PEACE, BE STILL
Being at peace can be very challenging. If we are pressed for time or under an attack, it seems almost impossible. But passages in the Bible reveal how the disciples reacted in challenging situations. Once when Jesus was asleep on a boat a sudden storm hit. His disciples woke Him to ask if He cared for them. He showed He did, by stilling the storm and focussing on their fear and their lack of faith (based on Mk 4:39) There may be times when we feel God doesn’t care for us or our nation. In our storms we need to hear Jesus say “peace be still” and reveal our fears or lack of faith in Him. Jesus warns us that a time is coming when we will be scattered, …He has told us these things, so that in Him we might have peace. In this world we will have trouble. But let’s take heart! He has overcome the world. (Jn 16:32-33) We each respond differently to any challenging news we hear about ourselves, our families or our nation. It may be lack of faith, floods, or election results and we may wonder whether Jesus cares or has overcome the world. A major art gallery once offered a prize for a painting on the subject of “Peace.” The painting that won was a scene in a violent storm with waves crashing into the rock walls of the cliffs by the shore. About halfway up the cliff, was a birds’ nest tucked into a tiny hollow in the rock. A mother bird was sitting on that nest with her little babies tucked underneath her, sleeping soundly. That was peace! We can either find peace under Christ’s wings or be overwhelmed by fear or lack of faith when storms strike. But it may require us to not repay anyone evil for evil, to be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone and, if it is possible, as far as it depends on us, to live at peace with everyone. (Rom 12:18)
Let us pray:
* That Christians become known as people who know God cares for them, experience the peace of God, hear Jesus challenge them not to be overwhelmed by fear or lack faith and know the LORD has done great things for them.
* That the peace of God will garrison the hearts of more and more Christians, overcome our doubts, and dispelling any depression.
* That Christians become known as overcomers because everyone born of God overcomes the world. (1 Jn 5:4-5)
GOD’S RESPONSE TO WICKED NATIONS
When God wanted to deal with the corruption, depravity and crookedness of the nation of Israel, He sent a prophet to speak His words to that nation. God’s solution to a nation in need of reformation and revival is to release His Words through His people. Let us call on God to release His Words upon our nation through the prophetic voice of His Church by way of both the spoken and written word. Let us pray that thousands of people would be raised up in our nation to begin speaking the Word of God in situations where they can have influence within the secular sphere, as well as write letters to media and business outlets declaring Truth where falsehoods are perpetrated either in ignorance or deliberately.
Let us pray:
* that God would raise up an army of speakers and writers who will release Your truth into the nation. Give them skill, courage, and passion to speak and write Your truth with boldness and fearlessness to declare His truth in a loving but straightforward way to a crooked and depraved generation.
* that the voice of God would not be silenced in our nation while our children are indoctrinated within our Schools in all manner of woke ideology. Pray for God to open doors for His people to speak at meetings and events, as well as write in newspapers, blogs, magazines, and more.
* that the voice of freedom will not be silenced in the midst of attempts to bind and remove the Christian voice in our nation. Strengthen and purify the speakers and writers He has already raised up. Pray for a prophetic anointing to be released through His word as our nation chooses between life and death in this hour.
AUSTRALIANS STILL OPEN TO JESUS EVEN THOUGH CHRISTIANITY HAS DECLINED
Christianity in Australia has declined in recent decades, but Australians are not completely closed off to faith. A new study, the 2021 Australian Community Survey by National Christian life Survey (NCLS), has found that young adults are the most open of all age groups. Of all the age groups represented, young adults had the highest church attendance rate, with 1 in 3 reporting monthly attendance at a service in 2021. The Gen X age group of 50 to 64 year olds had the lowest attendance rate at 11%. They also had the most negative views on religion, were least likely to believe, to practise and were least positive about Christianity. In addition, members of this age group are more likely to be in core leadership positions and at the peak of their professions, so have some control over the public narrative regarding Christianity.
Another key finding was that many respondents in the survey said they had previously tried to get more involved in church but had subsequently decided against it. This is possibly a missed opportunity where these people were being overlooked in the “business and priorities of ‘business-as-usual’ church.” However, while Australians’ general view of Church could often be negative, they tend to describe the Christians they know personally in primarily positive ways.
Please pray:
C.S. Lewis wrote, ‘How little people know who think that holiness is dull. When one meets the real thing…it is irresistible .’ Lewis Narnia, Cambridge and Joy. C,S. Lewis Pte. Ltd. 2006
* Let’s thank God for the all the young Australian adults who have found “the real thing”, as C.S. Lewis put it. Pray for them and for their influence among their peers, their families and friends.
* Pray for the age group of 50-64 year old Australians. May they find “the real thing.”
* Pray for all churches in our country, that they may be truly welcoming and appreciative of new people in their midst. Pray for open hearts and sincerely welcoming hearts. May we all become better at putting others’ needs before our own.
PRAYING FOR ISSUES IN THE NEWS
* The Nationals have decided to oppose an Indigenous voice to parliament ensuring that a proper debate is required into the Government proposal to establish a separate body to give a voice to the Indigenous community in Australia into the decisions of our national Parliament. Opponents of the voice believe the proposal will actually divide Australia on race rather than act as a vehicle of reconciliation. Please pray that before Australia is asked to vote on the Government proposal at a Referendum that full details of the proposal will be given to the public and all Indigenous voices, both those who oppose and those that support the proposal, will be heard and considered before the Referendum is held.
* Travellers across the nation are in for a day of mayhem next week, with a major strike set to take place at all major airports. Firefighters will walk off the job at 27 international and domestic airports in all Australian capital cities and major regional hubs on December 9. The United Firefighters Union says it could potentially ground planes at every airport in the country, causing significant delays throughout the day and major headaches for travellers. Please pray for negotiations between workers and their employers to yield results and avoid this strike so that passengers are not inconvenienced.
PRAYING FOR OTHERS
This week let us pray for Turkey. Authorities target foreign Christians and often deport them. Pray that they will grant residency so believers can continue blessing their communities.
Source: Australian Prayer Network
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