Tuesday’s Prayers for Prisoners (3/1/2016)

Children’s Church
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Do you ever scratch your head and wonder: “Is fasting for today? Or is it an outdated dinosaur stuck in the swamps of times long since forgotten?”

Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high. (Isaiah 58:4)

In the first few verses of Isaiah 58, the Lord tells the people of Israel they are fasting with the wrong attitudes. Then, in verse 4, He tells them their collective voice will not be heard on high because of these attitudes.

Does this mean the Lord is hard of hearing unless we fast properly?

to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places (Ephesians 3:10)

God is not hard of hearing. He hears all of our prayers.

But yet, our prayer battles are not against flesh and blood, or even against God, but instead, our prayer battles are against principalities, powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Fasting is a spiritual warfare weapon that the church must use to set cities, nations, and continents free from Satan and his kingdom of darkness.

My prayer for today:

Lord, I pray that You raise up a church in America that is willing to fast for Asia, so the bonds of wickedness will be loosed, heavy burdens will be removed, the oppressed will be set free, and You break every yoke of bondage in Asia. So that the people of Asia will know You and the power of Your resurrection and the fellowship of Your suffering, being conformed to Your death. (Based on Isaiah 58:6 and Philippians 3:10)

Join with me on Tuesdays to fast and pray for prisoners in Asia, according to Hebrews 13:3.

 Why Asia?

1. 4.4 billion people live in Asia.

2.. 85.4% of world’s unevangelized people live in Asia. (Unevangelized means they may have heard the gospel but have no understanding on how to respond.)

3. The world’s three largest non-Christian religions – Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhists – are based in Asia.

4. Of the 37 countries of the world that are less than 10% Christian, 32 are in Asia. Of the 14 countries, that are less than 2% Christian, 12 are in Asia.

5. 600 million people live in abject poverty in the slums of Asia.

6. 85-90% of unreached people live in Asia. (Unreached means that they have never heard the name of Jesus.) (Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation)