Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Day 1: Learning to See

Today we begin 40 Days of Prayer for Orphans. We are asking God to break our hearts. We are asking Him to let us see with His eyes and to love with His heart. These 40 days are not only for the children, but they are also for us. If we are not changed over the next 40 days, then we haven't really prayed.

A Broken Heart
When the Lord breaks your heart, it breaks in all the right places. You find that those things He breaks off – the ones we think are important – are actually abnormal, even harmful growths. Allow the Lord to begin that breaking process in you today. Real change takes place from the inside out. A transformed life begins with a broken heart.


His Eyes
God sees people from a different perspective. What happens when we take our favorite promises and the scriptures that we claim for ourselves and apply them to orphans?


My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,

intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,

the days that were formed for me,

when as yet there was none of them.

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!

How vast is the sum of them!

If I would count them, they are more than the sand.

I awake, and I am still with you.

- Psalm 139:15-19 (ESV)



“Where then is my hope? Who will see my hope?” - Job 17:15 (ESV)


With God’s eyes, you CAN see the hope for the orphan. Allow God to show you hope for those who seem hopeless, and allow Him to use you so that THEY can see as well.


His Heart
Now let God take the brokenness of your own heart and life and use it for His glory. His heart is moved with compassion. Compassion is different from pity – it feels but it also acts. Our hearts must change so that we are not moved by mere emotion. Unlike emotions, which come and go, compassion has persistence to get the job done. When God's heart of compassion beats within us, we will not flinch at the difficult task of caring for so many children.

Isaiah 54:10
"For the mountains may departand the hills be removed,but my steadfast love
shall not depart from you,and my covenant of peace shall not be
removed,"says the LORD, who has compassion on you."

Thank you for joining us in this journey. May we all be changed.

Friday, September 17, 2010

40 Days of Prayer for Orphans


Join us for 40 Days of prayer for orphans and for the children of TOUCH. We have scheduled these 40 days of prayer to begin on Wednesday, September 29th and to end November 7th, Orphan Sunday.
Use the daily prayer guide to pray for the needs of orphans and those who care for them. Download the guide.
We are also incorporating  several special times to pray specifically, by name, for each of the children at TOUCH in Uganda.
Launch on Wednesday, September 29th
That the Lord would give us each a personal sense of responsibility for the next 40 days (and beyond) for praying for orphans, pastors, the church, and the community. That He will break our heart for the orphans. That He will help us to see orphans with His eyes and His heart. That He will use this 40 days of prayer to change us and our churches.

Prayer for the Children at TOUCH

10 a.m. -  6p.m., every Wednesday during the 40 days –
We invite all who will come to join us at Lighthouse Worship Center (Hayes, VA) each Wednesday to pray for the children of TOUCH by name.This is something that we feel is vital to the ministry, because God knows each and every child as an individual, uniquely created, and He has a plan and a purpose for them. Over the course of the 40 days, we will pray individually for each of the individual children of TOUCH. Note: if we are not in the sanctuary, ask at the church office - we may be praying in another room.
Orphan Sunday, November 7th
Joining with Christians around the world and the Christian Alliance for Orphans, we re-affirm our commitment to care for the orphan. Find resources for your Orphan Sunday event at the Orphan Sunday web site: www.orphansunday.org.