Category: Europe

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.

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.

Pray for the Lord to send out workers to the harvestfield of Lodz.

1. The above mirror is on the corner of a street, so that drivers can see around the sharp curve. Pray for an unsaved individual coming around the curve who pays attention to the mirror to also pay attention to the Holy Spirit’s work to convict hearts of coming judgment and the need to turn to Christ for salvation. (John 16:8-11).

2.   On the theme of mirrors, pray for a Christian in Lodz to look into the Word of God today and see His glory, allowing the Spirit to transform his life further into the image of the Son (2 Cor. 3:18).

3.   In the nineteenth century, Lodz was a major hub for the textile industry. The Central Museum of Textiles showcases different aspects of that history. Pray for a family visiting the museum this summer to trust Jesus for salvation, that each member of the family may one day wear the white robes given to heaven’s saints.

Matthew 7:7-8

Pray for the Lord to send out workers to the harvestfield of Akureyri.

1.   Pray for every child who will ride a bicycle in Akureyri today to find out Who Jesus is and what He has done to provide salvation.

2.   Akureyri is known as “Iceland’s Capital to the North,” and offers many attractions. Unfortunately, the country as a whole is known for its “social progressiveness” and flagrant disregard for traditional, conservative family values, including sanctity of life. One business headlined at https://guidetoiceland.is/best-of-iceland/top-things-to-do-in-akureyri is a spa that offers patrons the chance to bathe in beer. Pray for the most recent customer at that establishment to come to know Jesus.

3.   Over the last three nights, the Northern Lights have been more visible than usual, due to solar activity. Pray for someone in Akureyri who has enjoyed seeing them to confess the truth of Psalm 19.

Matthew 22:37-38

Pray for the Lord to send out workers to the harvestfield of Lyon.

1. The above cathedral is dedicated to John the Baptist. Construction began in 1180 and lasted 300 years, but the site’s religious history extends back to the sixth century, when a church was first built there. Pray for an attendee this month to understand and trust that “the just shall live by faith.” (Rom. 1:17)

2. Pray for a Christian family in Lyon to apply John the Baptist’s words “He must increase, but I must decrease” in their interactions with each other. (John 3:30)

3. Pray for a first grader attending the International School of Lyon to become a Christian today.

Acts 4:29

This post was originally published on September 1, 2023.

Pray for the Lord to send out workers to the harvestfield of Aura.

1. Pray for every person living in a home in this picture to have an opportunity this year to have his heart made whiter than snow.

2. Aura is named after the Aura River, and “aura” is the Finnish word for “plow.” The shape of the area is roughly that of a plow. Pray for any Christians in Aura to find strength/rest in the fact that they are in the yoke with the gentle Master, whose burden is light (Mt. 11:28-30).

3. In the Middle Ages, pilgrimages were often made to the Turku Cathedral, which is a thirty-one minute drive from Aura. Recently, Aura River Pilgrimages have begun again as an advertised way to find a spiritual connection with history and/or nature. Stops along the way range from Iron Age ritual to Catholic to Evangelical Lutheran sites. Pray for a pilgrim to meet Jesus, the only true spiritual connection to the Father’s gifts of forgiveness, purpose, and peace.

Psalm 67:2

This post was originally published on September 20, 2023.

Pray for the Lord to send out workers to the harvestfield of Ballasalla.

1. The Isle of Man is a self-governing Crown dependency of Great Britain, with Viking and Celtic ethnic roots. Pray for the salvation of someone who daily commutes from Ballasalla to nearby Castletown.

2. Pray for city sanitation workers who collect from the above containers to meet the only One Who can make their hearts brilliant with His holiness.

3. Pray for a Biblical church to be planted in Ballasalla.

Psalm 96:1

This post was originally published on April 21, 2023.

Pray for the Lord to send out workers to the harvestfield of Portree.

1. Pray for a Christian who has a connection to this church to grow in his walk with the Lord today.

2. Shinty is a Scottish sport, and Portree has a shinty club. Pray for one of its team players to hear and believe the gospel.

3. Portree is on Scotland’s Isle of Skye, which became home for several Jewish families fleeing European pograms in the last century. Pray for a Jewish family there who is concerned about everything currently happening in Israel to personally experience the truth of John 16:33.

Psalm 119:54

This post was originally published on October 22, 2023.

Pray for the Lord to send out workers to the harvestfield of Oslo.

1. The above photo is from a room in the Center of Studies of the Holocaust. Pray for spiritual and emotional healing for any living relatives of the people whose names are listed on the walls.
2. Around 850,000 Norwegians immigrated to America from 1825 – 1925 (about a third of Norway’s population). Many of these came to avoid religious persecution. Pray for today’s American Norwegians to hear and accept the gospel.
3. There is a Viking Ship Museum in Oslo, with preserved ships from the 9th century. In September 2021, it closed temporarily, with plans to re-open in 2025-2026. Pray that employees of the museum, who are now out of work, will seek God’s provision for new jobs, and also delight in His provision for their spiritual needs.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

This post was originally published on October 31, 2021.