented a weekly meeting, uniting a few of the city’s pastors for

prayer

and fasting each Thursday. The purpose was to establish first off a prayer

base; second, unification and reconciliation and third to strategize in

wining our city for Christ. Those in the Thursday prayer meeting were all

in one accord concerning this. We feel very deeply that NOW IS THE TIME!

Each of us feels the urgency to move and move quickly. The window of opportunity is here. Please pray with us that God will have His way.

The pastor of First of Assembly of God, Prineville, Oregon and the

congregation are diligently seeking an open window of heaven over the city.

We have been fasting and praying for 4 years. Prineville is located in the

center of the state of Oregon. We feel it is a strategic location where the

Lord is wanting an outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Please pray for wisdom for Pastor Jim Donohue, the leadership team of

pastors

and for direction from the Lord. We have been directed by this scripture:

Isaiah 62: 6,7 “I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem (Prineville)

; They will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord, give

yourselves no rest, and give Him no rest ‘till He establishes Jerusalem (Prine-ville) and makes her the praises of the earth!”

___________________________________________>>>

*25^TH ANNIVERSARY OF FIRST FRIDAY FASTING

>From: usapray@aol.com

The close of 1999 marked the anniversary of 25 years of First Friday

fasting by the national prayer ministry of Intercessors for America (IFA).

Some 5,000 local churches and pastors are associated with IFA. A core of

thousands of IFA “partners-in-prayer” have fasted each First Friday during

this period, and have often fasted for 3-day, 7-day, 21-day and, more

recently, some have observed the 40-day fasting vigils being called for by

Campus Crusade Founder, Dr. Bill Bright.

Significantly, as you total these days of fasting over 25 years, you

discover that at the core of the ministry of Intercessors for America are

some hundreds to thousands of American Christians who have fasted one entire

year out of the past 25! The focus of this monthly IFA First Friday fasting

and

concerted prayer has been consistent: for the Church, our nation and their

leaders.

More than 50,000 First Friday newsletters are distributed to 5,000 local

churches and to tens of thousands of individual Christians across the USA,

and to 2,000 American missionaries and church leaders in foreign countries. Thousands more use the Internet version posted at IFA’s Web site www.ifa-usapray.org.

HISTORY OF THE OBSERVANCE - The Watergate scandal was gripping the nation

when U.S. Senator Mark Hatfield (R-OR) introduced his Resolution on December

20, 1973 calling for April 30, 1974 to be observed as a nationwide day of

“Repentance, Fasting and Prayer.” The measure was unanimously adopted by

the Senate, but was held from joint passage by one vote in the House

Judiciary Committee. Since pastors and believers from many denominational

and non-denominational backgrounds had already begun to trumpet the call, a

great grass-roots company of Christians mobilized and maintained the observance in serious repentance, fasting and united prayer.

Pastor Jack Hayford’s Church on the Way in Anaheim, California was one

of hundreds of local churches across America which held special evening

prayer services. In attendance were musicians Jimmy and Carol Owens,

composers of the intercessory musicals, If My People, Come Together and,

most recently, Heal Our Land. As Jimmy sat and “waited upon the Lord,” he

relates that Jesus spoke to his heart and instructed that he call for a

monthly First Friday fasting observance. He introduced the concept at a

Chicago “Summit”

of major U.S. church leaders who had gathered to plan cooperative ministry

efforts during the observance of America’s 1976 bicentennial year. Leaders

from IFA we in attendance and they, along with hundreds of others, agreed to

observe the First Friday. After the 1976 Bicentennial IFA decided to

maintain the observance, which it has to this day, and to encourage others

to do the same. Jimmy and Carol Owens continue to call for the First Friday

observance in their recently published Heal Our Land book, and at the

evening performances of their Heal Our Land musical. (Tel 1- 888-245-6259;

see Web www.HealOurLand.org.) Mr. Owens also serves on IFA’s Board of Directors.

THE FIRST FRIDAY OBSERVANCE IS GROWING - International Fellowship of

Intercessors networks in Europe, Canada, Mexico and various other nations

have observed the First Friday over the years, some of them intermittently.

It is being implemented in Haiti, and in more and more West African nations

and cities - including some deep in the 10/40 Window. Luis Bush, Director

of the AD2000 and Beyond movement, has encouraged its adoption worldwide

through 2000. Eddie Smith’s U.S. Prayer Track and PrayUSA! now includes

the First Friday on its published listing of annual prayer observances. The

National Committee of Mission America and members of America’s National

Prayer Committee signed a National Prayer Accord in January, 1999. This

prayer covenant encourages weekly Friday fasting nationwide. The National

Network of Youth Ministries and a coalition of Native Youth ministries

recently adopted the First Friday observance as a key component of new youth

prayer strategies. Jonathan Graf, Editor of the new Pray! magazine, is now

including a First Friday prayer focus in each issue.

IFA First Friday newsletters are supplied upon request to individuals

and in quantities to churches, prayer groups and bookstores; there is no

subscription fee. Contact IFA at usapray@aol.com; via web sign-up www.ifa-usapray.org; fax 703-777-2324; and toll-free 1-800-USA-PRAY.

Rev. Gary Bergel, President, Intercessors for America

___________________________________________>>>

*DAY OF PRAYER FOR MISSIONARY HOSTAGES

>From: “Crosswalk.com” <editor@crosswalk.com>

Three American missionaries are beginning their eighth year as hostages. Guerrillas abducted New Tribes Mission (see link #1 below) workers Dave Mankins, Mark Rich, and Rick Tenehoff from their Panamanian village (see link #2 below) Jan. 31, 1993. Negotiations with the captors broke off in 1994 and there has been no direct contact with them since then. In 1997, a representative of a Colombian rebel group told a Costa Rican government official that the men are alive and well. Similar statements have been made to human-rights groups and other Latin American governments, NTM said.

...New Tribes is not losing hope. Members of the ministry’s “crisis team” are following up leads in the country, and ministry leaders have pressed human-rights organizations and the U.S. and Colombian governments to intervene. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) recently discussed the issue with U.S. ambassadors to the country, and the U.S. Embassy in Bogota has promised to tell NTM about its efforts on behalf of the men.

...New Tribes is asking churches to hold a day of prayer for the hostages Sunday, Jan. 30. The ministry is printing prayer guides suitable for bulletin inserts and for use as bookmarks.

To SUBSCRIBE to ReligionToday News Summary send a blank email to:

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___________________________________________>>>

*PRAYER REQUEST PROMPTED BY NPPN UPDATE

This e-mail is a spiritual lifeline... I live in a small community that

very much needs to stay connected. Rural areas are often difficult to

mobilize for any event, but many of us are trying with God¹s help to bring

the fresh wind of the Spirit here.

Yes I will participate in a 40-day fast as God leads. I have forwarded

this word to a ladies prayer group that I lead at work. As they grow in the

Lord, they are excited to be used by God to pray for other co-workers, corporate officers, our city and our families.

As I battle for the salvation of my husband, it occurred to me to ask

for everyone¹s help. Each time that a prayer of conversion seems so close,

the enemy steps in and wrecks much havoc in his life. As a business owner,

he is overwhelmed most days to just keep things operating. Though he

believes in God, that Jesus is our hope of salvation, he wrestles with many

questions. I think this is due in part to many comments and opinions by

others in various denominations which has him confused as to ³who is right.²

Added to the fact that most of the ³good ole boys² he has grown up with are

not Christians either. He is a very loving and generous friend to many. A

very sweet spirit. My husband supports my opportunities of ministry...

I BELIEVE GOD WANTS TO USE US TOGETHER IN OUR CITY AS A LIGHTHOUSE

COUPLE, WITH A LIGHTHOUSE BUSINESS, TO REACH THE UNCHURCHED! PLEASE PRAY!

AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BLESSING MY LIFE!

--->NPPNote: May I suggest we all pray both for this couple and for the

many prayer leaders and intercessors who need stronger marriages...

___________________________________________>>>

*FREEPORT, IL: AREAWIDE CONCERT OF PRAYER

>From: JEastDulce@cs.com

Please pray for us here in Freeport IL. God has put it in our hearts to

mobilize the church to care for every soul in our city. We are asking for

lighthouses on every block, and people dedicated to prayer, care and share

with their neighbors and co-workers. Clyde Cole is putting together an

interdenominational, multicultural praise team, Jon Eastlick is working to

bring together Pastors, and churches. Please pray for them to have favor,

grace and power to accomplish the Father’s will here. There is a spirit of

religion, segregation, prejudice, and much pride separating God’s people

here. Please pray for us. Jan 28^th is our 2^nd areawide concert of prayer. We

pray for at least 20 churches to be represented there and for God to unite,

convict, change, and mobilize us. Thanks and God bless. You’re in our prayers!

“ “ “ UNQUOTE

“Yes, we have received forgiveness from God through the blood, and we have figuratively applied His blood to the “doorposts” of our lives. But the shed blood of Jesus Christ has released much more than most have attained. In truth, we have known the first stages of covenant power—what we are freed from—but we do not know what we are called to possess.The Israelites were delivered out of Egypt that they may possess the Promised Land. So too, through the power of the New Covenant, we have been delivered out of our human sin and limitations into the nature of Christ Himself. We have received God-sized boundaries, heaven-wide assurances, and eternal promises that transcend the weaknesses of our abilities.”

Francis Frangipane, The Power of Covenant Prayer, Creation House

“ “ “ UNQUOTE

*PRAYER FOR MUSLIMS

>From: lskwinusa@juno.com

Please encourage people on the Pastors Prayer Network to pray for the 6

million Muslims and 1200 mosques in the U.S. Those in the Chicago area are

encouraged to join the CFN (Chicago Friendship Network) of 7 prayer groups

at their quarterly ½ day of prayer for Muslims at the Billy Graham Center

in Wheaton Saturday February 5, from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm. There they can get

a list of the various groups focused on praying for the 400,000 Muslims in

the area in over 100 mosques. They can also get updates on efforts to reach

out to Muslims with the Gospel. For more information, they can contact Bob

Schneider at 847-931-7135 or at RDSchneider@juno.com or Larry Kendrick at

708-763-9474 LSKWINUSA@juno.com

Thanks, Larry Kendrick with Intent

___________________________________________>>>

*PRAYING FOR REVIVAL IN A TRADITIONAL CHURCH?

>From: Jack and Karen Helser <helser@theramp.net>

I’ve always attended a traditional church. There I was baptized, taught,

confirmed, and born again. I love the heritage and symbolism of the

traditional church. In a world that changes too fast for me, there is

comfort in tradition. At the same time, tradition often frustrates me

because there is little room for a fresh anointing from the Lord, and

because church-wide spiritual growth within the framework of tradition is

slow at best. Perhaps that is because “tradition” resists change, whereas

spiritual growth requires change, which sets the stage for a perpetual

tug-of-war in the church. Whenever “tradition” challenges the leading of

the Holy Spirit, is there any question about which should prevail?

During a recent trip to Seattle, I met with a friend from my former church

and we spent hours talking about the Lord’s work. He expressed some

frustration and said he’d been meeting with the pastor and 3 or 4 other men

to pray for “revival”. I asked “what do you mean by revival” and he replied

“I don’t know - I haven’t thought about it”. After awhile he said “revival”

to him is a greater desire for the Lord and a deeper commitment to live for

Christ. It was late and I went to bed but I couldn’t sleep for thinking

about “revival” and why it so often eludes the traditional church. Finally

I woke with what I believe is a word from the Lord about revival in the traditional church.

Jesus loves the traditional church - after all, He founded it through men

like Martin Luther who held to the Biblical truth that we are “saved by

grace” not by works. The last 500 years have seen several divinely inspired

restoration movements, each of which championed a Biblical truth. But the

church has not embraced every movement and the truths they sought to

restore, which is tantamount to ignoring portions of God’s Word. As I

pondered this, the Lord gave me a simple word picture: He asked “Would you

cross out verses or tear chapters out of My Word to make it more

palatable?” Absolutely not! Yet that is what we do when we ignore even a

portion of God’s Word. The Lord gave me the impression that He will not

bring “revival” to a church unless it is committed to obey Him completely

and embrace all of His Word. That is why revival always begins with confession and repentance.

How does the traditional church prepare for revival and the Lord’s return?

In Revelation chapters 2 and 3, there are 7 letters from Christ to the

churches which contain His assessment of how they stack up to His Word -

the Bible. If Christ were to write a letter to the traditional church, He

would use the Bible as the standard for assessment. With earnest prayer and

the Bible, the leadership (pastoral staff and elders) can assess the church

and identify those areas where it falls short of God’s Word. Once those

areas are identified, confession and repentance will restore a right

relationship with God and remove any roadblocks to “revival”. It is by

obedience that we demonstrate our love for the Lord (John 14:21). In turn,

He will come to us (Psalms 84:11). Let the church understand: when it comes

to “revival”, the ball is in our court! (Jeremiah 29:13).

In recent weeks, the Lord has impressed me with the importance of the following spiritual practices when seeking revival:

1. Confession and Repentance. We are to confess our sins to God and to each

other. While it is true we are “saved by grace”, we are still to be honest

with God and each other (1 John 1:9, James 5:16). Once we have admitted our

sin and sought God’s forgiveness, we should strive to remain obedient.

(Acts 2:38, Romans 6:1)

2. Fasting and Prayer. Fasting increases the effectiveness of prayer, draws

us nearer to God, and breaks yokes (Isaiah 58:6, Matthew 6:16 and 17:21).

It’s a sad commentary on the spiritual condition of the church when a

potluck has to turn people away, and a prayer meeting can be held in the

pastor’s office. (1 Thessalonians 5:17, Ephesians 6:18)

3. Be still. Our God is a speaking God, but He is a gentleman and rarely

interrupts. We need to be quiet in order to hear His voice and have faith

that He will speak to us. We don’t need to plan and schedule every moment

of a worship service. If we are silent before Him, He will speak to us individually and corporately (Psalm 46:10).

4. Tithe. Take joy in giving to God what belongs to God and see Him open

the floodgates of blessing (Malachi 3:8-10, Matthew 5:17-18, 2 Corinthians

9:7).

5. Seek Unity. We have responded to disagreement in the Body with division

of the Body. Frank S. Mead’s “Handbook of Denominations” lists over 250

denominations in the US alone, not including independent churches. However,

Jesus prayed for “complete unity” in His Church. May we share Christ’s heart and respond by loving our brothers and sisters despite any differences (John 17:20-23).

6. Wash feet. The Lord will bless those who follow His example of humble

and loving servant-hood. It is likely that Jesus washed Judas’ feet, who

did not leave to betray Jesus until after supper (John 13:1-17).

7. Anoint the sick with oil, lay hands on them, and pray for healing.

Anointing with fragrant olive oil dates back to Moses. In scripture, oil is

symbolic of the Holy Spirit. By anointing with oil, the prayers for healing

are “sealed” and the sick person is “consecrated” for the healing work of

the Holy Spirit (Mark 6:13, Luke 4:40, Hebrews 1:9, James 5:14-15).

8. Celebrate the power of the Holy Spirit and the gifts He gives. John the

Baptist testified that it is Christ who “baptizes with the Holy Spirit”

(Matthew 3:11, John 1:33). The baptism of the Holy Spirit is separate from

receiving Jesus as Lord and the water baptism (Acts 8:14-17, Acts 19:1-6).

Since the baptism comes from Christ who loves us, it is surely good and for

our benefit (Luke 11:13, I Corinthians 12:7). It is through the Holy Spirit

that Christ speaks to us and dwells within our hearts (John 16:7-15). The

Apostle Paul encourages us to seek spiritual gifts (I Corinthians 12:31,

14:12). Regarding spiritual gifts, we have not because we ask not (James

4:2).

As we pray for “revival”, we must do our part by obedience to Christ and

His Word. It is my earnest desire to build up the traditional church, that

we might corporately experience the manifest glory of God. I welcome your

questions and comments. Grace and peace be with you!

Submitted by Jack Helser (helser@theramp.net)

http://www.theramp.net/helser

___________________________________________>>>

*CHICAGO: JULY 8, 2000

>From: <pray@chicago2000.net>

“Join us in prayer on the 8ths for 8 minutes of prayer and inspiration.”

Will you pray for SearchLight?

One great day of Prayer/Care/Share throughout the entire Chicago region!

Set aside the 8^th of each month as a day of prayer and fasting for July 8,

2000:

€Individuals are asked to pray throughout the day and to fast as the

Lord leads them

€Families are asked to pray together at the dinner meal for their

neighbors and for the one great day of witnessing on July 8^th

€Church groups meeting that week are asked to devote 8 minutes of prayer

(staff, deacons, committees, choir, youth, Sunday School, WMU, small groups, lighthouses...)

€Pastors are asked to include these requests when they pray in a

Pastors’ Prayer Group (for information on PPGs visit: http://www.nppn.org

or email: pray@chicago2000.net)

€Internet users are encouraged to pray at: http://www.chicago2000.net

Consider praying according to these 8 PRIORITIES:

1. Favor with city officials that results in permission to hold a lakefront celebration concert

2. Favor with Taste of Chicago officials that results in permission to

distribute a free map/tract to the 1 million attending the festival on July

3. Positive response from 1,000 volunteer teams that will come to assist

our local churches in the ministry of prayer, care, and sharing the gospel

of Christ

4. 100 churches throughout the nation that will commit to send (and support) a church planting team to our region during 2000-20001

5. 100 Chicago church sites that will serve as gathering places for prayer, orientation and community ministry on July 8

6. Accurate media coverage of our purpose and plans that results in improved relationships with other evangelical churches and honest dialogue with leaders of other faiths

7. A joyous Celebration Concert to conclude the day: park permission,

presenters and performers, staging and sound, publicity, finances to pay for

all the expenses

8. “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on July 8^th in Chicagoland as it

is in heaven...”

By now we are all convinced - Prayer is the secret weapon that will empower

us to reach the multitudes for Christ.

During this year of unprecedented evangelism and planting of new

congregations, please, make prayer an urgency in your life and d priority in

your church

--->NPPNote: Over 200 Wheaton students (more than twice the number

expected) voluntarily attended a forum that discussed the ethics of this

event...interest is high!

___________________________________________>>>

*SAYING YES TO GOD

>From: PastorsInPrayer@aol.com

JOURNAL ENTRY FRIDAY- SEPT. 28, 1967 at age 34

Yesterday after breakfast, I felt an overwhelming hunger to pray. Going to

a small classroom off the balcony, I locked the door and spent one full hour

with the Lord, at times on my knees, other times pacing up and down, back

and forth standing before the window. Lord, what do You want with my life?

I have been losing my purpose and direction. It seems there is never time

to study. My devotional life has been sorely wanting with just a brief

prayer here and there. The Bible read on an irregular basis. The joy and

satisfaction of serving Christ has been replaced by pressure, meetings, schedules and only an occasional spiritual breakthrough.

I opened my Bible to Isaiah 9 and read, “The people who walk in darkness

will

see a great light..... For a child will be born to us, a son will be given

to us;” As I read, pondered, prayed and listened, the last part of that

passage suddenly came clear. “The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will accomplish this.” Then another word, “turn back” (the people do not turn back).

It seems I am trying to build a personal reputation. People compliment me

and soon I get the idea it is “my” ministry, forgetting the Lord has called

me to work for HIM. It is even worse here because of the polish and prestige

that goes with a city pulpit.

On my knees again, “Lord, whatever Your will for me, I accept. I am

through

with “my” ministry and will do my best to make it “Your” ministry. I have

cared too much about pleasing men. Now I want to please You.” At the close

of this hour I write on the flyleaf of my Bible this resolve. May God help

me keep it as I return to the world and all of it’s allure and illusion.

33 YEARS LATER-January 13, 2000

That “resolve” is still written on the flyleaf. I have since realized God

doesn’t want my resolve, He wants my repentance. How many new years’ resolutions have I broken? Only God knows. That’s why I don’t make them anymore. It is a life time of beginning again. God is truly the God of new beginnings.

Thomas Merton writes, “My relationship with God needs constant renewal. I pray that what is lukewarm will spring into living flame, what is dry will become living water. What is deaf and blind will return to light and life.” That is my prayer for you today!

___________________________________________>>>

*NORTH SHORE, CHICAGO, IL: PRAYING FOR REVIVAL

>From: MarcusHester@aol.com

Join us in seeking God for a transformation throughout Chicago:

Weekly - 3:00 PM - Every Sunday Afternoon

Christian Heritage Academy Auditorium

315 Waukegan Road

Northfield, IL

(Corner of Waukegan & Willow Road - North Shore)

ALL Are Welcome! Thank You!

Pastor Marcus Hester

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