Ramadan

For those who don’t know, today is the first day of Ramadan. If you want to learn more about Ramadan, follow this link. In a nutshel, fasting during daylight during Ramadan earns a Muslum good points on his (or her) way to paradise.

As a Christian, I have felt called to pray especially for Muslims at this time. So, I went looking for an online prayer guide I could use. I found a group called 30 Days that has one. The prayer guide (and other material) can be found .

The International Mission Board also has a Mulsim Prayer Calendar for Muslims. It isn’t specific to Ramadan, but can be used at any time: Call to Prayer: Interceding on behalf of Muslims for their Salvation 31 day prayer calendar.

[Update 2012-12-26 15:10:17] The about Ramadan link on the 30 days site changed.  I updated it. 

Missing Persons

I know there are better places to post this, but I'm going to function under the more is better philosophy right now. My boss at work, Amy Donovan, has family in the Gulfport-Biloxi area that they haven't heard from since Katrina went through. Just in case anyone out there knows them, here are some details:

Leah Triplett — white female probably late 30's to early 40's
Peggy Walden — white female born May 4, 1932

Their homes were on highway 90, directly on the Gulf. If you have any information on these two women, please let me know. You can find my contact information here.

Additionally, remember the family in your prayers. I have never been through this type of situation before, but it must be hard for them not knowing.

Did anyone else see this?

I was watching Fox News tonight and saw a report where they interviewed a guy in Mississippi. This guy was very distraught. His story…incredible. He and his family were in the attic of their house. Their house, in his words, split. His wife was sucked out. He cannot find her.

This man needs our prayers. I wish I could find the story. I wish I knew of some way to help this man. Someone needs to tell him that God loves him and can help heal his wounds.

Praying for Saudi Arabia

Baptist Press has a story about praying for Saudi Arabia. The requests are reprinted below:

— Pray that God will pour out His Spirit on Saudi Arabs and draw multitudes of people to Himself.

— Pray that God will give the people He draws to Himself the faith they need to believe that Jesus is God's Son and to accept Him as their Lord and Savior.

— Pray that God will appear to many Saudi Arabs in dreams and visions. "I will pour out my Spirit on all people …. Your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions" (Joel 2:28).

— Pray that whole families -– and whole tribes — will come to know Christ as their Savior and Lord.

— Pray that King Abdullah, the royal family and Saudi government leaders will come to know Jesus as Lord.

— Pray for the effectiveness of radio, television, satellite, Internet and other media that bring the Gospel to Saudi Arabs.

— Pray for the persecuted believers in Saudi Arabia, that God will grow His church out of their persecution. Pray for the body of Christ to be strengthened and to grow in purpose and unity throughout the country.

— Fifty percent of the population of Saudi Arabia is under the age of 25. Pray that God will draw Saudi Arab children and youth to Himself and reveal the truth of His salvation and love to them.

— Pray for Saudi Arab women who live under oppression and control from their families and society in general. Pray that God will lift their yoke of oppression and replace it with freedom found only in Christ.

Chapel

Every week we have chapel at work. It isn't manditory for anyone to attend; however, I usually do. It breaks up the week and helps keep me focused on why we are here. Anyway, at this week's chapel, an MK spoke. She was born overseas, lived overseas her entire life, and only came back to America to go to college. She has since graduated and is going back overseas. Her story was very moving–I won't go into all the details, but she arrived in America shortly before the Sept. 11th attacks on the World Trade Center. Well, back on track.

Her story would have been similar to that of a "real" military brat. One who was born in Germany, and moved every 2-3 years to bases here in the US and around the world. She talked of the struggles she had to relate to America having never lived here.

Intertwined with this was three ways we can pray for MKs as their parents are on the field. I'll post them here so I can remember them and to share them with you:

Pray for their ministry — Pray that the MKs would find their purpose and how to be involved with God where they are. Give them a sense of purpose and being.
Pray for their family life — Some MKs are sent to boarding school where they are separated from their parents. Some MKs have to learn how to interact in a foreign culture as 6th or 7th graders. This can put a stress on the family.
Pray for their sense of purpose — Pray that they would have a sense of purpose where they are. "Home" could be multiple places and in multiple countries. They need to know that God is where they are and they need to be with God (wherever that may be).

edited 8 Aug by Matt. I added the third thing to the list

More about Saudi Arabia

Missionary Tortured and Sentenced in Saudi Arabia amid Crack Down

A young Indian missionary has been sentenced to one year in prison and beaten hundreds of times in Saudi Arabia, where up to 100 foreign Christians have been detained in recent weeks, a mission organization said Thursday, June 30.

In Saudi Arabia, public expression of any faith except Islam is illegal. The country’s royal family has claimed individuals are permitted to practice any religion in their own homes, but the arrests of Indian and other Christians show persecution, CAM and other human rights groups have said.

Remember our Christian brothers and sisters who are tortured for the cause of Christ.

[Update 2012-12-26 15:12:00] The worthy news link changed.  I’ve updated it.

Call for Day of Prayer

Eritrean Christians Call for Day of Prayer:

Eritrean Christians are calling for a worldwide day of prayer and fasting for Christians prisoners in Eritrea on Aug. 5, according to a UK-based Christian persecution watchdog group.

“On this special day, we are calling all to pray and fast for Christians and Ministers of the gospel who are behind bars of Eritrean Prisons,” the organizers stated in their website, www.erishalom.com. “Through the information we are getting everyday […] we have learnt that the condition of Christians who are detained is getting worse and worse.

I don’t know anything about the group, but we ought to remember our brothers and sisters who are suffering for the cause of Christ in the world today.

Here are some facts about Eritrea.

[Update 2012-12-26 15:13:40] The news story link needed updated.  I’ve done that.

Persecution

http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/7/82005e.asp

We ought to pray for our Sri Lankan Brothers and Sisters.

[Update 2012-12-26 15:15:05] The link to agape press was wrong.  I couldn’t find a replacement.

London, People Hurt, and Those Who Did It

We need to pray for the people in London who were injured in the bombing yesterday. We also need to pray for the families of the injured and killed. We need to pray for the leadership of the countries involved. We also need to pray for those who planned and carried out the bombing

I can hear the reaction now. What?! Pray for those evil people? Yes! I am assuming they are lost and on their way to hell. They may have never heard of the love of Jesus. We need to pray that God would allow them to come into contact with them who can share the Gospel with them. Pray that when that happens, God opens their spiritual eyes, they see the truth and accept Jesus.