2020 VISION IN PRAYER
"In my flesh I will see God” (Job 19:26).
As we begin the new decade of 2020, it makes me think of eyesight. "Normal" vision is 20/20. This means that the test subject sees the same line of letters at 20 feet that a person with normal vision sees at 20 feet. I saw my ophthalmologist last month and my eyesight is no longer “normal.” I needed a prescription for glasses to improve my sight.
I’m thankful for getting a pair of glasses to improve my physical sight.
How about spiritually? How’s my vision at seeing others? When I’m in a crowd of people – at the grocery store, a sports arena, a busy city street – I’m reminded God loves and knows every single one of them! Even the one who cut me off driving, the one that I don’t see eye to eye with! I need a pair of glasses to see people through God’s eyes!
How about you?
His Word tells us what that looks like:
"But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart’” (1 Samuel 16:7).
"For His eyes are upon the ways of a man, And He sees all his steps” (Job 34:21).
"I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you" (Psalm 32:8).
"Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, on those who hope for His loving kindness” (Psalm 33:18).
"The eyes of the LORD are in every place, watching the evil and the good" (Proverbs 15:3).
"Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd" (Matthew 9:36).
"Looking at them, Jesus said, ‘With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God’” (Mark 10:27).
"When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it” (Luke 19:41).
"Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you” (John 16:22).
Jesus saw these people!
A deeper kind of seeing – knowing, perceiving, grasping. He sees me and you too . . . everyone! And He wants us to see Him too. That is the joyful hope of all believers – to see Jesus as the object of our eternal vision. Regardless of our circumstances or condition, we can look forward with hope as we glimpse Heaven. Praise God He’s brought us into the light and allows us to truly see.
“Blessed are your eyes because they see” (Matthew 13:16). We can Look up! To see God with a brightness that can never dim, a glory that can never fade!
But what about those who are blind, in spiritual darkness? Those who don’t see the truth. Those who pridefully go about their earthly ways or those who feel defeated after a lifetime of hopeless struggle can only see death? Jesus calls us to let our light shine for Him, to shed the light of His truth to those within our realm of influence.
We also have the joy to partner with Luis, Andrew, and the Palau team to look up to our Father in prayer. Let’s also look outward with the Palau's as they proclaim the Gospel and bring those in darkness into His glorious light. That those in darkness can receive Jesus as the prescription to look at life through His lens of hope and truth and life.
We praise God that Luis’ health is stable as God continues to give him strength and stamina to continue encouraging believers and sharing the Gospel. We’re thankful for all that was accomplished for the Kingdom through LPA this last year; over 136,000 recorded decisions for Jesus with believers trained and churches united, millions hearing the Gospel through the media and for more than 100 evangelistic events around the world!
We continue the vision this year through proclaiming the Good News (9 festivals this year, media outreach and supporting the Global Network of Evangelists), uniting the Church as the body of Christ, and impacting cities worldwide!
Please join us in prayer, open and read the reports below for more details, and participate in our hour of prayer together January 28! Let our prescription be through the lens of prayer.
Looking Up in the Name of Jesus,
Gail Stockamp
"For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer" (1 Peter 3:12).
PRAYER REPORTS
Please enjoy opening the regional updates below and keeping them in your prayers:
Africa | Andrew and Wendy Palau in Egypt, February 6-9 | Report
Asia | Global Network of Evangelists Festivals in Myanmar, January 11-23 | Report
North America | Space Coast CityFest in Florida, March 21-29; NGA Advance Groups growing | Report
Europe | Momentum building for 2020 festivals in three strategic cities | Report
Latin America | March pastors conference in BA; Political unrest in many countries| Report
Caribbean | NGA partners embracing opportunities in Cuba | Report
SHARE
Please forward this email to your praying friends and invite them to join us. They can sign up at www.nationalprayerteam.org to receive future emails and prayer requests. If it helps, print out the requests and keep them in a spot where you’ll remember to pray. (It helps me!)
SAVE THE DATE, HEAR FROM LUIS
Please join us January 28 for our one-hour national quarterly conference prayer call: 1 p.m. Pacific, 2 p.m. Mountain, 3 p.m. Central, and 4 p.m. Eastern time. Luis, Andrew, and Kevin will join us! Details to follow! It will be a wonderful hour to seek God in prayer!
"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).