Imagine if every week in your youth group a few minutes was set aside to read news of Christians in other parts of the world. Would our groups not begin to realize just how easy we have it and how much we need to be praying for others? Would it not put life in a much better perspective for a self absorbed generation? What if we did this without giving any “sermonette” or “talk” and just let them figure it out? In other words, we give students the opportunity to hear and respond without us telling them how important this is or what they should think or do. Wouldn’t it be great to see them react and respond?
Listening to a John Piper sermon the other day, I heard of this resource… A quick visit would give you a brief reading for each week at youth group and possibly even get students praying daily. Check out the Global Prayer Digest. Here is a sample of one day’s reading.
Darfur Daju People
by NWImagine small children running and chasing one another, as their mothers keep one eye on them and another on the food cooking in a nearby pot. The mothers must watch their children carefully as they play in case they must suddenly flee for safety. This scene is common in the Darfur Region of Sudan and Chad. People living in this area are known as the Darfur Daju. Many moved westward into Chad in the midst of the instability and wars that are taking place. For families in this region who decided to stay in Darfur, life is filled with tragedy and danger. The Darfur Daju people have lived in a humanitarian state of emergency since 2003. Although war was going on prior to 2003, fighting intensified in that year.
Darfur Daju children are growing up with war and genocide. Those who are eight years old and under have never experienced peace. Their life is a life of fear. Hope is not a word in their vocabulary. Learn more at joshuaproject.net
Pray for the Darfur Daju people to find the hope that is found in Jesus Christ. Pray for a Bible to be written in their language, so they may begin to read about the Savior. Ask the peacemaker Jesus Christ to intervene and bring peace to this war torn land.
In a similar vein… Josh Harris has this bit of news on his blog…
Over 70 Christians Arrested in Iran
“In the early morning hours after Christmas day, the Iranian government arrested 25 Christians in Tehran and other locations. They also planned to detain sixteen others, but were unable to locate them. There are also unconfirmed reports that the authorities have arrested over 50 other Christians. According to BBC Persian, the Governor of Tehran has vowed to arrest more evangelical Christians.
One of those detained was able to make a call to friends from an unknown location on the morning of the arrests, leaving this message –
Leave a Reply