Day 6

ABANDONED DEVOTION:

Creative Praise:

In response to the following Scripture, sing a song of praise to Jesus, draw Him a picture, or write Him a poem.  

Praise God as Hannah did that “there is no one holy like the Lord, there is no one besides You; there is no Rock like You.”  That He “raises the poor from the dust … He seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor.” (1 Samuel 2:2, 8)

3-Stage Bible Study:  Read the Q—Analyze the Verse—Write Your Response

How does God speak to you through the Scriptures?  Give one illustration from your experience.[i]

“Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:7)

Prayer Journal Questions: Listen to the Lord as you meditate on the following verses. 

What are sins that God is showing you that need to be confessed in your life and in your generation? 

“Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession , and said, ‘O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments.’” (Daniel 9:3-5)

What are ways you can pray for and pursue revival on your campus?

“I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they shall never hold their peace day or night.  You who make mention of the LORD, do not keep silent, and give Him no rest till He establishes and till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.” (Isaiah 62:6-7)

GLOBAL PROCLAMATION:

Forgotten People Group: The Maldivian of the Maldives Islands

The Maldives Islands are located in the Indian Ocean, southwest of India. Only about 200 of the nearly 2,000 islands are inhabited. The Maldivian speak a language called Divehi, which is related to the Sinhalese language of Sri Lanka but has its own script. The Divehi word atoll ("a ring-like coral island") has even been adopted into English usage.

Officially called Divehi Rajje, the Maldives gained its independence in 1965 and has been a member of the United Nations since then. The republic is divided into 19 administrative atolls. Each inhabited island also has its own chief. No one is allowed to leave or come onto the island without the chief's knowledge. Most of the Maldivian are fishermen, merchants, and boat builders who take advantage of their position in the center of Indian Ocean trade routes. Despite their trade travels, the Maldivian have been little influenced by the outside world.

What are their beliefs?
Islam is the official religion of the Maldives, and virtually all of the Maldivian are Shafiite Muslims. Islamic law is the law of the land. No one may legally marry a non-Muslim, and all children are given Arab names. One of the requirements for the island chief is that he must be a qualified religious leader. Ironically, however, the Islamic religion is really only a ritualistic tradition that most people follow. Children are taught how to pronounce Arabic so that they can recite the words of the Koran; however, they do not know the meanings of most of the words. A majority of the people do not understand the diversity and depth of Muslim philosophy. They just blindly go through the rituals that are supposed to bring them salvation. While fasting, the people will not only abstain from food but also from drink. They may even try not to swallow their own saliva. To satisfy their spiritual hunger, many Maldivian consult fanditas ("learned people"), who conduct rituals for healing, solving problems, and becoming successful. The fanditas make their occupations valid by using Islamic terms and chanting Arabic-sounding chants.

The Maldivian are very fearful, often running at the sight of strangers. They have a fear of the "evil eye" (curses caused by a fixed gaze) and of evil spirits. They also fear jinnis, which are “according to Muslim legend” spirits capable of assuming human or animal form and exercising supernatural influence over people. Most houses keep a lamp burning all night and have no windows in order to keep out the jinnis.

Prayer Points

• Ask the Lord to call people who are willing to go to Maldives and share Christ with the Maldivian.
• Pray that Christian broadcasts, the Jesus film, and Bibles will soon be available in the Divehi language.
• Ask God to strengthen, encourage, and protect the small number of Maldivian Christians.
• Pray that the Lord will save key Maldivian leaders who will boldly declare the Gospel to their own people.
• Take authority over the spiritual principalities and powers that are keeping the Maldivian bound.
• Ask the Lord to deliver those who are tormented by fear and restore those who have been broken by divorce.
• Pray that God will call forth teams of intercessors who will faithfully stand in the gap for the Maldivian.
• Ask the Lord to raise up strong local churches among the Maldivian by the year 2010.

Promise from Scripture:

“Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. You will give truth to Jacob and mercy to Abraham, which You have sworn to our fathers from days of old.” Micah 7:18-20

Generational Barrier:

Generous Giving – Jesus is seeking to teach us at a young age to grasp the importance of handling our money. The tests that He will continue to bring in our lives surround money and its clutch on our lives. The way to overcome such a clutch as well as greed and covetousness of any form it to give and to give generously. God will take care of us. He has promised this. He wants our hearts so free in giving and in trusting him for our needs because He perfectly understands the negative affect money’s improper place in our hearts can have. Pray for generous giving to erupt among the emerging generation. (Matthew 6:21, 24; Ephesians 6:7,8)

Prayer Journaling Response:

Take a few moments to record thoughts, prayers, and any insight. Also, it is often helpful to record how the Lord led in prayer – Scriptures, mental pictures, or a word or thought. Practice not only praying but also listening to the Lord. As we understand how the Lord is leading us, we can more quickly tune into the Lord’s voice when we have major decisions facing us or in times when the Lord feels far from us.