In Preparation - Take Up Your God-given Armor

Leading up to our 24-hour time of prayer and fasting this weekend we will be posting daily to help us prepare our hearts and minds for the weekend. Today we ask you to spend some time chewing on Ephesians 6:10-18. We’d like you to enter in to spiritual battle, arming yourselves with all of your God-given armor.

“God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Stand therefore,
having fastened on the belt of truth,
and having put on the breastplate of righteousness
and as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.
In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish al the flaming darts of the evil one
and take the helmet of salvation,
and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God,

praying in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”

— Ephesians 6:10-18

God gives us this armor, but He asks us to pick it up, put it on. Take some time and reflect on each gift, what they are and what they mean. Every tool God has given us to fight this spiritual battle against evil.

“Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.” — The Message: Ephesians 6:15-18

Prayer for our work as God's servants

This week in our Monday morning prayer meeting we reflected on the following scripture: 2 Corinthians 6:1-13 (The Message) 

Companions as we are in this work with you, we beg you, please don't squander one bit of this marvelous life God has given us… Our work as God's servants gets validated—or not—in the details. People are watching us as we stay at our post, alertly, unswervingly . . . in hard times, tough times, bad times; when we're beaten up, jailed, and mobbed; working hard, working late, working without eating; with pure heart, clear head, steady hand; in gentleness, holiness, and honest love; when we're telling the truth, and when God's showing his power; when we're doing our best setting things right; when we're praised, and when we're blamed; slandered, and honored; true to our word, though distrusted; ignored by the world, but recognized by God; terrifically alive, though rumored to be dead; beaten within an inch of our lives, but refusing to die; immersed in tears, yet always filled with deep joy; living on handouts, yet enriching many; having nothing, having it all…

I can't tell you how much I long for you to enter this wide-open, spacious life. … The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren't small, but you're living them in a small way.... Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively!

This week let us pray that we are all able to enter in to the wide-open spacious life God is calling us to; to receive this blessing of life by not giving up, by continuing through hard times, tough times, bad times, when we’re praised and when we’re blamed. Let us remember that God desires so much more for us then we could even imagine but we must trust Him through the circumstances before us, not giving up because in due time our perseverance in these maters will reap a harvest of freedom in our lives.

Let us continue because our work is validated in the details. God loves that we have chosen to serve Him in this way—choosing to see those who are vulnerable, to speak and care and pray on their behalf—but we’ve only fought half the battle by showing up to do this work. Let us pray that we can go all the way and choose to do it through His power and strength, never giving up, working hard, working late, working without eating; with pure heart, clear head, steady hand; in gentleness, holiness, and honest love, in sunshine and in shadow.

Prayer for George

Hello prayer advocates!

Thank you again for your continued prayers for us. If you've been following along in our newsroom you've seen that George Snyman has been traveling the last couple of weeks in the UK and has just landed in North America for another month of visiting, encouraging, and challenging individuals, churches and groups with the message God has laid on his heart.

Please stand with us in prayer:

• for those that George has already met and spoke with, especially in the United Kingdom, that the words he spoke will fall on fertile hearts, ready to receive, and that the message won't be choked out by the cares and troubles of this world (Luke 8:4-15)
• for his health and continued stamina; for a fresh wind of your spirit to blow over him each day giving him strength and enthusiasm during these days of back to back meetings and speaking events.
• for words that will break down the walls of apathy built around hearts
• for fresh words to drop in to his spirit for specific people that he's ministering to
• for favor with those that he is meeting with, that they will know his heart's desire to do the will of God, to care for and love strangers and those in need as Jesus did, and to encourage others to do the same (1 John 3:16-18)

Please Lift Up Swaziland

Hi everyone, I am forwarding a request for prayer from our sister Samantha who is assisting our Swaziland community. As we lift up this family may we also pray for Swaziland as a nation. It has the shortest life expectancy of all the countries we work in: just 37 years. HIV/AIDS has hit Swaziland hard and there are many orphaned children, families are overwhelmed. Especially for the poor, rural area surrounding Ka Phunga help is not readily available. Clinics and hospitals are literally out of reach. 

Please pray for wisdom for the care workers to know how to care for these children and for a renewed sense of calling and renewed love for those they are caring for.

Hi everyone,

I spoke to Nomsa, our coordinator for the Ka Phunga, Swaziland community and she passed on some sad news…

Remember at the  conference Thulile spoke about 3 children that she found eating mud (you can read story here)…they were then placed into a family who took them in and showered them with love and acceptance, they blossomed under their care… sadly this past week their new “mom” was hit by a taxi that lost control. and killed instantly.

Please pray for this family especially the 3 children, Sandile, Myxoli and Lindlwe who have once again had another devastating loss, the father who has a daunting task of looking after 9 children.

A huge blessing  is that he is still happy to keep the 3 children living with him.

Also keep Thulile in your prayers as she is really working with the poorest of the poor in KaPhunga and this is such a blow to her.

Thank you

Sam

Prayer for Zimbabwe

Dear all,

It was an encouraging time when we visited Sakubva and met with some of the care workers there, just the commitment and the way they give themselves in doing the work of God and walking the long miles to visit children and patients. Zimbabwe is a hard place to live in as the country has gone through a rough time, many orphans have been left with no means of getting food or place to sleep, a lot of child headed households and many sick people due to lack of medicine and closed clinics. These care workers are doing a great job and it would be wonderful if we could stand with them in prayer for them and the country.

Please join us this week as we pray for Zimbabwe:

• Pray for strength for the care workers and all those playing a part in taking care of orphans and widows
• Pray that God can have mercy and restore what the enemy had stolen from that country
• Pray that churches can stand together as the Lord requires and as his word says he will heal the nation when his people stand together and call on his name.
• Pray for the hospitals and clinics to be fully equipped and attend to all patients
• Pray for the children of Zimbabwe

Thank you for your prayers, God bless

Adonis

Dear friends and family

Somehow the year seems to be flying by fast, I can’t believe it’s another Wednesday already. Last week I mentioned that Hands at work is in a new season with many changes, new people and some people leaving, which is really how it has always been, very exciting to have new faces and see the family grow.

This week I thought it would be best if we just lift this season to God for the Hands Hub, especially with some of the staff finishing their time, or leaving us for a season, let us pray that there will not be any gaps open and the flow of work can go smoothly. Please pray for the new volunteers that as they help in the different areas, they can fit well and easily. Pray for those travelling and on the road, we have George and a few guys heading up to Zambia, a couple going back to  the UK soon, a few guys back to Canada and another to the US. Please pray for all the current projects that they can continue smoothly to the end. Pray also for different groups coming to Hands that they can be able to get and experience what God would have for them. 

Thank you for continuing to pray for us.

Adonis Muronzi