Praying for Pyongyang, North Korea – YWAM Global Prayer

Posted on December 8, 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 for Pyongyang, North Korea.

Left to right, top to bottom: North Korea airport, Pyongyang Buildings, North Korea and South Korea Political Map with Capitals
Photo credits: IPE Zone, Earth Nutshell, Stock Vector

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!

As hard as it is to imagine today, Pyongyang, capital of North Korea, used to be a center for Christian mission work throughout the Eastern world. According to the Voice of the Martyrs Canada website in 1907, a revival spread from Pyongyang across the Korean Peninsula and Pyongyang was called The Jerusalem of the East. As late as the 1920s, 90 percent of the Christians in Korea (North and South) lived in Pyongyang.

Today, the environment of Pyongyang’s 2.7 million citizens (Operation World) is very different. They live in the nation that has been described by Open Doors as being the worst in the world for Christian persecution. It is also estimated that hundreds of thousands of people, including up to 100,000 Christians (Operation World), are being imprisoned in North Korea’s labor and concentration camps where conditions are so poor that as many as 75 percent of the prisoners do not survive (Fox News).

Please join with YWAM’s global prayer day, called The Invitation, during the month of December to pray for Pyongyang. You are particularly invited to pray during our prayer day, December 14.

If you have only a few minutes to pray, please note the eight minute video below and pray that the people of Pyongyang would experience the love and grace of Christ in the near term. 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.

Dancing in Pyongyang
Photo credits: Chattanooga Times Free Press

Prepare to Pray:

As you prepare to pray, take a few minutes to watch this short video. It is the moving testimony of Gyeong Ju Son, a young Christian whose father is one of thousands of believers imprisoned or killed for their faith. In listening to Gyeong Ju Son, consider her grief and loss. Take a few moments of silence as the video closes, and reflect on what could compel a young Christian orphan to dream of someday returning to North Korea, where persecution is all but certain. Ask the Holy Spirit to enable you to enter into this deep longing for her fellow North Koreans to know the love of Christ, which is stronger than fear, deeper than sorrow, and more precious than life itself.

As God draws your heart to feel something of His deep compassion for this nation, go ahead and pray using the points below to guide you.

Pyongyang’s Traffic Ladies
Photo credits: Free Malaysia Today

Pray for Pyongyang:

  • Pray that the gospel will spread throughout North Korea and that they will experience revival again as they did in 1907.
  • Pray for those in leadership within the government. Pray that God will open their eyes to the truth of the gospel. Pray for leaders to obey the will of God for their nation.
  • Pray for guidance for Christians in North Korea. Pray that they would not lose their faith despite oppression and the threat of death in concentration camps. Possessing a Bible, saying God or Jesus, and meeting as believers are all punishable by death. Pray that they would be bold in the midst of persecution.
  • Pray for spiritual, mental, and physical restoration of North Korean refugees. Many North Korean refugees go through torture, intense stress and anxiety during their escapes.
  • Pray for the people who are suffering in prison camps and for those who struggle to have daily needs met due to the isolation of North Korea.
  • Pray for the gospel radio programs of TWR and FEBC as they beam deep into North Korea.
  • Pray for Korean Christian businessmen from China who have easier access into North Korea.
  • Pray for those who labor among North Koreans around the world to preach the truth of the gospel boldly and clearly. Pray that the Holy Spirit would use their lives to demonstrate the gospel in a powerful way.
  • Praise God that in spite of the dire conditions in Pyongyang and across the region that the church is growing and people are coming to Christ.

 “Despite efforts to eradicate Christians, we have found the church in North Korea is actually growing . . . They know only God is powerful enough to break through the darkness of the most oppressive regime on earth.”

Vernon Brewer; Founder and President, World Help

Take Action:

Off Duty Soldiers in Pyongyang
Photo Credits: Daily Mail

Future Topics:

  • January 11, 2018 YWAM Foundational Values 1 – 3 (Know God, Make God known, Hear God’s voice)
  • February 8, 2018 Community Development
  • March 8, 2018 Entertainment Industry/Celebration Sphere

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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Praying for Partner Churches – YWAM Global Prayer

Posted on November 3, 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 for our Partner Churches.

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!

YWAM Queenstown DTS team at a YWAM Bangkok partner church: Khlong Toey Church
Photo credit: YWAM – All Nations Bangkok

God has commissioned the local church to go into all the nations and preach the gospel. As YWAMers, we could not do what we do without our partner churches. These partnering churches send us, pray for us, support us and are alongside us for training, church planting, mercy ministry and other gospel-related activities. The relationship between the church and those who are sent is a beautiful partnership, one that God has chosen to change the entire world!

So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.

Acts 16:5 (NKJV)

Please join with YWAM’s global prayer day, called The Invitation, this month to pray for our partner churches on November 9. We ask you to celebrate this partnership on a local level by praying for your partner churches, and if you sense God’s leading, by taking action to strengthen those relationships. If you have only a few minutes to pray this month, please pray for the health of your partner churches and that God would bring blessings to them. 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.

Serving Chai in Partnership with a Local Church Outreach
Photo Credit: YWAM Brisbane

Prepare to Pray:

Take a moment to bring to mind the congregation of your partner church, whether at home or in your present location. And then consider the lead pastor of this congregation.

What are all the things the pastor of a congregation such as this would have to think about, take responsibility for, or take care of? As a group, use a whiteboard or large sheet of paper to brainstorm all the ideas that come to mind in response to this question. Make note of as many things as you can.

Next, take some time to reflect on how such a pastor might feel about all these responsibilities, concerns, and opportunities. Enter into those feelings as much as you can.

Finally, as you hold before God these possible feelings and needs, ask Him how He might like to love, encourage, and strengthen this church leader through you. What comes to mind as a response, whether in prayer or in action? Share these ideas with one another and make a note, so that you can follow through on Holy Spirit’s prompting.

Mark Nebauer said, “YWAM goals are realized while churches go forward. A true win-win situation.”.

Pray for Our Partner Churches:

  • Praise God for successful partnerships that YWAM has had and is having around the world with local churches and sending churches.
  • Praise God for your partner churches.
  • Pray for the health of your partner churches and ask the Lord to bless them.
  • Pray for unity and healthy and equitable partnerships between YWAM locations and partner churches.
  • Pray for solid relationships between YWAMers and the people of the local church. Pray for YWAMers to make consistent commitments to the local church.

“The healthy cooperation of the local church and global mission is a major threat to the kingdom of darkness.”

Lynn Green, a YWAM leader

  • YWAM provides opportunities for churches to engage in mission through outreaches for church youth groups, serving opportunities for adults through Mission Builders, mission awareness programs, seminars for families, and more. Pray for long-lasting results.
  • Pray for the church to send more workers to the field where the needs are the greatest in less-saturated nations.
  • Pray for YWAM locations to understand and minister to the needs of churches and the congregations they serve.

YWAM’s Dan Baumann teaching at partner church Oakland Baptist
Photo Credit: Oakland Baptist Church

  • Pray for God to prepare churches in developed countries and in developing countries to send and support those called to Go.

Take Action:

  • Identify all of the partner churches that are involved with your location. Display a map with each church marked. Pray regularly for these churches.
  • Host a thank you event for your partner churches. Brainstorm on ways they can even partner with one another to build the church.
  • Schedule meetings with local partner churches and their pastors/leaders to listen to their needs and dreams without focusing on the needs and dreams of YWAM.

Lynn Green says, “The best way to maintain a relationship with local churches is to concentrate on how we can serve them.”.

  • Invite partner churches to send a DTS student to the next DTS at your location.
  • Identify local churches where there might partnership opportunities in the future but where none exist today.
  • Encourage staff and students at your location to regularly attend and participate at a local church.
  • Communicate partnering opportunities via YWAM channels, including, but not limited to:
  • Schedule an outreach event with one or more of your partner churches.
  • Offer to help one or more of your partner churches with a Mission Sunday type event to raise awareness within the church.

A partner church, Living Stones Christian Fellowship, praying over long term YWAM Richmond missionaries
Photo Credit: YWAM Richmond

How We Prayed

October 2017 – Prayer for the Hindu World

  • There was a lively discussion on Facebook about praying for Hindus. One person noted that they regularly pray that Hindus will know Jesus with not only their mind, but also with their heart.
  • YWAM Surabaya, Indonesia prayed for the Hindu world and asked for prayer for pupils to join their DTS starting January 2018 and for staff preparation.
  • YWAM Vanuatu, Oceania also prayed and asked for prayer for teachers that have a DTS background in education to come and teach children alongside locals.

Future Topics:

  • December 14, 2017 Pyongyang
  • 2018 Theme: YWAM Foundational Values (along with other topics)

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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15 Days of Prayer for the Hindu World – YWAM Global Prayer

Posted on October 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 for The Hindu World.

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!

2017 Hindu World Prayer Guide Cover Page
Photo credits: Friends Network

YWAM’s global prayer day, called The Invitation, will be a bit different this month. Instead of asking you to pray on the second Thursday of the month (or whatever works best for you) we are asking you to pray with us daily from October 8 to October 22 for 15 Days of Prayer for the Hindu World.

15 Days is an annual prayer movement that calls Christians and churches worldwide to take these 15 days to learn about and pray for our world’s one billion Hindus. This period encompasses the significant Hindu Festival of Lights called Diwali (or Deepawali). During this prayer focus, we invite you to take a posture of blessing toward Hindu peoples worldwide.

Please join with YWAM’s global prayer day, called The Invitation, during the month of October to pray for the Hindu world, from October 8 – 22. Informative prayer guide booklets are available on the 15 Days website (www.pray15days.org). To join the YWAM family in prayer in October, take a moment to download or order a booklet. Also, go to the 15 Days Facebook page (via pray15days.org) and like it. The purpose of 15 Days is to call Christians to make an intentional and respectful effort during this period to learn about, pray for and reach out to the Hindu community.

If you are not able to pray every day we invite you to pray during our prayer day, Thursday, October 12.

This is the second anniversary issue of The Invitation and we would like to take a moment to thank the people that have made this possible:

  • Translation: Yohan An, Seungjun Bahng, Kyoungmi Ko, Eunice Jo, Micaela Oliveira, Jessica Milanez Salve, Adelaide Santos, Isabela Ribeiro, Sharen Song, Renato Wong, French-language translator (name withheld for security reasons), and Yira Patricia Ibarra.
  • Spiritual Formation/Prepare to Pray: Miranda Heathcote, Tanya Lyons
  • Social Media: Daniel Norris, Mandy Stephenson, Jeremy Randall
  • Logistics and Podcast: Bill Hutchison
  • Manager and Writer: Laura Parli
  • Ideas: Lynn Green, Lynn Yee
  • Leadership: Bryan Bishop
  • Thanks also to YWAM leaders, prayer coordinators and others who have organized The Invitation at their location.

If you have only a few minutes to pray this month, please pray that Hindu people everywhere would be blessed through the Gospel and that God would move them towards Himself.

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.

Prepare to Pray:

Speaking blessings over people and situations, and doing so in our authority as God’s children, is a powerful way of agreeing with His good purposes. Blessing prayer helps us to align our hearts with God’s good intentions and, as we see in scripture, blessings given by God and His people are powerful and effective.

As your group prepares to pray, stand together in a circle. You can divide into smaller groups if you are praying as a large community, or you can pray individually if you are alone. Take a moment to consider the Hindu World and God’s eternal purpose to reveal His love as Father, Son and Holy Spirit and to draw people into relationship with Himself.

When you are ready, go ahead and open in prayer: “Almighty God, as we stand in agreement with your loving purposes towards all people, help us by your Holy Spirit to speak powerful blessings over the Hindu world that will bear good fruit.”

Then go around the circle and allow a brief moment for each person to speak aloud a blessing; these can be very simple. It may help to imagine a particular man, woman, child or family and their need for Jesus. For example, someone might begin with, “I bless Hindu families with visitors who will speak to them of Jesus.” Or, “I bless Hindu communities with portions of scripture they can read aloud together in their language.”

When everyone has taken a turn, pause a moment in silence. Before continuing with your prayer time, allow your hearts to be softened and enlarged with a sense of God’s deep longing to bless Hindu people.

Hindu Prayer Bells and Group
Photo Credits: Friends Network

Pray for The Hindu World:

  • Pray that more disciples of Jesus would learn how to communicate the Good News to Hindus in ways that resonate with their hearts and minds.
  • Pray for bible translation and distribution in the Hindu world and the ending of bible poverty. Many Hindus do not have Scripture available in their language or do not have access to the Bible. Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and have come to know you are the Holy One of God” (ESV, John 6:68).
  • Pray that movements of Hindus towards Christ will emerge and grow in all types of Hindu communities.
  • Pray for the more than 2,000 YWAM staff who work in South Asia. Many of them work directly with Hindu peoples.

“Through prayer, we engage in an act of love for Hindu people around the world—sharing their burdens, understanding their concerns and petitioning God to reveal Himself to them.”

Friends Network

  • Praise God for the many people movements that have started amongst Hindu people.
  • Pray for the church in South Asia, that it will endure the recent increase in persecution and grow in hope, as the author of Hebrews wrote, “. . . . hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone . . . “ (ESV, Hebrews 6:18 – 20).
  • Pray for the 2,328 Unreached Hindu People groups (joshuaproject.net/religions/5) and that they will receive witnesses of Christ and turn to Him as their saviour.

Take Action:

  • Look for Hindus in your own community and find ways to engage with them. Eat a meal at an Indian or Nepali restaurant and get to know the wait staff.
  • Attend a YWAM Frontier Missions school or seminar (uofn.edu) or (ywamfm.com) to search for DTSes and secondary schools with a focus on the Hindu world.
  • Visit the International YWAM Frontier Missions website and Facebook (you can find both via ywamfm.com) to learn how to be trained and sent as a cross cultural missionary to the Hindu world.
  • Visit the YWAM Frontier Missions South Asia website and Facebook page to hear encouraging testimonies of what God is doing amongst Hindu peoples there and to learn about training and ministry opportunities (you can find both via www.ywamfrontiermissions.com).
  • Bring yourself and your team to the first Global Hethne (Hindu Ethne) Missions Congress in Thailand, October 12-17, 2020. Find more information at (hethne.org).
  • Consult the Joshua Project site that is dedicated to people groups of South Asia for prayer points (www.southasiapeoples.org).
  • Consult Operation World for more prayer points and to learn about Hindu peoples.
  • Read books to gain a greater understanding of Hindu peoples: Sharing Your Faith with a Hindu by Madasamy Thirumalai; Disciple Making Among Hindus by Timothy Shultz; Sundar Singh: Footprints Over the Mountains by Janet & Geoff Benge (YWAM Publishing) and Footprints of Faith: Stories of YWAM in South Asia by Sonya Svoboda.
  • Watch short promo  tional video from the 15 Days website (pray15days.org).

Photo credits: Friends Network

How We Prayed

September 2017 – DTS, Disciple-making

  • Friends Network – “The Invitation has been a great blessing to our mission, the Father’s heart and I am sure for those whom we have prayed.”
  • Several posted on Facebook that they prayed including one who prayed for the current DTS to be a blessing to many and that God would use all participants to bring revival and awakening of the Holy Spirt.

Future Topics:

  • November 9, 2017 Partner Churches
  • December 14, 2017 Pyongyang

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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Disciple Making and the YWAM DTS – YWAM Global Prayer

Posted on September 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 disciple making and the Youth With A Mission Discipleship Training School.

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!

Photo credits: YWAM San Diego

YWAM founder Loren Cunningham says that “The Discipleship Training School (DTS) is the foundational building block in Youth With A Mission, the cornerstone of the mission”. Not only is our DTS foundational for YWAM, according to Elena Ciobo, a DTS coordinator, “It is the one part of our YWAM family that holds us together in unity amongst our great diversity.” Unique to YWAM is not only the diversity of our staff and students, but diversity of DTS programs focused on anything from motorcycles to surfers, starting in any month of the year, in locations from Alberta to Zimbabwe with over 65 different languages spoken. This is YWAM’s model for disciple-making.

Luke 9:23 (ESV) – And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. . . “

Please join with YWAM’s global prayer day, called The Invitation, during the month of September to pray for our DTS programs and the process of disciple-making. You are particularly invited to pray during our prayer day, Thursday, September 14.

If you have only a few minutes to pray, please pray for our current DTS students that they would be discipled well to be effective witnesses for Christ.

If you are praying with a group or if you have more time to pray, then here is our complete list of prayer suggestions.

Prepare to Pray:

Before your prayer time, you are invited to participate in a reflection process using clay or play dough. The purpose of this time is to be reminded that our formation process does not end after DTS! All of us, including those staffing and supporting the DTS, continue to be in a process of becoming more like Jesus. This meditation – which might take about 20-30 minutes, including the time of feedback – can help us to posture ourselves as fellow learners, part of a discipling community whose teacher is God.

In order for everyone to take part, you will need to provide everyone with a small quantity of clay or play dough that is readily available from craft or toy stores, or easy to make using a recipe you can find online.

Take some time for everyone to begin working with the clay. Become familiar with its feel in your hands. Notice its texture and the way it both resists and yields to your touch.

You can then use the script included in the letter at ywam.org to lead the group, or you can also play back this podcast and pause it between the sections that I’ll mention:

So to begin …

“Call to mind the creation story, where God shapes the human from clay, gently molding and shaping each fold and indentation. Take a few minutes to experience yourself as being molded by God.”

[Pause for a few minutes]

“Hold this image in your heart as you continue to mold the clay. Notice how it feels in your hands. Notice the feelings and/or images that emerge for you. As you handle the clay, feel free to form it into a particular shape if one comes to mind.”

[Pause for a few minutes]

“Reflect on how you experience God shaping and forming you. Where are the places in your life that feel resistant and where are you malleable? Work with the clay for a while, engage in the process and pay attention to what comes to you, without censoring yourself.”

[Pause for a few minutes]

“Continue to hold the questions in your heart of how God is shaping and forming you. When you have come to a sense of rest with the clay process, take a few moments to gaze at the object you have formed. What has this process revealed to you? How have you felt God moving in you during this time?”

Once you have done that we recommend that you allow a time of silence for reflection or journalling. Then give the opportunity for people to share with a partner the ways God spoke to them during this time. After a few minutes of sharing in pairs, give an opportunity for feedback in the larger group. You might like to close with some prayers inviting the Spirit of God to continue forming and shaping you, as individuals and as a community.

(This exercise was drawn from the work of Christine Valters Paintner and Betsey Beckman, in their book ‘Awakening the Creative Spirit.’)

From left to right: DTS Leader; Darlene Cunningham Teaching Belief Tree to a DTS. Photo Credits: YWAM Vancouver and YWAM Kona

Pray for DTS, Disciple-making:

As we pray for the DTS and Disciple-making, here are some suggestions that we have:

  • Praise God for our diversity of students and staff and for the diverse DTS programs we are able to offer.
  • Pray for DTS students to be challenged to embrace their true identity in Christ.
  • Pray for DTS students to obtain clarity regarding their holy calling.
  • Pray for strength of character for DTS students.
  • Pray for students to obtain a greater understanding of God and of His Word.
  • Pray for potential students to find a good match for a DTS program.
  • Pray for overall health of YWAM’s DTS program so that the strength and future of YWAM is solid.

“As the DTS goes, so goes the mission.”

Darlene Cunningham, YWAM Co-founder

  • Pray for our DTS leaders and staff around the world that they would increasingly be trained and equipped in their roles in order to effectively disciple and train others.
  • Pray for the International DTS Centre personnel that they would find relational favor within the YWAM family as they continue to serve, support and strengthen our DTS.
  • Pray that each of the 100s of DTSes that we offer would stay true to the YWAM vision, values and ethos.
  • Pray for biblical discernment in disciple-making within YWAM.
  • Pray that YWAMers would be fruitful in making disciples.

DTS Outreach Phase; Photo credits: YWAM Perth

Take Action:

There are different ways that you can take action about this prayer point:

  • Share the YWAM primary website regarding the Discipleship Training School with a young person who has never done a DTS. Challenge them to take this step and pray for them. ywam.org/dts
  • During the next DTS at your location find a new DTS student and sit down with them and pray for them.
  • Reach out to a YWAM location with whom you have little or no contact and ask them how you can pray for their current or next DTS.
  • For more information contact YWAM International DTS Centre at www.ywamdtscentre.com
  • Review material about the DTS and disciple-making at other YWAM locations. Identify three things you could do to improve the DTS at your location.
  • You could even consider spending a season with another location to experience their Discipleship Training School program.

Left to right: Ready for outreach phase in the Cook Islands, and on outreach from YWAM Blantyre, Malawi
Photo Credits: YWAM Cooks and YWAM Blantyre

How We Prayed

August 2017 – Families, Singles and Marriages

  • 190 people reacted to The Invitation on Facebook. It was shared 39 times. One person in particular noted the importance of praying for singles.
  • YWAM Canberra also shared a photo of their prayer time over on Instagram using the hashtag #praywithywam.
Intercession morning! Discussing and praying for one another and all the diverse people in YWAM

Future Topics:

  • October 12, 2017 – The Hindu World (The Invitation’s Second Anniversary issue)
  • November 9, 2017 – Partner Churches
  • December 14, 2017 – Pyongyang

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.

Thank you for listening to this month’s prayer letter. I hope that you take the opportunity to provide us with feedback about how you prayed so that we can include it in next months letter and podcast.

I have a request for you right now. We want this letter to go out to as many people as possible, in as many languages as possible. This month the letter will be going out in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Indonesian, and Korean. Last month our French translator had to step down, so we are seeking a new French translator for the letter, and if there are other languages that you are able to translate, please let us know by emailing us at prayer@ywam.org.

Thank you…

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Family, Singles, Marriages – YWAM Global Prayer

Posted on August 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 Families, Singles, and Married Couples serving in Youth With A Mission.

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!

Left to right; top to bottom: 1) Quote from Marian Jordan Ellis, 2) Celebrating the marriage of two YWAMers. 3) YWAM Family Ministries Forum in Asia, Photo credits: YWAM Family Ministries; Andrea Howey (Flickr); YWAM South Sudan.

God speaks to all of us through the Bible and other means in all stages of life and gives instructions for how to live in different stages: as singles, as married couples, as part of a family. God gives each of us, no matter our status, a holy calling (2 Timothy 1:9). The Bible is full of stories about people who are single, married spouses, and families and how He used them for His good purpose.

But how does this fit in with our work on the mission field? How do YWAMers in different stages and statuses of life, with different needs, come together to fulfill God’s purposes? How do we minister to non-believers who are in a different stage than we are?

And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. . .

Please join with YWAM’s global prayer day, called The Invitation, during the month of August to pray for family, singles and marriages. You are particularly invited to pray during our prayer day, August 10.

If you have only a few minutes to pray, please lift up all YWAMers regarding their stage in life. Pray for contentment regarding stage of life; unity regarding differences; wisdom and provision. Pray for God to strengthen YWAM ministries through a greater understanding of the needs of people in different stages of life.

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.

“Please don’t wait for marriage” blog. Photo credit: YWAM Montana Lakeside

Prepare to Pray:

If you are praying with others, consider taking some time to discuss these questions before you pray. If you are praying alone, you could journal your own responses to the questions:

  • What are some things that make you personally grateful to be single, or married, or a family in mission?
  • What are some of the challenges of being single, or married, or a family in mission?
  • What have you learned as you have related to those who are single, if you are married; or married, if you are single; or from those who have kids if you don’t? Feel free to be specific with the people in your prayer group.
  • In what ways do you experience the diversity of people in your teams (singles, couples, families) as something that strengthens the ways you can reach out to others? Give thanks for that diversity.

Pray for Family, Singles and Marriages:

  • Praise God for this stage of your life (family, single, married) and reflect on the ways that your ministry is enhanced due to your current status.
  • Pray for those at your location who have a different status than you currently do. Reflect on what their challenges might be.
  • Pray for guidance on how to include and take care of everyone – couples, singes, young people, old people, and children in a way that lives out the Gospel.
  • Pray for wisdom, resources and adequate training for those within YWAM who provide member care to others.
  • Pray for recognition by YWAM leaders of the needs and challenges facing each group of YWAMers and for recognition of differences from area to area. Pray for fairness and equity for housing, leadership positions, ministry opportunities among all regardless of current status.

Singles

  • Pray for singles in YWAM and that they would stand firm against Satan regarding purity.
  • Pray for balance between ministry and social life. Pray for staff and leaders to not make decisions just because someone is single. (For example, assuming it is easier for them to travel.)
  • Pray for our singles to not feel lonely and isolated.
  • Pray for provision (financial and other) for our singles. Expenses for singles can be close to that needed by married couples and they may not have as many contacts.

 Marriages

  • Pray for YWAM couples to be anchored in the Lord as individuals.
  • Praise God for the ways He unites cross-cultural couples. Pray for wisdom regarding differences.
  • Pray for YWAM couples who have or are experiencing difficulties regarding fertility, pregnancies and post-pregnancies.
  • Pray for sexual purity for our YWAM marriages.
  • Pray for unity of married couples in purpose and vision for ministry and family matters.
  • Pray for wisdom in handling time away from one another due to travel, leadership responsibilities, etc.

Family

  • Pray for all YWAMers to sense they are part of “the family” at all YWAM locations.
  • Pray for security and peace for YWAMers who are away from their primary or extended families frequently or for extended periods of time.
  • Pray for resources and guidance for YWAMers in educating and caring for their children.
  • Pray that the children of our staff would receive clarity regarding ministry.
  • Pray for grace to set our priorities right. (Investing into our own marriage, investing in our children, being a family in missions, investing in others, etc.)
  • Pray for balance between discipline and love where there are challenging family issues including adoption, health concerns, behavioral concerns and others.

YWAM Family Encounter Day. Photo credit: YWAM Family Encounters.

Take Action:

Families in Ministry book is now available in multiple languages.
Photo credit: Angela Zeidler-Fresz, YWAM Family Ministries International

  • Research ministry opportunities for singles.
  • Attend a marriage weekend. See YWAM St. Croix for an example: https://www.ywamstcroix.org/marriage-ministry
  • Teach a marriage class to the current DTS students at your location.
  • Seek a mentor-type relationship with another married couple.
  • 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. You can also post a photo on Instagram and use the same hashtag, #praywithywam.
  • Send an email to prayer@ywam.org letting us know how you prayed and what God revealed to you.

How We Prayed

July 2017 – Two-Thirds-World Workers, Financial Support

  • There was enthusiastic support for this topic on Facebook. One individual exclaimed: “YWAM is a step ahead, well done!”

Future Topics:

  • September 14, 2017 DTS, Disciple Making
  • October 12, 2017 The Hindu World (The Invitation’s Second Anniversary issue)
  • November 9, 2017 Partner Churches

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 by clicking on the player at the bottom of this email. 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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Why the Innocent Suffer – Loren Cunningham

Posted on July 17, 2017 by Bill Hutchison

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In this episode of the Youth With A Mission Teaching Podcast Loren Cunningham shares with us a classic teaching about Why the Innocent Suffer.

Loren CunninghamLoren Cunningham is the founder of Youth With A Mission (YWAM) and the co-founder of the University of the Nations (U of N). He is also a leader at the YWAM, U of N Campus in Hawaii, and a member of the YWAM International Eldership.

Understanding why the innocent suffer is often one of the biggest challenges that people have with understanding God and Christian faith. C. S. Lewis described it as “The Problem of Pain” and Loren Cunningham dives into this challenging topic in this Youth With A Mission Teaching Podcast episode …

1 Peter 2:18

Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.

Loren Cunningham is the author of a number of books including:

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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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Back to Jerusalem – YWAM Global Prayer

Posted on June 1, 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 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:

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.
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Spiritual Formation – Creating Space for God – YWAM Global Prayer

Posted on May 10, 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 building our spiritual formation by creating space for God.

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!

Prairie Carol Jacobs-Carre

Since the beginning of the year the focus of our monthly prayer times has been growth. Last month we prayed about the possible parallel increase in persecution. As we experience both of these realities – an increase in numbers and an increase in trials – it is crucial that we put our roots ever deeper into God.

Silence can be a gift to us in this regard. Silence offers us an opportunity to become more aware of God and more aware of the truth of our own hearts. When things are going well, as when our numbers increase, we are tempted to rely on our own strength. Silence can safeguard us from the pitfall of self-sufficiency by keeping us in touch with our great need for God. And when things are difficult, as when we face trials and persecution, we are tempted to panic and try to save ourselves in our own way. In silence we are reminded of the greatness and nearness of God.

In any case, as YWAMers we are often a people of action and it is easy to find both fulfilment and distraction in our activity. When we practice silence, we make space for God to meet us beyond all possible distractions. God invites us to know Him and, in knowing Him, to know ourselves and to become the God-imaging, God-empowered people He made us to be.

Blossoms Nick Kenrick FlickrTo remain in silence for more than a few minutes can be uncomfortable for us. We are used to noise and chatter and in the quiet we often find our minds buzzing with all sorts of thoughts. In order to make space for God, we encourage you to join us in this month’s practice of silence – whether as a community, or individually – trusting that this deep listening will lead to a fresh springing up among us of God’s abundant life.

Prepare to Spend Time in Silence (for the prayer time facilitator if being facilitated as a group):

This month’s prayer time will focus on making space to hear God’s voice, listening, and being attentive in silence. Here are some practical tips to help those facilitating the prayer time.

  • Decide ahead of time if you want the group to stay together, doing the same activity, or if you will let individuals choose for themselves which activity in which to engage. This is important in order to save time. If you want to let people choose which activity to do you may want to have the three options written out, either as a PowerPoint slide displayed on a screen or wall or on a handout. If the instructions are only verbal you may have to clarify and explain a few times, which would take away from the amount of time you could spend in silence.
  • As a facilitator please help set the tone of the time by explaining the expectations to the group as you begin. You may want to emphasise the expectation of silence in the room (if you are staying in the same room) or of not talking to each other if the group is going outside. This may be challenging for some.
  • Please be sure to give all the instructions at the beginning of the time of silence in order to avoid interrupting the group with further instructions. Include in the instructions a specific time to gather back together again.
  • Consider ahead of time how you are going to process and receive feedback from the group. We have included some possible processing questions. Decide who will facilitate the processing time and how you will record the feedback.

Spend Time in Silence – The Practice of Silence

 

1.      Choose an Activity Option:

As part of your time of silence, you are invited to consider one of the following three activities as a way to practice “making space for God.” If you are participating with a group, we recommend you all do the same activity so that afterwards you can share together about your experience of God through that activity.

  • Option A: Take a walk outside, in silence. 

    Begin by simply noticing how you are feeling physically and being present to the world around you. Practice curiosity and a deep listening to your intuition. Let this time be a journey of the heart, noticing where you are being invited to walk and where to stay for a while. Try to let go of any goals you have for this time (such as to reach a certain destination). Even if you walk only a few steps and simply notice what you see, that is enough.After spending time slowing down and being present to what is around you, become aware of any questions or reflections that come to your mind. Each season has its own particular questions to ask: for example, spring might cause you to reflect on the fullness of life and time for play. What draws your attention and what questions does your time outside invite you to ask at this particular time of your life?Finally, once you have enjoyed this time of reflection, ask yourself how are you moving in this journey of life with God? You might choose to mirror your response in the actual movement of your legs and feet as you walk (if you feel hurt, you might walk with a limp; if you are excited, you might bounce; if you are uncertain, you might mirror that in the way you walk). Then ask, how do you want to be moving through life in this season? You could move in that way for a short while. How might God be speaking to you through what this brings to your mind?

  • Option B. Get comfortable and keep silence wherever you are.Be sure you have your journal and some pens or pencils. You may want to light a candle as a symbol of God’s presence. Get comfortable in your chair, or on the floor. Take a few moments to settle into this time and notice how you are feeling. Pay attention to the part of you that finds silence difficult, and to the part of you that looks forward to being with God in this way.After spending time slowing down and becoming present to yourself and to God, begin paying attention to what comes to your mind. Are you aware of questions you want to ask the Lord? Is there something going on in your life that the silence offers you an opportunity to think about? You might reflect on how you have been turning towards God in recent times, and how you have been turning away from Him. Speak with Him about this.

    In the quiet, you may well find that many random thoughts jump around in your mind, distracting you. If it helps, write down things you need to remember so you can stay focused during this time. Then simply return to an attitude of openness and listening to God. How might He be speaking to you through the things that come to mind? You could journal about this.

  • Option C. Reflection on a painting.Finally, you may choose to spend your time in silence considering a painting such as this one, based on the story of Jesus and his disciples in the boat during a storm (Mark 4:35-41).
    [https://news.artnet.com/app/news-upload/2016/06/rembrandt-top.jpg]

    Consider projecting this image so everyone in your group can see it, then settling into a silent time of reflection.

    • As you first look at the painting, ask yourself these questions:
      • What grabs my attention right away?
      • How does the scene change for me, as I look at the painting?
      • What is surprising to me about the painting? What questions does it raise for me?
      • Which of the characters do I most identify with, and why?
      • What would it be like to be in the boat in such a storm?
    • You could also consider reflecting on the following questions:
      • What are the storms in my life right now?
      • In what ways have I overlooked – or been aware of – Jesus’ presence with me?
      • What is His invitation to me in those stormy places? And what is my response?

2.       Conclude Silence Activity:

In conclusion: Whichever activity you choose, at the end of your time simply express gratitude to God for your awareness of His presence, for what He has revealed to you, and for the grace to move toward Him. 

3.       Process Questions as a Group:

Once your time of silence has concluded, here are some questions to help your group to process:

  • How was the time of silence and listening different from having a specific topic to pray for?
  • What challenges did you experience in the time of silence and listening?
  • What insights did you gain from this time of silence?
  • How do you think a time of corporate, worldwide silence and listening like this could impact the mission?
  • What do you think God thought and felt as we took time around the world to be silent before Him?

4.       Close the Time of Silence:

You may like to use this as a closing prayer:

Lord, thank you that you are not a silent God. Thank you for your desire to communicate with your children. Please give us patience to wait in silence and the ability to quiet our hearts before you. Please train our ears to hear your voice. Help us to be aware of the noises and distractions in our life that may keep us from being close to you, and give us the grace to be still and know that you are God.

Take Action:

Christians Persecuted in Egypt on Palm Sunday

How We Prayed

April 2017 – Growth – Persecution

  • YWAM Melbourne prayed for our Egyptian brothers and sisters from the Coptic Church after bombs exploded in multiple churches on Palm Sunday.
  • YWAM Madison and YWAM Melbourne prayed and invited others to join them through Facebook. YWAMers from Homer, Alaska also posted that they prayed.
  • Others posted on Facebook that they prayed specifically for Christians in Nigeria, the Middle East and for the Hazara people group in Central Afghanistan.
  • YWAMers at YWAM Europe conference prayed for the nations.
YWAM Europe Praying for the Nations

Future Topics:

  • June 8, 2017 Back to Jerusalem
  • 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.

Photo credits: Nick Kenrick and Carol Jacobs-Carre, Flickr

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Growth Persecution – The Invitation – YWAM Global Prayer

Posted on April 11, 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 Persecution that often comes with Growth.

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. This month we pray about persecution that often comes from growth …

Join YWAMers around the globe in praying and hearing from God. He is inviting you!

YWAM Redding prays for the persecuted Church (YWAM Redding)

YWAM Redding prays for the persecuted Church (YWAM Redding)

In this, the last of our three-part series on growth, we invite you to join The Invitation this month as we pray about the persecution that often comes along with growth. According to Christianity Today magazine, persecution of Christians continued at a high level last year: “For the third year in a row, the modern persecution of Christians worldwide has hit another record high.” YWAM’s founder, Loren Cunningham, expects more opposition in the years to come. He says “The reason I believe that persecution is going to increase on us, and I’ve already seen the signs of it, is that we are going to have a release, not just of workers but of effectiveness.”

Have a listen now to Loren Cunningham’s comments on how to pray about persecution…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVjWs1RR14M&index=2

Recent examples of persecution of YWAM workers include a kidnapping, families expelled from countries, one YWAM worker killed for his faith and bold witness, a YWAM worker held by militia, family members held by police, all workers from a YWAM location expelled from the country, computers and phones confiscated, home burnings of YWAM associates, burning of a church planted by a YWAM team, government harassment, imprisonment, monetary fines, beatings, hours of interrogation, and intimidation.

Loren Cunningham warns that persecution can also come by legal means such as media attacks, loss of jobs, and lawsuits against Christians. YWAM leaders also express concern over the ways governments seem to be tightening their control of, and opposition to, Christians.

Persecution is different by region and even from family to family as persecution extends to that level. One of YWAM’s leaders for the Middle East notes that there are some regions currently where “we are being much more bold and active than we have been before, but getting the same or less hassle than before, but there are some areas that have become more restrictive and are continuing to tighten up.”

This YWAM Middle East leader thinks YWAM has been spared significant persecution up to this point and attributes this to “possibly quite a bit of prayer cover.”

As we experience growth, we will also experience greater persecution. Now is the time to ‘review and count the cost’ of following Jesus to the ends of the earth. God hears the cry of the poor every day and he wants us to respond, ‘Here I am Lord, send me.’

Steve Goode, YWAM mercy ministry leader

In some cases, YWAM does not experience the persecution directly but we find ourselves helping others who have been or are being persecuted. Some of these examples are many YWAM locations sending teams to refugee camps that house Christians who have been persecuted in their home country. Other locations offer immediate assistance to cities, towns, and villages where Christians and new believers are persecuted.

The most recent World Watch List from the organization Open Doors predicts that the top ten countries for persecution in 2017 will be North Korea, Somalia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sudan, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Yemen and Eritrea. YWAM has had a presence or has a presence in most of these countries.

Jesus said, “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also” (John 15:20). Please join us for The Invitation in April, and particularly on our prayer day April 13, as we pray about persecution.

Prepare to Pray:

All of a sudden I realized something, I am free! I am free! So what if they kill me. My life is bought by the blood of Jesus, my home is in Heaven. No one can take that away.”

Dan Baumann, YWAM teacher and author

  • As a group or individually, ask God to give you clarity on the cost of following Jesus for your specific ministries.
  • As a group, note things that you can do to prepare DTS students and staff for the persecution that is expected with the anticipated YWAM growth.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulations or distress, or persecution, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Romans 8:35, posted by YWAM Abuja, Nigeria

Pray about persecution that comes with growth:

  • Pray for courage and protection as we make more disciples. Pray for safety for new believers as they become rooted in Christ.
  • Pray for courage to bear witness when we are persecuted, imprisoned and brought to court (Luke 21:12-13). Pray that we would endure when we are persecuted (1 Corinthians 4:12).
  • Pray for YWAM locations in countries known to be the worst for persecution including: North Korea, Somalia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Sudan, Yemen, and Eritrea. Pray for more workers and disciples in these countries.
  • Pray for YWAM locations that have had to leave certain areas including Syria and South Sudan due to persecution. Pray for eventual YWAM growth in these areas.
  • Pray for YWAMers in the field who must remain relatively isolated for security reasons.
  • Praise God for the way that He works in all things, including persecution, for the good of those who love Him and who are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).
  • Pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:44).

YWAM Prays for the Persecuted Church (Photos posted on Facebook by YWAM Ozarks and YWAM Worcester)

  • Pray for persecuted Christians to be rescued from their persecutors (Psalm 31:15).
  • Pray for the YWAM missionary kidnapped in Africa last year. Pray for his safe return, for comfort for his family and that his captors would know Jesus.
  • Pray for God to create “Pauls” out of those who persecute today. Pray for God to provide them with mercy and to show them love through YWAMers and other workers.
  • Pray for those who are displaced and marginalized to find safety and for YWAM workers who are ministering to them.
  • Pray for loved ones of martyrs of the Christian faith to see their deceased as more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Romans 8:37). Pray also for practical relief and spiritual support for these families.
  • Pray for YWAMers and their friends and families who are directly impacted by persecution. Pray for strength, wisdom and provision.

sharing the Gospel with refugee children on Easter morning; one of the first YWAM signs in South Sudan

Teaching YWAMers in South Sudan

YWAM’s presence in South Sudan has shifted as persecution has intensified – Sudan being one of the worst countries in the world for persecution.

Take Action:

  • Watch Loren Cunningham on growth and persecution:
    • Trees of Growth for YWAM (teaching video, 14:33 minutes, 2017)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4bcW0S5Kxc&index=3

  • Rise of Persecution explained (6 minutes):

https://vimeo.com/76347562

OpenDoors World Watch List Map 2017

  • Consult Operation World for more prayer points on the persecuted church in each country of the world. Adopt a country and pray regularly or focus on a new country each month or week.
  • Review the Back To Jerusalem 2014 Persecution Report: https://www.backtojerusalem.com/report/BTJ_2014_Persecution_Report.pdf (more coming on Back To Jerusalem in The Invitation in June).

Many YWAM Locations send teams and long-term workers to minister to persecuted Christians and others who have fled to Lesbos, Greece (YWAM Honolulu)

Read books to gain a greater understanding of persecution and the cost of following Jesus:

  • And also Loren Cunningham on global growth:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzUyW_lTB1M&index=1

  • 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

March 2017 – Growth – Global

  • YWAM Togo, Kuwede Kara, Togo, West Africa received Genesis 1:11-12 regarding multiplication in the Horn of Africa and a vision of an open eye with the Lord saying “I the Lord have my eyes on you, I support you.” They also prayed for growth of faith for staff and students and for ending Bible poverty.
  • YWAM Perth sensed God giving them Hebrews 12:26-29, concluding that if we want to see growth and breakthrough we need to refine our character. They also prayed for the children who grow up in YWAM that they would have a heart for the Lord, and for smaller locations to have an increase of staff joining and increase in finances.
  • An individual prayed that YWAM would influence youth in their spheres of influence and that professionals and scientists would aggregate their knowledge to the kingdom of God and the advancement of the gospel.
  • YWAM Vijayawada, India posted on Facebook that they prayed for women’s ministry growth.

Future Topics:

  • May 11, 2017 Spiritual Formation
  • June 8, 2017 Back to Jerusalem
  • July 13, 2017 Two-thirds-world Workers, Financial Support

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/category/shows/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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