Today's countries pose an interesting juxtaposition: almost on the other side of the world from each other, one has complete freedom of religion and the other is one of the most closed countries in the world. Both need a touch from the Lord. Please read about Bermuda and Bhutan on pages 150-153.
Has God placed unreached people groups on your heart? Does your heart, like mine, burn with a desire for those in "closed" countries to have freedom and release from darkness? Do you sometimes get discouraged when doors seem closed for generations? Then take heart: by praying, you are opening doors in a mighty way. There are untold stories of walls that have fallen due to prayer; in my lifetime alone we've seen the fall of the Iron Curtain and the opening up of the Communist countries in a largely peaceful manner, attributed by Eastern European Christians to prayer alone. More recently, the Muslim world has experienced a huge awakening to Christ, largely through dreams and visions to the point that missionaries find that when they arrive they are running into people all over the place who are simply waiting for someone to tell them what their dream meant. Many estimate that more Muslims have come to Christ in the past 20 years than in the entire existence of Islam previously. What made the difference? In the early 1990s, prayer walking became an emphasis in missions in the Muslim world.
The first time I heard of Bhutan was through an International Mission Board video - the country was a focus for a particular week of prayer. It was thoroughly closed. We knew about the country but didn't even see much of it in the video. Today, Bhutan demonstrates a few doors slightly cracked open, letting in the tiniest bit of light. That's ok. It's all that's needed. I rejoiced at the video below, because I love to see video from within this country where only a few years ago it would not have been allowed. It's a great reminder that the last verse in Acts tells us that Paul "proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!" The last word of the Greek sentence is literally "unhindered." Paul, though a prisoner, was unhindered. We too, holding the treasure of the Gospel in these earthen vessels, march forth unhindered. Those borders we cannot physically cross we can tear down through our prayers.
Be encouraged today as you pray for Bermuda and Bhutan. I'll let this video take the place of my prayer.
http://youtu.be/nOiu7VLppLg
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