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Thank you for joining us this month as we take up “The Invitation” and join together with thousands of YWAMers from around the world as we pray about the Back to Jerusalem Movement.
On the second Thursday of every month YWAM locations, staff, students, and supporters join together in prayer for the mission and for what God is doing in the nations. Join YWAMers around the globe in praying and hearing from God. He is inviting you!
Photos from: Back To Jerusalem Website and Facebook Page
The Back to Jerusalem movement began in the 1920s when the Chinese church received a vision from God to take the Gospel to all unreached people groups between China and Jerusalem. Chinese Christians understood that the spread of Christianity had generally taken a westward path and had reached as far as China. Their mindset was that a Back To Jerusalem effort from China westward would complete the circle around the entire globe, ending where it all began, in Jerusalem.
Through decades of persecution, where the primary work being conducted was often underground, this movement has continued. The contemporary Back To Jerusalem movement started in 1983 when Simon Zhao was released from prison. Simon had been one of the leaders of this movement in the 1940s and 50s. During his time in prison he prayed daily, “God, the vision that you’ve given us has perished, but I pray you’ll raise up a new generation of Chinese believers to fulfill this vision.”.
Brother Yun (The Heavenly Man) said:
The world can do nothing to a Christian who has no fear of man.
The current movement has a goal to have 100,000 missionaries sent out across the globe, primarily in the nations between China and Jerusalem. Many of these nations are within the 10/40 window and are primarily Muslim, Buddhist or Hindu. There are approximately 5,100 unreached people groups and tribes in these nations. The Back to Jerusalem movement helps the Chinese church train and send Chinese missionaries into unreached areas of the globe.
Please join with YWAM’s global prayer day, called The Invitation, during the month of June to pray for the Back to Jerusalem movement. You are particularly invited to pray during our prayer day, June 8.
Prepare to Pray:
- Listen to this short message about “Back to Jerusalem” (audio):
- As you prepare we suggest that you ask God to reveal a key prayer request to you that He wants you to pray over and over. Pray this prayer as a breath prayer holding this topic before God throughout the day. Write out a short phrase to repeat in pace with your in and out breath, to pray whenever it comes to mind throughout the day. For example, as you breathe in, you pray: “Merciful and gracious God,” and as you breathe out, you pray: “Have your way in China and westward toward Jerusalem” (or whatever key prayer request the Lord gives to you).
From Back to Jerusalem Facebook Page
Pray for the Back to Jerusalem movement:
- Pray for continued growth and strength of the Chinese house-church networks so they can train and send 100,000 missionaries to the 10/40 Window and across the globe.
- Praise God for the growth of the Chinese church. Praise Him also for the Chinese Christians that willingly go, knowing that they may give their life so that the lost can hear the good news.
- Pray that the Back to Jerusalem movement will be protected from people who would want to organise and control it.
- Pray for the Chinese government, who have good historical reasons for being suspicious of Christianity because it was often intertwined with foreign governments and their political and military ambitions.
- Pray for the government to recognise that Biblical Christians are trustworthy citizens. Many Christians go out to other nations or to minority tribes within China in the course of their work or as a result of government initiatives.
- Pray for these workers to understand how to be an ambassador for Jesus. Also pray for the many who are wanting to start businesses or engage with other economic activities as part of their missions calling.
- Pray for excellent training to help Chinese missionaries with cross-cultural sensitivities, language learning etc.
Remember Isaiah 48:10, which says:
Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver;
I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.Isaiah 48:10
- Pray for financial and prayer supporters to partner with the Back to Jerusalem movement. Pray for the provision of Bibles and of supplies so that Back To Jerusalem can provide for people when disaster strikes and people have the greatest needs.
- Pray for social change in the 10/40 Window through the impact of the gospel.
From Back to Jerusalem Website and Facebook Page
Take Action:
- Consult the Back to Jerusalem website for more stories, information and prayer concerns: backtojerusalem.com
- Pray about the Back To Jerusalem movement in a deeper and ongoing manner:
- Fast regularly
- Send intercession and spiritual mapping teams to China and 10/40 Window nations and pray on site.
- Learn about the interesting history of the Back to Jerusalem movement in “A Captivating Vision,” Christianity Today; April 1, 2004 (http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2004/april/5.84.html).
- Read books:
- The Heavenly Man by Brother Yun about the Back to Jerusalem movement.
- I Stand With Christ by Eugene Bach and Zhang Rongliang.
- Back to Jerusalem: Called to Complete the Great Commission by Paul Hattaway.
- If you sense God calling you to partner with the Back to Jerusalem movement in some way, allow Him to lead you to discern where and when.
- Conduct research on:
- The 10/40 Window to learn more about these nations. (Start here:
- Chinese church history
- Become a Back to Jerusalem Gatekeeper: https://backtojerusalem.com/home/gatekeepers/
- Provide Bibles: https://backtojerusalem.com/home/support/isis-bible-project/
- Purchase tea: https://storehousetea.com/collections/back-to-jerusalem-teas
- Share on facebook.com/youthwithamission, post a picture and add a comment about how you prayed.
- Go to twitter.com; search for #praywithywam and tweet about your prayer time/post a picture.
- Send an email to prayer@ywam.org letting us know how you prayed and what God revealed to you.
How We Prayed
May 2017 – Spiritual Formation
- YWAM Champagne, France reported that they were very grateful for the proposal for a time of silence.
April 2017 – Growth – Persecution
- YWAM Cape Verde prayed and reported that they are grateful to receive The Invitation in Portuguese.
- Several YWAM locations shared that they utilize The Invitation to share information about YWAM with the students and staff at their location.
- Multiple locations reported praying for the YWAM worker kidnapped last year.
- YWAM Central African Republic reported that receiving The Invitation stimulates them to pray for matters beyond their area.
- A YWAMer from Muizenberg, Cape Town, South Africa was inspired by 1 Corinthians6:19-20 and asked herself “Am I willing to give it all and give up myself?”
- The Indonesian translator for The Invitation was moved by the response of love the people of Indonesia showed to a Christian governor who lost an election. (Shortly after this outpouring of love he was imprisoned.)
Future Topics:
- July 13, 2017 Two-Thirds-World Workers, Financial Support
- August 10, 2017 Family, Singles, Marriages
Don’t Miss The Invitation:
- Sign up for prayer updates. Go to ywam.org, find the “Stay Connected” box on the home page, put in your email address and click “Sign Up.”
- Download prayer updates in a specific language. Go to ywam.org/theinvitation. (Currently available in Spanish, Portuguese, French, Indonesian, Korean or request other languages.)
- Join the conversation about how God is leading in these prayer times. Comment on the Facebook page on the second Thursday at facebook.com/youthwithamission or on Twitter @ywam, hash tag #praywithywam.
- You can now listen to The Invitation as a podcast. To sign up or listen to past episodes, go to: ywampodcast.net/prayer.
- If you sense God giving you a word or a direction for YWAM’s prayer, please contact us:prayer@ywam.org.