In this episode of the Youth With A Mission Teaching Podcast Loren Cunningham shares with us a teaching about The Dominion Mandate.
Loren 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.
Thank you to Ian Matchett from YWAM Seamill in Scotland for making this teaching, along with many others that I am working on remastering.
Mark 16:15 “He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”
Read also:
Acts 1:8
John 20:21
Luke 24:47
Mat 28:19-20
Jer 27:5
Ps 2:8
Seven Sphere’s of Society
God directed Youth With A Mission to influence and work in the nations on the following seven areas, with the intent of taking back the nations for God:
Home
Church
Schools
Media
Arts / Entertainment / Sports
Commerce / Business
Government / Politics
Loren Cunningham is the author of a number of books including:
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 and about the first three of the YWAM Foundational Values:
Know God
Make God Known
Hear God’s Voice
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!
The identification of YWAM foundational values began in 1985 with YWAM cofounder Darlene Cunningham asking, “What are the basic things that God has called YWAM to live and model to others?” The first official YWAM foundational values document was released in 1992 and was revised in 2004. YWAM foundational values now play such an integral part of YWAM that they are taught in every Discipleship Training School (DTS) and they are regularly shared at YWAM conferences all over the world.
Said one DTS student in Wollongong, Australia, “As I listened to our leader list YWAM’s 18 foundational values, I felt inspired. It was a picture of common purpose, people gathering to hear from God and being unified in mission. I want to be part of this, I thought.”
Over the next 18 months The Invitation will focus on these Foundational Values, asking YWAMers everywhere to pray for three values each quarter, or one value each month. Therefore, in January we invite you to pray about the first three foundational values:
Know God. YWAM is committed to know God, His nature, His character and His ways. We seek to reflect who He is in every aspect of our lives and ministry. The automatic overflow of knowing and enjoying fellowship with God is a desire to share Him with others.
Make God known.YWAM is called to make God known throughout the whole world, and into every arena of society through evangelism, training and mercy ministries. We believe that salvation of souls should result in transformation of societies, thus obeying Jesus’ command to make disciples of all nations.
Hear God’s voice. YWAM is committed to creating with God through listening to Him, praying His prayers and obeying His commands in matters great and small. We are dependent upon hearing His voice as individuals, together in team contexts and in larger corporate gatherings as an integral part of our process for decision making.
Please join with YWAM’s global prayer day, called The Invitation, during the month of January to pray with us. You are particularly invited to pray during our prayer day, January 11.
If you only have a few moments to pray we would ask you to reflect on these three values and pray for yourself and others in the YWAM family to uphold and practice these values in all that we do.
Prepare to Pray:
Before praying, consider doing the following exercise. It could help you and your group reflect on the significance of the values we are praying about this month.
READ: Read from Acts 15:1-30.
Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.”2 This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and eldersabout this question.3 The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoeniciaand Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the believers very glad.4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.
5 Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.”
6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question.7 After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe.8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.9 He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear?11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
12 The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.13 When they finished, James spoke up. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me.14 Simon[a] has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles.15 The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:
16 “‘After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, 17 that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things’[b]— 18 things known from long ago.[c]
19 “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.20 Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.21 For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”
The Council’s Letter to Gentile Believers
22 Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas,men who were leaders among the believers.23 With them they sent the following letter:
The apostles and elders, your brothers,
To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia:
Greetings.
24 We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said.25 So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul—26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.27 Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing.28 It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements:29 You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.You will do well to avoid these things.
Farewell.
30 So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter.
THINK: Read the passage through again silently.
Consider the disciples’ growing understanding of God’s character and His ways. Identify the places in this passage centered on who God is. How does this value shape the disciples’ choices and actions?
Reflect on verse 19. Meditate on what it might look like in your context “not to make it difficult for those who are turning to God.” If you are in a group, discuss this together.
Read verse 28 again. The disciples’ letter reads, “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us.” Consider the process of prayerful listening and discerning dialogue that led them to address the issues in this way. What issues are you facing that require this sort of participation with the Holy Spirit?
PRAY: Thank God for His desire to be known, and for the goodness of His ways and His character to be made known both to you and throughout the world. Take a moment in quiet to hold before Him those people and places you long to receive revelation of who God is.
LIVE: What would it look like for you to take an internal posture of listening? Return to this image throughout the day as you listen for the ways God is inviting you to know Him, and to make Him known to those around you.
Pray for YWAM Foundational Values 1 – 3:
Pray for YWAMers to embrace YWAM’s foundational values #1 – 3 so that YWAM can better display His presence to others.
Pray for greater integration of YWAM values in our ministries.
Ask the Holy Spirit to search our hearts for any uncleanness. Pray for us to be fully committed to walk in openness and transparency before God and others.
Pray for YWAMers to be willing to obey. Pray for YWAMers to be able to leave comfort zones behind and to step out in faith.
Pray for YWAMers to hear his voice in the midst of sufferings of non-believers near to us and far from us and for Him to give us the faith to respond as He calls.
Pray for courage and faith of YWAMers to make Him known to others with whom we encounter.
Pray for wisdom of YWAM leaders in communicating and incorporating YWAM foundation values throughout YWAM.
Pray for complete trust in who God is and His plans for our lives.
Pray for a greater understanding of who each of us is in Christ so that our response to challenges and setbacks shows us to be faithful servants of God.
Pray for DTS students to embrace these first three foundational values and for their lives to be changed. Pray for forgiveness, healing, and redemption as a result.
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Psalm 46:10 (NIV)
Take Action:
Get to really know the 18 foundational YWAM values. For a detailed version of the foundational values:
As a location, choose one of the YWAM foundational values and focus on it for at least one month. Share the value with others outside of YWAM and analyze their response. Create digital media associated with this value and share with The Invitation and/or with Darlene Cunningham in YWAM, Kona.
Plan an event (staff meeting, retreat, etc.) where each participant is assigned one of the YWAM foundational values. Have each participant seek wisdom from the Holy Spirit regarding their assigned value and report to the group in a way that will help others apply that value in their life.
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
December 2017 – Pyongyang, North Korea
YWAM Diriamba, Nicaragua (Near Managua) reported that they would be praying during the entire month of December for Pyongyang.
The Invitation was shared on Facebook over 150 times, received over 500 likes and had more than 150 comments. People noted they were praying all over the world including, but not limited to Canada, Haiti, Brazil, India, Philippines, Netherlands, Indonesia, Argentina, Nigeria, Ghana, England, Kenya, Germany, Barbados, Egypt, Mozambique, Australia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Costa Rica, Madagascar, Japan, Mexico, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand, as well a many states within the United States.
YWAM Perth, Australia prayed for hope and boldness for believers and that they would have influence on government leaders and that the leaders would respond with deep repentance and that nation of North Korea would be transformed.
YWAM Seamill, Scotland focused on the Christians in North Korea, inspired by the video testimony included in The Invitation.
YWAM Champagne, France is believing the Lord will transform the country of North Korea and they were inspired by Jeremiah 39, Isaiah 61 and 62, Acts 16 and John 7.
Future Topics:
February 8, 2018 Community Development
March 8, 2018 Entertainment Industry/Celebration Sphere
April 12, 2018 YWAM Foundational Values 4 – 6 (Practice Worship and Intercessory Prayer, Be Visionary, Champion Young People)
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 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.”
Review Open Door World WatchList 2017 to see the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted for their faith. See what they have to say about North Korea: www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/north-korea/ Download info booklet and read it to find out more about North Korean prison camps.
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.
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.
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:
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
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.
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!
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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 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.
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:
Whatever your current status, spend time with YWAMers who are in different stages of life. Pray with and for them. Learn from them. Help them meet a need.
If you are interested in YWAM member care and helping others throughout their missionary journey, attend a Missionary Care Foundations Course. The next one is November 5 – 17, 2017 in Prod, Romania. Contact membercare@ywamce.com
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.
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 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:
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:
Identify a Two-Thirds-World missionary that you know. Commit to pray for this person regularly with regard to support. Pray about supporting them monthly. Think about ways you can encourage them. Provide them with tools and training that may be useful to them.
Take FREE online course at ywamelearning.com which can be done by individuals or as a group. Contact Terry Sherman about giving a workshop on relational fundraising (sherryterman@gmail.com). She can also connect you with others within YWAM that are so trained.
Watch an online class with a group to obtain a biblical mindset on partnership: relationalfundraising.com
Host a Kairos Course at your church –http://www.kairoscourse.org/ This will spread more understanding of the role of the church in the Great Commission as senders and supporters of missionaries.
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.
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.
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.
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
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If you sense God giving you a word or a direction for YWAM’s prayer, please contact us:prayer@ywam.org.
Loren 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.
Loren Cunningham is the author of a number of books including:
