Day 9

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 our God for His sovereign purposes, that we can know, like Joseph that what others have intended for harm and evil, “God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." (Genesis 50:30)

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

What is promised to those who fear God?[i]

“But to you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves.” (Malachi 4:2)

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? 

“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled , and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:12)

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

“Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.” (Ephesians 4:30)

GLOBAL PROCLAMATION:

Forgotten People Group: The Persians

By definition, Persians (also known as Iranians) are an ethnic group classified primarily by language and secondly by location. The Persian language, called Farsi, is part of the Indo-Iranian language family, and is the official language of Iran. Dari, the language of the elite in Afghanistan, is a dialect of modern Persian.

What Are Their Beliefs?
Prior to the Arab invasions, the Persian religion was Zoroastrianism. This religion taught that there was an eternal struggle between the forces of good and evil. Shiite Islam became the national religion of Iran in the sixteenth century, at which time the ulama (clergy) began playing an important role in both the social and political lives of the people.

Today, most Persians are Shia Muslims of the Ithna Ashari branch, and are radical in their adherence to Islamic laws and principles. Islam is a major world religion that is based on the teachings of Mohammed, the prophet. The Koran, or holy book of Islam, was said to have been given to Mohammed by the angel Gabriel.

There are five essential duties in Islam: (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.

What Are Their Needs?
The Islamic world is extremely difficult to penetrate with the Gospel. Fundamental Muslims are very outspoken, even militant, against Christianity. Much prayer is needed to break down the barriers separating them from the Truth.

The Bible and other resources are available in Farsi, yet very little progress has been made among the Persians. Today, there are only a few missions agencies targeting them, and the number of conversions to Christianity has been small.

The difficulties associated with penetrating the barriers of Islam and working in restricted access nations must be broken. Prayer is the key.

Prayer Points

• Take authority over the spiritual principalities and powers that are keeping the Persians bound.
• Ask the Lord to call people who are willing to reach out and share the love of Christ with them.
• Pray that God will raise up faithful intercessors who will stand in the gap for the Persians.
• Ask God to strengthen, encourage, and protect the small number of Muslim Persians who have converted to Christianity.
• Pray their traditional Muslim culture will soften, creating open doors for the Gospel to be preached among them.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to open the hearts of the Persian people towards Christians so that they will be receptive to the Gospel.
• Pray that God will reveal Himself to them through dreams and visions.
• Ask the Lord to raise up strong local churches among the Persians by the year 2010

Promise from Scripture:

“Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; and let them say among the nations, ‘The Lord reigns.’” 1 Chronicles16:31

Generational Barrier:

Saturated with God’s Word – Today’s church culture as a whole tends to be lean on their commitment to the deep and meditative study of the Bible. This might not be anywhere greater then among the emerging generation. Pray that college students and youth catch a life-long vision of becoming clothed with His Word. Pray that they may develop action plans which help them daily walk with devotional, meditative and deep study of portions of God’s Word. (Psalm 119)

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.