July Prayer Guide 2021
BHUTAN — A Bhutanese church leader shared the following update with us: “It’s been many months that I am getting the privilege to share the Word of God during Sunday fellowship in our local church. I am preaching mostly from Words of Hope’s YouTube sermons because they are not only consistent, but also very relevant […]
Do You Believe God?
Read: Hebrews 11:1-12 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (v. 6) In the classic movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Indiana embarks upon a search for the Holy Grail. When he […]
A Parent’s Blessing
Read: Matthew 10:37-42 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. (v. 39) We were visiting a supporting church in the United States. A middle-aged man said to me, “Our son wants to go into mission work. My wife and I are hesitant to endorse […]
Estevan Prayed
Read: Ephesians 6:10-16 Take your stand against the devil’s schemes. (v. 11 NIV) The Theological Education by Extension Program was finishing its fifth year. The goal of this program was theological training for the many new believers who would be teaching and evangelizing among their people. Over four hundred Tzeltals participated, each taking three courses […]
Heaven-sent Wisdom
Read: Leviticus 19:18; James 3:13-18 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. (v. 17 NIV) Calixto and Maria had been childless for years. Calixto’s single sister lived with them too. Maria and Calixto had talked of adopting […]
God Frees the Tojolabal Christians
Read: Psalm 91 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. (v. 11 NIV) There was conflict in the Tojolabal village of Saltillo. Nine Christian men fled their homes because the non-Christian majority threatened to kill them. They went into hiding in the nearby town of Las Margaritas. […]
Love Your Neighbor as Yourself
Read: 1 John 4:7-16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. (v. 16 NIV) It was a cold afternoon when Maria came, carrying her three-year-old son on her back, with her five-year-old daughter trotting along […]
Trust and Don’t Be Afraid
Read: Psalm 34:1-10 He delivered me from all my fears. (v. 4 NIV) I was in a hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan, scheduled to have another lump removed from one of my breasts. Each previous growth had been benign, but as I prayed, I felt sure this one would be malignant. We had three small […]
A Good Reputation
Read: Proverbs 22:1; 1 Peter 2:12-17 A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. (Proverbs 22:1 NIV) During the Zapatista uprising, rebels often seized farms in Chiapas, killing or driving away the owners. One night some young Tzeltals in the village of Living Water decided […]