It’s Time

Week five: Give

Suggested time and date: 6.30am-7am, Monday 13th October

Don’t yawn! Welcome to week five! We’re chuffed that you’ve made it through this far, keep going – we’re nearly there. This week we’re thinking about generosity, because it’s time to… Give.

While you’re waking yourself up and getting ready to pray, why not let the world know? Tweet using #itstime2014 and get your followers praying along with you.

Rub those weary eyes…

Grab your Wake Up and Pray Guide and spend the next half hour reading through the material, thinking about the Bible passages and praying for change.

If you haven’t managed to get hold of the ‘Wake Up and Pray’ guide, you can download the full pdf session below to help you spend 30 minutes reflecting on the Bible, praying for change and learning more about life as a secret North Korean Christian.
Download full PDF session…

Extra thoughts

Use the following stuff to help expand on the things that are in the Wake Up guide session.

1. Learn

North Korea is not just a place where Christians are intensely persecuted, but it is also a place where everyday survival is a struggle. Natural disasters, famine and corruption mean that around 16 million people are malnourished or suffer from food shortages. Not only that, but everyone in North Korea is officially ranked into three classes, and to be fed properly you must be in the ‘correct’ class.

This presents a real challenge for Christians in North Korea, who not only struggle to survive, but also share food with those around them who are even worse off than they are. This shows incredible faith and generosity, and often builds up trust-based relationships that can later be used to share the gospel.

We see throughout the Bible a call to Christian community, to sharing with one another and those around us what we possess. Indeed, Jesus says that the second greatest commandment is to ‘love your neighbour as yourself’. This often seems tricky here at home, when there is plenty to go round – imagine what a challenge it must be when you are starving to death, and yet God asks you to give away a portion of your rice for the day. What a blessing these North Korean Christians must be to those around them! This is a true example of those who have little committing to sharing what they have with those who have absolutely nothing.

A few North Korean Christians cross the border into China to collect clothes, food and medicines, and then bring them back into North Korea – risking their lives time and time again – in order to distribute the resources to those in need. Open Doors helps with providing these resources, but the true risk is taken by North Korean believers who smuggle many vital resources across the border from China. This is a life-threatening operation, but one which many people undertake for the sake of living out the gospel to their fellow citizens and believers.

2. Pray

• Praise God for brave Christians in North Korea who risk everything to serve and save their fellow believers and non-believing citizens. Pray that they would be able to continue this work under God’s protection, and that He would bless them abundantly for all that they do to further His kingdom in their country.
• Pray for the children who are left orphaned and living on the streets because their parents have died, fled or been arrested. Ask for God’s fatherly love to draw close to them, protect them and comfort them. Pray that they would encounter believers, and that adults they come across would be moved with compassion for these young children and be willing and able to help them.
• Pray for the work of Open Doors supporters and workers as they provide clothes, food and medicine to be taken across the border from China into North Korea. Pray for wisdom, discernment and provision, and that all that Open Doors does would bless the church in North Korea and help it survive physically and spiritually.

3. Act

Calculate how much you or your family spends on food every week. This week, try and give one tenth of that away, either to a charity, or in non-perishable items for a food bank near you. As you do this, pray for those in this country and across the world who do not have enough to eat.

4. Keep going

Whenever you sit down for a meal today or this week, take some time to thank God for his provision of food in your life. Pray for those who do not have enough to eat, or who are starving because of their faith. After you’ve eaten, tweet #itstime2014 to remind your followers to pray for Christians in North Korea, and those going hungry across the world.

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