40 Days of Prayer and Fasting 2006 - Day 5

Focus: Highway of Holiness
By: Pamela B. Borgert, Africa Mercy

Scripture Reference: Say to those with anxious heart, “Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; the recompense of God will come. But He will save you.” Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will shout for joy, for waters will break forth in the wilderness and streams in the Arabah. The scorched land will become a pool and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, its resting place, grass becomes reeds and rushes. A highway will be there, a roadway, and it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, but it will be for him who walks that way, and fools will not wander on it. No lion will be there, nor will any vicious beast go up on it; these will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the Lord will return and come with joyful shouting to Zion, with everlasting joy upon their heads, they will find gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away (Isaiah 35:4-10).

Devotional: The Highway of Holiness . . . what does that truly mean to you? Are you walking the straight and narrow? Are you drawing close to God so that He will draw close to you? Are you filling the empty spots deep within yourself with the love of the Lord or with something worldly? The enemy would just love to find a little crack we have neglected to give to the Lord. We must allow the Lord to fill us full of His Spirit, affording forgiveness where we would not be able to forgive . . . love when we have nothing left to give . . . hope when all seems lost and peace in the midst of chaos. . . . extra patience and understanding that comes from deep within, not from us. . . . thanksgiving and joy in all circumstances . . . along with kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in all circumstances. Against such things there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23).

We must abide in Christ for all this fruit to be ours. Then our lights can shine for Jesus like the brightest star in the darkest night, so that we are able to go into all the world to preach, teach, and make disciples in the name of Jesus by the power of His Holy Spirit. We are to be the hands and feet of Jesus! I hope and pray that this encourages you today to abide in Him, to walk justly and humbly with your God by the power of His Holy Spirit. May the body of Christ of Mercy Ships grow stronger and stronger each day!

Prayer Points:

· Pray that we abide in Him through prayer, Bible study, accountability, church participation, fellowship, and obedience.

· Pray that the Lord will bless us and keep us and fill us to overflowing with our helper, the mighty and powerful Spirit of the Living God.

· Pray that He will work in us and through us in a mighty way. Today let's pray Colossians 1: 9-10 for one another . . . to grow in knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that we will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

40 Days of Prayer and Fasting 2006 - Day 4

Focus: Let Others Serve You
By Ray Broadbent, IOC


Scripture Reference:

“If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But people who are alone when they fall are in real trouble (Ecclesiastes 4:10).”

Devotional:

It’s easy to remember that we are supposed to serve others;
It’s harder to let others serve you.
God wants to show you his love through his people;
Don’t be afraid to ask them to help!


Prayer Points:

· Pray that as we serve others, we would see that they are also serving the Lord

· Pray that when we are in need, the Lord will send someone to meet the need or walk beside us.
· Pray that when our needs are met, we would know that it was ultimately met through Christ.

40 Days of Prayer and Fasting 2006 - Day 3

Focus: Faith in the Word
By: Winnie Dray, Africa Mercy

Scripture Reference:
But what does it say? “The Word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” – that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? Indeed they have; “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” (Romans 10:8, 17-18, NASB).

Devotional: There are a number of Greek words that are translated ‘word’ in the New Testament. We often hear about the ‘logos’ which is defined as ‘the expression of thought.’ A second word is ‘rhema’ which is defined as ‘that which is spoken, what is uttered in speech or writing.’ Rhema is the Greek word used in the Romans passages above.

The Greek word rhema is also translated in other ways such as in Luke 2, “When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing (saying/rhema) that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us” “And when they saw it, they made known what had been told (rhema) them concerning this Child,.” “But Mary was keeping within herself all these things (sayings/rhema), weighing and pondering them in her heart.”

A study of rhema in the New Testament shows us there is usually a personal message for an individual or group implied by the use of the word. My desire to understand the theme of this time of fasting and prayer - "Your Kingdom come . . . Your will be done," prompted the awareness that the primary way to know God’s will is in His Word. We need to fill ourselves with His Word, both the logos and the rhema as they are what the Holy Spirit uses most often to show us the will of the Father.

We also need to understand the author. From the first five words in Genesis, “In the beginning God created..,” the opportunity to know Him as creator for who He is and what He desires to do in and through us, is essential to learn His will and see His Kingdom grow. During the time of prayer and fasting, we are encouraged to include a component of meditation on His Word and ask the Lord if there is a rhema for yourself, your place in Mercy Ships and for the ministry to the poor and needy. We pray we can continue to be part of fulfilling the rhema - “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” This is one way His Kingdom will come.

Prayer Points:
* Pray for new revelation of who He is, as the author of our faith.

* Pray for a deeper understanding of the role He has led you to fulfill.

* Pray for special ways to share the rhema of God with the poor and needy where you are right now.

40 Days of Prayer and Fasting 2006 - Day 2

Focus: Living Sacrifice
By John Hensman, IOC

Scripture Reference:
As Christians, we're called to give ourselves to God as a living sacrifice. The Apostle Paul helps us understand this truth in his letter to the believers in Rome:

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of you mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:1-2).”

Devotional:
Some might ask -- Why would God be interested in my body? Our bodies are overweight, wrinkled, blotchy, achy, impulsive, unattractive, awkward, hard-of-hearing, and certainly getting older minute by minute as we read through this devotional. What kind of sacrifice is that…especially when the Old Testament demanded a flawless sheep? For most of us, we certainly don't measure up through our eyes. Scripture can’t be analyzed by looking into Webster’s Dictionary or even our bathroom mirror; if we do so, we will only formulate a wrong definition. God looks at the heart of His servant to define what characterizes a living sacrifice; but that heart attitude must embody the whole person, not just a specific part. Being a living sacrifice can be difficult and unpleasant at times; when it comes right down to it, the primary problem with most living sacrifices is, we tend to want to crawl off the altar during tough times.

It has taken Mercy Ships some 28+ years to get to this very special point in time. Since 1978, we have commissioned and retired a number of ships. Certainly our attitude has been one of placing others first and expecting nothing in return; thus He has allowed us continually to be a living sacrifice. As we look to the commissioning dedication and the first outreach of the Africa Mercy, we all need to consider our daily task in light of being that living sacrifice. We certainly have a great history; a track record that has been built on a strong foundation of sacrifice. Sacrifices of the past only serve to strengthen us, but we must continue to focus on why we are here and what a true living sacrifice represents. It is not about us…it is all about Him! Remember, service, commitment and self-sacrifice come in many different forms; i.e. please, thank you, and even better words are acceptable sacrifices to the One who looks at the heart, not the definition.

So, when you get frustrated, believing you are carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders, consider what God has offered you; the opportunity to be a living sacrifice.

Prayer Points:

* Pray that as tensions increase and tasks multiply, we view each task as a team effort; this type of sacrifice will allow us to keep rowing forward.

* Pray that we never forget why we are here and what it represents to those who have no hope.

* Pray that as crew step off the Anastasis, as we did with the Caribbean Mercy, we take with us God’s love; knowing that He will accept our past sacrifices to help develop those of tomorrow.

40 Days of Prayer and Fasting 2006 - Day 1

Focus: Africa
By Deyon Stephens, Co-Founder of Mercy Ships


Scripture Reference: “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a Temple at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May the Lord his God be with him, and let him go up!” (2 Chronicles 36:11).

Devotional: How strange it must have sounded to the exiles in Babylon to hear Cyrus make this proclamation! Was it not Babylon, which Cyrus now ruled, which had seventy years earlier killed most of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, razed it to the ground, and carried the few survivors off to exile?

So began the return of the Jews to Judah and the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the temple.

Today Bono, Bill and Melinda Gates, and Geldorf are using the megaphones of their influence to proclaim the necessity of justice and mercy for Africa. How strange it must sound to some to hear such proclamation from those who gained their influence through music, business and finances!

Still the spotlight of the western world is beginning to focus on Africa.

Africa needs all of us: The Church, businesses, governments, organizations, and individuals.

Mercy Ships was called to Africa more than 15 years ago. Others, too, have heard the command to rebuild Africa, some many years before us. Soon we will be joined by more workers. May God grant that Africa experience justice and mercy like never before.

Prayer Points:

• Pray that many will hear and respond to the proclamation on behalf of Africa.

• Pray for wise strategies for effective work, accountability, and measurement.

• Pray that Mercy Ships will be a clear demonstration of Jesus, in word and deed, to Africa and to those who come to help.

• Pray that God will move like never before in Africa, transforming people as well as their surroundings.