Pray A Day :: Kyla Rowland Ministries

Pray A Day 2013
What’s happening to this world? This is not the question. What’s happening to America? No, that’s not the question either. What’s happening to God’s children? Now. There is the question.

In II Chronicles Solomon has finished the Temple in Jerusalem, designed by his father, David. He did everything according to God’s will, and God was pleased.

After the Ark is transferred to the Temple, Solomon dedicated it. When the musicians and singers blend into one beautiful voice and when the men of Israel begin to worship God, a cloud fills the house, “So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God.”

Then we hear Solomon blessing the Lord and the Temple. Finally, he prays that prayer of dedication we love so well in II Chronicles 6: 12-42. God was pleased, so pleased He sent fire from Heaven, and the glory of the Lord filled the house once again.

What’s happening to God’s children? There’s very seldom a cloud of glory filling His house; Very seldom is there fire coming down from Heaven.

Why? Because, in the homes of His children, there is dust and spider webs in the closets. It’s cold, dark, and deserted. That closet just doesn’t fit into our busy schedules anymore. The Enemy is delighted! He is busy, busy, busy, dividing us against ourselves because we are so consumed with our own desires we’re losing our humility, our will to surrender all to Him, and sacrifice whatever it takes to pray down a cloud of glory and fire from Heaven.

The result? We are witnessing it. We are divided amongst ourselves and Satan can almost smell a conquering victory.

It’s not up to sinners – the “world.” II Chronicles 7:14 speaks to one small remnant: His own. We are losing the battle.

I’m not asking you to pray for anything specific in 2013: but God is asking, begging, and longing for His children to humble ourselves and seek His face. The Holy Spirit will lead our prayers – if we will get into that closet.

We have the power! It is on our knees. If every Pray-A-Day warrior will dedicate themselves to prayer, at least three times a day, in 2013, we will see a different church, a different home, and a far different America. There will be a cloud of God’s Glory hovering over us, and we will feel the fire of Heaven burning in our soul!

If we don’t, just read the remaining verses of II Chronicles 7:14. God will not strive with us forever. He will not be ignored! He is depending on, counting on us. Please, let’s don’t let Him down.

One of the greatest military strategies ever used on an enemy, is to divide that enemy against itself. Conquering the foe will then take hardly any effort at all. We can show Satan! We may not be united on some points of doctrine, but we present an un-conquerable force when we become united on our knees!

~ Kyla Rowland

(06/26/12)
Have you been faithful to pray for our precious nation? Have you prayed perfunctory prayers, or have you cried, pleading with God to deliver us from our present distress?

No one knows any better than I that life is too busy, we are all tired way too often, and, sometimes, praying for anything gets pushed aside. It is a trick—a trick of the Enemy. I’m sure Satan is pleased when we go to sleep at night without calling out for God, without praising Him and telling Him how much we love Him.

Ask God for a way to turn the tables, a way to double cross our adversary. God will hear and answer. One of the most powerful ways to pray, when it seems impossible, is to meditate, for just a moment, on how much He loves you.

He had only one Son, God sent Him to this wicked earth to shed the only Blood He would accept for the remission of our sins.

Someone has to plead this cause at the Throne Room of Grace. “We” are those someone’s.

(03/12/12)
Many of you today are in pain. Physical pain is tough, but emotional pain, to me, is much more difficult. Both are unpleasant, but each of these are compounded by Spiritual pain. You could have been doing well, with God and faith, according to your assessment, when trouble came. Then, suddenly, you find yourself in the middle of an ocean alone and crying for help that doesn’t seem to come. You simply cannot find your faith.

Children who rebel, husbands who seem to have lost interest in your marriage, problems with your mother, father, maybe with a sister or brother. Some women react quickly and loudly, some simply withdraw and become very silent. Either response can be good, IF your response is directed to God.

Just don’t lost control until you have given Him control: He’s in control anyway, but He moves in our lives according to our “faith.”

“All things,” not a few, not selected problems, not just big problems, but “all” things are possible: Jesus said, “With God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).

“I thought we were praying for America this year.” Yes. We are. But the Holy Spirit, who can and will reveal “all things” (John 14:26) to us, has let me know that sometimes we are so burdened with personal issues that praying for something as big as an entire nation is difficult.

We tend to deal with immediate needs before we can think about potential needs. So many women are hurting. Satan’s purpose is to lie and destroy. When we believe his lies, destroying us becomes fairly easy for him.

So, can we meet all the challenges of our personal daily lives and deal with a nation that seems bent on destroying “itself” by disregarding Almighty God? Some of you can do both, some give it a valiant effort, and some simply cannot handle the cares of an ordinary day in your little world and take on the added burden of the entire world.

Make a mental or written list of your needs—what you most want God to fix right now and what you would like to see Him fix, if you had the time and the heart to give that desire the attention it requires.

First on your list would be that one thing which is causing you the most pain and distress at this moment. I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that our country would not be number one on most lists, nor should it be.

What are those problems that just keep worrying you—which of them should be at the top of your list? None of them!

What then? “You” is the answer. Troubles are always going to plague us. Every day of our life some kind of trouble will trouble us. It is inevitable; it is a promise from God: “Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble” (Job 14:1).

Today, a year from today, five years from today, you are going to be faced with some kind of pain. All we need to do is look at yesterday, or the past year, or our life as a whole up to now: Has it been full of some kind of trouble? Have you handled it well? I sincerely hope not.

I hope you haven’t tried to handle it at all! Nothing, not one thing is going to be resolved victoriously unless we allow God to handle it! We testify so easily of how we have turned it over to God, how, from now on, we will let Him handle it. This sounds good, it gives a measure of peace to just say it our loud, “I am depending on the Lord.” Saying it and living it are, however, very different.

I’m not telling you that I am a woman of great faith who doesn’t worry or fret, who gives all my burdens to the Lord and walks away free of all care. No, just the opposite is true. I must really enjoy worrying and fretting because I sure do a lot of it, but, I know what God’s Word says, and believe it is true. I know that when I rely on Him, on His promises, on His power, I still hurt, but I cannot worry.

Why can we not have the same faith in God, who never changes? He is like the sun, moon, stars, autumn leaves, and Easter lilies—He does what is expected of Him: He keeps promises and performs miracles!

Some of His promises are without condition, but others require something from us in exchange, yet, here are two promises that are simply a plea from the lips of the Savior. “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me” (John 14:1). He is comforting the disciples because He must leave them.

Then in John 14:27 Jesus tells them how He will leave His peace with them when He goes away. Again, He tells them, “Let not your heart be troubled.”

The cares of the day melt away in His presence and worry is replaced with peace.

Put all your worries in a bag: that bag would be full I suspect. But consider this: If God should decide to bring judgment upon America, all the cares in that bag would suddenly take second place.

When God finally brought judgment upon Judah, they had no home left to worry about: some were taken to the strange land of Babylon while members of their families were left in Judah because they were too young, too old, or too sick to make the trip.

What became of primary importance then? Their nation, because life as they knew it was over. Am I trying to frighten you with a tale of gloom and doom? Absolutely.

In the days of Noah man became more and more depraved. They forgot about God and His blessings, they took them for granted. The Lord has already warned that in the last days it will be, once again, like the days of Noah.

Are we there yet? Obviously not, but we are dangerously close. God said, “My spirit will not always strive with man,” (Genesis 6:3), and He gave them another 120 years to repent, but they only moved farther away from Him.

God is patient and long suffering, but He will not strive with a once Godly nation forever—He does have a limit. Do I know what that limit is? No, I do not, but I know this, let us call upon the Lord while He may yet be found.

We are STILL loyal to Israel, we STILL have a people who love and trust Him, and there are STILL women of God who know how to pray—so PRAY!

Somebody needs to pray, “God, turn America back to you!”

(11/03/11)
“Revival Must Come”

That is the prayer for 2012. We are long past wandering and speculating on what will bring America back to God. Revival is imperative!

There is no need to list our troubles, the media does that every day, but nothing has ever been so broken that God cannot repair it.

Is it a preaching revival that we need? Yes, but not yet. When sin threatened to destroy England in the 1800’s, God sent revival. And a preacher named, John Wesley. But every revival begins this way: There is a call to prayer, and a people who respond.

God probably has the man for this hour already chosen, but, first, His people have to begin laboring on their knees. Before a Holy Ghost, sinner saving, soul stirring revival can come, somebody has to pray it down!

Are we going to allow Satan to continue to plague our nation, making our leaders afraid to stand for God for fear of not being re-elected? When a nation is being led by people who will not acknowledge the God we were founded on, nothing but deterioration can result.

You must not take my word for it. Examine Israel and Judah: When fearless Godly men reigned, that nation was blessed and flourished.

How I long to hear someone in authority say, “We must look to God’s Word for guidance.” We read in the Bible where Israel would go after other gods and the repercussions were so very sad. “But my people would not hearken to my voice,” (Psalm 81:11). God had to give them up to their own hearts’ lust and let them walk in their own counsels. Disastrous!

Then the Lord said, “Oh that my people had hearkened unto me!”

We have some good leaders, but their faith in Almighty God has been silenced because political correctness has them by the throat of helplessness.

We, God’s children, have a choice: we can submit and dedicate ourselves to the closet of prayer, or we can allow Satan to continue to have his way.

“Shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him?” (Luke 18:7).

(03/24/11)
“April, May, June 2011”

David was running from King Saul. Saul was mentally unstable, was uncontrollably jealous of David and had a vile hatred of him. But here was David’s prayer in Psalm 17:12, 13: “Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.

Arise, O Lord, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword.”

Our greatest enemy is Satan. He does not want us on our knees; he doesn’t want revival in America; Satan is roaring like the lion, wounded, and seeking its prey—and we are it!

But prayer will disappoint him! Hearts united for a common cause will deprive him of the thing he desires most—to prevent sinners from being saved and to keep God’s children out of the closet of prayer.

“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16). The results of this kind of prayer are greater than a human heart ever dreamed were possible.

Effectual: Producing the intended result…Fervent: Hot, burning and intense…Availeth: will be of great advantage and value, and will prosper! No wonder the Enemy fights us every time we start to pray. We can eat from the master table right in his presence. (Psalm 23:5)

We can pray down revival in America! Let’s get busy and disappoint our enemy, Satan.

Don’t forget Israel. “As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem” (Isaiah 66:13).

(07/14/10)
“Midstream”

We are about midstream for 2010. As you look back over the last six months, I hope you can see progress. I hope, for those of you who’ve had a difficult time with this, you have conceded that we must pray for our-selves before we can be effective for others. Our health, emotional state, and our spiritual state must be tended, much like you would a flower garden.

There are plants that must be placed deep into the soil, plants that need an abundance of water. Many flowers and plants cannot survive in dark shadows and must be brought out in the sunshine.

The deeper we go into our communion with Him, the more careful we are about watering ourselves daily with the Word, thus the stronger and more vibrant we will become.

We’re like roses, we cannot survive in the darkness, we need light. Light is hope, light prevents us from drying up, it teaches us how to grow. Plants will always grow toward the light, and so do we. “Ye are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). How can we shine if we don’t absorb the Light that is Jesus Christ.

“Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun” (Ecclesiastes 11:7).

I pray we will continue pouring blessing of water and light upon ourselves so that we may go deeper still in Him. It is amazing what can be shone and poured out on others from a heart that is full of water and Light.

Don’t forget Israel. We must not become weary in praying for this beloved little nation. Jerusalem is the center of our hope. To forsake her would be to ignore Christ. Why He chose her, no one knows. It is not ours to question, it is our duty, however, to pray a wall of protection around her.
It is no mystery why she has long been the most controversial, and often hated city in the world. Whatever speaks of Christ will always be hated and attacked. But aren’t we glad God is in control? Many nations may fall, cities may be destroyed, but the Holy City that is set on a hill will still be standing when Jesus comes again.

That promise does not exonerate us from daily prayer for God’s chosen city. While we know it will survive, much harm has, and will continue to come to her. “But I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there; and have chosen David to be over my people Israel.”

In Jesus’ last description of Himself, Revelation 22:16, He calls Himself this: “I am the root and offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.”

I think we need no better confirmation: we must pray that we will grow in the light of Jesus Christ: we must pray for Israel. I love you all in the name of Jesus Christ.

Don’t ever give up! God always has a blessing waiting just around every dark corner.

~ Kyla Rowland

(5/24/10)
Have you ever wondered, “What does Jesus think about me: do I please Him; is He proud of me”?

Sometimes Christian women have a mistaken notion of how the Lord views us. We feel as though we are second-class and severity limited. We do have specific roles to fill, as do man, but to not give us the right to vote was absurd. Even today, women, many times, earn less than men doing exactly the same job. So, we have sort of a rough road at times.

But what does God want from us? The Bible is abundantly clear: women in the scripture were diverse, to say the least, but all that is worth consideration, for both men and women is this: God will send the Holy Spirit to reveal all truth to us.

The woman Jesus encountered came from a wide range of backgrounds. He wasn’t interested in manmade customs, only God’s law. He did not alter the law in any way*He fulfilled it, and in so doing, astonished the Pharisees, Priests, and Sadducees in His treatment of women.

God set a standard, early on, how a man is to love a woman in:
Abraham’s love for Sarah
Isaac’s love and deep respect for Rebekah
Jacob’s committed love and adoration of Rachel

He told us how the course of history was changed by the bravery of Abigail. Then we see that gender did not disqualify someone from being a political leader, as evidenced in Deborah and Esther.

I love God’s care for Hannah. What a prayer warrior and what a triumph for a precious woman who was so mistreated. And how God honored Naomi and Ruth is more exciting and beautiful than anything Hollywood could produce.

We forget about women like Rahab sometimes. Who she was and what she was would have eliminated her from any service to God, but He showed us that He will use whomever He chooses, male or female, to achieve His purpose. I especially enjoy the fact that in Matthew 1:5 we find Rahab in the genealogy of our Savior.

This article is not a feminist view of God’s purpose for women. It is simply the bible’s look at how God wants us, how He wants everyone, to regard the status and importance of womankind.

For instance, Ephesians 5:25; “Love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it.”

The strongest demand in a marriage is given to the husband; love your wife, protect and cherish her, even if it costs you your life. He instructs wives to be submissive. But then it’s easy to be submissive to a man who loves you more than his own life. It’s a matter of all of us staying in the place God chose for us.

Some of you ladies are still having a little problem with our prayer for 2010: Praying for yourselves. It is our nature to please. We enjoy pleasing our husbands, children, pastors, our church, our employers, and we are consistently running on empty. Please continue praying for yourself daily.
Our most important service in life is to please God. To do this we must spend time with Him, but, too often, He is put to the side in order to attend to others. This imbalance must change.

Put God first. Schedule Him above all other duties and He will provide the time and strength to perform all other tasks.

“Will” yourself to make your time with Him your number one priority. He will fill you with abundant energy and miraculously maneuver your time schedule. The result will be remarkable: you will have done all you need to do with time to spare. Try it. Trust Him and try it. See if He won’t pour you out a blessing you cannot contain. A note of encouragement: Remember how we prayed for revival! Immediately, reports began coming in about unusual, spirit-filled revivals springing up. They continue to come in. Folks are amazed at the power in these meetings that go on for weeks, sometimes months. Pray A Day works! Praise His name!

(Next, Kyla will share with you Jesus’ attitude toward women of the New Testament).

(10/8/09)

With all my heart I want to congratulate you ladies for your willingness for coming to the aid of your country. Praying for Israel and for a strengthening of our relationship with them is straight from the Word of God.

Some of you have not missed a day in praying for the peace of Jerusalem, others may have forgotten from time to time, but let us all, in these last few days before December 31, 2009, make an all-out effort.

I am very late with this letter, but we still have time to lift a good many prayers up for this vitally important issue.

No one has ever successfully responded to the question, “Why did God choose Israel?” And, to tell you the truth, I don’t think we should ponder the question at all. In Ezekiel 20:3 God is talking to Israel, reminding them of their rebellion, “Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say to them, Thus saith the Lord God; are ye come to inquire of me? As I live, saith the Lord God, I WILL NOT BE INQUIRED OF BY YOU.” I believe this needs no further commentary from me.

In Ezekiel 20:5 God begins a list of reminders of His great blessings: “And I say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; In the day when I choose Israel;”… Enough said.

Psalm 78 is a detailed review of God’s patience and mercy for Israel. These verses, numbers 41 and 42, sends a horrible chill up my spine, “Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and LIMITED the Holy One of Israel. They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.”

Please, ladies, let this not be said of us. Let us remember God’s goodness and graciousness, not limiting Him, and believing that our prayers “will take Heaven by storm.”

~ Kyla Rowland

(8/21/09)
"PRAYER ALERT "
Women of God!

I have found through the years, that when women get a hold of a problem, they are relentless on their knees. We have an urgent, pressing problem in Washington right now that requires all of our attention!

The President has proposed a new Health Care Bill. This, in itself, is good, in fact, the bill may be a good one. However, this is not the issue.

The issue is that we know little or nothing of its content. Even if we had it before us to read, could we understand it? Think about this:

What can we do? First of all, find the names of the Congressmen and Senator’s of your state, their postal or email addresses, and write them. If you don’t have access to a computer, call your local courthouse and they will be glad to give you this information.

Simply express to these people, who hold your health in their hands, that you ask them not to sign this bill until we, the average citizen, can at least understand what they are signing. Use your voice!

Then, talk to the One who has been calming storms since the beginning of time. God WANTS to bless us. He loves us and wants to provide for us and protect us. But we have to ask Him!

Humble, fervent prayer from God’s people changes the course of history. We are neither helpless or hopeless on our knees.

~ Kyla Rowland

(6/17/09)
"A Note From Kyla"
The number of women who add one prayer, collectively, to their daily prayers has grown to almost 400. This year we are praying for Israel. It is now at the halfway mark and if God’s power becomes any stronger as He blesses and approves our pleas for Jerusalem, we will not be able to contain the joy!

Listen carefully to Isaiah as he prays for Jerusalem in chapter 62, verse 6 “I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence.”

It seems that all along the way God is taking us more deeply into an understanding of His command to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem; how vitally important it is; how He rewards those who answer this command with His presence. It makes me want to pray day and night for Jerusalem.

Then today I am led to the scripture where one, if not “the” most influential prophet of the Old Testament is praying for Jerusalem and he is saying that God has set watchmen upon the walls of Jerusalem. The women of Pray A Day are among these watchmen.

We know much about Israel and its’ history, and we know a little about its future, but as we continue to obey God’s requirement of us to pray for Israel, and specifically, Jerusalem, we are being astounded by what God continues to reveal to us. It proves that many negatives of God will unfold when we diligently seek Him through His Word and in the closet of prayer.

I wand to send a heartfelt thank you to all the women who have made Israel their person priority. For those yet not committed to this cause, I have every confidence that you will.

Praying for Israel is not just for a handful of women, but God DEMANDS this from all His children. Yes, we must pray oft with and for one another, for sinners, for wounded Christians, missionaries, preachers, revival in our land*the list is endless, but of all the prayers God longs for us to pray, the prayer for Israel comes with the strongest urgency. His language is unmistakably demanding when God says, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.”

(4/20/09)
"Special Note To Pray-A-Day Laborers"
It would be remiss of me to fail to give you ladies a collective pat on the back. Year before last, 2007, we prayed for revival; in 2008, for the men of God who were called to preach His Word. This year we are praying for Israel, as we continue to remember the prayers of the two previous years.

It has been an evolution which is leading to a Spiritual revolution! It seems that God wanted to send revival, but He also needed to prepare His under shepherds for this great movement. For the past two years the Lord has been arranging a great awakening, and it could not materialize until somebody prayed. Well, glory to God, a lot of somebodies are praying and God is moving!

In West Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and all around the South, revivals are breaking out. These revivals are like those in the days of the great John Wesley, Dwight L. Moody, and men of God, the likes of which we never thought we would see again, but the Lord has raised Him up some preachers.

And, my sweet prayer warriors, it all begins when some little saint decides, “I ain’t gonna take this anymore!” Satan has had a heyday. The Enemy has been pleased with himself because he has his spokesmen who have the media as their platform, telling America, telling the world that this Jesus person is laughable, and only the weak and vulnerable would believe that He is actually the Son of God.

We may not have the media at our command, but we have the Holy God of Israel! We have His only Son! We have the Holy Spirit! What a team!

Yes, we are weak. Thank God, we are weak. It seems we have finally become weak enough to fall on our face in a closet of prayer and cry out to God for help.

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Ephesians 3:20).

Thank you, children of God for your faithfulness in prayer. Prayer moves mountains, parts waters, stirs up Heaven, and moves the hand of Almighty God! Praying for Israel has been the icing on the cake. We haven’t seen anything yet! Just wait until God’s blessings reach “exceeding,” “abundantly,” and “above.”

(1/28/09)
"2009 Pray A Day: Update"
I am thrilled beyond telling. The Pray A Day ladies are based in this motive; keeping an eye on His glory. Last year we prayed for the appointed shepherds of God who preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our gift for this offering was the joy of hearing of the changes in the hearts of some of these men. Those who were strong became stronger still, and some, who desired a new focus, amazingly, saw the dawning of new hopes, new dreams and aspirations.

January 1, 2009, we began adding “the peace of Israel” to our daily prayers, and what joy unspeakable! Already the Lord is moving in that miraculous way as only He, alone, can.

Just yesterday, at a little church in Muscadine, Alabama, He not only sanctioned our choice of prayer for this year, but let us know that these women of God really “got it.” They understand the urgency of the command, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6).

Near the close of the meeting a lady stood to share God’s blessings in her life. In her testimony she mentioned that she was part of the organization, “Jerusalem Prayer Team.” Then another lady rose for her seat and shared with us her involvement in “the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.”

My cup overflowed. Two witnesses in a country church, in the deep woods of the deep south were shining like a beacon on a dark day! Praying for Jerusalem, uniting Christians and Jews?I was as I wrote in the opening of this letter, “Thrilled beyond telling!”

In II Corinthians 13:1, Paul writes to the Christians at Corinth: “This is the third time I am coming to you. “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established,” referring to the Old Testament Levitical law.

God gave us the full count, not just two, but THREE witnesses! Yet another precious lady told us her amazing grasp of the prayer, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem,” and of the determined action taken by her and some of the ladies in her church. Each Thursday evening they meet at her home to pray.

I have said it very often: when glorious events take place in our nation or in our world, sometimes these miracles have been wrought by the humble prayers of some of God’s least visible children. Now the masses will probably never know, or care about Christians who seek His face in their behalf, but, then, that is not the point at all. The point is, does it bring glory to the Savior? Does your obedience in prayer reach out and make it possible for some poor sinner to find their way to the Cross, a sick body to be healed or find the grace to endure? Does your obedience in prayer reach confused, weary, and wounded brothers and sisters? Of course it does, and your obedience goes beyond the realm of your community. I would love to know how many times the course of history was changed by the prayers of little saints who had no credentials beyond, “they sought the face of God!”

It is obvious that I am running over today. Luke five has come to life this weekend, like a large living force breathing the glory of God. I praise Him that I was privileged to hear the testimonies of those who have “launched out into the deep” (Luke 5:4), “withdrew into the wilderness to pray” (v-16), and climbed to the housetop, “and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus” (v-19).
Pray on, women of God, pray on.

(11/5/08)
"2009 Pray A Day"
As the story of Abram, later to be called Abraham, opens in Genesis 12, we pass from creation to Noah, to the Tower of Babel. From the beginning we see that many will disregard God and only a few will follow Him.

Abram believed God and followed Him. God removes him from his homeland and Abram is obedient. This move was to also separate him and set him apart for God’s purpose: From him would come the great Hebrew nation, and ultimately, the Messiah. From Abram we learn about obedience and faith and that God is ever faithful to His promises.

As Genesis 12 opens, God wastes no time in telling Abram His plan for him: To make him a great nation, to bless him, make his name great, and make him a blessing to all mankind.

The next verse, number three of Genesis twelve, is our prayer for January through March of 2009: “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.”

Since God has never broken a promise, we can be assured that this is truth in its purest form. Already we have seen the crowning promise, given in the later part of verse three, come to life: Jesus is the promise in which all the families of the earth will always be blest.

As to the former portion of the verse, God promises to be a friend to Abram’s friends, and while the enemies try in vain to destroy Abram’s nation, Israel, it will be an exercise in futility, but God will surely curse that nation that tries to destroy Israel.

Our first prayer for 2009: “PRAY FOR ISRAEL”. God tells Abram, by this time, “Abraham,” that all of Canaan (Israel) will be an “Everlasting Possession” for him and his seed. God always means exactly what He says: Israel will be everlasting, so, then, will the nation that blesses her.
There are several such verses in God’s Word, but it suffices to give you God’s orders, His Divine Command and Promise to us: “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6.)

May the Holy Spirit direct you to the Throne of Grace each day and bless you for your faithfulness to God’s cause.

(11/5/08)
"Closing Days of Pray A Day 2008"
As we close the year of praying for God’s shepherds, I hope that we will not forget them in the coming year. They are one of, if not, “the” favorite target of Satan.

In Ezekiel 34 God is angry with the shepherds of Israel. The result: “And they (God’s people) were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.”

Shepherds, the called men of God who preach the Word are vulnerable to the Enemy, but here is what will happen if we pray; They will, under God’s leadership, do for the people what God did for His children when He stepped in and took over in Ezekiel 34:

A good shepherd will feed his flock on the Word, ever pointing them to the Great Shepherd who can do all this for them.

Certainly this is a prophecy of the Messiah to Israel, and to everyone who will believe on Him, but it is also a warning to present day men of God. They are constantly under attack and someone must continue to pray for them that they may:

(10/23/08)
“ALERT”
In a few short days we will have a new President of the United States. Every election is of vital importance. This one, however, has raised some fear in the hearts of God’s people. What is the answer? Prayer.

Let us look to James 5:16, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray for one another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Effectual means “of a prayer or plea: earnest, zealous, urgent--producing the intended result--effective.” Yes, time is short, but God created all of Heaven and Earth in only six days.

I am asking women everywhere to “pray without ceasing” until the last vote is counted. We are usually awake fourteen to eighteen hours each day--pray on the hour, every hour. Then, there are those who work second and third shift. As you are going about your jobs, breath a prayer every hour. Jesus, in Luke 5:12, went out into a mountain to pray, and “continued all night in prayer to God.”

May we become, over these last few days, like the widow before the unjust judge in Luke 18:1-8. She would not give up, she came continually before him until he granted her request. Then, Jesus ends this parable with these words; “And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bare long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily.”

May God have mercy on America once again.

(8/22/08)
2008 is swiftly coming to a close. The only ones for who time passes slowly are usually young folk: The 15 year olds who can’t wait to be 16 so they can drive; the 20-year olds who can’t wait to be 21 and a few of us older ones who anxiously await answers to our prayers. January 1st will be here soon at any rate.

Some of you have faithfully prayed for the preachers every day, others, only when you thought of it. But that’s perfectly all right. It is amazing what God has wrought through one fervent prayer prayed by just one of His children.

Let me encourage you: we have just over four months left, so let’s go out in a blaze of His glory! Already we are hearing reports of how our labor has blessed some precious men of God. They are worth every moment we have spent lifting them up.

“How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things” (Romans 10:15). Here are just two of the mighty works God calls on His under shepherds to do:

“And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding” (Jeremiah 3:15) “And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the Lord” (Jeremiah 23:4).

Knowledge, understanding, learning not to fear or be dismayed, not lacking in the things of God—this is what God calls ministers of the gospel to do; as He told Peter, “Feed my lambs…feed my sheep.” No wonder the enemy wants to silence God’s men; he wants the sheep to starve! Not if we can help it!

When you hear a Holy Ghost—filled message from God’s man, see sinners saved and weary Christians find new fire, you can smile in your heart, knowing you had a part in it all.

Next year will be exciting. Once again we will be the little Shunnamite woman who cared for Elisha, the woman who followed Jesus and the disciples, those who helped Paul. We will continue to break the alabaster box at Jesus’ feet and the fragrance of prayers will be pleasant to the Lord.

(7/8/08)
Dear Pray A Day Ladies,
Why should we, a small group of women try to bear a burden of the men of God? We must first ask, why shouldn’t we be the one? I can honestly think of no good reason why not.

The most glaring reason for us to, at least, shoulder in this responsibility is because we heard the need and willingly surrendered to the cause. This sounds very much like divine call to prayer.

I urge you again to not be overwhelmed. God may ask some of you to pray all year for only one preacher, while others may be burdened for all pastors, or evangelists, or missionaries. There may be a Pray A Day laborer who senses the need to pray only for those men who have heard the divine call, but are struggling to accept it.

How glorious if a prayer warrior could undergird some of these who are resisting. I know from experience that they are miserable, but often their families suffer as well. Why all this suffering? Because men who are divinely appointed will encounter the greatest resistance from Satan. He is all too aware that the preaching of the gospel, in spirit and truth, will lead sinners to Calvary, encourage God’s children, and win more battles than he has the power to defend by any of his clever maneuverings.

Now to part II: The battle for God’s ministers certainly comes from the same source as that for lay Christians. But, their responsibilities are greater, their battles are fiercer. The Bible certainly confirms this. In Luke 12:47-48, Jesus speaks of the servant to whom much is given, and there is no higher honor than to be called a preacher of the gospel of Christ. Jesus says here, “of him shall be much required.”

The point of this letter of encouragement is to pray for those shepherds who have the mistaken notion that “accepting Christ” is all there is. For sure, it is at the top of the list. And by the way, the term “accepting Christ,” “having an experience” are not terms found in the Bible. “Born again” and “Saved” and “Delivered from the power of sin”—these are terms found in the Word.

But this is not the end. Once sinners are saved they must be taught to seek after Christ, to hunger and thirst for Him. They must be taught to long for Him and pray, “Oh God, show me thy glory!” A church full of saints who pant after God, to taste Him, touch Him, see with spirit-filled eyes the wonder of Him—this is part of the responsibilities of the pulpit.

It becomes obvious then: If the man who stands behind the sacred desk cries privately each day from his heart as Paul did, “that I may know Him” (Philippians 3:10), he will insight and excite his flock to do the same. But, someone must pray for him, pray that he will be like the priest in II Chronicles 30:15 and become ashamed that he has not been zealous in bringing gifts and offerings to the Temple.

Don’t give up, ladies. Let us make full use of the power given us by the blood and by the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

(6/10/08)
Christ is teaching in Matthew 18, and on establishing truth, He says in verse 16, “But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.” Jesus is reminding them of the laws written in Numbers and Deuteronomy.

I was reminded of this during the meeting on Thursday evening at Pigeon River Revival. The Perry’s sang, and sang not only beautifully, but under the unction of the Holy Ghost. Tracy, of course, testified between songs, and before they sang “Holy Shore,” he spoke about the men of God, how even some of God’s finest were becoming weary in well doing.

This was so perfect, so timely. For six months the women of Pray A Day have been endeavoring to keep a hedge prayed around the men of God who are called to preach the Word. Pastors, assistant pastors, youth and interim pastors, evangelists and missionaries. It seems, though, that the urgency of this prayer has not been easy to accept. I have doubted if it is even the right prayer for this year.

But, as Brother Lavon Boatner of Philadelphia, MS says, “God knows just what to do.” Tracy’s moving exhortation struck at hearts. We were pierced with the knowledge that, not only is this prayer imperative, but it is God’s perfect will for Pray A Day 2008. Thank you Tracy for being sensitive to the Spirit. You have no idea how you encouraged the women who labor in prayer daily for the preachers of the Word.

The requirements and responsibilities of God’s shepherds are not widely studied. As Christians we usually search the scriptures for those things that directly apply to us and our need. But upon close examination of the work of preaching, we see that the responsibilities of this office are grave, indeed. Those who are lazy, self-centered, who pervert the Truth will have blood on their hands and be called to account to God for their misdeeds. God says this plainly in Ezekiel 34.

The humble, faithful shepherd, however, will be blessed beyond measure, but we are seeing a day when even the faithful man of God is discouraged. And little wonder. He has a flock made up of every imaginable personality, all with demands, all with their opinions, and few who are meek and humble servants.

Don’t faint ladies. I believe in a very short while we will begin to see some fruit from this labor. Paul asked the Thessalonians in books one and two, “Pray for us.” He wrote to the church at Corinth, “ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf” ( II Corinthians 1:11).

I believe many a little preacher, striving to preach the gospel, feed the sheep, glorify God and deal with the weights of his duties is crying out, “Somebody, will you please pray for me! Take me to the throne of grace and plead my cause that I may be a watchman for the sinner and a shepherd to the sheep.”

(5/13/08)
In 2007 the women of Pray A Day prayed for revival, and what enthusiasm they exhibited. The reports of great revival, both in their churches and in their hearts, poured in.

This year, however, seems to be difficult. We are praying for God’s men who preach the Word, and it seems we are grinding out prayers. This is good. The more difficult the task, the more we know that the Enemy is alarmed and greater will be the result. E. M. Bounds says: “God wants elect men of whom self and the world have been severely crucified. Their bankruptcy has so totally ruined self and the world that there is neither hope nor desire of recovery.”

Paul asks of the Colossians, “Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak” (4:3-4).

This is one of many requests the great Apostle asked for prayer from the saints. His responsibility was great, his message grave, and his enemies many. And so it is with God’s men today. No wonder Satan is trying to hinder our prayers, but instead of discouraging me, he is providing the coal oil I need to pour on my fire.

In Romans, Paul asks that the saints “strive together with me in your prayers to God for me” (15:30). “Strive” is the perfect word for it means (violent conflict, struggle, and to contend resolutely with or against forces and difficulties).

Let us be faithful to keep a hedge prayed around our pastors, evangelists, missionaries, and the young Timothy’s of the ministry. For ever sinner who comes to Calvary by the preaching of the Word; for every wounded heart that is mended; for every discouraged saint who finds the will to go on through the preached promises of God’s unfailing grace, we will be a part.

“The harder the battle, the sweeter victory!” Praise God, I can almost smell victory.

(4/1/08)
In Matthew ten Jesus is sending out the twelve disciples, and preparing them for persecution: “behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves” (Matthew 10:16).

Ask John the Baptist or Paul as they sat in prison, “Is it easy to be a preacher of Jesus Christ?” In fact, Paul told Timothy he must “endure afflictions” (II Timothy 4:5). Paul lists some of these sufferings in II Corinthians 6:4-6, and they did it—preached, endured, prevailed “by the Holy Spirit and love unfeigned.”

Study the lives of the notable men of God; Wesley, Moody, Havner—you will not read of lives of luxury and opulence. You will read of men who experienced what Paul described, but these men left an indelible mark on Christianity. How? By the Holy Spirit and love unfeigned.

They did not pretend to be filled with the Holy Ghost, nor did they pretend to love Jesus Christ. A man appointed by the Holy Spirit will have unction on his preaching. The great Spurgeon says: Unction is a thing that you cannot manufacture, and its counterfeits are worse than worthless.

How much thought do we give to the burdens on the shoulder of our pastor? How much time do we give, daily, laboring in prayer for him?

When the enemy came to kill and destroy on 9/11, what was his target? The tallest and most visible, making it the most vulnerable.

Satan can save a great deal of effort in diminishing our faith, thereby leaving us groping in a wilderness of confusion, simply by destroying the man of God. When he falls it scatters the sheep and leaves the sinner confounded, doubting that God is even real.

How many times did Paul ask, “Pray for me?” Here is what will happen if we daily lift up the ministers of the Gospel:

Any man who has been appointed (II Timothy 1:11) to preach the glorious gospel must have time to pray, study, and spend much time alone with God. His attacks from the enemy are strong, many, and devastating, therefore, if we do not maintain a protective hedge around him he will be less effective, and could eventually fall.

You may pray only for your pastor, for evangelists, or the young men who are just beginning—whomever the Holy Spirit directs you to pray for, pray diligently, pray daily.

If we will be faithful, we will be awestricken at the results. I believe there is a great revival in the making, but “how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:14).

(3/4/08)
For this year of 2008, the women of Pray A Day have committed themselves to praying for the preachers of the Gospel. Our committed includes all 365 days of the year. Is not there something comforting about this; knowing that someone is in the Throne Room of Grace daily, pleading the cause for the men of God.

My ministry focus has always been “Prayer”. I don’t see it changing because prayer is our answer to all of life’s questions, all of life’s problems. Prayer is hope. It is the most hopeful exercise of the day, for it matters not what attack the Enemy brings, how fiercely we are tried and tested, how lethargic we become, or how defeated we feel—prayer is our answer.

Try praying one day, without ceasing, and I promise, on the authority of God’s Word, at the end of that day, hope will reign in your heart.

This brings me to the subject at hand: The men of God. When the enemy came on 9/11, what was their target? Two buildings that stood tall above the rest, buildings that were the most visible, making them easy to attack. This is why preachers are Satans’ favorite target.

Not only are they easy targets, but Satan is smart enough to know that by the fall of one man of God, many will suffer. Let us begin to examine this, the highest calling of God.

First of all, preachers must be “appointed” by God, not man. II Timothy 1:9 “Who (God) hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.”

II Timothy 1:11 “Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.”

This is not a profession, a career—this is a Divine appointment. Men appointed to preach the Gospel are not chosen at a certain age, they are chosen before they are born. Jesus, always our example, was chosen preacher, teacher, Messiah before the foundation of the world. As John the Baptist leaped in Elizabeths womb we know there is a very special calling on this baby’s life.

It is the same with all men who have been chosen to stand behind the sacred desk. Long before they are born they are appointed to break the Bread of Life.

God said it so well in Jeremiah 3:15, “And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.”

This is the first and foremost requirement for a preacher; that God gives them according to His heart.

Last year Pray A Day focused on revival. This was easy for the women knew, without question, how very needful it was. This year I have not encountered as great an enthusiasm, but how can we hear without a preacher? How can revival take place without a God-appointed minister of the Gospel?

When you pray, ask the Holy Spirit, “What is the need for today?” Here are some important issues that have come to my heart:

All of these play into Satan’s hands for his goal is to silence God’s men, thereby, silencing the Gospel.

I urge you ladies of Pray A Day, and men and women everywhere, who love God and His Word, pray diligently for the men who have been chosen of God to preach the Truth of the glorious Gospel of Christ.

PRAY-A-DAY 2008 (12/31/07)
We are praying for those men of God who have been appointed (II Timothy 1:11) to feed the sheep, oversee the sheep, and preach Jesus Christ to sinners (II Corinthians 4:5). Acts 4:12 states, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

The Enemy would prevent this work for 2008. In all the years we have prayed in this Pray-A-Day ministry, no prayer has been so attacked as the one for the shepherd of God. This speaks loudly! We are about to level a blow to Satan that has him very disturbed, for, in praying for those who feed the lambs and the sheep, those men who preach the Blood, the Cross, and the Resurrection, we have struck a nerve!

Silence the man of God and sheep will go hungry. Prevent him from preaching Calvary to the lost and the sinner will be deprived of the Truth.

We will look closely at this supreme calling, and, over the next twelve months, try to learn about the differences between a bishop, minister, preacher, pastor, and evangelist. In the meantime, as we begin our praying in earnest on January 1st, let us seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost each day. Some of you will be called upon by God to concentrate your intercession on your pastor; others will be assigned by Him to pray for a particular evangelist, or evangelists at large. God knows each of our hearts and what will be best suited for us.

We are embarking on a great adventure, one that has the potential to bless thousands, so be faithful. Let’s mark on the calendar as we intercede each day, striving for 365 check marks on December 31st. Then, when we stand back and see what God has been able to accomplish through our meager efforts, we can rejoice and be exceedingly glad to be a part of such a great work.