The Great Separation

November 11th, Day of Prayer.

- Mark your calendars - Here's a press release you and your church should be aware of:

Christians Urged to Pray for Persecuted Believers

Contact: Jerry Dykstra, Media Relations Director, Open Doors USA, 616-915-4117, jerryd@odusa.org

SANTA ANA, Calif., Nov. 5 /Christian Newswire/ -- Open Doors, an international Christian ministry which supports and strengthens persecuted believers, is calling on Christians to pray for over 200 million suffering Christians during the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) on Sunday, Nov. 11.

During that day churches around the United States will focus on prayer and support for our brothers and sisters who are being persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ. IDOP is one of the largest prayer events in the world and has heightened awareness of persecuted Christians since its inception in 1996.

Because of persecution and suffering that Muslim Background Believers – those who convert from Islam to Christianity – face daily, Open Doors USA has made these hundreds of thousands of "Secret Believers" the focus of this year's IDOP.

California Wildfires 2007.

Lifting prayers to heaven - The fires in California continue to rage.

As Christians we need to keep in prayer all of California specifically those affected by these fires. Keep in prayer too those fighting the fires.

Hurricane Katrina: September 9th - A Call to Prayer & Fasting.

Go before the throne. - I've noted several places around the blog-o-sphere ( here, here, here, and here) that made the suggestion that we as Christians should be praying and fasting for those suffering in the aftermath of this horrible naturally tragedy.

I totally agree and I think it would be a great idea in the Christian blog world to dedicate a special day when we can all join together and humble ourselves before the throne of our Lord in intercession.

I would like to suggest this coming Friday, the 9th of September, as a day of prayer and fasting for those who are suffering in the wake of this storm and for those who are seeking to rescue and care for our displaced countrymen.

Spread the word!

7/11: A Day of Fasting & Prayer. A Response to 7/7 London Bombings.

Originally Posted 2005.07.07.

Go before the throne. - In light of the terror attack on our alley and her innocent people in the city of London, I think we Christian brothers and sisters should make a special effort to hold this situation up before the Lord of Hosts, our Father in Heaven.

I believe it would be an exceptional idea if we were to hold a day of fasting and prayer this coming Monday for all those effected and for those who organized this terrible act.

We know that this terror war is more than a physical battle. It is spiritual warfare and if it is to be overcome, it must be attacked on that level first and foremost.

So spread the word on your blogs. Let's make this coming Monday, 7/11, a day of fasting and prayer.

Update:

Danny Carlton of JackLewis.net is offering a script to display on your weblogs showing support for our British alleys.

Update: 2005.07.11.

Today is a day set aside for prayer and fasting. La Shawn at La Shawn Barber's Corner aptly pens:

As befitting of children of God, retreat, and lift up your voices in prayer and supplication not just for the brethren in London. Remember the suffering of the saints worldwide. Ask God to strengthen them at a time when their faith may be weakened the most, for this is the essence of faith: believing in the risen Christ even though we didn’t see him rise, and believing that he, in fact, died to pay the penalty for our disobedience.

Our message to the world is Christ's message,

"I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” (John 11:25-26 AV)

Though the world is dead in it's sins yet may it live by repenting and believing in Christ, the risen Son of God.

Today Satan will attempt to stand against our prayers for the people of Britain. That snake will attempt to stop us from marching before those evil forces in heavenly realms.

But Satan has already failed.

For Christ is greater in you than he who is in the world.

So stand firm. Pray for healing both physical and spiritual for all those struck by these bombings. Pray that those who set their hearts upon evil would be overcome. Pray that these same men and women given over to Satan would come to the saving knowledge of Jesus crucified and risen again so that they would be set free from the chains that bind them.

“1 ¶ <<[A Psalm] of David.>> Plead [my cause], O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me. 2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help. 3 Draw out also the spear, and stop [the way] against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I [am] thy salvation. 4 Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt. 5 Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the LORD chase [them]. 6 Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the LORD persecute them." (Psalms 35:1-6 AV)

I would also suggest reading Acts 13 and 14 today along with the complete chapter of Psalm 35.

Christian Bloggers' Prayer Network.

It's a go. - After hearing from a number of you with helpful suggestions I decided to set up the Christian Bloggers' Prayer Network (CBPN) eMail list on a website I run. I like it better than Yahoo!® Groups and it's pretty simple.

What is the CBPN?

CBPN is an eMail List for Christian Bloggers.

Christian bloggers are united in Christ which means we need to be united in prayer. The goal of CBPN is to humbly lift before God our fellow webloggers in need of prayer and in so doing our hope is to become more like Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior and glorify God.

If you would like to join the prayer group visit CBPN -- Christian Bloggers' Prayer Network.

You can also send an eMail to CBPN-request [at] heritagealive.com with the subject subscribe.

After you subscribe you will get an eMail to confirm your subscription.

Spread the word!

Update: 2005-05-20.

I've created a little sidebar graphic:

Here's the code you can use if you need it:

<a href="http://heritagealive.com/mailman/listinfo/ cbpn_heritagealive.com" target="new" title="Christian Bloggers' Prayer Network"> <img src="http://www.heritagealive.com/images/ cbpnmember.png"> </a>

[note: I inserted some spaces in the code so that it would display in this column correctly.]

Christian Bloggers' Prayer Network.

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” (Ephesians 6:18 AV) -Hey there. I've had on my heart for some time that there should be a prayer network for we Christian bloggers.

I'm thinking of using a Yahoo!® group for this purpose. Mainly my thought on its purpose is to uplift each other in prayer when needs & trials arise. After all, being a Christian blogger can at times be very frustrating.

Anyway, what do you think?

Any suggestions on some basic rules that people will need to follow in using the prayer network?

I did secure the group CBPN@yahoogroups.com (CBPN = Christian Bloggers' Prayer Network) to see just what was involved in starting a group on Yahoo!®. It's pretty easy, in case you didn't know like me.

A Call to Fasting from Dr. Mark Miravalle for Terri Schiavo.

Voices speaking for one that is silenced. - I received the following letter from Dr. Mark Miravalle asking if I would post it here at TGS.

FAST WITH TERRI

Terry Schiavo is dying. It has now been over four days since Terri has been denied food and water. Federal Judge Whittemore has just rejected the petition made possible by the special approval of Congress and President Bush to reinsert her feeding tube.

We are urgently calling Christians and all people of good will to fast in whatever way they can to restore Terri’s feeding tube and for the full protection of her precious life.

Please join us in a solidarity of fasting with our sister, Terri, as long as she remains without food and water, in urgent petition to God for the protection of her life. Let us feel a small portion of Terri’s hunger and thirst, and offer our fasting for an intervention of God for Terri and for our country, that we will not allow the direct killing of an innocent human being by starvation.

These next few days hold the final opportunity to save Terri’s life. The transcendent value of human life demands every possible effort for its protection. Please join us, in whatever way you can, in a fast with Terri.

“And Jesus rebuked him, and the devil came out of him, and the child was cured…Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, ‘Why could we not cast it out?’…Jesus said to them, “because of your unbelief…but this kind is not cast out except by prayer and fasting” (Mt. 17:18-21).”

Dr. Mark Miravalle
Professor of Theology
Franciscan University of Steubenville

A Call to Prayer and Fasting.

Join together. - Bryan at The Narrow calls us this morning to a day of prayer and fasting for Terri Schindler-Shiavo:

I pray that the brethren are ready for a hard fight today and I am reminded of Terri everytime I have a hunger pang. I am going to be praying for her and all the people involved in this case. Again, 1:00pm EST is important for a couple of reasons. First, if nothing changes between now and then, it will be the time her feeding tube is removed. Second, it is the time of concentrated prayer today on Terri's behalf.

Pray that God's will would be done and for His mighty Holy Spirit to move across this country and world with the message that life is His to give and take, not man's choice.

God is sovereign.

Pray for peace for the those gathering together in support of Terri and for those gathering on the other side in support for her husband.

The Great Separation continues.

Update:

Go to BlogsforTerri's post: Florida Senators: Change Your Vote and Save Terri (Updated).

They have a list of Florida Senators to call or eMail in a hope to get them to change their "NO" vote to a "YES" vote on the State Legislation to keep Terri's tube from being removed.

Also, Drudge has an exclusive he posted early this morning:

The Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pension (HELP) Committee, Mike Enzi (R-Wyoming) has requested Terri Schiavo to testify before his congressional committee, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned. In so doing it triggers legal or statutory protections for the witness, among those protections is that nothing can be done to cause harm or death to this individual.

Praying on the Sevens for Seven.

Call to Christians to Pray. - Michael Ireland is reporting for ASSIST News Service that two ministers are attempting to get Christians across all denominations to take time to pray at two specific times each day for at least seven minutes each.

Ireland reports:

A new prayer ministry, birthed in the hearts of two men concerned about the dissent between Christians with differing beliefs and who have a common interest in the Persecuted Church, is seeking praying believers who will commit to pray “7@7&7” -- praying for no less than 7 minutes at 7 am and 7 pm.

What started as a burden in the hearts of 2 men, Johan Candelin of Finland's Friends of the Martyred Church, and Norm Nelson of US' Compassion Radio, has grown into a burning in the hearts of many leaders in America and Europe for Christians to come together in corporate prayer around the world to pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters, to pray for the renewal of the Christian nuclear family, and to pray for the rededication of the Christian church to the Great Commission.

I can't find fault in the idea. Can you?

For more information see Ireland's article and www.PrayAt7.com.

A Prayer for Iraq and Her Elections.

Spiritual Warfare Wages. - If you haven't done so already, it is time to get down on our knees and go to war against Satan and his minions seeking to destabilize and hijack the Iraqi elections that are coming up in two days.

It is indeed a "Historic Moment" not only for the nation of Iraq, but also for the world. But there is a battle being waged beyond human eyes by dominions of the air led by the prince of this world and he is directing the murders by the insurgents with the hope of continuing his rein if fear in Iraq.

We Christians have a responsibility to come against those strong holds though they be on the otherside of the world.

So I offer the following prayer and if you have a blog and post a prayer, eMail me your link.

My prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father. Worthy is Your name and Your deeds are righteous and just and merciful.

You know the plight of the men and women in Iraq. You know the fear and death they've breathed for years upon years because of Satan and the evil tyrants he has controlled.

I know Father, that the people of Iraq have not gone unnoticed by You. I know too, that You created them to be free like all men and women. Free to govern themselves; equal one to another, man, woman, and child.

Today, Lord, there are evils that seek to harm and stop the Iraqi people's path to democracy. Against those evils, Lord, I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by His blood shed upon Calvary's Tree.

Bind Satan and his minions, Lord God Almighty. Raise up Your armies against those who would do harm and protect the people of Iraq.

Surround the soldiers that serve from other countries, Lord. Protect them and keep them from harm. Allow them to see clearly the traps laid by the enemy and react accordingly.

Lord God, may Your will be accomplished. May Your glory be acknowledged by the people of Iraq and by the world.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Amen.