Prayer and Bible Reading Guide

 

Prayer  and  Bible  Reading  Guide   February  24  –  March  2,  2013   Day  1  

Day  2  

Day  3  

Day  4  

Day  5  

Day  6  

Matthew  5:33-­‐37  

1  Peter  2:21-­‐23  

Romans  1 2:14-­‐21  

Proverbs  20:22  

1  Peter  3:8-­‐12  

Matthew  5:38-­‐42  

            In     the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  Jesus  is  teaching  the  ethics  of  his  kingdom.  Jesus  wants  his  followers  to  be  right  on  the  inside  –  he   calls  his  people  to  be  pure  in  heart,  not  just  in  body.  The  daily  Bible  readings  above  focus  on  the  Christian  virtue  of  peacefulness,   especially  in  circumstances  where  injury  or  offense  is  received.  Kingdom  citizens  are  so  marked  by  peace,  that  offenses  do  not   elicit  retaliation,  but  rather  forgiveness.  This  response  reveals  a  trust  in  God,  waiting  on  him  to  bring  justice  to  completion.    

Mar  3-­‐Matt  5:38-­‐42,  Do  Not  Retaliate              Mar  10-­‐1Pet  1:22-­‐2:3,  Motivation  for  Ministry            Mar  1 7-­‐Matt  5:43-­‐48,  Love  Your  Enemies  

PRAYING  FOR  GOD’S  GLORY   Pray  that  as  citizens  of  God’s  kingdom,  we  would  be  people  marked  by  sincerity  and  honesty  in  all  our  dealings  and   conversation.  Pray  that  we  would  be  relentlessly  honest,  and  that  our  honesty  would  be  consistently  textured  by  love,   so  that  in  every  situation,  we  would  bring  glory  to  God  by  building  others  up  with  loving  honest  speech.   PRAYING  FOR  GOD’S  PEOPLE   This  week  we  will  be  praying  for  Raleigh  Mennonite  Church   (downtown)  and  their  pastor  Duane  Beck.  Please  pray  for   these  brothers  and  sisters  throughout  the  week.  Also  pray  for   the  following:   Day  1:  Pray  for  pastors/members  of  Raleigh  M ennonite   Church,  that  their  gospel  love  would  stand  in  stark  contrast  to   the  darkness  of  sin.  Pray  for  them  as  they  invest  much  energy   to  concern  for  social  justice  in  their  downtown  community.   Pray  that  they  would  be  a  b lessing  to  their  community  as  they   reflect  Christ’s  love.  Pray  that  the  Word  of  God  would  be   taught  faithfully  in  the  church  each  week.   Day  2:  Pray  for  Steve  and  Kristi,  as  they  seek  to  plant  a  church   among  the  minority  Muslim  community  where  they  serve  in   East  Asia.  Pray  that  the  team  would  have  unity  in  Christ  and   that  God  would  bring  fruit  as  they  teach  the  gospel  to  others.   Day  3:  Pray  for  safety  and  fruitfulness  for  Bob  Olender  as  he   teaches  pastors  and  preaches  at  evangelistic  gatherings  in   Nepal  throughout  this  week.   Day  4:  Pray  for  Tom  Mercer  as  he  p repares  to  teach  this   coming  Sunday  from  Matthew  5:38-­‐42.  Pray  that  the  Spirit   would  give  insight  and  direction  in  his  study  (1  Cor.  2:12-­‐13).   Day  5:  Pray  that  the  40  Days  for  Life  campaign   (40daysforlife.com)  would  bring  about  greater  concern  for   protecting  lives  of  the  unborn.  Pray  also  for  women  in  Raleigh   who  are  p regnant  or  may  become  pregnant  to  understand  the   value  of  the  child  they  are  carrying  and  the  fact  that  their  child   is  created  in  the  image  of  God  for  h is  purposes  and  glory.   Day  6:  Pray  that  we  God  would  give  members  of  CCC  grace   and  courage  to  share  our  joy  in  the  gospel  with  those  who  do   not  know  Christ.  Pray  that  the  Spirit  would  use  our  witness  to   convert  sinners  and  make  disciples.  

PRAYING  FOR  GOD’S  WORLD   This  week  we  are  praying  for  the  advancement  of  the  gospel   among  the  people  in  Uzbekistan  in  Central  Asia.  Please  use  this   information  to  inform  your  prayers,  taken  from  Operation   World  (available  in  the  bookstore):     Religion                                   Pop  %   Ann  Gr   Christians   208,457   0.75   -­‐1.6   Evangelicals   84,957   0.3   4.4   Muslim   23,605,696   84.93       Expatriate  Christians  serving  the  Lord  in  Uzbekistan  have   almost  all  been  expelled  and  foreign  agencies  shut  down  –  a   mixed  blessing  as  it  forces  the  indigenous  Church  to  unite,   mature  and  stand  firm.  Pray  that  those  whom  the  Lord  has   called  to  minister  to  Uzbeks  might  find  ways  and  places  to  serve   them  and  win  them  to  Christ.    

The  unreached.  Only  a  small  fraction  of  the  Muslim  majority   have  ever  had  the  opportunity  to  hear  the  gospel.  Almost  every   Muslim  people  group  is  less  than  0.1%  Christian.  Pray   specifically  for  the:    

a)  Karakalpaks,  who  live  south  of  the  Aral  Sea  and  are  m ore   Russified  Sunni  Muslims  with  strong  Sufi  influence.  Nukus,  the   regional  capital,  is  witnessing  unprecedented  church  growth,   despite  persecution  being  most  intense  in  this  area.  A  few   thousand  have  come  into  the  Kingdom  in  recent  years.  Since  the   government  shut  every  non-­‐Orthodox  church,  almost  all  growth   is  through  underground  house  churches.  Uzbeks  in  the  region   are  also  coming  to  Christ.  Pray  for  the  Church  here  to  stand  fast   and  to  keep  growing  and  for  the  completion  of  the  Bible  in   Karakalpak.    

b)  Tajiks  comprise  a  majority  in  both  Samarkand  and  Bukhara.   There  are  few  believers  among  them.  Iranian-­‐Median  rather   than  Turkic,  they  are  discriminated  against  by  the  government.   Pray  that  their  suffering  might  draw  them  to  Christ.