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Bishop Robert Iobst                          PRAY EVERY DAY                                  December 2004

1. Charles Wesley wrote “Faithful soul, pray, always pray and still in God confide.” Pray for a group of Moravians and Lutherans meeting today; ask God to show them His plans for the churches.

2. Pray God to guide the bishops, the ministers in their meeting and the Christian Education Directors in their meetings at Christ Moravian and then the Provincial Synod Planning Committee.

3. Almighty God, fill my heart with Thy love and truth and make my body Thy holy temple; work Thy will in me today. Christ Jesus, “soon, I implore Thee, come; Thy glory let us see.”

4. Father, on this Saturday, I give you my attention and lift up my soul to Thee. Read Psalm 25 aloud to God.

5. THE LORD’S DAY – “Lord, Thy body ne’er forsake; ne’er Thy congregation leave…Thou art our support alone; for on Thy supreme commands all the universe depends.”

6. Today let’s pray for Prodigals Community at 1024 Waughtown Street in Winston-Salem; they help people to get free from drugs and form good work habits; many churches help them. Monday nights are special at the Prodigal Community.

7. Pray God to show His plans for the churches to Provincial Elders Bob Sawyer, Rick Sides, Betsy Bombick, Donna Hurt and Tom Shelton meeting today.

8. Talk to God about starting a Bible study group in your neighborhood; Grace Sidebothom has helped many people to start such groups; call her a 1-336-659-6139.

9. In addition to your daily devotional reading, could you each day read one chapter of First and Second Timothy for the next 10 days and talk to God about what he inspired to be written in each day’s chapter?

10. Often ask God to fill you and your family with the Holy Spirit. Pray for entire churches.

11. In the back of your Daily Text Book see the names of congregations and pastors in Labrador; pray for them.

12. The time for your whole church family to meet.  Almighty God, I long “to see Thy power and Thy glory so as I have seen Thee in the sanctuary.” Read Psalm 63 at your breakfast table.

13. On this date in 1732 Moravian missionaries arrived on St. Thomas, West Indies. Continue to pray for Caribbean Islands trying to rebuild from recent hurricanes. Can they win souls for God in our times?

14. Southern Provincial Finance Board meets today.  Many churches and charities lack money for their work.

15. Let’s pray for the 26 congregations and 13 fellowships and outstations in the European Continental Moravian Province and PEC chair, Sister Annogret Scholtz. Father, inspire many German Moravians to win souls for Thee. 

17. Vi Hoffman asks us to pray for Moravian Church

in Reading, PA 90^th birthday (1914). Pastor is Barbara

Rich. Ask God to show them His plans for the church.

18. Let’s pray for the 23 Moravian congregations in Alaska and their board chairman Peter Green. Help them to explain the Good news of Jesus to many people in Alaska and in Siberia.

19. SUNDAY, our holy day. In church pray for the people sitting around you; pray this way in Sunday school, too.

20. Today pray again for Charity Johnson to win people to faith in Jesus and have Bible studies for them.  Charity is learning the language. Praise God for Charity.

21. Winter begins today; it is also St. Thomas Day. Read about Thomas in John 14 now. Thank God for giving you life on earth so you can prepare to live with Him in heaven. Make a list of people you’d like to bring to Him.

22. Talk to God about Ephesians 4:14,15  - that we no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by every wind of teaching and by the craftiness of men in their deceitful schemes. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow up into Him who is the Head, that is Christ.”

23. Choose and memorize some Scripture verses today; then use those verses in your daily prayers.

24. CHRISTMAS EVE – Why did Jesus come? Talk to Him about the purpose of His coming.

25. CHRISTMAS DAY – Jesus’ birthday on earth. What can we give Him?

26. SUNDAY – St. Stephen’s Day. While being stoned, Stephen saw Heaven and saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Read about Stephen in Acts 6 & 7; Stephen, the first Christian Martyr, so impressed Jesus that he made Jesus stand up!

27. “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful“. (Colossians 4:2) “The Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10) Be faithful and regular in prayer.

28. Pray for persons who want to go on short term mission trips.  See www.shorttermmissions.com. CMF International also offers short and long term opportunities, www.cmf.org

29. Often pray for the new Spanish Moravian Church, Cordero de Dios, meeting in the former Immanuel Moravian building on Peachtree Street. Pray Enrique Alcantara, the pastor, will help thousands to know and worship the Savior.

30. Today let’s pray for the four Moravian congregations and two outstations in Costa Rica, Central America, and Dr. Leo Pixley, their leader.  Ask God to inspire them to talk boldly about Jesus to people around them.

31. Today until January 18 Southern Province Moravians can take part in the 24 hour prayer chain. Moravians around the world are given different days and nights in which to pray and have continued to do so since 1957. But you can also pray right now! “It is a Precious Thing!”

PRAY EVERY DAY                                 January 2005

1. NEW YEAR’S DAY Tell God His blessings of last year of which you are most grateful. Then tell Him what you especially want His help for in this New Year.

2. FIRST SUNDAY OF 2005 “Since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

3. First Moravian confirmation in Honduras (1932). There are more than 80 Moravian churches there. Pray for the pastors of both the Traditional and the Renewed churches are meeting this month to find God’s way

4. Let’s pray for Jonathon Boetcher and his sister Andrea, health workers in Liberia, in the capital Monrovia and various villages. Pray God will give Jonathon and Andrea good health.

5. On this date in 1992 New Hope Moravian Church was begun in south Miami by a group of loving folks!

6. EPIPHANY is a missionary theme showing Jesus today to people who do not know that He can forgive their sins and give them salvation. 

7. Today again let’s pray for our beloved Moravian churches everywhere to “reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature”. See Ephesians chapter 4 again.

8. Praise God for His work being done in Congo by Tanzanian Moravians (there are now more than 9,000 Moravians in the Congo; pray for their protection from war, AIDS, etc.). Find Congo on your map.

9. THE LORD’S DAY “O worship the King all glorious above”. It’s all about Him.

10. Ask God to guide our World Mission Board in planning to help win souls for Christ in Nepal in partnership with British Moravians.

11. Remember Judy Harke in prayer; she coordinates BWM efforts in Tanzania, Honduras, Guyana and other areas to combat  AIDS.

12. First convert was baptized in Antigua in 1757. Today pray for Moravians in Antigua and Eastern West Indies Islands and PEC president, Br. Glenvil Gregory.

13. BWM has commissioned Br. Mark Ebert to work with Br.Livingston Thompson of Jamaica for hurricane relief.  Pray for them. It’s an ongoing work because of damage to peoples’ homes and schools and about 25 badly damaged Moravian churches. Volunteers needed.

14. Give thanks to God for the new booklet being distributed in Tanzania “Uuogope Ukimiwi Kimbilia Kwa Yesu” (Fear HIV/AIDS-Run to Jesus). People there have been reluctant to talk about AIDS.

15. Pray for the 4.4 million people living in Moldova, a former Soviet state, the poorest nation in Europe. Samaritan’s Purse helps an orphanage there. Franklin Graham to preach in Chisinau, Moldova July 8 to 10.

16. Sunday

17. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Dear God, guide us “until we all reach unity in the faith…to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” Ephesians 4:13. Pray for Jorgen Boytler and Svend Soe and other leaders in Christiansfeld, Denmark and their missionary work in Albania, starting churches.

18. Pray for Provincial Elders; they meet today. Pray for the Moravian school at Star Mountain near Ramallah, and Rauda Marouf Khourya and other workers among handicapped children.

19. Today let’s pray for pastors and leaders of Moravian missions in north India; Brn.Thsespal Kundan, Elijah Gergen, Dechen Chamgha, Thomas Rungwei, Kagauchung Naga, Nagendra Pradhan and Samson Thangpa. 

20. Pray for Walter Bishop, Christy Parsons Clore, Rebecca Craver, Judy Knopf, Hank Jackson, Russell May, Suzanne Parker, Tracy Robinson, Suzanne Parker and Tim Sapp becoming ordained Moravian ministers or earning advanced degrees.

21. Konnoak Hills anniversary (1951). Pastor John D. Rights said “We want to be a beacon of light and show Christ’s love in our neighborhood.” Ask God to give them many opportunities.

22. Today let’s pray for Salemtowne Moravian Retirement community and director  Joe Lydon and people who live, and work and volunteer there. That God guide and bless them.

23. SUNDAY Pray for the Moravian mission work on British island of Tortola; a fellowship exists there now.  Give them a passion to talk about Jesus.

24. Pray for the work of the Moravian-Episcopal Dialogue Team and the Christian Churches Together in the USA Team and our conversations with Reformed denominations. Pray God show them His wisdom.

25. Often pray for the leaders of business and industry, especially those working in many countries so that both rich and poor will be benefited.

26. Almighty God, protect us from people who weaken our faith in Thee and Thy word. Give us faith to believe your Word.

27. In addition to Elders and Trustees, many churches have missions, Christian Education and other committees. Pray for persons on these groups.

28. New Eden’s birthday (1923). New Eden has been joined by Immanuel, Pastor is Br. Bob Peak. Also West Palm Beach Church (1966) anniversary pastor is tri-lingual Ofreciano Julius. Pray God will use them all.

29. German Moravians are trying to help strengthen believers and spread the Gospel in Estonia and Latvia on the Baltic Sea. May God fill them with the Holy Spirit.

30. Pray for the President and Vice President and other officials of your country by name.