OPERATION WORLD

[Joe Sperling]

For anyone who is interested there is a Website that
is really great called "Operation World". You can go to
your search engine and put that in and you will be taken
to that website. The sight prays for one or more nations
on a daily basis. It gives all the information you need to
pray for that country--even if it's a short prayer. It's great to know that many people all at once are praying for that
country on the same day. If you believe that prayer changes things, go there on a daily basis and lift a short prayer for that country and it's people.

Thanks,  Joe

[Joe Sperling]

http://www.gmi.org/ow/    is the website address.

[MGov]

Thanks Joe.
M

[Joe Sperling]

1 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 2 Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.  (1 Timothy 2:1-4)



Today, in "Operation World (see link in other post further below) the country is Israel (today and tomorrow are days to pray for that country if you happen to be following daily). "Operation World" is a book which covers the whole world in prayer during a year--and even if you don't pray, the book is filled with interesting facts about Geography, population, religion, etc. of each country in the world). If you have a moment, pray for the "peace of Jerusalem" as the Lord asks us to. If you choose not to pray you should feel very badly, and condemned for being such a lazy Christian, and such a total failure in performing the two hours minimum daily prayer time required of the committed soldier of the Lord.

Just kidding!!   Actually the Lord has given us a chance to work with Him when we pray, and even a "momentary" prayer which comes from the heart in sincerity is accepted by him and can move mountains!! (see Nehemiah 1) The Lord "wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth". What can greatly help to bring about this salvation God desires? If we "pray for all people, ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them".

The other night I saw a report (I had seen this before a while back) about North Korea. The report was actually about an eye doctor who gives his time to restoring sight (removing cataracts) and tries to help as many "blind" people as he can. He is able to restore sight to many, which is an amazing blessing. The Leader of North Korea allows him to enter the country, do the operations---but then this leader himself literally takes all the glory for the restored sight. The people literally fall down and worship before his picture shouting "We praise you!! We praise you!!" as though HE had somehow performed a miracle for them. It is the most closed, shut off country in the world, and the people live in constant fear---though they "pretend" they are truly worshiping their "Great Leader"(Kim Jong Il). They literally worship him like a god!!

This country is truly under the bondage of Satan to the highest degree. The leader needs to be removed, and the people freed. When Saddam fell in Iraq, it wasn't just a coincidence, or "time for it to happen"---God moved (I really believe this) due to the many prayers of his people in Iraq, and around the world. Although, it was God Himself who led those people to pray so He could answer their prayers! "When we pray, God works" is the theme of "Operation World"---and it is a very true statement. So if you pray for Israel, also take a moment to pray for the freedom of the North Korean people from their evil dictator.

"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much" (James 5:16)--we are not righteous in ourselves--God has declared us righteous and sees us as righteous before him. He has justified us---so our prayers truly can avail much if we pray.   "Is anything too hard for the Lord?"

[Joe Sperling]

I wanted to share something that happened to me this morning. I have a book called
"OPERATION WORLD" (which this thread originally related to), and though I must admit I
often fail to pray along with the book on a daily basis, I do look up the countries by the days date and pray
when I remember to.  Today (see link to the site a few posts down), and for the next couple of
weeks, India is the country to pray for----and there are 1.3 billion people living there!!

India has quite a few states, and each day(in the book) one is to pray for a state or two, and each
state has millions of people in it. The task seems overwhelming!  Where does one start when
praying for so many people!!??  Then, of course, doubts assail:  "Can God really KNOW all of
those people? Can He really KNOW each of their thoughts, and care for each of them individ-
ually?  There are 7 billion people in the world!!!  Can God really know them ALL, and hear each
thought everyone of them makes all at the same time?" And I think all of us, from time to time,
run into doubts like this.

And, of course, it's because we have finite minds, and cannot possibly understand the mind of an infinite God. To him, the thoughts of 7 billion people are just a drop in the bucket!!  His infinite mind is capable of hearing all of those thoughts, and dealing with a Universe with an almost infinite number or stars, planets, and galaxies, and the thoughts of an innumerable company of angels too! And it's still just a drop in the bucket to Him!

But as I sat in the car waiting to pick up my "ride" for the day (I carpool in the mornings), and assailed with these doubts, and thinking of the enormous amount of people in the world, I said "Why did you have to create so many dang people!!??"  Immediately, I heard in my mind and my heart: "Because I have so much love to give, Joe". And I knew it was the Lord. It wasn't an audible voice of course, but it was the Lord's voice. God created so many people because he wants to share so much love!!!  It's a simple thought, but a wonderful thought!  God didn't want to share his great joy and person with just a few people, but with millions upon millions of people!!

When we pray for India we can know that God knows each one of them individually, intimately--and he loves each one of them with an infinite love. He wants them to be saved---he is "not willing any should perish, but that all should come to repentance". And when I pray, God is including me in his love for these very people. He is using me through His own promptings, to pray for people He wants so desperately to reach and save. I found this to be so encouraging it is difficult to put into words. But I wanted to share it--God loves the world so very much!! (John 3:16)

[Joe Sperling]

Wow---

I can't believe a year went by so quickly.  Two posts down from this one I had mentioned
on 7-3-07 that today is the day to pray for Israel in the Operation World book. It's now 7-3-08
and it is Israel for today and tomorrow.  If you get a chance, lift up a prayer for Israel----as
we know the Lord asked for us to "pray for the peace of Jerusalem".

http://operationworld.org/

Thanks!!   --Joe