PICTURES OF INDIA 2014 are now on the web sire. You can see all 184 of them at http://india.christiantrainingonline.org/photos/
CONTINUE TO PRAY for the pastors in India, for Pastor Moses on the loss of his mother, and for Nancy and I to regain our health. We’re bouncing back very slowly – to be honest we have no bounce at all!
CURRENT INDIA PROJECT is writing the books on Prophecy and Bible Survey to have them translated and printed in time for my 2015 trip. Pray God would provide the time, wisdom, inspiration and finances needed. Thanks!
PASTOR MOSES’ USA TRIP If Pastor Moses comes to the US depends on opportunities for him to share our work in India so we can have a broader prayer and financial base. We see this as essential for the work to continue after I retire from Main Street Baptist Church. We’d like more groups and churches to help with the work. If you have a church or group where he could speak please let me know. Thanks!
WEDNESDAY 7 PM we are starting a new series on S.W.A.T. (Spiritual Warfare Advanced Training). It will be a practical series about spiritual warfare so we can have greater victory in our lives and help others as well. There is a free notebook available as well. If you can’t join us in person the lessons will be on the church web site (http://www.mainstreetbaptist.org/).
PRAYING THROUGH
Something God has been teaching me in the past year is the importance of perseverance in prayer. I used to think that sovereign God will do what He knows is best about my prayers and that repeating myself over and over is unnecessary. I’ve heard others say that the more often you pray something, or the more people who pray who pray for it, the better chance it will be answered. I am very grateful for the many people praying for this trip to India, but I don’t feel that the more who pray the better chance we will have of everything going well. If so, why have many people pray? Why should I persevere in prayer myself?
I’m not sure I can completely answer that question, but I know that God wants us to express ourselves to Him, as a parent wants a child to tell them their needs. That doesn’t mean nagging, but opening ones heart day after day and sharing it with our loving heavenly Father. So part of the answer to my question is obedience and intimacy. But there is more.
We must persevere in prayer because we have an enemy who perseveres against us. His forces of evil are always working, never give up and keep on opposing. If they continue to work against that which we are requesting from God, then we must continue to bring those issues to God. He is sovereign and His will is done, but in some way I don’t begin to understand our prayers do make a difference. There is some kind of power in the prayers of God’s people that does make a difference in the spiritual realm (James 5:17-18). Persevering in prayer is part of our battle, not growing weary but keep pressing ahead against our enemy.
Years ago the phrase “praying through” was used to describe perseverance in prayer until the answer came or God released one from the burden to pray for that particular thing. I think we miss a lot of God’s blessings today because we don’t “pray through.”
Please pray for our work here in India, not because our nagging forces God’s hand nor because we are trying to beg something from Him, but because our enemy keeps working against us so we battle by prayer. Persevere. Don’t give up. The battle can get weary but keep going, for us and for other issues God has you praying for. Pray through!
Daniel 10:12-13 Then the angel continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.”
Daniel kept praying for weeks even though it seemed his prayer wasn’t heard. It was crucial that he did, for God used that to empower His angels to break through the demonic opposition. What would have happened if he had stopped praying? What have you stopped praying for because it’s been a long time and it doesn’t seem like God is answering? Make a list of these things and start praying regularly for them again – and don’t forget to keep praying for us!