By Joy Grady-von Kleeck
My heart has heard you say, "Come and talk with me." And my heart responds, "Lord , I am coming." Psalm 27:8 (NLT)
Recently I have been watching a DVD series by Robert Morris on tuning in and hearing God's voice. He said too often our prayers are like a phone conversation that is one-sided. It would be like we called a friend, talked to them, and then hung up without allowing our friend to respond. He said we often give God our "to do" list for Him to complete, but do not allow Him to talk to us.
Phillip Yancey in his book on prayer said the following. "Prayer is not a monologue but a true dialogue in which both parties accommodate to the other. Although I bring my honest concerns to God, over time I may come away with an entirely different set of concerns. When Peter went on a roof to pray (Acts 10), he was mainly thinking about food. Little did he know that he would descend, from the roof convicted of racism and legalism."
When we listen to God speak to us our prayers may change. It is helpful to start your prayer time with a quiet time listening for God's direction.
Improve Access to the Gospel in China
by Joy Grady von Kleeck
Source - Advancing Native Missions
China continues to be one of the most difficult mission fields in the world. Persecution is intense and growing. But the church is also growing. One challenge to overcome is the limited availability of the Bible and other discipleship resources.
Things you should know:
*China is home to more than 400 people groups.
*Most of the growth in the Christian faith in China has come within the majority Han people group.
*The communist government is tightening control and cracking down on Christianity, even government-approved churches.
Ways to pray:
*Pray for the secure distribution of a new illustrated children's Bible storybook.
*Pray for pastors being trained specifically to reach China's minority groups, such as the Muslim Uyghurs.
*Pray for strong connections among China's Christians, despite intense and growing persecution.
