"I know your" ...
With these words in Revelation 2-3, Jesus identifies that He has personal knowledge of the unique strengths, weaknesses, battles, and victories of each church. He reveals to the church in all ages and at all times that while the world may look upon them with disdain, with hatred, with curiosity, or see them as a bloc to be mobilized for its purposes ... He sees them as His bride. His intimate knowledge of them is always for their good.
I'm reminded of that this morning because, sitting here halfway around the world from China, it's easy for me to miss the nuances of China. Operation World has done a great job breaking down the regions and provinces of China, but it's still a challenge to feel like I'm not praying the same thing every day. As I started to write today I asked God to help me have a fresh look, to not be rote or unthinking as a pray. The reminder of Jesus' personal awareness of the churches is also a reminder that whatever struggles I face due to distance or lack of personal engagement in a portion of the world - HE sees them personally. Once again I am praying for His heart, today for the provinces of Jiangxi, Jilin, and Liaoning in China. Please read pages 240-241.
My prayer for today: Lord Jesus, thank You for Your intimate knowledge of the peoples in Jiangxi, Jilin, and Liaoning. Thank You for knowing the details of the challenges and opportunities facing the churches there. Thank You for Your heart for these peoples that I've never seen or probably would never know about apart from this book. Thank You for touching my heart with Your great love for them. Lord, I lift up Jiangxi province to You. Break the power of the communist heritage here. We pray against every force here that opposes You. Strengthen the church to complete the evangelization of Jiangxi. For Jilin, we thank You for the strong church and the influence of Korean believers. Bless them Lord with unity and strong attention to Your Word. We pray for You to help them fight the fight of truth against the cults that are prevalent. Embolden Christians who are playing such an important role with refugees from North Korea. Make seeing eyes blind, Lord, to allow this important work to continue for Your kingdom's sake. Bring these North Koreans into faith and into community. Prepare the church here for its future role in developing a free North Korean. And Lord, we also pray for Liaoning's role in the spiritual war involving North Korea. We pray for continued growth, unity, and peace in the churches so they can continue to minister to North Koreans. Protect the women who cross the border from trafficking. We pray for the Church to have deep discipleship and solid evangelistic efforts. Be glorified here, and bring change to North Korea in part through the prayers and love of these people. In Jesus' name, amen.
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