PRAYERCAST

Today is Thursday, May 7, which is the National Day of Prayer here in the USA.  Of course, we can and should pray for our country every day; there’s no special spiritual benefit in praying on a certain date.  But still, designating a day to focus on the need for God’s guidance and correction and provision and blessing upon the people of a given country can be a great positive—it can be a way to help believers remember to pray, and to convey to non-believers the truth that all people and nations are accountable to God.

To encourage all of us in our prayer lives, let me urge you to make use of the numerous video resources from Prayercast.  This media ministry provides free, downloadable prayer videos—including one for each country of the world, one for each religion (with several related to Islam), and an array of other videos on special issues and concerns in today’s world.  In just about every case, a Christian from the country or category of the video prays as you’re given a glimpse of the people of that land.

The focus of all of the Prayercast videos is to highlight the gospel and the need of all people come to Jesus Christ in repentance and faith for the gift of eternal life.  Their “About Us” statement says this:  “The heart of Prayercast is for those who do not know Christ.  Like Andrew Murray, we believe that, ‘The man who mobilizes the Christian church to pray will make the greatest contribution to world evangelization in history.’”

In March they came out with a special video about the Coronavirus Crisis, drawing attention to this global pandemic and calling for prayer for the advance of the love of Jesus in the midst of all the turmoil, fear, and uncertainty.

A couple weeks ago the Muslim month of Ramadan began—a time when Muslims fast each day from sun-up to sundown.  Prayercast is providing daily videos about the experience of Muslims in Ramadan and looking at numerous aspects of Islam in today’s world (for example, this video about the Muslim duty of fasting).

The video about the USA cuts to the heart of things.  In their survey of the spiritual landscape in our country they say, “Roughly 78% of Americans claim to be Christian, yet only 31% of adults say that faith is important in their life. Consumerism, moral relativism, immorality, and an independent mindset have infected nearly every part of society, including the Church. Satisfaction is sought primarily through pleasure and materialism. This nation holds unparalleled resources and potential to influence the world for good and spread the Gospel. Yet it stands in desperate need of revival.”

Take some time and explore Prayercast!  You could do this as a family, or with friends, as a very worthwhile use of time during our current stay-at-home situation.  Let the resources from Prayercast enrich your prayer life—so that you pray with a world-sized vision, and in a way that is energized by the heart of Jesus for all the people groups on earth.  And further, let their videos prompt you to pray for the global church and for missionaries (including those supported by Goshen) who are living out and speaking gospel truth among the lost all over the globe.

“Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!” (Psalm 67:3).

“Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!” (Psalm 57:5).