2013 Prayer Calendar - September

September 2013 - Charity and Not for Profit Welfare

Charity is held to be the ultimate perfection of the human spirit, because it is said to both glorify and reflect the nature of God. Confusion can arise from the multiple meanings of the English word love. The love that is caritas is distinguished by its origin, being divinely infused into the soul, and by its residing in the will rather than emotions, regardless of what emotions it stirs up. According to St. Thomas Aquinas, charity is an absolute requirement for happiness, which he holds as man's last goal.

Charity has two parts: love of God and love of man, which includes both love of one's neighbor and one's self.

The Apostle Paul describes it in his First Letter to the Church at Corinth, chapter 13 (KJV):

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

A story of Sacred Place

In Rio a group of Christians was working with street children, of whom there are twenty-five million in Brazil. Everyday boys from the street got together at one sport to chat, to discuss their problems and to share their fears and anger with one another. Many came regularly. The church people considered of a Catholic priest, a Methodist, a priest of the Umbanda cult, a Presbyterian and a young Lutheran pastor.

One day one of the boys said: "I would like to be baptized"

"In which church, then?" Asked the Catholic priest.

"Which church? In ours here of course"

"But to which church building would you like to go?"

"Building? No, to our church here on the street. I want to be baptized here among us."

The Methodist said he couldn't issue a certificate.

The Catholic priest thought it wouldn't be possible to perform jointly with the man from Umbanda cult.

The boy stuck by his wish. Finally the Lutheran pastor organised the necessary things. He laid a board over two crates and filled an old boot with water for flowers, which the children provided. The Catholic brought along a candle.

The baptism took place on the street, in the name of Jesus Christ.

(From The Way of the Cross in Latin America ™, Joice Irwin [Mowbray 1993] p.78)

God, as the source of all life and all goodness, deserves our love, and that love is not something that we can confine to attending Mass or Service on Sundays. We exercise the theological virtue of charity whenever we express our love for God, but that expression does not have to take the form of a verbal declaration of love.

Sacrifice for God's sake, the curbing of our passions in order to draw closer to Him; the practice of the spiritual works of mercy in order to bring other souls to God, and the corporal works of mercy to show the proper love and respect for God's creatures. These, along with prayer and worship, fulfill our duty to "love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind" (Matthew 22:37).

Charity fulfills this duty, but also transforms it; through this virtue, we desire to love God not simply because we must but because we recognise that (in the words of the Act of Contrition) He is "all good and deserving of all of my love." The exercise of the virtue of charity increases that desire within our souls, drawing us further into the inner life of God, which is characterised by the love of the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity. Thus, St. Paul rightly refers to charity as "the bond of perfection" (Colossians 3:14), because the more perfect our charity, the closer our souls are to the inner life of God.

This month we are praying for Non-profit and Charitable organisations

In Australia, non-profit organizations can be categorized variously: Unincorporated Associations, Co-operative Societies, Incorporated Associations, Not-for-profit Companies, and Trusts.

A Nonprofit organisation in Australia can have a number of legal formats depending on the needs and activities of the organisation in question. As a legal entity, the organisation may be a co-operative society, a company limited by guarantee, an incorporated association or society by the Associations Incorporation Act 1985 or an incorporated association or council by the Commonwealth Aboriginal Councils and Associations Act 1976.

To know more about legal and government law for Charitable Organizations in Australia, click here www.pc.gov.au

A Prayer

Lord we ask you that you provide provision for these organisations so they will be able to continue the serve you in a mighty way.

Father, in the name of Jesus Christ we pray and confess that the Spirit of the Lord, the spirit of Wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge shall rest upon all people who work for non-profit and charitable organisations.

Lord you have anointed them and qualified them to serve and preach the Gospel, you have opened doors for them to provide their services for the welfare of our societies; we ask your blessings upon them, your provision upon them, your safety upon them, upon all the properties, the people, the transactions, the funding. We pray for more donations to come in for the services that they provide.

Lord we uphold a new government to provide more support and favor for them.

Lord we pray that a river of blessing will flow over all these organisations in Australia, so they provide support for international works.

Lord we pray that many people will provide monthly donations for charitable organisations and we believe that you are the provider and the reward will be double and triple.

Charity and Non-profit Organisations

  • Mission Australia - missionaustralia.com.au - Prayer Points:
    • Unity of the leadership team and board
    • Protection of health and energy in the leadership team and staff
    • Opportunity under the new government
    • Provision of finances and support of fundraising initiatives to serve the marginalised in our nation
    • For leadership team and Board as we provide programs to assist Australians in need that they would experience freedom and be able to stand for themselves
    • For the 4000 staff who deliver these services that they would do so with wisdom, joy, patience and perseverance.
  • Gospel for Asia - www.gospelforasia.org.au - was commenced over 43 years ago in a prayer meeting with just a few believers praying over a world map. Today, it is one of the largest evangelical ministries in South Asia, and God is doing 'God sized' things through His servants who are serving Him wholeheartedly there.
    • An Eternal Perspective - In our busy lives, it is easy to be so preoccupied with our own dreams and pursuits that we lose our eternal perspective. Both the joys of heaven and the crying needs of a lost world can seem unreal and far away. But the harsh reality is that 2.7 billion people of our generation are still unreached with the Gospel. What answers are we prepared to give to the living God when He asks about the blood of these multitudes on our hands?
    • A Great Privilege - Today, we have the great privilege of helping them come to know Jesus. If we will commit to live for what is eternal, this generation can be reached with the Gospel.
    • Our Focus - Sending Native Missionaries - Gospel for Asia trains and sends national workers because they have proven extremely effective. There are now well over 17,500 supported missionaries serving in fourteen countries. They are already familiar with the language and culture, and they live at the level of the people they serve, thus removing many social barriers. By God's grace, Native missionaries are planting over sixteen churches per day across South Asia.
    • 100 Percent Goes to the Field - Gospel for Asia sends 100 percent of the money donated for work on the mission field to the field. Nothing is taken out for administrative expenses.
    • Through the Eyes of Jesus - I pray that Gospel for Asia will become like a bridge, giving you the opportunity to walk away from your own preoccupations to the harvest fields of Asia - and see the perishing multitudes through the eyes of Jesus. May you allow God to use your life to change the destiny of millions through your prayers and partnership with our national brothers and sisters. A hundred years from now, you will be glad you did!
    Our primary roles in our Australian office, are to raise awareness, prayer and practical support for the mission field, communication between the mission field and donors, and the administration necessities to provide accountable and transparent transfer of donors funds.
  • The Holy Spirit Community charity - we are supporting destitute families in the Phillipines. We amass clothing, shoes, bags, ornaments, books, etc, and send it in packing cases to them so that they can sell the goods and support themselves. Often we have much stock to send, but no money to send it. A packing case costs $80.00 AUD to have delivered.
    At present we have no stock and only a small amount of money. We have run this charity purely on divine providence and would appreciate your prayers added to ours in this matter.
    Bless you all and may God bless all your personal intentions as well.
  • Micah Challenge - www.micahchallenge.org.au - a global movement of Christian agencies, churches, groups and individuals which aims to deepen people's engagement with the poor and to help reduce poverty as an integral part of our Christian faith. We have been running a national campaign 'Finish the Race' in the lead up to the Federal Election asking our nation's leaders to keep their promises to commit 0.5%GNI to foreign aid to help halve global poverty by 2015.
    Prayer points:
    • Pray for patience and trust in God's sovereignty as we feel the disappointment of the projected aid cuts over the next 4 years by the newly elected Coalition government.
    • Pray for our nation's leaders to have wisdom, and a focus on leadership that seeks to serve not only themselves, but the disadvantaged, including the poorest people around the world.
    • Pray for Micah Challenge and our coalition partners as we work out how to move forward and engage with supporters, politicians and the wider Australian public on issues of justice and foreign aid.
    • Give thanks for all the individuals, churches, schools and community groups that have advocated for the poor this year by holding events and forums as part of our 'Finish the Race' campaign. Pray that people in their communities will continue to be impacted by the plight of the poor and want to support a more compassionate and generous government.
    • Pray for people around the world who live in poverty or are victims of oppression, that God may be their hope and strength. Pray that NGOs, churches and governments around the world would prioritise helping improve the livelihoods of the poor and vulnerable.
  • Genr8 Schools Ministries - genr8.org.au - Genr8 Schools Ministries serves local churches working together to grow ministry to students in our NSW state schools.
    A partnership between Scripture Union, Youthworks, Baptist Union and Presbyterian Youth, Genr8 employs high school Special Religious Education (SRE) teachers for over 70 SRE boards in 90 positions and chaplains for over 150 primary and high schools. We are seeing extraordinary opportunities open up in our state high schools for employed high school SRE ministry, and for the last 6 years school chaplaincy has been taking root in NSW. We work with a wide range of churches on the ground who join forces to reach their local young people. Students are given hope through seeing the love of God in Christ Jesus modeled by chaplains and SRE teachers, and transformed through the knowledge of God as they encounter the Bible and the Christian faith in Scripture classes.

    Our vision is for an employed SRE teacher for every high school student in NSW, and a chaplain for every state school.

    We thank God for
    1. Each NSW state school student we have the opportunity and privilege to reach through chaplaincy and high school SRE ministry, as well as to parents and staff.
    2. The work of the 200 Genr8-employed state school chaplains and high school SRE teachers bearing witness to the love of God in Jesus Christ and his living and abiding word that is able to save eternally
    3. The response of donors to current SRE and chaplaincy fundraising events
    We pray for
    • Effective ongoing building of prayer and financial support for Genr8-employed SRE teachers and school chaplains
    • The formation of new combined churches SRE boards and Chaplaincy Support Committees
    • Favour with those we approach for financial support for both SRE and chaplaincy advisers over the coming months. Special events include the chaplaincy dinner at Sylvania Waters September 20, and breakfast at Epping September 21 with Tim Mander, and SRE boardroom lunches in the CBD.
    • A favourable outcome for chaplaincy funding from the new federal government for 2015-17
    • Favour with all state high school principals - that they will understand departmental SRE policy and work cooperatively with SRE boards in providing SRE to all eligible students in their schools
  • Entheos - entheos.org.au
  • Living Stone Media - livingstonemedia.org.au
  • Christians Against Poverty - capaust.org
  • Kingdom Builders - kingdombuilders.com.au
  • National Office of Evangelisation - evangeliseaustralia.com
  • Catholic Youth Service - cys.org.au
  • Bible League - bl.org.au
  • Christian Venues Association - christianvenues.org.au - and its all members of approx 230 Christian Conference Centres and Campsites around the country
  • Marriage Week - marriageweek.org.au
  • Christ Apostolic Church Praise Centre inc. and Christ Apostolic Community Care
  • Vision Radio Network QLD
  • Catholic Mission Australia - catholicmission.org.au
  • Christian Aged Care Facilities
  • Collective Shout - is a grassroots campaigning movement against the objectification of women and sexualisation of girls in media, advertising and popular culture http://collectiveshout.org/
  • Australian Christian Lobby - australianchristianlobby.org.au
  • St Francis Community and the Academy of the Word
  • Vision College - internetbiblecollege.com - is a not for profit, mission based company who's heart lies in the training and development of men and women for ministry at a lay or professional level.
    While we offer studies at accredited and non accredited levels to anyone who desires to develop their understanding of the Word of God and their role in the kingdom the burden of the work is very great. Mostly volunteers are needed, men or women, preferably retired ministers who would like to be involved in the on-going development of Christians who are training for their part in the Kingdom of God.
    This is where our need is greatest as our student body from Australia and around the world increase, we need men and women who may delightin marking and assessing assignments and even in some cases mentoring these young people in their journey with God. As we are mission based, finance is always an issue along with the ever burgeoning need to meet the seemingly insatiable bureaucratic requirements that are imposed on our accredited program.
  • Heart For The Homeless - please pray for Heart for the Homeless, for His Kingdom to come to earth through the out working of our aid. Also, for provision and favour on our team and momentum to continue to build.
  • Ecclesia Mission - ecclesiamission.com
  • Hope Australia - hopeaust.org
  • Bible Society - earlier this month (August 2013) 3 of our Bible Society bookshops in Egypt were burnt in the civil riots there. Please pray for us in the month of September.
  • Youth Mission Team Australia - www.ymt.com.au - We would greatly appreciate your prayers for Youth Mission Team Australia.
    Specifically, for the conversion of the thousands of young people that we've ministered to so far this year as well as those that we are yet to meet.
    We also have a great need for young men and women to make themselves available to serve as team members in 2014.
  • Youth For Christ Australia - transform.org.au
  • WorldShare - we are a charity and are having relational and functional problems "Evangelisation Resources Down Under" (ERDU)
  • Airline Christian Network - We would also appreciate your prayer. Please pray for growth in our ministry and that the Christians working in the airlines would be strong salt and light in what is a trying industry to work in at the moment. Pray that they will stand out as being different even more in the midst of challenges and unpleasantness at work.

    Thank you for the offer to pray for us. Prayer is the only way we are going to see change! The challenges we face need God's miraculous help!
  • Creating Brighter Career Connections (Padstow)
  • Kingdom Bullion - fundraising organisation for the Body of Christ
  • Christian Media Productions
  • Christian Mission Agency WEC - spending the next 33 days praying for 33 peoples of the world without a church.
    We'd appreciate your prayers that we can pray well, and if you'd like to join us then visit facebook.com/33daysofprayer to join the community or http://wec.com.au/centenary for some info or http://tinyurl.com/prayer33 to download a devotional/prayer guide.
    We're beginning the 33 days of prayer with a special prayer night at our property in Strathfield this Friday night
  • Arrow Head International Ministries (Perth)
  • Salt Shakers (Melbourne) - www.saltshakers.org.au
  • One Heart - oneheart.com.au
  • International Prayer Council - We would appreciate prayer for our three prayer ministries: the International Prayer Council (leadership team) and International Prayer Connect (networks), Children in Prayer International with their team, and the Transformation Prayer Foundation that seeks to fund prayer ministries.
    We are also seeking to follow up on last year's World Prayer Assembly and the "New Wave" of the Spirit released through the prayer movement during that undertaking. This year as part of that, we have the following scheduled initiatives:
    1. Cyrus visit Sept 27-30, Cyprus
    2. Middle East Prayer Assembly, Oct 1-4, Cyprus
    3. North American Prayer Summit, Oct 15-18, Ottawa with mini-consultation Oct 18-19
    4. Children in Prayer Global Consultation, Nov 15-18, New York
    5. United Nations Prayer Initiative, Nov 18-20, New York
  • New Life Christian Ministries India
  • From America: LCI Cooper Group - Virginia Beach, VA

Biblical Scriptures

  • Deuteronomy 14:28-29
    At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year's produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.
  • Deuteronomy 15:11
    There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be open handed toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.
  • Leviticus 19:10
    Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.
  • Leviticus 23:22
    When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.
  • Leviticus 25:35
    If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you.
  • Psalm 37:25-26
    I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed.
  • Psalm 41:1-2
    Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the LORD delivers him in times of trouble. The LORD will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes.
  • Psalm 112:9
    He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted high in honor.
  • Proverbs 11:24-25
    One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
  • Proverbs 22:9
    A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.
  • Proverbs 28:27
    He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.
  • Proverbs 31:20
    She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.
  • Isaiah 58:10
    and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.
  • Ezekiel 16:49
    Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.
  • Matthew 6:1-4
    Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
    So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
  • Matthew 25:34-40
    Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
    "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
    "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
  • Mark 10:21
    Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
  • Luke 6:38
    Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
  • Luke 12:33
    Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.
  • Luke 14:13-14
    But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.
  • 1 Corinthians 13:3
    If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
  • 2 Corinthians 9:7
    Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
  • Colossians 3:12
    Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
  • 1 Timothy 6:17-18
    Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.
  • Matt 7:18-20
    A good tree cannot bear worthless fruit, neither can a rotten tree produce fine fruit. Every tree not producing fine fruit gets cut down and thrown into the fire. Really, then, by their fruits you will recognize those men.
  • James 1:22-25
    Become doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves with false reasoning. For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, this one is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself, and off he goes and immediately forgets what sort of man he is.
    But he who peers into the perfect law that belongs to freedom and who persists in it, this man, because he has become, not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, will be happy in his doing it.
  • 1 John 3:18
    Little children, let us love, neither in word nor with the tongue, but in deed and truth.
  • Eph 5:10,11
    Try to find out what would please the Lord; take no part in the barren deeds of darkness, but show them up for what they are.
  • Col 3:17
    Whatever you are doing, whether you speak or act, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
  • 2 Thess 2:16,17
    May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and gave everlasting comfort and good hope by means of undeserved kindness, comfort your hearts and make you firm in every good deed and word.
  • Deut 15:7-11
    In case someone of your brothers becomes poor among you in one of your cities, in your land that Jehovah your God is giving you, you must not harden your heart or be closefisted toward your poor brother. For you should generously open your hand to him and by all means lend him on pledge as much as he needs, which he is in want of...
    You should by all means give to him, and your heart should not be stingy in your giving to him, because on this account Jehovah your God will bless you in every deed of yours and in every undertaking of yours. For someone poor will never cease to be in the midst of the land. That is why I am commanding you, saying, 'You should generously open up your hand to your afflicted and poor brother in your land.'
  • James 2:14-17
    My brothers, what use is it for a man to say he has faith when he does nothing to show it? Can that faith save him?
    Suppose a brother or a sister is in rags with not enough food for the day, and one of you says, 'Good luck to you, keep yourselves warm, and have plenty to eat', but does nothing to supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that?
    So with faith; if it does not lead to action, it is in itself a lifeless thing.

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