Two-Thirds-World Workers, Financial Support – YWAM Global Prayer

Posted on July 7, 2017 by Bill Hutchison

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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 Two-Thirds-World Workers and their Financial Support.

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!

Indonesian YWAMer sharing her vision. Photo credit: Terry Sherman

Today in modern missions many people who live in what was considered the mission field have now become a significant part of the mission force. A large portion of YWAM missionaries now come from countries like South Korea, Brazil, India, and Indonesia.

Along with these changes come great challenges as norms change. One such challenge is raising support for those working in or sent from the Two-Thirds-World. We want to pray for those workers and their financial challenge during The Invitation this month.

As we prepared the prayer information, we surveyed several YWAMers with ministries on different continents to get their input on current challenges and lessons learned regarding financial support. Of those surveyed, only a very small percentage of them receive support from their local church. Some noted that they receive support from Christians and non-Christians  and most of them noted that friends (many of them friends made during YWAM training programs) and family members provide support. Some of them reported that they take on small jobs for money and one even said that only 10% of her support is consistent from month to month but that God always provides what is needed.

A Vietnamese YWAMer. Photo credit: Terry Sherman

Many of the challenges reported relate to misperceptions on the part of local churches, people who are asked to provide support, and YWAMers themselves. The misperceptions revolve around people not having a solid biblical understanding of money and cultural differences. Lessons that have been learned by YWAMers surveyed include: trust in God, pray, follow up on all requests, meet in person with people, and develop a biblical understanding of money. All of those surveyed report that they have seen God’s work in providing partners who stand beside them financially.

Terry Sherman, who provides training to YWAMers regarding support raising, states that those from the Two-Thirds-World “will encounter spiritual opposition the same as those who have gone before from the One-Third-World.  So the same lessons apply: we all need to find freedom to form partnerships. Our own ways of thinking and cultural taboos about money are our biggest enemies.”

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Matthew 6:24 (KJV)

Please join with YWAM’s global prayer day, called The Invitation, during the month of July to pray for financial support for Two-Thirds-World workers. You are particularly invited to pray during our prayer day, July 13.

If you have only a few minutes to pray, please lift up our YWAM workers from the Two-Thirds-World. Pray that they would increase their financial support and their biblical understanding of how to raise finances. Pray also for churches and individuals in the Two-Thirds-World to take on a greater role of sending missionaries by giving and praying generously. Please put a coin in your pocket to remind you to pray this month.

If you are praying with a group or if you have more time to pray, please see below for the complete list of prayer suggestions.

Indians doing Bible study on fundraising. Photo credit: Terry Sherman

Prepare to Pray:

  • Consider keeping a coin in your pocket (purse, car, etc.) to remind you to prayerfully hold this matter before God. Each time your fingers touch the coin (or you see the coin), take a moment to ask God for a release of finances for YWAM staff and students from Two-Thirds-World nations. In particular, be sensitive to the ways the Holy Spirit may be inviting you to show generosity to a Two-Thirds-World missionary you know.
  • Ask others that you will be praying with to bring a coin to a time of prayer.

YWAM Jocum Marromeu, Mozambique recently thanked supporters and celebrated the opening of a primary health care school. Photo credit: YWAM Marromeu, Mozambique

Pray:

  • Pray for local churches in the Two-Thirds-World to understand their role in the Great Commission as senders. Pray for pastors and teachers to effectively teach these concepts.
  • Pray for biblical understanding of forming kingdom partnerships throughout YWAM. Pray for YWAMers to learn practical ways for increasing their support. Pray for God to change hearts and minds so that misperceptions about support raising are minimized.
  • Pray for the economies of developing nations.
  • Pray for a spirit of provision and abundance, as opposed to a spirit of greed and limitations.
  • Pray for YWAMers to trust in God’s provision first, rather than to trust in man.
  • Pray for the relationships of YWAMers to be built on solid friendships as opposed to relationships/perceptions that it is all about the support.

All the resources of the Godhead are at our disposal.

Jonathan Goforth

  • Pray for Two-Thirds-World workers that they would obey God’s call to send and to go. Pray for effective ministries and clarity of calling. Pray also that they would perform God’s work with integrity and faithfulness.
  • Pray for God to raise up more Christian and non-Christian people as supporters, and generous givers from the Two-Thirds-World.
  • Pray for our Two-Thirds-World workers to find favor with governments.
  • Pray for wisdom for YWAM’s Terry Sherman and her entire team to arrange more seminars on support raising.
  • Pray for YWAMers to be thankful and grateful for the provision that God gives them.

YWAM Ships thanks governor Muthuvel of West New Britain province, Papua New Guinea, for his support. Photo credit: YWAM Ships.

Take Action:

Newly-married YWAMers in Blantyre, Malawi. Photo credit: Sunganani Naziyaya

How We Prayed

June 2017 – Back to Jerusalem Movement

  • YWAM North Africa reported that they had a great time praying as a group for God to send more workers for this movement.
  • YWAM Perth, Australia prayed and received a picture of the base of a fence showing God’s promise that the Chinese Church will be unshaken.
  • YWAM Auckland, New Zealand interceded and gave thanks for those who have gone before the current generation in this movement, laying the foundation for the younger generation to rise up and be equipped.
  • YWAM Sarasota, Florida prayed for the Back to Jerusalem Movement and for the 10/40 Window and sent the drawing inserted below.

 

The roots of the Church in China go very deep. Photo credit: YWAM Sarasota, Florida

May 2017 – Spiritual Formation

  • Create International, Taiwan reported that they, as artists, found the topic of “silence” to be quite fascinating and that God spoke to them in very personal and powerful ways.

Future Topics:

  • August 10, 2017 Marriages and Singles
  • September 14, 2017 Disciple Training Schools (DTS)
  • October 12, 2017 Hindu World

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, hashtag #praywithywam. You can also post a photo on Instagram and use the same hashtag, #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.
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