Category: North America

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.“

Ephesians 3:17-19

“…that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height – to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

God’s agape love is perhaps the attribute that most often draws fallen men to Him, yet is also often misunderstood to be a feel-good “everything and everyone is okay” concept. A key to understanding His love is the word “so” in John 3:16. The Greek definition for “so” is “in this manner/way.”* The way God loves the world is through the gift of His Son. It is not through a general laissez-faire overlooking of sin and one’s opinions regarding how salvation may be obtained. Therefore, an individual who rejects the Biblical gospel has no claim to the love of God.

God’s love continues throughout the believer’s life. Jesus said in John 15:9, “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.” Paul prayed that the Ephesians would be rooted (like a plant), grounded (have the foundation of), comprehend (seize tightly) the four dimensions of, and know (personally understand) the love of Christ. And yet, no matter how long a believer has walked with God, His love still “passes knowledge.” May Paul’s prayer find resonance in each of our lives today.

1.   Pray for every member of this church to know the love of Christ today, and be filled with all the fullness of God.

2.   Minot, North Dakota, is home to an important US Air Force Base. Pray for all the master sergeants and their families to begin or grow in their interaction with and understanding of the love of God.

3.   Pray for a single mom in Minot who has memorized John 3:16 but never personally believed in Jesus to do so this week.

* Though “so” is commonly thought of in the sense of “Wow, it’s amazing His love went to this extent,” this is not what John 3:16 is referencing. That is an authentic reaction to God’s love, but other verses better describe that concept. (Thanks to Bill Hall for explaining this word/idea.)

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.

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.

Pray for the Lord to send out workers to the harvestfield of May Pen.

1. Notice the contrasting objects in the background and foreground: an unused planting box with trash thrown into it, and an architecturally appealing clock tower. Pray for someone walking on this street today who feels as valueless as trash, and for someone who views himself to be like the stately clock tower. Pray that both of them will recognize their need for the Savior and their value in His estimation, which is what really counts.

2. Pray for the current spiritual, volunteer, and financial needs of Biblical churches in Jamaica to be met.

3. May Pen was first established as a British cattle farm settlement around 1670. Pray for every living descendant of those original town settlers to hear a clear presentation of the gospel, and believe.

Psalm 67:2

This post was originally published on September 22, 2023.

Pray for the Lord to send out workers to the harvestfield of Colonia de Refugio.

Revelation 5:9-10

This post was originally published on May 28, 2021. The weather forecast in request two is from that day.

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

1. The above picture is from inside the Rink Antique Gallery in Bethany, Oklahoma. Pray that shoppers there today will see items among the colorful hodge-podge that the Holy Spirit uses to draw their hearts toward Christ.
2. Pray for anyone in Bethany celebrating his/her birthday today to also have a spiritual birthday into God’s family.
3. Near Bethany is Skate Galaxy. Pray for every seven year old skater going there this week to hear about the love Jesus has for him/her.

Luke 24:8

This post was originally published on May 1, 2022.

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

1. Pray for every driver of a VW Bug or a Bicitaxi in Havana to hear the phrase, “Jesus Loves You” sometime this spring, find out what that means, and then believe it.

2. Castillo de la Real Fuerza is the oldest stone fort in the Americas (wikipedia). It was built to protect Havana from pirates, and in English its name means “Castle of the Royal Force.” Spiritually speaking, every Christian should stand as a castle strengthened by the most royal of forces – the King of kings. Pray that believers in Havana will know the good hand of God upon their lives every day, that sin may no more hold dominion.

3. Pray for the providence of God to intervene in the life of a teenager who will stand in one of the pictured doorways above today, pondering the meaning and purpose of his or her existence.

Psalm 63:3

This post was originally published on March 26, 2023.

1.   Hoyt, Colorado, is a small unincorporated township in Colorado. Pray that on this Lord’s Day one of those people will come to know Him.

2.   The Hoyt Radio Tower stands well over a third of a mile high. It is Colorado’s tallest man-made structure, and one of the tallest structures in the world. It has strobe lights to prevent collisions with aircraft. The tower services two of Denver’s FM stations and aids in emergency services. Pray for the salvation of a technician who regularly maintenances the Hoyt Radio Tower.

3.   One hundred years ago, a baby girl was born in Hoyt. Today her living descendants number around one hundred people. Pray for each of them to know and faithfully love and walk with Jesus.

2 Corinthians 4:5

*This city was a request of a TGP team member. Anyone who would like a particular city to be featured in the future may email that request to targetedglobalprayer@gmail.com.

1.   Pensacola, Florida, is home to Naval Air Station, the premier training base for US Navy, Marine, and Coast Guard aviators. The famous Blue Angels are headquartered there as well. Pray for one of the six Blue Angel pilots to become a child of God.

2.   The Reef is a bar near Pensacola Beach with a definite sensual atmosphere. Pray for someone who frequents the Reef to be delivered from the bondage of sin by the Truth that sets men free.

3.   Pensacola is also the home of a large Christian college and textbook publishing company. Pray for the Lord to encourage any students there who happen to be homesick today.

Revelation 4:11