“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”– Acts 1:8

“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:18-20

“To us also the commission is given. We are bidden to go forth as Christ’s messengers, to teach, instruct, and persuade men and women, to urge upon their attention the word of life. And to us also the assurance of Christ’s abiding presence is given. Whatever the difficulties with which we may have to contend, whatever the trials we may have to endure, the gracious promise is always ours, ‘Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.’” 
– Evangelism, p. 15

HEART QUESTIONS:

Jesus has called His people to share the gospel message to the ends of the earth, until the end of the world at His soon second coming. We have nothing to worry about as we engage in this work. All authority is His! His Spirit is with us to guide us and empower us! What a wonderful thing it is to have Jesus, the Greatest Missionary of the Universe, with us … to the end, and beyond!

As you have gone through these 100 Days of Prayer, as you and your family have experienced personal revival, let this fire for God not be quenched, but engage in pro-active, selfless, intentional, loving, missionary work. This will not only give you continual revival, but it will result in souls won for Jesus, and a fulfilled life!

Is it your desire to take this next step with and for Jesus? To commit to a lifetime of mission service for Him, wherever you are, and wherever He calls? Trusting in His grace to be sufficient for all challenges ahead? Will you choose today to be more than just a churchgoer, but to become a world-goer; somebody who goes into the world to reach souls with Jesus?

May God bless you as you move forward with Him, to the end of the world, until the end of time!

Maranatha!

PRAISE REPORTS: 

• Sheri A.: We started church planting in the Osaka area in Japan. After one year, we still had no one attending worship or taking Bible studies. We decided to join the 100 Days of Prayer, and particularly fast and pray for the Holy Spirit during May. Almost immediately the Lord had us bump into a couple in a supermarket who were looking for a church, and seeking God. They immediately wanted Bible studies. Because of the epidemic, they were not working, so we had Bible studies every day, and they attending worship services. Also, one of our neighbors started coming to church. So, we more than doubled our attendance on Sabbath, and a small church is sprouting! Praise God!
• N.S.: As part of the 100 Days of Prayer I pledged to pray for my area every morning. God opened up a door where I gave Bible studies to a young couple. They are ready to be baptized as soon as the restrictions are lifted! As I went about giving Bible studies to this couple, another woman married to a Muslim businessman requested Bible studies with her 18-year-old son. He then invited his cousin and she decided to join. Today she can’t wait to be baptized because of the lifechanging truth she has heard. God is working!
• West Congo Union Mission: Since the beginning of the Total Member Involvement initiative, we had difficulty opening small groups in several districts of Kinshasa. Since the  pandemic began it forced the closing of large churches and allowed the opening of family churches. To date, we have more than 200 family churches. Even in neighborhoods that did not have an Adventist presence. These churches are involved in evangelism and have brought 82 souls to the Lord. 100 Days of Prayer has cemented the relationships and spiritual growth in these churches.
• Viviana H.: Praise the Lord that during these 100 Days of Prayer He allowed us to start a small group at home with our neighbors and they are getting to know Jesus. Through ADRA we have been able to continue to help the Venezuelan refuge population in Colombia with health services.
• Praise God for the hundreds and hundreds of praise reports we have received! God has truly turned this pandemic into blessings all around the world as His people humbled themselves and prayed!
  

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for continued revival through faithful mission work until the end of time. Pray for the outpouring of the early and the latter rain so that the work can be finished. 
• Pray for the mission work of the church in the frontlines and the hard-to-reach places around the world, such as the 10/40 window, North Korea, the Middle East, etc.
• Pray for all unspoken and unmentioned prayer requests that have been sent in.
• Pray for the soon return of Jesus Christ!

100 Days of Prayer are over, … what’s next?

We want to thank you for your participation in the 100 Days of Prayer with tens of thousands of your brothers and sisters around the world! Thank you for praying, for not letting this pandemic bring you down, but putting your trust in Jesus and even engaging in reaching out to be a blessing to others during this unprecedented time. We praise God for the hundreds of praise reports we have received! But we also want to encourage you to not to give up if you have not seen an answer to a certain request yet. Persevere and have faith! God will come through in His best way, at the best time.

Eternity will reveal the full results of what your continued prayers have accomplished and will continue to accomplish by God’s grace!

The 100 Days of Prayer initiative might be over, but prayer is not! Revival and Reformation from God is always available! Jesus told us to continually ask for more of the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13); Prayer is the breath of the soul (Prayer, p.12); Jesus and His Word is the bread of life (John 6:35); And there are many people around us who we can witness to!

All these crucial elements of the spiritual life need to be engaged in on a daily basis in order to grow in Christlikeness.

We, as the Revival & Reformation team, want to help you along the journey! Here are a few events and resources that are completely free, which you can access and subscribe to today:

• United in Prayer (Available in English)
  • This is the continuation of the 100 Days of Prayer. Once a week, you will receive a powerful devotional thought, world church prayer requests, praise reports and new resources from the Revival and Reformation website.
  • Sign up at https://www.revivalandreformation.org/signup

• Believe His Prophets (Available in English, Español, Français)
  • Reading through the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy with brothers and sister from around the world. You will receive one Bible chapter per day, and one Spirit of Prophecy chapter per week.
  • Sign up at https://www.revivalandreformation.org/signup

• Daily Ellen G. White Devotional 
  • Receive daily a short devotional thought taken from the writings of Ellen G. White.
  • Sign up at https://www.revivalandreformation.org/signup

• World Church Days of Prayer and Fasting
  • July 4, October 3, 2020
  • January 2, April 3, July 3, October 2, 2021
  • Find resources and materials (in multiple languages) at https://www.revivalandreformation.org/prayerdays

• I will Go – World Church Strategic Plan 2020-2025 Launch
  • July 3-4, 2020
  • More information at http://iwillgo2020.org

• Ten Days of Prayer 2021
  • January 6-16, 2021
  • Sign up and receive all resources (in multiple languages) at https://www.tendaysofprayer.org

• Growing Library of Spiritual Resources
  • Find an ever growing library of free spiritual resources on prayer, Bible study, witnessing, overcoming sin and challenges, spiritual healing, devotions, etc. at https://www.revivalandreformation.org/resources

• Follow us on Social Media:
  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/revivalandreformation
  • Twitter: https://twitter.com/Revive_Reform
  • Instagram: http://instagram.com/revive_reform/

“Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people.”  – Revelation 14:6

“God bids you with one hand, faith, take hold of His mighty arm, and with the other hand, love, reach perishing souls. Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. Follow Him. Walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Walk even as He walked. This is the will of God, even your sanctification. The work you have to perform is to do the will of Him who sustains your life for His glory. If you labor for yourselves, it can profit you nothing. To labor for others’ good, to be less self-caring and more in earnest to devote all to God, will be acceptable to Him and be returned by His rich grace.” – Testimonies, Vol. 2, p. 170

HEART QUESTIONS:

Seventh-day Adventists have the unique, prophetic calling to proclaim the Three Angels Messages to the entire world in preparation of the Second Coming of Jesus. These messages can be summarized like this: 1) God is Your Creator, You are loved and desired by Him. Accept His gift of grace and the judgment will be in your favor. 2) This world with all its anti-God systems is corrupted, unreliable, and fallen. Put your trust in God alone. 3) Satan, the originator of all death, misery, selfishness, and pain, sin, and all who embrace His falsehoods  will be destroyed soon in order for justice and love to be restored to the universe. Only those who put their trust in the loving Savior Jesus Christ will be eternally saved and transformed into a new person who reflects the selfless love of God.

Is it your desire to do all that is within your ability to reach this lost world with the love of God, and the message of repentance, salvation, and judgment? Will you shine as Christ’s representative in a dark world? Will you stand, live, speak, care, bless, and love, embracing your prophetic identity as a Seventh-day Adventist?

And if you are not a Seventh-day Adventist, is it your desire to join God’s end-time movement, be baptized and engage in Jesus’ mission? 

PRAISE REPORTS: 

• J.S.: God has been doing miracles in answering our prayers. People have been delivered from demons and witchcraft and many have been healed from spiritual and physical sicknesses. 
• Viviana H.: Praise the Lord that during these 100 Days of Prayer He allowed us to start a small group in our home with our neighbors and they are getting to know Jesus.
• Chadwick A.: My baby son almost died from choking. His pulse went way down and he couldn’t breathe for a while. We all panicked and tried to figure out what to do. Then I remembered the 100 Days of Prayer reading of that day (Looking up to Jesus), and I prayed, pleading for his life. God gave me a calm conviction that he will not die. We were able to do some CPR and after 15 minutes of no sign of life he began to breathe. We finally got him to the hospital where he was stabilized. Praise God for saving him!
• T.E.: I was highly blessed during the 100 days. I was praying for my brother who had turned away from God and his family for 7 years. He did not even participate in my wedding ceremony. Miraculously, my brother returned home in these 100 Days of Prayer. He confessed his sins and he is now fully committed to God’s work!
• Orusoso A.: During the 100 Days of Prayer, I and my husband have been asking the Lord to impress upon our hearts, families and friends to reach out to for support during the crisis. Although my business has suffered financially since the lockdown in March, we reached out to as many as we were led to at various times within the period. Earlier this week, I had this nudge to review my finances, only to discover that despite all the spending on daily upkeep, accrued bills and support to others, my finances did not suffer negatively as I feared. Praise be to God!
  

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for God to help you and your family to fully embrace the prophetic, Adventist, missionary identity of Revelation 14.
• Pray for a willing heart to go into the mission field, whether that is local or in a foreign country.
• Pray for all who are still suffering from the coronavirus. Pray for healing and for an end of the pandemic.
• Pray for a mobile clinic in San Francisco which sets up on church properties to provide free dental and vision care, plus free medical screening. Please ask God to bless the patients with both physical and spiritual healing.
• Pray for individuals who have put off their decision to be baptized. Pray they will fall in love with Jesus and make a complete decision of surrender to Him.

“But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf . . .”– Jeremiah 29:7

“The importance of making our way in the great cities is still kept before me. For many years the Lord has been urging upon us this duty, and yet we see but comparatively little accomplished in our great centers of population. If we do not take up this work in a determined manner, Satan will multiply difficulties which will not be easy to surmount. We are far behind in doing the work that should have been done in these long-neglected cities. The work will now be more difficult than it would have been a few years ago. But if we take up the work in the name of the Lord, barriers will be broken down, and decided victories will be ours.” – Ministry to the Cities, p. 25

HEART QUESTIONS:

The majority of the world lives in cities. While we are to ask God to show us when to move to the countryside, we are not to neglect the work in the cities. Billions are trapped without hope in the addictions, noise, distractions, and the lifestyle of the cities.

Pray for God to give you a burden for ministry to the cities. Maybe He is calling you to start a “center of influence”, a ministry-minded business, in order to reach lost souls in the cities of the world? Or maybe He is calling you and your church to engage in a wholistic outreach through various ministries to the people of your city?

Why not ask God to show you how to best minister to the people of your city?

PRAISE REPORTS: 

• Grant L.: In order to make up for lost school days the government of South Africa extended the school week to 6 days, including Saturdays. The Southern Africa Union Conference appealed to the government to allow Seventh-day Adventist learners to be exempted from any Sabbath classes and the government consented to the appeal. We praise God for hearing our prayers!
• Dalmas O.: Praise be to Almighty God for He is faithful to His promises! I work as a literature evangelist in Kenya. I have experienced God’s blessing during the pandemic. I realized a sales rise as of the month of March, the trend is steady!
• Amanda M.: I am communicating with U.S. Soldiers in the war zone. I am sharing the 100 Days of Prayer with them and I can see God working on their hearts and in what decisions they are making in the field.
• Anonymous: For as long as I remember, my father was an alcoholic. As a family we have been praying that the Lord will relieve him from this bondage, and He has surely done it! My father is also participating in 100 Days of Prayer sessions and even enthusiastic to lead the prayer session!
• We received reports from young children passionately participating in prayer meetings all around the world! Praise God His Spirit is working through them!
  

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for your city and the cities of the world that are more and more turning into Sodom and Gomorrah. Pray for God to help you, your family, and your church in establishing centers of influence, ministries and various ways to reach out to the billions who wander in darkness in the cities.
• Pray for a health-food store in Latvia which was opened by a Millennial engineer who quit his job to work full-time in what he calls “business evangelism.” Please ask God to bless this business, to create connections with the community, and to help customers to hunger for food that will bring them eternal life. Pray for all centers of influence around the world, and for many more Adventists to start mission-focused businesses.
• Pray for a juice bar in Ogden, Utah, which is reaching out to young people there. Please pray for success and for this ministry to be replicated in many places around the world. 
• Pray for the Vibrant Life Medical and Wellness Clinic in Bangalore, India, which offers natural treatments for chronic diseases such as hypertension, obesity, and diabetes. Please ask God to pour out His Spirit on staff so that His love will flow through them to the people they serve. 

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes . . .”– Romans 1:16

“Take your religion into your school life, into your boarding house, into all your pursuits.”  – Messages to Young People, p. 36

“[Satan] well knows that there is no other class that can do as much good as young men and young women who are consecrated to God. The youth, if right, could sway a mighty influence. Preachers, or laymen advanced in years, cannot have one-half the influence upon the young that the youth, devoted to God, can have upon their associates. They ought to feel that a responsibility rests upon them to do all they can to save their fellow mortals, even at a sacrifice of their pleasure and natural desires. Time, and even means, if required, should be consecrated to God.” – Messages to Young People, p. 204

HEART QUESTIONS:

Are you in school? Do you have classmates, fellow students who are in pursuit of a degree and good education? Do you realize that what you have to offer – the gospel – is of much more value than a degree or any education this world can offer? Do your classmates know that you are a Christian, a Seventh-day Adventist? Or maybe you graduated a long time ago. Do you still have connections or friendships with former classmates?

God is calling you, whether you are a student in a Christian or a public setting, to be a light to your fellow classmates. Whether you interact with them on the phone, online (due to the pandemic) or in person, shine the light of Jesus!

If you are a parent, you are called to help your child in showing them how to love like Jesus, and how to share the gospel.

Will you choose today to become a missionary to the people on your school campus, an ambassador for Jesus to your former/current/future classmates?

PRAISE REPORTS: 

• Praise God for providing countless financial miracles, jobs, and support for so many during this time of crisis. 
• Joel B.: My wife and I visited our children in the United Arab Emirates. Because of the pandemic we got stuck there and all of us got infected with COVID-19. Many prayers were raised on our behalf. All of us except my wife survived. I still thank God for His leading. He knows what is best for our family.
• M.A.: On June 9 I woke up at 2 a.m. to an armed man standing in my room where my children and I were sleeping. He threatened to kill my children. We were scared but I told him “In the name of Jesus leave!” God heard my cry, the man left without harming us. God is faithful!
• Lindinkosi N.: On the evening of Day 80 (on physical healing), my brother’s life almost slipped before our eyes. His blood pressure was high, and his heart was racing. He was trembling, gasping for air and his condition was worsening by the minute. We quickly gave him a clove of garlic and half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper dissolved in water. We then knelt and prayed and by the time we finished praying, his blood pressure had normalized, he had stopped trembling and his heart was no longer racing. We witnessed God performing the miracle of physical healing within 10 minutes!
• Rodel L.: During the lockdown my wife thought of organizing a community outreach food bank. We planned to start with only 30 care packages, but God provided and multiplied our food and care packages, allowing us to help needy families from our church and community for the upcoming months. All praises to our awesome God!
  

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for your school, teachers, and your classmates. Pray for courage to stand as a Christian who lives for Jesus. Pray for opportunities to introduce faith to your classmates. If you are not in school anymore, pray for ways to reach your former class-mates.
• Pray for public campus ministry work taking place on secular campuses all around the world. Pray for more Seventh-day Adventist students and teachers to engage in this ministry, reaching the world by reaching the campus.
• Pray for a mighty harvest of souls from all ministries that have been changing to online outreach due to the pandemic.
• Pray for pregnant sisters around the world who are soon to deliver their children. Pray for safety and protection from the COVID-19 virus, and for healthy children to be born. Pray for these children to grow up to be mighty workers for Jesus.

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16

“From the light that God has given me, I know that His cause today is in great need of the living representatives of Bible truth. The ordained ministers alone are not equal to the task. God is calling not only upon the ministers, but also upon physicians, nurses, canvassers, Bible workers, and other consecrated laymen of varied talent who have a knowledge of present truth, to consider the needs of the unwarned cities. There should be one hundred believers actively engaged in personal missionary work where now there is but one. Time is rapidly passing. There is much work to be done before satanic opposition shall close up the way. Every agency must be set in operation, that present opportunities may be wisely improved.” 
– Ministry to the Cities, p. 108

HEART QUESTIONS:

Every time you go to work you are entering your mission field. God knew that you would be there before you were born, and if you let Him, He will work through you to lead your co-workers to the foot of the cross. 

Will you ask Jesus who you should witness to at your workplace? Will you start praying for all your co-workers by name and plead with God for opportunities to share Christ? 

PRAISE REPORTS: 

• Inter-American Division: In Guatemala a church member initiated the setup of online Bible studies which resulted in the supreme court magistrate of Quetzaltenango being baptized. Online evangelistic efforts of the West Venezuelan Union resulted in 396 baptisms including pastors and members of other denominations!
• We have received countless reports of churches, families, couples, and individuals who have experienced personal revivals, healings, mission opportunities, and God’s special blessing during the 100 Days of Prayer. There are too many to list them all here!
• Beverly T.: We will continue to pray as a group even after the hundred days are over!
• Marlene M.: My sister and her husband work on a cruise ship and were stuck there for many weeks. I had been praying and fasting for her. I was able to share scriptures with her during this scary time, and she also went through the ‘Hope Awakens’ and the AWR online evangelistic meetings. She decided to be baptized!
• Lillian K.: Since the 100 Days of Prayers started I have been spending my time in prayer instead of taking my lunch at work. As a result I experienced healing and my lunch breaks have become my special moments at Jesus feet.
  

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for your co-workers. Pray that your life, words, and actions will be a testimony to the presence of Jesus in your heart. Ask God to show you which co-workers might be open to learning more about God.
• Pray for supporting ministries of the Adventist church. Pray for God to bless their efforts to further the work of spreading the gospel. Pray for wisdom for their leaders and workers, and for God to provide for all their ministry needs.
• Pray for the 2021 General Conference session. Pray for a continued clear direction for the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist church. Pray that all elections and appointments of leaders through GC Session in May 2021, and all the rest of 2021, will be according to the Lord’s will for the strong and soon finishing of His work on earth and His soon return.
• Pray for families who have been separated, and individuals who are stuck in a foreign country due to the pandemic and its lockdowns. Pray that they will be able to use this challenging time to shine a light for Christ wherever they are.

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”  – John 15:13

“Every church member should feel it his special duty to labor for those living in his neighborhood. Study how you can best help those who take no interest in religious things. As you visit your friends and neighbors, show an interest in their spiritual as well as in their temporal welfare. Present Christ as a sin-pardoning Saviour. Invite your neighbors to your home, and read with them from the precious Bible and from books that explain its truths. This, united with simple songs and fervent prayers, will touch their hearts. Let church members educate themselves to do this work. This is just as essential as to save the benighted souls in foreign countries. While some feel the burden of souls afar off, let the many who are at home feel the burden of precious souls around them and work just as diligently for their salvation.” – Testimonies, Vol. 6, p. 276

HEART QUESTIONS:

Jesus considers you and me His friends. What a wonderful thought! He was willing to lay down His life for our salvation, and He did it even though our acceptance of His gift was not a guarantee. 

Do you have friends who don’t know Jesus yet? Or maybe you have been afraid of sharing Christ for fear of losing your friendship? 

If Jesus was willing to give His life, yes everything that He is, for the salvation of His friends, shouldn’t we do all we can to encourage our friends on the path to a faithful walk with Jesus?

Ask God in prayer how to best engage in evangelism towards your friends. Ask Him to give you opportunities to share about your faith, Jesus’ love, and how they can experience the saving grace of God as well!

PRAISE REPORTS: 

• Anonymous: The Coronavirus pandemic has opened our eyes to the nearness of Jesus return. We thank God for the 100 Days of Prayer. We pray much more now as a family. One day in May we had an awful accident that should have resulted in serious injuries but praise God we all walked away without a scratch! That day we had prayed twice on our journey. God is faithful!
• Ruth A.: I prayed for God to give me an opportunity to witness to my neighbor and He opened a door for me to share Christ. He is sick and started believing in God!
• South Pacific Division Office: Two specific prayers for COVID-19 patients were answered positively. Both men were in extremely critical condition and only a miracle was going to bring them back. Both of the two men recovered!
• Alicia S.: I thank God for the 100 Days of Prayer because through it He has revealed to me all my unconfessed sins, one being selfishness, only focusing on my own problems. Praying every day for others is developing in me a more caring and loving heart. 
• Lo R.: I have been praying earnestly for someone to share Jesus with. I prayed that someone would genuinely ask me. Today I visited a business and this lady asked me if I have leaflets to share. I said I have tons. I gave her Steps to Christ, got her number and am hoping for more. This is the first time for me to trust God like that.
  

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for your unbelieving friends. Pray for wisdom to share the gospel with them at the right time. 
• Pray for those with mental health challenges who feel isolated, anxious, and helpless.
• Pray for a church in Toronto, Canada, organized especially for the visually impaired, which provides a comfortable place to worship and build friendships. Please pray that this ministry will grow and be repeated in many places.
• Pray for all local church leaders, pastors, as well as conference, union, division, and General Conference administrators and workers. Pray for God to provide wisdom in order to best serve their fields.

“The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” – Mark 12:31

“The first work of Christians is to be united in the family. Then the work is to extend to their neighbors nigh and afar off. Those who have received light are to let the light shine forth in clear rays. Their words, fragrant with the love of Christ, are to be a savor of life unto life.” – The Adventist Home, p. 37

HEART QUESTIONS:

Jesus is aware of your sphere of influence. He knows every person you come in contact with. Our neighbors are as much our mission field as people in distant lands. We have the privilege to interact with them and be a light to them. But this must go beyond a friendly smile and the occasional small-talk. How will they hear the truth if nobody tells and shows them?

Will you pray for opportunities to build friendships with your neighbors for the purpose of witnessing to them about Jesus’ love for them? If you don’t know your neighbors, are you willing to step out of your comfort zone and introduce yourself? Are you willing to commit to the important ministry of neighborhood-evangelism?

PRAISE REPORTS: 

• Jon R.: The pandemic has brought the three churches in our district together as we united online in prayer every day during the 100 Days of Prayer. We praise God, we are more unified in heart and mission than ever before!
• Jackie N.: I praise God! We were more than 20 family members in one home during the lockdown, but I can testify that we never starved and no one fell sick!
•  Aldo N.: During the 100 Days of Prayer I learned to pray with humility. As a result God blessed us, and my wife, who could not conceive a child is now pregnant!
• N.J.: My mother and I prayed every day at 5 a.m. and 12 p.m. for my 88-year-old father and my sister to be reconciled. Praise God the two visited and reconciliation is taking place!
• Gloria: I was able to minister to my neighborhood by sharing flyers with God’s health principles on them. God helped me get out of my comfort zone and now I have a connection with people in my neighborhood!
  

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for your neighbors, and your neighborhood. Pray for divine appointments to connect with, help, and establish friendships with your neighbors in order to shine the light of Jesus into their lives.
• Pray for the ReNewed Hope Food Pantry in Overland Park, Kansas. They are sharing food, encouragement, and hope with about 600 families (2,500 to 3,000 people) each week and have shared more than 2,000 Bible studies and Steps to Christ books in English and in Spanish. Pray for all food pantry and community service outreach ministries of our church worldwide.
• Pray for all who are engaged in online ministry through social-media, videos, apps, and Bible-study websites. Pray for a mighty harvest!
• Pray for marriages that are on the brink of divorce. Ask God to heal the relationships, pray for forgiveness, and Christ-like love to be awakened.

“But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”– 1 Timothy 5:8

“. . . you must be earnest, firm, and decided to do your duty in your family, and take them with you if possible. You should spare no effort to prevail upon them to accompany you on your heavenward journey.” – The Adventist Home, p. 352

HEART QUESTIONS:

We all have immediate or extended family members who have not yet fallen in love with Christ and decided to live faithfully for Him, or they have walked away from God. Maybe some are atheists or have other reasons for their decision. Or maybe they have never had a chance to fully hear, understand and see the gospel in words and actions.

You have a responsibility to do all that is within your power to gently, kindly, and with much wisdom and love reach out to those family members, showing them that you care, and at the right time pointing them to the truth and love of Jesus.

Will you prayerfully do this important work of intercession and ministry to your non-believing/non-Adventist/backslidden family members? Will you commit to be more intentional in your outreach to them?

PRAISE REPORTS: 

• GC Family Ministries: During the World COVID-19 Marriage & Family Day of Prayer countless groups around the world had all-night prayer meetings for God to heal their marriages and family relationships and there were many miracles of marriages mended and restored peace in many homes where there was once strife, tension, anxiety and depression.
• Nancy M.: God healed my daughter’s family of COVID-19 during this period of 100 Days of Prayer and also strengthened the bond in my family relations.
• Nelda M.: On Sabbath, June 13, we had our first worship after opening up again. During the opening song ‘Don’t Forget the Sabbath’ most of us were crying tears of happiness. We also had an unexpected visitor from our neighboring street come and join. He said he fully understands the word of God just from listening to Hope Radio. And he is willing to accept Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. Praise God!
• Hopewell M.: During the 100 Days of Prayer more than 20,000 in Zimbabwe have been reached through cellphone and online evangelism and many are awaiting baptism. 
• A church leader: During the lockdown, our church was faithful and returned 143% of our tithe goal.
  

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for your immediate and extended family. Pray for their salvation and for opportunities to share with them your faith, God’s word, and the love of Christ.
• Pray for all Adventist media ministries, relentlessly broadcasting the gospel around the world. Pray for a mighty harvest.
• Pray for business leaders making difficult decisions that affect the lives of their employees during this pandemic.
• Pray for Matthew, a man struggling with addictions, homelessness, and other chains that are keeping him from stepping on the upward way with Jesus. Pray for a breakthrough for him and all precious people who are under the bondage of Satan.

One of the major reasons we don’t have to ever live in fear, consumed with worry and anxiety is because we know how the story ends. We know that sickness will not have the last word: Christ will.  We know the coronavirus, or any other virus, natural disaster, calamity or nuclear war will not destroy all life on planet Earth. We have the promise of Jesus return. We see famines. We see earthquakes. We see distress of nations. We see the rise of a possible nuclear war. We see the potential of nuclear disaster. We see climate change. We see pestilences taking the lives of thousands.

We see these things, but we have a hope that enables us to thrive in life’s toughest times. There is a sense of confidence that takes us through because we’ve read the last chapters of the Bible. We know how the story ends.  In Revelation 21 verses 4 and 5, John writes, “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, and there shall be no more pain, for the former things are passed away. Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold I make all things new.”

Along with the apostle Paul we “are looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.”(Titus 2:13)

We are Adventists and have not forgotten our heritage. Christ is coming again and coming soon. If we ever lose our vision of the coming of Christ, we will lose our hope. We are Adventists. We look beyond what is, to what will be. We look beyond today to tomorrow. We look beyond sickness to health. We look beyond the pestilences that are carried through the air to the pure air where there will be no more pestilences.

In the ever-increasing natural disasters, political turmoil, economic uncertainty and raging pestilences we see the signs of the coming of our Lord. Although God does not cause these disasters, He has a purpose in allowing them to occur. He is calling us to totally, completely, depend upon Him. He is calling us to our knees. He is calling us to a deeper prayer life and a richer Bible Study experience. He is revealing to us that there is no certainty in the world we live in. Christ is our assurance. He is our security. He is our Savior, our Redeemer, our Deliver, our coming King.

What does this virus do when we see it spreading so rapidly?  It calls us to our senses.

This world is not all that there is.  Christ is speaking to you and to me.  Our lives are fragile. Every single one of us live in these fragile earthen bodies. But beyond what is, there is something better yet coming – and that is the glory of Christ. There is something worth living for beyond this life and that’s Jesus Christ. Allow Him to fill your heart, to take away your fears, strengthen your resolve and prepare you for His soon return.

HEART QUESTIONS:

Have you realized what incredible hope we have as Adventist believers? Do you see how nothing in this world can push us down as long as we have our eyes fixed upon Christ and His promises? Are you going through this pandemic, and every day to come, with the full assurance of God’s great promise of eternal joy, happiness and peace?

ACTIVE HEART CHALLENGE:

Take some time today to find all the scriptures in the Bible that point to the great hope of the Second Coming, and the promises related to the new heavens and the new earth. Pick a few verses to memorize, and let the reality of God’s goodness and love for you infuse your days with hope, joy, and assurance in Jesus.

“And the years of eternity, as they roll, will bring richer and still more glorious revelations of God and of Christ. As knowledge is progressive, so will love, reverence, and happiness increase. The more men learn of God, the greater will be their admiration of His character. As Jesus opens before them the riches of redemption and the amazing achievements in the great controversy with Satan, the hearts of the ransomed thrill with more fervent devotion, and with more rapturous joy they sweep the harps of gold; and ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of voices unite to swell the mighty chorus of praise. ‘And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.’ Revelation 5:13. The great controversy is ended. Sin and sinners are no more. The entire universe is clean. One pulse of harmony and gladness beats through the vast creation. From Him who created all, flow life and light and gladness, throughout the realms of illimitable space. From the minutest atom to the greatest world, all things, animate and inanimate, in their unshadowed beauty and perfect joy, declare that God is love.” – The Great Controversy, p. 678

Going Deeper: Additional reading suggestions for this week

• Ellen White, The Controversy Ended
• Mark Finley, Making Friends for God

PRAISE REPORTS:

• Southern Asia-Pacific Division: We thank God that through this initiative more than 5,000 prayer warriors have registered and joined, majority of which are young people. Prayer Networks have formed, and an official prayer ministry of the youth has been voted and established.
• Planned Giving and Trust Services: We praise God for the faithfulness of Seventh-day Adventist members during the 2020 pandemic. Since March 11, 2020 faithful members have established over $1,000,000 in planned gifts that are and will provide funds to support the world-wide mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
• We received reports of hundreds of baptisms as a result of the 100 Days of Prayer. We praise God for everybody who has been praying for all evangelistic efforts going on. To God be the glory!
• A literature evangelist from Tanzania: God has done a miracle for me in the 100 Days of Prayer. I prayed that God would connect me with someone to give Bible studies. Two days later, a lady from a place more than 7km away, came to my home. ‘You sold me some books, I have read them and found the truth, I have come to you so that I can continue to learn’ she said. We are progressing with our Bible studies and the lady is ready to commit her life to Jesus. God has answered my prayer!
• A non-believer was stuck with an Adventist family during the lockdown. That family participated in the 100 Days of Prayer. This young man told them that prayer is a waste of time. Shortly after he caught COVID-19. He was transported to another place for quarantine, where he experienced a change of heart and encouraged people to pray like the Adventists he had stayed with prior. He, and all people there were miraculously healed. He and another person committed to God in baptism on June 14!

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for Lennox. He is a six-year-old boy. He has no stable ligaments in his body. His lens in his eye has come loose and he may go blind. He has gigantism, mars, and an enlarged heart. Pray for all the sick children around the world.
• Pray for North-east India and other parts of the world where COVID-19 cases are rising again.
• Pray for children of Adventist families who have lost their way or are in a state of confusion and rebellion.
• Pray for individuals who are considering going into full-time ministry. Pray for a clarity of their calling, and for any obstacles to be removed.

“. . . Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying His voice and holding fast to Him, for He is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.” – Deuteronomy 30:19-20

“The Life-giver will call up His purchased possession in the first resurrection, and until that triumphant hour, when the last trump shall sound and the vast army shall come forth to eternal victory, every sleeping saint will be kept in safety and will be guarded as a precious jewel, who is known to God by name. By the power of the Saviour that dwelt in them while living and because they were partakers of the divine nature, they are brought forth from the dead.” – Maranatha, p. 300

HEART QUESTIONS:

What a wonderful truth! God, the Source of all Life, is willing to give to all who believe the power to live a life of love, faithfulness, and righteousness on this side of heaven. But not only that, He also gladly bestows eternal life to His children, for them to live with Him forever in perfect health, bliss, joy and harmony! Praise Him!

Have you taken hold of the life-giving, life-transforming, and life-enriching good-news-reality that is available to you in Jesus? Are you looking forward to resurrection day, when all who believe will receive an immortal body to enjoy eternal life with our most precious, and loving God?

PRAISE REPORTS: 

• Carme A.: I’m single, full-time mom of three boys, full-time student, working, and I am heavily involved in ministry in our church. Despite the massive demands on my time and strength, God is carrying me through. We have been doing the 100 Days of Prayer program virtually with the children, youth, and adults every day. The young are very engaged, praying and asking questions. Despite financial needs for schooling, I can praise God for teaching me so much and blessing me so much during this time of pandemic. I enjoy doing ministry!
• We praise the Lord that some mission workers in the Middle East are experiencing renewed spiritual strength. Some of them were far removed from the congregation due to discouragements and a lack of revival. But because of the online united prayer during 100 Days of Prayer, they longed to be part of a church community again.
  

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for an experience of the abundant life which Jesus promised you. 
• Pray for all Adventist immigrants, and for individuals who are living on visas, who, because of their legal status, have no access to government help during this pandemic. Pray that they will be provided with the necessities of life.
• Pray for all Adventists and non-Adventists who are infected by COVID-19.
• Pray for the Rostok School in Russia, which serves children with special needs, providing a loving, Christ-centered curriculum that brings joy to children and parents alike. Please pray for God’s blessing for this important ministry and its staff, students, and parents.

“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” – Philippians 4:13

“I would that all could realize what possibilities and probabilities there are for all who make Christ their sufficiency and their trust.” – Letter 45, 1893, par. 33

HEART QUESTIONS:

God is omnipotent. Nothing is too hard, complex, or difficult for Him – the Creator of all reality. He chooses to use His power to help, heal, and restore. Because His words are power and life, all His commandments, directions, and instructions come to us with the promise to be fully realized in our lives on the condition of faith. Faith unleashes the promised power for faithful living.

Will you choose today to believe in God’s power having been made available to you by faith? Will you trust in Jesus, the Word made flesh, to supply you with the ability to do His will? Will you work with Jesus to live a life of healing, helping, and restoring?

PRAISE REPORTS: 

• Sister D.: For years I have been encouraging my brother to go to church. Now, as we worship online, he joins us every Sabbath! Please pray that he will give his heart to the Lord, and God will make a way for him to get to church.
• Gem C.: We praise the Lord for many prayer leaders in the Philippines whose lives were changed during the prayer times. Initially, some of these leaders were reluctant to accept the call to be prayer leaders but now many have found so much joy in the faith. In fact, the online prayer sessions have become the source of their strength in this time of pandemic.
  

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for faith in God’s promise to always supply the power to do His will.
• Pray for broken marriages to be healed, for reconciliation to take place between estranged partners, and for Jesus to become the center of every believer’s marriage.
• Pray for Sister T. from Tanzania, who is suffering in various ways because of her decision to become a Seventh-day Adventist.
• Pray for a new center in Belarus, which provides a playground, facilities for people with special needs, and more. Please ask God to bless and grow this vital outreach, and help workers introduce visitors to God.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” – James 1:5

“The God whom we serve is no respecter of persons. He who gave to Solomon the spirit of wise discernment is willing to impart the same blessing to His children today…. When a burden bearer desires wisdom more than he desires wealth, power, or fame, he will not be disappointed. Such a one will learn from the Great Teacher not only what to do, but how to do it in a way that will meet with the divine approval.” – Prophets and Kings, p. 31

HEART QUESTIONS:

Jesus is Wisdom. He knows at all times which is the wisest course of action, the wisest counsel, the wisest way forward. Life presents us with many challenges, whether related to your vocation, your family, your ministry, we are always in need of divine wisdom. Praise God, He is more than willing to give wisdom to all who ask!

Do you desire to exchange the foolishness of your own thoughts for the wisdom which comes from God? Are you willing to accept God’s advice even when it goes against the “wisdom” of the world and your own ideas? Will you open your heart to Jesus’ wise counsels that lead to a life of righteousness and love?

PRAISE REPORTS: 

• Enock C.: May glory and praises be rendered unto the Lord. During the lockdown we had a daily in-depth study of the book of Genesis as a family being led by our 27-year-old son. It was a great blessing to realize how rich the book of Genesis is. Now we have developed a culture of Bible study as a family!
• Robert C.: An intercessory prayer line was opened the whole week for an online evangelistic series I just finished for the Arizona Conference. Scores were baptized in churches, river and pools!
  

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for divine wisdom to be made known to you as you spend time with God.
• Pray for Adventist churches, schools, and institutions as they prayerfully, and carefully consider reopening measures.
• Pray for Adventist singles, to experience fulfillment in Jesus, and find a godly spouse.
• Pray for the Tokyo Adventist Hospital, which has been serving the city for more than 90 years. Please ask God to bless and grow their work that the people of Tokyo may find both physical and spiritual healing.

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.” – Jeremiah 31:3

“A plan has been devised whereby the wondrous grace and love of Christ shall stand revealed to the world. In the infinite price paid by the Son of God to ransom man, the love of God is revealed. This glorious plan of redemption is ample in its provisions to save the whole world. Sinful and fallen man may be made complete in Jesus through the forgiveness of sin and the imputed righteousness of Christ.” – Messages to Young People, p. 137

HEART QUESTIONS:

God is love. When you open up to this reality and begin to see all He does through this lens of perfect love, your life will be transformed and become a reflection and a channel of God’s love. Every promise of God is a promise born from love. God, through His love, desires to make you a person of love!

Have you let God’s love do its work of melting all selfishness in your heart? Will you let Jesus, through His Word, redefine what true love feels, looks and acts like? Will you agree to the process of becoming a person of love?

PRAISE REPORTS: 

• Francisca A.: The 100 Days of Prayer have helped me and my children to habitually pray every morning and evening. I praise God for this time of prayer. My daughter’s friend came to visit and experienced it as well. She went to her home and convinced her family to have prayer every day, which they are happily doing now!
• Mike was really struggling during the lockdown. One day while looking for some programming on TV he discovered Hope Channel. “I need hope,” he said to himself. He started watching interactive Bible studies and other inspirational programs. He watched the entire series on Daniel, and another series on Revelation. As a result of his studies, he decided to fully commit his heart to Jesus! 

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for a deeper and fuller appreciation, reception, and application of God’s love in your life.
• Pray for Evangeline N., and many others who are struggling with cancer and various diseases. Pray for healing.
• Pray for newly baptized members who joined the church shortly before, or even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pray that the lack of Christian fellowship and church services will not overshadow their decision for Christ.
• Pray for the Hamilton SDA church in Canada. Ask God to bless the creative approaches to ministry at their ‘Really Living Centre’, which offers a community center, a cooking school, free oil changes, a smoothie bar, and indoor rock climbing.

“The prospect of the righteous is joy.” – Proverbs 10:28a

“The soul that cherishes the love of Christ is full of freedom, light, and joy. In such a soul there are no divided thoughts. The whole man yearns after God. He does not go to men to know his duty, but to Christ, the source of all wisdom.” – Reflecting Christ, p. 114

HEART QUESTIONS:

Have you ever felt the ‘joy of the Lord’? The joy of being with God, of communing with Him through prayer and His Word? When you catch a glimpse of Jesus in His pure beauty, all the “fun” which the world offers fades into insignificance. Jesus, with His matchless charms will fill your heart with a joy that is literally out of this world! 

Do you desire to experience heavenly joy? The joy of salvation, the joy of faithfulness, the joy of harmony and collaboration with God?

Why not ask God today to give you a taste of His joy by spending more time with Him in prayer and meditation of His Word?

PRAISE REPORTS: 

• Novo Tempo (Hope Channel affiliate in Brazil) is committed to 24/7 evangelism. The week before Easter is a special time for evangelism in the South American Division. When all of the churches were closed due to the pandemic, the leaders prayed. They decided to conduct a virtual evangelistic meeting with evangelist Luís Gonçalves which resulted in 30,256 requests for baptism! Surely God is able to work all things together for good for those who love the Lord!
• Anonymous: Through the 100 Days of Prayer readings I have realized my need for more of Jesus and less of me. I praise God for His love and grace towards me!
  

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for a heart that is daily filled with heavenly joy.
• Pray for believers who are faced with various trials concerning Sabbath observance. Pray for their faithfulness to shine in the light of challenges and persecution.
• Pray for the Naga View Adventist College in the Philippines to remain viable despite COVID-19.
• Pray for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”– John 14:1-3

“We have no home here; we are only pilgrims and strangers, passing to a better country, even a heavenly. Place your mind upon these things, and while you are doing this, Christ will be right by your side.” – Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, p. 293

HEART QUESTIONS:

Because of God’s mercy, grace, and loving-kindness, we have been given hope. Hope for a better tomorrow, hope for forgiveness and victory over sin, and the hope of eternal life. Satan and this world offer us countless reasons to give up on life, but in Jesus, “all the promises of God find their Yes in Him” (2 Corinthians 1:20).

Will you choose to take hold of the promises of hope which have been given to you in God’s word and guaranteed to you by the blood of Jesus?

Will you ask Him to help you keep your eyes on the hope of His Second Coming and everlasting life with Him?

PRAISE REPORTS: 

• Anonymous: We prayed for God to provide the means to build a church, and He worked on the heart of a wealthy businessman to donate the resources needed!
• COVID-19 cases are slowly decreasing in Europe and other places around the world. Hospitalization rates are getting lower even as countries open up again while maintaining social distancing and other regulations.
  

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for Jesus to give you a fresh revelation of the glorious hope you have in Him.
• Pray for the conversion of your family members, friends, co-workers, as well as the many names that have been sent to the 100 Days of Prayer team.
• Pray for members who are struggling spiritually, physically, or economically to remain strong during various temptations and to look to Jesus for help.
• Pray for various churches and ministries in the South England Conference. Pray for financial miracles in order to plant churches and refurbish current buildings to better serve the communities around them.

PRAISE REPORTS: 

• Lovesky J.: God put in my heart to share the 100 Days of Prayer messages, and within a day more than 500 people signed up to receive the messages from me through WhatsApp and a telegram platform. We pray every evening at 8 p.m.
• We do see the Lord giving blessings and wisdom to his church leaders and members all over the world to deal with the challenges of the pandemic and beyond.  Finances, health, opening of churches, God is working through the storm!
  

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for more faithfulness in your life, and for a heart that is always reflecting the kindness of Jesus.
• Pray for the Manna House, a wellness-center sanitarium in the U.K. which is planning to run a post COVID-19 convalescent program to reach people for Jesus through the health message. Pray for the needed government approval.
• Pray for the 1000 Missionary Movement Training Center in North Sumatra, as well as all missionary training institutions, to find ways to continue their ministry despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Pray for members who have lost loved ones to the pandemic, or for other reasons

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” – 1 Corinthians 6:19,20

“Without a knowledge of health principles, no one is fitted for life’s responsibilities.” – Ministry of Healing, p. 271

HEART QUESTIONS:

God is highly interested in our overall well-being. He desires to not only be consulted when we experience health problems, but He is willing to help us learn how to prevent many of today’s common health issues and strengthen our immune system. This is why He has given us simple principles that go a long way. These principles are: Healthy nutrition, regular exercise, clean water, sunlight, temperance, enough fresh air, proper rest, and trust in God.

You might already be familiar with these principles, but are you practicing them? Why not take hold of God’s health principles, and with His Spirit’s help, learn to practice all of them? 

PRAISE REPORTS: 

• Bernard O.: We praise God. He gave us strength to do an evangelistic mission in Kitale, Kenya, amidst this pandemic. We were able to minister to the entire town. Many Bibles got distributed!
• Anonymous: I want to praise our God! During this lockdown I was able to watch various Adventist sermons from around the world online. One testimony really impacted me. It was from a man who was a homosexual and God delivered him. I had been battling a secret sinful addiction for a long time, but after hearing this testimony I knew nothing is impossible with God. I prayed, and prayed, and God gave me victory! Hallelujah!
  

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for the willingness and ability to implement all of God’s natural health principles in you and your family’s life.
• Pray for an Adventist deli in Kingston, Jamaica which combines veggie sandwiches with Christian books and a children’s corner. Please ask God to bring the right customers, and to pour out His love to them through the workers there.
• Pray for God to awaken in all Adventists a deeper interest in the prophetic writings of Ellen G. White.
• Pray for a support center for families with autistic kids in Porto Alegre, Brazil. It is operated by volunteers dedicated to providing an open environment of fellowship. Pray for God’s guidance, and His Spirit to work through the volunteers to reach the community. 

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” – Genesis 2:15

“Christ loved to gather the people about Him under the blue heavens, on some grassy hillside, or on the beach beside the lake. Here, surrounded by the works of His own creation, He could turn their thoughts from the artificial to the natural. In the growth and development of nature were revealed the principles of His kingdom. As men should lift their eyes to the hills of God and behold the wonderful works of His hand, they could learn precious lessons of divine truth.” – Ministry of Healing, p. 54

HEART QUESTIONS:

A majority of the world’s population now lives in cities and urban settlements. Surrounded by man-made, artificial structures, breathing polluted air, and bombarded with constant noise, it is hard to have quiet, reflective time with God and to enjoy His wondrous works of nature. However, spending time in nature refreshes the body and mind!

How much of your time is spent in artificial surroundings or looking at digital content? How often do you take the time to appreciate God’s created nature? Why not make it a point from now on to schedule in regular time in nature to commune with God and learn from it spiritual lessons?

PRAISE REPORTS: 

• Stephen A.: I praise God for the 100 Days of Prayer. The daily devotions have given me the opportunity of praying with my 9-year-old son.
• Anonymous: The 100 Days of Prayer have challenged me to a closer, more faithful walk with God. I really struggle with a variety of issues, but I can see that victory is possible in Jesus. Praise Him!
  

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for open eyes to see the spiritual lessons in nature. Pray for God to show you ways to spend more time with Him in nature.
• Pray for missionaries, front-line Bible workers, and our Global Mission Pioneers who serve around the world in some hard territories.
• Pray for churches that had not have church growth in a long time to experience a revival for mission.
• Pray for the General Conference leadership as they seek ways to best support the local churches around the world during this pandemic.

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” – Galatians 5:16

“If the power of indulged appetite was so strong upon the race, that, in order to break its hold, the divine Son of God, in man?s behalf, had to endure a fast of nearly six weeks, what a work is before the Christian! Yet, however great the struggle, he may overcome. By the help of that divine power which withstood the fiercest temptations that Satan could invent, he, too, may be entirely successful in his warfare with evil, and at last may wear the victor?s crown in the kingdom of God.” – Counsels on Diet and Foods, 167.

HEART QUESTIONS:

Sin has and is disrupting our lives on all levels. Sin brings imbalance into our lives and leads human beings to go into extremes. In the area of diet and lifestyle this results in various health problems that have negative effects not only on us, but also on others.

Only in the daily connection with the Holy Spirit can we find the strength and ability to become temperate in all things.

Will you choose today to ask God to enable you to be temperate in your diet, your use of time, your media consumption and your overall lifestyle?  Will you take hold of His grace and trust in His ability to give you victory as you rely only on Him?

PRAISE REPORTS: 

• Jay W.: I prayed specifically for God to open opportunities to connect with my neighbors during this time of pandemic since I don’t really know them. God answered my prayer and I have been able to establish a connection with them. I know He has a plan for their salvation!?
• In early April Adventist World Radio in collaboration with the Moldova Union held evangelistic meetings on Facebook, YouTube and Zoom. Twenty-eight local pastors in Moldova began broadcasting on these media outlets. As a result we now have over 25,500 names of people we are following up with, and over 40 people have signed up for baptismal classes!
  

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for the Holy Spirit to develop in you temperance in all things, especially when it comes to appetite, media consumption, and sleep.
• Pray for the church in northern Uganda. The Adventist message is being broadcast via radio, which is seen by other denominations as an attack. Pray that hearts will be melted and many will find the truth!
• Pray for the homeless ministry in St. Louis, USA. Pray for all who are involved in this ministry to be a Spirit-filled reflection of Jesus as they serve the homeless. 
• Pray for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” – Romans 12:2

“Both the physical and the mental powers, with the affections, are to be so trained that they can reach the highest efficiency.” – Counsels on Health, p. 445

HEART QUESTIONS:

A healthy mind depends to a great degree on what your thoughts continually dwell on, your diet, exercise, and healthy relationships.

There are scientifically proven links between what we eat and how our diet affects our mental capacities. A plant-based diet, more fruits and leafy vegetables, can, amongst other things, positively affect our brain health. Also, what we choose to consume with our eyes and ears, as well as what we continually think and talk about, greatly impacts our mental state.

Do you choose to think about heavenly things, upon themes of righteousness and holiness? Do you engage the brain in activity focused on God’s Word and will? How is your diet looking? Is there room for improvement in order to have a healthier mind, ready to engage in spiritual activities? When was the last time you had a deep, meaningful conversation with somebody? Why not ask God to guide you in the process of gaining better mental health starting today?

PRAISE REPORTS: 

• In many places lockdown restrictions have been lifted and people are able to get back to work again. Also new COVID-19 infection numbers have dropped in many countries around the world.
• Elden Ramirez (president of Montana conference): In the month of March tithes were not where they had been. We brought the situation to God in prayer. We received four donations that made up the shortfall! Everyone was expecting April to be low too. However, April 2020 had the highest tithes given in the last 10 years! God provides for His work to continue!
  

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for a healthy mind and the ability to choose to dwell on righteous thoughts.
• Pray for the church’s mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The insecurity from rebel groups and the general political instability are negatively affecting the mission of the church. Pray for God to break through the darkness and evil and bring a mighty revival of godliness to the people of this region.
• Pray for the urban center of influence in Battambang, Cambodia. It includes a gym, a vegetarian restaurant, a playground, a chapel, health education, music education, and a language school. Pray for God’s blessing on this multi-faceted approach and ask Him to grow the ministry and bring the people whose hearts He has been preparing.
• Pray for newly baptized members around the world, who have given their lives to Jesus during this time of global crisis.

“The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health.” – Psalm 41:3

“. . . Christ is the same compassionate physician now that He was during His earthly ministry. In Him there is healing balm for every disease, restoring power for every infirmity. His disciples in this time are to pray for the sick as verily as the disciples of old prayed. And recoveries will follow; for ‘the prayer of faith shall save the sick.’ We have the Holy Spirit’s power, the calm assurance of faith, that can claim God’s promises. The Lord’s promise, ‘They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover’ (Mark 16:18), is just as trustworthy now as in the days of the apostles. It presents the privilege of God’s children, and our faith should lay hold of all that it embraces.” – Ministry of Healing, p. 226

HEART QUESTIONS:

God has the power to heal every sickness with one word. He has promised that all who believe in Him will be healed. Whether this happens in this life, or ultimately at the resurrection, is up to His discretion and perfect wisdom. We are encouraged to pray for the sick with faith in the Omnipotent Healer. Often we don?t consult His ability to heal until we have exhausted every earthly option first; and while it is important to do all we can to prevent illness and to treat it, we should always go to God first and seek His guidance as we deal with disease.

Do you believe in God’s power to heal? Do you trust that He knows best when to heal, and when not to heal? Are you willing to surrender your life into His hands in times of health so that you will remain faithful in times of sickness? Will you accept His healing when it comes in the form of a lifestyle change?

PRAISE REPORTS: 

• The Adventist church was able to recruit over 10,600 digital missionaries within just a few days. As a result, Adventist Bible study content is trending and appearing at the top of the list in search results on Google and YouTube.
• In the Philippines, hundreds of young people are praying in massive prayer groups and prayer chains online. Revival and miracles are taking place!
  

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for more faith in the healing power of God. Pray for power to adopt a healthy lifestyle.
• Pray for Adventist schools around the world as they are faced with the fallout of COVID-19 and need to find creative ways to be able to continue teaching and keeping their schools running after the summer break.
• Pray for the Gabon Mission as they are doing a Bible conference live on Facebook and YouTube until June 26. Pray that the Lord will lead the program and touch the hearts of those who are listening to it. 
• Pray for Sister D.’s family’s spiritual healing and restoration. Her husband has multiple myeloma and is weak in faith. Her children have left the church and embraced unbiblical lifestyles. Her parents are disabled due to illness. 

“Heal me, O’Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise.” – Jeremiah 17:14

“The paralytic found in Christ healing for both the soul and the body. He needed health of soul before he could appreciate health of body. Before the physical malady could be healed, Christ must bring relief to the mind, and cleanse the soul from sin. This lesson should not be overlooked. There are today thousands suffering from physical disease who, like the paralytic, are longing for the message, ‘Thy sins are forgiven.’ The burden of sin, with its unrest and unsatisfied desires, is the foundation of their maladies. They can find no relief until they come to the Healer of the soul. The peace which He alone can impart would restore vigor to the mind and health to the body.” – ∂ Ministry of Healing, p. 77

HEART QUESTIONS:

So often we ask God to heal our physical illnesses, not recognizing that our most desperate need is spiritual healing first. Yes, physical maladies can at times feel more urgent and seem more painful than unforgiven sins in our lives, but make no mistake, nothing is more important than for our sins to be removed from us. “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world [including your physical health] and forfeit his soul” – (Mark 8:36). 

What is easier for you, to ask God for physical healing, or for a complete cleansing of your sins and power to overcome, especially your favorite sins? Are you willing to bear physical illnesses as long as you remain spiritually well? 

Why not ask God right now to show you your need for spiritual healing today?

PRAISE REPORTS: 

• God has provided ways for some of our Adventist hospitals to receive much needed personal protective equipment in order to treat COVID-19 patients.
• The AWR online evangelistic meetings have already attracted hundreds of thousands of views! God is reaching multitudes through the Internet in this time of crisis.
  

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for a spiritual healing from sin, selfishness, and pride.
• Pray for an anonymous woman who has been under demonic attacks for 15 years. 
• Pray for the ministry of a new Adventist addictions recovery center in Orlando, Florida, USA, which is helping to fight the opioid epidemic. Pray also for millions longing for freedom from addiction.
• Pray for the final night of the AWR online evangelistic meetings and for many to make a complete surrender to Jesus and the new learned truths.

When my first child was born, I read everything I could set my eyes on about anything that could go wrong within the first few months of his life. After all, they say, ‘forewarned is forearmed’ right? He was a healthy full-term baby, with ten fingers, ten toes, and an excellent Apgar score. Yet as I looked upon his innocent face, I was suddenly struck with an unshakeable awareness of the fragility of life.

As my voracious reading progressed, I was introduced to SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) and I started down an internet rabbit hole. Each article I read, each personal story of losing a baby through SIDS served only to increase my anxiety about my inability to protect my little one. One moment I was reading an article counseling you to place nothing in the baby’s crib – not a blanket, nor a stuffed animal – because each item may lead to SIDS: The very next moment I would stumble upon a testimony from a mother who adhered to all the counsel offered to prevent SIDS but still woke up one morning to find her child lying lifeless in their crib.

What if that was my baby? What could I do differently to ensure that my family would never meet such a fate? Sleep was tiring as I would wake up at every movement, every coo, every change in breathing from my baby. As a loving wife who subscribes to the ‘sharing is caring’ motto, I shared my anxieties with my husband, and the first night that our son slept longer than six hours, my husband woke him up just to make sure he was still breathing. You get the picture – we were a wretched ball of anxiety!

The more I thought about how powerless I was to protect my child from SIDS, the clearer it became to me how feeble all my efforts to secure the safety, protection, and welfare of my child were. In fact, I could not guarantee my own welfare, let alone that of a helpless baby! 

Overwhelmed with a sense of my frailty, I turned to my mother, who turned me to Jesus. How did she do it? How can you ever rest again when there are so many mishaps to shield your child from? 

The answer was simple: Trust in Jesus.

“Every time you put your child down to sleep, commit him into the hands of the God who never slumbers nor sleeps”, was her counsel. “Take him to the Lord in prayer and leave him there.”

My worrying about SIDS did not make my son any safer each night. It provided me with a false sense of ‘doing something’ about my concern since I was expending much energy over it. But in reality, my worrying did nothing to help him breathe all night long.

So Jesus asked, “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life” – (Matthew 6:27). Your worrying does not solve the problem, it does not ameliorate the situation. Quite the contrary. Rather than contributing something valuable to the circumstance, it clouds your judgment, diminishing your discernment, and renders you less capable of handling the stressor – whatever the stressor may be.

You are worried about your finances. You are worried about your education. You are worried about your children. You are worried about your marriage. You are worried about your health. You are worried about the state of the world and the long-term effects of this COVID-19 pandemic. You are worried about the future and about where to go from here. You are worried about worrying too much. It never stops!

Here’s what Ellen White has to say: 

“When we take into our hands the management of things with which we have to do, and depend upon our own wisdom for success, we are taking a burden which God has not given us, and are trying to bear it without His aid. We are taking upon ourselves the responsibility that belongs to God, and thus are really putting ourselves in His place. We may well have anxiety and anticipate danger and loss, for it is certain to befall us. But when we really believe that God loves us and means to do us good we shall cease to worry about the future. We shall trust God as a child trusts a loving parent. Then our troubles and torments will disappear, for our will is swallowed up in the will of God.” -Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 100, 101 (1896). 

In a sinful world, we can be sure that challenging situations will arise. Worldly wisdom says the best way to be prepared for any calamity is to educate ourselves as much as possible – forewarned is forearmed. But when it comes to producing peace in the midst of the storm, knowledge is ineffective. The only forearming that is efficacious is to develop an abiding trust in the God who holds the minutest atom to the vast expanses of the universe in His hands. Thankfully, He is still in control!

Sikhu Daco is the Senior Editorial Assistant for inVerse – a new young adult Bible study curriculum developed by the GC Sabbath School Department. For over a decade, she worked in secular campus ministry after receiving her BA in Biochemistry and French. She also holds a MA in Religion with an emphasis in Systematic Theology from Andrews University. As a panelist on Hope Channel’s inVerse Bible discussion show, she gets to engage in her two passions for Bible study and ministry to young adults. Sikhu and her husband, Archie, have three boys, ages 4, 2, and 9 months.

HEART QUESTIONS:

Have you struggled with faith in times of crisis? Have you struggled with learning how to trust when all circumstances and all feelings seem to indicate that there is no good solution available for you? Why not ask God to give you more confidence and a stronger faith in His promises?

ACTIVE HEART CHALLENGE:

Worry, anxiety, stress, these are natural reactions when we are faced with difficult, uncontrollable situations. Think about your life, and your family. What are some things that make you worry for them? What are scenarios that cause you to be fearful?

Now open your Bible and try to find scriptures and stories that promise you peace and strength from God. Read them, write them out, memorize them, and believe them. Is there really anything that our God cannot handle?

Going Deeper  – Additional Reading Suggestions for this week:

• “Peace, Be Still“, (Desire of Ages, ch. 35) by Ellen G. White

“Surrender ? The Secret to Perfect Peace & Happiness” – by Gregory L. Jackson

PRAISE REPORTS: 

• Pastor H.: Thank you very much for your prayers! My cousin and his wife are better now.
• An individual gave a substantial donation to help literature evangelists around the world during this time of crisis. Literature evangelists are finding new and creative ways to reach people with spiritual books despite the lockdowns!
  

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray – for more faith and truth in God, especially during this time of crisis.
• Pray – for God’s blessing on members who are operating taxis in Panama City, using them as mobile centers of influence.?Half of Panama’s citizens live in Panama City.
• Pray – for the upcoming Adventist Women Ministries small group evangelism in the Western Nigeria Union.
• Pray – for your immediate and extended family members. Pray for those who do not know Jesus as their personal Savior yet to be drawn to Him and be converted.?

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” – Acts 1:8

“God’s servants do not all possess the same gifts, but they are all His workmen. Each is to learn of the Great Teacher, and then to communicate what he has learned. All do not do the same work, but under the sanctifying influence of the Holy Spirit they are all God’s instrumentalities. God employs a diversity of gifts in His work of winning souls from Satan’s army.” – Ye Shall Receive Power, p. 192

HEART QUESTIONS:

It is an exciting thing to participate in God’s work of drawing people to Jesus. You, with your talents, abilities and influence can be an agent of grace in this world! That’s fantastic! When your life is surrendered to God, and you are filled with the Spirit, He will empower you to do your part in the wonderful privilege of soul-winning! He will sanctify your skills and give you His spiritual gifts to accomplish whatever task He sets before you.

Will you today devote your life to the work of winning souls with Jesus? Will you trust that the Holy Spirit will empower you to do even seemingly impossible tasks? Will you ask Jesus to baptize you with the Spirit as you engage in reaching out to the world around you?

PRAISE REPORTS: 

• Mary F.: Our Church has been blessed in being united in prayer during 100 Days of Prayer. The Church feels the peace of God, and the church sees the mighty hands of God.
• Ronald L.: During lockdown a small group consisting mostly of former Adventists and newly interested individuals were actively engaged in Bible study. As their district pastor, I met with that small group, leading in a revival worship service. At the end of the meeting we arranged for a foot washing and communion service and to our amazement a total of 52 members participated in the service of which, 60% of the participants were former and new members who accepted Jesus and made their bold covenant through communion service. I would like to Praise God for including Papua New Guinea in the 100 Days of Prayer on Day 57. God answered your prayers the next day May 23 by leading His lost sheep back to His fold. Praise God!
  

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for churches in the Caribbean islands who on top of dealing with the pandemic now have to prepare for the 2020 hurricane season. 
• Pray for the ministry of the Ellicott City Adventist Church, MD, USA, as they collect masks, gloves and goggles for medical personnel.
• Pray for the Setagaya Youth Church which is working to build relationships with the community around it. Please pray as youth and their leaders look for creative ways to serve their city.
• Pray for an Urban Center of Influence in San Jose, Costa Rica, which offers music and exercise classes, family counseling, Bible studies and more. Please ask God to bless this outreach and send the people who most need to know Him.

“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” – Luke 11:13

“The Lord is more willing to give the Holy Spirit to those who serve Him than parents are to give good gifts to their children. For the daily baptism of the Spirit every worker should offer his petition to God.” – Acts of the Apostles, p. 50

HEART QUESTIONS:

The Father is very much willing to give you the Holy Spirit if you ask Him. God never forces Himself upon you; that is why you need to ask. The original Greek in Luke 11 indicates, that this asking is an ongoing, lifelong activity of seeking more of Him, of opening up your heart to God like a flower opens to the sun. Daily and continually we need to be immersed and filled with the Presence of God through His Spirit. God’s work of sanctification and character-preparation for eternity is a process. Every day He gives us new convictions, challenges and directions through His Word, and we need to daily invite His Spirit into our hearts for grace and ability to obey and to do His good will, loving others as He loves us.

You might have asked for the Holy Spirit before, but understanding that you need His baptism on a daily basis, will you ask for more of His presence in your life? Will you invite the Holy Spirit into every compartment of your heart without holding anything back?

PRAISE REPORTS: 

• Luis U.: Me and my wife have been using Skype to study the Bible with six people during this quarantine. I invited many people to watch the special programs broadcasted by our Adventist channel in Brazil and many people who are not even Christians are now very open to the message of Our Lord! Some of my non-Christian friends have started to believe in the Second Coming of Christ!
• Winfrida M.: I want to share with you a word of encouragement that prayers are working! Last Sabbath five people were baptized in Kinshasa following the 100 Days of Prayer program which was shared through Radio, WhatsApp and other social media!
  

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for members who are backsliding during this pandemic. Pray for the Holy Spirit to speak clearly into their hearts. Pray for those who can reach out to them to have courage, wisdom and love as they seek to help them come back to a faithful walk with Jesus.
• Pray for members in the West Zimbabwe Conference who are rallying to support the needy, vulnerable, elderly, and disabled in their communities.
• Pray for members and/or former members and youth who are trapped in false teachings and heresy. Pray for God to open their eyes and for the church to help them find the truth as it is in Jesus.
• Pray for God’s protection over medical professionals at CHI Memorial Hospital Chattanooga, and other hospitals worldwide.

?But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.??? Galatians 5:22-23

?As you receive the Spirit of Christ?the Spirit of unselfish love and labor for others?you will grow and bring forth fruit. The graces of the Spirit will ripen in your character. Your faith will increase, your convictions deepen, your love be made perfect. More and more you will reflect the likeness of Christ in all that is pure, noble, and lovely. . . . This fruit can never perish, but will produce after its kind a harvest unto eternal life.?? ? Christ?s Object Lessons, p. 67-68

HEART QUESTIONS:

The Spirit leads us to Jesus. And as we abide in Jesus through a daily connection with the Holy Spirit, He will develop in us a character that reflects each day a little more the selfless, self-sacrificial, loving character of Christ. It is a transformational process of a lifetime. Just like a mango does not appear an hour after the seed has been planted but takes its time to grow into a tree that eventually bears fruit, so also the work of sanctification is a process that takes time. But rest assured that through surrender and faithfulness every aspect of the fruit of the Spirit will become evident in your life!

Have you let the Holy Spirit develop in you His fruit? Are there some aspects of the fruit of the Spirit which you have been resisting Him to work on? Is it your desire to reflect Jesus more and more until all that people see is Jesus? character of love in you?

PRAISE REPORTS: 

• Jones S.: I thank God for the 100 Days of Prayer. It has brought light into my life. I have started an Adventist bakery during this period and I’m spreading the Word of God through the bakery. Through the work of the Holy Spirit one of the people getting the messages has decided to become a Seventh-day Adventist. I thank God for showing me the many ways we can spread His word and hasten His coming!
• Brother P.: During the lockdown, I went through phases of questioning and each week, God allowed me to receive the answer to my questions through the different messages and experiences shared by the authors of the 100 Days of Prayer. Thank you, Lord, for your great love and for the moments of sharing that you allow us to have with the whole world.
  

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for pastors, elders and lay preachers around the world who are engaging in various online evangelistic efforts.
• Pray for the Adventist church in Iceland. There are very few members and Iceland is a very secular country. Pray for a breakthrough, revival, and a mighty harvest for Jesus.
• Pray for an Adventist drug and alcohol rehab center in Guatemala?s capital city. In addition to finding freedom from addiction, more than 1,500 people have been baptized in nine years of ministry. Please ask God to continue to bless, provide, and change lives for eternity.  
• Pray for an Adventist vegan restaurant in Byron Bay, Australia. It has been ranked number 1 in a popular Australian tourist spot. Please pray that God will bless this ministry and that He will work through it to reach hearts.

?And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.??? John 16:8-11

?The promise of the Holy Spirit is not limited to any age or to any race. Christ declared that the divine influence of His Spirit was to be with His followers unto the end. From the Day of Pentecost to the present time, the Comforter has been sent to all who have yielded themselves fully to the Lord and to His service. To all who have accepted Christ as a personal Saviour, the Holy Spirit has come as a counselor, sanctifier, guide, and witness.??? Acts of the Apostles, p. 49

HEART QUESTIONS:

Part of the Holy Spirit?s work is to convict of sin, righteousness, and judgment. These three elements of His work of conviction are represented in the Sanctuary and its services. In the courtyard is where the sacrifice for sin took place (pointing to Jesus on the Cross); in the Holy Place the three elements of experiencing the imparted righteousness of Christ were revealed in the Table of Showbread (Bible study), the Altar of Incense (Prayer), and the Candlestick (Spirit-filled witnessing). All of which were exemplified in the life of Christ as a model for us today; and in the Most Holy Place we are reminded of the importance and reality of the judgment as the High Priest only entered it on the Day of Atonement (Jesus engaging in the investigative judgment on your behalf).

In other words: The Holy Spirit?s work is to lead you into a salvific experience through faith in everything that Jesus has done and is doing for you.

Can you see the important and beautiful work of the Holy Spirit? Will you joyfully embrace His work of conviction and let Him not only lead you to Jesus, but make you like Him in character in preparation for the Judgment?

PRAISE REPORTS: 

• More and more churches have been able to upgrade their digital platforms to reach out and engage with the community online.
• John K.: It is amazing that during this terrible time, church members in our region have become more faithful in returning tithe and offerings. We met our tithe goal in May!  We are praying morning and evening during the 100 Days of Prayer. It has not only planted but deepened the prayer culture in my home. Last night my 2 year old daughter called me at dawn and said “Daddy, it is time to pray!” I praise God and realize that He has planted what has been missing in my family ? a culture of prayer.
  

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for many, young and old, who are struggling with media addictions.
• Pray for members in Perth, Australia who are evangelizing through letterboxing in the local community.
• Pray for baby Tyson, in New Zealand who is on life support. The doctors want to remove the life support, but we believe God is working as he has opened his eyes, making noises and moving his feet.
• Pray for the Adventist Life Hope Center in downtown Nazareth. It offers English, computer, and health classes. Ask God to bless and grow this ministry, to protect and guide workers and reach hearts.

?When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.??? John 16:13-14

?Through the Scriptures the Holy Spirit speaks to the mind, and impresses truth upon the heart. Thus He exposes error, and expels it from the soul. It is by the Spirit of truth, working through the Word of God, that Christ subdues His chosen people to Himself.?? ? The Desire of Ages, p. 671

HEART QUESTIONS:

Jesus is the Truth. He is the Personification of Truth. As the Creator He defined and established all reality in perfect harmony with His character of selfless love. Satan introduced falsehood and lies into the world, trying to establish a new reality of selfishness, which is really just a grand illusion leading to death. In order to escape the illusions of Satan we have been given the Word of God. The Holy Spirit is the One Who can open our eyes to all truths of the Bible as they are in Jesus. He is the One Who can lead us out of the illusions and into the light of Christ, Who is the Truth, the Word made flesh.

Will you let the Holy Spirit glorify Jesus in your life by leading you into the truth through His Word? Will you not only let Him reveal truth to you, but also let Him reform your heart into harmony with God?s reality of selfless love?

PRAISE REPORTS: 

• Vasantha P.: Because of this crisis I got much time for reading the Scriptures and taking notes, watching sermons, listening to spiritual songs. This has led to the happiest moments I have ever had!
• Carol D.: I am thanking God for his mercy and goodness. I have been a Seventh-day Adventist for 33 years, and this pandemic is a blessing for me, because I did not recognize the importance of health reform. God has been working on my heart. I have chosen to become a vegetarian. To God be the glory!
  

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for churches that are struggling to go digital with their services due to a lack of technological equipment and internet services.
• Pray for Adventist believers in Oman who are trying to obtain a space to gather for worship after the pandemic.
• Pray for families that are struggling with demonic oppression. Pray for victory over sins that might be the entrance for Satan to come and destroy.
• Pray for an Adventist house for homeless women in Leipzig, Germany. Over 25 years this ministry has served and supported around 2,000 women. Please ask God to continue to provide for this ministry, bringing hope and healing to those who need it most. 

?Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.??? John 16:7

?The Holy Spirit was the highest of all gifts that He could solicit from His Father for the exaltation of His people. The Spirit was to be given as a regenerating agent, and without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail. . . . Sin could be resisted and overcome only through the mighty agency of the Third Person of the Godhead, . . . It is the Spirit that makes effectual what has been wrought out by the world?s Redeemer. It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure. Through the Spirit the believer becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ has given His Spirit as a divine power to overcome all hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil, and to impress His own character upon His church. Of the Spirit Jesus said, ?He shall glorify Me.???? The Desire of Ages, p. 671

HEART QUESTIONS:

Have you ever fully appreciated the incredible gift of the Holy Spirit? He is part of the Heavenly Trio, the Godhead, and He was sent to you as a gift from Jesus. He speaks, leads, convicts, helps, comforts, transforms and empowers you on your transformational journey of becoming more like our loving Jesus.

Are you comfortable in inviting the Holy Spirit into your life? Have you experienced Him ?making effectual what has been wrought out by the world?s Redeemer??

Why not accept the gift of the Holy Spirit from Jesus and invite Him into your heart, giving Him access to every aspect of your life?

PRAISE REPORTS: 

• Nicole P.: I?ve seen my kids grow in their friendships with each other as they have played and worked together without friends. We?ve had more time for both morning and evening family worships without anyone missing because of work or school. We?ve gotten lots of things done in our home, all working together. And we?ve had lots of great family conversations about end-time events.
• Gabriel A.: I thank God for a special healing during these 100 Days of Prayer. Our Sabbath School song leader reported a strange illness in his leg. After prayers God healed him and he ministered the following Sabbath, May 23. Praise God!
  

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for members in Nigeria who are affected by persecution and harassment from various bandits and even local officials.
• Pray for plans to build a lifestyle center in Puncak, West Java. A financial miracle is needed!
• Pray for Martina R. who has been fighting an auto-immune disease for two years. Her sickness has made it impossible for her to be engaged much in God?s work.
• Pray for the ?Origins? center in the Galapagos Islands. They are reaching tourists from cities around the world. Origins is the church?s first high-tech museum. Ask God to put His hand over it, to bring visitors, and to give staff the words He wants them to speak to guests.

When a Storm Catches You by Surprise!

By Paul Dysinger

I was just putting our baby son Ethan down for a nap. It was a beautiful sunny day.  Some clouds had just rolled over in the cool of the evening. 

And then it hit. And it hit fast and hard. 

Ethan had just fallen asleep when I heard my wife Natasha calling from the living room. I came out of the bedroom and looked out the window. And the first thing I noticed was the wind. It was blowing incredibly hard! And the sky was getting darker and darker.

Then we heard the tree limbs. Crash. Crack. Snap. They were literally breaking off of trees and slamming into the side of our house from the woods nearby. I looked out the other side of our cabin to see our greenhouse completely de-skinned. The entire plastic top had completely torn off. I grabbed my phone to check the weather, but the Internet was out. 

“Honey, should we go?” I hear Natasha saying. “Yes – let’s go,” I responded. 

We grabbed sleeping Ethan from off the bed and I threw my laptop into my backpack, then we darted for the car – spooked that at any moment a flying limb or falling tree could intercept our flight. We prayed as we flew along the dirt road up to my parent?s house where the basement would be a much safer place to wait out the storm. Already a tree had fallen across our driveway that we had to circumvent. Thankfully we could. 

By now it was pouring rain. And so, through the blinding rain and raging wind we finally made it to the basement of my parents – and to safety. And here is the crazy thing. None of us saw it coming. No one. My uncle had been out on the tractor and had to ditch it and run inside.  He also had a greenhouse that was de-skinned like ours and another one that faired a lot worse (looked like an elephant stepped on it). The storm hit us unexpectedly and we weren?t prepared.

Thankfully we are all safe and everyone is ok. But it still hit us unprepared. Kind of like how this whole COVID-19 pandemic hit our world unprepared. And here’s the thing, we know there are more storms coming according to Bible prophecy. The question is, ?How are we preparing to weather those storms?? 

Frankly, as a gardener you realize that you aren’t in control of nature. The wind, the rain, the sun, the snow?you simply can’t control it. You can plan ahead and prepare for it if you have a good weather forecast. But sometimes things happen that we couldn’t foresee. Then what? 

I’ll tell you what we do. We pray. We recognize that God is in control even when crazy things happen. And then we get up and keep going. When life comes crashing down around us, we?ve got to get up and rebuild. The storms of life may knock us down – but we’ve got to reach out to the strength of God and move forward. 

For us, our greenhouse was a small loss. Sure, it cost us a bit of cash and some time to fix. But within a few days we had the plastic back on – and this time we hope that we are more prepared, should such a situation occur again. 

But what about the storms of life? What about the physical, emotional, spiritual, and economic storms created by COVID-19? How are you responding? How will you rebuild? What lessons are you learning that will prepare you for future storms? When things happen that are outside of your control, where do you turn for strength and comfort? 

Jesus is our anchor and hope. We can turn to Him our Prince of Peace Who can calm storms with a word from His lips. We can turn to Him to bring us through the storms of life and even through the end times. Will you trust in Him today?

?You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. 

Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.? ? Isaiah 26:3-4

Paul Dysinger and his wife Natasha live in Tennessee where they run a business in gardening and teaching people how to farm. (borntogrow.net)

HEART QUESTIONS: How have you reacted to the worldwide pandemic? How has this affected or not affected your faith in Jesus? Are you willing to trust in Him for the next unexpected storm in your life? Do you believe that Jesus can truly be your Everlasting Rock?

ACTIVE HEART CHALLENGE: Ask God to show you any areas of your life where you might have not given Him full access to. Anything you might be unwilling to give up control over. Ask Him to forgive you and to help you trust in Him. Maybe this pandemic crisis has revealed to you some things in your life where you have been lacking to exercise faith. Pray to our loving Jesus to help you to surrender all to Him and to learn to trust in Him despite the storms of life.

Going Deeper  – Additional Reading Suggestions for this week:

• Help in Daily Living?by Ellen G. White ??Click here to read
• Revive Us Again?by Mark Finley?

PRAISE REPORTS: 

• ?      Alex G.: Two great blessings! I had started a Bible study with a physician from my town. And because of COVID-19 we could study way more often than before. She accepted to be baptized even before visiting the church! I also was very blessed personally for, even though I had to cancel all my trips for the year, I could organize myself much better, so I could pray more, read my Bible more, write more and work more efficiently. In the midst of many sorrows came great blessings too!
• Rebeca: Two weeks ago, my husband and I were in a very difficult situation. We had no phone reception and our car got stuck where there had been a mud slide and we had no way out. We prayed asking God to be our pilot. When I finished my prayer, I felt the urge to sing a hymn. My husband said that the minute I did that he felt like someone pushed us out of there. I know that was God answering our prayers. He is amazing and I love how He is always working in our lives!
  

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for brothers and sisters struggling with unemployment at this time due to the pandemic.
• Pray for Magdalena and her husband who live in the countryside of Colombia trying to reach people for Jesus. They are in need for a chapel in order to have gatherings.
• Pray for congregations around the world that have no space or building to meet due to various circumstances.
• Pray for the One-Year-In-Mission volunteers who are helping Haitian immigrants in Chile learn the Spanish language and adjust to Chilean life and culture. Please ask God to work in and through the volunteers, and to help them build friendships and faith.

?Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.??? Matthew 5:17-18

?The divine beauty of the character of Christ, of whom the noblest and most gentle among men are but a faint reflection; . . . Jesus, the express image of the Father?s person, the effulgence of His glory; the self-denying Redeemer, throughout His pilgrimage of love on earth, was a living representation of the character of the law of God. In His life it is made manifest that heaven-born love, Christlike principles, underlie the laws of eternal rectitude.???? Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 49

HEART QUESTIONS:

The law of God is the law of love. Jesus revealed what keeping the law truly looks like. You can keep the law only by completely relying on the Holy Spirit for help. As you believe that He is going to help you to live a life of selfless love and as you by faith do actions of love, His divine power will enable you and work in you to will and do of His good pleasure.

If you are struggling with faithfulness to God?s law, will you ask Jesus today to forgive you, and fill you with His Holy Spirit? Will you ask Him to help you not just to keep the letter of the law, but the spirit of the law, which is selfless, sacrificial love to God and all people?

PRAISE REPORTS: 

• Marietta A.: ?Thank you for your prayers! My son has recovered from Covid-19 and is back to normal and healthy. Praise God!?
• The mortality rate of the Covid-19 pandemic in Spain has decreased significantly from 11% to now just 2%.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for the urban center of influence in Guatemala City which offers food, toothbrushes, showers, and a place to wash clothes for those who are living on the streets. Please ask God to meet the deepest needs of the visitors to this center, and to help them find hope for eternity.  
• Pray for the media, committed to providing up-to-date information concerning Covid-19. Pray that God will help them to communicate with appropriate seriousness.
• Pray for those who are struggling with anxiety, depression, and fear during this time of crisis. Pray that they will find help, courage, hope, and healing in Jesus.
• Pray for pastors, teachers, missionaries, and members in Laos. In some regions it is very hard to use technology to reach people to minister to during this pandemic and in-person visits are at times necessary to help individuals struggling with various issues.

?You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.??? Matthew 5:14-16

?Humanity has in itself no light. Apart from Christ we are like an unkindled taper, . . . But when we turn toward the Sun of Righteousness, when we come in touch with Christ, the whole soul is aglow with the brightness of the divine presence. Christ?s followers are to be more than a light in the midst of men. They are?the?light of the world . . . Angels of glory wait to communicate through you heaven?s light and power to souls that are ready to perish.? ? Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 40

HEART QUESTIONS:

Did you read the quote above? Do you realize that angels are waiting to work through you to reach lost people? Isn?t this amazing? 

You are invited to not only be filled with the Holy Spirit for your personal sanctification, but to actively participate in shining the truth, love, and righteousness of Jesus to a world whose time is running out.

Think about your family, your friends, your neighbors, your co-workers. Ask God to show you who needs the light of Jesus in their life? Who should you pray for and contact this week?

PRAISE REPORTS: 

• Many countries around the world are beginning to carefully lift their lockdowns. 
• The World Health Organization is saying: ?If this virus is teaching us anything, it?s humility.? People are recognizing how frail they are. This is a great opportunity for the church to show seekers the hope we have in Jesus!

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for God?s blessing on members who are operating taxis in Panama City, using them as mobile centers of influence. Half of Panama?s citizens live in Panama City.
• Pray for the urban center of influence in Battambang, Cambodia. It includes a gym, a vegetarian restaurant, a playground, a chapel, health education, music education, and a language school. Pray for God?s blessing on this multi-faceted approach, and ask Him to grow the ministry and bring the people whose hearts He has been preparing.
• Pray for the upcoming Adventist Women Ministries small group evangelism in the Western Nigeria Union.
• Pray for the ministry of a new Adventist addictions recovery center in Orlando, Florida, USA, which is helping to fight the opioid epidemic. Pray also for millions longing for freedom from addiction.

?You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.? ? Matthew 5:13

?. . . when God calls His children salt, He would teach them that His purpose in making them the subjects of His grace is that they may become agents in saving others ? Salt must be mingled with the substance to which it is added; it must penetrate and infuse in order to preserve. So it is through personal contact and association that men are reached by the saving power of the gospel. They are not saved in masses, but as individuals. Personal influence is a power. We must come close to those whom we desire to benefit. The savor of the salt represents the vital power of the Christian?the love of Jesus in the heart, the righteousness of Christ pervading the life. The love of Christ is diffusive and aggressive. If it is dwelling in us, it will flow out to others.??? Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, pp. 35-36

HEART QUESTIONS:

The work of sharing Christ is every believer?s responsibility. Using your personal influence to point to Jesus, to share about what He has done for you, and how He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, this is every Christian?s life calling. 

Do you have non-believing friends or co-workers in your life? Or have you locked yourself into an ?Adventist bubble?? Is there at least one non-Christian person in your life who is getting a taste of Jesus by spending time with you? Ask Jesus today to make you His delicious salt of the earth!

PRAISE REPORT: 

• Early results from a coronavirus vaccine trial show that participants developed antibodies against the virus. Praise God for this major step towards a cure through our immune system?s ability to create antibodies.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for the ministry of an Adventist-run center for refugees and migrants in Manaus, Brazil. They are caring for Venezuelans living as migrants in Brazil. Ask God to bless and replicate their creative ways of reaching out.
• Pray for God to bring the right guests to the health-food store and caf? called ?Lentil? in Yoshkar-Ola, Russia. Ask Him to bless their free cooking classes and other ways of reaching out.
• Pray for members and students of the Adventist church and school in Guinobatan, Philippines. The church school was severely damaged by a recent typhoon. Pray for all who are affected by various natural catastrophes around the world.
• Pray for the Shalem Lifestyle Center in Bogor, West Java. It has had very few guests since the Covid-19 outbreak and is struggling financially. Pray for them as they are conducting an online detox program using Zoom, so that many souls can be reached in this time of crisis. 

?Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.??? Matthew 5:11-12

?In every age God?s chosen messengers have been reviled and persecuted, yet through their affliction the knowledge of God has been spread abroad. Every disciple of Christ is to step into the ranks and carry forward the same work, knowing that its foes can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. God means that truth shall be brought to the front and become the subject of examination and discussion, even through the contempt placed upon it. The minds of the people must be agitated; every controversy, every reproach, every effort to restrict liberty of conscience, is God?s means of awakening minds that otherwise might slumber.? ? Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 33

HEART QUESTIONS:

When persecution comes, when your reputation is being slandered, when your life could be in danger, then Jesus? love and truth will shine the brightest. How you react, what you say, what you do when faced with these pressures, will greatly determine the impact your faithfulness can have on those who seek to ruin your life.

Why not ask Jesus to help you to be faithful and loving today and everyday so that you are able to show that same love even under persecution?

Will you pray to Him even now and ask Him to make you a true Christian who will stand for Jesus though the heaven?s fall?

PRAISE REPORT: 

• Pastors, church workers, teachers, and evangelistic initiatives around the world are struggling financially due to the decrease in tithes and offerings. But they are putting their trust in the God of miracles. God is opening many doors for even greater ministry to people with less resources than before.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for the Warwick Seventh-day Adventist Church?s mobile soup kitchen in Sydney, Australia, which serves up soup and is connecting with lonely people in their area. Please ask God to help them build connections in the community.
• Pray for the new medical school for East Africa in Kigali, Rwanda. Pray for the students who graduate from it, and the people they serve. 
• Pray for the rebuilding of the South Philippine Adventist College church which was destroyed in an earthquake in December 2019.
• Pray for a center of influence in the midst of a Muslim community in an unnamed city. Some of the Muslims have requested prayer for them during this Covid-19 crisis. They believe that Adventist?s prayers are heard by God.

?Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.???? Matthew 5:10

?Jesus does not present to His followers the hope of attaining earthly glory and riches, and of having a life free from trial, but He presents to them the privilege of walking with their Master in the paths of self-denial and reproach, because the world knows them not.? ? Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 29

HEART QUESTIONS:

When selfless-love, righteousness, holiness, and truth is being revealed by faithful Christians, Satan will arouse resistance and hatred amongst those who choose to ignore the Holy Spirit?s voice. We can have the assurance that in all persecution we might face, Jesus will be with us and will be glorifying Himself through our challenging experience.

Have you experienced persecution because of your faithfulness to Jesus? Why, or why not?

Will you choose today to cast off any desire to please the world, and prayerfully focus on revealing God?s glory, even if that might result in persecution?

PRAISE REPORTS: 

• Many churches are becoming creative in conducting their Sabbath services while physical distancing. 
• The pandemic has brought the importance of our health message to the forefront of members around the world. The interest in preventative health work, NEWSTART, etc. is growing. Now is a wonderful time to lead people to a comprehensive understanding of God?s laws of health and wholeness.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for the ministry of Norway?s oldest Adventist church, now adding a center of influence to provide free Norwegian classes for migrants, a cooking school, a conversation caf?, and more.
• Pray for the ministry of two new mobile health vans in Chiapas, Mexico. Pray for the patients they transport and the weekend medical brigades they support, making possible free medical checkups, minor surgeries, dental procedures, ultrasounds checks, eye exams and more.
• Pray for a revival of true godliness and a renewed interest in evangelism in each member and church around the world.
• Pray for the church in Burundi. It is going through various struggles and issues at this time. Only God?s intervention can bring peace.

?Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.??? Matthew 5:9

?Christ is ?the Prince of Peace??(Isaiah 9:6),?and it is His mission to restore to earth and heaven the peace that sin has broken. ?Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.??Romans 5:1. Whoever consents to renounce sin and open his heart to the love of Christ, becomes a partaker of this heavenly peace.??? Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 27

HEART QUESTIONS:

Salvation in Jesus gives us perfect peace. But Jesus is not calling us to only experience peace with God through a surrender of your life to Him. No, He also calls you to become an agent of peace ? a peacemaker. In this time of crisis, will you choose to be such an agent of peace? Will you do all you can to shine the peace of God ? His presence of love ? into the lives of those around you who live in anxiety and fear? 

If you have been the cause of strife and disputes in your family or church, will you seek forgiveness and spread God?s peace?

PRAISE REPORTS: 

• Julius S.: ?Because of the pandemic the Adventist Church in Sierra Leone is airing its services on national TV!?
• Cedrick B.: ?I was praying for personal revival. God answered my prayer with the 100 Days of Prayer.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for the ministry of Colombia Adventist University as they provide business opportunities to migrant families from Venezuela. Pray that many more families might be helped, both there and in other locations.  
• Pray for the radio outreach which began in Tokyo in 2017. Ask God to continue to open doors for Adventist radio broadcasts to continue reaching the people of Tokyo.
• Pray for the ?Mission to the Cities: Spokane? initiative, seeking to add urban centers of influence and more approaches to urban ministry to serve the people of Spokane, WA, USA.
• Pray for the Rwenzori region in Uganda, which has been hit by floods multiple times in the last few weeks.

By Melody Mason

I will never forget, a number of years ago, as I was preparing to lead a prayer service for a large event, how the Holy Spirit convicted me of something specific in my life that I needed to make right with God. Overwhelmed, I sank to my knees on the floor that night as I prayed, ?Oh Lord, please forgive me…? 

However, while I confessed my sin to God, certain steps were necessary to make proper amends. But I couldn?t take these steps immediately, so I wasn?t sure what to do. Should I still go forward with my prayer ministry responsibilities or should I get someone else to fill in for me until I had made things right?

As a respected leader in ministry, it was very humiliating to think of admitting to others that I had failed God in a specific area. I didn’t want to make a stir and appear spiritually weak to my teammates, or to the many strangers that were in attendance at the meetings. So, with a heavy heart and tears in my eyes, I went to sleep that night, determined that I would just ask someone else to lead the prayer service the next day.

However, the next morning as I set out to find someone to take my place, God stopped me in my tracks as the Holy Spirit began speaking to my heart. “Melody, you need to lead the prayer service this morning. Don?t get someone to replace you!? 

?Wait God?You can?t mean this?? I said as fresh tears came to my eyes. But the Holy Spirit continued to speak to my heart. 

?Yes, I want you to lead, however, you are not to lead it as the person you want everyone to think you are. Don?t you see? I?m not looking for people to lead who cover up their sins and go on as if everything is okay. I?m looking for yielded broken vessels; vessels that will humble themselves to such a degree that pride is gone. Only then can I really use them for My glory. I know this hurts, but you need to share with the congregation what I convicted you of last night. Be honest about how you?ve failed Me! Then invite them to come with you to the cross to put away all sin and compromise. You see, if people wait to come until they have everything in order, they will never come.?

Again, I began to protest. ?I can?t do this, Lord! What will everyone think when they see how I?ve failed You??

The Holy Spirit spoke softly to my heart as He turned my eyes toward heaven. ?It doesn?t matter what they think. This is not about protecting your reputation. This is about bringing glory to God. But, if He is to work, you must humble yourself.?

Oh, how I did not want to obey the Holy Spirit?s promptings that morning. If I could have run away like Jonah, or crawled in a cave, I would have done so immediately. But I knew what I must do. I had to obey.

Shaking and with tears in my eyes, I went before hundreds of people that morning and shared what the Lord had laid on my heart. You could have heard a pin drop in the room as everyone listened. ?Jesus tells us to come as we are,? I said softly, as I continued to the wipe tears away from my eyes. ?So, I?m coming as I am and I?m inviting you to join me at the foot of the cross.? 

At this invitation everyone got out of their chairs and came forward to the front of the room. There was soft weeping here and there as different people asked God?s forgiveness for those areas of sin and compromise that had crept into their lives. And the Holy Spirit was there. In the book Steps to Christ we are told:

?If you see your sinfulness, do not wait to make yourself better. How many there are who think they are not good enough to come to Christ. Do you expect to become better through your own efforts? ?Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.? Jeremiah 13:23. There is help for us only in God. We must not wait for stronger persuasions, for better opportunities, or for holier tempers. We can do nothing of ourselves. We must come to Christ just as we are.? (Steps to Christ, p. 31)

In hindsight, I think this was one of the most sweet, sacred prayer services I?ve ever experienced, for God did a deep work of cleansing among all of us that morning. Many hearts were broken, but how beautiful and healing the brokenness was. In Psalm 51:17 the Bible tells us, ?The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart?These, O God, You will not despise.?

What offering are you seeking to bring to God these days? Is it your best works, your best prayers, your best attempts to be a strong witness even in the midst of life-shattering events? Our best offering has nothing to do with our works, but is the complete brokenness of self, of pride and all self-sufficiency as we come to the foot of the cross. As the famous hymn Rock of Ages says so beautifully, ?Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling.? Let?s cling to that cross today!

Melody Mason is coordinator for the United in Prayer program for the General Conference. She also assists with resource development for the Revival and Reformation website and initiatives and is the author of Daring to Ask for More: Divine Keys to Answered Prayer. The story in this week?s devotional has been taken from her brand-new book just released in April titled, Daring to Live by Every Word: Loving God with Heart, Body, Mind and Soul.

HEART QUESTIONS: Where does God dwell (see Isaiah 57:15) and what are the results of godly sorrow (see 2 Corinthians 7:9-11)? What did David ask for in his prayer of repentance (see Psalm 51:1-19)? Contrast that with how Saul responded when reprimanded for his sins (1 Samuel 15:1-30). Which biblical character do you most identify with when you are shown your sins?the one who seeks to justify himself and to maintain honor with the people, or the one who openly acknowledges his sin with a broken heart of genuine repentance?

ACTIVE HEART CHALLENGE: Prayerfully read through the ?Beauty of Humility? as you go through this coming week. It?s not something we should evaluate just at the beginning of our spiritual journey, but all along the way. As you go through this heart challenge, ask God if there?s any pride in your life that you have yet to surrender, or anyone in your sphere of influence (family, friends, work colleagues) of whom you need to ask forgiveness. Then obey the Holy Spirit?s leading. (Psalm 66:18, Matthew 5:23-24, Proverbs 28:13, Matthew 6:14-15) 

?. . . however trifling this or that wrong act may seem in the eyes of men, no sin is small in the sight of God. Man?s judgment is partial, imperfect; but God estimates all things as they really are. The drunkard is despised and is told that his sin will exclude him from heaven; while pride, selfishness, and covetousness too often go unrebuked. But these are sins that are especially offensive to God; for they are contrary to the benevolence of His character, to that unselfish love which is the very atmosphere of the unfallen universe. He who falls into some of the grosser sins may feel a sense of his shame and poverty and his need of the grace of Christ; but pride feels no need, and so it closes the heart against Christ and the infinite blessings He came to give.? (Steps to Christ, p. 30)

Going Deeper  – Additional Reading Suggestions for this week:

• The Beauty of Humility – (Attached to this week?s reading)
• Melody Mason, Daring to Live by Every Word: Loving God with Heart, Body, Mind and Soul.

PRAISE REPORTS: 

• Marlynn W.: ?We praise the Lord that during the 100 Days of Prayer for the pandemic God has secured us with jobs, food, and shelter. The Lord has also convicted us to move out to the countryside. Additionally, He has given me an opportunity to witness to the Muslim community.? 
• Moses M.: ?Thank you to for praying for us. The Lord has heard your prayers! It is amazing! During the national lockdown period in Namibia, about 1100 people have enrolled in studying Bible lessons, 70% of which are not Seventh-day Adventists.?

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for students around the world who are unable to work due to the lockdowns. Pray that God will provide them with the financial means to pay for tuition.
• Pray for victims of domestic violence around the world.
• Pray for the family of Alexander Ostankin, a pastor who was murdered as he was ministering. Pray that God will turn the blood of this martyr into the seed of the gospel.
• Pray for those who are currently struggling with Covid-19. Pray for their full recovery.

?Blessed are?the pure in heart, for?they shall see God.??? Matthew 5:8

?The Holy Spirit takes the truth concerning God and Him whom He hath sent, and opens it to the understanding and to the heart. The pure in heart see God in a new and endearing relation, as their Redeemer; and while they discern the purity and loveliness of His character, they long to reflect His image. They see Him as a Father longing to embrace a repenting son, and their hearts are filled with joy unspeakable and full of glory.? ? Thoughts from The Mount of Blessing, p. 26

HEART QUESTIONS:

When we faithfully walk with God, He continually opens our eyes to more and more of an understanding of His character of love, His will, and His beauty. In the realization of His perfect holiness and purity our impurities come to light and we are invited to receive the cleansing only He can give. On this side of heaven, we see with the eye of faith, but one day soon, we shall see Him face to face! That will be a glorious day.

Until then, why not ask Him to cleanse our hearts from all impurity and filth? Why not actively search for an ever-clearer vision and understanding of our God and His will?

PRAISE REPORTS:

• Shana S.: ?During the 100 Days of Prayer I started praying for a friend of 20 years who, out of the blue, started to ignore me in 2017. Blocked me on her phone, etc. I had tried to reach out many times. No response. Our prayer leader encouraged us to cry out to God. I did. I called again. No response. The next day she called me back! She unblocked me and told me that I hadn?t done anything wrong. We reconnected and reconciled. God answers our prayers!?
• John K.: ?Here in Uganda the lockdown has left many starving. During a 100 Days of Prayer session, God gave me wisdom to help the starving children. I sent a message to 100 families from church and asked them to share food with starving people near them. This simple idea spread across the entire region through a journalist who shared it online. With the new connections we made we now started WhatsApp based evangelistic meetings!?

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for a pure heart, free from sin, cleansed from all impurity.
• Pray for funeral directors, morticians, embalmers and funeral service staff as they are in direct contact with many who have died of Covid-19. 
• Pray for the church in Fiji, as they are considering structural changes and stronger empowerment of the laity in taking ownership of various responsibilities.
• Pray for the ministry of the Harvest Seventh-day Adventist Church in Alabama, USA. They are located in a low income, high crime area, and have seen very little fruit in their soul-winning efforts. Pray for God to bring a breakthrough.

?Blessed are?the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.??? Matthew 5:7

?God is Himself the source of all mercy. His name is ?merciful and gracious.? Exodus 34:6. He does not treat us according to our desert. He does not ask if we are worthy of His love, but He pours upon us the riches of His love, to make us worthy. He is not vindictive. He seeks not to punish, but to redeem . . . He yearns with intense desire to relieve the woes of men and to apply His balsam to their wounds . . . The merciful are ?partakers of the divine nature,? and in them the compassionate love of God finds expression. All whose hearts are in sympathy with the heart of Infinite Love will seek to reclaim and not to condemn. Christ dwelling in the soul is a spring that never runs dry. Where He abides, there will be an overflowing of beneficence.??? Thoughts from The Mount of Blessing, p. 22

HEART QUESTIONS:

Take a moment and think about God?s mercy upon your life. He only looks out for your best, despite your unfaithfulness. He is not requiring you to prove your worth to Him in order to receive His gift of salvation. He treats you with love.

When you experience and internalize God?s mercy, the Holy Spirit will enable you to become an agent of mercy; treating those around you with the same kind of love and mercy. Especially those who have wronged you.

Will you choose today, with the help of Jesus, to extend God?s mercy to people in your life? Forgiving them before they ask for it, loving them before being given a reason to? Desiring their best no matter if they are worth it or not?

PRAISE REPORTS:

• Elham L.: ?I have been asking God for a deeper relationship with him. Since incorporating the 100 Days of Prayers on a daily basis into my daily devotions using a prayer journal my prayer life has been revitalized. It?s mind-blowing!?
• Sherma J.: ?God answered a prayer for a missing member. She ignored my attempts to call her. When I visited, she would just talk about her problems and not let me say anything. I prayed for God to work on her heart and instead of me trying to call her that she would call me. Two weeks later she called and said that her problems are gone and she wants to come back to church and recommit her life to God!?

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for God to make you an agent of mercy to the people in your life.
• Pray for students who are struggling to come up with school fees in order to receive an education. Pray that they will experience God?s leading in their education.
• Pray for the people and members in Zimbabwe. The majority of them can not afford to stay on lockdown. The health care system is unable to deal with the Covid-19 crisis.
• Pray for various pastors in Indonesia who have contracted Covid-19.
• Pray for God to bless the outreach of students in Brazil who are volunteering to produce hand sanitizer for the elderly.

?Blessed are those who hunger and?thirst?for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.? ? Matthew 5:6

?Righteousness is holiness, likeness to God, and ?God is love.? 1 John 4:16. It is conformity to the law of God, for ?all Thy commandments are righteousness? (Psalm 119:172), and ?love is the fulfilling of the law? (Romans 13:10). Righteousness is love, and love is the light and the life of God. The righteousness of God is embodied in Christ. We receive righteousness by receiving Him.???Thoughts from The Mount of Blessing, p. 18

HEART QUESTIONS:

Do you hunger and thirst for Christ?s righteousness? 

His life of perfect selfless love and His substitutional death provides you with a twofold gift of justifying grace: 1.) His imputed righteousness, which is the promise that you are covered by His perfect life through faith in that promise. 2.) His imparted righteousness, which is the promise that He will transform you from a being of selfishness, into a being that reflects the selfless love of Jesus, through living faith in that promise.

This twofold gift will fulfill you; it will truly satisfy you; it will save you! Why not accept it today and start living a happy and Jesus-filled life in the awareness of this amazing reality of God?s redemptive love?

PRAISE REPORTS:

• Jane D.: ?God healed the sick who I prayed for. He also amazingly touched the hearts of my family.?
• Marcia N.: ?My daughter has been addicted to drugs for many years, was homeless and even went to jail. Our prayer group started praying for her and as a result she is now in a facility getting help, her health is improving, she has a renewed interest in God, and she is reading Spirit of Prophecy books. She said that it is God who helped her. I praise God for His love for us and helping us through these heartbreaking years. Weeping endures for a night, but JOY comes in the morning!?

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for Christ?s righteousness to cover and fill you.
• Pray for God to intervene in the outbreak of cerebrospinal meningitis in the upper west region of Ghana. This outbreak has already killed many people in that region.
• Pray for churches that have become inactive since the Covid-19 outbreak. Pray for pastors, church leaders, and members to know how to best connect at this time. Pray for a new focus on the importance of prayer.
• Pray for members in Myanmar as they utilize the internet to spread the gospel in this time of crisis.

?Blessed are?those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.??? Matthew 5:4

?The mourning here brought to view is true heart sorrow for sin . . . And as one is drawn to behold Jesus uplifted on the cross, he discerns the sinfulness of humanity. He sees that it is sin which scourged and crucified the Lord of glory. He sees that, while he has been loved with unspeakable tenderness, his life has been a continual scene of ingratitude and rebellion. He has forsaken his best Friend and abused heaven?s most precious gift. He has crucified to himself the Son of God afresh and pierced anew that bleeding and stricken heart. He is separated from God by a gulf of sin that is broad and black and deep, and he mourns in brokenness of heart. Such mourning ?shall be comforted.? God reveals to us our guilt that we may flee to Christ, and through Him be set free from the bondage of sin, and rejoice in the liberty of the sons of God. In true contrition we may come to the foot of the cross, and there leave our burdens.??? Thoughts from The Mount of Blessing, pp. 9-10

HEART QUESTIONS:

Have you ever taken time to fully realize what Jesus accomplished for you in the darkest hours of His dying? As you behold the uplifted, crucified, sin-bearing Savior, will you let these scenes penetrate your heart? As you internalize His agony of experiencing the second death in your place, will you let it open your eyes to see the filthiness of your favorite sins? Why not today start mourning for your sins, especially for those which you have been unwilling to give up? Confess them to Jesus! He will gladly forgive you. He will comfort you. And He will give you victory.

PRAISE REPORTS:

• Diane T.: ?Praising God for the opportunity to attend the Virtual ARME Bible Camp! What a rich blessing during this time.?
• Iris R.: ?I was addicted to binge-watching Netflix. I would read a few Bible verses and try to justify myself, and then continue watching. After a week of prayer at our school God convicted me to delete the app. After a while I went back on and started to watch only Bible movies, but I couldn?t control myself, I was back under Satan?s control. I cried out to God. The next day my pastor gave me as a present the Andrews Study Bible. I rejoiced, and with tears thanked God for His intervention. He reminded me of Philippians 2:13 ?for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.? I praise God for convicting me and fulfilling His promise.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for a clearer understanding of what really happened at the cross. Pray for God to help you hate sin, and love righteousness.
• Pray for the canvassing work in Malawi as well as for financial support to start a sanitarium and medical missionary work in that region.
• Pray that people won?t get derailed with conspiracy theories, but fix their eyes upon Jesus, and His truth.
• Pray for the members of the Peter?s Rest Seventh-day Adventist Church on St. Croix, Virgin Islands. Their church building completely burned down. Pray for wisdom as to how to move forward. Pray that this loss will be turned into a victory for Jesus.

?Blessed are?the poor in spirit, for?theirs is the kingdom of heaven.? ? Matthew 5:3

?Those who know that they cannot possibly save themselves, or of themselves do any righteous action, are the ones who appreciate the help that Christ can bestow. They are the poor in spirit, whom He declares to be blessed. Whom Christ pardons, He first makes penitent, and it is the office of the Holy Spirit to convince of sin. Those whose hearts have been moved by the convicting Spirit of God see that there is nothing good in themselves. They see that all they have ever done is mingled with self and sin. Like the poor publican, they stand afar off, not daring to lift up so much as their eyes to heaven, and cry, ?God, be merciful to me the sinner?. . .?All who have a sense of their deep soul poverty, who feel that they have nothing good in themselves, may find righteousness and strength by looking unto Jesus.??
? Thoughts from The Mount of Blessing, pp. 7-8

HEART QUESTIONS:

Self-righteousness ? the all-permeating and often subconscious attitude that deceives us into thinking and feeling that we are good ? is the greatest hindrance in truly receiving personal salvation in Jesus. When we realize our spiritual poverty, our life-long, desperate need for Jesus, and as a result trust solely in Him, moment by moment, to fully and completely heal us from every last trace of selfishness, only then can we have the assurance of salvation.

Today, why not come to Jesus as you are, with your broken, sinful self? Why not claim only His blood, His life and death, as a means for salvation? Why not ask Him to uproot all self-reliance that is still in your heart and replace it with a faith in His ability to save you, and to empower you to do good works motivated by selfless love?

PRAISE REPORTS:

• Nolubabalo D.: ?Thank you Lord for your hand over Africa. Thank you for your protection. Thank you for taking care of my kids in my absence. You are worthy of all praise.?
• Philippe M.: ?In our town of Kananga, there were no radio broadcasts before the Covid-19 lockdowns, but at this time of crisis we have four broadcasts each week on four local radio stations. We praise God for that!?

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for Jesus to cleanse you from all self-righteousness and give you a realization of your great daily and lifelong need of Him.
• Pray for evangelists in South Africa who are struggling with various health issues and stress. Pray that they will be healed and enabled to find ways to preach the gospel even now.
• Pray for Brother Samuel S. He is suffering from excruciating pain in his lower body and doctors do not know what is wrong. Also, pray for Sister Tabitha N. who has been diagnosed with a hole in her heart and is in great pain. Pray for their healing and the healing of many others who are suffering at this time.
• Pray for the Chinese Ministry Center in Jakarta, Indonesia as they are conducting online evangelistic meetings every Sabbath from May 9 until June 20, 2020. The first meeting drew around 3000 viewers and more than 260 signed up for Bible studies.

?Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.? ? Psalm 139:23-24

Years ago, early in my ministry, I was invited to conduct a Week of Spiritual Emphasis at a Christian elementary school. As the week progressed, it became obvious to me that two of the teachers were having a serious conflict. Their negative attitudes toward one another regularly boiled over in staff meetings. If one suggested an idea, the other opposed it. When both of them were present in a meeting, tension filled the air. It was apparent that they did not like one another at all.

Toward the end of the week, I preached on Christ?s great intercessory prayer in John 17. Jesus was about ready to leave His disciples. Soon He would be betrayed and crucified. He would rise from the grave and ascend to His Father. His earnest prayer reflects what was on His heart. It reveals what was on His mind just before His death on the cross. The Savior was concerned about the unity of the church. He prayed, ?That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent me? (John 17:21). Christ longed that the dissension, jealousy, striving for supremacy, and conflict between His disciples cease. He prayed that their unity, in spite of all their differences, would reveal to the world the power of His love. 

As I shared the longing of Jesus? heart with these students and teachers, something remarkable happened. The last night of our Week of Spiritual Emphasis, we scheduled a foot washing and Communion service. The Holy Spirit broke through. God moved powerfully. The two teachers who experienced such division knelt at each other?s feet. The Spirit of God broke down the barriers. They embraced, confessed their negative attitudes and prayed together.

The disciples experienced this same sweet repentance and humility during the 10 days in the upper room that preceded Pentecost. During those ten days, the disciples confessed their petty differences toward one another. They repented of their jealousy and pride. And their hearts were filled with love for Christ who had given His all for them. How they wished they could live the last three and a half years over again. 

Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever wished that you could go back and correct your past mistakes?

When we see God?s loving-kindness and observe the righteousness of His character, we recognize our weakness, shortcomings, and sins. In the blazing light of His unconditional love and perfection, our hearts are humbled. We are led to deep confession and repentance. We cry out to Him for the salvation and righteousness that only He can provide. When we are overwhelmed with His holiness, with the prophet Isaiah, we cry out, ?Woe is me, for I am undone!? (Isa. 6:5). Self-examination may not always be the most pleasant experience, but it is absolutely necessary. In self-examination we ask God, ?Is there anything in my life that is not in harmony with Your will?? We pray, ?Lord, reveal those attitudes deep within my soul that are not like Jesus.?

God?s goal in this process is to lead us closer to Him. He does not want us to wallow in guilt or be filled with remorse over our past lives. His goal is to lead us ?in the way everlasting.? Although it is healthy to take a candid look at our own spiritual lives, it is unhealthy to dwell on the faults of our past lives. Dwelling on our faults and focusing too long on our mistakes only discourages us.

Always remember, our Lord is bigger than our mistakes and greater than our failures. We certainly need to honestly know our condition?but it is much more important to know His grace. Understanding our weakness prepares us to receive His strength. Understanding our sinfulness prepares us to receive His righteousness. Understanding our ignorance prepares us to receive His wisdom. The purpose of the Holy Spirit?s conviction is to lead us to Jesus. As we recognize our sins and mistakes through a process of self-examination, we can thank God that the Holy Spirit is leading us closer to Jesus, and as a result to each other. The convicting power of the Holy Spirit is preparing us to receive the fullness of the Spirit in latter-rain power. But before God makes us, He must break us. Before He fills us, He must empty us. Before He is enthroned in our hearts, self must be dethroned. 

Mark Finley is an assistant to the General Conference president. 

HEART QUESTIONS: Where is your heart today? Have you experienced the sweet gift of repentance? If so, is your life different from what it was before? Have you come to experience God?s grace in a new way? Have you learned to extend that grace to others?  

ACTIVE HEART CHALLENGE: Ask God to reveal those things in your life that may be taking your time, your attention, and or diverting your affections from Jesus. As you consider Isaiah 59:1-2, and 1 John 1:9, pray and ask God to reveal any spiritual breaches that may be in your life. Pray that He would remove them, and for a deeper filling of the Holy Spirit.

?Repentance includes sorrow for sin and a turning away from it. We shall not renounce sin unless we see its sinfulness; until we turn away from it in heart, there will be no real change in the life. There are many who fail to understand the true nature of repentance. Multitudes sorrow that they have sinned and even make an outward reformation because they fear that their wrongdoing will bring suffering upon themselves. But this is not repentance in the Bible sense ? [Such was the case of Esau, Balaam, Judas Iscariot and even Pharaoh. In contrast] ? David saw the enormity of his transgression; he saw the defilement of his soul; he loathed his sin. It was not for pardon only that he prayed, but for purity of heart? ? Steps to Christ, pp. 23-25

Going Deeper  – Additional Reading Suggestions for this week:

• Ellen White,?Steps to Christ,?Ch. 3??Repentance?
• Mark Finley,?10 Days in the Upper Room

PRAISE REPORTS:

• Jinia Y.: ?I praise God for the media ministries. The sermons and testimonies that we can watch online help me cope with the pain that I am having during this time of isolation.?
• Yvonne L.: ?I received a call through my work to assist somebody who I had never met before. I prayed about it and went to see this person. Through the conversation, it turned out that this person used to be an Adventist leader who had left the church.  I was able to pray with him and he admitted that he felt the Holy Spirit calling him back. I praise God who not only provides opportunities to witness but instructs us how to respond.?

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for areas where Covid-19 seems to be flaring up again such as Wuhan, China and other cities and regions in China.
• Pray for Adventist teachers in government-run schools across Thailand. There is a good chance that once school starts again, the government will implement Saturday classes to make up for the lost time. Pray for strengthened faith for the teachers and for them to stand as Daniel?s three friends stood.
• Pray for the small groups, outdoor churches, and evangelistic meetings that have developed across Papua New Guinea due to the closure of churches.
• Pray for the Omega Seventh-day Adventist Church?s warming center ministry in New Haven, Connecticut, U.S., serving the city?s homeless population with adaptations for distancing during the Covid-19 pandemic.

?For?though I am free from all,?I have made myself a servant to all, that I might?win more of them ? I have become all things to all people, that?by all means I might save some.?? ? 1 Corinthians 9:19, 22b

?Every true disciple is born into the kingdom of God as a missionary.??? Desire of Ages, 195

HEART QUESTION:

Missionary work, evangelism, these are not fields of service reserved only for the pastor or trained evangelist. Every believer, in whose heart Jesus dwells through the Spirit, is called to shine a light in this world through words of truth and actions of love.

Why not ask Christ right now to show you who and where your mission field is today? Plead for genuine compassion for lost souls and the courage to share your faith with love to the people in your sphere of influence.

PRAISE REPORTS:

• Makoba Family: ?The 100 Days of Prayer have been a good experience for us as a family. Although the situation around us seems fearful, as a family we are taking this period to recommit our lives to Jesus by following the 100 Days of Prayer program seriously.?
• The ?One Year in Mission? youth team in Guwahati, India, was able to reach hundreds of Hindus with the health message just prior to the Covid-19 lock down.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for clarity as to what God?s mission for you is where you are at right now. Pray that God will help you to be faithful in sharing Christ with the people around you through your words, actions and conduct.
• Pray for all Adventist Hospitals as they have many needs during this crisis. Pray that the doctors and nurses and staff are empowered by the Holy Spirit to be witnesses to their patients.
• Pray for the church?s ?Life Hope Centers? around the world to be a beacon of light during these dark days.
• Pray for major cities in your territory and for God to give us a breakthrough in reaching the people in these places.
• Pray for frontline missionaries, especially in the 10/40 window who are seeking to bring Jesus into communities that have been ruled by Satan for thousands of years.

?Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.? 

? Acts 4:32 

?The converts to the gospel were ?of one heart and of one soul.? One common interest controlled them?the success of the mission entrusted to them; and covetousness had no place in their lives. Their love for their brethren and the cause they had espoused, was greater than their love of money and possessions. Their works testified that they accounted the souls of men of higher value than earthly wealth. Thus it will ever be when the Spirit of God takes possession of the life.? ? Acts of the Apostles, 70

HEART QUESTION:

There are times when we might get frustrated with our local church or even the global church. Yet, we know that the church is Christ?s bride. If Jesus is so committed to His church, shouldn?t we be committed to her as well? The early Christians were filled with the Spirit and willing to sacrifice all for God?s church and mission. Why not ask God today to forgive you any sinful attitude you might have against His bride, and ask Him to baptize you with His Spirit, empowering you to seek unity, and to live sacrificially in order to support and bless your local church community.

PRAISE REPORTS:

• We praise God for 900 new churches planted over the last few years in the North American Division.
• In the South American Division Bible study requests have increased 5x since this crisis began!

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for the church in the country of Gabon. Pray for its members to have courage and wisdom in reaching their fellow citizen. Pray especially for a group in Akanda who is trying to minister to those with disabilities.
• Pray for your local church?s needs. Spiritual and physical needs. Pray for unity, healing, and a renewed commitment to outreach and mission activities.
• Pray for the pastors and church leaders of the Haitian Union. Pray for the churches in some regions of Haiti that are full of armed gangs. Pray for spiritual, physical, financial, and mental health of the members in Haiti.
• Pray for members who have embraced a wrong or twisted view of doctrines and are actively trying to deceive others.
• Pray for former members who have split away from the church and formed their own groups or denominations. Pray that they will be led into the truth.

?Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord ? Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ? Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right ? Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger,?but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.??? Ephesians 5:22, 25; 6:1, 4

?The cause of division and discord in families and in the church is separation from Christ. To come near to Christ is to come near to one another. The secret of true unity in the church and in the family is not diplomacy, not management, not a superhuman effort to overcome difficulties?though there will be much of this to do?but union with Christ.? ? The Adventist Home, 179

HEART QUESTIONS:

Your spouse and family are people in your life towards whom you have a solemn duty: To love, support and disciple them into a joyful, loving, relationship with Jesus. Will you today commit to extend the same grace, forgiveness and love that Jesus has shown to you to your spouse and family? Is it your desire to be a spiritual leader for your home? Ask Jesus today for a deeper walk and union with Him so that you can be a better reflection of Him to your spouse and family.

PRAISE REPORTS:

• Prosper O.: ?Yes! Irrespective of COVID-19, I will still sing praises to the LORD Most High.?
• Jon W.: ?This crisis has given me a renewed desire to have an even closer walk with Christ!?

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for your spouse, parents, children, siblings, and extended family. Pray that they will know the Lord Jesus Christ. Pray that you will be the spouse, parents, sibling, and son/daughter that Christ wants you to be.
• Pray for the June 6 ?Marriage & Family Day of Prayer? organized by General Conference Family Ministries (family.adventist.org) .
• Pray for single people who feel very lonely at this time. Pray for them to see the blessings of singleness as it relates to serving God. Pray that if it is God?s will, that they will find godly spouses.
• Pray for individuals who are struggling with addictions.
• Pray for a member in Trinidad whose daughter was killed two years ago, and whose son was killed this past March. Pray for her to be comforted and also for protection over the rest of her family.

?A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.??? Proverbs 18:24

?Jonathan, by birth heir to the throne, yet knowing himself set aside by the divine decree; to his rival the most tender and faithful of friends, shielding David?s life at the peril of his own; ? the name of Jonathan is treasured in heaven, and it stands on earth a witness to the existence and the power of unselfish love.???? Education, 157

HEART QUESTIONS:

Jonathan and David?s friendship had a spiritual quality and depth that is rarely seen anymore. Their friendship was based on a holy covenant of mutual spiritual support and commitment. Do you have spiritual friends? Are you a spiritual friend to somebody else? Why not choose to commit to the spiritual development of your friends by putting personal desires and pleasures aside, and committing time and love to support your friends in their walk with Christ?

PRAISE REPORTS:

• The ItIsWritten online evangelistic meetings are reporting amazing results with thousands of people participating and many making decisions for Jesus. Seekers are connecting with local Adventist churches for follow up.
• Many former Adventist members are reconnecting with the church thanks for the increased online outreach activities.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for your friends. Especially those who do not know Christ or have lost their way. Pray that God will give you the courage to be a positive, proactive, spiritual influence in their lives.
• Pray for evangelistic meetings planned in the Rift Valley in Kenya, which is an unentered territory for our church.
• Pray for the Phoenix Beacon Light SDA Church?s community center as new members are getting it ready to serve their community.

?Aaron spoke all the words that the Lord had spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people. And the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.??? Exodus 4:30-31

?You desire to give yourself to Him, but you are weak in moral power, in slavery to doubt, and controlled by the habits of your life of sin. Your promises and resolutions are like ropes of sand. You cannot control your thoughts, your impulses, your affections. The knowledge of your broken promises and forfeited pledges weakens your confidence in your own sincerity, and causes you to feel that God cannot accept you; but you need not despair. What you need to understand is the true force of the will. This is the governing power in the nature of man, the power of decision, or of choice. Everything depends on the right action of the will. The power of choice God has given to men; it is theirs to exercise. You cannot change your heart, you cannot of yourself give to God its affections; but you can?choose?to serve Him. You can give Him your will; He will then work in you to will and to do according to His good pleasure. Thus your whole nature will be brought under the control of the Spirit of Christ; your affections will be centered upon Him, your thoughts will be in harmony with Him.? ?? Steps to Christ, 47

HEART QUESTIONS:

When faced with the reality of God?s loving promise of salvation from slavery, the people of Israel?s reaction was one of surrender, commitment and worship. 

As you contemplate God?s incredible love for you, will you choose today to respond to Him with the same kind of attitude? Will you give Him your will, your life, your heart?

God is good. He desires to help and heal. The process can hurt at times, but it is worth it. Why not let go of the world, surrender, and commit your life and will to God today and worship Him?

PRAISE REPORTS:

• Covid-19 restrictions have led to an increase of interest in the gospel in the Middle East. Various individuals, while staying anonymous have connected online with the church.
• Massive prayer movements are taking place in the Inter-American Division. 

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for Literature Evangelists around the world who are financially affected by the pandemic. Pray for ways for our literature to still spread during this time and for many to be blessed by reading them.
• Pray for those faithful members who are serving with food banks at this time. Pray that they are protected from the virus as they do this service of love for their communities.
• Pray for laymen, Bible workers, and evangelists who are dependent on farming and other self-supportive measures to sustain themselves and their families. Pray for those living and serving in regions that are affected by heavy droughts.

?God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.? ? Romans 5:8

?As soon as there was sin, there was a Saviour. Christ knew that He would have to suffer, yet He became man?s substitute. As soon as Adam sinned, the Son of God presented Himself as surety for the human race.??? In Heavenly Places, 13.2

HEART QUESTION:

When Adam and Eve sinned it was God who, despite having been rejected and sinned against, took the first step towards humanity. He came with an attitude of grace, forgiveness and with the promise, that Jesus will crush the serpent Satan (Genesis 3:15) and become the Sacrifice for their salvation. Christ is still walking towards you with that same attitude. He is committed to you and your salvation. Will you run into His loving arms today and accept His cleansing blood and His righteousness?

PRAISE REPORTS: 

• Dr. Hammel?s healing from Covid-19 (Medical doctor in Berrien Springs) after much intercession from community of faith.
• The church in China is thriving despite restrictions due to Covid-19 and communism. Hundreds of thousands are connected online for worship.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for God to open your eyes to His endless love for you. Ask Him to show you more of His loving character each day.
• Pray for church leaders and members in Indonesia where some have been infected by Covid-19 and passed away.
• Pray for Papua New Guinea as the country is not adequately equipped to handle a massive outbreak of Covid-19.

PRAISE REPORTS: 

• Elizabeth W.: ?I praise God for His healing power!?
• Member in the U.K.: ?Praise God for hearing our prayer and miraculously providing food and financial help just at the right time. Also, for healing my back problems!?
• Scientists are eagerly working on finding a vaccination and remedies that help to slow down the virus. Much progress has been made and there is hope!

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Pray for a willing heart to be used by God whenever and wherever He calls.
• Pray all the online evangelism and digital church activities will be utilized and greatly blessed.
• Pray for young people who are in the valley of decision for or against Christ. Pray that they will experience the love and truth of Jesus and gladly serve Him all their lives.
• Pray for the many church groups around the world who don?t have a building to meet in and are seeking to find land. Pray also for God to awaken all members to engage in church-planting activities.