Monday, December 19, 2011
Psalm 108 (with text - press on more info.)
Psalm 108 (New International Version)
Psalm 108
A song. A psalm of David.
1 My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul.
2 Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.
3 I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples.
4 For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth.
6 Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered.
7 God has spoken from his sanctuary: "In triumph I will parcel out Shechem and measure off the Valley of Succoth.
8 Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet, Judah my scepter.
9 Moab is my washbasin, upon Edom I toss my sandal; over Philistia I shout in triumph."
10 Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom?
11 Is it not you, O God, you who have rejected us and no longer go out with our armies?
12 Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless.
13 With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Today We Join With Operation World in Praying for Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Asia
Vietnam
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Asia
See Prayer Information
Geography
Area: 331,653 sq km
Long, narrow country occupying the entire eastern and southern coastline of Indochina.
Population: 89,028,741 Annual Growth: 1.15%
Capital: Hanoi
Urbanites: 28.8%
HDI Rank: 116 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)
Peoples
Official language: Vietnamese Languages:106 All languages
Religion
Largest Religion: Buddhist
| Religion | Pop % | Ann Gr | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christians | 8,395,410 | 9.43 | 2.3 |
| Evangelicals | 1,576,889 | 1.8 | 2.6 |
| Buddhist | 46,722,283 | 52.48 |
Answer to Prayer
A growing, witnessing Church is emerging from years of persecution. Catholic and Protestant, new expression and old, a significant turning to God is occurring in different places, in both registered and unregistered churches, and among different people groups. The Vietnamese diaspora is also seeing many become believers. These converts then bring the gospel back to Vietnam with them. There are three main groups where church growth is occurring:Among the mountain tribal peoples of central and southern Vietnam. Praise God for preservation and growth — by some estimates as great as nine-fold increase in just over thirty years! This occurred despite cruel persecution on the part of the government.
Among the Hmong and other minority peoples of Northern Vietnam. The 1990s saw the Church grow rapidly among the Hmong from no believers in 1988 to estimates of up to 400,000 just two decades later, catalyzed by FEBC radio broadcasting. House church movements among Northern peoples have spread.
Among the ethnic Vietnamese (Kinh) themselves. Although much more modest among this group, clear church growth is happening, in the formally recognized Evangelical Church of Vietnam [which actually consists of two separate organizations, one in the north EVCN(N) and one in the south EVCN(S)], in other, smaller but registered denominations and in the unregistered church networks as well. A Christmas gathering and service in Ho Chi Minh City in 2009 attracted 40,000 people.
For an additional Answer to Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
For an additional 9 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
Challenge for Prayer
One of the few Communist nations in the 21st Century, Vietnam faces new challenges. Repression of all types of freedom continues, but at the same time, social ills are on the rise. Drug addiction, AIDS, prostitution and exploitation of children are all too common. The land has seen great violence. Division and mistrust have been effective tools in the enemy’s hands in recent generations. Pray that the ideological and moral darkness over this nation might be banished by the light of the gospel.For an additional 9 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 Vietnam.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Today We Join With Operation World in Praying for the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Latin America
Venezuela
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
Latin America
See Prayer Information
Geography
Area: 912,050 sq km
About 80% of the population live along the Caribbean coastal belt in the north; the centre and south are grasslands and tropical forest.
Population: 29,043,555 Annual Growth: 1.68%
Capital: Caracas
Urbanites: 94%
HDI Rank: 58 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)
Peoples
Official language: Spanish Languages: 47 All languages
Religion
Largest Religion: Christian
| Religion | Pop % | Ann Gr | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christians | 24,553,421 | 84.54 | 0.8 |
| Evangelicals | 3,147,421 | 10.8 | 3.2 |
Answer to Prayer
The increasing size and influence of evangelicals. Not only is numerical growth continuing at a modest but stable rate, but evangelicals are beginning to be recognized as a legitimate expression of the Church and as key players in social and political scenes. For an additional Answer to Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
For an additional 11 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
Challenge for Prayer
Venezuela is a volatile and divided nation. The economy is deeply dependent on the price of oil, and the political scene is polarized between the president’s supporters and his detractors. Increasingly strident anti-Western posturing offsets widespread investments in social and economic programmes for the poor. Pray for the wisdom to administer the nation wisely, to implement sensible policies that strengthen the nation and to strive for peace domestically and abroad.For an additional 11 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 Venezuela.
Psalm 106 (with text - press on more info.)
Psalm 106 (New International Version)
Psalm 106
1 Praise the LORD. [a] Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
2 Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD or fully declare his praise?
3 Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly do what is right.
4 Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people, come to my aid when you save them,
5 that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may share in the joy of your nation and join your inheritance in giving praise.
6 We have sinned, even as our fathers did; we have done wrong and acted wickedly.
7 When our fathers were in Egypt, they gave no thought to your miracles; they did not remember your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea. [b]
8 Yet he saved them for his name's sake, to make his mighty power known.
9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up; he led them through the depths as through a desert.
10 He saved them from the hand of the foe; from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.
11 The waters covered their adversaries; not one of them survived.
12 Then they believed his promises and sang his praise.
13 But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his counsel.
14 In the desert they gave in to their craving; in the wasteland they put God to the test.
15 So he gave them what they asked for, but sent a wasting disease upon them.
16 In the camp they grew envious of Moses and of Aaron, who was consecrated to the LORD.
17 The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan; it buried the company of Abiram.
18 Fire blazed among their followers; a flame consumed the wicked.
19 At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped an idol cast from metal.
20 They exchanged their Glory for an image of a bull, which eats grass.
21 They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt,
22 miracles in the land of Ham and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.
23 So he said he would destroy them— had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him to keep his wrath from destroying them.
24 Then they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe his promise.
25 They grumbled in their tents and did not obey the LORD.
26 So he swore to them with uplifted hand that he would make them fall in the desert,
27 make their descendants fall among the nations and scatter them throughout the lands.
28 They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods;
29 they provoked the LORD to anger by their wicked deeds, and a plague broke out among them.
30 But Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was checked.
31 This was credited to him as righteousness for endless generations to come.
32 By the waters of Meribah they angered the LORD, and trouble came to Moses because of them;
33 for they rebelled against the Spirit of God, and rash words came from Moses' lips. [c]
34 They did not destroy the peoples as the LORD had commanded them,
35 but they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs.
36 They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them.
37 They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons.
38 They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was desecrated by their blood.
For more text press: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+106&version=NIV
Friday, December 16, 2011
Today We Join With Operation World in Praying for the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Latin America
Venezuela
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
Latin America
See Prayer Information
Geography
Area: 912,050 sq km
About 80% of the population live along the Caribbean coastal belt in the north; the centre and south are grasslands and tropical forest.
Population: 29,043,555 Annual Growth: 1.68%
Capital: Caracas
Urbanites: 94%
HDI Rank: 58 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)
Peoples
Official language: Spanish Languages: 47 All languages
Religion
Largest Religion: Christian
| Religion | Pop % | Ann Gr | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christians | 24,553,421 | 84.54 | 0.8 |
| Evangelicals | 3,147,421 | 10.8 | 3.2 |
Answer to Prayer
The increasing size and influence of evangelicals. Not only is numerical growth continuing at a modest but stable rate, but evangelicals are beginning to be recognized as a legitimate expression of the Church and as key players in social and political scenes. For an additional Answer to Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
For an additional 11 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
Challenge for Prayer
Venezuela is a volatile and divided nation. The economy is deeply dependent on the price of oil, and the political scene is polarized between the president’s supporters and his detractors. Increasingly strident anti-Western posturing offsets widespread investments in social and economic programmes for the poor. Pray for the wisdom to administer the nation wisely, to implement sensible policies that strengthen the nation and to strive for peace domestically and abroad.For an additional 11 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 Venezuela.
Psalm 105 (with text - press on more info.)
Psalm 105 (New International Version)
Psalm 105
1 Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.
2 Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.
3 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
4 Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.
5 Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,
6 O descendants of Abraham his servant, O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones.
7 He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.
8 He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations,
9 the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac.
10 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant:
11 "To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit."
12 When they were but few in number, few indeed, and strangers in it,
13 they wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another.
14 He allowed no one to oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings:
15 "Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm."
16 He called down famine on the land and destroyed all their supplies of food;
17 and he sent a man before them— Joseph, sold as a slave.
18 They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons,
19 till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the LORD proved him true.
20 The king sent and released him, the ruler of peoples set him free.
21 He made him master of his household, ruler over all he possessed,
22 to instruct his princes as he pleased and teach his elders wisdom.
23 Then Israel entered Egypt; Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham.
24 The LORD made his people very fruitful; he made them too numerous for their foes,
25 whose hearts he turned to hate his people, to conspire against his servants.
26 He sent Moses his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen.
27 They performed his miraculous signs among them, his wonders in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness and made the land dark— for had they not rebelled against his words?
29 He turned their waters into blood, causing their fish to die.
30 Their land teemed with frogs, which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers.
31 He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and gnats throughout their country.
32 He turned their rain into hail, with lightning throughout their land;
33 he struck down their vines and fig trees and shattered the trees of their country.
34 He spoke, and the locusts came, grasshoppers without number;
35 they ate up every green thing in their land, ate up the produce of their soil.
36 Then he struck down all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their manhood.
37 He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold, and from among their tribes no one faltered.
38 Egypt was glad when they left, because dread of Israel had fallen on them.
39 He spread out a cloud as a covering, and a fire to give light at night.
40 They asked, and he brought them quail and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out; like a river it flowed in the desert.
42 For he remembered his holy promise given to his servant Abraham.
43 He brought out his people with rejoicing, his chosen ones with shouts of joy;
44 he gave them the lands of the nations, and they fell heir to what others had toiled for-
45 that they might keep his precepts and observe his laws. Praise the LORD.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Today We Join With Operation World in Praying for the Republic of Vanuatu in the Pacific
Vanuatu
Republic of Vanuatu
Pacific
See Prayer Information
Geography
Area: 12,190 sq km
Twelve larger and 70 smaller islands, southeast of the Solomon Islands in the southwest Pacific. Formerly New Hebrides.
Population: 245,786 Annual Growth: 2.58%
Capital: Vila
Urbanites: 25.6%
HDI Rank: 126 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)
Peoples
Official language: Bislama (Pidgin English), English, French Languages: 108 All languages
Religion
Largest Religion: Christian
| Religion | Pop % | Ann Gr | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christians | 231,235 | 94.08 | 2.9 |
| Evangelicals | 112,874 | 45.9 | 3.1 |
Answer to Prayer
Thousands have turned to Christ, coming out of the “John Frum” cargo cults, despite these groups forbidding contact with Christians and the gospel. (These cults emerged from WWII and a belief that loads of supplies on ships and planes would come from “John from” America.) Recent work by Presbyterians, the JESUS film and WBT sees a new wave of over 7,000 positive responses to the good news. For an additional Answer to Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
For an additional 3 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
Challenge for Prayer
Vanuatu’s motto is “In God We Stand”. Pray that leaders of this complex little nation may be examples in doing so. Committed Christians played a major role in attaining independence, and they continue to help lead the country - not least is the President himself.For an additional 3 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 Vanuatu.
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