Followup 2 How to Pray for ISIS

So for the past couple of weeks I've been sharing Frontier's emails on How to Pray for ISIS on my Facebook page  You can still sign up here at anytime if you want to get the emails.

These emails don't affect me the same way the other Frontier's emails did.  I think it's because of the way that it is less about a specific person's life and how they are affected but more about the story of Paul and his journey showing the relevant parallel with him and people that are part of ISIS.  If God can change Paul's heart he can change anyone in the world, including members of ISIS.

But, they do have a link to more of a person specific journey at the bottom of each day that you can learn about a specific person and that does help connect for me.

I have learned a few things about the culture and ISIS that I didn't know before.  Like I've said in my previous posts, I used to have anger for ISIS, but now I just feel pity for those who don't understand what they are missing.

It has helped me focus on prayer for others in ways I would never think to pray.

It has also helped me see my struggles in a new light.  If I am struggling with something and I read the next email I notice things in my life I need to pray about so I can get right with God.

Summer time is hard for me.  Mostly because it is such a disruption of schedule for me, and I know that is something I need to work on.  I am stuck at the house with my kiddos dealing with conflict more during the day than I would like.  It shows me how selfish I am as an individual and that I allow these things to steal my joy, when I know that my Joy should be through Jesus and his saving grace.  I need to look more to eternal matters and not let earthly ones get me down.  It's a struggle day to day, sometimes hour to hour, but I need to rely on God to get me through.

Where do you find your Joy?

This article on the Joy of the Lord is an interesting read.

This article on How can we experience Joy in our Christian life is a really good short read as well.

So I'll leave you with this, are you filled with Joy?  If not, pray, center yourself on the Lord and ask for Joy. We all experience things in our lives that we let steal our Joy, let's all ask Him to help us focus on eternity and not our earthly struggles.

Nehemiah 8:10

Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Followup 1 on How to Pray for Muslims During Ramadan

So, did anyone sign up and read through the called to pray emails in my previous posts? How about praying for ISIS? 

It's easy to dismiss this nowadays, I know, I'm like that too. That's one of the reasons I started this blog, to get myself, and hopefully others moving...

It's not too late, check out my original post: How to Pray for Muslims During Ramadan and sign up.  Ramadan isn't over yet, and you aren't in need to pray for people during a certain time frame, it's just that Muslims can be more open to hearing the Good News during this time.

How did the called to pray emails affect me?

I am a person who loves historical fiction. I think the main reason is because I can truly empathize with the characters and also learn things about the time period that I never knew before. It helps me connect better.  

After reading Fira's story in the emails, it showed me one side of a particular type of Muslim family and what they go through during Ramadan.  Before I started this journey I didn't know much about Ramadan.  This has opened my eyes a little more to the need we have to understand more.  

I've always been interested in other cultures, I was going to study Anthropology/Archaeology in college, but I made different choices.  It still calls to me though, and so for me this type of story tore into my soul.  I cried a few times reading those short emails, and I cried out for God to have his hand over those that are in the dark.

What now?

Well, now I am going to go through the Pray for ISIS emails, and I am going to be posting links to each day for those on my Facebook page, just like I did for Frontiers' called to pray emails.   

Something clicked last Sunday!

Sunday morning before church my husband and I were talking about the called to pray emails and how I was feeling connected to them.  We went to church and one of the people on our teaching team preached about something spot on.  The story of the Good Samaritan, if you've never read it you can find it here. I've heard this story many times before, but until a few years ago I didn't realize the context of the culture in those days. Why would it be such a big deal to help someone on the side of the road?  Well, it boils down to a few things: fear, discomfort & inconvenience. We think that we wouldn't do something like that these days, but I have to tell you, this happens every day.  We live in a scary world and it's hard to get out of our comfort zone.  Listen here for the full sermon, choose the Who is my neighbor?

At the end of the sermon Hope4Syria was brought to light.  What an amazing coincidence that as I'm in the midst of learning about what a family from Syria could go through during Ramadan, I hear about this?  No, not a coincidence.  

THIS IS WHAT I CALL A GOD MOMENT

Often I feel a soft tapping on my shoulder when I listen to a sermon, sometimes I do something about it and sometimes I don't.  Sometimes, usually when I'm in the midst of a crisis, a problem is weighing me down, or I'm really driven in my walk with the Lord I feel a huge push.  This was my push.

How in the midst of this crisis that we are having in our country can we show other's the love of Jesus?  It will look different for every person, but it requires action.  Action to pray, action to get involved, action to give, action to spread the word...etc.

Luke 10:37

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

 

Book Review- America, Turning a Nation to God. ~Tony Evans

This was a book I received from Moody Publishers as part of their Blogger review program. I picked this book because I am trying to stretch myself to read things I wouldn't normally read.  

This one was too much of a stretch for me.

I couldn't finish it.  I tried and tried so hard to read this one.  The information in it is so good.  The problem I had was with the writing I think.  From one chapter to the other I couldn't seem to glean any one concept to hold on to. It's like the works went in through my eyes and out my ears without catching hold.

What did I get from this book?

The above said, I did see the reason he wrote the book. He believes that through prayer and testimonies it only takes 1 person to start a National Revival and we certainly do need that in these days.  I do want to pick it up again in the future and break it down for you and myself chapter by chapter someday, until then, my suggestion would be to read it if you like books chocked full of scripture and information.  For me it showed me how far away from academia I am and what I might need to do to read this in the future.

Until next time....All for the Glory of God!

2 Chronicles 7:14

if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.