Michael W. Smith - Psalm 139, Thy Word

Pray Today Thursday August 18th for the Republic of Macedonia

Macedonia

Republic of Macedonia

Europe

See Prayer Information

Geography

Area: 25,713 sq km
Landlocked state surrounded by Serbia/Kosovo, Bulgaria, Greece and Albania.
Population: 2,043,360    Annual Growth: 0.08%
Capital: Skopje
Urbanites: 67.9%
HDI Rank: 72 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)

Peoples

Peoples: 25 (24% unreached) All peoples
Unreached Peoples Prayer Card

Official language: Macedonian, one of the southern Slavic languages    Languages: 10 All languages

Religion

Largest Religion: Christian

Religion		Pop %	Ann Gr
Christians	1,338,401	65.50	0.1
Evangelicals	4,270	0.2	3.2

Answer to Prayer

The evangelical church in Macedonia is one of the fastest growing in Europe and displays growing unity across its theological breadth. Churches are ambitious in their outreach and church planting goals, and they minister across ethnic and national boundaries to share the gospel with their neighbours, a remarkable feat given the Balkanization of the region.

Challenge for Prayer

Macedonia’s ethnic compositiondominates its political and social existence, where segregation is more prevalent than harmony. The large (and growing) Albanian minority feel more connected with their own kind in Albania and Kosovo than with the other ethnicities of Macedonia. Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia also have agendas for Macedonia. Economic difficulties cause significant emigration and urban pull; many of the 2,000 villages are dwindling or disappearing altogether. Pray for wisdom for the government, and pray that the divided communities might find ways to build their nation together.
     For an additional 5 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.

More Information

The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of Macedonia.

Mark 9 (with text - press on more info.)

Proverbs 18 (with text - press on more info.)

Psalm 139

Psalm 139

New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 139

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. ¹ You have searched me, LORD,
   and you know me.
² You know when I sit and when I rise;
   you perceive my thoughts from afar.
³ You discern my going out and my lying down;
   you are familiar with all my ways.
⁴ Before a word is on my tongue
   you, LORD, know it completely.
⁵ You hem me in behind and before,
   and you lay your hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
   too lofty for me to attain.
 ⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit?
   Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
   if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
   if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
   your right hand will hold me fast.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
   and the light become night around me,”
¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you;
   the night will shine like the day,
   for darkness is as light to you.
 ¹³ For you created my inmost being;
   you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
   your works are wonderful,
   I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
   when I was made in the secret place,
   when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
   all the days ordained for me were written in your book
   before one of them came to be.
¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts,^[a] God!
   How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ Were I to count them,
   they would outnumber the grains of sand—
   when I awake, I am still with you.
 ¹⁹ If only you, God, would slay the wicked!
   Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!
²⁰ They speak of you with evil intent;
   your adversaries misuse your name.
²¹ Do I not hate those who hate you, LORD,
   and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?
²² I have nothing but hatred for them;
   I count them my enemies.
²³ Search me, God, and know my heart;
   test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me,
   and lead me in the way everlasting.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 139:17 Or How amazing are your thoughts concerning me