All posts by Bill Hutchison

The Invitation

Yemen

Join YWAMers around the globe in praying and hearing from God. He is inviting you!   

Yemeni Children
Photo credit: Emily B.

The people of Yemen suffer in the midst of a terrible civil war. Over a million have cholera, and 15 million are on the brink of starvation. Many have fled to other nations, some with conditions as bad or worse than Yemen. Please join us this month to pray for the people of Yemen as YWAM’s monthly prayer day, called The Invitation, focuses on this war-torn nation.

Listen to the Letter

Located on the Arabian Peninsula, Yemen is the second largest Arab state. Historically, there have been political clashes in this nation leading to corruption, unemployment, scarcity of food, lack of safe drinking water, and cholera outbreaks. Most recently, the capital city of Sanaa has been under rebel control since 2015. There are ongoing conflicts between the Houthis, who are backed by Iran, and the Sunnis, backed by a coalition made up of Saudi Arabia, the United States, the United Kingdom and France. This conflict impacts the entire country.

In 2019 the United Nations reported that Yemen is the country with the most people in need of humanitarian aid, with 24.1 million people in need.

Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba [ancient Yemen] will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the Lord.

Isaiah 60:6 (NIV)

Despite the pressures of their lives in the middle of war and as refugees, the Yemeni people are still open to the Gospel and God is moving. Please join us this month during The Invitation prayer day on Thursday, December 12 as we pray for the people of Yemen. If you only have a few moments to pray please pray that the wickedness of the wicked would come to an end so that conditions will get better in Yemen and pray that God will save those in Yemen who are upright in heart.

Thank you for being part of The Invitation. We would love to receive stories from you regarding how you prayed. You can email us at prayer@ywam.org.

A Yemeni Village Woman
Photo Credit: Caleb L.

Prepare to Pray:

Conduct the following activities with a group or on your own:

  • Study this map that includes Yemen and the Horn of Africa (Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti and Sudan).
Map Showing Yemen and Horn of Africa
Source: www.welt-atlas.de

  • Read these tragic facts about Yemen:
  • Discuss the statement from the end of the video: “It’s an exodus that seems unlikely to end anytime soon, from one troubled country to another.” Put yourself in the shoes of those who have fled and those who remain in Yemen.
  • Ask the Lord to reveal how you should pray for these people.
A server at a restaurant 
Photo credit:  Emily B.

Pray for Yemen:

  • Pray for hope in the midst of a very desperate situation.
  • Pray for an end to the violence. Currently, no one seems to have any solutions to end the fighting.
  • Pray for justice.

Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the just; for the righteous God tests the hearts and minds. My defense is of God, who saves the upright in heart.

Psalm 7:9-10 (NKJV)

  • Pray against hunger since 15 million Yemenis are on the brink of starvation. Pray for access to food and clean water.
  • Pray against cholera and other health concerns. The organization Open Doors reports that 80 percent of Yemenis are dependent on humanitarian aid. Pray for access to medicines, doctors, and healthcare.
  • Pray for the scattering of Yemeni believers throughout the world. Believers in Yemen face great persecution and abuse from family, society, and religious leaders. If they don’t face more extreme forms of persecution, they often find it difficult to get jobs, get married, or have access to basic needs. Believers outside of Yemen may find themselves ostracized or isolated from their families or their social groups. Pray for encouragement, discipleship, community, and relationships which will help them grow in their faith.

The LORD watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

Psalm 146:9 (NIV)

Sanaa Old City Market
Photo credit: Emily B.

Take Action

Yemeni Village Boys
Photo credit: Emily B.
  • Share on facebook.com/youthwithamission, post a picture and add a comment about how you prayed.
  • Go to twitter.com; search for #praywithywam and tweet about your prayer time/post a picture. You can also post a photo on Instagram and use the same hashtag, #praywithywam.
  • Send an email to prayer@ywam.org letting us know how you prayed and what God revealed to you.

How We Prayed

November 2019 – Tokyo

  • YWAM Ethiopia sent greetings to YWAM Tokyo through The Invitation. “Dear YWAM Tokyo, Beautiful Tokyo people will be okay. We will pray, because God is able to bring solutions for prayers. Don’t be afraid, God is present with you (Hebrews 6:10).”
  • Another individual claimed the promises in Deuteronomy 33:26-27 for Tokyo.
  • A young man received this impression from God: “The presence of God is resting on the city and as His presence rests the people will begin to see God’s glory and the glory of God will draw the people to God.”
  • There was significant dialog on YWAM’s Facebook page about praying for Tokyo with 80 comments and 167 shares.
    • YWAM, Tokyo thanked people for praying with them.
    • Another person suggested that we pray for Tokyo every day.
    • “Japan, Jesus loves you” was a statement from another on Facebook.
    • Singer Hannah Ford posted her song Mercy dedicated to Japan:

Future Topics:

Series: Spiritual Principles from YWAM’s Early Days

  • January 9: Seeking God (Loren Cunningham)
  • February 13: Holy Living (Lynn Green)
  • March 12: Fear of God (Maureen Menard)
  • April 9: Lordship of Christ (Darlene Cunningham)

Don’t Miss The Invitation:

  • Sign up for prayer updates. Go to ywam.org, find the “Stay Connected” box on the home page, put in your email address and click “Sign Up.”
  • Download prayer updates in a specific language. Go to ywam.org/theinvitation. (Currently available in Spanish, Portuguese, French, Indonesian, Korean or request other languages.)
  • Join the conversation about how God is leading in these prayer times. Comment on the Facebook page on the second Thursday at facebook.com/youthwithamission or on Twitter @ywam, hashtag #praywithywam. You can also post a photo on Instagram and use the same hashtag, #praywithywam.
  • You can now listen to The Invitation as a podcast. To sign up or listen to past episodes, go to: ywampodcast.net/prayer.
  • If you sense God giving you a word or a direction for YWAM’s prayer, please contact us: prayer@ywam.org.

Related posts:

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The Invitation

Tokyo

Join YWAMers around the globe in praying and hearing from God. He is inviting you!

Tokyo at night
Photo credit: Global Sherpa

This month, we invite you to join the YWAM family as we pray for the largest metropolitan area in the world, the greater Tokyo area. By worldly standards, Tokyo has it all, but spiritually the 35 million people in the Tokyo area have many challenges.

Listen to the letter

The list of Tokyo’s notable global rankings goes on and on. Tokyo has ranked first in the Global Economic Power Index, was listed as most livable city in the world in 2015, is rated out of 60 cities in 2017 as first in terms of safe cities index, and Tokyo has the highest number of Fortune 500 companies. Tokyo will also host the summer Olympics in 2020 (July 24 to August 9).

However, from a spiritual perspective, there are challenges in reaching the people of Tokyo and Japan in general. Japanese nationals are steeped in a culture that esteems honor, harmony, loyalty and long work hours. They are very much a people group who value and care for those around them. But most of them don’t understand the true message of Jesus. It is estimated that fewer than one percent of the people are evangelical Christians. The national religions of Buddhism and Shintoism are closely tied to the Japanese identity, so choosing to follow a different religion can be perceived as rejecting your family or choosing to no longer be Japanese. Additionally, there is believed to be only one missionary for every 64,000 people in Japan. As YWAM’s JP Cohern notes: “That’s like one person being tasked to reach an entire football stadium!”

According to the YWAM Tokyo Facebook page, “The Japanese culture reflects the Kingdom culture. As a culture, they love politeness, they crave community and relationship. They reflect the kind nature of kingdom culture so selflessly and yet they still don’t know the king they reflect.”

Despite these challenges, the YWAM Tokyo Facebook page notes that something has started to shift in Tokyo. They are witnessing miracles in public, there appears to be a new level of openness in the hearts of the people, churches are uniting and supporting each other and ministry pioneers are rising up all over the nation of Japan.

Please join us this month for YWAM’s prayer day, called The Invitation, as we pray for the people of Tokyo. If you only have a few moments to pray during The Invitation on Thursday November 14 please pray that the missionaries and Christians there would experience a new power in their ministries and that God would open the hearts of the people like He did with the early church.

Thank you for being part of The Invitation. We would love to receive stories from you regarding how you prayed. You can email us at prayer@ywam.org.

A woman in Tokyo.
Photo credit: YWAM Tokyo

Prepare to Pray:

As a group, consider and discuss the mission field in Tokyo and greater Japan. Considering less than one percent are evangelical Christians, this represents a huge opportunity with many challenges. Look at a map of Tokyo and/or Japan. Now consider and discuss the early church based on your knowledge of the book of Acts. How might a movement to reach Tokyo and Japan be similar to the early church movement? How are they likely to be different?

Review and pray these verses that represent progress with the Gospel for the early church one at a time, and as you do, ask God to show you how they might apply to Tokyo. List key points that God shows you regarding Tokyo and incorporate those points as you pray.

  • Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. (Acts 2:41)
  • But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand. (Acts 4:4)
  • So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith. (Acts 6:7)
  • When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. (Acts 13:48)
  • So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers. (Acts 16:5)
Praying at YWAM Tokyo
Photo credit: YWAM Tokyo

Pray for Tokyo:

  • Pray for Japanese individuals to be bold in choosing Christ, for the church to support and surround new believers, and for believers to be courageous in sharing their faith so that others might believe.
  • Pray for the people to choose their identity in Christ over other religions. At the same time, pray for believers to discover ways to honor and redeem Japanese culture.
  • Expectations regarding long working hours keeps the people away from spending quality time with their family and also limits interactions with friends who could share Jesus with them. Pray for the hearts of people to change so that there is greater balance of work and social interactions. Pray that they will have time to encounter God.
  • Pray for strengthening of families through faith in Christ. Pray for quality time with one another. Pray for the Japanese children to be trained in the way they should go by their parents. Pray for transformation and wisdom for parents.
  • Pray that God would release more laborers to come to Tokyo and Japan and for others to invest in the Kingdom work there.
  • Pray for workers in Japan. It often requires years of relating and befriending locals before they accept Jesus. Pray for favor and patient endurance. Pray that they will see a shift in the openness of the people.
  • Praise God for public miracles and other works He is doing in Tokyo.
  • Pray for short-term missionaries to come and evangelize the young people.
  • Pray for greater networking among churches and mission organizations.
  • Pray for the upper classes of Japan to be receptive to the gospel. Pray for Christian businessmen from other countries to share their faith with Japan’s affluent.
  • Pray about the secular aspects of the culture: 70 percent claim no religion but many still follow ancestor-venerating Buddhism and polytheistic Shintoism. Most Japanese are secular. Some of Japan’s leaders call the nation a “superpower without a moral compass.” Pray they see Christ as their true moral center.
  • Over 30,000 suicides are committed per year in Japan. Pray for those facing depression.
  • Teenage prostitution and bullying is a problem amongst the youth. Pray that Christians would be agents of healing to those who are hurting.
  • The world’s lowest birth rate and highest life expectancy has produced a large senior citizen population. Pray that God would move amongst the senior citizens.
  • Pray against the idolatry in temples and ancestor worship in homes that blinds the minds of even the very secular “non-religious” Japanese.
  • Strong pressure to conform causes converts to Christ to compromise or fall away. Half of those who get baptized leave their churches within two or three years. Pray for believers to be strong.
  • Pray against the strong materialistic mindset. Only 10 percent believe in the existence of a personal God.
  • Sokka Gakkai has grown to 10 million affliates. Many new religions start each year based on the occult, worship of extraterrestrial aliens etc. Pray against a stronghold of delusion.
  • The church in Japan is fragmented but the recent tsunami and earthquake resulted in better unity amongst the churches as they worked together to bring relief. Pray that it continues to unite and become a powerful witness.
  • Pray for the ministry of YWAM Tokyo (ywamtokyo.org). Among other ministries, they have a seminar called “A Million Lights” in which they train Japanese believers how to share their faith clearly with their family and friends.
Beautiful Tokyo; Beautiful People
Photo credit: YWAM Tokyo

Take Action

Tokyo Wallpapers
Photo credit: wonderfulengineering.com
  • If you are interested in prayer and communication, you can be part of The Invitation. Contact us at prayer@ywam.org. We need an administrator/coordinator; photographers/videographers; and researchers.
  • Share on facebook.com/youthwithamission, post a picture and add a comment about how you prayed.
  • Go to twitter.com; search for #praywithywam and tweet about your prayer time/post a picture. You can also post a photo on Instagram and use the same hashtag, #praywithywam.
  • Send an email to prayer@ywam.org letting us know how you prayed and what God revealed to you.

How We Prayed

 October 2019 – Children At Risk

  • The YWAM Facebook post for The Invitation was shared 119 times. Many indicated they were joining in prayer. One person encouraged people to support and pray for YWAM.

Future Topics:

  • December 12: Yemen

Series: Spiritual Principles from YWAM’s Early Days

  • January 9: Lordship of Christ (Darlene Cunningham)
  • February 13: Holy Living (Lynn Green)
  • March 12: Fear of God (Maureen Menard)
  • April 9: Seeking God (Loren Cunningham)
Mount Fuji
Photo credit: YWAM Tokyo

Don’t Miss The Invitation:

  • Sign up for prayer updates. Go to ywam.org, find the “Stay Connected” box on the home page, put in your email address and click “Sign Up.”
  • Download prayer updates in a specific language. Go to ywam.org/theinvitation. (Currently available in Spanish, Portuguese, French, Indonesian, Korean or request other languages.)
  • Join the conversation about how God is leading in these prayer times. Comment on the Facebook page on the second Thursday at facebook.com/youthwithamission or on Twitter @ywam, hashtag #praywithywam. You can also post a photo on Instagram and use the same hashtag, #praywithywam.
  • You can now listen to The Invitation as a podcast. To sign up or listen to past episodes, go to: ywampodcast.net/prayer.
  • If you sense God giving you a word or a direction for YWAM’s prayer, please contact us: prayer@ywam.org.

Related posts:

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The Invitation

Children At Risk

Join YWAMers around the globe in praying and hearing from God. He is inviting you!

Photo credit: Johan and Jeannette Lukasse

Children and youth today represent a future hope for the kingdom of God. But today we see many gaps where God’s intentions for this generation of children and youth are not being realized. Children face tremendous suffering and risk around the world. Please join with YWAM this month as we pray for the world’s vulnerable children.

Listen to the Letter

Today’s worldwide gaps:

  1. Child mortality: Every day, 15,000 children under five years of age die. In developing countries, half of those deaths are caused by malnutrition.
  2. Child soldiers: There are an estimated 250,000 child soldiers (some as young as seven years old) in the world today in at least 20 countries. About 40 percent of child soldiers are girls, who are often used as sex slaves and taken as “wives” by male fighters.
  3. Children and youth in crime, drugs and violence: Central and South America are experiencing a dramatic upswing in youth crime. “The drug mafia recruits children as young as nine or 10,” says Guaraci de Campos Viana, the chief justice of Rio de Janeiro’s juvenile court. “Children have no sense of danger. Being a member of a drug gang gives them a sort of adrenaline rush.”
  4. Street children: Many boys and girls under 18 years, find that “the street” has become home or their source of livelihood. They are inadequately protected or supervised. There are many more who are at risk due to the family situation. In 1989 it was estimated there were 100 million street children worldwide.
  5. Residential care versus family-based care: Worldwide many are now working toward a goal to have children living with foster families, adoptive families or in family-like settings, as opposed to traditional orphanages. Lost Kites is a film made by a YWAM team with the aim to see vulnerable families strengthened, and children restored to family – globally. http://lostkites.com/
  6. Sexual abuse and exploitation: Every day, across all countries and levels of society, millions of girls and boys face the alarmingly common childhood experience of sexual abuse and exploitation. Child sexual abuse is likely the most prevalent health problem children face with the most serious array of consequences. About one in 10 children will be sexually abused before their 18th birthday. About one in seven girls and one in 25 boys will be sexually abused before they turn 18.
  7. Refugee children: There are 70.8 million people forcibly displaced worldwide, as a result of persecution, con?ict, violence, or human rights violations. Everyday this number grows 37,000 of which 50 percent are children! Many are unaccompanied or separated children, which puts them in an even more vulnerable situation. Refugee children and youth often are out of school and become easy victims of sexual exploitation.

YWAM offers many opportunities for students and staff to stand in one of those gaps and bring healing and restoration to those children, youth, their families and communities. As we do so, we can see a new hope for the kingdom of God.

Please watch this short one-and-a-half-minute video, made by YWAM’s Children at Risk School in Perth, Australia:

https://vimeo.com/312469759

If you only have a few moments to pray during The Invitation please pray for the children at risk in your area and ask God to lead them to salvation. Thank you for being part of The Invitation. We would love to receive stories from you regarding how you prayed. You can email us at prayer@ywam.org.

Photo credit: Johan and Jeannette Lukasse

Prepare to Pray:

As your group prepares to pray, you are invited to settle into the time by having someone read aloud from Mark’s gospel, chapter 10:

“People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.’ And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them” (Mark 10, 13-16).

If you have children in your group and it seems appropriate, have an adult near them extend a hand of blessing to them. Then have someone read aloud: “When he came into the world, the Son of God became a child and grew in wisdom, age, and grace in the eyes of God and of all who knew him. Jesus welcomed children, believed in their dignity, and held them up as a model for all who are seeking the kingdom of God. Children need the help of grown-ups if they are to develop their individual gifts, and their moral, mental, and physical powers, and so reach human and Christian maturity. So, we ask for God’s blessing, not only on the children of our community but also on all children growing up in this beautiful yet broken world of ours.”

Photo credit: Johan and Jeannette Lukasse

Then have someone read aloud from Matthew’s gospel, chapter 18:

“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ’Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.’ “ (Matthew 18, 1-5)

As you go into the main part of this prayer time, consider the final phrase of the scripture above. Could the ways we make room for children be ways of making room for Jesus? What does this say about the ways we do not welcome children, sometimes limiting or even harming them? Hold onto this thought as you go to prayer.

Photo credit: Johan and Jeannette Lukasse

Pray for Children At Risk:

  • Pray for better healthcare for pregnant women in developing countries and for healthcare for newborn children. Pray also for food and nutrition for children in developing countries.
  • Pray for children who live on the streets.
  • Pray for the refugee children who make up 50 percent of all the displaced people in the world, for protection and educational opportunities.
  • Pray for the enormous number of children and youth who become victims of sexual abuse all around the world.
  • Pray for the children and youth who become victims of violence because of recruitment into gangs.
  • Pray for children who ended up in institutional care.
  • Pray for children and youth that were forced to become child soldiers because of armed conflicts.
  • Pray for these children to hear the truth of the gospel and to receive hope and new direction in life.
  • Pray for YWAM students and staff who work with these children. Pray for boldness and protection and provision. Pray that God will raise up more workers to reach children at risk.
Photo credit: Johan and Jeannette Lukasse

Take Action

Photo credit: Johan and Jeannette Lukasse
  • If you are interested in prayer and communication, you can be part of The Invitation. Contact us at prayer@ywam.org. We need an administrator/coordinator; photographers/videographers; and researchers.
  • Share on facebook.com/youthwithamission, post a picture and add a comment about how you prayed.
  • Go to twitter.com; search for #praywithywam and tweet about your prayer time/post a picture. You can also post a photo on Instagram and use the same hashtag, #praywithywam.
  • Send an email to prayer@ywam.org letting us know how you prayed and what God revealed to you.

How We Prayed

 September 2019 – Hindu World

  • Several people posted that they prayed for the Hindu world as part of The Invitation and some noted they would also pray during the 15 Days of Prayer for the Hindu World starting October 20.

Future Topics:

  • November 14: Tokyo
  • December 12: Israel
  • January 9: Lordship of Christ

Don’t Miss The Invitation:

  • Sign up for prayer updates. Go to ywam.org, find the “Stay Connected” box on the home page, put in your email address and click “Sign Up.”
  • Download prayer updates in a specific language. Go to ywam.org/theinvitation. (Currently available in Spanish, Portuguese, French, Indonesian, Korean or request other languages.)
  • Join the conversation about how God is leading in these prayer times. Comment on the Facebook page on the second Thursday at facebook.com/youthwithamission or on Twitter @ywam, hashtag #praywithywam. You can also post a photo on Instagram and use the same hashtag, #praywithywam.
  • You can now listen to The Invitation as a podcast. To sign up or listen to past episodes, go to: ywampodcast.net/prayer.
  • If you sense God giving you a word or a direction for YWAM’s prayer, please contact us: prayer@ywam.org.

Related posts:

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The Invitation

Hindu World

Join YWAMers around the globe in praying and hearing from God. He is inviting you!

Hindu World – 15 Days of Prayer

Hindus are the second-largest least-reached religious group in the world, with only about two percent of cross-cultural missionaries focused on sharing the gospel with them. The majority of the world’s 1.1 billion Hindus still live without any meaningful access to the gospel of Jesus Christ. This month, we invite you to pray for Hindus on September 12 as part of YWAM’s global prayer day, called The Invitation, and we also invite you to join the 15 Days prayer focus on the Hindu World.

Listen to the Letter

15 Days is an annual prayer movement that calls Christians and churches worldwide to take 15 days, October 20 – November 3 to learn about and pray for Hindus around the world. This period encompasses the significant Hindu Festival of Lights called Diwali (or Deepawali) which is the most notable festival of Hindus and an excellent time to pray for and share with Hindus the precious love of Christ, the light of the world. Prayer guides are available in several languages and are either free or available for a nominal price depending on the country. You may access the prayer guides here: www.pray15days.org.

If you only have a few moments to pray during The Invitation please pray for the light of Christ’s presence to be fully received among Hindus in general and by any Hindus that you know. Thank you for being part of The Invitation. We would love to receive stories from you regarding how you prayed. You can email us at prayer@ywam.org.

Prepare to Pray:

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).

As you prepare to pray, consider that Jesus declared Himself to be the light of the world and also declared that His people are the light of the world. Think of a way to represent that light in the place where you will be praying: could you light candles, shine torches/flashlights, pray as the sun rises, or find other ways to bring to mind this powerful image of Jesus and His people bringing light into dark places? Let this physical action of bringing light become your focus and attitude in prayer. May our prayers for the Hindu world be shining shafts of light into the darkness, that the light of Christ’s presence may fully come among those who do not yet know him.

Pray for the Hindu World:

  • Pray for the more than 2,000 YWAM staff who work in South Asia. Many of them work directly with Hindu people.
  • Pray for the 2,328 unreached Hindu people groups (https://joshuaproject.net/religions/5) and that they will turn to Christ. India is where most Hindus live, compromising about 80% of its almost 1.4 Billion person population. But Hindus also have large populations in Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Indonesia.
  • Pray for Bible translation and distribution efforts in the Hindu world and the ending of Bible poverty. Many Hindus do not have Scripture available in their language or do not have access to the Bible or biblical education in any meaningful form. The Bible is the worker who never sleeps, never gets tired, doesn’t require support and always bears fruit.
  • Pray that Hindus would have life-changing encounters with Christ as they set out on pilgrimage and search for God, often each year.
  • Pray that God would start more movements of Hindus who will turn towards Him in all types of Hindu communities.

“There is nothing that intercessory prayer cannot do. Believer, you have a mighty engine in your hand–use it well, use it constantly use it now with faith, and you shall surely prevail.”

– Charles Spurgeon

Take Action

  • If you are interested in prayer and communication, you can be part of The Invitation. Contact us at prayer@ywam.org. We need an administrator/coordinator; photographers/videographers; and researchers.
  • Share on facebook.com/youthwithamission, post a picture and add a comment about how you prayed.
  • Go to twitter.com; search for #praywithywam and tweet about your prayer time/post a picture. You can also post a photo on Instagram and use the same hashtag, #praywithywam.
  • Send an email to prayer@ywam.org letting us know how you prayed and what God revealed to you.
YWAM Ozarks Prayed for Central Europe in July
Photo credits: YWAM Ozarks

How We Prayed

 August 2019 – U of N

  • We heard from multiple people about the words they sensed from God during their time of prayer: the Jubilee; simple; a sense of coming back to basic truth; trust; fellowship; and this is dedicated ministry.

July 2019 – Central Europe

  • YWAM Ozarks in Arkansas: “We distributed the Central Europe map that was included with the description of prayer needs and then we each took on the identity of a nation in the region. One became Croatian, another a Macedonian, someone else a Romanian, etc. About 15 minutes was given to research our particular nations and then we reported from a first-person perspective. We talked a little about our nation’s history, our strengths, our challenges, the religious beliefs that most of us in our country shared, etc. Some told about these crazy people they have in their neighborhood, called Youth With A Mission and what they seem to be doing. After each one shared about his/her identity as a Croatian, etc., we prayed for the nation and its people. Taking on a personal identity of people from these nations made them come alive to us. At the close there was a friendly competition over just who was the hardest working nation, Hungary or Poland” (see picture above).

Future Topics:

  • October 10: Children at Risk
  • November 14: Tokyo
  • December 12: Israel

Don’t Miss The Invitation:

  • Sign up for prayer updates. Go to ywam.org, find the “Stay Connected” box on the home page, put in your email address and click “Sign Up.”
  • Download prayer updates in a specific language. Go to ywam.org/theinvitation. (Currently available in Spanish, Portuguese, French, Indonesian, Korean or request other languages.)
  • Join the conversation about how God is leading in these prayer times. Comment on the Facebook page on the second Thursday at facebook.com/youthwithamission or on Twitter @ywam, hashtag #praywithywam. You can also post a photo on Instagram and use the same hashtag, #praywithywam.
  • You can now listen to The Invitation as a podcast. To sign up or listen to past episodes, go to: ywampodcast.net/prayer.
  • If you sense God giving you a word or a direction for YWAM’s prayer, please contact us: prayer@ywam.org.

Related posts:

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The Invitation

21 Days of Prayer & Fasting for the UofN

Join YWAMers around the globe in praying and hearing from God. He is inviting you!

From left to right: YWAM Lausanne; University of the Nations graduation.
Photo credits: YWAM Lausanne, Emily Ranquist

This year, YWAM is celebrating 50 years of training. It all began with a small group of young adults studying evangelism in Lausanne, Switzerland. This year YWAM has set aside time to remember, to pray, and to look to the future of YWAM’s training, which has now grown into a global university called the University of the Nations. Please join us on August 8, for YWAM’s global prayer day, called The Invitation, as we pray for YWAM’s training.

This day is also the kickoff for 21 days of prayer and fasting for the University of the Nations from August 8 – August 28.   This will be a time as a family of ministries where we seek God together, wait on Him and pray what He has shown us. We believe the Lord is leading us in a time of transition and a time of going deeper in Him for His purposes for the U of N. We believe your prayer will provide a protection and preparation for the Holy Spirit to lead us afresh into this phase of growth and multiplication.

Please find the simple prayer guide to help give daily prayer focus at this link:

We encourage your family, ministries and teams to enter into this time, to give up some type of normal indulgence such as food or media and to seek God together. Together we will pray and fast and look at some of our foundations in the U of N and look to the Lord for His direction and leading into the future.

If you only have a few moments to pray please pray that everyone involved in YWAM’s training will receive direction and leading from the Lord into the future.

Thank-you for taking part in this as the Lord leads you. We would love to receive stories from you regarding how you prayed. You can email us at prayer@ywam.org.

Prepare to Pray:

The spiritual practice of fasting has been interpreted in diverse ways in different Christian traditions. The purpose of this month’s prayer guidelines is not to dictate the way in which you choose to fast. Rather, through fasting we are deliberately taking our physical or emotional hunger, and turning our hearts towards the things of God. That is, we embrace an increase of natural hunger and allow it to become a prompt that turns our awareness – the intentions of our hearts – towards God.

During the 21 days covered by this month’s prayer guide, you may choose to fast in the way that you sense the Holy Spirit nudging you. While this will be a personal response – because the Spirit of God knows our individual appetites and what sort of fasting is most helpful for us – you may also agree to a corporate rhythm of fasting with your community or team.

  • You could choose to fast from one meal each day, or on certain days over the 21 days. This mealtime can then become a time of prayer.
  • You could choose to fast from food for an entire day, on certain days over the 3 weeks. Again, these days can become special times of focused prayer.
  • You could opt for simple meals throughout the 3 weeks, choosing not to eat meat, sweets, or rich foods, for example.
  • You could choose to disconnect from social media, or other entertainment for 3 weeks.
  • You could choose to avoid all purchases for 3 weeks, other than absolute necessities.

The point here is that during the fasting period, when your attention is captured by your desire for food, or sweets, or for entertainment or distraction, you pause and reflect:

  • To what extent does your hunger for God and His good future exceed your hunger for these passing satisfactions?
  • In what way can this appetite for something temporary remind you to turn to God out of longing for Him?

When you do have the opportunity to gather as a group, reflect together on the ways God has deepened your desire for His purposes to be fulfilled as you have engaged in fasting.

YWAM ministry in Hong Kong
Photo credits: YWAM Tuen Mun, Hong Kong

Pray for the UofN:

  • Praise God for his vision for, creation of and sustainment of YWAM’s University of the Nations (U of N).
  • Pray for the 50th celebration in Lausanne from August 30 to September 2. Pray for heart preparation for those attending and pray for the YWAM family unable to attend – that God would be speaking to all.
  • Pray for God’s leading and revelation in prayer over these next 21 days.
  • Pray for God’s strategies for YWAM’s training programs as we enter this new season. Ask God to take YWAM deeper into His understanding and heart for training and discipleship.
  • Pray that the foundations that shaped the U of N would remain firm as we continue to build and multiply geographically, into all spheres of society and in all aspects of the Great Commission.
  • Pray for appropriate structures for the U of N in a time of growth.
  • Pray for the Holy Spirit to teach us His way forward and to teach us His strategies for development.
  • Pray that all of our training and teaching would be filled with the compassion of Jesus (Mark 6:34).

When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.

Mark 6:34 (ESV)

  • Pray for effective servant leadership in every school, every campus, and every ministry associated with our campuses.
  • Pray for revelation in areas of His vision, ways of teaching, managing, communicating and working together in community.
  • Ask God to place safeguards so that the U of N globally and in your area will flourish for the next generations.
  • Pray for insight into new training courses and release of workers from your location.
  • Pray for standards of excellence and God’s favor.
  • Pray for DTSes in your region.
  • Pray for greater capacity to train people from everywhere to go everywhere.
  • Pray that every U of N campus would be an educational resource to the nations.
  • Pray that all generations would continue to serve and train together at all levels in honoring, loving and biblical ways.
  • Pray for a fresh wave of prayer.
Giving out Bibles in Thailand.
Photo credits: YWAM Together 2018

Take Action

Learning aquaponics at YWAM in Colorado.
Photo credits: YWAM Emerge
  • If you are interested in prayer and communication, you can be part of The Invitation. Contact us at prayer@ywam.org. We need an administrator/coordinator; photographers/videographers; researchers; and a French translator.
  • Share on facebook.com/youthwithamission, post a picture and add a comment about how you prayed.
  • Go to twitter.com; search for #praywithywam and tweet about your prayer time/post a picture. You can also post a photo on Instagram and use the same hashtag, #praywithywam.
  • Send an email to prayer@ywam.org letting us know how you prayed and what God revealed to you.
YWAM King’s Gardens – Pune, India prayed for Central Europe
Photo credits: Ferdinand Pakyntein

How We Prayed

 July 2019 – Central Europe

  • YWAM King’s Gardens – Pune, India sent in the two photos shown above of their prayer time and reported that they “always have a powerful and blessed time when we join in The Invitation.” They are very grateful for the privilege.
  • YWAM Seamill, Scotland prayed for Central Europe and reported that God revealed something for each country with Hungary highlighted. For Hungary they sensed an angel like a lion roaring over the nation proclaiming His love for the nation. They also sensed Jesus is washing the feet of the nation, cleansing them from all condemnation and shame of the past. And finally, from the cracks of division the Lord will display His union of the body to Jesus.

Future Topics: 

  • September 12: Hindu World
  • October 10: Children at Risk
  • November 14: Tokyo

Don’t Miss The Invitation:

  • Sign up for prayer updates. Go to ywam.org, find the “Stay Connected” box on the home page, put in your email address and click “Sign Up.”
  • Download prayer updates in a specific language. Go to ywam.org/theinvitation. (Currently available in Spanish, Portuguese, French, Indonesian, Korean or request other languages.)
  • Join the conversation about how God is leading in these prayer times. Comment on the Facebook page on the second Thursday at facebook.com/youthwithamission or on Twitter @ywam, hashtag #praywithywam. You can also post a photo on Instagram and use the same hashtag, #praywithywam.
  • You can now listen to The Invitation as a podcast. To sign up or listen to past episodes, go to: ywampodcast.net/prayer.
  • If you sense God giving you a word or a direction for YWAM’s prayer, please contact us: prayer@ywam.org.

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