April 1

by Ed Vasicek

Great One,

You are truly incomprehensible. We can understand some things about You by Your creation. We can understand more about You from Your Word, and Your revelation of Yourself climaxes when You became man in the Person of Jesus Christ. But Deuteronomy 29:29 reminds us that the secret things still belong to You. We can only glory in what You have revealed, and we must admit that we are awestruck. Our little minds can understand but a little about our majestic God, but what we do understand exceeds our ability to even imagine.

Lord, today is sometimes called, “April Fools Day.” Although decent fun might be a great stress reliever, the truth is that foolishness is no laughing matter. Your Word constantly emphasizes the importance of pursuing wisdom. Wisdom can prevent so many disasters while making life richer. Help me to love wisdom, to pursue wisdom and to spend time in the Book of Proverbs to gain further wisdom.

I remember the poor, sickly, downtrodden in my prayer today. Provide for them, encourage them, open doors of long-term opportunity for the poor, grant patience, strength and healing for the sick, and mend the broken hearts of the downtrodden. We pray that justice would reign throughout the earth and that societies would strike a balance between compassion and accountability.

Lord, help me to bear up under the trials, disappointments, fears and tribulations of life. Help me to trust You and to remember that trials are part of Your development plan for me. You never consulted me about this plan, but many of us would choose peace and safety over growth and the sometimes painful stretching of our faith. Please address issues that are troubling me including: __________.

Today I remember the Democratic Republic of Fiji in the South Pacific. Thank You that 17.5% of the population claim to be born-again evangelicals and thank You that the evangelical church is growing. Unfortunately the cults are growing too and many people are resistant to the Gospel because of the discrimination practiced by Christians while Fiji was under British rule. We pray that a new generation of Christians would exemplify love and consistency and be used by You to demonstrate that the Gospel really does transform lives. Bless the efforts to train leaders, to reach young people and to network evangelicals. Thank You for using the Jesus film, the Bible Society and other groups and alliances to reach the lost. May the percentage of evangelicals grow by 50% over the next decade and may they exemplify a Christianity worth reproducing.

Thank You for the ministry of Equip as they seek “to equip international Christian leaders to effectively serve the growing Body of Christ around the world...to provide strategic leadership training through conferences, resources, partnerships and technology.” We know that strong leadership is important to the local church, and we pray that the ministry of Equip would make a significant difference by training leaders to better fulfill the Great Commission.

Lord, bless those who work in the paralegal field. May they work honestly and effectively, and may those who know You live out and share their faith.

Give me Your direction today and send angels to protect my loved ones and myself, I pray in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

April 2

by Ed Vasicek

My gracious Master and my God,

You are a benevolent God. You are kind, generous and compassionate. Our Lord Jesus Christ is a high priest Who can sympathize with our weaknesses. Although You are a consuming fire, You are also tenderhearted, charitable and good. Even though we have sinned against You, You still love us and care about us and feel for us and provide for us.

Thank You, Lord, that for me – and all Who know Christ – death has lost its sting. At death, my body and soul are separated. Although my soul will go to enjoy Your presence, one day my resurrection body and soul will be reunited. But I will never face spiritual death, the separation of my soul from You. This is the second death, experienced by those who do not know Christ. Jesus will say to them, "Depart from me.... I never knew you." Thank You that Jesus knows me!

Great Father of Lights, I pray that You would enlighten those who are struggling with substance abuse and addictions. Some who name the Name of Christ find themselves captive to alcohol, prescription drugs, illegal drugs, pornography, or are rampant spenders of money. Give them grace and the courage to believe that life can be rich and meaningful without their addiction. Help them develop new habits and associations to replace the old ones and help them to focus on getting to know You more than anything else.

Lord, I thank You for the many Christians who live in Finland. Over 12.5% of the population claim to be evangelicals. Thank You that the state Lutheran church in Finland tends to be evangelical and that these folks have ministered to reach out into Estonia and parts of Russia that are linguistically and culturally related. But, Lord, the church is aging; help the efforts to bring in young people, may they settle and set roots in one solid congregation rather than church hop, and help the churches to develop new paradigms to better minister in the current age. We pray that the number of born-again evangelicals would approach 20% within the next decade. Also thwart the growth of cults and non-Christian religions, I pray.

Thank You for the work of Evangelism Explosion as they seek to train lay workers in churches throughout the world regarding how to share the Gospel. We know that thousands upon thousands have been led to Christ through EE, and we pray that the best days are yet ahead. Empower the organization by Your Spirit, prosper their efforts and use them to get the good news of Jesus Christ out to a lost society.

I remember pharmacists in prayer. Lord, help them to be careful and to do a good job in organizing and explaining medications to those in need. May those who know Christ tactfully share their faith with fellow pharmacists and with others.

Today, Lord, help me to live for You, I pray in Jesus' Name, Amen.

April 3

by Ed Vasicek

God of all comfort,

Thank You for Your great compassion. You are a God who is sympathetic, empathetic and a God Who has pity upon us as a father does upon his child. Thank You that you understand misery and suffering and that You comfort us in our tragedies. Your Spirit alleviates the pain in our hearts when we seem to be at the end of ourselves. You suffer with us, you bear with us, and You care about our lives and feelings.

Father, it breaks my heart to think about people who attend evangelical churches faithfully and yet do not personally know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. A good church accurately teaches salvation by grace alone through faith alone. But preaching the Gospel accurately does not guarantee understanding. So many people think that heaven or hell are determined by our works, that we are our own saviors. They fail to grasp that they are helpless and hopeless, which is why they need a Savior, Jesus Christ. Open their eyes, Lord.

Lord, troubled marriages are all around me. Often I am not aware of that: a friend at work, a neighbor, a relative. A mom with young children feels trapped, and she could use some time away with her husband, but no one is available to watch the children; perhaps finances are tight and the tensions high. A man or woman was reared in a messed up family and the baggage they bring into their marriage is destroying it. Those are just a few. Help the marriages around me to get stronger especially within my church family.

Please meet the following needs, requests, and desires as You see fit: __________.

Today I remember the nation of France. It is distressing to know that less than one percent of the population claim to be born-again evangelicals. On the other hand, I praise You that the number of believers in France has grown almost five times since 1960. But much of this growth comes from the great work You have done among the gypsy community – among the Roma people. We pray that Your Spirit would sweep over the French people, as it did during the Reformation when nearly half the population was evangelical. Father, we pray that the evangelical church would make a deep impact upon the native French population and that the evangelical church would double over the next five years. May a growing number of the Islamic population find Christ as well, and keep working with the gypsy peoples, I pray.

Lord, thank You for the ministry of Evangelistic Faith Missions. Thank You for their outreach into many nations, and I pray that Your Spirit would empower their Gospel presentations and discipleship efforts. Keep them true to You, bless them with harmony amongst themselves, give them wisdom, discretion and safety, and provide for all their needs.

Help me to be faithful to You today in everything, I ask in Jesus' Name, Amen.

April 4

by Ed Vasicek

Great God,

I am glad You are a sane God. You are completely reasonable and Your mind is never clouded or confused. According to Ecclesiastes 9:3, there is madness – insanity – within the hearts of men. Therefore, to us You sometimes appear to be off. The truth is the other way around: You are perfectly sane; we are not. Your ways are higher than ours and You see the big picture. So in our confusion, we anchor ourselves to You, the completely sane God.

Lord, I am thankful for many things, three of which are: __________.

Lord, I empty myself before You so that Your Spirit may fill me. I find my strength in His power not my own. May Your Spirit control me today.

Lord, help my church be harmonious. May the leaders be firm when it comes to the clear teachings of Scripture and gracious about the not-so-clear matters. Keep antagonists, troublemakers and those who resent authority away from our congregation. Help my church to be effective in evangelism, discipleship, loving one another and world missions.

Help me, Lord, to exemplify the fruit of the Spirit in my life. Help me to be patient especially with those to whom I am closest. Help me not fall into the trap of respecting those I hardly know and treating my spouse, children, parents or good friends with disrespect.

Lord, I remember the nation of French Guiana which is still under French domain. This country just north of Brazil has very few who claim to be born-again evangelicals, only 3.3%. Eighty percent of the births are out of wedlock and there are many people groups without any permanent mission work. Having been a penal colony for over eighty-five years, this has been a tough area for the Gospel to penetrate. May Your Spirit move over this needy land and may the evangelical church there triple over the next decade. Train leaders and help the believers to break away from the defeating lifestyle of the area and truly espouse Christian values and convictions.

Dear Lord, thank You for the ministry of Far Eastern Broadcasting Company, whose mission is to, “bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to those who have little or no opportunity to hear about God's love for them. Every day [their] radio network broadcasts programming in 150 languages, to a potential listening audience of more than 2.5 billion people. FEBC's broadcasts are heard in many countries with limited access to Christian ministry or tremendous political and cultural opposition to the gospel.” Thank You, Father, that this ministry has reached so many considered unreachable. Provide for the needs of the ministry, help the workers to work in harmony and may Your Spirit empower the broadcasts. We pray that the number of people who come to Christ through this ministry would double every year over the next decade and that many of those who know Christ would grow in their faith through this ministry.

Now, Lord, use me today, I pray in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

April 5

by Ed Vasicek

Our Great God,

You are unlimited except by Your own nature. You have all power, and all sorts of things are possible with You, and You can do almost anything, yet You cannot contradict Who You are. Because of Who You are, You cannot sin or lie or do anything that would be contrary to Your nature. You could not create a rock that You could not lift because You cannot contradict Yourself. Moral absolutes come from You. Everything You do is right for two reasons: You do it (and thus define what is right) and You are in complete harmony with what is right (thus behaving in ways that are consistent with righteousness).

But, Lord, I am a sinful person. Your Word tells me that if I confess my sins, You are faithful and just to forgive me of them, and You will cleanse me from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). So I bring my sins before You now. I do not excuse them, but I freely admit them and ask for Your forgiveness.

Thank You that once I have accepted Christ as my Savior, the Holy Spirit has indwelt me. He is helping me to live the Christian life, empowering me and creating an appetite for God and the things of God within me. He causes me both to desire to do God’s will and then to do it. Others who are watching from the outside do not understand that You are working in me.

Lord, help me to not make promises I do not keep. Your Word tells me it is better not to make a vow than to make one and then not keep it. May others note me for my integrity, and may others see this as an evidence of Christ living in me.

Today I remember the continent of Asia in prayer. Lord, over 83% of the world's 4.4 billion non-Christians live in Asia. Not only that, but over 87% of the world's unevangelized live in this most populated region of the world. Asia has 832 million Muslims, 805 million Hindus, and between 400 and 900 million Buddhists. Lord, the Asians are the least evangelized people on planet earth. Oh, Father, change that. Thank You for the spread of the Gospel in Korea and China among other places. May Your Spirit hover and breath upon this region and may the church multiply by 10 in Asia over the next decade. May the horrible persecutions stop and may the Asian church develop forms and ministries adapted to their situations.

Great God, thank You for Food for the Hungry as they seek to “walk with churches, leaders and families in overcoming all forms of human poverty by living in healthy relationship with God and His creation [Food for the hungry] helps some of the world's most disadvantaged people in 47 countries through child development programs, agriculture and clean-water projects, health and nutrition programs, education, micro-enterprise loans and emergency relief.” Lord, bless their efforts; give them harmony, the wisdom and power of Your Spirit, and a liberal supply of provisions and funds.

I commit my day to You, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

April 6

by Ed Vasicek

Gracious Lord,

You are a relational God. The Persons of the Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – have always had a perfect relationship. Your Nature is the basis of all good relationships. Because You are a relational God, You actually enjoy interacting with Your people. Having a relationship with You saves us. At the time of judgment, Jesus will dismiss the lost by saying, "I never knew you" (Matthew 7:23). But to us, He says, "I know my sheep, and my sheep know me" (John 10:14). Lord, when I repented of my sins and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ, I was adopted into Your family. Thank You for our relationship.

Savior, as Your disciple You want me to bear fruit. You want me to demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit in my lifestyle, the greatest of which is love. You want me to salt the earth and be a light. You want me to encourage my brothers and sisters in Christ, to use my spiritual gifts in conjunction with my church, and to share the good news of Jesus Christ with others. Help me to be a fruitful Christian. May I start at home with those closest to me.

Help me to organize my life and environment in a healthy, balanced and reasonable way. Keep me from obsessive behavior. May I neither model a control-freak lifestyle that is nothing more than a fearful approach to life nor that of disorganization because You are a God of order. Help me to seek a medium mentality: one that trusts You without obsession but disciplined enough so that I can find what I need and model responsibility.

Please meet the following needs, requests and desires as You see fit: __________.

Help me with my thought life today. Help me think positive and pleasant thoughts today, thoughts that please You.

I remember the South Pacific island nation of French Polynesia. This is a nation that needs Your help desperately. The people are promiscuous (Over 60% of babies born are illegitimate.) and substance abuse is commonplace. Only about 5.6% of the population consider themselves born-again evangelicals and many of the people have returned to the pagan occult practices of their forefathers. Father, help Your children to remain pure in such an environment with its many temptations. May the evangelical church double within the next decade. May Your Spirit draw multitudes to You.

Thank You, Lord, for Global Mapping, "a Christian inter-denominational missionary research agency. [Their] highest priority is serving evangelical mission ministry leaders in the developing world." Bless them as they engage in "research and development of strategic missions information...to enable Christian ministry leaders to acquire, manage, analyze, apply, communicate and share strategic information." We know, Lord, that foreign missions is a complicated challenge and that weeks spent in thinking, evaluating and developing a strategy save years of misdirected labor on the field. Bless them as they help other missionaries and missions organizations minister wisely. Give them harmony and the special wisdom of Your Spirit.

So, Lord, help me to honor You today, I pray in Jesus' Name, Amen.

April 7

by Ed Vasicek

Lord,

You are exalted above all creation. You are higher than the highest, greater than the greatest, more powerful than the most powerful, more knowledgeable than the smartest and purer than the purest. You are above all and the competition is not even close. Indeed when we contemplate Your exalted nature for just a few moments, we are awestruck. We then realize that we must decrease in our supposed self-importance while our perspective about You must increase. You are exalted and we are humbled when we contemplate this.

Help me to resist temptation and the lures of the Satan today. I take up the shield of faith by which I can quench the fiery darts of the Evil One.

Father, bless parents today. Give them wisdom in rearing their children. Help them provide structure and firmness without being harsh, cruel, or disengaged. May parents take their roles seriously and not simply take the path of least resistance, nor leave child-rearing to others.

[For the married]

Lord, thank You for what marriage has done for our society and this world. Help my marriage to be a blessing. Guard it, put a hedge around it and help us to be determined to work out our differences with an unswerving commitment. Help us to respect one another, to talk to one another, to compromise with one another and to enjoy one another's company. Help us to work at our marriage, to nurture it, to go out together, to occasionally read a book to help us renew our marriage and to really understand one another. When I do not understand, help me to know this. Do not allow me to think that I understand my spouse when I do not. Never let an attitude of contempt or sarcasm master me.

[For the single, divorced, separated, or widowed]

Lord, I have to admit that sometimes life is lonely. Although friends and family enrich my life, sometimes I regret that I am alone. At other times, I appreciate it! Help me to appreciate the blessings of the single life: time to focus upon You, freedom to come and go as I please and a simplicity of life. Help me to participate in church and community. If I am left out, help me to become tough to that. Help me dive in and include myself. Help me remember that this is usually not intentional. Many couples have no idea I want to be included and their minds blind them to pick up on my desire to be included. Help me express to them in no uncertain terms that I want to be included. Keep me from taking the stance of a victim and help me to celebrate the single life.

Lord, thank You for Your work in the coastal central African nation of Gabon. Thank You that the percentage of those claiming to be born-again evangelicals has grown from 2% in 1960 to 14.2% in 2000. We pray, Lord, that this percentage would double within the next decade. Prevent the encroachment of Islam and provide training for church leaders. May Gabon became a lighthouse for the continent.

O Lord, thank You so much for the ministry of Frontiers. Their "passion is to glorify God by planting reproducing churches among unreached Muslim peoples.... Frontiers now has members serving among Muslims in over 40 countries." O God, we know so many are part of the Islamic people and they need a Savior, the God-man Jesus Christ who died for their sins and rose again. Instead Muslims only acknowledge a Jesus who was a prophet not God; a Jesus who did not die on the cross or rise again. Lord, may Your Spirit use Frontiers and other groups and individuals who try to reach this most difficult people group. Your Spirit can break through the toughest walls and we pray that He would do so. Provide, protect and empower all those associated with this ministry and give them much fruit for their labor.

Now, Lord, help me to glorify You today in the simple things of life, I pray in the Name of Christ, Amen.

April 8

by Ed Vasicek

Holy Father,

You are immense. By that I mean that all heaven and earth cannot contain You. You are limitless and endless, yet You are not restricted by dimension since You created space: height and depth are part of the created order (Romans 8:39). When we build church buildings, they are not built to house or contain You; they are as a convenience and a facility for Your people. They are not shrines but ministry centers. As Solomon prayed, "The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain You. How much less this temple I have built." (1 Kings 8:27).

Lord, the Old Testament Feast of Passover pictures a lamb whose blood is shed so that Your wrath would "pass over" when the angel saw the blood on the doorposts. So those of us in Christ are protected from Your wrath by the blood of Jesus Christ. Passover reminds us that Christ, the sacrificial Lamb of God, died for our sins. As Paul put it, "Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed" (1 Corinthians 5:7). Indeed, He has.

Lord, I thank You today for two of the many things with which You have blessed me: __________.

Lord, I empty myself before You and ask You, Holy Spirit, to fill me. Help me find my strength in Your power. Holy Spirit, I give You control of my life.

Lord Jesus, as head of the Church, you know our church is supposed to gather for Christians to build up one another (edification). Help me to acknowledge that I need other people for me to mature evenly, that I am imperfect and therefore should give others room for imperfection and that it is not just about me, but about You AND my attempts to encourage other Christians. Remind me that it is about us, not just me and my needs. Help me to serve others within my church. Remind me that it is more blessed to give than to receive and that this does not only apply to money.

Dear God, I remember the African nation of Gambia in prayer. Most of this nation is Muslim, but fortunately the Muslims in this nation are tolerant of religious freedom. Please keep freedom strong here. Lord, only .3%-- three tenths of one percent -- of the population claim to be born-again evangelical Christians. O God, help the few Christians in this land to stand strong and may they see the evangelical church double over the next 5 years and may that doubling pattern continue. Lord, Your Spirit is capable of opening eyes and working within individuals to bring them to saving faith. We pray that He would do so in growing numbers.

Thank You, Lord, for Grace Ministries International and their ministries in Australia, Bolivia, Congo, Costa Rica, India, Puerto Rico, Tanzania and Zambia. Thank You for their literature ministries. Keep them true to You, help them experience harmony with one another and may Your Spirit empower their efforts at church planting, running Christian camps, evangelism, literature ministry and training.

Today I pray for photographers. May people in this vocation do their work honestly and with integrity. May those who know You share their faith and may many in this field come to know Jesus.

Open my eyes to see the doors you are opening for me today. I am Your servant. I pray in Jesus' Name, Amen.

April 9

by Ed Vasicek

Great God,

You are exalted above Your creation. You are not part of creation even though You are present everywhere. The universe had a beginning: You have always been. The universe is impersonal, You are Personal. You are Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Created things are impersonal except for the personal created beings: angels (both holy and fallen) and human beings. You are spiritual; much of the universe is physical. The laws of physics have no bearing upon You, but the universe would destruct were it not for those laws You established.

Lord, I know that the natural man – the person without Christ who has never been born again – that person cannot understand the things of the Spirit because they are foolishness to him or her. Although such persons may be religious, their eyes are not open until You, O Lord, open them. I recognize that I cannot reason someone into the Kingdom of God, nor can I persuade him or her against his or her will. But, Lord, You can use me in the process if Your Spirit is opening their eyes and helping them to accept spiritual truth. So I want to be used of You, but help me to realize that ultimately without You, I can do nothing.

Lord, I pray for friends, family or even myself when it comes to addictions. Some struggle with clearly sinful addictions: illegal drugs, drunkenness, pornography, workaholism. Others with matters that are more health related: cigarettes, overeating, unhealthy diet, etc. Still others struggle with compulsions and enslaving behaviors (anorexia, obsessive-compulsive behavior, etc.). O Lord, we need Your help to overcome these things. Minister to those who are close to me and struggle with these things.

Please meet the following needs, requests, and desires as You see fit: __________.

Lord, I pray that You would protect my loved ones and I throughout our lives. Send guardian angels to watch over us, I pray.

Lord, I pray for the Asian nation of Georgia, a nation of the former USSR. Lord, only about 1.4% of the population claims to be born-again evangelicals. Additionally the majority Orthodox Church tries to suppress the evangelistic efforts of the evangelical church. Bless the attempts to distribute Christian literature, Christian radio broadcasts and the use of the Jesus Film. May the evangelical church double every two years, I pray.

Lord, thank You for the creative ministry of The International Institute for Christian Studies. They seek "to bring glory to God and impact the world by developing godly leaders for every sector of society...as [they] provide key universities and academic institutions with...Christian faculty who teach and live in such a way as to draw others to faith and transformation in Christ.... ICS places faculty...in teaching positions at secular universities outside North America." Thank You for the many students who have come to follow Christ as a result of this ministry and may each of them bear fruit. Empower this ministry by Your Spirit and provide wisdom for all connected to it.

Now, Father, I rededicate myself to You today, I pray in Jesus' Name, Amen.

April 10

by Ed Vasicek

Dear God,

You are an active God. You are not passive. You are energetic, lively, vigorous and dynamic. You do not sit idly by wondering what will happen, nor are You some impersonal force that does neither process nor directs what happens. You participate with Your creation and You providentially steer the course of history. You are also active in my life working with me individually. You are active in the lives of all who have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

Lord, even though You are the sovereign God, You hold us accountable and responsible for our behavior. You made us moral beings. Even though we are predisposed to sin and be selfish, we still choose to be this way in every instance. Indeed, You are the objective standard by which all right and wrong is measured and that standard is revealed in Your Word. Help us not to blame others for the wrongs we do, but to take responsibility for our own wrongs.

Your Word tells me that if I confess my sins, You are faithful and just to forgive me of them and You will cleanse me from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). So I bring my sins before You now. I do not excuse them, but I freely admit them and ask for Your forgiveness.

Lord, reconciliation within families is a painful issue. Please bring together members of my family – or of a family I know – who are at odds with other family members. We ask that the offenders would embrace repentance, apology, restitution, the embracing of responsibility and reasonability, or the reestablishment of credibility, whatever is needed to mend the fences. And we pray that those offended would be gracious yet not naive. We know some situations can never be fixed, but we pray that repairable relationships would experience reconciliation

Lord, today I pray for the over 729 million people who populate the continent of Europe. It breaks my heart that only 2.4% of the population claims to be born-again evangelicals.

Lord, in centuries gone by Europe was the leading evangelical continent. We know that in northern Europe there are still some evangelical churches here and there, but in southern and southeastern Europe they are few and far between. Younger generations view the Christian faith as the domain of the elderly and believe it has no bearing on them. Christianity has been through the continent and has virtually left.

Father, revive Your work in Europe. May the number of Evangelical Christians double within the next decade, and may Your Spirit hover and rekindle what is left of its spiritual embers.

Lord, today I pray for my denomination, fellowship, or a denomination or fellowship I respect. I pray that You would keep the leaders close to You, guide them by Your Holy Spirit, help them to take seriously the responsibility to conform to the truth of Scripture, and use them for Your glory. May they experience harmony, but not at the price tag of sacrificing the basic and clear truths of Scripture.

Father, bless those who work as pilots. May they safely deliver their passengers; may many of them come to know You and help those who are Christians to walk with You and to share the good news.

Now help me be Christ-like today, I pray in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

April 11

by Ed Vasicek

Great God,

You are unbounded. Although the habitations of mankind are within boundaries You have set, we can set none for You. As the Psalmist explains, if we go to heaven or the deepest parts of the sea, You are there before us and without us. You are a limitless God.

Thank You for sustaining the universe. Although You – God the Father, Son and Spirit – created the universe and all that is in it within six days, You hold everything together moment by moment. Every breath I have is dependent upon Your willingness to allow me to live. The same is true regarding salvation. Since I have accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior, I am kept by the power of God, Your power. Just as You hold the atoms and molecules together, You keep my soul.

I pray for my lost friends and family members including: __________. Father, please send Your Spirit to draw them to Yourself and grant them the repentance that leads to life.

I pray for safety on the road, particularly for myself and my loved ones but for all in general. There are many hazards to be avoided. Help us to be alert and send angels to guard, protect and deliver us.

Help me not only to be alert on the road, but also alert to the devil’s schemes. Do not allow me to live in ignorance of these schemes, but help me to be alert to them and to recognize it when I myself have been lured into creating unnecessary conflict or embracing attitudes that are destructive and contrary to building up my brothers and sisters in Christ and pleasing You.

Today I pray for the Pacific region of the world. The successful work of missionaries a century ago has abolished cannibalism and over 15% of the region’s people claim to be born-again evangelical Christians. Yet, as Operation World describes it, “The decline of Christianity is especially acute in Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia with a rapid rise in secularism, family breakdown and indifference to spiritual things. The churches need new vision, flexibility in methods and understanding of cultural changes to communicate a relevant biblical message and become a more effective discipling community.” Our Father, please send Your Spirit to revive the work there! May people turn to You in great numbers and help those who know You to be strong.

Thank You for the work of International Teams. Thank You for their Refugee Ministries, as they help the 34 million refugees searching for a new home. Thank You for their evangelistic efforts via their Pioneer ministries. Bless the outreach of their ethnic, children’s, and economically disadvantaged ministries. Help them as they nurture meaningful youth ministries. May Your Spirit empower and guide both the leadership and team members; help them to work in harmony. Use the agency to make a difference for the Kingdom of God.

Now, Lord, help me be faithful to Your calling on my life today, I pray in the Name of the Messiah, Jesus, Amen.

April 12

by Ed Vasicek

Precious Lord,

You are reliable. You are never fickle; You are never out of energy or ability and You are never oblivious or caught off-guard. You are true to Your Word and completely trustworthy. Men will fail and human beings can vacillate. People may have good intentions and resolve, but they may lack the resources or ability to fulfill their pledges. But You, O Lord, are reliable.

Father, I can never be reliable as You are. But help me to be faithful and trustworthy. May I hesitate to make promises, but when I do, help me to keep them. May I not be “yes” and “no,” or hot and cold. Instead, help me to decide using wisdom, to count the course, and then to refuse to turn my shoulder from the plow and look back.

Please meet the following needs, requests, and desires as You see fit: __________.

God, I am thankful for many things three of which are: __________.

Lord, I empty myself before You so that Your Spirit may fill me. I find my strength in His power not my own. May Your Spirit control me today.

Father, remind me that I am to be part of the Great Commission. I need to pray for missions and either individually or through my church I need to support world evangelism financially.

Today I pray for the nation of Germany. Thank You that Germany is reunited and that the Gospel may now be shared freely. Yet it saddens me that this land of Reformation has abandoned the Gospel. But Father, the evangelical church seems to be growing. Although only 2.9% of the population is evangelical – in the American sense of the word – hundreds of new churches have been planted in both West and East Germany. Lord, send Your Spirit to hover over this land and draw men, women, and young people to Jesus Christ in record numbers. May the percentage of believers double within the next decade.

Lord, thank You for the ministry of Link Care Center, a ministry that “provides numerous services to missionaries and their organizations. These services range from the Restoration/Personal Growth program, to training and consultation services, to crisis debriefing services.” Thank You that they also help pastors by offering “therapy and pastoral counseling for pastors and their families...[and] to receive pastors, and their families, into the full Restoration and Personal Growth Program. Link Care deals with all types of issues including individual, marital, children, family and church relations issues.” Guide those who minister through this work and may Your Spirit grant them direction beyond human wisdom. Use Link Care to maintain, restore, or redirect Your servants according to Your will.

I remember politicians in prayer. Although we often think of politics as an unpleasant realm, the truth is that some politicians are more in tune with You and Your will, O Lord, than others. Help those who will further Your purposes to advance and hold back those who will hinder Your purposes. May ethics, integrity and conviction become more common in the political world and may those who know You argue their points fairly and honestly. Help them to be more concerned about pleasing You than advancing their careers.

Now I commit my day to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in whose Name I pray. Amen.

April 13

by Ed Vasicek

My Father,

Thank You that You are an understanding God. You are understanding in that You are supportive and appreciate our situations. You are understanding in that You are perceptive. You are keenly aware of all things, events, results and feelings. You grasp every situation and You discern even the thoughts, motives and intentions of our hearts completely. Indeed, all things are laid bare before You. There is no reality You do not understand, no problem that perplexes You and no situation that confuses You. You are God, the One who completely understands all that was, is, or shall be.

Lord, help me to be an encourager. So many of my brothers and sisters in Christ need an uplifting word, a thank you, a “well done,” an “I appreciate you.” But do not limit my encouragement to my brothers and sisters in Christ. Help me never view the lost as not mattering, or only mattering as far as the Gospel goes. May I be an encouragement and source of blessing even to lost family and friends, whether they come to Christ or not. Help me never use people, or love people only because I have an agenda for them, as well intended as I might be. Help me to love them because they are people created in Your image, be they lost or saved.

Help me to resist temptation and the lures of the Satan today as I choose to draw near to God. Bind the evil one and control me by the Holy Spirit.

Lord, help parents everywhere. May Christian parents in particular invest a quantity of time with their children. Help parents to be kind but firm, to be able to say no when it is in the best interest of their children and to adjust to differences in children based upon personality, gender and stage of life. May parents exemplify a Christianity that works and may they lead their families in prayer on a daily or near daily basis.

Father, thank You for the Republic of Ghana. I praise You that almost 15% of the population claims to be born-again evangelicals and I thank You for the spiritual growth that has invigorated many congregations. Yet many professing Christians are not faithful church attenders and solid leaders are scarce. Multiply the number of trained leaders. May the evangelical church double over the next decade and may the Gospel better penetrate the Muslim north and the remote areas. May Your Spirit raise up Ghana as a lighthouse in the region.

Lord, bless Medical Ambassadors International as they share Christ’s Gospel and “teach specific methods to prevent disease, improve agriculture and develop economic resources. Volunteer ‘medical ambassadors’, selected by the community to receive this training, share what they are learning with others. In this way, a process of transformative change is initiated that is community-owned, sustainable and which enhances human dignity.... Medical Ambassadors is a community of people now extending across more than 70 countries, and numbering in the tens of thousands.” O Father, give this ministry harmony, success and the power of Your Spirit. May they see entire communities change both spiritually as they share Christ, socially and economically. Please keep Your hand on this ministry.

Now, Lord, I commit this day to You in the Messiah’s Name, Amen.

April 14

by Ed Vasicek

King of the Universe,

You foresee all things. You anticipate everything. You are not some sort of soothsayer, nor are You an analyst charting trends and historic patterns. You know everything beforehand as though it had already happened. Even when You inspired the prophets, You often had them predict the future as though it were in the past tense. That is how sure You are about everything. Your knowledge of the future is as sure as Your knowledge of the past. You are never surprised even though You relate to us within the context of the created entity of time. You condescend to our thinking, but You know all things for all time.

I so appreciate the purifying ministry of the Holy Spirit. When I confess my sins, He purifies me. The spiritual germs that were infecting my soul are destroyed; I am clean again. Just as Jesus washed Peter's feet but refused His request to wash the rest of Him, so we Who know Christ are clean before You. Yet, as we live life, our feet become soiled; we sin. When we confess our sin, Your Spirit cleanses us much like Jesus washed Peter's feet. Thank You Lord that even though I still sin, I am clean before my Lord.

I pray for my pastor, staff, church board leaders, officers and teachers. If any do not know You, may they become born-again. Help them to be true to the Bible and to put Your Word over their own personal agendas. Help them to have genuine integrity, Biblical convictions, love, wisdom and courage. Help them put their walk with You first, their families second and their ministries third. Do not allow others to intimidate them into neglecting their families and remind them "the fear of man works a snare." Help them be most concerned about pleasing You while also seeking peace and harmony within the congregation.

Help me love my brothers and sisters in Christ, but do not allow me to become naive. When it comes to business, help me get things in writing, etc., not only to protect myself, but also to help fellow believers to be responsible.

Thank You for the 1.4% of the population who are born-again evangelicals in the tiny British overseas territory of Gibraltar next to Spain. We know many people travel to this land, mostly tourists and those working in the tourist industry including many Moroccans. The few churches there have the potential to reach people from many nations. Please revive the church there, and give them a vision for outreach. Empower them by Your Spirit.

I remember the ministry of Middle East Media in prayer. They are a "unique, strategic...ministry producing many different bible-based publications and programs for distribution and broadcast through...media. With a focus on North Africa, the Arab Peninsula and the Middle East, MEM specializes in producing high quality family TV programming and magazines...." Their vision is, "to make the Gospel of Jesus Christ accessible to every family in the Middle East by the year 2020." We pray that they will succeed in this vision by Your Spirit. Grant them safety, harmony, effectiveness and provide for them. May Your Spirit prepare hearts and draw them to Christ through this work.

Bless those who work as real estate agents. Help them truly serve their clients, to be fair and helpful. May those Who know You exemplify Your character, share their testimonies when appropriate and we pray that many more in this field would come to know You.

I ask for Your direction today, in the Savior's Name, Amen.

April 15

by Ed Vasicek

Loving Creator,

You have so many qualities and none of them exist in isolation. You are a compassionate God, a gracious God and an angry God. But one quality we often overlook is that You are a logical God. True, You are not all reason; You are also emotional and relational. But You are nonetheless logical. Your thinking is sound and coherent. You are lucid and reasoned.

That is why it is so important for me to cultivate my mind. You want me to renew my mind, fill it with good things and to develop it, not check it out at the door. Lord, may Your logic motivate me to cultivate logical thinking. Since You define pure logic in the way You do things, I can be like the Psalmist is Psalm 119:99, "I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes."

Your Word tells me that if I confess my sins, You are faithful and just to forgive me those sins, and You will purify me from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). I accept responsibility for them and freely bring the sins Your Spirit brings to my mind now: __________.

Please meet the following needs, requests and desires as You see fit: __________.

Lord, Your Word teaches this proverb: "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed" (Proverbs 15:22). Although this is a principle and not a promise, it therefore holds true most of the time. So help me to get plenty of advice from godly people before making major decisions. Keep me from being impulsive and help me recognize how much I need other believers and how much they need me!

Today I pray for the ancient nation of Greece, the Hellenic Republic. Father, it is so sad that only. .4 of one percent of the population is made of born-again evangelical Christians. Because of its long history of domination by the Turks, the Greek culture is famous for being xenophobic. (Since most Greeks are firmly connected to the Greek Orthodox church, they are noted for intolerance of other forms of Christianity.) As a result, evangelicals suffer discrimination and informal persecution. Oh, God, may Your Spirit humble the pride of this people and may many come to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and know the blessings of salvation by grace through faith alone and the assurance of salvation that accompanies it.

Lord, Mission Aviation Fellowship is a crucial ministry that provides vital support to missionaries around the world. For "six full decades...vast numbers of people in remote areas of the world have gained access to essential spiritual and physical assistance. Mission Aviation Fellowship is privileged to provide aviation, information technology and learning technology services to nearly 600 Christian and humanitarian organizations worldwide." Lord, provide protection, safety, support and blessing to this ministry. Thank You for the great work they do and prosper this ministry, I pray, to Your glory.

Now, Father, help me glorify You by my attitudes today, I pray in Jesus' Name, Amen.

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