International Day of Prayer 07

International Day of Prayer 07 11/11/07 p.m.

 Heb 13:33 Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.

Call to mind, think about consider

Today is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.

It is observed in more than 125 countries.

It is a call for Christians worldwide to lift up those who are suffering for Christ and pray that they will remain faithful in the face of trails and tribulation.

Iraq and North Korea are special focal points for this years’ IDOP.

Persecution is nothing new.

Suffering of-Exemplified

a. Micaiah. 1Ki 22:27.

b. David. Ps 119:161.

c. Jeremiah. Jer 32:2.

d. Daniel. Da 6:5-17.

e. Peter &c. Ac 4:3.

f. Apostles. Ac 5:18.

g. The Prophets. Ac 7:52. 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One,

h. The Church. Ac 8:1.

i. Paul and Barnabas. Ac 13:50.

j. Paul and Silas. Ac 16:23.

k. Hebrews. Heb 10:33-39

l. Saints of old. Heb 11:36.[1] 32 And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: 33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 Women received their dead raised to life again.

Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. 36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.

39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony

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1. To produce the fruit of patience	Rom. 5:3; James 1:3-4; Heb. 10:36
2. To produce the fruit of joy	Ps. 30:5; 126:5-6
3. To produce the fruit of maturity	Eccles. 7:3; 1 Pet. 5:10
4. To produce the fruit of righteousness	Heb. 12:11
5. To silence the devil	Job 1:9, 10, 20-22
6. To teach us	Ps. 119:67, 71
7. To purify our lives	Job 23:10; Ps. 66:10-12; Isa. 1:25; 48:10; Prov. 17:3; 1 Pet. 1:7
8. To make us like Christ	Heb. 12:9, 10; 1 Pet. 4:12-13; Phil. 3:10; 2 Cor. 4:7-10
9. To glorify God	Ps. 50:15; John 9:1-3; 11:1-4; 21:18-19; Phil. 1:19-20
10. To prevent us from sinning	2 Cor. 12:7, 9-10
11. To make us confess when we do sin	Judg. 10:6-7, 15-16; Ps. 32:3-5; Hos. 5:15; 6:1; 2 Chron. 15:3-4
12. To chasten us for our sin	1 Pet. 4:17
13. To prove our sonship	Heb. 12:5-6
14. To reveal ourselves to ourselves	Job 42:6; Luke 15:18
15. To help our prayer life	Isa. 26:16
16. To become an example to others	2 Cor. 6:4-5; 1 Thess. 1:6-7
17. To qualify us as counselors	Rom. 12:15; Gal. 6:2; 2 Cor. 1:3-5
18. To further the gospel witness	Acts 8:1-5; 16:25-34; Phil. 1:12-13; 2 Tim. 4:6-8, 16-17
19. To make us more than conquerors	2 Cor. 2:14; Rom. 8:35, 37
20. To give us insight into God’s nature	Job 42:5; Rom. 8:14-15, 18
21. To drive us closer to God	1 Pet. 4:14; 2 Cor. 12:10
22. To prepare us for a greater ministry	1 Kings 17-18; John 12:24
23. To provide for us a reward	Matt. 5:10-12; 19:27-29; Rom. 8:16-17; 2 Cor. 4:17
24. To prepare us for the kingdom	2 Thess. 1:5; 2 Tim. 2:12
25. To show God’s sovereignty	Rom. 8:28; 1 Cor. 10:13; Ps. 66:10-12; Gen. 45:5-8; 50:20

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The first thing we are to do is pray.

Eph 6:1818 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

Prayer – general request

Supplication – specific prayer

Pray for their spiritual, mental, emotional, physical, and financial needs.

Suffer with them

Heb 10:32-3432 But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: 33 partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated; 34 for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven.

 Mt 25:31-4631 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

44 “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

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[1]Torrey, R.A.: The New Topical Text Book : A Scriptural Text Book for the Use of Ministers, Teachers, and All Christian Workers. Oak Harbor, WA : Logos research Systems, Inc., 1995, c1897

[2] The New King James Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1982, S. Heb 11:32-39

[3]Willmington, H.L.: Willmington's Book of Bible Lists. Wheaton, IL : Tyndale, 1987, S. 318