Tuesday

“And let us consider one another

in order to stir up love and good works,

not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together,

as is the manner of some,

but exhorting one another.”

~Hebrews 10:24b-25, NKJV~

Today is election day.  Be sure to vote!  Cast your vote to represent your values.  Pray for our country to be the nation God would have us to be!

TODAY’S PRAYER
IMB
NOVEMBER 2, 2010

“But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly; the Lord will hear when I call to Him.” (Psalm 4:3)

HAITI EARTHQUAKE. Please intercede for the peoples of Haiti, as Hurricane Tomas is projected to make landfall there on Friday. It is currently a Category 2 but appears to be gathering speed. Pray earnestly that Tomas will be redirected out to sea by God’s power and strength. Even if Tomas does not make landfall, the resulting heavy rains could be devastating to the 1 million Haitians still living in tents due to the catastrophic earthquake. There is the potential of soaring deaths from mudslides and escalating illnesses from the ongoing cholera outbreak. Pray for God’s mercy, and for workers to have strength and wisdom as they seek the Lord’s help in this situation.

INDONESIA. Once again, natural disasters are jolting the people of Indonesia to an awareness of the fragility of life. Please continue to be in prayer for the families disrupted by the recent earthquake and tsunami that impacted Mentawai Island, and pray for those in the vicinity of Mt. Merapi, a volcano that continues to pose a threat. Pray that God will open eyes to the problem of sin and the need of a Savior. Pray for believers who will show the mercy of Christ in the midst of crisis, and ask that they will be sensitive and bold at the same time. Pray that in the midst of these events, God will show His mighty power to save all those who believe on His Son.

WORLD LEADERS. “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence” (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Please pray today for President Sebastian Pinera Echenique of Chile (western South America).

FUTA TORO FULANI OF WEST AFRICA (FU-tah TOH-roh fu-LAH-nee). “November is a wonderful time for Thanksgiving–not just the holiday, but ‘the attitude of gratitude.’ We are so grateful for what our Father provides for us to accomplish His work. We are blessed by the generous giving of Southern Baptists and the infinite prayers you lift up on our behalf. We are thankful for our Futa Toro Team members who are already on the field, working with the Futa Toro Fulani, and ask you to lift us up as we meet as a team to discuss, explore, and determine new and different methods of getting the Gospel to as many of the Futa Toro Fulani as possible. Pray that we will be united as a team and will be led and driven by the Spirit.”

KASHMIRI MUSLIMS OF INDIA (KASH-meer-ee). “Sometimes we feel like you’re our only hope around here.” An outgoing MBA student with a short beard and wire-rimmed glasses pulled a worker aside at a concert for peace in Kashmir and spoke these words of encouragement. Students across Kashmir have been unable to attend classes, take exams, or interact with their teachers since violence and unrest exploded in June of this year in Kashmir. Most of them have been under virtual house-arrest for most of the time or have been caught up in the fury or depression of the times. At the beginning of October, on one of the first “open” days, workers organized a musical concert to promote understanding among Christians and Muslims after rioting had broken out the previous month concerning the alleged desecration of a Quran. Both local musicians and Christian worship leaders from the West were featured, and several large groups of MBA students from the local university showed up. Please pray for those who attended the concert and heard the name of Jesus being praised, as well as saw several local believers praying in the name of Jesus in a public way. Also pray that upcoming campus events in November will impact these students for Christ in deeper ways and will bear lasting fruit for the kingdom on campuses in Kashmir. Most of all, pray that soon a group of these MBA students will be saying, “Jesus, You’re our only hope around here.”http://www.go2southasia.org/

SUPPOSE I’M VISITING in your home and I notice a lovely vase on the coffee table…

I pick it up and admire it, but suddenly, it slips from my hand, falls to the floor, and breaks!  “Oh, I’m so sorry,” I say, and I offer to pay for it.  I know I have a fifty-dollar bill in my wallet, so I think I’m safe.

But you tell me there are only two such vases in the world, and the other one is valued at $2,000!  Am I any sorrier now than I was a few moments ago?  Yes.  I am $2,000 sorrier!  What made the difference?  Knowing the cost.

THOUGHT:  Many people look carelessly upon Christianity, thinking it’s just another of the world’s great religions.  But when we look at the Cross of Calvary and realize what our salvation cost, suddenly Christianity and the One whose life it represents take on a whole new meaning.

So, then, what value do you place on Jesus?  George Vandeman

18 “Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things,

like silver or gold,

from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,

19 but with the precious blood of Christ,

as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

1 Peter 1:18-19