January 12, 2009 | 00:59:24

‘And all things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.’ Matthew 21:22

FEATURED PRAYER: Pray for an end in the civil war that is raging in Sri Lanka between its army and the separatist Tiger forces.  According to an official estimate, over 70,000 people have been killed in the war since 1983. Unofficial figures put it at a higher number. Pray that the present administration is able to bring a ceasefire with the Tigers and they return to talks to find a lasting solution to the ongoing strife in the neighboring country.

 

Jan 1: Pray to God that in 2009 you are able to live a life pleasing to God. Know His will and live according to the Word. Even as you thank Him for making you see a new year, ask God for His divine provisions, wisdom, guidance and grace as you take new steps.

 

Jan 2: We read in I Chronicles 13:14 that as long as the ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom the Lord blessed his house and all that he had. God has not changed. He wants to bless you, your family and all that you have. But is your home fit for Him to live in?

 

Jan 3: Psalm 33: 12 says ‘Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.’ Pray for our country today. Pray for the missions that you know working among people who have not heard of Jesus Christ. Pray that His name will be proclaimed in north, south, east and west.

 

Jan 4: Pray for the leaders who rule the nation. Apostle Paul makes a case for praying for kings and all those who are in authority in 1 Timothy 2:2. The reason is twofold: So that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. Secondly, it is good and acceptable in the sight of the Lord.

 

Jan 5: What Jesus said in Luke 21:12 is happening now. Servants of God are facing persecution more than ever. Orissa is a case in point. Communist China is another. Pray that Satan will not trouble those working in mission fields – inland and abroad. Cover them with the blood of Jesus Christ.

 

Jan 6: Pray for your church. Pray for the pastor, the worship leaders or the choir, the Sunday school teachers and the ushers. Pray that the Lord will add new believers to the church as it happened in Acts 2:47.

 

Jan 7: Pray for your pastor. That God will give him more grace (James 4:6), spiritual revelation through the Holy Spirit (John 14:26), anointing (Isaiah 10:27) and holiness (1 Peter 1:15,16).

 

Jan 8: Pray for your locality today. One of the reasons why the Lord blessed the widow in 2 Kings 4 is that she obeyed God’s Word totally. The prophet told her to borrow many vessels ‘from all your neighbors’. If she wasn’t in harmony with them, it would have been impossible for her to borrow many vessels from all those around. Pray also to God that you will be a peacemaker and an intercessor for your neighborhood. 

 

Jan 9: Pray for the unsaved family members. Remember every family has a few of them. But the reason why God saved you and put this prayer point in your hands is to pray for them. God wants them to be saved, too. ‘..He who loves God must love his brother also.’ I John 4:21.

 

Jan 10: Pray for all ministries you know. I Corinthians 12:5 says ‘There are differences of ministries but the same Lord.’ We all serve Jesus Christ. Different ministries exist because of different needs. Pray for ministries engaged in mission fields, social transformation, literature, media and apologetics. God wants all – from the layman to the intellectual in His Kingdom.

 

Jan 11: Alternative Poverty Report published in Dec 2008 says 36% of the needy in Israel live in hunger, one in five has contemplated suicide and one in four Israelis fear falling into poverty. Rise in food prices, lack of well-paying jobs and an inept government system have contributed to this situation. ‘Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. May they prosper who love you.’ Psalm 122:6.

 

Jan 12: Pray for Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders. He has come under attack by extremist Muslim organizations for producing a short film ‘Fitna’ that says Islamic culture is intolerant of all those violate Quran’s teachings. Pray for his safety. He has been a consistent supporter of Israel in Netherlands.

 

Jan 13: Pray for World Vision today. The Christian humanitarian organization works in nearly 100 countries serving close to 100 million people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender. Pray for World Vision India in particular. They work in 24 states across the country and have various development and disaster mitigation projects.

 

Jan 14: Pray for Western Sahara, a non-self-governed territory in north Africa under the United Nations. Its neighbors Morocco and Polisario Front claim right to the territory. Close to 400,000 people live in the huge tracts of desert. A 100% Muslim region, the territorial conflict has resulted in severe human rights abuses. Pray that the Light of the world will shine upon this region.

 

Jan 15: Over 50,000 Orissa Christians still remain homeless. Terrorized by the fundamentalist Hindutva groups, most of them still remain in forests. Families are scattered. Several of them have migrated to Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and even Tamil Nadu. Pray the Lord of Hosts will be with them. Claim Psalm 18:30 for them.

 

Jan 16: Pray for Mumbai terror victims’ families today. Death and destruction danced like mad in that City recently. Pray the State administration will resolve to protect its citizens from all threats – internal and external. Ask God to heal the wounds of the 26/11 victims’ families.

 

Jan 17: An AP report says the Russian administration is likely to test the mettle of US president-elect Barack Obama by taking a tougher stance against the US missile defence system. Pray the erstwhile superpower will not resort to any military adventurism and disturb the already fragile world peace.

 

Jan 18: Pray for the underground house churches in China. Christian World News recently reported that there’s an estimated 70 million to 100 million Christians in China. Even as believers are imprisoned, tortured and even executed, a great revival is sweeping across the country. It may be a closed nation but praise God, Jesus has the keys to any locked doors.

 

Jan 19: Out of the 5,353 respondents of the India Today 2008 sex survey, 37 per cent men and 17 per cent women claimed to have had their first sexual experience before the age of 20. Premarital sex, it said, found favor among women in most metros. Pray that our children are not corrupted by the ways of the world. Instruct Proverbs 2:16-19 to them.

 

Jan 20: Pray for Barack Obama as he is scheduled to be sworn in as 44^th president of United States. Doubts have been expressed about his faith. While evangelical groups in the US and around would have wanted John McCain to be elected, it was not to be. Remember God has allowed Obama to rule over the US. Pray according to 1 Timothy 2:2.

 

Jan 21: Global HR consultancy firm Mercer predicts 83% of companies in India expect salary increases in the coming year to be lower than originally planned by them. While most companies plan to avoid huge workforce reductions, they do not plan massive hiring either, the survey said. Pray things change for the better lest people become hopeless and despondent.

 

Jan 22: Child marriages are still practised in India. Despite Prohibition Act Against Child Marriages coming into existence from January 10, 2007, such unlawful marriages do happen. The Hyderabad district administration organized an awareness meeting with heads of various religions recently. Pray that such meetings happen in northern India where the practice is rampant.

 

Jan 23: Pray for the hundreds of white collar professionals who have lost their job due to downsizing and recession. Losing a cherished job is heartbreaking, leave alone the financial implications to the family. Pray they are able to find alternative means of livelihood. Claim the promise found in Philipians 4:19.

 

Jan 24: Six years after joining the US-led invasion of Iraq that ousted Saddam Hussein, British troops have made a decision to leave that country by May, 2009. They have some 4,000 soldiers based outside the southern city of Basra. Violence, terror strikes and suicide bombings are almost an every day occurrence in Iraq. Pray that the country doesn’t slip into anarchy after the British troops leave.

 

Jan 25: Pray for Indian Evangelical Team, founded by P G Vargis, an anointed man of God. Pray for their mission fields in north India, especially in Orissa and Kashmir. Pray for their magazines and books brought out by Faith Publications. Seek God’s anointing and favor upon this ministry.

 

Jan 26: This day marks the adoption of the Constitution of India and the transition of India from a British Dominion to a republic on January 26, 1950. Pray that lawmakers do not change the Constitution to suit fashionable demands, especially when some Union ministers are clamoring for changes in laws forbidding gay sex and prostitution. Pray that the leaders understand the perils of legalizing these unnatural and unholy acts.

 

Jan 27: Playboy Enterprises Inc, publishers of the porn magazine, may have apologized for publishing the photo of a nude model resembling Virgin Mary on the cover of its Mexican edition recently but it has surely scarred the minds of thousands of Christians. Pray that tougher laws against the porn industry come into existence.

 

Jan 28: A church building was dismantled in the heart of Imphal, capital of Manipur on Dec 14, 2008. The village council issued a notice to Christian minorities living among tribal community not to practice their faith. The church pastor, his wife and children were beaten and their house was dismantled. Pray for the safety of Kaphun Kamei and his family. Pray the village head and his council will be favorable towards children of God.

 

Jan 29: Pray for Naxal groups in India. A Home Ministry report said Naxalites destroyed 43 mobile phone towers in six states till November, 2008. Pray that missionaries reach out to these ‘lost’ men and women active in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chattisgarh and Jharkhand.

 

Jan 30: Pray for Bro. Augustine Jebakumar and his GEMS ministry. Pray for continued anointing on the 62-year-old preacher. Pray God will open new doors for his ministry this year. Uphold his team workers spread across in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Nepal.

 

Jan 31: Pray for The Christian Messenger media ministry. We have been doing this ministry for close to seven years now. Pray that God would enlarge our territory; that His hand would be upon all those who manage the newspapers, website and outreach ministries; that He would keep us from evil that we may not cause pain either to God or man. 1 Chronicles 4:10.  

  

Do you have a prayer point? Write to us at PO Box 3462, Anna Nagar, Chennai 40 or simply email it to contact@christianmessenger.in We would be happy to pray for your request along with other readers.

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