| Internet Intercessors... |
 Praying for the World. |
Spring 1998
We are called to PRAY for the Church around the
world...
Thank you for your willingness to pray! The Lord has great things in
store for you. If you are serious about becoming an intercessor, we would like to help
you. Our desire is to train and mobilize the Body of Christ to do great things in His
name! We have felt for some time that God is calling us to link together and mobilize
prayer warriors from all over the world. On a regular basis, we plan to highlight
different ministries, regions of the world, and global issues that need prayer. This is a
page that we plan to expand often. We will be adding more topics in the future, so please
check back with us regularly to receive new prayer updates. We also plan to add additional
teachings on prayer for all those who are serious about this aspect of ministry. If you
would like to partner with us in this ministry, or are praying for God to use you in a
greater depth, we pray that you will consider joining us.
Why Should I Pray?
Ministries in Spotlight:
The Jehovah-Shammah Children's Home
The Persecuted Church: Cuba
Christ
Unlimited Prayer Requests
Why
Should I Pray?
"My house shall be called a house of prayer for all
nations" (Mark 11:17).
Did you know that your prayers are precious to God? It says in
Revelation that they are like a fragrant incense before His throne (Revelation 5:8 and
8:3). Every Christian is called to be a prayer warrior. As Christians, we are God's
house--His holy temple. God expects us to fill His temple--our bodies--with prayer for the
nations of this world. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, we are admonished to "Pray
without ceasing." Prayer not only blesses us and those we are praying for, but it
also blesses the heart of God. As Christians, bringing joy to God should be our primary
aim, and our very purpose for living.
Prayer is a privilege. Today, because Jesus Christ, the Son of God was
willing to lay down his life for us, we have the privilege of entering into the very
presence of God. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we
may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16).
There are many different kinds of prayer. This page is designed for
those who would like to enter into a new realm of their prayer life by praying and
interceding for others. Intercession means to plead or pray in behalf of another
person or nation. Intercession can stop or postpone God's judgement. God's judgement is
established in His Word. Sin has a penalty and if man does not repent, sin will reap
destruction. Intercession is the heart of God himself, crying out for mercy through us,
His people. We are to pray that men will repent and come to Jesus. God has given us the
privilege of helping to shape the destinies of those around us for good. He wants all of
His people to be involved in this important ministry. It is, perhaps, the ministry dearest
to His heart. It is also a ministry that few people engage in with fervency.
Too often, the Lord has looked for intercessors on the earth, and found
none! Yet at this time, the Lord is sending a mighty wave of intercession upon His people.
There are many, many prayer groups and prayer warriors whom He has raised up in these last
days. Hidden behind the scenes, these people are having a greater effect on the world
around us, than Presidents or statesmen are. Would you like to be one of them? If you are
unable to go into a foreign mission field right now, or devote yourself to full-time
ministry, you can be just as strategic to the cause of Christ by giving sacrificially of
your time, finances and prayers. YOU are needed to fulfill the role that you have been
designated from the beginning of time to play.
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good
works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).
According to James 2:22, our faith in God is made complete by
what we do. Ask God to make you an intercessor. Ask Him to cleanse and purify your heart
and fill you with His Spirit that you might pray according to His will. Ask Him to show
you the things on His heart. God can do through you what He did through Isaiah, Elijah or
any other great man or woman of God. These people were mere men, just like us. The main
difference between them and many of us, is that they really knew God. They were fully
committed to Him. Nothing else was even remotely important to them. They loved God more
than their own lives, and were willing to pay any price to KNOW Him. God only reveals His
heart to those He is intimate with. He longs for an intimate relationship with each one of
us.
We all may have a different part to play, but each one of us is needed
in this battle for souls. Prayer is and always has been the humblest and most powerful
tool available to us. Prayer will bind the church together in unity, move us forward into
maturity, repel the kingdom of darkness, and establish the kingdom of light. This blessed
ministry is available to every Christian. Please take some time this month to intercede
for the needs of those we are spotlighting.
The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
James 5:16
P.S. If you would like to learn more about powerful intercessory prayer,
our newest book in the CHAPEL BOOKSTORE
is Possessing The Gates Of the Enemy, by Cindy Jacobs.
Ministries in
Spotlight
The Jehovah-Shammah Children's Home
Narsapur India
Orphanages in India are a fairly common sight. They
are both a blessing to the people of India, as well as a chilling reminder of the broken
lives that dwell in an environment that many would choose to ignore. By the year 2020,
India will be the most populous country in the world, with nearly 1.3 billion people. Only
4% of India's population is Christian with Hinduism the predominate religion. Poverty is
rampant, and illiteracy claims almost half the population.¹ Many are held prisoner by the
caste system, (even though it has officially been abolished) and live their lives with
little hope. Yet, in Narsapur (in the southeast region of India), there is an exceptional
work of God that is blooming in the lives of almost 300 orphans. It is called the
Jehovah-Shammah Children's Home.
This ministry traces it's humble beginnings to 1972,
when Mr. and Mrs. B. Azariah founded a home to rescue unprotected, homeless, and helpless
children from the streets of India. What began as a "small" home with 49
precious children, has today been enlarged to a ministry that houses, feeds, and educates
275 children--and in the interim has seen many hundreds of children pass through its doors
to a better life.
More than anything, the Azariahs, who are native to
India, are dedicated to manifesting the love of Jesus to the most destitute and forgotten
of their society. "Guiding and guarding so many children for so many years is not an
easy task," says Mr. Azariah. "It needs total dedication and pristine desire to
serve...We thank God for choosing us as instruments for serving humanity in distress and
providing the power of endurance to carry out the task."
In addition to the Children's Home, they also spend
much of their efforts in evangelizing the masses of people around them. The children are a
great help to them in this effort, with their gospel songs and short testimonies. Many
souls have come into the knowledge of salvation though their efforts.
The Azariahs do not finance the Jehovah-Shammah
Children's Home with a large budget--rather, they must trust God every day to supply their
needs. As Mr. Azariah says "We seeded this ministry against all odds. Not because we
were financially fine, but because the desire to serve and build the lives of so many
distressed children had overtaken every other thing." The ministry began in faith and
continues in faith to this day. It is not funded by any particular denomination or
umbrella of ministry, but is financed by donations given from concerned people all over
the world.
At this time, the Azariahs are believing God for the
finances to do some major expansion. They have just celebrated the 25th anniversary of the
ministry and desire to open a well-equipped hospital for those who are unable to afford
medication anywhere else. Current statistics indicate that there are over 600 million²
people in India who live in utter poverty. Medical aid is out of the question for most of
them. The average life expectancy in India is only 40 years of age. The child mortality
rate is very high as well.
The Azariahs also desire to equip their schools with a
computer system complete with Internet access. Currently, the children are using
typewriters. If you know a place where we might be able to obtain some older computers
either free or inexpensively, please let us know. To equip the Jehovah Shammah Children's
Home with computers would provide a much better education and training for these children
so when they leave the home they will be able to find good jobs.
We have been praying for over a year for the Lord to
make a way for us to get computers to these students. Please agree with us that this will
become a reality this year. We either need the money to give them so they can purchase the
computers themselves, or else the equipment and shipping fees donated to us, so we can
send them to India.
We at Christ Unlimited have been honored to know the
Azariahs personally and have seen first-hand their humility and faithfulness. A trip to
India a number of years ago was a great blessing to us. They have been both dear friends
and an inspiration to us for over twenty-five years. One of our heart's desires is to
contribute some major finances into both of the above-mentioned projects.
Please pray:
PRAY that God will supply all the necessary
funds and workers for the ministry to fulfill the vision given to them by God.
Specifically pray that the funds for the hospital will be provided.
PRAY that their current typewriter system will
soon be upgraded to computer.
PRAY for physical and emotional strength,
health, and protection for not only the Azariahs, but all who work in the ministry with
them (This includes their son and daughter-in-law).
PRAY for the anointing and wisdom of God, as
they reach out to India with the gospel of Christ. Pray for an abundant harvest of souls
from the surrounding villages.
PRAY for blessing and protection over the
children. Pray that God will raise them up to be mighty men and women of God and that they
will be receptive to the Holy Spirit. Pray for God's perfect will in each of their lives.
PRAY for God to water the land with His Spirit,
creating a people who are ready for revival.
PRAY in the name of Jesus against every force
of darkness that Satan has assigned against this ministry.
PRAY this ministry will have favor with all
they come into contact with--with God and each other, as well as the communities and
government of India, and the rest of the world.
Thank you for praying! May God multiply your
prayers back to you! If you are interested in sowing financially into this ministry or you
desire to receive more information, you may contact them at:
Mr. and Mrs. B. Azariah
Jehovah-Shammah Children's Home
2-2-75 Bromley Compound
Narsapur 534 275
A.P. INDIA
You may also send funds to Christ Unlimited, designated for the
Jehovah-Shammah Children's Home, and we will pass every cent along to the Azariahs.
Endnotes
1 Johnstone, Patrick. Operation World
(Zondervan Publishing House, 1993), p. 274
2 Ibid.
URGENT!
PRAYER NEEDED FOR PERSECUTED
CHRISTIANS
"Millions of American Christians pray in
their churches every week, oblivious to the fact that Christians in many parts of the
world suffer brutal torture, arrest, imprisonment, and even death--their home and
communities laid waste--for no other reason than they are Christians. The shocking untold
story of our time is that more Christians have died in this century simply for being
Christians, than in the previous 19 centuries combined. They have been persecuted before
and martyred before an unknowing, indifferent world and a largely silent Christian
community." Nina Shea, Freedom House
"There should be no division in the body, but
the parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part
suffers with it" (1 Corinthians 12:25-26).
This prayer focus spotlight will be continually
dedicated to the two hundred million Christians in over 60 countries worldwide who live in
daily fear of secret police, vigilantes, or state repression and discrimination. More
Christians have been martyred in the 20th century than in the previous 19 centuries
combined! Please keep the persecuted church in your prayers on a daily basis. As the
Body of Christ, we are called to pray for and uphold each other, regardless of
denominational, doctrinal, or national differences. If you would like to know other ways
you can be involved in helping the persecuted church, click
here.
Prayer Focus this month: CUBA
With the Pope's recent historic
visit to the tiny nation of Cuba in January, it is now more important than ever to keep
this nation in our prayers.
The issue of human rights abuse in Cuba is not new
information to the world. At this moment there are hundreds of political prisoners, many
of them Christians, who are sitting in dark, isolated jail cells. Cuba has held more
political prisoners for longer periods of time than any other country in the western
hemisphere.¹ There have been many thousands more "done away with" by the Cuban
government. Christians often meet in fear, in small house churches, under the
ever-watchful eye of the government. Currently, churches cannot run schools or use
television, radio, or other mass media. Missionary activity is forbidden, and the
distribution of religious materials is tightly controlled.
Despite these odds, the church continues to grow in
Cuba. There are several hundred thousand Catholics, and the number of Protestants is
estimated between two hundred thousand to one million. (Accurate statistics are nearly
impossible to obtain, since there are so many "secret" house churches among the
Protestants.) We are praying that despite his nearly 40 years of atheist rule, Fidel
Castro will soften his heart to God. He recently held a meeting with the island's
non-Catholic leaders, and asked for their prayers and continued effort to help Cuba solve
its economic problems. Some suspect the government's motives, while others feel that God
has touched Castro's heart. Regardless, let us pray that God will make a way for revival
in Cuba.
Now is a very important time in this nation. Let us
keep it uplifted in prayer.
Please Pray:
PRAY for Fidel Castro and all who are in positions of
leadership in the nation of Cuba. Pray that they will soften their hearts to God's
goodness. Pray that the Holy Spirit will draw them to Jesus Christ, and convict them of
their sin.
PRAY that every design that the enemy has meant for
the destruction of the church in Cuba will work instead for the good of the church.
PRAY that all true Believers in Christ, whether
Catholic or Protestant, will find favor with those in authority and in their society. Pray
for their protection, and that all their needs will be met. Many pastors are living lives
of great sacrifice for the sake of the gospel.
PRAY for the immediate release of all who are
imprisoned for their religious beliefs.
PRAY for unity among the Believers. Specifically, pray
that the Pope's visit will not serve as a divisive factor among Protestants and Catholics.
Pray that the true Church in Cuba will be a demonstration of unity to the entire world.
PRAY that God will raise up apostles, prophets,
teachers, pastors, and evangelists in the nation of Cuba who will speak his word boldly
and with great anointing. Pray that signs and wonders will follow the believers.
PRAY for revival in Cuba!
Endnotes
1 Marshall, Paul. Their Blood Cries Out
(Dallas, Word Publishing, 1997), Page 90
Other
Information
For more information about the persecuted church, we
recommend "Their Blood Cries Out" by Dr. Paul Marshall, one of the
world's leading authorities on religious persecution. Published in 1997, this book is full
of up-to-date information and many personal testimonies of those who live in areas of
persecution all over the world. The author not only reports what the media has not
reported, but he also looks deeper into the issues of persecution of Christians in
general. He offers answers as to why it is being ignored by the media and academia, as
well as much of the Western church. This book is a great tool; not only for intercessors,
but also for those who are interested in cross-cultural ministry and evangelism. Perhaps
one of the greatest triumphs of this book is that it effectively destroys the popular myth
that most Christians are "Western, white and male." More Christians attend
church in China and the Philippines, respectively, than do in the entirety of Western
Europe. Smashing stereotypes and misconceptions right and left, this book is extremely
well-written and broad in its scope. Dr. Marshall writes with skill and balance between
cold facts and heart-wrenching passion.
If you would like to order this book, it is available
in our CHAPEL BOOKSTORE.
If you would like more involvement in helping the
persecuted church, please contact OPEN DOORS. It is a large international,
evangelical organization formed to help suffering Christians throughout the world. They
distribute free Bibles and Christian literature in restricted countries, and publish a
monthly newsletter and prayer calendar for the persecuted church. We highly recommend this
ministry.
Open Doors with Brother Andrew
U.S. Office: P.O. Box 27000
Santa Ana, CA 92799
Phone: 714-531-6000
Website: http://www.gospelcom.net/od/
Christ Unlimited's Prayer Requests
We would like to thank you from the bottom of our
hearts for praying for us. We plan to update this list as we have need, and also give the
praise reports when our prayers have been answered. The needs of CHRIST UNLIMITED at this
time are:
PRAY that this site will continue to be a blessing
to multitudes all over the world. Pray that the Holy Spirit will draw many people who
are seeking God.
PRAY that God will give us wisdom in developing
this website. We are in the process of beginning to expand the Chapel Bookstore, as
well as put up our Bible study, The Overcoming Life Series online and available for
download. Pray that all of this will go smoothly.
PRAY for the protection and health of all
who are involved in Christ Unlimited. We have been going through some severe spiritual
battles in the last few years. We realize this is due to the nature of the ministry that
God has called us to; however, we need your support in standing against the demonic powers
that have sought to destroy this ministry.
PRAY that we can catch up on the backlog of office
work and mail. Due to lack of help, and an increased outreach, we have fallen behind
in recent years. Pray that w will have time to organize our office and computer files.
PRAY for a major financial breakthrough for our
ministry. We have a great deal of literature that still needs to be converted and
formatted for use on the website. We want to offer all of this literature online but it
takes an enormous amount of time to do this and we are already stretched in what we are
currently doing. Please pray that we will have the finances needed to hire a part-time
computer technician. Our desire is to develop this site faster and more efficiently, as
well as continue to improve it's overall quality. We realize that money is so often an
unpopular subject--yet the truth is, we all need it to survive. Almost all of the work on
our site so far, has been donated by those who were kind enough to offer their talents for
the glory of God. Other financial needs we have include:
-consistent monthly support for our basic and
everyday needs
-elimination of our printing bill of $7,000.00
-construction of a small chapel on our property
-painting and repairing of our headquarters
-funding for our literature distribution ministry
At this time we have several hundred unfulfilled
requests for Bibles (mostly in Africa). In addition to Bibles, we also send free books
from our Bible Study, the Overcoming Life Series, to prisons and ministries all over the
world through our scholarship program. Thank you for your prayers! May God richly bless
you!
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