2015 Prayer Diary sample

2015 P E R S O N A L

P R AY E R D I A R Y D A I L Y

Name Street Address / Box Number City / State-Province / Zip-Postal Code

P L A N N E R

YWAM Publishing is the publishing ministry of Youth With A Mission (YWAM), an international missionary organization of Christians from many denominations dedicated to presenting Jesus Christ to this generation. To this end, YWAM has focused its efforts in three main areas: (1) training and equipping believers for their part in fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19), (2) personal evangelism, and (3) mercy ministry (medical and relief work).

For a free catalog of books and materials, call (425) 771-1153 or (800) 922-2143.

Visit us online at www.ywampublishing.com.

Project Editors Ryan Davis Luann Anderson Design Angela Bailey Illustrations Julie Bosacker © 2014 by YWAM Publishing. All rights reserved.

Published by YWAM Publishing a ministry of Youth With A Mission P.O. Box 55787, Seattle, WA 98155-0787 Information was taken from the most recent and reliable sources available to the best of our knowledge. Every effort has been made to ensure factual accuracy. However, because of the complexity and rapid pace of world events, statistical information should not be regarded as authoritative. Updated information is welcome.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Navy: 978-1-57658-836-9 Burgundy: 978-1-57658-837-6 Green: 978-1-57658-838-3 Black: 978-1-57658-839-0 Insert: 978-1-57658-840-6 Printed in China

Contents Welcome Using Your Personal Prayer Diary and Daily Planner 4 Principles for Life and Prayer Human Dignity: The Forsaken Soul of Western Civilization 6 In the Service of Donkeys 10 Living Intentionally: What We Do and Why 11 Calendars Weekly Prayer Plan 13 2015–2017 Year-at-a-Glance Planners 14 2015 Month-at-a-Glance Planners 22, 36, 48, 60, 74, 86, 98, 112, 124, 138, 150, 162 2015 Week-at-a-Glance Planners beginning on page 24 Monthly Guides to Intercession and Reflection January: Transformation in Nicaragua 20 February: The Children of Eastern DRC 34 March: Restoration in Fukushima 46 April: Syria’s Older Refugees 58 May: Conflict in Central African Republic 72 June: Women’s Suffering in India 84 July: Unreached Peoples of Indonesia 96 August: Oppression in Venezuela 110 September: Shining Light in the Kingdom 122 October: Children and Disability 136 November: Vietnam’s Tribal Christians 148 December: Prisoners and Their Children 160 Snapshots of the World Weekly Featured Nations beginning on page 24 Maps of the World 178 Countries of the World 188 Time Zones 199 Scripture Infusion Daily Bible-Reading Plan beginning on page 24 Weekly Meditation and Memorization beginning on page 24 Bible-Reading Checklist 174 Resources Contacts 200 Notes/Journal Pages 202 Contributors 205 Article Notes 205

WELCOME

living and praying intentionally in 2015

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ou hold in your hands a unique prayer and scheduling tool designed to help you live an intentional, integrated life connected to God’s kingdom. This multifaceted resource is far more than an effective organizer. It is a window through which thousands of believers like you see God’s work in the world and join in through vital intercession for the nations.

A well-known Bible passage can shape our actions and prayers for the nations this year: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (1 Cor. 13:4–7). This sacrificial love, made possible and sustained by the grace of God in our lives, is directed away from ourselves and toward the “other.” As Christians we seek to know who this “other” is. Like Jesus’s questioner, we often find ourselves asking, “Who is my neighbor?”

(Luke 10:29).

One profound answer to this question comes in the story that Jesus tells of the King who separates, or judges, the people of all the nations at the end of the age (Matt. 25:31–46). To those on his right—the righteous—the King says, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” The righteous respond in wonderment, “Lord, when did we do these things?” The King replies, “Truly I tell 4

you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

For two millennia, Christ’s followers have recognized the divine call to care for “the least of these,” knowing that God is committed to the poor and needy (Ps. 140:12) and that he chose the weak things in the world to shame the strong (1 Cor. 1:27). Today, given our technologically advanced and globalized world, we are more aware than ever of the great and many needs both near and far. And yet our calling is the same: to serve the poor, the vulnerable, the oppressed, the widowed, the orphaned, the elderly, the sick, the disabled, the imprisoned, and the excluded.

The prayers and articles throughout this planner highlight many of those around the world who are undoubtedly “the least of these.” This year, may you be encouraged and empowered by God’s grace to serve the lowly in humble, hopeful love, knowing that in doing so you are serving the selfsacrificing Savior and King.

Using Your Personal Prayer Diary and Daily Planner The Personal Prayer Diary and Daily Planner is designed to assist you in integrating three vital areas of your daily life: (1) intercessory prayer; (2) Bible reading and meditation; and (3) planning your daily, weekly, monthly, and annual schedules. It provides many opportunities for you to live and pray intentionally throughout the year.

Mini-library of relevant Christian teaching. Beginning on page 6 is a series of short teachings to further inform your intercession and help you discover principles readily applicable to your daily walk with God. These challenging, insightful teachings lay a strong foundation for prayer, mission, and personal reflection and growth.

Welcome C

February

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E G

by Holly Frew

A F

ourteen-year-old Mariamu had just finished her homework and was working in the family garden with her grandmother when a bomb landed just feet away, knocking them both to the ground. They quickly got up and ran to the family’s home to find it empty. The sound of bombs and gunfire surrounded them, and everyone was running. Here we go again, Mariamu thought. This was the third time she’d had to flee from violent attacks on her community.

But this time she became separated from her family and couldn’t return to her home because it had been destroyed. Mariamu ran for three days with strangers also fleeing the violence. She arrived at a displacedpeople camp hoping she would be reunited with her family. A year and half later, she’s still living in the camp looking for her family. She sleeps alone in a tent each night, but one hope keeps her going: “All I want is for there to be peace so I can go home and see my family again.”

people have been displaced. Over the years, millions of dollars and thousands of people have tried to secure peace for eastern DRC, and great strides have been made in the past few years, including a peace deal signed in November 2013 between the government of DRC and the M23 rebel group, one of the most notorious armed parties. However, many armed groups are still active, from small, local self-defense groups to heavily armed militia originating from neighboring countries. Nearly all operating in the region have been documented as committing violence against children.

The DRC is one of the toughest places in the world to be a child, and the impacts on children growing up in conflict are ever present. World Vision interviewed over 100 children in eastern DRC in September 2013 and compiled their testimonies in a report. Many of the children describe atrocities committed so frequently that they believe violence is inevitable and abuse is normal.

Teenagers who have known nothing but war talk of being forced to flee fighting time and again, moving from one camp to another, being separated from family members, losing years of education every time they run. Feelings of grief and

Monthly articles exploring places of brokenness and redemption around the world (A). Each month you’ll read about a people, nation, or issue in desperate need of the church’s intercession and intervention. Each Sunday you’ll find a reminder to pray for the people or situation discussed in that Growing Up in Conflict month’s Notes to the articles and a list of The historyprofile. of conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) dates back nearly 20 years during the time of the Rwandan contributors can be genocide. found on page 205.

According to the UN in mid-2013, millions have lost their lives as a result, and over 2.5 million Daily thematic prayer guide (B). Each day a group or need related to that month’s prayer focus is targeted for prayer. Join thousands of other diary users worldwide in praying for the same people or situation.

Bible meditation and memorization guide (C).

Weekly meditation and memory verses are found at the beginning of each week. By meditating on and memorizing each selection, you will commit 53 portions of Scripture to memory in 2015.

Weekly guide to praying for the nations (D). A nation related to the monthly prayer focus is highlighted each week. Important information and a flag are included in each listing to assist you in praying for that nation. On pages 197–98 you’ll find explanations of the symbols and categories used in the listings. Each nation may also be located geographically using the maps section beginning on page 178.

Two-track Bible-reading program (E). Option 1: Read through the Bible in a year by following the reading guide each day. Option 2: Use the checkoff system on pages 174–77 to read the Scriptures in your own order and at your own pace. By reading an average of 3.5 chapters each day, you will read the entire Bible in one year, 34

regardless of the order you choose to read each portion.

Calendars for planning your day, week, and year (F). A three-year long-range planner can be found starting on page 14. Each month opens with a month-at-a-glance planner to keep track of important events, birthdays, and appointments. The daily calendar is designed in a handy week-at-aglance format. This section can be used as a daily planning tool or as a daily journal and prayer diary should you desire to use the monthly planner for all your scheduling needs. (Note that some nonChristian religious holidays are included on the calendars as an aid to prayer.)

Personal notes and contacts. A personal notes/ prayer journal page is included at the beginning of each month. Additional notes/journal pages begin on page 202. Also, a handy section for recording phone numbers and addresses begins on page 200.

Reference helps (G). The world maps, countries of the world section, and time-zone chart are found on pages 178–87, 188–98, and 199, respectively.

The more you use your Personal Prayer Diary and Daily Planner, the more it will assist you in connecting the whole of your life to God’s kingdom. As you learn about areas of need and areas of hope in God’s world this year, both through this tool and in your daily life, be encouraged and emboldened in the knowledge that you are one of thousands of Christians using this diary worldwide who are united in vital intercession.

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HUMAN

Dignity

the forsaken soul of western civilization

by Vishal Mangalwadi

A

visit to Africa led me to ask: Why is it that cultures that built pyramids and Taj Mahals could not make wheelbarrows for their women and children, slaves and laborers?

I discovered that it was a particular belief that enabled the West to abolish slavery and grant to their women greater liberty than even matriarchal cultures. The belief was that all human beings, whether high or low, educated or illiterate, rich or poor, healthy or sick, male or female, or black or white, were equal. And what made the strong and the weak equal? It was not that everyone evolved equally but the fact that every human being was made in God’s image and therefore was endowed with dignity.

This peculiar doctrine of the dignity of man was the force that made the West different from the rest of the world, but now it is no longer a part of Ivy League universities. At the dawn of the modern era, Michelangelo painted this idea on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. He depicted God reaching out his arm to create Adam in his own image, while Eve is in the other arm of God, looking at the marvel that is Adam and awaiting her own creation, which will be a marvel for Adam.

The contemporary West mocks Michelangelo’s 6

worldview and devalues human life to the level of mere animals. Let me illustrate by sharing a true, though tragic, story.

Sheela’s Story When my wife Ruth and I moved out of the city to serve poor peasants in India, I was writing my first book, The World of Gurus. We had no tables or chairs. I sat on a stool and handwrote the book on a small wooden plank that came out of the wall on one side of our bed. Ruth sat on the other side of the bed, editing my manuscript and typing it on a typewriter. When I didn’t have enough work for Ruth, she would cycle to the village and go door-to-door to learn about our neighbors. She wanted to know how many children were studying and what we could do to help those who were not going to school. Ruth ran into a ten-year-old girl and asked her, “How many brothers and sisters do you have?”

“Three, maybe four,” the girl replied.

“Do you have three or do you have four?”

Ruth asked, seeking clarification.

“Three,” she said. “The fourth is almost dead.”

“Can I come and see this child?” Ruth asked.

Ruth had to bend down to go through a little

Human Dignity door into a mud hut without a window or lighting. In the middle of the room was a bare string cot, and on this was an eighteen-month-old skeleton of a girl’s body with pus oozing from sores all over, including her head. Flies covered her face because she couldn’t raise her hand to chase them away.

The girl was so weak that she couldn’t cry.

When she tried to cry, she only sighed. Her thighs were as thick as an adult’s thumb. As Ruth looked at this dying child—Sheela—she started to cry.

“What’s wrong with her?” Ruth asked the mother.

The mother smirked and said, “Oh, she doesn’t eat anything. Whatever we give her she vomits.”

“Have you taken her to the doctor?”

“What’s the use? What can the doctors do if she will not eat anything?”

“How do we know what doctors can or cannot do? Shouldn’t we give her the medical attention that is available?”

The mother got a little irritated. “How can we afford to go to the doctor?”

Ruth was sorry that they were too poor to go even to a free clinic in the city, so she said, “I will give you the money to take this child to the hospital.”

The mother said, “I am afraid of the city. I can’t go there.”

“Well, take your husband.”

“How can he go? Who will look after the fields and the cattle?”

“What if I gave him money to hire a laborer for a day to look after his field? Would he then come with you? I will come with you and help you navigate your way around.”

“I will speak to my husband.” With that the mother ended the conversation.

Ruth bicycled back to our house and got after me. “You have to talk to the husband.” Though I wasn’t playing cards or watching TV, I had to submit. I went, even though the couple wasn’t expecting me.

They had made up their minds that they were not going to the hospital.

“Why?” I asked.

“We don’t have the money.”

“But my wife told you that we will give you the money.”

“We don’t want to get into debt.”

“I will give it to you in writing that this is a gift, not a loan. We are never going to ask you for this money back.”

“But we don’t have the time.”

“My wife told you that we will pay for a laborer so that you can create time to come.”

That really got them irritated.

“Why are you bothered? She is our daughter.”

I didn’t know how to answer that. Why am I bothered? The only way I could interpret that question was that they wanted Sheela to die. Although I didn’t believe that any parent could do that, there was no other way to interpret their behavior. So I decided to raise my voice and at least pretend to be angry.

“Are you killing this child? If you are killing her, why are you being so cruel? Why don’t you pick up a knife and stab her, instead of letting her go through this pain and suffering?”

They were stunned, but I continued. “Look, if you don’t take this child to the hospital, tomorrow I am going to bring the police here and lodge a complaint that you are killing this child.”

By this time there was a crowd around us, and I tried to put the pressure of public opinion upon the parents. I looked around for moral support, but everybody looked at me as though I was a fool. It took me months to realize that I was, in fact, utterly ignorant. The parents were doing what was customary in the village. They already had one girl; why did they need the second girl?

The first one can cook and clean and look after the siblings. Why should they take on additional trouble to bring up another girl who will need a dowry to qualify for marriage?

One elderly gentleman told the parents, “Look, this fellow is crazy. He might actually bring the police. If the police take your daughter to the hospital, you will have to pay the bill. Since he is offering to pay, why don’t you go?”

The next day Ruth took Sheela and her mother to a hospital that was not free but was of better quality. Sheela was so anemic that the hospital staff couldn’t give her any medication or feed her 7

Human Dignity fluid through her nose. She had to be put on intravenous. In a week she gained enough strength so that they could start treating her and feeding her with a tube. After another week the doctor said, “The bill is getting too high. Why don’t you take Sheela to your home and feed her? I will come once a week to check on her.”

Sheela stayed in our home for a month. Once we made the decision to do whatever it took, we really fell in love with Sheela, and she began to respond to that love. For the first time we could see her smiling. Her smile was worth all the trouble.

But a month or so later the mother came and started fighting.

“Everyone in the village is saying that our daughter is eating your food and this is polluting our caste. We will be excommunicated. We want our daughter back.”

Ruth said, “We have no intention of taking Sheela away from you. We want you to take your daughter and look after her. I will pay for the milk, but I will give it directly to the milkman. You take care of Sheela, and we will come and visit her.”

Ruth started paying the milkman, but within a few weeks Sheela was back to square one. The milk was being fed not to Sheela but to her brothers. The whole process had to be repeated. Ruth had to fight with the mother, I had to fight with the father, and then Ruth had to take Sheela and her mother to the hospital. Sheela was again put on intravenous, then fed by tubes, and eventually brought to our home. And the mother came back and fought again. We assumed that she had learned her lesson, so we gave her another lecture on parental responsibility and gave Sheela to her along with some clothes, hoping that this time things would be better.

Within days, dear Sheela was dead.

I was convinced that her parents had killed her. Ruth didn’t believe that any parent could possibly do that. After we had three more experiences of that kind, Ruth began to realize that infanticide was a common practice in our area and decided, therefore, that we should never take this risk. If parents do not want a child, we should take the baby and find a home for her (or him). We made that our practice: no questions, no arguments—if 8

you don’t want the child, we will find a home for her.

Unique Dignity What we experienced with Sheela’s parents was a clash of two worldviews, both of which cannot be true. We saw this child very differently than the parents saw their own daughter. For us she was a precious individual. For them a second daughter was a liability: you feed her for ten to twelve years, treat her, educate her, and then you have to go into debt to get her married. That is not the end either. The in-laws may torture the girl to extract a larger dowry from her parents. Her whole life is suffering. Why not end this suffering quickly and smoothly and avoid hassles to yourself and the child? What is the truth—was Sheela a liability, or was she as valuable as her brothers and any other person in the world?

Sheela’s parents had no philosophical basis for affirming the positive value of Sheela’s life. In fact, they did not realize their own human dignity.

They did not know that poverty and misery are not inevitable and inescapable. They were Hindus, but like most Hindus they accepted the Buddha’s first Noble Truth that life is suffering. They didn’t know that life does not need to be suffering.

Suffering is not written in our stars, karma, fate, or destiny.

Sheela’s mother, grandmother, and greatgrandmother may have experienced life as miserable. But could Sheela’s parents give to her a different and better future? Could a poor family bring up a daughter in a way that she could become a source of a better future for the whole family? Could a girl lift an entire village out of poverty? Sheela’s parents were poor, but their poverty was more than material. They knew we were willing to give a new life to Sheela, but they lacked faith. A second daughter was not valuable enough for them to resist the pressure of a culture that preferred she die rather than eat our food.

The belief in the unique dignity of human beings was the force that created Western civilization, where citizens do not exist for the state but the state exists for individuals. Even kings, presidents, prime ministers, and army generals cannot

Human Dignity be allowed to trample upon an individual and his or her rights. The idea of human dignity liberated children from the dark, satanic mills of the Industrial Revolution in Britain. It led to the American Revolution, which ended colonialism, and to the American Civil War, which ended slavery. It continues to inspire all sorts of movements for justice and equity.

The West was never perfect, but it was a mighty achievement to create a civilization where the king of England or the president of America had all the power to do right but no power to do wrong by taking away the life of a disadvantaged girl. The West valued human beings because the Bible says: What is man that you [God] are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?

[Even though a human being is but a speck] You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory [dignitas] and honor.

You have made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet.

(Ps. 8:4–6) The contemporary West, especially Europe, is now busy amputating its soul. It is rejecting the source of its greatness, that is, the truth revealed

by God’s Word that defines the value of every individual and redefines the purpose and the function of the state. The West is discarding the source of its morality, rationality, family, and humanity: the intellectual foundation of human rights, justice, compassion, care, and education. In this depressing environment one comforting fact for me as an Indian is that Bollywood movies such as Taare Zameen Par (Stars on Earth) are trying to change India by injecting into our culture the biblical idea of the dignity of every child.

Serving a weak, unwanted girl may be a more attractive idea than killing her, but why should Sheela’s parents pay the price to follow an idea simply because it sounded attractive? Why not choose an easier, more convenient, and cheaper course of action—killing her? The only reason to choose the emotionally and monetarily costly course is the belief that as a human being endowed with a soul, every person, including every girl, is infinitely valuable. It is truth that transforms.

The Christian Case for Hope Is transformation possible in our world? As Old Testament prophets such as Isaiah realized, a commitment to truth can be costly in a society that has sold its soul. Reflecting on the cost of ultimate healing and transformation, Isaiah wrote, “The punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed” (53:5). It is by his wounds that the Messiah brings healing to a nation.

A Hindu views God as Creator (Brahma), Sustainer (Vishnu), and Destroyer (Shiva). But the Bible presents God as Creator, Savior, and Judge—not destroyer. A judge in the Bible is someone who punishes the wicked and establishes justice on earth. That is a message of hope for a person who chooses to suffer for the sake of righteousness in an age where wickedness is the way to prosper.

The Christian’s hope for a better future rests not on his or her own record of success but on Christ’s victory in history over sin, Satan, and death, and on his promise to return as judge and ruler. Paul says that we who were dead in trespasses and sins have already been raised to life and made to sit with Christ in a position of authority to do good works (Eph. 2:1–10). To bear witness to the kingship of Christ is to pick a fight with the prince of death, who wishes to keep this world in bondage to decay. God is the one who delivers us from slavery, but he has given the rod of authority to human beings. We are to act in obedience of faith to see God’s power to deliver.

Adapted from Vishal Mangalwadi, Truth and Transformation: A Manifesto for Ailing Nations (Seattle: YWAM Publishing, 2009), 55–64, 220, 226–27. Used by permission.

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b y C a r o l Va n K l o m p e n b u r g

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fter ten years as a pastor of a tiny Nicaraguan congregation, Pastor Pablo was discouraged.

For years he had preached at daily services, prayed far into the night, and fasted for weeks. He preached energetically about the evils of local soccer games, consumption of alcohol, and street gangs as well as the shortcomings of other congregations. He held evangelism meetings, with preaching and music blaring from powerful amplifiers. He led worship, organized Sunday school, and even cleaned the church building, which also provided a room to house him and his family of five. Ten years before, when he heard God’s call to leave his factory job and become a pastor, he responded, despite his lack of pastoral training. Now doubts loomed. His congregation remained minuscule, and their lives remained unchanged. His village remained poor, and the frequent, fervent worship services didn’t seem to change anyone’s daily life.

Pastor Pablo and some members of his congregation sometimes went without food and couldn’t afford to send their children to school.

The Entrance of Poverty Abounding with lakes and mountains, Nicaragua is the second largest country in Central America—and currently the second poorest. In 1960, it 20

was the wealthiest, but poverty entered through a series of earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, and civil wars. Forty-six percent of the population is currently below the poverty line. Sixteen percent of these live on less than $1.25 per day. Nearly half of the population is unemployed or underemployed.

In recent decades, foreign aid has provided 26% of Nicaraguan income, which has been a mixed blessing. It has helped the country recover from disasters and has sometimes produced a culture of dependence.

Many Nicaraguans are people of resilience and hope. They eke out subsistence incomes with mini-businesses—running roadside food stands, making ceramics, turning their front porches into pulperias (neighborhood grocery stores), and scavenging recyclables from the local landfill.

The population of Nicaragua is 5.8 million, and another 2 million Nicaraguans work abroad, primarily in the United States and Costa Rica. As a result of these adults working abroad—and of the decades of civil war—58% of the population is under 25. And unemployed youth are at high risk of violence, drug abuse, and crime.

In addition, an estimated 60% of Nicaraguan women have been physically abused by a partner

Transformation in Nicaragua at least once. In this machismo society, extramarital affairs are often the norm for men, who may have both a wife and a girlfriend. Nevertheless, extended family relationships are warm and loyal; sometimes three generations of a family live and work together. Respect of children for their mothers continues strong into their adult lives.

Nicaragua provides a free public education but funds this education with only $97 per student, resulting in low school quality. Many families cannot afford the required school uniforms and supplies, and those children are unable to attend. One-fourth of Nicaraguans cannot read.

Christian schools are on the increase throughout the country, most of them sponsored by individual evangelical churches and located on church property.

Roman Catholicism—with strong elements of idol worship and elements borrowed from indigenous paganism—dominates in Nicaragua; it was the state religion until 1995. But 25% of Nicaraguans are now evangelicals, most of them members of tiny, struggling congregations with fewer than 50 members. An extreme legalism and judgmental view of local communities often characterize the evangelical churches. Some people say Nicaraguans have been evangelized but not discipled.

A New Vision A small but growing number of Nicaraguan congregations are sensing a need for the transformation of lives and culture as well as hearts. They are learning to be salt for the earth. As pastors and congregations catch a vision that God is Lord of all, changes are beginning to happen in their lives.

They have founded schools for neighborhood children, even those who cannot afford uniforms.

They teach children to read and about the love of Jesus. Church members learn to purify water and cook healthy foods. They learn metal working, carpentry, and computer skills to contribute to society and provide a better income. They begin to realize that God meant marriage to be a partnership, not an abusive relationship. They found youth ministries to combat the gangs and violence. They reach outside the walls of their

churches. They learn that assistance is a “hand up,” not a handout.

These are the lessons that Pastor Pablo has learned. One Sunday, after preaching that his congregation should be more heavenly minded, not worrying about the physical world, Pablo entered the rooms in which he and his family lived, attached to the church, and found no food for his family to eat. He realized that a drastic change was needed. He fasted, prayed, and decided to attend pastoral training. There he caught a vision of a church that recognizes this is our Father’s world and that ministers to the surrounding community.

After his training, he called a communitywide meeting and apologized for judging the community instead of working with them. Then he and members of his congregation organized a ­community-wide garbage cleanup day. They surveyed local residents and discovered that they were hungry for more education for their children—so his congregation launched a Christian school. It began as a primary school, and then expanded into a secondary school. It now provides computer and vocational training as well. Church members have attended marriage seminars, and the occurrence of domestic abuse has shrunk.

Step by step, Pablo and other Nicaraguan congregations are learning that this world belongs to their Lord, and that they can be his hands and feet as they live and work in it.

Pray • that missionaries in Nicaragua will recognize the strengths of the culture and nurture self-reliance • that Nicaraguan congregations catch the vision of God as Lord of all • for protection from hurricanes and earthquakes • for a spirit of hope to energize N ­ icaraguans and rescue them from fatalism and hopelessness • that pastors will receive the appropriate training to better lead their congregations • that the teachers of Nicaragua receive the training to teach well, that students are motivated to attend school, and that their parents have the funding to send them 21

January Sunday

Monday

month at a glance Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

1

Notes:

Friday

Saturday

2

3

New Year’s Day

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Epiphany

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

27

28

29

30

31

M. L. King Jr. Day

25

22

26

Notes & Prayer Journal

December

S M T W T F S

7 14 21 28

1 8 15 22 29

2 9 16 23 30

3 10 17 24 31

4 11 18 25

5 12 19 26

6 13 20 27

Januar y

S M T W T F S

4 11 18 25

5 12 19 26

6 13 20 27

7 14 21 28

1 8 15 22 29

2 9 16 23 30

3 10 17 24 31

Februar y

S M T W T F S

1 8 15 22

2 9 16 23

3 10 17 24

4 11 18 25

5 12 19 26

6 13 20 27

7 14 21 28 23

December PSALM 55:22 Cast your cares on the Lord and he

will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.

Goals and projects for the week:

28 SUNDAY

29 MONDAY

30 TUESDAY

24

Nicaragua — C America Population: 5,848,641 Christian: 97.32% Nonreligious: 1.7% Ethnoreligionist: 0.8% Chinese: 0.06% Other: 0.12% Literacy Rate: Male 78% Female 78% Life Expectancy: Male 71 Female 75 Infant Mortality: 20 GDP per capita: $4,500

Pray for the peace of Christ to come upon the people of Cuba (see pages 160–61 of 2014 edition)

Zech. 1–4; Prov. 28; Rom. 13

Pray for the love of Christ to come upon our world

Zech. 5–9; Prov. 29; Rom. 14

Pray for the joy of Christ to come upon our world

Zech. 10–14; Prov. 30; Rom. 15

December–January Mal.; Prov. 31; Rom. 16

Pray for the forgiveness of Christ to come upon our world

WEDNESDAY

31

New Year’s Eve

Gen. 1–2; Ps. 1; Matt. 1

Pray for the healing of Christ to come upon our world

THURSDAY

1

New Year’s Day

Gen. 3–4; Ps. 2; Matt. 2

Pray for the knowledge of Christ to come upon our world

Gen. 5–7; Ps. 3; Matt. 3

Pray for the beauty of Christ to come upon our world

FRIDAY

2

SATURDAY

3

25