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

Today in modern missions many people who live in what was considered the mission field have now become a significant part of the mission force. A large portion of YWAM missionaries now come from countries like South Korea, Brazil, India, and Indonesia.

Along with these changes come great challenges as norms change. One such challenge is raising support for those working in or sent from the Two-Thirds-World. We want to pray for those workers and their financial challenge during The Invitation this month.

As we prepared the prayer information, we surveyed several YWAMers with ministries on different continents to get their input on current challenges and lessons learned regarding financial support. Of those surveyed, only a very small percentage of them receive support from their local church. Some noted that they receive support from Christians and non-Christians  and most of them noted that friends (many of them friends made during YWAM training programs) and family members provide support. Some of them reported that they take on small jobs for money and one even said that only 10% of her support is consistent from month to month but that God always provides what is needed.

Many of the challenges reported relate to misperceptions on the part of local churches, people who are asked to provide support, and YWAMers themselves. The misperceptions revolve around people not having a solid biblical understanding of money and cultural differences. Lessons that have been learned by YWAMers surveyed include: trust in God, pray, follow up on all requests, meet in person with people, and develop a biblical understanding of money. All of those surveyed report that they have seen God’s work in providing partners who stand beside them financially.

Terry Sherman, who provides training to YWAMers regarding support raising, states that those from the Two-Thirds-World “will encounter spiritual opposition the same as those who have gone before from the One-Third-World.  So the same lessons apply: we all need to find freedom to form partnerships. Our own ways of thinking and cultural taboos about money are our biggest enemies.”

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Matthew 6:24 (KJV)

Please join with YWAM’s global prayer day, called The Invitation, during the month of July to pray for financial support for Two-Thirds-World workers. You are particularly invited to pray during our prayer day, July 13.

If you have only a few minutes to pray, please lift up our YWAM workers from the Two-Thirds-World. Pray that they would increase their financial support and their biblical understanding of how to raise finances. Pray also for churches and individuals in the Two-Thirds-World to take on a greater role of sending missionaries by giving and praying generously. Please put a coin in your pocket to remind you to pray this month.

If you are praying with a group or if you have more time to pray, please see below for the complete list of prayer suggestions.

Prepare to Pray:

• Consider keeping a coin in your pocket (purse, car, etc.) to remind you to prayerfully hold this matter before God. Each time your fingers touch the coin (or you see the coin), take a moment to ask God for a release of finances for YWAM staff and students from Two-Thirds-World nations. In particular, be sensitive to the ways the Holy Spirit may be inviting you to show generosity to a Two-Thirds-World missionary you know.
• Ask others that you will be praying with to bring a coin to a time of prayer.

Pray:

• Pray for local churches in the Two-Thirds-World to understand their role in the Great Commission as senders. Pray for pastors and teachers to effectively teach these concepts.
• Pray for biblical understanding of forming kingdom partnerships throughout YWAM. Pray for YWAMers to learn practical ways for increasing their support. Pray for God to change hearts and minds so that misperceptions about support raising are minimized.
• Pray for the economies of developing nations.
• Pray for a spirit of provision and abundance, as opposed to a spirit of greed and limitations.
• Pray for YWAMers to trust in God’s provision first, rather than to trust in man.
• Pray for the relationships of YWAMers to be built on solid friendships as opposed to relationships/perceptions that it is all about the support.

All the resources of the Godhead are at our disposal.

Jonathan Goforth

• Pray for Two-Thirds-World workers that they would obey God’s call to send and to go. Pray for effective ministries and clarity of calling. Pray also that they would perform God’s work with integrity and faithfulness.
• Pray for God to raise up more Christian and non-Christian people as supporters, and generous givers from the Two-Thirds-World.
• Pray for our Two-Thirds-World workers to find favor with governments.
• Pray for wisdom for YWAM’s Terry Sherman and her entire team to arrange more seminars on support raising.
• Pray for YWAMers to be thankful and grateful for the provision that God gives them.

Take Action:

• Identify a Two-Thirds-World missionary that you know. Commit to pray for this person regularly with regard to support. Pray about supporting them monthly. Think about ways you can encourage them. Provide them with tools and training that may be useful to them.
• Learn more about the spirit of mammon: http://blessedlife.gatewaydevotions.com/breaking-spirit-mammon
• Take FREE online course at ywamelearning.com which can be done by individuals or as a group. Contact Terry Sherman about giving a workshop on relational fundraising (sherryterman@gmail.com). She can also connect you with others within YWAM that are so trained.
• Watch an online class with a group to obtain a biblical mindset on partnership: relationalfundraising.com
• Host a Kairos Course at your church –http://www.kairoscourse.org/   This will spread more understanding of the role of the church in the Great Commission as senders and supporters of missionaries.
• Read The Fourth Wave (https://www.ywampublishing.com/p-1503-the-fourth-wavebrtaking-your-place-in-the-new-era-of-missions.aspx) and create a presentation about The Fourth Wave that God is raising up from the two-thirds-world and share it in your church, a youth group, Bible Study, or other gathering.
• Read The God Ask by Steve Shadrach.
• Review YWAM resources available at http://db.tt/ptINZUEM, specifically:
  • See Recommended Reading for a list of additional books and websites.
  • Join a Facebook group that dialogues about raising support.  See the document “Tools to learn about raising support”.
• Learn more about raising support in honour / shame cultures: http://honorshame.com/raising-support-honor-shame-cultures-5-tips
• Review “fundraising” in the Bible:
  http://fundraisingcoach.com/free-articles/fundraising-in-the-bible/
• 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

June 2017 – Back to Jerusalem Movement

• YWAM North Africa reported that they had a great time praying as a group for God to send more workers for this movement.
• YWAM Perth, Australia prayed and received a picture of the base of a fence showing God’s promise that the Chinese Church will be unshaken.
• YWAM Auckland, New Zealand interceded and gave thanks for those who have gone before the current generation in this movement, laying the foundation for the younger generation to rise up and be equipped.
• YWAM Sarasota, Florida prayed for the Back to Jerusalem Movement and for the 10/40 Window and sent the drawing inserted below.

May 2017 – Spiritual Formation

• Create International, Taiwan reported that they, as artists, found the topic of “silence” to be quite fascinating and that God spoke to them in very personal and powerful ways.

Future Topics:

• August 10, 2017 Marriages and Singles
• September 14, 2017 Disciple Training Schools (DTS)
• October 12, 2017 Hindu World

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.