Category: Prayer

As I packed for my trip back to South Sudan (leaving home Saturday 27th Sept), I reflected a bit on  My Seven Locks, and noticed there’s a new member among the bundle. Even Samson will be jealous now, I assumed myself. An eight lock that’s suddenly grown longer and thicker than the rest is here.

Leaving home has always been tough for me. I don’t like travelling. But how do I handle the gap my absence from home creates? Questions likes, “Daddy, when are you coming home?” And “Daddy, are you travelling again?” have become increasingly tough to answer.

Ed, our son is heading to boarding school for senior secondary in a few days, he’ll have his mind fully occupied there. But Othniel is maturing quick, and needing my fatherly presence more. Without his brother near, it will be tough. This is the new lock I’ve grown that’s pretty knotty.

The reverse is as bad- leaving the nestlings in Yei to return home after 2-3 months. It’s hard to express the tear within, in any language.

So, with the first being the utmost, I’ve listed seven plus one pertinent concerns that stir my soul as I embark on this mission trip to South Sudan. Please join me to pray for:

1)             My Family: In the midst of many unanswered questions. Please pray for us, that we’d not settle for a peace that comes from understanding… but to take what Jesus gives and sustains- PEACE THAT SURPASSES ALL KNOWLEDGE. May our disposition to life issues showcase a vibrant faith. Pray that the peace, protection , provision and power of God will abound towards us from day to day. Pray that the grace of our Lord Jesus will flourish with and through us in its fullness. May the presence of the Lord endure, as our communication is bettered day-by-day.

2)             Patience: My passion for God’s fame in South Sudan consumes me. The vision of the Kingdom of Jesus we bear, thrives among the youth and students. On account of our pursuits, I loathe contrary dispositions. I tend to beat myself up when I feel I’m under-achieving. I’ve also seen that this struggle with impatience creates an unhealthy judgmental spirit that is counterproductive, every time it overflows to others. Please pray for a calmness of spirit that’ll be gracious to others and tolerate the weakness of team members; while withstanding internal pressures. Lord, help me, especially when I’m getting tired of WAITING FOR You to show up.

3)             Effective Discipleship Strategies: This is one of my greatest challenges currently. We continue to seek and try what will work best, given the unstable nature of our ministry in South Sudan. We hope to make our home there soon. It seems our case is uniquely ours, as we go and come, plotting new paths among these youths. Pray for me that the Holy Spirit will lead me into the most productive ways of discipling the vast number of youngsters in the schools and the churches with the opportunities we have. 

4)             Love and Purity: These are two potent weapons along this narrow path, especially in a virgin and volatile mission field like this. It’s not easy to love people who don’t trust you or who hate you. Please pray for me, that God’s unconditional love and an unrelenting disposition to difficult issues and negative people, will flood my spirit and overflow daily. Lord help me to serve joyfully. You love cheerful givers, please count me as one so that my offering will be pure.

5)             Peace in South Sudan: After nine years of doing ministry here, one would assume I have mastery of this land. No! We are no way near our dreams. The nation is currently at war and no man masters chaos when the sounds of death are within range. So, scriptures enjoins us to, “… make petitions, prayers, intercessions, and prayers of thanks for all people, for rulers, and for everyone who has authority over us. Pray for these people so that we can have a quiet and peaceful life always lived in a godly and reverent way. This is good and pleases God our Savior.” (1 Tim 2:1-2) Oh may peace reign within South Sudan and around its borders. May the gospel take advantage of the present situation and pierce the darkness in a way that only be divine. In Jesus name!  AMEN!

6)            Wisdom and Grace: Time management and people management are great leadership skills in ministry. Those who have their mastery are more productive and subsequently reach their utmost with greater ease. Please pray for me to learn how to better deploy my resources, maximize my time and direct energy for the benefit of all within my network. Lord grace me to do things you love that I struggle to like. Move me out of my comforts.

7)             Team spirit: My introverted nature often lures me toward working solo. It’s a deadly trap that steal grace and giftings from even the best causes. Pray that my temperament will be tampered by the Lord for fruitfulness. Pray that an enduring team of good hearts and able hands will come to my rescue speedily. Oh build us a team Lord!

8)             Favor: Real favor is the blessedness of being singled out and served first, when what’s offered is scarce. The ministry base and home of our dreams in South Sudan seems impracticable, presently. ONLY God can do this thing! Please pray that an uncommon favor that’s God’s to grant, be ours as we search for that permanent site and those people of faith who’ll serve alongside us.

Just in case you have more time to connect with us in prayer, please send me a private message and I’ll shoot you more prayer requests. We have many under-growths on our scalp needing attention.

In all these Lord, may Your grip be firmer and Your grace, surer.

Almost two years ago, I blogged on My Seven Locks, soliciting prayers as I headed back to our pursuit in South Sudan.

I’m forced to revisit some of the petitions in that article as I plot my way towards Yei again.

Those seven locks have grown longer and some have branched out in the last two years, making their maintenance more delicate and expensive.

So once again in no particular order, I’ve listed seven things I greatly desire as I embark on this three month’s trip to South Sudan.

1. Effective Discipleship strategies: This is no doubt my greatest challenge till date. Many friends and partners have suggested several discipleship strategies that worked for them. Our case is uniquely ours and so is my path among these youths. Pray for me that the Holy Spirit wll lead us into the most productive way of discipling the vast number of young believers in the schools and the churches.
2. Please pray for a calmness of spirit that can tolerate the weakness of other and withstand external and internal pressures.
3.  Please pray with me that a kind of unrelenting disposition to difficult issues and negative people, will flood my spirit daily.
4. Please pray for me that I’d not settle for a peace that comes from understand. That my motives, words and actions will ever delight the Lord, serving as a two-edged sword for defense and for attack.
5. Please pray for me to learn how best to maximize my time and direct the young lads within my network into their God ordained eternal destinies.
6. Pray that my temperament will be tampered by the Lord for fruitfulness.
7. Please pray that an unusual favor that’s God alone to gift will be ours as we search for that permanent site and people of faith that will serve alongside us.

Breathe on me again, Sweet Paraclete!

While at a very heated prayer and worship session amidst some friends and Dr John Nyikako in a small shelter in Yei, back in 2007; I had a vision I believe clearly defined my ministry in Yei.

Lost in worship before the Lord, I suddenly found myself on a high hill, overlooking several cities and villages I recognized to be within the borders of the then Sudan. I knew I was looking southward as the sun was now west bound on my right side, calling for dusk.

The Nation was experiencing a prolonged session of drought and food was scarce. As I beheld the lands before me, I was shocked by the dryness of the landscapes from where I stood, as far as I could see.

Then without warning, a thick cloud emerged and rested over one of the villages. Instinctively, the villagers began to shout for joy and gather their buckets and basins to harvest what they believed would be a heavy rain, the first in years.

Sadly, I saw this thick cloud move away slowly and re-positioned itself over another village. The same scenario played out, sudden joy was quickly eclipsed by deep sadness as this same cloud moved on.

The cloud moved to many villages and cities and never gave the rain. I knew those places and recalled my visits there. As the drama continued, I heard a voice behind me say, “Go to Yei and tell them what is coming. Prepare them to receive the rain. It is coming their way soon.”

It all happened in seconds kind of, and I got it. This was confirmation of what I was to do here- Sound an alarm, Prepare a new generation whose hunger for Christ’s glory presses them to wait in anticipation of the promised rain.

God is promising something great, something made in heaven for the sons of men. Our share is near, but we have to prepare to engage it. We have to long for it deep enough to receive it. We could miss it if we wait to see a sign before we prepare.

Abba says, “When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen. “When you come looking for me, you’ll find me. “Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” GOD’s Decree. “I’ll turn things around for you…” (Jer 29:12-14 The Message)

As we gather a few hundreds of students tomorrow for the Students’ Prayer Conference 2012, we’ll set our hearts to seek Him and we’ll certainly find Him.

We’ve endured this pain and heart wrenching disappointments for too long; it’s time to stand in the gap and see Abba turn things around.

“Since before time began no one has ever imagined, No ear heard, no eye seen, a God like you who works for those who wait for him.” (Isaiah 64:4 The Message)

Indeed,  When man works, man works; When man prays, God works.

Will you Stand in the Gap with us for this new thing God has promised in the Nations of Sudan?

 The news out of the two Sudans must change for Abba’s glory and fame.

 

                           Disturb me, Lord, when in the abundance of things I possess,
                          My head seems too
large for the Crown of Life and I am losing       

                                            My thirst for the springs of
living water.
 

                       
Save me Lord, for I notice that the more I fall in love with this life,
                        My dream of eternity with You in heaven loses its thrill so quickly;

                       Provoke me Lord, to dare more boldly and venture to wilder fields;
           Where I lose sight of civilization and life’s challenges reveal Your mastery in
majesty.
               There, I shall find heavenly treasures and bask in Your ever abounding
grace.

                    Arouse me
Lord, when I welcome slumber for seemingly good reasons,

                               Disturb me Lord, when Your Word seems stale and boring;

                                   And I spend hours
absorbed with the internet and TV,
                            Entertained by
sports, music, movies and the ideologies of men.

                                                         Will You not stir
me Lord?
                    When my spirit grows
lean, being starved of fellowship with Your Spirit,

                                                              Forbid this, Lord!
 

                           Stir me Lord, when
my choices seem to make You number one;

              Save me Lord, when my offerings and ministry are numbing my guilty conscience,

                 O Lord, may the
cause of Your Cross and the abundant witness of changed lives
                               Ever remind me of
the great price You paid to have all of me.
  

I’ve been praying for several things as I think, plan and dream of my return to South Sudan this season. I’m in Uganda now and will be arriving Yei in a few days time.

Samson had seven hair locks that symbolized his great strength. The deliverance of Israel was tied to those locks. He said, “…If my hair were cut, I would lose my strength and be as weak as anybody else.”

In no particular order, I’ve listed seven things I seek, that will bring the best out of my next 3months and if cut, will make this trip useless.

1.    Love: Please pray with me that this kind of unrelenting disposition to difficult issues and negative people, will flood my spirit daily. It can be very challenging to continue to show kindness to someone that hates you.

2.    Faith: Please pray that my faith will be steadfast as I continue to learn how to rely on the Holy Spirit in all things.

3.    Wisdom: Someone please pray for me; because I’ve caught myself spending too much time on the internet in my past trips, I’ve caught myself struggling to find the appropriate examples during discipleship classes; my worrying over home matters slow me down sometimes and my prudence with money needs to improve. This trip will be more fruitful if I’m more efficient in these areas.

4.    Grace: I need this supernatural ability to be and to do as Jesus would. Pray that the grace, as was upon the Lord Jesus through which He accomplished His mission abound towards me.

5.    Patience: I detest a lackadaisical disposition to anything. This sometimes makes me impatient with myself and other people. Please pray for me to learn how to patiently nurse myself and others the Kingdom way.

6.    Team spirit: I’m an introvert. Going solo is a temptation I can’t afford to fall into again. Pray that my temperament will be tampered by the Lord for fruitfulness.

7.    Purity: Righteous Master, may the meditations of my heart and the words from my lips be pleasing to You and be a blessing to many.

Breathe on me Sweet Paraclete!

Yesterday, I posted a list of possible bad reports that will
by and by overcome a message bearer on the field in the absence of prayer
support. Here’s a list of my heart’s cry as I return to Sudan. I urge you to
stand with us.

My family: The
success of my ministry largely rests on the events that occur here from day to
day, when I’m home but especially, when I’m away in Sudan.

Please pray that:

1. My wife Sola, be filled
   with grace and wisdom to manage the home.
2. It’s our 10^th
   wedding anniversary on the 29^th of April. Sola and I plan be
   together (for the first time in 5yrs) on this date. Pray that it will be
   possible.
3. God will actualize all His
   desires for initiating our union.
4. Our children- Ed and
   Othniel; will not be discouraged by my/our absence
5. God’s peace, protection and sound health
   of my family.

My Ministry and me “God
in his mercy has given us this work to do, and so we do not become discouraged.
We put aside all secret and shameful deeds; we do not act with deceit, nor do
we falsify the word of God. In the full light of truth we live in God’s sight and
try to commend ourselves to everyone’s good conscience.” 2Cor 4:1-2

Please pray that:

1. I’ll be a source of
   blessing to many on this trip in Sudan and Uganda.
2. I’ll dwell in safety and health- spirit, soul and body.
3. God’s power to heal the
   sick, restore the faint, recover lost treasures, break strongholds and save
   sinners flood my ministrations.
4. an aura of humility to
   grace me, my messages, teachings and interpersonal relationships.
5. I’d be blessed with
   productive cooperation of friends and partners in Sudan.
6. I’d be graced with the ability
   to set 500-600 young minds ablaze with God’s truth as we embark on a
   discipleship journey.

The Students’/Youth
Camp (9^th– 15^th May 2010) In the past 3yrs, we held
student prayer conferences, every 1^st  of May; where we prayed for Sudan, challenged
the students to godly living and led many to Jesus. But this year, we seek to
focus on those that have once committed to Jesus but whose spiritual growth has
been stunted by many unaddressed issues. This camp should help us help them.

Please pray that:

1. this camp will provide
   ample opportunity to disciple many students and youths in Yei.
2. We intend to run non-stop
   prayer and worship sessions throughout the duration of this Camp. Pray for
   wisdom and grace to engage such an exercise.
3. the Lord will raise a prayer movement from this Camp
   to serve His purposes in Yei and the nations.
4. Pray for a life
   transforming encounter for every participant.
5. funds will be raised to
   run this camp. We need $3000. We’ve raised $700.
6. we’ll have good resource
   persons for the Camp and other programs.
7. this Camp will usher in a vibrant youth movement that will
   initiate and sustain the revival the Lord has promised.

The Children’s
Ministry (Dreamland Children’s Home) These 71 children are growing older
and need spiritual exposure and depth to nurture them into adolescence. We need
helpers that will be fully committed to their overall welfare.

Please pray that:

1. a spiritually rich family be built in Dreamland.
2. volunteer teachers, nurses and workers to come help
   serve these kids.
3. they’d live in safety, peace and harmony.
4. more partners and sponsors will run with the
   vision of Dreamland.
5. Rebuke the spirit of infirmity and disease among
   them.

The Students’
Ministry: This is at the core of my pursuits in Sudan. Working among
students and young people with an aim to raising passionate mission-minded
disciples, is what my ministry in Sudan is all about.

Please pray that:

1. the Lord will raise great leaders from among the
   students we are coaching.
2. the Scripture Union fellowships in all the
   schools grow strong and multiple.
3. a vibrant Christian students’ and youth movement come
   alive in Yei.
4. the fruit of our labors in the schools will abide
   and abound.
5. that the student leaders in the various
   fellowships will lead by example.
6. Pray for Mubarak. May the Lord keep him safe and
   make manifest His power through his witness in the Nuba Mountains.

We’ll be highly honored with your choice to stand with us in prayer as we long to see Jesus loved and worshiped by many in Sudan.

There’s an old almanac hanging at a corner in my church titled- What happens to your missionary when you fail
to pray.  It’s a list of possible occurrences
where prayer backup is lacking for the gospel bearer.

I don’t know who put it up there; but it’s been hanging
there for many years. While I treasure the prayers of friends and brethren, I
crave for more. This is one duty reserved for believers alone. May that almanac
continue to serve as a reminder to the church, of the enormous responsibility
laid before it for the missionaries that call her- Home.

Please reflect on this list as you pray for us:

What happens to
your missionary when you fail to pray

     
He cannot pray.

     
He cannot have time to read/study the Bible.

     
He cannot plan Bible teaching.

     
He cannot mediate on what he read or studied.

     
He cannot apply the Scriptures to his life.

     
He cannot overcome traditions of the land.

     
He cannot love his converts.

      He cannot be a true light of change.

      He cannot tolerate the weak in faith.

      He can fight the converts to any length.

      He cannot pray for the converts.

      He lusts after female converts and other
women.

      He complains and grumbles against the work.

      He travels a lot without reasons.

      He cannot go out for evangelism.

      He has no faith.

      He discourages converts from holding their
faith.

      He can destroy what he builds with his hands.

      He has no sexual disciple with his spouse.

      His children are obstacles to his work.

      The people have no respect for his work and he
gets no favor from them.

      He is stingy, partial and selfish in his
spending of money.

      He can give false report concerning his work.

      He can easily lose focus of his vision.

      The sending body may be losing all financial
report to the missionary.

      The devil will influence his relationship with
his wife.

      No family alter and agreement in the work with
his family.

      He has poor relationship with his co-workers.

      He has a high manifestation of his temper in
his activities.

      He criticizes all the efforts of the people group
he serves.

      He cannot discern the true spirit.

      He can fall easily into adultery with converts
and other women.

      He can be attacked by any sickness or disease.

      He can be rejected or ejected where he is.

      He shows pride.

      He robs the church of money.

      He can easily be attacked by evil spirits.

      He judges and condemns the converts and the
people.

      He becomes rebellious in his leadership.

      He
has no plan or strategy for the work.

      He has no respect or love for his spouse.

      He compares himself with others and his
sending body with other ministries.

      He despises the labor of his sending body.

      He can die young being exposed to danger.

      He
can place his work above his family.

      He can be deformed by evil forces.

      He cannot be a good example.

He works much in the flesh rather than in the
Spirit.

He rebels against authority and constituted
leadership.

As I leave for Sudan in a few days for the cause of the Kingdom, I covet your prayers. I’m
persuaded of your believe in God’s power and promise to do exceedingly,
abundantly and above all we could ever dare to do or desire.

With every mention of Sudan in the news or elsewhere, may you be reminded of our common Kingdom pursuit in that nation. Please take a few
minutes to reflect and speak to God on behalf of His people and His purposes
there.

Together, we’ll do valiantly, kneeling in prayer before our
Lord and Master Jesus Christ.

Please pray for us.

An unknown Catholic monk prayed these words centuries ago. I got them from George Verwer’s book, Hunger for Reality. I wrote an adaptation of it and began to pray it for myself.

It didn’t take long before I realized I didn’t understand the depth of what I was really asking God to do in me.

This is the prayer:

My Lord Jesus Christ, Deliver me Lord Jesus;

From the desire to be loved by people, From the desire to be extolled,

From the desire to be honored, From the desire to be praised,

From the desire to be preferred to others, From the desire to be consulted,

From the desire to be approved, From the fear of being hurt by people,

From the fear of being humiliated, From the fear of being despised,

From the fear of suffering rebuke, From the fear of being forgotten,

From the fear of being suspected;

Dear Lord, grant me the grace to desire; that others may be loved more than me,

That in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I decrease,

That others may be chosen and I set aside, That others may be praised and I unnoticed,

That others may be esteemed more than I, That others may be preferred to me in everything,

That others may become holier than I, provided I, become as holy as you want me.

Lord, expose my selfish desires and my unwillingness to die to the flesh.

May the secret sin(s) that could damn my soul be exposed publicly before it/they destroy me.

Above all Lord, may I never prosper in any quest in life that remotely offends you.

Lord, frustrate my work and ways which are contrary to your purpose for creating me.

My Lord Jesus, may my walk with you and work for you be sweeter and fresher as I grow older.

May many lost souls embrace you because I obey you.

May I see your signature of approval on all my labours here, when all is done.

Which line in these prayers do you disagree with? Which one challenges you the most?

Since I started praying these words, I’ve been awakened to the reality of a great enemy called pride. The lust of the eyes and the lust of the flesh are quick to notice, confess and repent of, but not pride.

 Isn’t the pride of life the most insidious of all sins? The rich and the poor, the weak and the strong, the wise and the simple and indeed, all manner of men are snared by this subtle enemy of our souls.

Why do we fail to confess it? Is it because it stealthily weaves itself into our character when we embrace its terrible disposition to life?

Please pray with me…