Day 8

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.  

“Ascribe to the Lord glory, strength, splendor, holiness, power, and majesty. His voice is powerful and majestic. It breaks the cedars. He sits enthroned. He blesses His people with peace.” (Psalm 29)

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

What can you do to hear and understand God’s Word?  List the suggestions the psalmist gives to the one seeking to know God’s Word.[i]

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” (Psalm 1:1-2)

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? 

“The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)

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

“When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion, we were like those who dream.  Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, ‘The LORD has done great things for them.’ The LORD has done great things for us, and we are glad.” (Psalm 126:3)

GLOBAL PROCLAMATION:

Forgotten People Group: The Arabized Berber

A cluster of 7 Arabized Berber groups in 7 countries. Today, the vast region of Northern Africa is predominantly inhabited by Arab Muslims. However, this was not always the case. The territory was once dominated by the Berbers, a non-Arab people who were at one time mostly Christians. The Berbers successfully withstood numerous invasions before finally being overrun by Arabs.

What are their beliefs?
Today, virtually all of these tribes are 100% Sunni Muslim, with most belonging to the Malikite branch of Islam. Islam is a major world religion that is based on five essential duties or "pillars": (1) A Muslim must affirm that "there is no god but Allah and Mohammed is his prophet." (2) Five times a day he must pray while facing Mecca. (3) He must give alms generously. (4) He must fast during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Muslim year. (5) He must try to make at least one pilgrimage to Mecca in his lifetime. Muslims are also prohibited to drink alcohol, eat pork, gamble, steal, use deceit, slander, and make idols.

While the Berbers adopted the five pillars of Islam, each was modified a little to fit their local traditions and tastes. For instance, many are very casual about prayer. Also, among some tribes, the giving of alms was not accepted because it was perceived as being some type of tax.

What are their needs?
There are several Christian resources available to the Arabized Berbers; however, most of the tribes remain less than 1% Christian. Several missions agencies have targeted the Arabized Berbers living in European nations, but they have had little success. New strategies must be developed and implemented so that these tribes can be effectively penetrated with the Gospel.

Prayer Points

• Ask God to call out prayer teams who will begin breaking up the soil through intercession.
• Pray for the small number of Arabized Berber Christians.
• Ask God to give the missions agencies new strategies for reaching these tribes with the Gospel.
• Pray that the Lord will raise up qualified linguists to complete translation of the Bible into each of the Berber languages.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of these Muslim tribes towards Christians so that they will be receptive to the Gospel.
• Pray that God will reveal Himself to these precious people through dreams and visions.
• Ask the Lord to raise up strong local churches among each of the Arabized Berber tribes by the year 2010.

Promise from Scripture:

“Your name, O Lord, endures forever, Your fame, O Lord, throughout all generations. For the Lord will judge His people, and He will have compassion on His servants.” Psalm 135:13-14

Generational Barrier:

Understanding Spiritual Authority – God has set up His kingdom in such a way that every one of His people is to be firmly set under the authority of others in His kingdom. Through such a set-up He is able to teach us, keep us humble, release blessing, mold us and shape us. Pray for the emerging generation to grasp the spiritual need to yield themselves to others in authority over them and in so doing align themselves in such a way as to grow in Christ and in the ability to be trusted. (1 Samuel 18:5)

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.

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