How to Make these Prayers Specific and Biblically Powerful

As millions of Christians unite in prayer during these days, we are not asking God to perpetuate the status quo. So many believers find their hope rising with anticipation for God to do great things. With this kind of hope, its time to pray great prayers. Larger and Sharper Features of the Prayers Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9 Day 10

Larger and Sharper

As you pray these prayers, or better yet, as you invite others to pray them with you, do two things: Make your prayers large with biblical hope. Make your prayers sharp with specific information.

1. Deepen your prayers with biblical hope.

First, consider the biblical passages which under gird each daily theme. A few moments spent pondering the biblical substance of the days topic will help you pray with confidence and clarity.

2. Sharpen your prayers with specific information.

Gather information about needs and situations that will help you make your prayers specific. A bit of checking can help you inform your prayers with global focus. Its not hard to stretch yourself to pray for distant lands (after all, it is a global event) and at the same time, to focus your prayers on specific people and needs of the community in which you live.

Features of the prayers

From the book of Acts

All of the prayers are derived from statements, prayers and descriptions in the early chapters of Acts.

Focused on the person of Christ

Youll notice that most of the daily topics are titled explicitly for things ...of Christ. Make the person of Jesus central in your prayer.

For both the Church and the World

Each topic provides ways to direct your prayers first for Christians and then for people who have yet to know and follow Christ.

Day One: The Transformation of Christ

For the transforming power of Christs kingdom
The Transformation of Christ
The word transformation refers to the changes Christ will bring about in people, communities and in all the world as He carries out Gods purposes.

Promises of the Kingdom of God

During the forty days after Jesus was risen from the dead, He focused His followers on the coming kingdom of God. Themes of the kingdom of God and the King of the kingdom certainly dominated their messages in the early chapters of Acts. Even the question we hear them asking in Acts 1:6, Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel? is about the kingdom. The kingdom of God in Christs teaching refers to the rule of God which was present in the life and power of Jesus, but was to be fulfilled completely in the age to come. Jesus would speak of the kingdom as something that is to be entered (Luke 18:1724), but also as the rule of God that is entering our lives and communities in some measure before He comes (Luke 17:20-21). Jesus words about the kingdom give us hope to pray for the triumph of God over evil powers (Luke 11:20-23) the presence of Gods life-changing power bringing provision (Luke 12:31-32), healing (Luke 10:9), and forgiveness (Luke 24:46-47, by the power of the king, the Christ) and so much more.

The promise of the Father

Jesus wanted them to pray with expectant persistence for God to fulfill the great pivotal promise of the impartation of the Holy Spirit to His people, which begins and empowers all genuine kingdom transformation of people and communities. In Luke 24:49 Jesus spoke of the promise of the Father as something that He was going to send from on high which would empower them in tremendous ways.

Ways to make it specific:

For His church:
List a few specific churches in your community. Can you imagine the people of those churches welcoming Christ as on Palm Sunday? One way to celebrate and also to pray for Christs Lordship is to say the following as a prayer and a praise, inserting a specific church or leader in the blank: Blessed is He who comes to (name of a church) in the name of the Lord!

For our world

Jesus taught us to pray for His kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Think of ways that you can make that prayer specific by inserting the names of specific places and people: Lord, may Your kingdom rule come so that Your will is done in , as it is in heaven.

Background for Day Two: United Prayer

For sustained movements of united prayer
With one mind
The account clearly describes their praying as being with one mind, or as is sometimes translated, with one accord. The Greek word behind this expression is a fascinating word: homothumadon. It simply refers to sharing the same (homo-) passion (-thumadon, which has to do with zeal, desire, passion). The English word enthusiasm is built on the same word group as homothumadon. The word homothumadon is common in Lukes description of prayer and occasions where people responded to God with one heart and mind and passion (1:14, 2:46, 4:24, 5:12, 15:25, and more). The word is even used negatively about mob mentalities (7:57, 18:12). Regrettably, the New International Version presents a rather weak translation for homothumadon, only inserting the English word together. This translation fails to convey that they prayed with an extraordinary measure of common zeal, shared passion, and united mind. It means much more than merely being physically gathered together. It means far more than praying in agreement. It has everything to do with pursuing what God has promised because of earnest united desiring, a confident expectation, that what God had promised, He would certainly do, and soon.

This expectancy and hope was certainly shaped by Christs teaching about the kingdom of God. The sustained passion was not an emotional state or a personality trait. Their sustained prayer was based on a united, biblical hope. Since they kept praying daily with that same passion after Pentecost, they must have expected God to do even more than He had at Pentecost. And that even more is what we are praying toward in our day. God wants us to be resolutely and unitedly focused on what He will accomplish to fulfill all of His purposes. He has given us much to do, but He gives us even more to pray.

All in one place

They gathered in an upper room over a period of ten days. Its likely that most of them came and went from different homes to sleep and to eat. It could be that the eleven apostles (We had lost Judas Iscariot) and some of the others from Galilee were staying there. However they gathered, the prayer seemed to be unceasing. Verse 15 mentions that there were about 120 people. They continued to gather in the temple and in homes for regular sessions of prayer. This example underscores the importance of setting aside normal schedules occasionally to physically gather together in prayer.

An ongoing vigil
Acts 2:42 says that they kept following a pattern of regular, scheduled prayer gatherings. In Lukes original Greek writing, the final word of verse 42 is not prayer in a general sense, but prayers plural, which refers to a regimen of daily prayer gatherings.

Ways to make it specific:

For His church:
Ask God to reveal the splendor and awe of His work to His people so that we can share in a common passion and vision. Only the risen Christ, revealing the wondrous reality of His kingdom, can make shared beliefs ignite into the fire of homothumadon shared passion. Make the effort to organize or to join a prayer gathering. It can be brief or lengthy. As you pray, ask God to strengthen many thousands of other prayer meetings taking place all over the world on the very day you are praying. Ask participants to pray short prayers that relate to the prayers of others so that there is a sense of continuity and unity. Such prayer, offered in conversational style, helps everyone to pray in agreement. Read the Prayer for the World in unison. Find it on pages 12-14 of the prayer guide published by WayMakers or on other GDOP websites. Ask everyone reading it to sound out the words with boldness and confidence, as a symbol of the agreement.

Ask God to strengthen the organized prayer movements and leaders serving churches in your city or region.

For our world

Pray that God would inspire people who have yet to believe to call out to God for His mercy.

An extra note about praying for prayer from those far from God
Some have suggested that God cannot or will not hear the prayers of non-Christians. This is sometimes based on a wrong understanding of Psalm 66:18, which says, If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear... The issue is not a matter if there is sin in the human heart. It is a matter of planning, plotting, and pursuing (or as NIV translates, cherished) evil. If someone is actively planning evil, then this verse teaches that God does not respond to that prayer. But there is biblical evidence that God hears and responds to many of the prayers of people, whether they are part of Gods people or not. Solomon dedicated the temple, asking God to hear the prayers of foreigners who had merely heard of Gods name (1 Kings 8:4143). Cornelius was assured that God had heard his prayers (Acts 10:4, 30-31). The ones God hears when they cry for help in Psalm 107 are people far from the covenant of Israel. Many times the Psalmists present God responding to the prayers of those who fear Him, which often describes those who were not part of the people of Israel. Psalm 65:2 says, O you who hear prayer, to you all men will come, which seems to say that God is as willing to hear prayers as people are willing to come to Him. The next verses deal with forgiveness of sin and Gods choice of those that He draws near to Him. But there seems to be grounds enough to ask God to work by His grace in the lives of people far from Him, that they would become people who pray in the name and righteousness of Jesus Christ. As a way to focus your prayer, mention particular friends, neighbors and leaders. Ask God to move on their hearts. God is always the one who stimulates prayer in anyone. Ask God to raise His voice, calling them to call upon Him.

Background for Day Three: The Spirit of Christ

For God to pour out His Spirit upon all
An ancient promise: Gods Spirit will come upon all people
Peter quoted the ancient promise found in Joel 2:28 that God would pour out His Spirit on all people. And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Does this mean only Gods people? Or does the promise extend to all peoples? The latter part of verse 28 and 29 goes on to say that men and women, young and old would be divinely empowered as communicators. These sons and daughters are described as being part of Gods people. So how does the promise of the outpouring of Gods Spirit affect all peoples? The outcome of the empowered words of Gods people will be that many outside the covenant people of God will call upon the name

of the Lord and be saved. Joel 2:32 clearly says that whoever calls on Gods name will be saved. That whoever includes many more beyond Gods covenant people. Gods Spirit will come upon Gods people helping them to communicate; and also upon those who are not of Gods people enabling them to hear and respond. Has this promise already been fulfilled in Acts 2 so that we cannot expect or pray for God to do more than was already done at that time? God kept filling His people and others with the Holy Spirit (4:31, Acts 2:39 implies that it is a living promise in the process of being fulfilled. God to bring forth anything more than we see anything

An empowerment: Gods Spirit will clothe His people

In Luke 24:49 Jesus describes the promise of the Father as a clothing in power. And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high. Imagine what Jesus meant by this imagery of being adorned or clothed with spiritual power. While clothes dont become the person, clothing moves with the person who wears them. Clothes extend and enable one to do more than one could otherwise. And there are many other aspects that may be worth pondering. God intends to change His people by enveloping them in His Spirit. We often speak about Gods desire to fill His people afresh with His Spirit. We might not pray enough with this lovely picture of God covering and clothing us with His Spirit.

A demonstration: Gods Spirit both seen and heard

In Acts 2:33 Peter says of the giving of Gods Spirit that [Jesus] has poured out what you now see and hear. We dont necessarily seek the identical demonstrations. But it is good to pray that God will work by His Spirit in observable ways. Pray that God would work in demonstrative ways so that people far from God would sense His nearness and the crucial nature of the hour. Such demonstrations might be answered prayers, changed lives, or acts of love in Christs name. Gods Spirit loves to work in ways that are observable and bring attention to Jesus. Pray that God would work in such wonderful ways in your community.

Ways to make it specific:

For His church:
Name specific churches, pastors and leaders. Pray for yourself and the others praying with You. Make your prayers specific by using imagery. Three metaphors are mentioned in early chapters of Acts: - Pray for an outpouring of Gods Spirit. - Pray for a clothing of power by Gods Spirit. - Pray for a fresh filling of the Spirit.

For our world:

Name specific people to God who have yet to follow Christ. Ask God to place His Spirit upon them in a way that enhances their readiness to hear the voice of God. Ask God for specific cities in each of the six continental areas: North America and the Caribbean, South America, Asia and the Pacific, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. Ask God to reveal Himself in remarkable ways by His Spirit in a specific city in each of these areas.

Background for Day Four: Repentance

More than saying sorry
Repentance is sometimes understood as a superficial procedure of admitting and apologizing for sin. The spectacle of openly confessing sin can make it seem that repentance is all about dealing with sin. Genuine repentance is more than open confession or a quiet moment of introspection. True repentance always involves a personal turning toward God.

Turning to God
While its true that the act of repentance puts us face to face with our wrongdoing, its more true that it brings us face to face with God. Yes, of course, our sins destroy us, but even more, they grieve, offend, and rightfully anger our loving Lord. Thats why truly repentant people find themselves talking about God, speaking and praising God, and living in the loveliness of the fear of God. Read Acts 3:19 in two translations as a way of helping you grasp the call of God: In New American Standard, the verse reads, Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. In New International Version, it reads, Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.

Transformation and Gods Presence

Acts 3:19 gives us hope that our sins will be cleansed, but that we will actually move, as a people, into times of transformation, enjoying the presence of the Lord. Repentance is not merely getting a clean slate in order to resume the same life compromised by sin. Repentance means we are actually going to change and furthermore, as it pleases God, we will be visited by His transforming presence.

Repentance as an act of hope

Repentance could be one of the greatest acts of hope. When God grants repentance its because He wants to change us, not merely to change our circumstances. Its

more than a clean slate. Its a new day with a new heart, and a renewed zeal to please God. Repentance cant be accomplished by human resolve. God has to help us truly turn. Thats why the Bible describes repentance sometimes having an appointed time (Isaiah 55:6, Hebrews 12:17). When we pray for repentance, we are asking God to so move upon the hearts and lives of men, women and children that they would return to God in wholehearted hope that God will change them. In this process, God often graciously indicates the wrongs we have committed, the patterns of sin in which we are trapped, and the dreadful offense we have brought we have been

Godly Sorrow
When Gods Spirit helps us sense that we have broken the heart of God, its what Paul calls godly sorrow. Its the soul of genuine repentance. Read 2 Corinthians 7:9-11. I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong!

Praying for our world

Have you ever prayed to yourself? Its an easy thing to do. Jesus described this in Luke 18:11-12: God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector... We pray to ourselves when we justify ourselves by the sins of others, setting ourselves above others instead of before God. The better way of course, is to find that we stand before a God of wondrous mercy. We can cry out in hope that He will be merciful to us, as He has been merciful to any sinner that comes to Him sincerely. Is it possible to identify with the sins of the world? The scriptures say that No temptation has seized you except what is common to man If we have not committed great sins, we know what it is like to have been tempted in them. Surely God will be pleased as we ask Him for mercy for our entire city and nation. Can we not honestly say before God, Have mercy on us, the sinful city?

Repentance in the Prayer for the World

Read the fourth section of the Prayer for the World (on page 13, beginning with the line, Father of mercy and grace... Youll notice that there are three parts to this one section. First is an expression of recognition that something has gone terribly wrong in the world. True repentance is something that has to express a move of your heart. The things that are mentioned in the first seven lines of this prayer are things that should break the heart of anyone.

Second, youll find a section beginning with the words As we stand before You..., that expresses the that many, or all of the wrongdoings found in the world are also found among the people who call themselves Christians. Third youll find a section beginning with the words, We have grieved Your heart and brought shame... This is the powerful heart of repentance. To recognize that we have offended our God. Its not that we have sinned and have the shame of getting caught. Its that we have brought grief and sorrow to God. How can we pray in heartfelt identity with our city and nation, and not just pray for them, as if we had no need of Gods renewing, saving presence?

Identificational Confession
There has been a lot said about so-called identificational repentance. We probably should have been using the term identificational confession because no one can repent on behalf of another. But we can pray in open-hearted confession for God to forgive us as a people and to give us a great time of repentance.

Background for Day Five: The Peace of Christ

For relationships to be transformed
An example of God-given peace in transformed relationships
Its easy to pray for peace in a vague and superficial way. Acts 2:44-47 describes the transformed lives of Jesus followers. Jesus had been forming them as a community since the earliest days in Galilee. What Gods Spirit added was an empowerment of love that brought about renewed and wonderful relationships. This community of Gods life is an example of what the peace of Christ looks like. can serve for us as a template for our prayers for Gods work to transform the relationships throughout our churches, cities and countries.

Eating together with glad and sincere hearts

When people can break bread together, broken relationships begin to heal. Pray that the gladness of heart would

Enjoying favor among all the people

The community of people following Christ was not embittered or embarrassed in the midst of a sometimes hostile environment. Their respectful readiness to forgive and their love for each other gave Gods Spirit a lot of room to bring about a genuine appreciation and favor among those who could have been enemies.

Sharing goods

The sharing of resources was voluntary and need-based. It was goodhearted simple sharing. Generosity may be one of the most important markers of genuine peace.

Affecting the entire community

What is wonderful about the peace of Christ manifest in relationships is that it begins to affect the larger community, impressing even those who are not part of the community of believers.

Ways to make it specific:

For His church:
In public settings, pray with generalities about specific problems. Mentioning specific relational difficulties in public prayer gatherings can bring about more damage than good. Every church is the object of Christs extravagant redeeming, reviving love, so speak about churches with all the love that Christ Himself carries for each one. Give God praise for the beginnings and flourishings that you have already seen as He has brought His people together in relationships of joy and peace.

For our world:

The early believers enjoyed favor with many because they were serving their community. Their joy and generosity was affecting the entire city. Pray for the life of Christ amidst His people would become a transforming force in your city, in all the same ways that we see in Acts 2:44-47. Read it aloud as a promise of what kind of presence Christ desires to have in some dark places.

The ending of wars and terrorism

Jesus assured us that there would be wars and rumors of wars. Nevertheless, one of our best prayer before Gods throne is that He would work to cause wars to cease. There are dozens of active wars in our world. Mention a particular one to God, asking Him to subdue hostilities and to bring about a resolution based on genuine Godwrought reconciliation by the power of His Spirit. Youll pray with more faith and watchful praise if you focus your prayers on one particular arena of war. Terrorism has emerged as another way to wage war. Ask God to bring an end to terrorism in a specific setting.

Poverty and injustice

Poverty and injustice often contribute to the animosities we find in our world. Identify a setting in the world in which you know there is poverty because of injustice. Ask God to reverse the economic forces that reinforce poverty. Ask God to subdue powers which perpetuate injustice while at the same time stirring Christians to give and to help rebuild the economic infrastructure damaged by evil. There are endless sources of information about these great endemic problems. Focus your prayers on a particular setting or city.

Background for Day Six: The Coming Generation

For Gods purpose for families and children
Pray this day for families. Our prayers will certainly encompass every kind of hope and difficulty that families face today. But as we pray for Gods blessing upon families, well pray with a long-range vision for the generation to come. By using the words, the promise is for you and your children, Peter assured those listening on Pentecost that the promise of the Spirit was not a one time flash of supernatural power. He was saying that the Father was making an enduring promise, one that would continue to unfold through the generations to the end of the age. Although our text for the day, the promise is for you and your children (Acts 2:39) can be taken in a restricted sense of the Jewish people, the rest of the verse assures us that the promise extends to all nations. Stretch your prayers as far as you can believe today. Pray for all nations, but pray for God to do something wonderful that culminates all generations. Be sure to extend your prayers beyond your own family. Push your prayers beyond your church family. Pray for families and young people who have not yet followed Christ. Pray with anticipation. As we pray for children, its exciting to consider how many children will become followers of Christ in the next few years. We cannot know with certainty if the Lord will tarry and bring forth one or more generations before the end of all things. But we know that when He returns, there will be alive on the earth a final, or terminal generation. Pray those people. Perhaps some of them will be our children, or our grandchildren.

Ways to make it specific:

For His church:
Before taking on specific challenges, give the Father of all families praise for what Hes been doing to preserve, protect and bless family life all over the world. Exalt God as Father. Describe His excellent, boundless compassion for those He loves. Honor Him for unfolding a wonderful purpose through many generations. Pray for marriages, families and children of your church. Avoid describing particular problems in a public prayer gathering. As you well know, every marriage, every parent, is utterly dependent upon God for the wisdom and faith to extend His fatherly grace upon their children.

For our world:

Education

In many countries, basic education is a privilege rather than a provision for all. Pray that God will stir His people and raise up leaders to bring the changes that will bring the blessing of education for all children everywhere.

Children at risk
Kids at risk describes many millions of young people. There are, of course, a many devastating problems which put them at risk in different ways. Pray for every child to have the opportunity to become all that God intends. Learn more about some of the specific challenges to preserve children at http://www.viva.org. One great problem putting children at risk around the world deserves special mention: the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Visit the Global Aids Prayer Partnership for a wealth of information to help you pray effectively. http://www.PraytoEndAIDS.com. As you pray today, take special note of how God may be giving you ways of becoming part of the answers to your prayers. The Global Day of Prayer has been designed 90 days of blessing following Pentecost. As you pray today God may impress you with a way of being a blessing among children in your community in the coming days.

Background for Day Seven: The Call of God

For the nations to hear the voice of God
The event of Pentecost holds vast promise that God will not fail to cause His word to be heard clearly among every people and language.

Everywhere and everyone

On Pentecost, Peter made it clear that the gospel was not just for those who were present in Jerusalem, or for those of Jewish descent. Peters words are radiant with confidence that the gospel is certain to be declared to every people. A close look at Acts 2:39 will help you pray with Peters confidence. Yes, the gospel was for Jewish people, for you and your children, but it will certainly extend eventually to all peoples. Consider the double description of how far the gospel will reach: On the one hand it will go to all those who are far off, but in will also with even more clarity, he says it will also come to as many as God calls.

To be heard everywhere: All those who are far off

When Peter used the phrase, those who are far off, he was probably referring to Isaiah 57:19, Peace, peace to him who is far and to him who is near, Says the LORD... This passage was often quoted and recognized in Jewish tradition as a promise of eventual proclamation of Gods word not only to Jewish people who were living in distant lands, but to people everywhere on earth.

The call of God

Peters words, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself lifts attention to God Himself calling out to people with a penetrating, wooing voice. Peter knows that it is not his eloquence or persuasive powers at work. It is the Lord our God raising His voice, exerting His grand sovereign power to encounter people all over the world with a summons to belong to Him. At the heart of the matter, God Himself encounters people in a profoundly personal way, calling them to Himself. Certainly God calls people away from sin and into fellowship with other believers. But at the heart of the gospel, God calls people into relationship with Himself. Pray that Gods voice to soon be lifted persuading and summoning people as beloved followers.

Calling on God
Everyone who calls in the name of the Lord will be saved. The marvelous beauty of the gospel lies in the inter working of Gods call to people (2:39) and people answering that call by calling on God to be saved (2:21). What does it mean for people to call upon the name of the Lord? It means that as people hear the truth about God (the name of the Lord) they will sometimes throw themselves upon God in utter reliance and desire for newness of life in Him. That desire may be sparked by fear of death or it may be inspired by a deep yearning to love God, but however people are initially motivated, God hears the call of these, and saves them. Our calling upon God does not save us. But only those who have called upon God as He has revealed Himself will be saved.

Pierced to the heart

As Peter declared the words, God was at work. The account says, Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart (2:37). What a clear depiction of God at work by His word. Pray that God will so work in peoples lives hear the news. Its good to pray that word of God will be declared. Its even better to ask that the voice of God is clearly heard, penetrating hearts powerfully.

Ways to make it specific:

For His church:
As you compare Acts 2:4, 11 and Acts 4:31, youll notice that when believers were filled with Gods Spirit, they declared Gods word with boldness. Invite Gods Spirit to so fill you that you would gladly and often communicate the gospel. Pray for those of your church to be filled with Gods Spirit so that many are filled with ambition and wisdom to proclaim the gospel clearly and eagerly.

For Our world:

Translation of Gods word in every language

Consider how the work of Bible translation fulfills Acts 2:8. ...we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? There are thousands of languages and dialects which still lack even a small portion of scripture in the local heart language. Pray today for Bible translation. Go to http://www.wycliffe.net/v2025.shtml for some specific ways to pray. Pray for the work of Bible societies who have been laboring translate, publish and distribute scriptures. See http://www.ibs.org/ctp/index.php.

A church in every people

Pray for every people group to have a viable, relevant church planting movement conveying the gospel faithfully. Focus on one or two people groups. Youll find more than you can pray in one day at http://www.joshuaproject.net, or http://www.peoplegroups.org, or http://www.global-prayer-digest.org.

Background for Day Eight: The Glory of Jesus

In the faithful courage of His people
This day we focus our praying for believers and leaders in situations where the gospel is opposed. Those who endure the difficulties of persecution usually ask that their fellow-Christians would pray for them to withstand suffering. They rarely request that the pressures would cease. They often request that others join them in praying prayers of forgiveness and blessing on behalf of those who persecute them. Each one of these ten different topics opens another way to pray for the glory of Christ and the transformation of the nations. Today well be focusing our prayers for settings where people are suffering for the name of Christ.

Character revealed under pressure

Christ is recognized when His people are willing to suffer for His sake. Acts 4:13 says that as his followers gave public witness in their court statements, they were perceived as having been with Jesus. As His followers remained resolute with courage that is as gentle as it is bold, Christs character is manifest.

Joy in being shamed for His glory

The text supporting our prayers today, Acts 5:41, says that these ordinary followers of Jesus, instead of wallowing in shame or quivering in fear actually rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer for Christ. Pondering this will boost your prayer today. Why was suffering considered to be an honor? What was so significant about suffering for Christs name? The answer may surprise some who live in countries where there is comparably little hostility against those who follow Christ. The reason suffering is so significant is that only by standing firm in such public suffering is the precious value of serving Christ conveyed. This kind of witnessing, in court under prosecution, establishes the namesake of Christ. The believers in the book of Acts are not much different from millions of believers today who suffer great shame and vicious hostility. These believers hardly ever ask

us to pray that the suffering would end. They almost always ask that we would pray that they would stand firm and bring glory to Christ.

The blessing of Christ

Avoid praying in negative ways against religious and governmental powers. Ask God to move against spiritual enemies as He knows them. The task of prayer today is to pray along with Christ, who prayed that God would forgive those who had orchestrated and perpetrated His murder (Luke 23:34).

Freedom from fighting for God

Early believers werent fooled. They knew very well that the religious and governmental powers were acting in horrific hostility against God Himself (4:25-29). Ponder their amazing words and youll know how best to pray for some of the most heart-rending situations in the world. They acknowledged an evil conspiracy but simply called on God to Take note of their threats. No condemnation. No spiritual warfare, although there is a place for that kind of prayer. They simply cast themselves upon God as their sole defender. They refused to be cowed by the threats by bringing them to God. They did not nominate themselves as gladiators. They knew that their high calling was to continue proclaiming the gospel and to continue praying and laboring for the blessing and healing of the community.

Fighting against God

Consider the wisdom of Gamaliel. He also saw that the religious powers could end up fighting against God. ...you may even be found fighting against God (Acts 4:39). This wisdom, even among the enraged enemies of the gospel, is exactly what we want to pray for the leaders in settings where believers suffer. Pray for governmental and religious leaders to exert this kind of wisdom which has an element of the fear of the Lord in it. Ask God to spare leaders from the fate of acting with such political expediency (Acts 12:1-3) that they are overtaken in vainglorious pride (Acts 12:2123).

Ways to make it specific:

For His church:
Focus your prayers for believers who suffer greatly. You probably already know of specific settings in which it is costly to follow Jesus. You can find much specific information at www.vom.com voice of the martyrs. Pray for their joy, courage, wisdom and character to bring glory to Christ. Pray for Christians to suffer well, that they would not be found fighting their persecutors in retribution.

For our world:

Pray prayers of blessing for governments which openly oppose Christ. You arent asking God to reinforce governments in their wrongdoing. Pray that the beginning of

wisdom, the fear of the Lord, would be granted them so that they wouldnt be found fighting against God.

Background for Day Nine: The Healing of Christ

For Christ to bring substantial healing
The name of Christ is magnified as people are healed by prayers offered in His name. He can be just as greatly honored by those who bring medical care and labors of compassion to bring healing in His name. As we pray for healing, lets be careful not to ask God to do what is in our power to do. Our best praying will sort out where we need to see Gods spectacular miraculous power in signs and wonders, and where we simply need to get to work. Of course, God delights to blend the prayers and the compassionate action of His people to bring healing in His name to those afflicted by disease, injustice and the powers of darkness. Pray today for a tremendous move of Gods people to pray and to labor together for healing in Jesus name all over the earth. Nothing authenticates Christs kingship and love better than healing that comes by His doing to the entire person, body, soul, and society.

The hand of God

Its been said that God has no hands but ours, but that would not be consistent with what the early believers prayed, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus (Acts 4:30). As you pray, imagine God extending His own hand to some specific places and people where there is brokenness and disease.

The help of believing friends

At first glance the fascinating story in Acts 5 seems beyond the reach of believers today. And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number, to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any one of them. Also the people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all being healed (Acts 5:14-16). It wasnt all about Peters shadow. Dont miss what repeats is both stories: Believers help bring their friends to God in prayer. God used their faith and prayers as well. Verse 16 implies that they were coming together in different places. And God was healing them all, with or without Peters shadow. Pray for Christians to boldly lift people to Jesus, praying for them to be healed.

Ways to make it specific:

For His church:

Pray for an increase of prayer by Christians amidst those who suffer any kind of affliction. Pray that believers would pray with expectancy and joy. Pray that Christians would be at the forefront of work to end particular diseases. Pray for mission efforts aiming to bring about integrated Christian community development.

For our world:

Once again, the HIV/AIDS crisis deserves to be at the top of our prayers for healing. Push your prayers to be world sized by praying for a country or city where the infection rate of AIDS is increasing. Find out more at www.PraytoEndAIDS.com. Prayerwalk a particular portion of your city. (Prayerwalking is simply praying for others in the very places you expect to see God bring His answers.) Ask God to help you understand what kinds of problems cause pain and suffering. Invite the Lord to help you see where He would be delighted to extend His hand to heal. As we pray our way toward a greater Pentecost, we want to be ready to be compelled by the Spirit from our upper rooms to the streets where God might use even our shadows to bring about transformation in our communities. Be ready to recognize how God may be impressing you to become part of the answers to your own prayers in the 90 days following Pentecost.

Background for Day Ten: The Blessing of Christ

For promised blessing among all peoples
One of the first promises to Gods people expressed Gods heart and purpose for the whole earth. God promised Abraham (who at the time was named Abram) that he and his children after him would become a blessing to all the peoples of the earth. In Acts 3:25, Peter quotes this promise, which was repeated three times to Abraham and then to both Isaac and Jacob.

You are part of the family

Those who have trusted Christ as Savior and follow Him as Lord have been joined in Christ with Abrahams family of faith (see Galatians 3:26-29). This means that all of the destiny of Abrahams family belongs to you. You share in the wealth of Gods grace. You share as well in the mandate to become, by Gods doing, a blessing to others. Along with the billions of others in this vast family, God will indeed make us to be a tangible blessing among all the peoples of the earth. Read Acts 3:25-26 all at once and notice the flow of Peters message: It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, AND IN YOUR SEED ALL THE FAMILIES OF

THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED. For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways. In verse 25 Peter quotes the promise. In verse 26 he describes how God has already begun to fulfill the promise by saying that God had first sent Christ to specifically bless the Jewish people. We expect Peter to go on, describing how God is about to bless all nations. But he is interrupted at this point (in this authors opinion) from completing his message by soldiers who were sent to arrest him. If Peter had been allowed to continue, how would he have continued his message? What would have come after the blessing of Gods people? The strongest possibility is that Peter was ready to declare that God was going to use His people to bless all the peoples of the earth. We may never know exactly what Peter might have said, but we can confidently pray with passionate hope from the promise in Genesis, especially because both Peter and Paul considered it crucial in describing Gods unfolding plan.

Blessing expresses hope for transformation

Blessing is a powerful word, describing so much more than material goods. The blessings of scripture, such as peace, abundant provision, and the very presence of God, bring awesome changes to every part of life.

The first blessing: Repentance from sin

The primal blessing that Peter describes is repentance from sin. God...sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways (Acts 3:26). It makes sense that the foundational blessing is Gods work to free people so that they can turn from the curse of sin. Going back a few sentences earlier, Peter had urged them to repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away... (Acts 3:19). This is a restatement of the first blessing, repentance for sin. But as you follow the logic of the sentence, there is a purpose for this initial work of Jesus.

Visitations of blessing: Reviving times of refreshing

Peter says that the blessing of repentance of sin opens the way for what is next: ...in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord (Acts 3:19). What are these times of refreshing? God renews His people on many occasions in the Bible and in many wonderful instances since the first Pentecost. God moves rapidly to draw many back to faithful obedience to Him, manifesting His presence so that even those who reject the gospel acknowledge that God is present. These times have been called revivals, awakenings, visitations, among other expressions. It may not matter what we call such times. Lets be sure to cry out for the substance of what God is promising, that seasons of renewal would come upon His people. And they would give the impression that God has visited Himself.

Ways to make it specific:

For His church:

Pray for Christ to grant the people of your church a time of repentance. Transformation begins by conforming His people to the image of His Son. Instead of examining yourself to identify infractions, ask God what U turns He wants you to make. Usually sin is well disguised. As you recognize the way that God wants you to walk, then you will become aware of particular sins.

For our world:

Pray for some of the classic blessings of the Bible amidst your community. Pray the blessings of peace, abundant provision, and then Gods presence. One effective way of praying blessings is to prayerwalk your neighborhood or your workplace.

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