Answer to Prayer

Do you ever ask God for things? We are so self sufficient that we often turn to God when our own measures fail. I am ashamed to say that is the situation that Allison and I found ourselves in last night. We had exhausted our own will on this particular problem and turned to God in prayer. Today He answered and humbled us in His own gracious way that left no doubt He had done it. This leaves us with 2 conclusions.
First, God is good , Psalm 37:23/ therefore:
Second, He answers His children when they call. James 5:16, 17a:

"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way."

"Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly..."

Precious Saints

*** Voice Of The Martyrs Prayer Alert 25/9/07 ***


CHINA: Imprisoned Pastor's Health Failing

On 24 September, The Voice of the Martyrs received reports
that Pastor Zhang Rongliang's health is failing.
If he is not released from prison soon, he will likely die.

According to contacts in China, "Pastor Zhang must be
carried from place to place by
two men supporting him. He does not walk well on his own.
He openly questions
whether he can finish this sentence. If he is not released,
there is a good chance
that he will die in prison."

Pastor Zhang still has four years remaining of the
seven-and-a-half year sentence he
received after his arrest in 2004. He had previously
spent 12 years in prison for
his faith during five separate detentions.
He experienced harsh torture, including
electric shock, during his previous prison terms.

VOM USA

Pray for Pastor Zhang's healing and for his release
from prison. Pray the Holy Spirit
will encourage him and that his testimony will
draw non-believers into the knowledge
of Christ.



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Thank you for being a part of VOM Prayer Watch.
This news service is part of the ministry of Voice of the Martyrs, Australia.
Mailing address: PO Box 250 Lawson NSW 2783
Phone: 02 47593700 Fax: 02 47593711
Email: thevoice@persecution.com.au
Website: http://www.persecution.com.au/

James 1 and following:
1 James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.
2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And
let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and
complete, lacking in nothing.

Psalm 116:15
15 Precious in the sight of the LORD
Is the death of His godly ones.

2 Timothy 3:12
Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

Revelation 12:11
And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.

Revelation 6:9-11
9 When he broke open the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar 8 the souls of those who had been slaughtered because of the witness they bore to the word of God. 10 They cried out in a loud voice, "How long will it be, holy and true master, 9 before you sit in judgment and avenge our blood on the inhabitants of the earth?" 11 Each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to be patient a little while longer until the number was filled of their fellow servants and brothers who were going to be killed as they had been.
Please remember our brothers and sisters that daily face death as their testimony of gratitude for the Lord that suffered unto death for us.

The Lord's sovereignty

I have been studying the Psalms and it has been a great encouragement to me. Normally over the course of my days, I get the chance to share with people. Lately I had a discussion with someone online that left me discouraged at my inability to communicate to this person and amazed at their arrogance and pride in their sin. Then I read Psalm 11-14 and following.

The wicked strut about on every side...When vileness is exalted among the sons of men. For behold, the wicked bend the bow, They make ready their arrow upon the string...To shoot in darkness at the upright in heart. If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? Who have said, with our tongue we will prevail; Our lips are our own; who is Lord over us? The fool has said in his heart, there is no God.


"In the Lord I take refuge... The Lord is in His holy temple...His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of man...May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, The tongue that speaks great things; The words of the Lord are pure words; As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined three times. For God is with the righteous generation...But I have trusted in your lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, Because he has dealt bountifully with me.

Psalm 11:3 says that if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? But the next verse clarifies, God is on the throne, the foundations are not destroyed and no matter what men may bring against the Lord, before God no flesh can stand. We only stand before Him through the blood of Christ. Because of this I can thank God for these opportunities. These encounters give me fresh fodder for prayer as well as new understandings and reminders about the hopelessness of those who don't know God. Thank you Lord, Your words are pure words, and you set us in the safety for which we long.

I like the above picture because although there is danger on every side, he is safe in the center of the barrel. The Lord holds the righteous in the palm of His hand...
Shipstern's Bluff, Tasmania

New Blog Address

This is the second incarnation of the Relief in our family. The first was my grandfather's troller, which he took my dad fishing on when he was very small. This is my father's boat, the second Relief.
This is also the second incarnation of my attempt at blogging. I have decided to start posting under a different address, one not so closely associated to where I live. I will send out emails informing our friends of the change.