November 16

by Ed Vasicek

Dear Lord,

You are a great God: grand, majestic, peerless, glorious, universally acclaimed and completely noble. You surpass our understanding and transcend our logic. Nonetheless, everything about You makes sense. Just as an infant cannot understand nuclear physics, so we cannot understand You. But because we cannot understand does not imply that You are not reasonable, consistent or logical – for You are. You are simply too awesome for us, too great for us to fathom. Our minds cannot grasp Your infinite nature or Your infinite attributes.

Father, create a hunger in me – a hunger for Your Word. Sometimes my spiritual appetite is sated because I have filled it with junk food. Sometimes my heart is focused elsewhere. You consider Your Word such a priority that You put it on a par with Your Name, for the Psalmist wrote in Psalm 138:2b, "for you have exalted above all things your name and your word." O Lord, may I agree with this opinion of Your Word, and may I take its study seriously.

God, sometimes I struggle with doubts: doubts about You, Your love for me, Your Word, or my salvation. But my doubts can be good. They can drive me to find answers, they help me empathize with the doubts of others and they spur me on to think more deeply. Remind me that faith is choosing to believe despite my doubts. Like the man who asked Jesus to heal his son, I too say, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24). So help me not to deny my doubts but to address them.

Father, You have done a great work in South Korea. Nearly 16% of the population is made up of born-again evangelical Christians. Ten of the eleven largest churches in the world are in Korea's capital, Seoul. Korea is second only to the U.S. in the number of missionaries it has sent out. We pray that the growth and success of the Korean church would continue forward and that more people would come to know Christ. O Father, may the materialism that has taken over the American church and now threatens the Korean church be held at bay. Help the believers to hold high moral standards and speak out against corruption. I pray that Your Spirit would protect and multiply the Korean Church.

Today I remember AMG International, "an evangelical mission and relief agency currently ministering in 55 countries of the world." Their mission is "to give each person at least one opportunity to hear and respond to the gospel." Bless their efforts and empower them with Your Spirit as they "endeavor to meet people at the point of their need whether it be hunger, sickness, or hopelessness and show them Jesus as the only answer to the problems of this life and the only hope for eternal life." Grant them harmony amongst themselves and provide for their needs bountifully, I ask.

Now help me be on the lookout for opportunities to minister Jesus Christ to others, I ask in Jesus' Name, Amen.

November 17

by Ed Vasicek

Father,

Thank You that Your Son, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the way, the truth and the life. He is the way to You, the way to forgiveness, the way to eternal life. He is not just a way, but the way. As He said, "no one comes to the Father but by me" (John 14:6). We do not walk down a path (a way) of rituals and achievements – no, Jesus Himself is the way. He is the truth; His Gospel is the only true Gospel. And He is the life; all other "ways" lead eventually to death. But His way leads to life, an eternal life that begins now and extends forever and ever.

Lord, help me to rest in You and in Your truth. I do not want to be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine. I need to carefully develop convictions from Your Word and stick to them. I do not want to be among those Jude calls, "clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees without fruit and uprooted...wandering stars" (Jude 12,13). Help me be settled in You.

You are the God Who sees. When Hagar was mistreated by Sarah and then cast out with her son, Ishmael, into the desert, You saw Hagar’s plight and helped her and her son. It was tough for her to be a single mom, but You were the God Who was there to help her.

O Father, help single moms everywhere to turn to You and surrender their lives to You. Provide them with the means, strength, health, provision and wisdom to rear their child or children alone, I pray. Whether these moms have always been single, are divorced, separated, widowed, or temporarily single by virtual of circumstance (husband working in another country, military duty, etc.), watch out for them, O Lord.

Lord, I pray for those in pain. Lord, life is rough enough when we are feeling healthy, but pain drains us of our energies and affects our disposition. Sometimes pain is a long-term taskmaster that will not go away. Sometimes pain is emotional, the devastation of our spirits and the breaking of our hearts. O God, help me in my pain and help those I know who are suffering, I pray.

Today I pray for one of the nations of the former Soviet Union, Azerbaijan, just north of Iran. Lord, most of this nation is Islamic with less than one-tenth of one percent Evangelical Christian. Although there is some measure of religious freedom, we know the nation allows no foreign missionaries. This is a poor land and people need Jesus. We pray that You would multiply the efforts of the few Christians who live there. We pray that the church would grow exponentially and that Your Spirit would draw great numbers to Jesus Christ.

Today I remember AMF, the American Messianic Fellowship. Bless their efforts in sharing the Gospel "to the Jew first" as they build bridges of friendship. Thank You that this ministry is conducted ethically and honestly. Bless them as they reach out and train others to reach out to Your chosen people.

Father, help me to love people of all races and backgrounds, I ask in the Name of the Messiah, Amen.

November 18

by Ed Vasicek

Creator of All,

I praise You that literally everything that I see has been made by You. The only thing not made by You is You, the uncreated One. All creation occurred by a conversation within the Persons of the Godhead. You said, "Let us make man," or "Let there be light." And by Your Word, You created all things out of nothing. You created space, dimension, time, matter and spirit beings: angels. Then You created man, a being who is both physical and spiritual.

Although we humans cannot create something out of nothing, we do recombine what You have created. In that sense, we too are creative. When our creativity is wholesome, it showcases Your image in us. Help me, therefore, to welcome godly creativity and to nurture it in my life. Help me to think outside the box.

Thank You, Lord, that creation is heading somewhere. We wait for the return of Christ to rule during the Kingdom Age and we anticipate the New Heavens and the New Earth.

I ask You to help me to think as a Christian should. Keep me from developing a lazy brain. May I stretch my mind for You. Help me renew my mind by meditating upon Your Word. When I am anxious, help me present my burdens to You and trade them for Your peace. May I have Your calm when appropriate and Your zeal and energy at other times.

Let me remember that You are developing my faith and that You often use difficult times to make me stronger in You. Though I admit that I usually hate such trials, I do appreciate what You have done in my life through them. My choice is to go through them with You or without You. I will go through them either way. I choose to go through them hand in hand with You.

Lord today, I especially remember those looking for a job. Open doors of opportunity and match the right person to the right job. Especially help those who work with integrity and have good character to find employment.

Father, be Lord of my finances. Help me regulate my money with Your wisdom.

Gracious One and Lord of the Great Commission, I bring the nation of Kyrgyzstan before Your throne. More than one half of one percent claim to be born-again evangelicals, a tiny representation of Your Kingdom. The nation is horribly impoverished and corrupt with all sorts of superstitious beliefs mixed with Islam. O, Father, raise up a people for Your Name in this land. Use them to lead the nation to honesty, prosperity, integrity and most importantly salvation. Do a work of Your Spirit here, we pray.

Lord, thank You for the ministry of Bibles for the World as they follow their "dream to give a free copy of the New Testament to all the families of the world in response to the commission of the Lord, 'the Gospel must first be published among all the nations.'" They have sent over 14 million New Testaments to individual homes in over 100 countries. Provide for their needs, give them unity and harmony and bless their work by empowering it with Your Spirit, I ask.

Help me remember relevant Scriptures throughout the day, I ask in Messiah’s Name, Amen.

November 19

by Ed Vasicek

Lord,

You are the Beginning and the End. You started the events of history; they came to a crescendo when our Lord Jesus died on the cross as a curse for us (Galatians 3:13) and then rose again being boldly declared as the Son of God (Romans 1:4). But one day, the events of history will culminate in the return of Christ to reign and eventually a new heaven and a new earth will replace the current creation.

And just as You were sovereign over eternity past, a time before time, we are now here to enjoy Your sovereign grace for an eternity future, a time after time. You are the first and the last, the beginning and the end, the alpha and omega.

Lord Jesus, You are the head of the Church, which is Your Body. Yet, Lord, church troublemakers are a constant blight to Your body. Unhealthy individuals who either want attention or who bare a grudge against authority or even a secret grudge against You create havoc in church after church. They rationalize their behavior and believe that anyone who opposes them is evil. They know how to manipulate people and often the silent majority refuses to stand up to them. Some go from church to church, while others are entrenched and make it uncomfortable for those who might begin gaining influence. It is sad, sick, unhealthy and devastating to pastors, their families and congregations.

Yet, Lord, this has always been a problem. I read in 3 John 9-10 about Diotrephes: "I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us. So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church." O Father, what constant plague troublemakers have been to Your church. Help me not to be one of them. And keep me from being part of the silent majority. Remind me that cowardice is a sin.

O God, encourage my heart. This world is constantly putting me down. Keep me from putting others down and help me stay positive, I request.

I pray for the nation of Laos. Thank You that a little more than one percent of the people claim to be born-again Christians. O Lord, double that number over the next two years, I pray. We pray that persecution might stop completely and that the anti-Christian government and private citizens would recognize these rights You give to all particularly the right of religious freedom. Despite the dangers and lack of trained leadership, thank You that the church is growing. May Your Spirit change hearts and draw even the government leaders to faith in Jesus, I pray. Help the Christians to be shrewd and able to avoid persecution. When they cannot, grant them the grace they need, I ask.

Lord, today is Yours. Remind me of that, I pray in name of Christ, Amen.

November 20

by Ed Vasicek

Mighty Savior,

You are the head of the church, Your body. Church leaders answer to You. Although some people think that having a perfect leader would make for a perfect organization, such is not the case. You are the perfect leader, but Your children do not always follow Your directives. Although most of us want to follow You most of the time, Lord, we fail so often. You are the head in the sense that You are the leader of the organization. You are also the head when we view the church through the illustration of a body. Just as a human head containing the brain directs the actions of the Body, so You want to direct the actions of the church at large and each congregation in particular. Help us never get away from the concept of being held accountable to Your authority by being accountable to Your Word.

Lord, I pray for our government leaders: our President and his cabinet and staff, the Senate, Congress, Judicial System, our Governor, state legislators and state officials. I pray for county and municipal leaders and officials. Father, fill these offices with those who will accomplish Your purposes. Help us to be able to practice and share our faith freely and peacefully.

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.

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: __________________.

Lord, thank You for the Mission to Unreached Peoples as they "focus on the unreached peoples of the world who have not heard the gospel of Jesus Christ, specifically those who live in the 10/40 Window (a region of the world containing parts of Asia and Africa with the fewest believers)." Thank You for their "225 missionaries in 22 countries." Bless them as they evangelize, disciple and invest their lives in fulfilling the Great Commission. Prosper them by providing for their needs, protecting them and giving them fruit for their labor. Give the missionaries harmony among themselves and empower them by Your Holy Spirit.

I remember those who work in our factories. Lord, keep them safe. Help them to be honest, to do their best and help the rest of us to appreciate their labors. May those who know You live out the Christian life before their fellow workers; help them to freely share Christ with their associates.

Father, I pray for those who work as medical assistants, medical records and health information technicians, medical and clinical laboratory technicians and medical secretaries. O Lord, help these workers to do a good job, to be free from significant mistakes and to minister mercy to others. May those who know You share their faith freely by word and deed, I ask.

Help me to let the light of Jesus Christ shine in my life today, O Lord. I pray these things in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

November 21

by Ed Vasicek

Lord,

In Isaiah 40:11, we read of You, "He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young." O God, You can be a gentle God, especially when it comes to Your sheep.

Lord, I know no one is born into Your fold. Indeed, we must be born-again to become part of Your special flock. Lord, You carry us close to Your heart. You love us and want us to feel the security of Your heartbeat. You gently lead us. O Father, help us be alert to Your gentle prodding. Just as a shepherd takes into account a sheep with young, so You are fully aware of the special circumstances in our lives. You understand my unique needs.

Thank You that You always stand ready to forgive. The only condition for the believer is confession, a repentant spirit. For those who do not know You, it is repentance toward You and faith in the Person and Work of our Lord Jesus Christ. When we trust Christ, all our sins are legally forgiven. When we sin as believers, sin causes relational problems between us, a tension in our relationship. Even though I am secure in You, sin creates an obstacle to our fellowship. When I confess my wrong, You immediately forgive me and cleanse me from all unrighteousness.

Help me to forgive as You forgive. You forgive me when I meet the condition of repentance; help me to forgive others when they repent as well. May I stand ready to forgive.

God, like every one of the billions of people who inhabit our world, I am vulnerable. So, Lord, please send angels to watch over me and protect me. Keep me from harm and evil of every kind.

Today I remember the nation of Indonesia. About 4% of the population claim to be born-again evangelicals, but many Christians are untrained and in need of discipleship. Lord, the forces of Islam are seeking to hinder the freedom Christians have to share their faith and live the Christian life. O, Father, we pray that a spirit of tolerance would grip the land. We pray that You would strengthen the prayer movement, use the Jesus film and help the church to be in line with the teachings of Your Word.

May the number of believers double over the next decade and may You raise up strong leaders and strong training ministries.

Lord, thank You for the ministry of CAM: "an evangelical non-profit, mission-sending agency currently serving in seven countries around the world.... CAM is devoted to proclaiming the gospel to Spanish-speaking people throughout the world and in partnering with the Spanish-speaking church to train and develop Latin leaders for service in global missions. CAM performs a wide variety of ministry efforts with a strong focus on evangelism, discipleship, church planting, leadership training and development, theological education and global missions mobilization." O Father, continue to bless this ministry. Provide, protect, empower and grant harmony to the workers, I pray.

Help me to be faithful to Your tasks for me today, I ask in Jesus' Name, Amen.

November 22

by Ed Vasicek

Great God,

Your Word talks about the time when You, The Ancient of Days, will take Your seat to rule over all. But first You will judge all. In Daniel's visions (Daniel 7:9-10), You are described as having hair like pure wool. Your throne seems to be on fire with a river of fire proceeding from Your throne. Millions worshipped and served You as they brought the books to open them.

Lord, I know Daniel saw a vision that represents You, not You as You really are, for "no man has seen God at any time" (John 1:18). Whether we are talking about the vision Moses had of You, the vision the elders of Israel had of You, the vision Isaiah, Ezekiel, or John the Apostle had – these are all representations of Who You are. You are Spirit, though You have appeared to men in a number of physical forms. In Jesus Christ God the Son became incarnate. But even then, Your majesty was veiled by human flesh.

O God, help me to be awestruck by Who You are. Help me to convert that sense of being overwhelmed into faithfulness. I remember the parable of the talents in which the master replied to his faithful servants, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things" (Matthews 25:21a). So Lord, worship experiences that do not affect me throughout the week and translate into service for You is mere emotion. You want me to worship in Spirit and in Truth. You are not interested in mere emotion, but repeatedly ask, "Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" (Luke 6:46).

I remember my enemies and those I do not really care for. I ask You to bless them and if appropriate to grant them repentance. Help me to respond in a proper way to them. Help me to understand the difference between loving my enemy, my neighbor, my brother or sister in Christ, my spouse, children and family. Help me distinguish between the love of duty and a love that embraces emotionally. May I not make more stringent demands upon myself than You make upon me.

I pray for the nation of Denmark. Thank You for the 4.8% of the population that claim to be born-again evangelical Christians. Many of the people claim a formal form of Christianity, but they do not attend church and do not have a personal, living relationship with the Risen Christ. Please use the Jesus Film, the Danish Bible Society and may Your Spirit also empower the new and promising Christian youth movement.

On another continent, thank You for Zion Evangelical Ministries of Africa which "has formed a missionary partnership with TEAM and SIM to increase the work of the ministry" in South Africa. Bless this work, keep it true to You and provide resources, protection and the blessing of Your Spirit.

Father, I pray for those who work as network systems and data communications analysts. May many in these fields come to know Jesus and help those who know You to spread the good news, I ask.

Lord, encourage me and help me encourage someone today. I commit this day to You in Jesus' Name, Amen.

November 23

by Ed Vasicek

My Great Master in Heaven,

You become angry with those Who give you mere lip service, as You explain, when "people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me" (Isaiah 29:13).

You are not a God Who wants image or impression; You want substance and heart-felt sincerity. You do not want our token efforts or half-hearted allegiance. You want us to love and serve You with all of our hearts. Your Son discouraged us from praying with useless repetition or a sheer volume of words (Matthew 6:7). You are only pleased with the simple and sincere, not mechanical religion. You are a no-nonsense God. May I never forget this truth, O Lord.

Lord, help me to bear up under the trials, disappointments, fears and tribulations of life including: _________________________.

Lord, I remember that the trying of my faith works patience and patience experience and experience hope (Romans 5:3-4). You use trials in my life to develop me, to teach me, to try me, to discipline me and to make me strong, for when I am weak, then I am strong. Lord, sometimes this sounds more like theory than practice. I often do not appreciate this. But then I remember that You are the Potter and I am the clay. I'll try to trust You even when I cannot understand Your ways.

Help me to resist temptation and the lures of the Satan today. He and his many demons are on the prowl, but help me not to be ignorant of his schemes. Help me overcome him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony (Revelation 12:11).

Lord, help me to remember not to make decisions based upon my emotions. Help me not to confuse the emotional with the spiritual. Help me remember that, “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool” (Proverbs 28:26); instead help me cling to Your Word and the direction given by wise fellow-believers. Help me be cautious and wise in making decisions and to weigh the long-term effects of my choices carefully and realistically.

Lord, You have done a great work in the African nation of Zimbabwe. Thank You that over 25% of Zimbabwe’s 12 million people claim to be born-again evangelical Christians. I praise You that You doubled the number of believers during the 1990s. It is my prayer that the church would not only continue to grow in numbers but in depth. Father, AIDS and land issues have plagued this nation. Turn things around, O Father, and may You get the glory!

Lord, bless the Associations of Baptists for World Evangelism, a ministry that serves churches of many Baptist and non-Baptist groups. As they explain it, "the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism is an independent mission agency that exists to serve local churches in the task of sending missionaries around the world. ABWE, with ministries in over 70 countries, services over 5,000 churches and 1,250 missionaries." O Father, grant them harmony, safety, provision and the power of Your Spirit as they serve You and share Christ with others. Help those they reach to become mature in You. Bless them, I pray.

Now, Lord, help keep my heart true to You today, I ask in Messiah’s Name, Amen.

November 24

by Ed Vasicek

Holy Father,

You are a patient God. You are longsuffering and rarely in a hurry. Because of Your patience, You delay Your wrath. You are not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance. Before You drove out the people of Canaan before the Israelites, You gave them decades, even centuries, to repent. Before You sent the children of Israel into captivity, You gave them centuries – about 490 years. Because they did not observe the sabbatical years every seventh year, You caught up by giving the land rest for 70 years, the Babylonian Captivity (2 Chronicles 36:21). Without our repentance, Your wrath is merely delayed. But during the times of Your patience, You call us to turn from our sins and to turn to You. Your kindness leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4), and we should not confuse your patience with laxness (2 Peter 3:9).

Lord, we thank You that You have called us to be a kingdom of priests. We have direct access to heaven through Jesus Christ our Lord; we can intercede for those Who are lost or Who need special spiritual attention, and we can offer You the sacrifice of praise, namely the fruit of our lips. We are a royal priesthood as children of the King.

So Lord, help me to pray without ceasing, praying off and on throughout the day. May I remember to send up casual and quick prayers and praise all day long.

Lord, help me to manage my finances in a way that pleases You. Prosper me to the degree You see fit. Help me trust You during good times and bad and may I be a good steward of what You have given me.

Abba, Father, I have many needs. Life has a way of throwing curveballs and I find it easy to strike out. Give me wisdom when I face the unexpected. Help me to delay my responses and conduct myself with wisdom. Keep me from making a fool of myself or blurting out responses I will later regret.

Lord, I pray for the North African nation of Libya. There are no opportunities in this land for open evangelism and only .3% of the population falls under the category of born-again evangelical. Secret police monitor to make sure evangelism does not occur and almost all of the Christians in the land are foreigners. O Lord, use radio, literature and Internet access to reach Libyans for Jesus Christ. May the number of Christians grow by twenty times over the next decade and may true religious freedom reign in this land. Hover over Libya, O Holy Spirit!

Lord, thank You for the Asia Evangelistic Fellowship, "an indigenous and interdenominational faith mission dedicated to the task of evangelism and pioneer missions.... The AEF mobilizes and equips national evangelists and missionaries in Asian countries to reach out to their own people groups. Today AEF International...has more than 200 national missionaries and associates serving in nine fields...Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Nepal, Myanmar, Philippines and India."

O Lord, help this ministry to be effective for You. Grant them harmony, provision, protection and the power of Your Spirit.

Please send angels to watch over me and my loved ones today, I ask in Christ's Name, Amen.

November 25

by Ed Vasicek

Ever-present Lord,

You are the God Who delivered Daniel from the lions' den. You worked a miracle and closed the mouths of those hungry lions. Yet on the other hand, lions in the Roman Coliseum killed many faithful Christians. You are the God Who can deliver, but You do not always choose to do so (Hebrews 11:32-38). And so, Lord, we trust You and Your power, but we also acknowledge that Your ways are higher than ours, for we cannot reduce You down to a formula. And we ask, not command; we request, not demand; we can plead our case, but we do not always understand Your long-term purpose.

Father, I pray for those believers who are in the military, or whose family or friends are serving. O Lord, protect them and bring lasting peace and freedom to our world, I pray.

Precious Lord, many couples struggle with their marriages. Lord, help struggling couples to endure, to address problems as they arise and to humble themselves before You. Help wives to accept the nature of men and men the nature of their wives. Help individuals to repent of the sins that create problems and help each one to face his or her own sin, reminding each one that they cannot change their spouses, only themselves.

Father, I intercede for believers who are struggling with substance abuse, addictions, or other bad or undesirable habits. Some practices are wrong, even in moderation. Others are wrong in excess. Others are wrong only because they become enslaving. Help us all to put off our bad ways and replace them with positively constructive ways. Rather than steal, let us labor to give to those in need. Rather than gossip, let us praise. Instead of being drunk with wine, help us to be filled with Your Spirit. Help us replace the undesirable with the good or at least the neutral.

My God, I pray for the Yunnan Province of China with its 42 million people. Lord, in some communities the Gospel has been well received. Among some of the people groups in the area, there is hardly a Christian to be found. All in all, well over 3% of the population would claim to be born-again and evangelical. Lord, work among all the people groups there, I pray, especially the Han Chinese.

Speed Bible translation into the indigenous languages of the various people. Thank you that 22 projects are underway. Lord, may the number of believers double over this next decade, I pray.

Heavenly King, bless Asian Outreach International, "an alliance of interdependent Christian ministries worldwide. The Alliance is bound together by a common faith in Christ and commitment to the ministry of the Gospel to Asians. [Their] mission is carried out by committed Christians from both Asian and non-Asian countries who serve together and use every means possible to proclaim Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord to Asian people everywhere." Father, keep them true to You. Protect them, provide for them, empower them by Your Spirit and give them great wisdom and much fruit. May they work in harmony with one another and with You, I ask.

Help me live in harmony with Your will for me today, I request in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

November 26

by Ed Vasicek

Father,

Your Word describes Jesus Christ as "the Power of God" (1 Corinthians 1:24). Of course He is much more than that. He is God in the flesh. He is the Second Adam. He is the Savior – and a host of other descriptions fit Him. But He is also the Power of God. Although He seemed to be weak in His death – He was led like a lamb to the slaughter and suffered the pain, humiliation and indignity of death on a cross – what appeared to be weakness was actually power. For by His submission He ransomed us, doomed Satan and provided the foundation for a New Heaven and a New Earth. It was soon apparent that His weakness was not weakness at all, as He arose powerfully from the grave!

Lord, when I am down and depressed, help me not to feel guilty about that. The Psalmist did not feel guilty when he cried, "Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD" (Psalm 130:1). Depression and feeling blue are part of life. Even Jesus is described as "a man of sorrows" (Isaiah 53:3). There is "a time to weep and a time to laugh" (Ecclesiastes 3:4). But do not let me think that my depression will last forever, that I am a complete failure, or that I am defective. Lord, those are lies from the devil and I claim the protection of the blood of Christ. Help me put on the helmet of salvation so that my thoughts become guarded!

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 Christians who are straying from their first love or compromising their walk with You. Rekindle the faith they once professed and help them fervently love the Savior once again. Remove their boring view of serving You and help them see the adventure and fulfillment of walking daily in Your light. Stir up their hearts and help them make the routines of godliness a part of their lives. I especially remember: __________________.

Father, the nation of Iran is in my prayers today. Although we have heard a lot about this nation in the news, we pray for the people of Iran, that they might be saved. Lord, we cannot get reliable figures, but there are probably only a few thousand believers in Iran, if that, less than one tenth of one percent. With Iran being over 99% Muslim and noted for intolerance, 5 million Iranians live outside the nation. Thank You for their 70 congregations. We pray, Lord, that freedom would reign in Iran and that the Gospel would spread and multiply. The Magi came from Iran (Persia) to see the Christ child and we pray that the people of Iran would likewise come to Christ.

Lord, thank You for the Belgian Evangelical Mission whose "vision is to reach everyone in Belgium with the Gospel by evangelizing every generation and people group, planting churches in every city and town and inspiring the evangelical community." O God, bless this ministry and grant them great fruit for their labors. Empower them, grant them harmony, provide for and protect them, O Lord. Europe is such a difficult mission field. Help this ministry to destroy the barriers of secular humanism and make deep inroads with Your Gospel.

Help me to make inroads with the Gospel in my family and among my friends, I pray in the matchless Name of Jesus, Amen.

November 27

by Ed Vasicek

Dear God,

I know that You, Almighty God, are the Fountain of All Wisdom. You are wise in every meaning of the Word. No one is more in touch with reality than You are. You completely understand cause and effect, You know the consequences of choices Your creatures make, You understand discretion, prudence, reason and are more rational than the sum total of all creation.

Lord, help me to draw from Your wisdom. Your Word tells me that You enjoy giving Your children wisdom; we need to ask for it, cultivate it and value it. So often the people who value wisdom are wise, while those who do not seek wisdom are typically foolish. So help me seek wisdom as You direct in Your Word, particularly with the book of Proverbs.

Lord, thank You that prayer changes me. Thank You that prayer often changes events. Although You will not grant our prayers when outside Your will, there are many things You will only give us IF we pray. So often we have not because we ask not. So today, I am asking!

Thank You, Lord, that I need others to be happy and fulfilled. Sometimes I feel lonely and alone; help me not to cower in a corner, but help me to jump into my church, neighborhood and community. You made me to be social, just as You are social. Help me nurture that social part of my being and not cower in fear.

Help me remember that our church is a body and that I have a part to play. Help me to be forbearing, to confront when necessary and not to be touchy. Help me maintain a realistic view about human nature even among the regenerate, so that I do not hold false expectations that will be frustrated.

Father, I remember persecuted believers everywhere. Many thousands have died for their faith over the last few decades and the war of abuse continues. Help believers in countries where persecution is part of government policy – or where the government encourages others to do the persecution and looks the other way – to be especially wise at averting it. Help those who cannot avoid persecution without denying Christ to be strong and firm. Empower them for the trials that await them. We pray that the persecutors would themselves be won to Christ and that persecuting nations would be won over to the idea of true religious freedom. We pray especially for Guatemala, the Muslim portion of the Philippines, Eritrea, Kurdistan and Ethiopia, nations 51-55 of the 86 nations noted for persecution.

Lord, please intervene as Your children suffer and die for the Gospel. I ask You to stop the persecution.

Lord, I pray for The Fellowship of Faith for the Muslims, "prayer, information and literature service for Christians who are concerned with sharing the Gospel with Muslims." They are an interdenominational, international service ministry. Although they do not send out missionaries, they help equip others to share their faith with Muslims. O God, bless this work, I pray.

Help me show love to those I come in contact with on a daily basis, I ask in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

November 28

by Ed Vasicek

O Mighty King,

You are the God Who is trustworthy; therefore You want me to trust in You. You want me to exercise faith in You. You want me to submit to You even in the midst of my confusion, during dilemmas and when I am engulfed in despair. You are trustworthy. You love me even when circumstances cry out, seemingly denying Your love with their loud shrill cries. Your faithfulness reaches down out of heaven like a lifeline to a deep sea diver. You want me to surrender to You and You offer me strength and an inner joy that defies explanation or reason. You want me to delight myself in You.

Lord, sometimes I have to deal with people who are evil, wicked, unreasonable and fickle. Sometimes the evil advance ahead of me and leave me behind and I find myself vulnerable to their choices. O God, help me to remember that, in time, they will fade away. Remind me that "wisdom is vindicated by her children." Help me to distinguish between loving people I dislike and loving my friends and family and then to show the proper kind of Christian love.

My Master, help me address the frequent sense I have of being in a hurry. O Father, help me control and organize my time; help me to learn to say "no" when appropriate. Help me to be more concerned about pleasing You than making other people happy or avoiding complaints. Help me live a balanced life based upon who I am, not who I should be or want to be. Lord, help me to leave room for the unknown in the realms of time, energy and money. Keep me from trying to squeeze every minute, every dime, every ounce of energy. Remind me that You do not need me. You delight in using me, but You do not need me.

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, today I pray for the Zhejiang Province of China with its 45 million people. Thank You for the great work You have done here! Probably over 10% of the population is made up of born-again evangelicals. Thank You, Lord! Father, I pray that the government would encourage rather than persecute the church. O Lord, double the number of believers over the next decade and please do a work throughout China like what You have done in the Zhejiang Province. Help the church to mature, I ask.

Lord, thank You for the Church Mission Society. "CMS is committed to responding to God's call to evangelistic mission, particularly in places where 'the name of Jesus is rarely heard' and works in close fellowship with local Christians wherever possible." O Lord, provide, protect, empower and reap a generous harvest of souls as a result of the efforts of this mission, I pray. Grant them harmony and zeal.

Now, Lord, help me be zealous for You today, in Yeshua’s Name, Amen.

November 29

by Ed Vasicek

My Wonderful God,

The Savior is sometimes referred to as The Bridegroom (John 3:29). As a bridegroom anticipates being with his bride, so the Lord Jesus Christ is waiting to enjoy His bride – the completed church – forever. One day, we will all be with Him, celebrating the marriage supper of the Lamb and enjoying our destiny as Christians. Like the ancient bride in the Middle East, the bridegroom will come at an unexpected time to literally sweep the bride off her feet and carry her away to a banquet at her father's home, so we wait to hear, "Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!" (Matthew 25:6). Just as a groom would build on a room to his father’s house for him and his bride, so our Lord Jesus is preparing a place for us in glory in His Father’s house (John 14:2-3).

But Lord, right now, I am not in Your house. I am an alien and a stranger, Your ambassador, bearing testimony to Your grace in a world that by and large rejects You. So help me to be in this world – to participate – but not to be "of the world" – not to become corrupted by it.

Help me to resist temptation and the lures of the Satan today. I put on Your armor by faith, so that I may do battle for You as a faithful solider. I claim the victory because greater are You, Holy Spirit, Who is in me than he who is in the world – the devil (1 John 4:4).

Father, I have some personal health concerns including: __________________. I also pray for the physical, mental, or spiritual health of others including: __________________.

Lord, today I pray for the Continent of Europe with its 725 million people. With the collapse of communism and the predominance of secular humanism in western Europe, born-again evangelical Christians have become sparse, only about 2.4% of the population. But thank You, Lord, that the growth rate is upward, even if at just 1.8%. O Father, do a mighty work in Europe as You did twice before: when Christianity swept the Roman Empire and again (regionally) during the Reformation. May the former communist countries turn to You in epidemic proportions and may the Gospel reassert itself over the lifeless secular humanism which has swept much of the continent.

Thank You, Lord, for Chinese Overseas Christian Mission, "an interdenominational mission with the objectives of bringing the gospel to the Chinese scattered over Europe through pioneering evangelism, church planting, training and literature work. The mission’s vision is 'where there are Chinese, may Christ be there also.' [They] also desire to “Reach the Chinese to reach Europe.'" O Lord, grant them fruit for their labor. May they not only effectively reach the Chinese people scattered throughout Europe, but may they effectively reach other Europeans as well. Prosper, protect and empower them. Grant the workers harmony and wisdom, I pray.

I remember those who work as operating engineers and other construction equipment operators. Lord, give them safety on the job and may those who know You bear strong testimony to the salvation they have in Christ Jesus.

Help me to live wisely today, I pray in His Name, Amen.

November 30

by Ed Vasicek

God of the Years,

Although we age and pass away from this life like the grass, You go on unscathed by time. Yet You are the Ancient of Days. Your eternal nature compliments Your infinite wisdom. We tend to think of gray or white hair as a sign of both age and the accumulated wisdom of age. But You have always had all wisdom and knowledge. When Daniel saw a vision of You, He wrote, "As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire and its wheels were all ablaze" (Daniel 7:9). I praise You as the "all wise One." Thank You for sharing some of Your wisdom in Your Word.

Lord, I have some specific requests to bring before You today. They are: __________________.

First John says 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 confess the sins I am aware of now and I ask Your Spirit to search my heart. (Pause to admit them to God.)

Help me to do my part by volunteering to serve or continuing to serve in a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching church. May I set my roots down deeply and to attend every week I am able to do so.

Lord, help me to be a kind, compassionate person. Help me to check arrogance and get a true estimate of myself, Your estimate. Help me to reach out to newcomers at church, to open my home, to learn to relax and be at ease with others and to make them feel comfortable with me.

Today I pray for Hong Kong, formerly a British colony but now under the protection of the People's Republic of China. Its 7.5 million people are among Asia’s wealthiest. Thank You that the Chinese government is still respecting the right to religious freedom in Hong Kong. O Father, may that freedom continue. Thank You that over 5% of the population claim to be born-again evangelicals. Since many Chinese Christians migrated to other nations before the 1997 turnover of Hong Kong to China, the church needs mature leaders. O God, stir up the Christians in Hong. May the number of believers double over the next decade, I ask. Help the church to become mature and strong in You.

Thank You for the ministry of Feba, "Feba has program production and coordination centers in India, Pakistan, Lebanon, Cyprus, Kenya, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa and the UK. We arrange international broadcasting using a number of different stations, while in Africa Feba owns an FM station and partners the operation of another. [They] work to reach the unreached with the Gospel, penetrating areas torn apart by war or ravaged by natural disaster...to bring the Good News of Jesus to people in a language they understand." O God, provide for, guide, empower and bless this ministry, I pray.

Help me to be a patient person today, I ask in Messiah’s Name, Amen.