MaryBeth Hall – Page 40 – Targeted Global Prayer

God’s Joy & Cambridge, USA

Psalm 45:6-7, Heb. 1:8-9

“But to the Son He says, ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness more than your companions.'”

Jude 1:24-25

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.”

Triumphant joy is an often overlooked characteristic of our great God. The word used here for gladness/joy means “exuberant, extreme joy, ecstatic delight.” And the Father anointed the Son to be the most joyful Person there is!

Notice His two specific causes of joy mentioned in these verses: the triumph of His eternal throne of righteousness, and the triumph of His presenting us faultless to the Father. He wins! When all is said and done, He wins. This can be a great source of joy to us as well when we are contemplating past and current world events: He wins! As to the second reason, it is almost unbelievable that we should bring joy to the Son, but this and other verses declare it so to be. This is an amazing reality: He wants to be with us and His work in us will succeed. What a glorious and gracious God is ours!

1. Pray for the Lord to encourage believers at this church with the truths regarding His joy, thus increasing their own joy today.

2. Pray for God’s eternal kingdom of righteousness to gain another citizen this week from Cambridge, New York, through that individual’s salvation.

3. Pray for the Son to have great joy as He looks at the lives of His children in Cambridge, seeing the Spirit’s transforming sanctification.

God’s Fatherhood & Banja, Serbia

Psalm 103:13

“As a father pities his children, so the LORD pities those who fear Him;”

John 16:9

“For the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me [Jesus], and have believed that I came forth from God.”

God is our Father in two senses – Creator (Acts 17:28 describes this connection) and Redeemer (Rom. 8:14-16 describes the adoptive conditions under which we may call Him Father).

As with all of His attributes, there is no way that all the aspects of God’s fatherhood can be addressed here, so today’s thoughts will focus on the definition/wonderment of three words from the above verses:

Pities – to have compassion, the desire to meet the needs of another

LORD – YHWH or Yahweh, The One Who Is

Loves – phileo – to like, the affectionate friendship kind of love

It is an amazing thing that YHWH – whose name we can’t even fully grasp – in all of His splendor and eternality has said that we can know Him as Father. He looks on us with compassion, and meets our needs. He feels affection for us; He likes us. As He told Israel in Isaiah 46:3-4, He carries us from conception to old age. “Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1)

1. Pray for each person pictured to have the opportunity to be adopted into God’s family, that each one may know him as Father.

2. Jesus said that the Father seeks worshipers who will worship Him in spirit and truth. Pray for the Father to find many such believers in Banja.

3. Pray for someone at the Banja Monastery to understand and rest in the Biblical truth that the Father bestows His affection on those who simply believe and like His Son; His love cannot be earned, but is a gracious gift.

God’s Righteousness & Xidajiao, China

Psalm 71:19

“Also Your righteousness, O God, is very high, You Who have done great things; O God, who is like You?”

1 John 2:1

“My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.“

God is always righteous and just. No trace of impurity has or ever will be present in Him. Indeed, He defines what is righteous, and human sin is essentially transgressing what He has declared to be right.

In stark contrast, we are not inherently righteous. Isaiah 64:6 states that our righteousness is as filthy rags. If we are ever to know and fellowship with the supremely righteous God, that problem must be fixed. But how?

The traditional Chinese character for “righteousness” is a beautiful picture that illustrates the Bible’s answer to this dilemma. It is the character for “lamb” over the character for “I/me.” (There are actually several Chinese characters for key concepts that contain the character for “lamb”, highlighting the intersection of ancient Chinese culture with the Truth. See this article for more info: https://answersingenesis.org/jesus/the-lamb-of-god-hidden-in-chinese-characters/ ) As John 1:29 declares, “… Behold! The Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world!”

1. Jesus said in John 16 that one of the Holy Spirit’s jobs would be to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Pray for a student in Xidajiao who is studying traditional Chinese characters to ponder the meaning of the character for “righteous,” and to pay attention to the Holy Spirit’s conviction in her heart. Pray for the Lord to provide that student with the complete gospel message of how to obtain personal righteousness through faith in the Lamb of God.

2. In the foreground of the picture above is an observation deck which provides expansive views of the area. Pray for an individual in Xidajiao to obtain and read a copy of the Scripture, that he may view his own level of righteousness from the observation deck of God’s Word. Pray for him to also read how to make the greatest trade of all time, as described in 2 Corinthians 5:21.

3. Pray for Christians in Xidajiao to more fully understand, appreciate, and apply the implications for daily living of the truth that they have been declared righteous by the Father.

Saturday Morning Recap

Isaiah 45:5

“I am the LORD, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me…”

1. God’s Holiness & Sabga, Cameroon: Pray for the Lord to so impress upon a family living there a sense of awe at His holiness that they will forsake other religious beliefs to turn to the true and living God.

2. God’s Wisdom & Sandefjord, Norway: Pray for Christians who go to the Sandefjord Baptistkirke (a church) to avail themselves of the promise of James 1:5 – God will give His wisdom to all who ask in faith.

3. Your Choice: Please pray for a request you remember from any of the other cities featured this week:

God’s Immutability & Buenos Aires, Argentina

God’s Chesed & Yakutsk, Sakha Republic, Russia

God’s Sovereignty & Saint John, Canada

Thank you for praying!

God’s Sovereignty & Saint John, Canada

Psalm 103:19

“The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.”

Daniel 2:44

“… the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.”

Philippians 2:10-11

“…at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Our God is in charge. This truth is a two sided coin: it can produce resentment or peace in an individual’s heart, depending on that person’s relationship with the sovereign God. However, even for those who chafe against His dominion, Psalm 2 masterfully describes that such rebellion does not change Who is boss.

For children of God, knowing the King of Kings and Lord of Lords brings great peace. No challenge or limitation is outside the realm of His lordship, and He masterfully weaves even what is incomprehensible to us into His story (Rom. 8:28,31,37). Jesus used this truth to encourage His disciples on many occasions, and His words leap from Scripture to steady our souls today: “It is I, do not be afraid…In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world…Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (John 6:20,16:33, Luke 12:32). Let us therefore enter this day with peace in our souls and steel in our stride; He is sovereign!

1. This picture was taken on Partridge Island, where many tourists go to see the Partridge Island lighthouse. Pray for three individuals to acknowledge and embrace God’s sovereignty, following the advice at the end of Psalm 2: the person sitting in the picture, the person who painted the graffiti, and Patrick, the person who took the picture.

2. Saint John is known for its “reversing rapids,” caused by the Bay of Fundy’s tides colliding with the Saint John River as it comes out of a narrow gorge. It has been noted in previous days that people can deduce certain things from God from general revelation, so pray that an observer of the rapids will listen to the Holy Spirit’s stirring in his heart that there must be a God Who is sovereign over nature, and therefore has the right to rule his life (Rom. 1:20).

3. Saint John, New Brunswick, is named after John the Baptist. John the Baptist knew what it was to have faith that God is sovereign, even when he didn’t understand why the Lord did not bring immediate deliverance. Pray for Christians in Saint John to have that same kind of faith.

God’s Wisdom & Sandefjord, Norway

Romans 11:33-36

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! ‘For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has become His counselor?‘ [quote from Is. 40:13-14]”

Luke 2:47

“And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.”

The wisdom of God incorporates several of His attributes: omniscience, infallibility, authority, infinity, kindness. Creation itself – from the microscope to the telescope – bears witness to His amazing wisdom. In the realm of human difficulties, impossibly tangled situations can be effortlessly resolved by a mere glance from the One Whose ways are higher than ours. Eternity itself will not be long enough for us to fully comprehend the immeasurable breadth and depth of all that God knows. Awe and submission are the only appropriate responses to such a Father, Whose wisdom coupled with goodness (in both the sense of righteousness and benevolence) make Him entirely trustworthy. “Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Thy sight.” (Matt. 11:26)

1. Pray for the two pictured individuals to realize their need for God’s wisdom in their own lives, beginning with knowing His solution to their sin problem. Pray for them to choose His wise ways.

2. Sandefjord is the whaling capital of the world. Pray for a captain of a whaling ship to come across a Bible, read it, see God’s wisdom shining forth there, and bow the knee to His Creator, echoing Paul’s praise in Romans 11.

3. Pray for Christians who go to the Sandefjord Baptistkirke (a church) to avail themselves of the promise of James 1:5 – God will give His wisdom to all who ask in faith.

God’s Chesed & Yakutsk, Sakha Republic, Russia

Psalm 103

V. 2 – Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:

V. 4 – Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with chesed and tender mercies.

V. 8 – The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in chesed.

V. 11 – For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His chesed toward those who hear Him.

V. 17 – But the chesed of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on them who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children,“

Chesed is the Hebrew word often translated “lovingkindness” or “mercy” in the Old Testament. When used in reference to the Lord, it is very often tied to His forgiveness of the sins of those who look to Him (as an example, read the in-between verses of Psalm 103, which were only omitted above to save space). Interestingly, when the Lord passes by Moses in Exodus 34, He mentions His chesed twice as He proclaims His character (“…abundant in chesed and truth, keeping chesed for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin…” vs. 6-7). Truly, we all stand in need of God’s chesed, not just at salvation, but on a daily basis. What a wondrous thing it is, therefore, that chesed is an integral part of His very nature. Come and drink deeply!

1. Pray for the ambulance driver of the above vehicle – who offers physical chesed to those in need – to himself experience the spiritual chesed of God.

2. The world’s largest diamond mine is near Yakutsk. Pray that today, the Lord will redeem the life of a diamond miner, crowning him with His invaluable chesed and tender mercies.

3. Pray for the Father to be glorified in Yakutsk for His chesed!

God’s Holiness & Sabga, Cameroon

Isaiah 6:3

“And one cried to another and said, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is filled with His glory.”

Revelation 4:8

“The four living creatures…do not rest day or night, saying: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”

Both the Old and New Testaments repeatedly emphasize the holiness of our God. He has made us in His image, yet He stands distinctly other than and above all of His created universe. Because there is none like Him, it is a wholly authentic command for Him to say, “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3). Nothing – whether tribal spirit worship of nature or American materialism – should be allowed to ascend the throne of our hearts. He is holy. There is none like Him. “He is to be revered above all gods” (Psalm 96:4-5). Amen!

1. The village of Sagba was sent in by a former missionary as a special request. Pray for the Lord to so impress upon a family living there a sense of awe at His holiness that they will forsake other religious beliefs to turn to the true and living God.

2. Also in both Testaments, the command is given to “be holy, for I am holy.” In fact, 1 Peter 1:13-16 states that God’s holiness should influence all of our conduct. This starts with girding up the loins of our minds (v. 13). Pray for any Christians interacting with Sagba – whether villagers themselves or others coming there for outreach endeavors – to yield to the Spirit’s sanctifying work in their lives today.

3. Sagba’s 10-day weather forecast has rain predicted every day, as the rainy season is in full swing. Pray for a person who, in the middle of both a physical and emotional downpour, will look at the hills on the horizon and wonder where help will come from, to be given the gospel witness that help can “come from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.” The first verse listed above states that the whole earth is full of God’s glory, so pray that God will use His general revelation to draw this struggling individual to special revelation and the way of salvation.

God’s Immutability & Buenos Aires, Argentina

Malachi 3:6

“For I am the LORD, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.”

Hebrews 13:8

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

The immutability of God means that His character does not change. He will always be Who He is. This attribute is the most stabilizing truth in the world. Because He will not change, His Word will not change. His children can therefore bank absolutely everything on Who the Scripture declares Him to be. Praise our Lord for His wonderful immutability!

1. There are about 200,000 Jewish residents in Buenos Aires. This makes the city home to Latin America’s largest Jewish community. As of March this year, 200 Holocaust survivors live in Argentina. Thank God that because of His immutability, there will always be Jewish people. Also because of His immutability, we know that He is still “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Therefore, pray that He will once again today stir the heart of every Jewish person in Buenos Aires to turn to Jesus Christ as the only hope of salvation, and that many would respond in obedience.

2. Pray or someone who works in the lighted building (in the foreground of the picture above) to think about the consistent laws of nature – tides, gravity, seedtime/harvest, day/night, etc. – and through that be drawn to the Creator Who does not change.

3. Pray for the Holy Spirit to encourage every Christian in Buenos Aires with the stability of His immutability in relation to such promises as “I am with you always… I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

New Series Introduction

TGP regularly rotates through cities from all the continents, working our way through every country of the world. Sometimes, that is combined with a particular theme, such as categories of church workers, a focus on places with a high level of religious persecution, or cities located near large lakes/rivers. Also included every day is at least one Scripture reference, often relating directly to the goal of making Jesus known to the peoples of the world. Today marks the introduction for a new month long series.

Two days ago, I was listening to a sermon on intercessory prayer by Dr. Mark Ballard. In it, he mentioned that we should base our prayers on both the character and Word of God. This practice can often be seen in the prayers recorded in Scripture. While TGP has prayed in direct reference to many Scriptures, we have not had a specific focus on the attributes of our great God, so that will be theme for June’s posts.

Subtracting Saturday’s posts (which are used to recap the week), that leaves twenty-four qualities of our Lord to pray through as they relate to worldwide evangelism and discipleship. If there is a particular attribute you would like to be included, please email that to targetedglobalprayer@gmail.com.

Tomorrow begins this focus. As always, thank you for praying!