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

In February, join us as we pray about God’s intentions for communities around the world, both poor ones and rich ones. We will pray about community development, which YWAM worker Keri Fishlock describes as “helping communities discover their true identity and helping them step toward God’s intentions.”

Framed within a biblical worldview, Keri believes community development addresses one of the biggest topics of all:

• It’s about the Kingdom of God overcoming the kingdom of darkness;
• It’s about Jesus bringing life to the full, undoing the work of the thief who comes only to steal, kill and destroy;
• It’s about Truth replacing the lies of the enemy;
• It’s about seeing more of the Kingdom of God expressed in our families, communities and nations;
• It’s about men and women developing right relationships with God, other people and the physical world.

Within this context, community development is the need of every community and the responsibility of every believer. It’s about discipling individuals, families, communities and nations. Coupled with a biblical understanding of poverty (http://www.truthandtransformation.com/the_true_nature_of_poverty/), community development is not only about physical things such as building water tanks and hospitals, but happens when communities step away from lies and into truth, from pride to humility, from corruption and greed to living the way God intended, and when broken relationships are replaced by healthy relationships where healing and fullness can be experienced.

Please join with YWAM’s global prayer day, called The Invitation, during the month of February to pray with us about God’s intentions for communities around the world. You are particularly invited to pray during our prayer day, February 8.

If you only have a few moments to pray we would ask you to pray for the communities in which you minister, that the communities would break away from Satan’s grip and into the truth and direction God has for them.

Pray for Community Development

• Pray 2 Chronicles 7:14, specifically that God’s people would humble themselves and that he would heal our land. Thank God for being the one who transforms. Pray that YWAMers would repent for the times we have taken on the role of “savior” rather than pointing to Him.
• Pray for YWAM ministries that are intentionally involved in community development, that students and workers would lead transformation from a solid biblical perspective.
• Acknowledge your own brokenness and ask for His healing and restoration within your relationships with God, man, others and the physical world.
• Pray that the church would take up its role in discipling communities and equipping people for works of service.
• Pray for YWAM’s University of the Nations Community Development and Justice Centre http://uofn.edu/colleges/community-development-centre to continue to grow in relational networks and to help equip people to walk out a biblical worldview very practically in every sphere of society.
• Pray for multiplication of YWAM’s Community Development School. Pray for the new school starting in Nepal on Feb 19, 2018.
• Pray specifically for those involved with Mercy Ministries with YWAM [https://www.ywam-mercy.org/about].
• Pray for those living in brokenness that the lies of the enemy would be broken (including those not only in impoverished communities, but also in wealthy communities) and replaced with God’s truth.
• Pray for God to be faithful in our cries for the oppressed and that He will soften the hearts of community leaders.
• Jesus desires that we have a full life. Pray this verse for communities and people that God brings to your mind:

 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

John 10:10                

Take Action:

• Learn about where poverty comes from. Read this article: http://www.truthandtransformation.com/the_true_nature_of_poverty/.
• Watch this videohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-VWc1v77fk

• Attend a YWAM Community Development School (CDS) or Community Development Seminar.
• Attend the Coram Deo free online training course with Disciple Nations Alliance. Watch this video for more information: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJsdes95xRo&t=10s

• Build relationship with people in your community and gain understanding of their story, hopes and fears. Ask God what His vision is for your community and ask Him how you as Christ’s ambassador can step out personally.
• Learn about community development principles at YWAM Harpenden’s CommunityDevelopment Hub: https://cdhub.uk/key-concepts/

• YWAM Mercy Vietnam is a locally run community development program. Watch the stories of:
  • Chien: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSAIcNOuHec
  • Ton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3gDfaRfgUw
  • Hue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxqMAgb7oE4
• Watch this video to learn how sometimes our efforts to help others can make their situation worse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ii_k_AUqo8I

• Read books:
  • “The Book that Made Your World” and “Truth & Transformation” by Vishal  Mangalwadi
  • “The Book that Transforms Nations” by Loren Cunningham
  • “Walking With the Poor” by Bryant Myers
  • “When Helping Hurts” by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert
  • “Discipling Nations” by Darrow Miller
  • “Old Testament Template” by Landa Cope
  • “His Kingdom Come” edited by Jim Stier
  • “The Great Omission” by Steve Saint
  • “Bring Your Eyes and See – Our Journey into Justice, Compassion and Action” by Steve and Marie Goode
• Watch other videos:
  • “Who Broke Africa?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pP2RNfb3kDw
  • Development Dreaming by  Johnny Oommen  https://vimeo.com/20119763
  • Samaan and Garbage City (Zabaleen) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e01d4OlTi_k
• 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

January 2018 – YWAM Foundational Values #1 – 3

• Many YWAMers and friends of YWAM posted on Facebook that they prayed. Some of the countries represented include: Malawi, USA, India, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Uganda, South Africa, Zambia, and Italy.
• One person prayed for a YWAM ministry center to be started where she is located as a way to further Value 2: Make God Known.
• Several people noted which of these three values was most on their heart that day.
• YWAM Potchefstroom, South Africa had a day of prayer and fasting for YWAM’s Discipleship Training School.

Future Topics:

• March 8, 2018 Entertainment Industry
• April 12, 2018 YWAM Foundational Values 4 – 6 (Practice Worship and Intercessory Prayer, Be Visionary, Champion Young People)
• May 10, 2018 Refugees Update

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, 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.