WHY PRAY? Part 1- WE MUST!

Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises....(James 5:13)

Everywhere you look today, people are in despair. There is so much hopelessness and fear out there, that sometimes even God's people wonder "does He really care"? Well, yes, He does and more than we realize. More than anyone else, Christians who are walking in the Will of God, have the true Hope which lives within, and that is more than sufficient.

We wonder sometimes how the saints in persecuted lands like the Middle East and China do it, and how come there are more Christians in these countries than the US and Europe combined.....and the answer you will always get is - PRAYER! Pastor/Author David Platt is now the director of the Southern Baptist Convention's huge International Missions Board (IMB) which has been taking the Gospel to the ends of the earth. He is one fired up man of God for missions and especially intrigued by the underground churches in China. In one of his studies, while he was pastor of the largest church in Birmingham, Alabama, he recounted an experience when he visited one of those "secret churches" to fellowship with them.

These precious saints met in a private basement and always began their hours long service/bible study with as much prayer as they deemed necessary to get them through this particular night. David Platt said they were face down on the cold concrete floor praying, pleading and crying out for what appeared to be over two hours. When they finally arose from being prostrate on the floor before God, there were literal puddles of tears on the floor. These saints are suffering under persecution by the atheist communist party. By the way, latest figures have shown that the amount of Christians in China far outnumber members of the Chinese communist party! Our brethren in the Middle East are suffering out in the open as we see from the news almost daily. Many pastors and believers are also imprisoned in the islamic republic of iran. Yet they pray and rejoice. Pastor Saeed, the well-known American pastor has led over 30 to Christ in prison, as recently recounted.

But what about suffering here? There are many suffering not just hopelessness as to the future, but genuine fear about every single thing in life.  We wonder about our children and will they even have the freedom to worship God and live out a life of faith like their forefathers. We wonder about health and finances and family. If you read the obituaries in the daily newspaper or even online, you will see more and more more young people from their teens to their early 50's leaving this earth at an alarming rate! What could be the cause of that? Then if you read some of the content written about their lives, it should shock any follower of Christ into questioning how we could allow so many young (and older) people to die without Christ in their lives. People are known by their fruit and the descriptions of some of these poor souls are absolutely astoundingly vacant and one is scared to ponder what their eternity will be.

King David, even in the depths of despair, wandering and doubt, yet never stopped praying. The anointed and inspired Psalms of the Bible gave us most of his prayers to Almighty God, His Redeemer. Here was the anointed King of Israel (anointed by God, no less) yet, he was on the run for almost 14 years and a king without a throne. But pray, he knew he must and sacrifice to the Lord, even when he was in thirst, he did! 

There is no bigger act of not just praise with his mouth and heart, but by his actions than this account from 2 Samuel 23(15-17): "David had a craving and said, "Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate!" So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water from the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless he would not drink it, but poured it out to the LORD; and he said, "Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?" Therefore he would not drink it".

Was David suffering? YES! Saul was trying to kill him and kept chasing him with an army all over the countryside.  He had no place to call home. He had no regular food supply or warm bed....nothing. Yet, he prayed....and when (as in this passage) his Mighty Men brought back what must have been the 'gourmet water' of the day and it cheered him - King David praised!

Therefore, we have two things here - David asked - the Lord supplied the great tasting water - it blessed David's heart and he gave it back to the Lord. When we are in dire straits, as this man of God obviously was, we have the formula from the Scriptures, pray and praise like David did! It really is this simple, for the man or woman of God!

TEN DAYS OF PRAYER FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH: OCTOBER 24-NOVEMBER 2, 2014, Day 9

Today is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (Sunday November 2, 2014) and more intentional prayer meetings - in church buildings as well as online (and telephone conference calls) are going on all day, worldwide on behalf of our brethren ALL over the world. This is a grassroots and para-church led movement which is given short (or no) mention in most wealthy western churches, where the level of persecution we see in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, is not reached as of now (in the western hemisphere).

CLICK FOR LINK TO FREE SIMULCAST ANYWHERE

However, while the entire Body of Christ is being decimated worldwide, for standing for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the small remnant of western and American Christianity is just being felt on this continent. We see bakers and photographers' religious freedoms (guaranteed by the First Amendment) being violated while the official church stays silent. This changed in Houston, in the past few weeks, when the Houston Mayor subpoenaed the sermons, texts and emails of five Houston bible-preaching pastors. This is unheard of in the west and the rising up of the true church has led to an event called 'I STAND SUNDAY" at 7 pm (Eastern) 6 pm (Central) and 4pm (Pacific).

I STAND SUNDAY is a live FREE simulcast available for all churches and home and can be accessed by clicking here, where more information is available. Speakers include President Ronnie Floyd, of the largest Protestant denomination in the world - Southern Baptist Convention; Pastor Mike Huckabee; Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson and his pastor son Alan; Religion writer Todd Starnes and more. The five Houston Pastors whose free available online sermons were still subpoenaed will be featured speakers.

In addition, Open Doors is having another powerful and spirit-filled free LIVE Webcast tonight led by David Platt, well-known author (RADICAL) and leader of the Southern Baptist International Mission Board (IMB); Nik Ripken and musical guest SELAH. Click on the webcast link provided in the photo below to sign up for FREE/

http://live.opendoorsusa.org/?_ga=1.212539676.94793898.1412731225 

Jesus told His disciples in John 15:19-20a "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you."

There are religions and even Christian churches and certain well-known leaders which the world loves. They are loved by this corrupt world system because of compromise, complacency and even colluding with the culture. But the Lord Jesus said that you and I are not to be like them - because He has called His true church out of that system. These are the ones which the world hates. These are the ones who stand, like Martin Luther did - on the Book of Romans. These are the ones who are "Not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the Power of God under salvation" (Romans 1:16).

So Father, in the Name of Jesus, the Strong and Mighty Name - the Name above EVERY NAME, the Name Which is forbidden to speak of and mention as God in most countries, including this one, Father God we pray for Your saints, those whom You have called and elected worldwide, those who stand firm on the Truth of Christ, not just on Sunday but 24/7/365. 

We pray on this, the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church that You cause Your Face to shine its  Beauty, Glory, Power, Majesty and its Compassion to those who are in chains, those who are under the gun, those who are on the run, those who hunger and thirst in the natural, those who teach with limited or no resources except Your Spirit Who abideth in them. Lord we lift them up to Thee. 

We particularly remember in prayer and intercession before the Throne, those who are among the KURDS in Northern Iraq, and are being decimated just like our brethren in the first 200 of Christianity. Lord these saints in Northern Iraq are left out to dry in no-man's land by the enemies of Christ, who are on all sides against Your people.

Father we also pray for our pastors in Houston and the remnant in the west who will stand, as the Scriptures says - for the Gospel, on Christ the Solid Rock. We pray for the men and women of God who shall not be moved by the culture, the world, sin, sex and satan, even when it is easy and convenient to so do. Father I also pray for the I STAND SUNDAY event in Houston where the top Christian leaders of America will stand for religious freedom, under the Authority of the Master, Creator and Commander in Chief of the whole universe - Jesus Christ and proclaim from the "mountain top" - the Truth, the Whole Truth and nothing but the Way the Truth and the Life, Whose righteousness we all seek for follow and live daily.

Father God, we love you and praise, adore, magnify, glorify and lift up Your Name to be praised because You alone are worthy, through the Name of Jesus Christ, the Ancient of Days, the Amen and the Alpha and Omega, amen and amen.