Morning by Morning, August 19 - Praying for Persecuted Christians in Tribulation
Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the King of kings and Lord of lords. Be my King and Lord over every moment of my day, every desire of my heart, every thought of my mind, every choice of my will. ...
"And when they had preached the gospel to the that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, 'We must though many tribulations enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:21-22 NKJ).
I keep waking up in the night with a stirring my heart to pray for my persecuted Christian brothers and sisters in the world, especially in Iraq where they are being forced to convert of die in the face of threats of beheading, rape, and torture by the Islamic State terrorists. Their time of tribulation is today. And their faith has to be grounded in much more than correct doctrine or intellectual assent to theological principles. It's Jesus or death in the flash of a moment for each one of them.
We are to "rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep" (Romans 12:15). So I shouldn't be surprised or selfish when Your Holy Spirit wakes me up to lose some sleep with those who have no sleep to cry out to my Father in the name of Jesus according to the Word of God: "O Lord, You will hear the desire of the meek; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear to do justice for the orphan and the oppressed, so that those from the earth may strike terror no more" (Psalm 10:17).
A U.S. Senator on our Foreign Relations and Intelligence committees noted yesterday, "Although the Mount Sinjar crisis further revealed to the world the sheer brutality of the Islamic State, for months these terrorists have been occupying and destroying churches across Iraq, pulling down crosses, destroying religious documents and holy sites, and forcing Christians to convert or face death. They have seized bridges, dams, and other infrastructure that Christian towns and communities rely on for survival. Christians have been the primary target in Iraq, raising the stakes and the need for U.S. leadership. Christians have inhabited Iraq and Syria for 2,000 years; but if the Islamic State has its way with its "convert or die" tactics, not a single Christian will be left."
Come, Holy Spirit. Strengthen the faith of the followers of Jesus in Iraq and throughout the earth. Give us courage to endure whatever tribulation may come, as we persist in prayer for one another to "bear one another's burdens" with our intercession and our voices to speak up and take action as we are able, to "fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2). In Jesus' name I pray.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My Friend, please join with me in prayer for our Christian family in Iraq and around the world facing unspeakable terror in a time of tribulation. I pray you will intercede, speak up and act in the ways you can and the Holy Spirit leads. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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