Day 14

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.  

“I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things will not be remembered or come to mind.  Bur be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing and her people for gladness.” (Isaiah 65:17)

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

Once, David fasted and prayed because of a sin he committed.  How did he express his fast?  Write out any experience you’ve had that is similar to David’s.[i]

“David therefore pleaded with God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground.  So the elders of his house arose and went to him, to raise him up from the ground.  But he would not, nor did he eat food with them.” (2 Samuel 12:16-17)

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? 

“By humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches and honor and life.” (Proverbs 22:4)

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

“See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant.” (Jeremiah 1:10)

GLOBAL PROCLAMATION:

Forgotten People Group: The Palestinian Arabs of the Middle East

Palestinian Arabs fall into a category classified as Levant Arabs. "Levant" is a broad term that includes several groups of Arabs: the Jordanian, Palestinian, Iraqi, Arabic Jewish, Chaldean, and Syrian Arabs. Today, several hundred thousand Levant Arabs live along the northern edges of the Arabian Desert. They are spread from Israel to Kuwait and as far east as Iran. Small groups can also be found in North Africa.

What are their beliefs?
Virtually all of the Palestinian Arabs are Muslims. Islam is a religion of works that is based on five basic "pillars." (1) A Muslim must affirm that "there is no god but Allah, and Mohammed is his prophet." (2) He must pray five times a day while facing Mecca. (3) He must give 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.

Islamic laws have greatly influenced the lives of the Palestinian Arabs. For example, to preserve their people, they are only allowed to marry those inside their own group. The tribes living in the mountainous regions have intermarried the least with other Arab groups. Their society, like other Islamic communities, is patrilineal. This means that inheritances are passed down through the males. In this system, boys inherit more than girls. Since children are considered a family's greatest asset, females are valued for their ability to bear children.

What are their needs?
There is a great need for the Gospel to be preached among the Palestinian Arabs. Currently, there are very few Christian radio broadcasts being aired in their region, and only portions of the New Testament have been translated into their language.

A Muslim who professes faith in Jesus Christ can lose his family, his honor, his job, or even his life. At the present time, there are only a few known Palestinian Arab Christians. Evangelization efforts among these tribes are challenging due to restrictions in many of the countries, as well as general antagonism to Christianity. Intercession is the key to reaching them with the Gospel.

Prayer Points

• Ask the Lord to send forth willing laborers to live and work among these tribes.
• Pray that God will raise up faithful intercessors who will stand in the gap for the Palestinian Arabs.
• Pray that a complete translation of the Bible will soon be made available to each of the Palestinian Arab tribes.
• Ask God to give the few Palestinian Arab believers opportunities to share the love of Christ with their own people.
• Pray that their traditional Muslim culture will soften, creating open doors for the Gospel to be preached among them.
• Pray that God will reveal Himself to these precious people through dreams and visions.
• Ask the Lord to raise up strong local churches among the Palestinian Arabs by the year 2010.

Promise from Scripture:

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;” John 17:20

Generational Barrier:

Forsaking The World’s Ways – How easy it is for the church to take on the ways of the world in a very subtle manner. God is calling the emerging generation today to be a people who embrace the ways of His Kingdom and die to friendship with the world (James 4:4). Pray for a discernment that empowers young people to embrace the cross at a young age and know the subtleties of the enemy’s attempts to get us to buy into the world’s ways instead of God’s ways.

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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