URGENT WORLDWIDE PRAYER LIST!--No.4--From WS
--For Adults, EAs, Senior & Junior Teens
DO
Dear Family,
1/92
GBY! Isn't it wonderful how the Lord has been answering prayer? PTL! "Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, World without end."--Eph.3:20-21.
ANSWERED PRAYERS:
1. HEALING VICTORY! On Christmas Day, Dad had a very difficult & painful period of 24 hours where he was unable to drink anything! Nothing would go up or down, as there was a blockage in his esophagus.--Until the Lord miraculously cleared the way for him to be able to drink again. During this same time he also experienced sharp pains in his heart. Because of the seriousness of the situation we awakened our staff at three in the morning to gather together in desperate prayer, & shortly thereafter he was able to go to sleep. Soon after waking in the morning he was able to take his first swallows of nourishment. PTL! This was a definite attack of the Enemy to try his best to kill Dad off before he can be totally healed in answer to your prayers during the special fast for him. But praise the Lord!--The Lord got the victory, as always! He never fails! Thank You Jesus!--Maria.
2. Barz now has custody of his three oldest children, PTL! (The youngest one did not wish to serve the Lord after having been corrupted by Vivian.) Since leaving Thailand, Barz has been working in a nursing home in the U.S., & we are including below, parts of a letter he wrote to someone on the field. Please pray for him in his service for the Lord!
(Barz' letter:)
Work: After cooking at the Nursing Home for a year & a half, I was asked by the administration if I would be willing to be one of the supervisors. So I took a test & thank the Lord, I think I passed it!
Personal Battles: I have to work quite a bit, which means I'm gone a lot from my family. I take a couple of hours of Word a day. Actually, just recently we've had a real revolution with reading. The kids have been getting more into the Word, & we're having a memory & review revolution. I sometimes feel I get really drained, discouraged & in despair that we can't do more for the Lord, so please pray for me. The Lord is always there, though. The Psalms are always an encouragement, & people's prayers are so encouraging & such a blessing.
Esther (Barz' Thai wife): Esther is doing well in spite of everything. She is really a fighter & is growing. She also gets discouraged like we all do, as it's quite a battle for everybody. We do take plenty of time to pray together & read the Word together, try to keep our eyes on Jesus together. In the past she wanted to be the best at this or that, & was envious of other people's accomplishments, etc. Coming here & being a total nobody & just a zero & taking care of the kids & being totally on our own has really caused her to get her inspiration from the Lord & get desperate with the Lord, to go to the Word for her strength.
John (in 10th grade): John, of all the kids, has had the most difficulty. He has had some serious doubts & wonders why the Lord hasn't delivered us. I assume they're typical teenage battles. I think John's heart is right, he just needs a lot of encouragement & love. He's in high school now, 10th grade, surrounded by American 10th graders, if you can imagine what that must be like, & he needs a lot of discipline & a firm hand. We follow a two-by-two rule very closely with the Teens & all of us. I can't, because I have to go to work in the morning, but as a rule, no one goes anywhere alone. There is a lot of peer pressure on John, & he is learning to stand up & witness, but it seems he's weakening too, so please pray for him. What we've been doing is trying to keep him inspired, reading the Word with him & answering his questions, taking time to listen to his battles.
April (in 9th grade): April, I think, is doing really well, & is quite strong spiritually. She is a real sacrificial hard worker around the house, helping the kids, helping Esther all the time, & being a real sample. At work too, she's always right on the ball with the others in the department, helping them, being a real testimony, winning lots of hearts. She gets a little self-righteous sometimes, but she's doing well. In school she's done well, & she has met a lot of sheep, & she really has a love for the Word. She really loves the Lord, loves the Word, & doesn't seem to have any serious doubts. I can see her getting discouraged at times too, but she seems to be doing OK.
Caleb: Right after we got here, he gained a lot of weight. Now he has lost all that weight & he is a cross-country runner. He doesn't seem to be into the athletic competitive spirit, but just likes to be active & doing things, & he's a real sweet guy. He's grown a lot. He's in the 8th grade & he seems to win a lot of hearts in school.
Our Younger Children: David, Victor & Joshua. David & Victor are five & three. Esther has those kids drenched in the Word, day after day memorising & reading. David can literally quote hundreds of verses & Psalms & Chapters, & whenever a visitor comes over--the landlady or any friends--they are sharing their verses. Of course they've picked up a lot of System garbage here from other people & TV & stuff, but the kids are really doing well & are growing & getting stronger with every battle, TYJ!
(Please see prophecies received for Barz & his children on Pg.10.)
3. WS received an inspiring report of answered prayer from John & Marie, parents of 7-year-old Andr, who has leukemia: "Ever since Andr appeared in `Prayer Requests #2,' he's been doing better, TTL & PHN for the power of prayer! Three of his medications have been stopped & the treatments were changed to every four weeks instead of two. A month ago the doctor told us that cases like his usually deteriorate, but his is actually improving! TTL! The doctor also said that they want to re-evaluate his case to see how long they'll continue the treatment, because he's obviously doing better. The Lord is healing him! PTL! Also, last week he had x-rays of all his bones & the report said there was great improvement. It really encourages our faith to see the Lord work, knowing that our wonderful Family is upholding him in prayer. The Lord has also strengthened & encouraged us to keep fighting! TYJ & thank you to our wonderful Family for their support in prayer."
4. Peter Grin (See Prayer List #2, item #1 under "Europe") has been completely healed of his kidney cancer! In a message from Peter he said, "The last time I saw the doctor, he stated, `Of course you are going to have an operation! If I have to come & carry you here myself, I'll do it!'--But contrary to all their expectations, they have now declared me healed! TYJ! I really want to thank the whole Family for standing by my side in prayer during this time! I probably wouldn't be here today if it hadn't been for that! Thank you! As it has often been pointed out that healing is conditional, I would appreciate your prayers that I'll have learned the lessons that I had to learn--for good. With lots of love, Peter Grin."
5. Lynn (formerly Leah) obeyed Dad's counsel in "Victory Over Depression & Drug Addiction" (ML #2547), forsaking diet pills & thyroid pills, & was delivered from any dependence on them. She said, "I am a new creature now & I'm much more liberated & freed from many spiritual & physical weights & sins & am therefore much more able to run the race with patience & serve the Lord with a whole heart! TYJ!" She also reports that in the last two years since Dad's Letter she has hardly been sick at all.--Whereas for the previous three years she was almost continually sick, often bedridden. (See also paragraph 29.)
6. Swiss Phoebe (See Prayer List #2, item #6 under "Europe") had a beautiful healthy baby girl named Jessica! It was a wonderful testimony & everything went well! Thank you so much for all of your prayers for her--we will keep you posted regarding how she is doing with her battle against Hodgkin's disease.
7. Tiaguinho, 3-year-old son of Davi & Rosa, was diagnosed as possibly having diabetes, then the doctors discovered a tumour at the back of his neck, half inside his brain. They operated & said it was cancerous & they needed to operate again, but since he also had pneumonia it was very risky. After real desperate prayer locally & by worldwide leadership for his total recovery, & two days before the second operation, he was healed of his pneumonia! TYJ! The operation went well, & now the doctors say they need to run tests to see if it's cancer after all! Hallelujah! (See also paragraph 27.)
8. New housing in Kiev & St. Petersburg! After prayer by the local E.E. Family, as well as our worldwide leadership, the Lord supplied a very convenient 2-room outreach flat in Kiev, in an excellent location. In St. Petersburg they found a nice 2-room outreach apartment near the Universities where they're ministering, plus a nice 3-room flat for the Family to live in. TYJ!
9. In answer to our Family's desperate prayers against our enemies' threats in Brazil, we are thrilled to testify that there have been no further incidents of persecution in the country whatsoever! The Family had a good Christmas witnessing outreach & the work has been able to continue. Globo TV, which we prayed specifically against, has suffered financial difficulty, having to lay off 4,000 workers & not being able to air some of their TV shows. The owner of Globo, whom we also prayed against specifically, has undergone some local persecution himself. So they are now reaping what they sowed in persecuting God's children. PTL! "It is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you!"--2Thes. 1:6
10. Thank you again for your prayers these past months for the Family's Italian court case, which resulted in tremendous victory & the complete dropping of all charges! (See Prayer List #3, Point #15.)
11. Tina (Adar, mentioned in Prayer List #2) wrote to say, "Thank you so much for publishing a prayer request for me in the Prayer List. As you said, Mama, it was a little humbling initially, but after reading the whole Prayer List & your introduction, I felt so loved by the Lord, you, & my Shepherds here who sent in this prayer request for me. The encouragement & hope I felt from it far surpassed any embarrassment. And what's even more exciting, the Lord's already been answering! PTL! Before, I sometimes wondered if I'd ever be able to get a complete victory over negative thinking & condemnation, as it had such a grip on me, but I'm so encouraged that the Lord wants me to have a total victory & be completely free from the bondage I've been under. Now with the whole Family around the World praying for me, I'm convinced that `He that hath begun a good work in me is going to complete it.' He's doing it already & I'm so thankful for it! Thank you so much for your prayers!"
12. Teen Gabe, mentioned in Prayer List #3 (point #38), has been making progress in humility & repentance. Here is an excerpt of a recent message from him: "I must admit that the new Prayer Request List was pretty humbling & hard on my pride, but I know the Lord is using it. Although it's humbling having it there in black-&-white & being exposed in front of all, it's good for me & will be good for all those I know. They can see where I was at, so they don't follow my example. So it's really good to have the record set straight & clear in everyone's mind. Even though it was hard for me to take, everyone's loving attitude has made it a lot easier for me. I guess the Lord had to use pretty strong measures with me before I would listen! LHM! In the beginning I looked at it more as a punishment, but I'm beginning to see that it's a real blessing both for my pride & to have the whole Family praying for me."
13. The Lord led our Family's leadership (See Prayer List #3, items #19 & #20) in a miraculous way as they gathered for Summit '92 recently!--Giving much new, life-changing direction for the Family & those we minister to, which will be published soon, God willing. PTL!
14. Some of our personnel in Units who asked for prayer (Prayer List #3, Point #25) have been feeling much better, TTL! One of our writers, who was suffering from heart pains & shortness of breath, testified, "I've been feeling so much better these last weeks, it really is a remarkable manifestation & answer to prayer! I have twinges & tiny setbacks from time to time, but I feel so much better than I did. It really is thrilling, like I am being carried on prayer! TYJ!"
And Kevin testified: "I am getting happier & happier! I'm just so thankful to be in this Family & in this Unit. I'm happy for my job & for all the Lord has given us, & for all He has given me. I feel like I've learned some big lessons which keep coming home to me, about the importance of being positive & in having a change of mind & outlook & attitude, dwelling on the positive instead of the negative, which is actually like murmuring. I get tested every few days but the Lord has helped me to eventually regain a positive stance each time, TTL! I am learning the utter importance of turning not only my heart, but my mind over to the Lord. ILY!"
The FSM editor who had prayer against headaches & backaches writes: "Thank you, dear Family, so much for your prayers! The Lord answered wonderfully as there was an immediate, big improvement in my health after you started praying for me! Even though I was unusually busy during the weeks that followed the prayer request, I didn't have any serious headaches (only two small ones) and no backaches! This is a real miracle, because before this prayer request I was having severe headaches several times a week & backaches almost every day! Praise the Lord for His marvellous healing power! Thank you for praying for me! I greatly appreciate it! ILY!
15. Amy, a member of Dad & Mama's Staff with back problems (see Prayer List #3, Point 26), testified: "My back has been feeling so much better since asking for worldwide prayer, & the constant pain has ceased. Hallelujah! I'm now able to do most things on my regular schedule, & I'm trusting Him to continue to complete the healing process! TYJ!--And thank you for praying!"
PRAYER REQUESTS:
(Please use the other Prayer Lists in conjunction with this one, si
nce Prayer Requests are not repeated each time.)
DAD & MAMA:
16. Dad's choking or coughing spells. After drinking water, it seems that the water bubbles up in his throat & causes him to choke, resulting in an extended choking & coughing session. "The Lord...shall bless thy bread & thy water, & I will take sickness away from the midst of thee."--Exo.23:25.
17. For Mama's ears, which occasionally hurt her, & are vital to her work, because she can no longer read. Since she depends so much on her ears to listen to tapes, your preventative prayers would be a great blessing.
WORLDWIDE:
18. Pray for our handicapped children--the deaf, blind, lame, Mongoloid, autistic, etc. If it be His Will to heal them, "this kind goeth not out but by prayer & fasting!" "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for Me?" (Mat.17:21, Jer.32:27.) But if it's not His Will to heal them yet, that He will make them a witness & testimony to fulfil His purpose. "All things work together for good to them that love God." (Romans 8:28.) These children are good gifts from Him & they are very precious in His sight.
19. For our international music studios, who are working on a new GP tool, the Endtime Scripture song tape! That the Lord will give them inspired, original ideas that will turn the System teens' key--not like a copy of today's System music, but a real Spirit-filled modern musical masterpiece for the Lord & His hungry sheep!
20. For a newly-organised Family Care Unit, that the Lord will help them as they get set up, & lead, guide & inspire them in their work for the Family & our children, & make them fruitful & a blessing!
21. For the eyes of those in WS, who spend a great deal of time reading, editing, doing artwork or computer work for your sake, & the sake of the lost, & sometimes suffer sore, burning or aching eyes & headaches as a result.
22. That the Lord will help all of us to make spiritual preparations for the year ahead. For all Family Members who are fighting big spiritual battles & are being brought to a point of decision, to get rid of problems that have hindered them for quite some time. That we can all gain victories & grow, forsaking the past & "reaching forth unto those things which are before" us in 1992.
23. For all our pregnant mommies during their pregnancies & childbirths.
24. For all those with frequent headaches, eye, back & stomach problems, & chronic fatigue.
NORTH & SOUTH AMERICA:
25. For Barz, Esther & children, their encouragement & inspiration (see page 1). Even though living on their own, without the Family, they're still serving the Lord the best they can. (See prophecies on page 10.) Against Vivian & other enemies who are attempting to hinder Barz & family from serving the Lord.
26. For EA Gloria (formerly Armendria) who has been diagnosed as having large cysts on her ovaries, causing her some discomfort & bleeding. Doctors say they may have to operate, but Gloria has chosen to take a stand of faith & could use your prayers for miraculous healing.
27. For Tiaguinho (see para.7), 3-year-old son of Davi & Rosa, as well as his parents who are in poor spiritual shape. Tiaguinho is presently in Intensive Care after 2 months of being in & out of hospitals, where at first his illness was a mystery to the doctors. He's quite weak from all this, but really fighting in the spirit, asking to be read to from the Word, asking for prayer when in pain, & relating the visions of Heaven he has been seeing while sleeping or unconscious. GBH!
28. For Chris (6) of Ben & Ester. Chris has been diagnosed as having a bone disorder in his leg which causes him to limp. We'd like to ask for the Family's prayers to rebuke the Enemy & any lying vanities, & to completely heal little Chris' leg.
29. For Lynn (formerly Leah), that the Lord will normalise her underactive thyroid gland. She has recently had problems with her heart, circulation & weight. And that Lynn will continue to increase in faith, becoming more of a fighter, rejecting any fear or condemnation.
30. David (13) of James & Paloma has an abnormal lump about the size of a tangerine under his left armpit. They've had several check-ups, but the doctors are not sure what it is. Please ask the Lord to supernaturally shrink it & remove it.
31. Timmy (4 years old) of Luke & Ava. Timmy has rheumatoid arthritis & presently wears leg braces during the day & casts at night to keep both his arms & legs from curling while asleep. He's a very sweet & outgoing boy, & we'd like to ask the Family to pray that the Lord totally heals him of this affliction. His mother, Ava, has shared some sweet lessons & confessions, admitting to bitternesses in her life that she had during her pregnancy with Timmy, & over which she is now fighting & getting some victories. Please pray for her as well.
32. For Ricky (newborn of Renata, with Down's Syndrome), who has a tiny hole (4-6mm) in his heart. That the Lord will touch & heal his heart & deliver him from Down's Syndrome.
33. From Steven (formerly Shaul), who reports: About 2 years ago I injured my lower back by lifting something very heavy, twisting the bottom inch or so of my spinal column. At the time, I had not been very faithful in my Get-Out & would sit long stretches at my desk without breaks, & so was not very limber. TTL, the Lord has used this to greatly slow me down & cause me to be more prayerful (as well as to be faithful with my Get-Out). However, while the pain is generally not severe, it is uncomfortable & hurts after sitting for more than an hour or two & sometimes causes me to get discouraged or under pressure. Recently, it has felt better, but as the discomfort is still consistent, I would like to ask for prayer for the Lord to help me to learn any more lessons He has for me in this & for Him to completely deliver & heal me. I am claiming "Let it rather be healed."
34. For Gallio, who suffers from painful hernias.
35. For Santiago & Magdalena, who have been faithfully serving the Lord for many years in North America. Several years ago, Magdalena was diagnosed as having the HIV virus (AIDS). Since then, they have been living on their own along with their children as a precautionary measure. Santiago & Magdalena had been faithful witnesses, willing helpers in the many Homes they were in, full of faith provisioners & a real blessing in many ways. In fact, despite this affliction, both Santiago & Magdalena & their children continue to faithfully witness & are good soul-winners. GBT!
They have recently taken a stand of faith, claiming the Lord's healing & deliverance for Magdalena. They have asked the Lord to help them learn all the lessons He has for them through this time of testing, have confessed their sins from the past & have testified that this test of their faith has caused them to call out to the Lord & to appreciate their blessings as never before. We believe that the Lord wants to do a real miracle & heal her of this damnable disease. As Mama points out, "We can't just say, `Well this is the one thing the Lord can't heal, so forget it, let's not even pray!' The Lord can heal AIDS just as easily as He can heal anything else! If He wants to heal, He's not bound or limited by anything!" (DB9, ML# 2346:6) So we know the Lord can do it & would like to ask you to pray with us for Magdalena's complete deliverance from this affliction.
Following is an excerpt of a letter to Dad & Mama from Santiago & Magdalena:
"For several years now we have been isolated from Family fellowship & contact because of the nature of Magdalena's affliction. We certainly don't want to `suffer in silence,' but need united prayer for Magdalena's healing. However, due to the nature of her disease, we understand that this might stumble some Family Members, or cause problems. Therefore we are bringing this special prayer request up to you, our precious King & Queen. As our Prophets & Shepherds as well, we know that you do indeed have the Lord's ear & heart in these matters, & we know too that He will answer, heal & manifest His forgiveness for our many sins! We are desperate for your intercession for our healing! The Lord has mercifully & fully healed Maggie of many related afflictions these past two years. The most recent was the most difficult, with eruptions on her face which took several months to heal & left her a bit scarred. However, she gained many blessings & it taught her to really fight for her healing. Now we believe that it is time to fight for her total & absolute healing & deliverance from this evil affliction! Thank you so very much for listening & for your prayers! We know the answer is on the way! Hallelujah! `The Lord's ear is open unto our prayer.'--Psa.34:15."
(From Magdalena:) "I really love you & feel a lot closer to you these past few years than my previous 11 years in the Family. I was following `afar off.' I personally only wanted to forsake `thus far & no further,' which is unyieldedness, rebelliousness, disobedience & jealousy. Over the years I had disobeyed the Lord in many `little ways.' `Yield & Obey' clearly states that after awhile the Lord does indeed get fed up & judges us for our sins. I do now understand that the Lord set me apart to make me appreciate my many blessings & make me face & forsake my weaknesses & sins. Daily the Lord shows me just how small & insignificant I am & how much I need Him! He is with me every moment, & I'm learning to put Him first in my life & give Him my all! I believe that my deliverance & healing victory is now at hand! The fruits of this affliction & suffering are that the Word has again become my life, my love, my strength, my comfort, my joy, my satisfaction & the Healer of my body & soul! Please forgive me for having hurt you & the Family through my past sins of discontentment, self-righteousness & disobedience. `Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now have I kept thy Word.'"
(Please see prophecies received for Santiago & Magdalena on page 14.)
EUROPE:
36. Thank you so much for your continued prayers for the Work in Russia & E.Europe. We know that it is your prayers that are helping our teams to accomplish so much. With a renewed witnessing outreach now starting there, we wanted to ask for prayer for the following:
a) For the Family to be able to consolidate the gains they made during the December seminars, & that no sheep will be lost or overlooked.
b) For new teams who are preparing to reap the harvest in the former Soviet Union.
c) For a large flat in Moscow for the use of our Outside Witnessers who are translators, proofreaders or typists. This would be a real boost to their Lit-Pic production.
d) For our Posters to remain in the advertising slots in the subways. We heard that the people in charge of putting up our Posters in the St. Petersburg subways said that people have been taking the Posters down from the subway walls, together with the plastic casing. They said that the likes of this has never happened before, & feel it's because the people like them so much, although it could be hardliners who are upset at our message. In any case, we would like to request prayer for this, as the people in charge are concerned & it's beginning to make them wonder if they should continue to have our Posters up.
e) For continued open doors in the former Soviet Union: With the country in shambles, there are extreme food & other commodity shortages all over, & lawlessness & confusion are growing. Many fear famine, total chaos & even civil war this winter. That the Lord will continue to keep the door open, preserve sufficient calm & stability for the Family to be able to continue to operate, & that He will continue to anoint our teams, provide all of their needs, protect them, & keep them healthy.
f) For printing contacts. Although printing is very cheap, it's difficult to find printers who have paper & are willing to print without going through the various official procedures, which can take months. For a binding contact who can handle A6-size booklets.
37. For the complete healing of two of our babies in Poland, Miracle & Marie Joy, & also against the effects of nuclear exposure on our Family Members. (We've heard that many babies born in the System there are either very small or often have birth defects, & some doctors attribute this to the radiation the Poles were exposed to as a result of the Chernobyl accident.) Specifically...
a) For the Lord to give Miracle (of Jan & Eva, Polish nationals) what she needs to help her to grow normally, as she has grown very little in spite of giving her extra food supplements. After desperate prayer, baby Miracle began to put on some weight, although quite slowly, so the Family took her to a doctor who did a test to determine if a hormone deficiency could be the cause for her lack of normal growth for her age. According to the doctors, the "normal" hormone growth rate for a baby her age should be in the 200-300's, but Miracle's is only 12, so they are suggesting she go on a treatment of hormone shots to stimulate her growth, but we would like to pray for the Lord's intervention & healing. (Update: After desperate prayer by the local Family & worldwide leadership, baby Miracle is doing better & eating well! Although she is still quite small for her age, she looks a lot healthier! She was previously very clingy & whiny & cried a lot, but she now loves to be with others & is much happier & more well-adjusted & content. TYJ!--And thank you for your continued prayers for them!)
b) For the Lord to heal 11-week-old Marie Joy (of Polish Bruni) of abnormal heartbeat & also to help her gain necessary weight, as she has only gained 800 grams since her birth in spite of additional bottle feedings each day. A doctor who examined her diagnosed the abnormal heartbeat & suggested she go to a heart specialist, but we would like to pray for the Lord's healing. (Update: In answer to our prayers, Marie Joy is gaining weight weekly & put on 350 grams last week. PTL!)
38. For the Polish Work, where a newspaper recently published a series of newspaper articles against the Family in a Gdansk area paper, & which were later picked up by the national press. For the protection of the local GP box & our Family & Homes in Warsaw. Please also pray for the nationals' parents, that they remain sweet & friendly & don't get linked up with our enemies or cause any problems.
39. Hungarian Janos has been called up for the one year of compulsory military service which all Hungarian youths have to fulfil when they reach 19 years of age. So far he has been able to postpone this a couple of months because he gets hayfever & this is a valid reason to be exempt. However he will soon have to go in for another check, so we would like to ask for prayer that he can be exempted once & for all from any military service. Thanks so much!
40. For the healing of Serena (formerly Ellie of Abner). She has a large spiral-shaped kidney stone in one of her kidneys, another one the size of a grape in the other kidney, as well as stones in her bladder. She is drinking extra water to help alleviate the intense pain this causes her, but please pray for relief from the pain & her complete healing.
41. For the healing of 7-year-old Carmen (of Franz & Ramona) who contracted a serious eye infection last year & had a reoccurrence of it this fall that has since developed into a secondary infection which the doctor said is a rare chronic inflammation of the cornea. He has prescribed some cream for her eyes, but in praying the Lord gave the parallel of the "woman who suffered many things at the hands of the physicians" (Mark 5:25-29), as they had tried different creams for a year with no real help, & also "let it rather be healed" (Heb.12:13).
42. As a further development in the Family's Italian court case, our lawyer, Antonio, has recommended that we proceed with a secondary court case of our own, pressing charges against the Italian Government for their unjust incarceration of Peter (Angelo) for 3 months in a Greek jail in 1982. We will be proceeding with this case & would like to request your prayers that the Lord will lead, guide & bring about a victorious end result which will be loudly trumpeted throughout our enemies' network of communications. Please specifically pray that the Lord will give both Italian Peter & our lawyer, Antonio, great wisdom in all their proceedings & truly vindicate the Family in this case.
43. Against a rumoured Interpol investigation in France; for the protection & wisdom of the French Family.
44. For the healing of Spring (formerly Nekoda Black) from a severe case of arthritis that often makes it difficult for her to walk & continue working with the children's group she oversees.--For relief from the pain & discomfort & complete healing from this affliction.
45. For Donny, a brother at one of our offices, who for the past two months has been having problems with quite a bit of pain in his back & left leg, making it difficult to walk or sleep.
46. Against Spanish David Angel, a TSer whose mate is still in the DO Family, who is quite resentful about being apart from his children & is threatening persecution.
PACIFIC & THE EAST:
47. Against possible persecution of the HCS. Several people have had dreams of serious, imminent persecution. So please pray that the Lord will defeat our enemies' plans, or if persecution does come to pass, that we are prepared & the Lord will use it to accomplish His purpose in some way.
48. For the protection & security of the GP Video Unit.
49. For an exploratory team going to Vietnam, & any potential Catacombers they may leave behind when they depart.
50. For Paloma (19). After going to India as a bellwether to strengthen a Home there, Paloma contracted rheumatic fever. Although she was bedridden at first, the Lord has been miraculously healing her & bringing her back to full strength & health. We'd like to request prayer that there are no after-effects on her heart from this disease, as well as for a speedy recovery.--Since the effects of this disease can sometimes be felt for a year or more.
51. For Micah (Gibeah), a Home Shepherd who has been experiencing strong headaches along with ringing in his ears & pain in various parts of his body for the past 3-4 months. So far the doctors have not been able to find the cause of this.
52. Teen Kristia (16), of Jareb & Joy. For deliverance from bitterness, self-righteousness & from yielding to the attacks & thoughts of the Enemy. Also, that she will really break & yield herself totally to the Lord & her Shepherds.
53. For Kendra (13), of Jim & Lily (formerly James Bani & Mercy), who has a swelling of the left kidney, causing some kind of blockage in the urethra, which has caused her pain off & on for the last 7 or 8 years.
54. For Filipino Peter: That he will have a real breakthrough in his spiritual life, forsaking past bitterness & an inordinate desire for sex & relationships, & will be able to overcome these serious weaknesses that are preventing him from making a complete change to "walk in newness of life."
55. For EA Charity (20 years old) who has been weak & uncommitted, with a very close relationship with her System grandparents. Recently she talked about leaving, but has changed her mind & decided to stay. That she will make a commitment to fight for her place in the Lord's Family rather than making a half-hearted decision, & that she will count the cost, making some definite & immediate changes.
56. For EA Byron of Suzy: He has a non-malignant tumour on his arm which the doctors say needs to be removed surgically, but he has taken a stand to trust the Lord. Please pray for his healing & that the Lord will bring out any lessons He has for him.
57. For Nick (Israel Cana), suffering from severe stomach pains & vomiting due to an ulcer &/or a hernia. It seems the Lord is allowing this so He can zero in on Nick's spiritual problems, all of which are not clear yet, but he does need some major breakthroughs & deliverances, & your prayers for him would be really appreciated.
58. For Dust (Chip) Japanese: For some lasting victories over long-standing problems with spiritual pride, self-righteousness & rebellion, which have hindered his growth.
59. For Krystiana (11), of Tommy & Promise. She has had a problem with infections in her left ear for many years. This last year the infections resulted in her having quite a large hole in her eardrum. The doctor says that if the ear can stay free from infection for 6 months, that the hole will most likely heal. Please pray for her complete healing without any hearing loss, & that she & her parents can learn whatever lessons the Lord may be trying to teach them.
60. For Promise (of Tommy), who has just become pregnant with #9 & is having some difficulties in her early stages with feeling weak & run down, which sometimes brings on her asthma. Besides this, she has just recently been recovering from a ruptured disc in her lower back which has the potential of being more severely damaged during this pregnancy & could cause pain & discomfort. So we would like to ask the Lord to completely heal her back & strengthen her body & give her good health to be able to function well during this pregnancy.
61. For Jenny, as well as Becky & her three children, live-out disciples in China who have been faithful to the Lord & the Family for a number of years. For their safety & strength & that we can continue to feed them through the mail. Also, we have been trying to make it possible for them to visit the Family in other countries but there is a lot of red tape involved in trying to get them passports, visas etc., & the matter has been dragging on for more than a year now. That they'll be able to visit the Family to receive the training, love & encouragement they need!
62. For Johane & Lydia, older Japanese live-in disciples & supporters. Ever since they have increased their giving to our worldwide Work & also started to get more on the attack with their witnessing & opening their club to our witness, the Enemy has started to fight them through their health. Lydia is having difficulties with her heart during these winter months, & Johane has been diagnosed as having tuberculosis. Please pray for the healing of Johane's lungs, Lydia's heart condition & the protection of the rest of their Home.
The Lord recently said to Marianne, their Shepherdess: "I have placed thee in the position where I need thee, in the country that I need thee, with the people that need thee, to take care of My flock & My precious king & queen who need thy strength & thy encouragement, who need thee to fight for them in spirit. For oh, how the Wicked One would love to destroy them & hinder them & stop them. But thou must help them & encourage them to fight & keep their eyes on the goal, & the vision in their soul, & pray for them & lift up their arms, for they are important to Me."
63. For EA Andy, one of the key technicians in the Video Ministry, who has a tumor (non-malignant) on his tongue. He has had this since birth, but recently it has grown & become very uncomfortable. The doctor said that when his breathing nears impossibility they would perform surgery. Andy has taken a stand of faith for the Lord to dissipate it. We're asking for your prayers that the Lord will do a miracle & completely take it away!
64. For Watchman in the Video Ministry, who has been in a weakened state & thinking about leaving the Family for quite some time, until finally he has made his decision to leave. We are really sorry to see Watchman go, as the Lord has invested so much in him & he has been a blessing to the Work in return. We would like to have you pray that the Lord will deal with Watch & remake him & eventually bring him back. Since Watch also has the potential to stir up trouble, please pray that he will not end up working against the Family.
65. Thank you for your prayers for Lamb's court case, which has been postponed until March. In conjunction with this court case, in order to try to find more evidence against the Family, the police have visited three of the Homes in another city & questioned the brethren. They found nothing they could use against us or to accuse us of, so it seems the case has been dropped there. However, two Homes will be receiving a visit by the Education Department. The Education Department will be looking into our methods of Home Schooling to see if we meet their standards, in which case they will give us permission to continue Home Schooling our children. So please pray that these visits go well & that the Lord gets a mighty victory for the Work's sake, & that the Education Department people will be happy with all they see.
REACTIONS TO THE WORLDWIDE PRAYER LIST!
From Renee
One of the pubs that moved me the most this month was "Prayer List #2." I was so touched by Dad & Mama's love & concern for their children worldwide. Mama's faith in the Lord & His Promises & in all of our prayers was so convicting! I've been tempted to wonder just how effective the prayers of "little old me" were, but hearing Mama say how much she & Dad depend on & need each prayer, washed the lies of the Enemy away. My heart would often go out to others, but I've sadly neglected praying for them. Now I feel very responsible to stir up the power that is within me & do my part to aid my Family in need through the greatest means available--prayer! I feel much more fulfilled each day & feel that I have accomplished so much more when I utilise my time more wisely in prayer for others.
Through this Pub the Lord also helped me to see another reason why I have battled different health problems in recent years, as it's helped me to have more love, compassion & sympathy for others, knowing in some ways what they are going through & the different battles they face. Mama's Letter to Becky at the end of Prayer List #2 was so beautiful, & her positive attitude & confidence in the Lord, even in our afflictions, helped to wash away fear & condemnation that I carried deep inside. I was also comforted to know that everything is not "black or white" but that we really do have to seek the Lord for His solution in every situation.
Thank you for this wonderful pub. I feel your love outstretched to your children everywhere & appreciate you so very much & pray for you daily. Thank you for all your gifts to us!
From Esther
This really made me feel close to our dear Family & want to help them fight the battle. It's such a beautiful & encouraging way to present it. GB Mama for it!
From Luke
It's been such a blessing to receive "Prayer List #2." We read it unitedly in the Home & it helped me not to take my health, freedom & security for granted.
Also, to know what people are going through in other parts of the World helped me to think more of the Family as a whole & helped me have a more thankful attitude in general. I feel so ashamed for times I complained or murmured or got into myself with my so-called "problems."
It gives me something to pray for & helps me to develop better prayer habits, which has always been a weak area in my life.
From Thai Paul
Being myself afflicted, I often felt like a freak, but now I see that I'm not the only one fighting this kind of a battle, & I feel that I can really have compassion to pray for these other afflictions which are bigger than mine. It made me feel blessed!
From Isaac
After receiving the Worldwide Prayer List, one method we tried was to cut up a copy & put each name into envelopes & had each member of the Home draw 2 names; these were then the situations or brethren they would be taking to the Lord in their daily prayers, as well as the Home in general praying for these requests regularly.
It gave me much more compassion, sympathy & brokenness for those going through these things, as well as sobered me up to be sure I am thanking & praising the Lord for my many blessings & keeping my heart right with Him.
It was wonderful to see the love that Dad & Mama have for each Member of the Family Worldwide & their concern to see that they are getting the prayer & help they need.
* * * * * * *
"Your messages in prayer travel faster than the speed of light--instantly! They are not delayed like radio waves & radio signals from Man's broadcasts on Earth to his astronauts & spacemen & space vehicles, satellites etc., in which there is always a short delay as they bounce back & forth. But our communication is instantaneous! The Lord can hear your prayers instantly when you really pray & get through, & you can get the answers immediately also! Praise God! Thank You, Jesus! (Isa.65:24)." (ML #2110:50)
* * * * * * *
(The following are prophecies received by a WS Unit after Mama's request to pray for these two situations:)
PROPHECIES & VERSES FOR BARZ, ESTHER & THEIR CHILDREN--WS--12/91
(Introduction: Our Home got together to pray for Barz & his family, after having received a message from Mama asking us to specifically pray for some words of encouragement for his children, who are having to live in the U.S. System & attend System school etc.)
(Opening prayer: TYJ! We bring Barz before You, Lord, & we stand boldly before Your Throne of grace & ask You to speak concerning the works of Your hands, concerning Barz & his children, things that would encourage him, things that would give him more fight & more conviction to go on. He has to be a fighter not in an outward way where he's blasting the System with the white-hot sword of the Spirit & the Word of God & prophesying against them, but he has to do it by his sample. So we ask that You would continue to feed him & continue to encourage him & continue to keep those fires burning really deeply within his heart, so that light can be seen before all men & they can glorify You, Jesus.
(Thank You, Lord, that You've used his life to be a sample to us all, of how to be fighters. You've used his situation to help all our parents to have a tighter grip on their kids, have better security with their kids & raise their kids in a much more safe & responsible way. So we thank You for that. We continue to pray that You'd be with him & his kids in a special way. And speak to us now, Lord, speak through us for him, in Jesus' precious name. We look to You & we ask You to make us Your oracles right now, in Jesus' name. TYL!)
(Prophecies & verses:)
"A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid, but giveth its light to all that behold it. Despise not the day of small things. Think not that these are little things that I am doing in your life, for they are great things.--And I will continue to shine My light on the lives & hearts of many, if you will continue to look to Me for your strength & your guidance. For all things truly work together for good to them that love God, to those who are called according to My purpose."
* * *
"Children of thy youth are as arrows in the hands of a mighty man. They shall speak with the enemies in the gate, & they shall not be ashamed. Train up a child in the way he should go, & when he is old, he will not depart from it."
* * *
"Behold how I have caused all things to work together for good, how I have used a seeming defeat & brought about a great victory--a victory of humility & yieldedness & utter dependence upon Me. Behold how I have taken the weak things to confound the strong, & the foolish things to confound the wise, & the things which were not, to bring to nought the things which are. For behold, I have taken this, My mighty man of David, aside to a desolate place, that I might feed him & strengthen him & make him to be the man that I would want him to be. I have fashioned him to be a soldier, a fighter, a great warrior in My Endtime battle. And through this time of testing, he shall learn precious lessons which can only be learned in this manner.
"All things truly do & will work together for good--for thy good & the good of thy children, the good of thy household & the good of thy kingdom. And ye shall be as a shining light unto many, & thy children as ensamples unto many.--And many shall come after thee, for the sample of thy children, seeking for the Truth & the solution to their problems. For they will see in you a sample & they will know that you have been with Jesus.
"Be not weary in well doing, for in due season ye shall reap if ye faint not. And fear not, I say; for behold, I am with thee, & I will encamp My Angels round about thee; & when I send thee forth as sheep in the midst of wolves, I will be with thee & I will protect thee & I will cause thee to bring forth fruit in My time. And I will nurture thy children & I will protect thy children & they shall be bold witnesses unto Me.--And they shall turn many to righteousness, & they shall speak boldly the Words of My Truth & the Words of David.--And they shall turn many young hearts to Me, many young hearts who are lonely & desperate & searching.
"For behold, I have put thee in a pasture, in a field where there is great need of reaping. I have prepared a way before thee; if thou wilt but step out, I will lead & guide thee, I will supply thy every need, I will make the crooked places straight. I will be more unto you than a light & better than a known way--if you will but put your hand in My hand & allow Me to guide you. And I will give you the very best, if you will only leave the choices up to Me.
"And the woman I have put by thy side, she shall stand strong & be a sample of faith & love & uphold thee in thy hour of need, & minister unto thee that which thou needest, that thou mayest be encouraged & strengthened when thou comest in from the battle; that she may minister unto thee of My Love & keep thee in the protection & love of the bubble which I have prepared for thee in the midst of gross darkness."
* * *
"Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. You have fought a good fight, & you shall be as lights in the midst of a perverse & wicked nation. But thou hast need of patience, that after thou hast done the Will of God, thou might receive the reward."
* * *
"Even as thou walkest through the valley of the shadow of death, fear no evil, for I am with thee; My rod & My staff will comfort thee. I have set a table before thee in the presence of thine enemies; thy cup will run over. Surely goodness & mercy will follow thee all the days of thy life. Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life."
I was also thinking of the prayer that Jesus prayed with His disciples on the night of the Last Supper. A few words that I can remember were like this: "These are in the World, but not of the World." Jesus was praying to His Father: "Keep them from the World."
* * *
I also got the verse, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, Thou art with me; Thy rod & Thy staff, they comfort me."
* * *
I got the verse, "Greater is He that is in you, than she (Vivian) that is in the World."
* * *
"I have made thee as a sharp-toothed threshing instrument, that doth pierce the hearts & expose them, & expose the darkness of those who say they are Christians but are not. For ye are as lights to the World, & the darkness cannot stand the light, & the darkness flees. So shalt thine enemies flee before thy face, & they shall not stand before thee, for I have given thee power & they know of it & they acknowledge it amongst themselves, & they recognise it & they recognise that it is of Me.--But yet, in their pride, they exalt themselves & propose to do God's service. But thou hast stood before Me, & I have made thee strong & I have blessed thee & I have delivered thee & will yet deliver thee."
* * *
"And those who have forsaken houses, or lands, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or brothers, or sisters, shall receive an hundredfold in this life, & in the World to come life eternal. With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured unto you again. As thou dost pour out, I will pour in."
* * *
"Satan hath desired to have thee, that he may sift thee as wheat; but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not, & when thou art converted, strengthen the brethren. For there are many that have not bowed their knee to Baal that I will send to thee, if thou wilt just look to Me & be faithful. Fear them not, only believe. Fear not them which destroy the body & after this have no more that they can do.--But I say unto thee, fear Me."
* * *
"Abide in Me & I in you, as a branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the Vine, no more can ye except ye abide in Me. For it is from the Word & from thy time of prayer & meditation & quietness of spirit that shall come thy strength. Neglect not to feed upon the Word, & to allow it to sink deep into thy soul, for it is only from the Word that thou shalt find strength for the battle."
* *
(At this point we ask the Lord specifically for something to encourage John, April & Caleb:)
"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man.--But God is faithful, Who is able to deliver you."
* * *
"The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the good & evil. So are ye in the midst of a crooked & perverse generation. Look not to them, but look to Me, for although you are in the World, I have taken you out of the World. Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, that ye should go & bring forth much fruit. And this is the victory which overcometh the World, even your faith. Be wise as serpents & harmless as doves.
"When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; & through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee."
* * *
"Be not weary in well doing, for in due season ye shall reap if ye faint not. When things look darkest, don't look down, look up; start praising the Lord, start doing something positive, shout, sing, rebuke the Enemy, & I shall bring the victory! For behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves, but I will be with you & I will instruct you what ye shall say. I will lead you unto those who are receptive & to those who are worthy of your time & your energy & your prayers & your love. And if you will but feed the sheep, ye shall reap a mighty harvest, & there shall be disciples & catacombers & friends & supporters! If ye will but pour forth the Water of the Words of Life, I will bring the increase. Be not afraid, stand strong! Resist the temptation to compromise, for greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the World. Ye are not of the World, but I have called you out of the World to make you a testimony against them & against their System, to bring about a revolution!
"Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, & I have ordained you, that ye should go & bring forth fruit, & that your fruit should remain; that whatsoever ye shall ask of Me, I will do it!--And I shall give you the heathen for your inheritance, & I shall give you the desires of your heart if you will but remain faithful unto Me. For when they saw the boldness of Peter & John, & perceived that they were unlearned & ignorant men, they marvelled & took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. So likewise, I say unto you, speak forth the Truth with boldness & be not afraid of their faces. For behold, I have blessed you greatly with Truth & Love & Peace, with wonderful treasures that these of the World know not of. Beware, for they will try to entice you.--But what is in your hands & in your heart & your mouth is stronger than what they might try to use to draw you away, if you will but cling to the Pillar & face the Light & let My strength & power empower you.
"Stand fast in the liberty wherewith I have made you free, & be not entangled with the yoke of bondage, the bondage of the System & the bondage of convention & the opinions of men & the fear of men. Break free! Burn free, beloved, burn free!--And I shall cause you to bear fruit & I shall pour of My Spirit upon you & I shall give you great joy & satisfaction. And I will lead you to those who are of worth, those who will be your co-workers in this mighty work which you shall do! Say not, `I am a little child & I cannot speak.' For behold, I have made you great, through the trials & tests through which you have passed. And now is the time that you shall shine forth with great boldness & bring forth much fruit for My glory, & your encouragement!"
* * *
To confirm what you got about "Burn free, beloved, let nothing quench your fire," I had gotten a picture of "The Candle" earlier when we were praying for Barz. And instead of loving hands around the flame, there were real hateful hands trying to strangle it & beat on it with real vengeance! But the flame just burned hotter & it hurt the hands, & the candle wasn't harmed by them at all. And also, the verse kept coming to me: "Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ? Shall education, shall Evolution, shall peer pressure, shall television, shall the lusties of the System? Nothing shall separate us from the Love of Christ."
* * *
When someone was getting that verse about passing through the waters, I had a definite impression that the Lord was likening John, April & Caleb to His children of old--Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego--& that they were going through the fiery furnace of the System in many ways, but if they stood strong, they were going to come forth without the smell of smoke, & as a real testimony for the glory of the Lord!
* * *
I got this passage from Jeremiah 1 for the children: "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, & before thou camest forth out of the womb, I sanctified thee & I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Then said I, `Ah, Lord God, behold, I cannot speak, for I am a child.' But the Lord said unto me, `Say not I am a child, for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, & whatsoever I command thee, thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces, for I am with thee to deliver thee,' saith the Lord. Then the Lord put forth His hand & touched my mouth, & the Lord said unto me, `Behold, I have put My words in thy mouth. See, I have this day set thee over the nations & over the kingdoms, to root out & to pull down & to destroy & to throw down, to build & to plant.'"
* * *
I got a verse from Jeremiah 5: "I will put My Words in thy mouth & make My Words fire & this people wood, & it shall devour them."
* * *
I got the verse, "The Lord is not limited by many or by few."
* * *
What I got was the story about the shepherd boy David going to Goliath. All the soldiers & all the older brethren were there, but they were weakened in faith at that time. But little David stepping out & attacking Goliath was what got them going again. I was thinking about the kids doing the same, that no matter what's happening around them, they can go forward against Goliath.
* * *
I kept getting Isaiah 54, & there are different verses in there that are kind of encouraging. I'll just read a few: "More are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord. For thou shalt break forth on the right hand & on the left; & thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, & make the desolate cities to be inhabited. Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame. For thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, & shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. For thy Maker is thine Husband. For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.
"O, thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, & not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, & lay thy foundations with sapphires. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; & great shall be the peace of thy children. Whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake. No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; & every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, & their righteousness is of Me, saith the Lord."
* * *
I got the verse, "My yoke is easy & My burden is light."--If they'll just take whatever problems & burdens they have to Jesus, He'll make their yoke easy & their burden light.--Just the importance of keeping in the Word & keeping in tune with Him, & that that's like the key, the answer.--That if they do feel burdened or battle-weary, the Lord will make their yoke easy & their burden light. Because they do have a yoke of having to carry these circumstances & situation that they're in. In a sense, it's like a yoke for them, that they can't of their own free will get out of, but the Lord can help them & make it easy for them.
* * *
I got these verses from Psalm 137, which is about the Jews in captivity: "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion."--Like when they remember their time in Family Homes on the field. "We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; & they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, `Sing us one of the songs of Zion.' How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land? If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy."--Psa.137:1-6.
* * *
I got the phrase, "Remember David & his first family."--To remember their fight against Evolution, & how the kids would stand up in school--they were good role models.
* * * * * * *
PROPHECIES & VERSES RECEIVED FOR SANTIAGO & MAGDALENA--WS--1/92
(Opening prayer: We come before Your Throne, Jesus. Where two or three of us are gathered in Your Name, You're in the midst of us. So we ask You, we beseech You to move in the situation of Santiago & Magdalena. They love You, Lord. They've been faithful to tithe, to witness, to keep serving You, to keep reaching the lost, in spite of their afflictions, in spite of their problems, in spite of what, to the World, is a fatal disease; but they've kept on, they've continued to serve You. They love the Family, they love You, they love the Letters. Now they've poured out their hearts to Dad & Mama in this heartcry, this desperate plea for Your healing, Jesus, for a touch of Your supernatural power in Magdalena's life. We come before You & we present this situation, Lord, & we ask You to speak through us some encouragement, some word of counsel, some advice. Please, Lord, in Jesus' name. Thank You Lord!)
(Prophecies & verses:)
"I am the Lord, the God of all flesh, is there any thing too hard for Me? For I am thy loving Father. I shall deliver thee from this affliction. For ye have called upon Me & I will answer thee & show thee great & mighty things which thou knowest not. And this shall be a great testimony & encouragement to all. For thy faith hath made thee whole. I will be with thee in trouble. Fear not. I will strengthen thee, yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness. I shall comfort thee. I shall pull thee to My bosom. Cleave thou to Me, for I have never left thee nor forsaken thee."
* * *
"Behold, have I not chosen thee to suffer in the fires of affliction that thou mightest know My Love & the power of My Spirit, that thou mightest give My Love to many? For hadst thou not known the depths of this affliction, thou wouldst not have known the depths of My Love, & the depths of My Love for the many sheep that thou art ministering to."
* * *
"Think it not strange concerning this fiery trial which hath tried you & which hath purged you, & which hath broken you, & which hath brought you to the depths. But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings. For I have gathered thee unto My bosom in tenderness & love. For as thou once did follow afar off, now thou art close, & I have put My everlasting arms around thee, & I will comfort thee, & I will touch thee & I will heal thee, for I have loved thee with an everlasting love."
* * *
"And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, & purge them, & make them white, even unto the End. For a little while I have hidden My face from thee, but with everlasting mercies will I gather thee again."
I also got a vision of Miriam, when the Lord was angry at Miriam & Aaron for their rebellion, & Miriam became leprous. Then Moses prayed & asked the Lord to heal her, & the Lord said she should be sent out of the camp for a little while, but then she could return & she would be healed. (Numbers 12) In the same way that Moses prayed for Miriam, I feel that the prayers of David & his Family will really strengthen & heal this girl. Thank You Lord!
* * *
"I will not allow the Wicked One to afflict thee any further! In My time I shall cut him off. I shall step upon the head of the serpent & ye shall rejoice at the miracle-working hand of the Lord! Trust in Me & I shall bring it to pass. Fight the good fight of faith! Lay hold on Eternal Life. For when the Enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him & shall defeat the works of his hands. Fight the good fight! Cleave to the hem of My garment & thou shalt be healed. For I the Lord wield the two-edged sword to slay the Wicked One, to cut off the affliction of his hand. For I have strength that ye know not of, for when ye are weak, then I am strong; for My strength is made perfect in your weakness."
* * *
I keep hearing, "Rejoice & be exceeding glad that she took the stand of faith & did not turn to the physician, who would have surely killed her. The Lord delivered her out of his hand, out of the snare of the fowler."
* * *
"And it shall be counted unto thee for righteousness that thou wast faithful in the furnace of affliction. O thou who didst toss to & fro upon thy bed, thy tears so wet, thy eyes so red.--Behold, I am with thee to wipe away thy tears. Thou hast been faithful in the furnace of affliction, therefore great is thy reward in Heaven. For I am He Who forgiveth all thine iniquities & Who healeth all thy diseases. For this light affliction, though it seem heavy, is but for a moment & worketh in thee a far more exceeding & eternal weight of glory."
* * *
"Thou hast not despised the chastening of the Lord."
* * *
I had a vision of a potted plant that was all withered & stooping over, & the leaves were a little bit shriveled up. But then the Lord came along with His watering can & was faithfully watering it when it needed it, adding fertiliser & mulch & setting it out in the sun, in a place where it could revive. Then the plant started growing up straight & strong & beautiful, & the leaves unraveled, & this beautiful flower blossomed out from this previously withered plant.
* * *
I got, "Resist lying vanities."
* * *
During the second prophecy, in which it talks about the depths to which they went, I got the words, "There is no plummet that His life has not reached, & there is no disease that His Love cannot heal." After Jesus died, He went into Hell for three days, & there's no place that Jesus hasn't been. He's been everywhere, He's been touched with the feeling of our infirmities, so He's been right there. And then later I got the verses, "I have seen thy tears, I have heard thy prayers, behold I will heal thee."
And then I got from Daniel, "For behold, from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, & to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard!"--Dan.10:12. As soon as you make the stand of faith the answer is sent; it's just a matter of time how long it takes before it comes.
* * *
"For behold these My little ones. How oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chicks, but ye would not. But now ye have come!"
* * *
"For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are."--Heb.4:15.
* * *
When we were reading a copy of the letter that they wrote to Dad & Mama, I got the verse, "Hereby perceive we the Love of God." And my interpretation was that they've been so faithful & the Lord's been using them & He's been pouring His Love through them all these years, & even now the Lord in His Love is going to heal her. Thank You Lord!
* * *
I was thinking about Zion, the deaf boy, & how when you have an affliction, it opens up a whole field of possibility of witnessing to others that are afflicted, as it did with him. Having AIDS she can understand what they're going through, what it's like being an "untouchable," what it's like being thought of as "the lowest of the low," the worst thing.
* * *
I got two verses: "Behold, I come quickly. Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." And the other says, "And behold, I come quickly & My reward is with Me to give to every man according as his work shall be."
* * *
Holding fast is like Jacob wrestling the Angel until he blessed him. He was just holding fast! (Genesis 32:24-28.)
* * *
When Magdalena was confessing all her sins in her letter, I got the words as if Jesus was saying, "But where are thine accusers?" Like, "Here you're confessing all these sins, but where are thine accusers?--No one here in your Family. Neither do I condemn thee." I'm sure it's really helped her to confess all her sins, but nobody is going to accuse or condemn her. It's like forgiveness, "Nobody is going to hold it against you. The past is gone. Where are thine accusers? Neither do I condemn thee."
* * *
I had this experience happen to me one time when I was sick, & the words I got with it were, "He's making the stand!"--And I keep getting that for her. What happened to me was, there was a needle stuck in a shag rug & I had bare feet & I stepped on it & it broke off in my baby toe. It was very uncomfortable, to say the least, & I didn't know how much of it was in my foot. I went through this trial for about a month & I was limping around, & I didn't know what to do. After about a month or so I was getting real weary in well doing.
One morning right before I woke up I had an experience in which there was somebody looking right into my right eye, really close to me. And as I became conscious, I saw him run up to Heaven, & he said, "He's making the stand!"--Like that! And I got real encouraged that day because I saw that the Lord had tried me & saw that I was making the stand & the Lord was going to heal me. And that day I looked down at my toe & I noticed a little dry blood blister on it & I peeled it up & the needle came right out of my toe! I keep getting that feeling for her, like, "She's making the stand!" Sometimes it takes a while. Sometimes it takes a long time, you don't know what God is trying to do.
* * *
I had this funny vision of Magdalena hanging onto the back of a bicycle with roller skates on, following the bike. She was hanging on! The bike was going through real rough terrain & difficult places, but she just kept hanging on to the back of the bike. It's just like hanging on through the thick & the thin & through the rough places & the smooth. That's kind of how I felt about her when I read their letter. She's just hanging on! That's about the only interpretation I can get out of that vision, just keep hanging on! Don't let go!
* * *
The first thing that comes to me is, "Ye shall be noted as having been faithful in the furnace of affliction," & I got that a lot. I was thinking about how Hebrews 11 is like the Hall of Fame for people of faith. It seems like there must exist an added Chapter of those who were faithful, who didn't seek the physicians in illness & who stuck it out. And I felt I wanted to read this Chapter! I felt like, "Where is it? I'd like to read it right now!" It's like it exists in the Spirit, but it's not in print yet. And I saw Magdalena's name in that Chapter! It was really encouraging. She's in the Hall of Fame--in the Family of David she didn't go back, she stuck it out. Even though she had to go without the camp, she's still part of our Body & she's in that Chapter! Thank You Lord!
SUPPLEMENT TO PRAYER LIST #4! (PL4)--From WS
--For Adults, EAs, Senior & Junior Teens
1/92 DO
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Dear Family,
GBY! WLY! We're sorry we did not put age classifications on the different sections within PL 3 & 4. We ask that you now write on your copies of Prayer Lists 3 & 4 that both the sections "Answered Prayers" & "Worldwide" may be read to Jetts also. Also, in PL4 the sections on Barz & Esther & Santiago & Magdalena may be read with JETTs, if pow-wowed. The tone for any such pow-wows should bring out the Lord's love, mercy & forgiveness, as well as Romans 8:28.
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ANSWERED PRAYERS: (May be read to Jetts also.)
66. Sherry (PL2, under "North & South America") has been completely healed of torticollis (twisted neck). Please continue to pray for her healing from Parkinson's disease, which she still has, as well as curvature of the spine.
67. Nic (Donato, PL3:28). His tongue is now healed!
68. Sharon (PL3:29) has recovered from the inflammation in her tendons & her feet are completely healed. TYJ!
69. Persecution Victory: (PL3:36) After almost four months of persecution, during which time this South American Home went through many investigations, interrogations & constant harassment from the press & the authorities (Many good lessons were learned during this time, PTL!), the brethren were finally free to move to another city, even though the investigation is not yet closed. They are now in another area & have opened a new Home there. The judge that originally took the case was declared incompetent for several illegal dealings that he instituted against us. Our enemies haven't been able to find any legitimate reason to be able to open a legal case against us, so the Lord has answered prayer for this Home! We'd like to ask for continued prayer that the investigation would be closed soon & completely finished.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
(Please use Prayer Lists 1-3 in conjunction with this one, since Prayer Requests are not repeated each time.)
WORLDWIDE: (May be read to Jetts also.)
70. For all those in the Family who have trouble sleeping, that the Lord will relax them & give them the peace & rest they need. That during those times when they have trouble sleeping, the Lord will become very precious & near to them. (Psa.4:4, Psa.63:6, SOS 3:1)--Making each moment that they're awake a very profitable, edifying, satisfying time of intimate communication with Jesus! (See also Good Thots 2, Pg. 1508-1538, "Sleep.")
7 For all those afflicted with herpes, or any other STD (sexually transmitted disease) to be completely healed.
7 For editors: WS currently has a desperate need for more editors who can help us process the pubs--compiling, writing, editing & rewriting some of the multitudes of projects we have not been able to tackle because of a shortage of qualified personnel! It's a serious, critical need, & were it met, we would be able to get many new projects to you, so that you in turn could get them to the lost sheep who need them! At the moment, WS has a list of backlogged & untouched projects that's many pages long. Many of these projects are things which you've suggested on your TRFs over the years, & the list keeps growing every month! The undone projects on this list include newly edited versions of "classic" MO Letters for the GP/DFO, a newly revised & reformatted Daily Food series, new Christian Digests, GP tracts of all kinds, a Video brochure, stories of famous missionaries, new Home Educators, new stories for our children, a thrilling new series of Bible studies & classes, & a great variety of other pubs & books that would be a big help to us all!
It's a specialised calling, for those who already have some editorial talent & experience. Because of the shortness of time, we won't be able to try to train editors from scratch; we need editors we can train to be even better editors! It's also a sacrificial calling. Although life in WS is rewarding, it can also seem restricted & confining, living in a selah Home under close supervision, with no outreach or fellowship with other Homes. We know of some Family Members who might possibly be able to help meet this need, but we would greatly appreciate your prayers that the Lord will lead us to those whose talents, gifts, training & availability would best qualify them for the job.--Also, that the Lord will put a great burden & desire to help in the hearts of those who are needed, so that they'll be willing to make the necessary commitment to lay down their lives in this manner. Thanks!
NORTH & SOUTH AMERICA: (14 years & over.)
7 For 3-year-old Robby, of Michael & Rebecca, who has come down with scarlet fever after a serious case of strep throat. That he will completely recover, as well as the other children in his Home, several of whom had serious cases of sore throats & fevers.
7 For Rebecca, a single sister, with a 15-cm. tumour in her womb. She is quite weak & in bed most of the time with severe pains.
7 For Colombian Clara of Peter, that she has a healthy pregnancy & safe delivery of a healthy baby. Her last baby died during the 6th month of her pregnancy due to a very rare genetic disorder.
7 For baby Florence (6 weeks old) of John & Marie Fe, who is in serious condition due to drastic weight loss & underdevelopment since birth.
7 For Maria (of Peter), who has a stretched muscle in her stomach. It's similar to a hernia & affects her ability to lift & do many things. The doctor says that only an operation can fix it, but Maria would like to ask for prayer for the Lord's miraculous healing.
7 For Samson, son of Esteban & Rose, who according to previous laboratory tests was declared to be totally cured of leukemia without having taken medicines! However he has had a relapse, so would like to ask for prayer for a complete healing of the leukemia & all of its side-effects. Also, if there are lessons for him & those close to him, that they can learn them.
7 For Juan Pablo, son of Jonathan & Naomi, who has had bronchial problems since he was one month old. As a result he suffers from a "permanent cough" & is also allergic to milk & milk products. The doctors said that it is hereditary--however, Jonathan & Naomi are claiming that "with God nothing shall be impossible" (Luk.1:37), & would like to ask prayer for his complete healing.
80. For Eric, son of Santiago & Sherry, who is suffering from acute myopia (severe nearsightedness) in both eyes. That his eyesight can be restored.
81. For baby Maria Clara of Mateo & Brunilda. Maria Clara is two months old & was born with a condition called spina bifida, which affects her nervous system & causes many serious physical problems. She can't control her BMs & her legs are partially paralysed. Miraculously, as a direct answer to desperate prayer, she has been doing quite well of late & the sickness hasn't progressed, she looks stronger & sleeps well. Pray that the Lord will miraculously deliver her of her handicaps.
82. For Elias (formerly Luis): Against pride & unyieldedness. For solid victories over discouragement & lifelong habits of negative thinking, selfishness, self-centeredness & a lethargic spirit.
83. For housing for South America, as there are quite a few Areas that are in desperate need of new housing, & several contracts for existing properties that are due to be renewed.
PACIFIC & THE EAST: (14 years & over.--If read with Junior Teens, adults should read & pow-wow.)
84. Update on Watchman: Although we mentioned earlier in PL4 that Watchman had decided to leave (see point #64), we just received further news from his shepherd! Following is an excerpt of his message to Dad & Maria:
This whole experience with Watchman has been a real lesson-filled time for all of us involved, & I'm very thankful for your prayers for this situation. It seems that the witness you had about having Faithy helping Watch through this time has been quite a key, as she has been so angry at the spirit of rebellion & had a lot of faith for Watch. The Lord has really used her throughout this whole time. She hasn't hesitated to get on Watch's case to correct him should he say anything that is not quite right & has been continually leading him to the Word over the past days--even after his decision to leave.
After Watch made a tape in which he said he was finally giving up & pretty much quitting after a long fight, Faithy had been really claiming Jude (the Chapter that many of us had gotten for him), & was specifically claiming that some would be "saved by fear." (Jude 23) She shared how she prayed that the Lord would shake him up & wake him up to the reality of what he was doing, & shortly after Watch making that tape she decided to relax & watch the CBS news, which we receive here, & Watchman was there watching too.
Oddly enough, when Watch saw the news, every item on it so horrified him as to the realities of America & the spirits of the System there, that he started to exclaim to Faithy that he hates that place, he hates everything it stands for & he couldn't go back to it. A short while later it seems the demon (or demons) which he has been yielded to, started to manifest itself in a particularly graphic way, in that it caused Watch to start contorting, writhing, growling & even foaming at the mouth. He was trying to rest at the time it started & desperately ran into Faithy's room & was lying on her bed with all this still happening. She got the Letter "The Stripping of the Slain" for him & shared with Watch all that happened to big Josh because of his extreme pride. Watch was extremely shaken up by this whole experience & knew then & there that if he were to go ahead with his decision to go back to the States, he certainly wouldn't simply backslide, but he would definitely go insane or one way or another probably lose his life.
As he was talking & praying with Faithy over the following hours, he started reflecting on the prayer of deliverance he'd had earlier, & mentioned that just before they had come to pray for his deliverance, Faithy had told him he needed to forsake his strong ties with his parents, at which he balked. On reflecting on this, he got the verses, "A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways...let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord."--Jam.1:7,8. He remembered that although he was trying to pray wholeheartedly & sincerely for this deliverance, he continually heard a mocking voice throughout, mocking what either he or others were saying.
After this experience of realising just how seriously oppressed he is at this time & how very real this rebellious spirit is, he got down on his face & was crying out to the Lord for mercy & that the Lord would forgive him & save not only his service for the Lord, but his sanity & his life. He then made a tape about all this, further confessing anything he could think of & pleading with us for just one more chance, even though he knew he'd gone beyond the point of mercy. He felt he had no claim whatsoever to deserve one more chance & he knew it was beyond all reasonable expectation for him to even hope for a second prayer of deliverance, but he was begging wholeheartedly for this. In the same tape he was sharing how he realised his parents have had such a major foothold in his life. He can see it's obviously demonic & realises now that his mother is probably a witch & he wanted to curse her & pray unequivocally against her & their influence on him. He said he was willing to meet all & any stipulations or limitations or requirements & seemed to be extremely sobered, & completely at the end of his rope, desperately crying for the Lord's mercy.
On the one hand, I was concerned that he isn't treated as a special case since it seemed as though he had already stretched the Lord's & everyone's mercy & patience so far. However, we kept reflecting on Faithy, who had a lot of extreme rebellious outbursts before she completely yielded to the Lord, & it seemed that this particular rebellious spirit was tough to get rid of, because there needed to be absolutely no "Huddersfields" left in Watch's heart that he could lay claim to. We got together for a prayer of deliverance for Watch with the leadership, & we first explained to him that, while he was looking for real deliverance in a second prayer of deliverance, it would come only if he were willing to utterly give his all to the Lord. I asked him if he had any reservations whatsoever--concerning his parents or any of the requirements that we were putting before him, if he indeed wanted to stay in the Family--& he stood firm that he wanted to stay in the Family at any cost, not only for the benefits thereof, but for Jesus.
We had gotten that this prayer of deliverance should be performed in the Victor Team quarters, for him to show his faith by moving in there with nothing of his old life except his little books & a Walkman & a little clothing.
The six of us had gotten together beforehand & the Lord showed us to rebuke specifically a number of spirits that we knew were oppressing him. When we started to pray for him, we first asked every spirit what their name was, so we could rebuke them by name. They not only yielded their names, but when each one was coming out, it let out a violent scream & even shook him physically. The ones I can remember are Confusion, Death, Fear, Perversion, See-wee (his mother's spirit), Alexandra, Capricious, & there were a few others as well. It was a real deliverance & we all felt that this time it was complete. PTL!
What a victory! There is so much more we could share with you from this whole experience, but for the time being, suffice it to say the Lord has won a mighty victory over all those spirits that have been oppressing him for years. So all in all, he's decided to stay & become the new creature that the Lord has promised to make him. In prophecy, the Lord said afterwards that He had an entirely different calling for Watch, but that first he had to be taught obedience. It seems like Watch has for many years only been involved in specific types of projects & accomplishments, which were of course very fulfilling & glorifying for him, but the Lord seemed to indicate that the only glory that will be left in the new assignments that He has for him, will be in the Lord--sort of along the lines of witnessing & testifying of all the Lord has done for him!
When we'd had prayer for Watch before, the Lord gave conditional prophecies time & time again, saying that if he yielded & obeyed, then the Lord would mightily bless & use him, but if not then he would reap serious results. But this time, when praying for his deliverance, the verses received were all positive without exception.
One thing that has been a real victory through this whole time with Watch is that apart from the lessons for the Shepherds & those in the Video Ministry, it is serving to really help everyone reflect on the mistakes that were made while Watch was more or less in control of the Video mastering, to make it almost impossible for such mistakes to happen again. The obvious lesson about the need to really bathe each step of a master in prayer is first & foremost, but in addition, they are seeing they need to check & double-check each item before it goes to a Duping Centre. We have been gleaning a lot from the sample of WS, since it is so set up with the pubs that each GN, FSM & pub is checked thoroughly to catch any typos or other errors, to make it very difficult for mistakes to happen. That hasn't been the case with the Video Ministry--particularly in the areas Watch has been responsible for. The boys feel very bad about the mistakes that have been highlighted over the past months--like the audio phasing on the "Treasure Attic" masters. They just heard that Watch mixed in the wrong audio version of "Snowflake" in the Spanish "Treasure Attic" show #1, & it is having to be redone before it can be mass distributed.
The Video team are all very convicted & saddened to hear of these mistakes & the effect they have had on the Family, but they are taking it as a real challenge to do better from now on. They have also reflected on the influence Watch has had on their council meetings, & although they are not blaming many of their personal mistakes & weaknesses on Watch, they each feel that from now on, after this major heart-washing they have been through, that their counselling & praying about the upcoming tools the Lord wants to put out will be much more open & simple & hopefully with a lot more room for the Lord to punch through than in the past.
It seems like so far we have the victory, PTL! Again, thanks for your prayers. Please continue to pray with us for Watch, as well as in regards to the persecution dreams that a few people have received here, should the Lord want to show us more. WLY!
P.S. Pray desperately for Watch, as this is a crucial time & the Devil is still fighting him, trying to get him to give up after his deliverance. Watch is still in a very weakened & wavering state, realising the price he's going to have to pay for full victory.
P.P.S. At latest report, Watch is still wavering & wondering if he can make it. Again, please pray!
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family