B is for Broken

After a sermon on hospitality today at church, we sang the following song in closing. I would encourage you to listen to it, meditate on the lyrics, and pray that God would move you to love more, help more, and invite others in often. In our culture, we're too self focused, and we lock ourselves into our own bubbles. That is the exact opposite of what Peter tells us to do in 1 Peter 4:9 -
Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

Use my hands, use my feet
To make your kingdom come
To the corners of the earth
Until your work is done
'Cause Faith without works is dead

And I give all myself.
Yes, I give all myself.
And I give all myself... to you.

And I'll follow you into the homes that are broken
Follow you into the world.
Meet the needs for the poor and the needy God.
Follow you into the World.

Who do you rub shoulders with on a daily basis? Who have you rubbed shoulders with in the last week? The last month? When was the last time you invited someone into your home for a meal? When was the last time you helped someone in need? Are you being the hands and feet of Jesus?

Don't take me wrong - I'm not pointing my fingers at you! I'm just as guilty as most of you probably are. My heart is broken for this world, yet I, too, get sucked into my life, my schedule, my work, my...(you fill in the blank). I forget that I don't have to be in Peru to make a difference. I can be Jesus's hands and feet right here in my hometown. I can be His hands and feet in my job every day.

The more I read Operation World Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation, the more my heart breaks for this world. I feel a little piece of me being left with each nation as I pray for it. I feel more empowered to change this world through prayer, and I feel a deeper passion to continue to pray, pray, pray.

This week I spent time in prayer for three nations. See below on how you can continue to be praying for the nations I prayed for this week. 

Belgium (Europe)

• Answers to Prayer
• Evangelical faith has never been stronger.
• There is a developing vision for missions.
• Challenges for Prayer
• Belgium is a deeply divided nations. Pray for unity.
• Catholicism is in rapid decline with atheists and nonreligious on the rise.
• Rapid secularization has brought liberal laws that undermine the sanctity of life and marriage.
• Increasing drug use and sexual immorality. 
• Spiritually one of the most needy in Europe - Spiritual apathy and faith nearly banished from the public sphere.

Belize (Latin America)

• Belize has the highest cost of living in central America, yet poverty is very widespread.
• There is a largely professing Christian population, yet only 10% attend church regularly.
• Syncretism is common - many believe in and practice superstitions, black magic, and paganism from traditional religions.
• Widespread legalism.
• HIV/AIDS is a serious threat with a 2.4% infection rate - the highest in Central America.

Benin (Africa)

• One of the world's poorest countries. 
• Average yearly income: $828
• Literacy Rate: 33.6%
• One of the world's 20 least developed countries.
• High black market (75%)
• Child smuggling to other countries for labor by the ten thousands.
• Great freedom to minister and evangelize.
• Current leader is an open Christian.
• Evangelicals have grown from 50,000 in 1980 to over 770,000 in 2010.
• Christianity is poised to become the main religion, yet many who attend church on Sunday continue to visit witch doctors during the week.
• Pray for deepened, true faith and discipleship for believers.
• Media opportunities are highly strategic due to the low literacy rate. Very few Bibles translated into the native language.