Tag Archives: Fasting

February 19, 2015 · 11:54 am

Thursday’s Prayers for America (2/19/2015)

“Deception lasts until the faith for the deception is all used up.” (Francis Frangipane)

Last week, Chris Hayes, a news anchor, stated, “Global warming is the single most important thing we face.” He further added, “A 100 years from now, people will look back and be like, ‘How did they talk about anything else, ever?’ Like, didn’t they understand they were sitting tied to train tracks with a train coming?”

Hayes uttered his statement only a few hours before ISIS beheaded 21 Christians.

I assume that Haye’s faith for believing “global warming is the single most important problem” would have been all used up if he would have been the twenty-second prisoner bowing down in front of an ISIS terrorist on the beach that day.

Today, I prayed:

Lord, help us Americans to refocus our priorities so that we continuously walk in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit. (Based on Acts 9:31)

What do you think and has the Lord spoken to you?

Join with me on Thursdays to fast and pray for America.

Click on to see MyGFA site.

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February 17, 2015 · 10:55 am

Tuesday’s Prayers for Prisoners (2/17/2015)

Each Tuesday I pray and fast for nations where Christians suffer the worst persecution around the world. This week I am praying and fasting for:

India. 1.3 billion people with 59 million Christians.

The oppressive caste system is blocking social mobility. Economic wealth is unevenly distributed. A new Hindu government (in power since May 2014 and led by Hindu hardliner Narendra Modi) is radicalizing society. All traditions of Christianity are affected by persecution in India, but Christian converts from a Hindu background and non-traditional Protestant groups are suffering most. At the top level the influence of fundamentalist Hindus has increased. Hindu radicals have started monitoring Christian activity in much detail. Many of them have planted spies in churches. Reports on pastors and church members beaten because of allegations of conversion are frequent; sometimes Christians are even killed. (World Watch List)

Prayer Points for India:

For Christian converts to stand strong against those who are trying to force a return to Hinduism
That hatred against Christians instigated by radical political parties may end
That the new government of Narendra Modi will give Christians the freedom to express their faith without violence in every part of India.

India is the world’s largest democracy and the second most populous country, behind China. It is a highly diverse country, with a multitude of languages, cultures and religions. The social and political structures in India are largely determined by religion, caste and language. Despite India’s increasing presence in the global economy, the vast majority of the rural population remains impoverished. India is the birthplace of Hinduism and has the second largest Muslim population in the world, after Indonesia, with at least 14 percent of its 1.2 billion people claiming that affiliation…(The Voice of the Martyrs)

The lyrics for the song, I Have Decided to Follow Jesus, are based on the last words by an Indian man who along with his family converted to Christianity. His children, his wife, and he were executed for refusing to renounce their beliefs in Jesus. If you have the time, listen to the above song and the narrator tell the history behind the song…awesome.

Today, I prayed:

Lord, I pray for all of the believers in India who have decided to follow You, although they may wonder about their beliefs from time to time and may not have anyone to walk with them, I pray they will never turn back from following You. (Based on the lyrics of I Have Decided to Follow Jesus by S. Sundar Singh)

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

Click on to see MyGFA site.

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February 12, 2015 · 11:00 am

Thursday’s Prayers for America (2/12/2015)

The late Bob Jones told this story about himself:

It seems that in the 1980’s the Lord told Bob Jones and Paul Cain ahead of time about Jimmy Swaggart’s visits with a prostitute. When the story broke in all the media outlets, Bob Jones reacted by rejoicing with all of his Christian friends. They were happy that Swaggart was brought down and his sin exposed for all to see.

Paul Cain reacted to the same media stories by weeping and fasting and praying before the Lord for Jimmy Swaggart and the Body of Christ.

Bob Jones used this story to reveal the wrong and the godly way of responding to the Lord’s shaking of His people and His church.

Today, I prayed:

Lord, I pray for us American believers to love our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ as You love them, even in their ugliest hours, so that all will know we are Your disciples by our love for one another. (Based on John 13:35)

What do you think and has the Lord spoken to you?

Join with me on Thursdays to fast and pray for America.

Click on to see MyGFA site.

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February 10, 2015 · 9:55 am

Tuesday’s Prayers for Prisoners (2/10/2015)

Each Tuesday I pray and fast for nations where Christians suffer the worst persecution around the world. This week I am praying and fasting for:

Turkmenistan. 5.3 million people with 94,700 Christians.

The regime of President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov continues to restrict the freedom of religion, and Christian converts from a Muslim background are facing many problems from their family, friends and community. The uncertain economic prospects, the fear of an influx of Islamic jihadists and the almost total state control will remain important factors in the future. In the past year, the oppression of Christians has been constant. (World Watch List)

Prayer Points:

(1) For Muslim Background Believers who have hardly any freedom to practice their faith

(2) That the Holy Spirit will soften the hearts of the Turkmen government towards Christians, so that they will be receptive to the gospel

(3) That radio broadcasts and biblical materials will be made available to believers without government intervention.

Turkmenistan has the smallest population and is the most closed country of the five former Soviet republics in Central Asia. Though it has a vast amount of natural gas reserves, the majority of the population remains impoverished. Freedom of religion is constitutionally guaranteed in Turkmenistan, but in practice it is limited to Sunni Islam and Eastern Orthodoxy. Foreigners suspected of religious activity are expelled…The publication of religious literature inside the country is banned. The government controls Internet access and has shut down cellphone service. No unregistered religious groups or communities are allowed, and religious communities have been unable to register for years. However, both registered and unregistered religious groups face police raids and other harassment. Unregistered congregations are prohibited from gathering publicly, proselytizing or disseminating religious materials. Participants in house church services have been beaten, fined, had their personal property and businesses seized and faced salary reductions. Authorities have also warned Christians that their children will be kept under close scrutiny in school. A Turkmen Christian arrested over a brawl in 2012 has been passed by for amnesty multiple times and remains in jail because “he reads a Bible.” (The Voice of Martyrs)

Today, I prayed:

Lord, I pray Your grace and mercy is multiplied to Turkmenistan believers so that their knowledge of God and of Jesus is greatly increased. (Based on 2 Peter 1:2)

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

Click on to see MyGFA site

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February 5, 2015 · 12:35 pm

Thursday’s Prayers for America (2/5/2015)

Let’s say I walked into Goshen in 1450 B.C., four years before Moses arrived back in Egypt and said to the Israelites, “I have great news for you. God is going to deliver you out of your slavery and place you in a land filled with milk and honey. You will end up being one of the most prosperous nations of the world and will enjoy peace from all of your enemies.”

How do you think the Israelites would have reacted to my words?

They probably would have hoisted me onto their shoulders and carried me off to the local Do Drop Inn for pickled gefilte fish and cups of dandelion wine.

Now, let’s say the dandelion wine loosens my tongue and I proceed to tell them about their five hundred year journey to when the Temple is finished and King Solomon procures peace and prosperity for Israel. “All of you will die as rebels in the wilderness and curse the day you left Egypt. Your children will fight wars and suffer extreme sacrifices with many of them being killed by Philistines and other nations…”

I would probably not be able to speak much more than this before they tarred and feathered me and then rode me out of Egypt on a rail.

We believers of today – white, black, or whatever race – have much the same attitudes toward prophetic words. We love hearing about the end results, but hate learning that the journey will be filled with years of pain, sacrifice, and humbling by God until we become the people who fulfill the prophetic words.

Today, I prayed:

Lord, I pray that the inner cities of America desire to follow You, that they deny themselves, take up their crosses daily, and follow You into the divine destinies that You have planned for them. (Based on Luke 9:23)

What do you think and has the Lord spoken to you?

Join with me on Thursdays to fast and pray for America.

Click on to see MyGFA site.

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February 3, 2015 · 9:13 am

Tuesday’s Prayers for Prisoners (2/3/2015)

Each Tuesday I pray and fast for nations where Christians suffer the worst persecution around the world. This week I am praying and fasting for:

Kenya. 46.7 million people with 34 million Christians.

Homegrown radical Muslims and militants crossing the border from Somalia are severely persecuting Christians. The government’s approach to pushing for an unbalanced secularist agenda also has an impact on the Kenyan church, as some of the agenda being pushed by the government contradicts with the values and principles of Christianity. Violence has increased in different parts of the country particularly where Islamic radicalism is high. The future of Kenyan Christians will continue deteriorating as long as the underlying issues are not properly and adequately tackled. The future of the Kenyan church appears precarious. The government’s stance towards religious institutions is becoming less and less positive and the church faces intensifying levels of persecution, especially from the militant group al-Shabaab. (World Watch List)

Pressing challenges for Kenya include high unemployment and poverty. Most Kenyans live below the poverty level of $1 a day. The country is also experiencing increased drug trafficking, expanding urban slums and growing populations of street children and AIDS orphans. Despite a declining infection rate, 500 people still die of AIDS every day in the country. Kenyans, by law, have freedom of religion. Nearly 50 percent identify themselves as evangelical Christians, up from 17 percent in 1960. The coast and northwest areas of the country have traditionally been Muslim, and Muslims are attempting to Islamize those regions and establish Shariah law. Muslims try to convert non-Muslims through financial inducements and violence. Converts from Islam to Christianity are subject to harassment, persecution and violence. Somali Islamic militants have committed acts of violence within Kenya’s borders at an increasing rate. Terrorists have attacked several churches in Kenya and have killed pastors and other Christians, including children. (Voice of Martyrs)

Prayer Points:

That growing persecution and violence toward Christians by al-Shabaab will decrease in 2015

That God would enable Christian leaders to reach out to those in the Muslim community

For peace and comfort for the families of Christians who were killed in 2014, including 36 quarry workers murdered in December outside the city of Mandera

Today, I prayed:

Lord, I pray for Kenyan Christians to not be slothful in zeal, fervent in spirit, serving You, and that they rejoice in hope, are patient in tribulation, and constant in prayer. I also pray that they bless those who persecute them and are not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Based on Romans 12: 11, 12, 14, and 21.)

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

Click on to see MyGFA site.

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January 30, 2015 · 8:24 am

Friday’s Prayers for Prisoners (1/30/2015)

Each Friday I pray and fast for nations where Christians suffer the worst persecution around the world. This week I am praying and fasting for:

Qatar. 2.3 million people with 90,000 Christians.

Christian converts from a Muslim background and Christian migrant workers continue to be pressured. The state religion is strictly conservative Wahhabi Islam. While Muslims are free to worship in public, non-Muslim religious groups are restricted to private houses or designated places. Proselytizing is outlawed and those who criticize Islam are punished. Conversion from Islam to another religion constitutes apostasy, an offense which carries capital punishment. Qatar is one of the largest financial supporters of Islamic terrorism; it reportedly supports Islamic rebels in war zones. (World Watch List)

Expatriate believers are allowed to practice their faith openly, but Qatari Christians risk arrest or worse. Government policy strictly limits Christian gatherings. Proselytism of Muslims is forbidden, and merely causing a Qatari to doubt his or her faith is punishable by several years’ imprisonment. Expatriates have been expelled for evangelizing Qataris. Christians are treated as second-class citizens. Criticism of the Muslim faith or the ruling family is a crime. There were no known Qatari believers before 1985, but several have come to the Lord outside the country since then. Up until 2008, there were no churches for foreigners. Eight Christian denominations, which have more than 1,500 members living in the country, have been legally recognized and built or have been allotted land to build a church in the Mesaymir Religious Complex, widely known as “Church City.” Foreigners from smaller congregations may still worship privately, and all foreign churches are forbidden from advertising services or displaying religious symbols on their buildings. (Voice of Martyrs)

Today, I prayed:

Lord, I pray that You send a new group of believers to Qatar who will turn the world upside down in that nation. (Based on Acts 17:6)

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

Click on to see MyGFA site.

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January 27, 2015 · 3:18 pm

Tuesday’s Prayers for America (1/27/2015)

The movie, We Were Soldiers, records the Battle of Ia Drang on November 14, 1965, and is based on a book written by Lt. General Hal Moore and reporter Joe Galloway: We Were Soldiers Once…And Young. Both men were at the battle.

Lt. General Hal Moore was ordered to lead his Air Cavalry battalion of four hundred men to fight the attackers of an American air base. Army intelligence had no idea how many Vietnamese soldiers they would encounter. Moore and his men landed in the “Valley of Death” and learned they were in the middle of a division of North Vietnam Army soldiers, four thousand strong. The battle lasted over two days.

During the second day, the North Vietnamese soldiers overran the battalion’s position. Fighting was hand to hand. Sergeant Major Basil Plumley walked through the action with a pistol in hand. He looked down and saw Joe Galloway, the reporter and photographer assigned to the battalion, lying on the ground.

“You can’t take any pictures from down there, sonny,” said Sergeant Major Plumley, throwing an M-16 rifle at the reporter.

“I’m a non-combatant,” replied Galloway, holding the rifle.

“Ain’t no such thing today,” said Plumley and walked away.

Although a non-combatant, Galloway fought that day.

Today, I prayed:

Lord, I pray we American believers understand that we are in a time of war, not peace; and that there is no neutral position for non-combatants in spiritual battles. (Based lightly on Ecclesiastes 3:8)

What do you think and has the Lord spoken to you?

Join with me on Tuesdays to fast and pray for America.

Click on to see MyGFA site.

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January 26, 2015 · 10:12 am

When Was The Last Time…

I watched the above video nine days ago, but I have been sick with a vicious cold since then. Yet, even when I tossed and turned with fever, I meditated on this video, especially these words:

We will live as strangers and pilgrims on this earth, with sacrifice, and commitment, and tears, and fasting, and touch the lost world with our lifestyle and commitment. (K. P. Yohannan of Gospel For Asia)

Now, I understand that not everyone will be touched by Yohannan’s words, like I was, but that’s only natural. A friend used to say, “If you throw a stone into a pack of wild dogs, the only dog that really pays attention is the one the stone hits. He yelps.”

Yohannan’s stone hit me. I yelped!

What do I plan on doing?

I am going to find as many people as possible who want to live as strangers and pilgrims on this earth. I don’t care if they are white, black, brown, Catholics, Lutherans, Charismatics, Baptists, tongue talkers, or whatever. I want to be with them to fast, pray, weep, and give so that a lost world can be touched by our lifestyle and commitment.

You see, at 69 years of age, I’ve run out of time and excuses.

Click on to see MyGFA site.

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January 23, 2015 · 10:40 am

Friday’s Prayers for Prisoners (1/23/2015)

Each Friday I pray and fast for nations where Christians suffer the worst persecution around the world. This week I am praying and fasting for:

Central Africa Republic. 4.8 million people with 3.1 million Christians (mainly Roman Catholic).

The high ranking of the country can be explained almost exclusively by the high degree of violence against Christians caused by the rebellion of the Séléka movement. The internal revolution which saw the victory of Séléka, a coalition of rebels dissatisfied with the regime, and the removal of President François Bozizé, is responsible for the high degree of pressure and violence against Christians. The Séléka movement, with no formal Islamist agenda, but composed in majority of foreign Muslims, has ravaged the country, specifically targeting Christian properties (houses and churches) and government buildings. The desecration of Christian churches and the violence towards Christians (rape, robbery, kidnapping, torture, murder, etc.) is evidence of this. (World Watch List)

Today I prayed:

Lord, I pray for all the believers in the Central Africa Republic that they would humble themselves under Your mighty hand, that they would cast all their cares on You, and that they would be sober and vigilant because of the devil whom they must resist by faith. (Based on 1 Peter 5:6-9)

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

Click on to see MyGFA site.

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