From Shrine to God’s Holy Worship Room
By a staff writer for a unnamed territory in Asia
Two pioneer missionaries ventured out into the community from their 165-square-foot home, which doubled as a house church. The prospect of sharing Jesus filled them with joy.
One day a neighborhood couple, Mr. and Mrs. Guo,* invited the missionaries along with a small band of Adventists to worship in their home. The group gratefully accepted the offer and gathered for Bible study and church services in a room that had previously been used as a shrine—a place where the family worshiped and prayed for dead relatives.
Shortly afterward, the couple became very sick. Mr. Guo was hospitalized from a severe stroke and could no longer walk, talk, eat or drink. The same week Mrs. Guo became feverish and very ill. Neighbors believed the gods were angry and were punishing them for allowing the Christians into their home and worshipping their God. How dare Christians who honored a “Western god” be allowed to worship in a place as sacred as a shrine room!
The pioneer team and the rest of the church family did all they could to love and care for the family. Although Mrs. Guo improved, her husband did not. The doctors sent him home to die, and with heavy hearts, the family made funeral preparations.
Taunts and jeers from the neighbors were plentiful, yet the small group of Adventists faithfully continued to worship God in the former shrine room.
One Sabbath afternoon, as they earnestly prayed together for the dying man, a voice was heard from his room. Everyone scurried to his bedside. Mr. Guo was awake and alert! Miraculously, he was walking again, within a month.
This group of faith-sharing, praying believers continues to see God work miracles. With a membership of 100 now, they have outgrown the shrine room and are worshipping in an actual church of their own. They have even received legal permission to worship in their new church. God is blessing their commitment to share Jesus! Please pray for the ongoing work of proclaiming the gospel in this difficult part of the world.
*Names and locations have been changed to protect the identity of these believers.
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World Church Prayer Requests
March 15 – 22, 2020
• PRAYER REQUEST: Last week Elder Wilson issued a special urgent call to prayer for the world-wide Church because of the Coronavirus outbreak. Please continue to pray! He’s also shared more recent thoughts on his Facebook page about how we can respond to this crisis. (You can see that here! https://www.facebook.com/PastorTedWilson/videos/53...
• PRAYER REQUEST: Please continue to pray for God’s church all around the world as the Coronavirus is affecting many lives. Pray that God would honor Psalm 91:7 and put a hedge of protection around His children and give peace in the midst of the storm.
• PRAYER REQUEST: Pray that God’s people would not live in fear but live in faith, and see this as a time to live and share the beautiful health message that we’ve been given.
• PRAYER REQUEST: Pray that people everywhere would be drawn through this worldwide crisis to seek God personally. Pray that people who have never thought about God before would find a saving relationship with Him.
• PRAYER REQUEST: Pray that we all would be bold witnesses for God’s glory, even during this crisis. Pray that we would demonstrate through our lives what the grace and love of God will do when we surrender all to Jesus.
• PRAYER REQUEST: Finally pray that God would pour out His Latter Rain power as He has promised. Pray that He would not hold back the blessing any longer so that the truth can go to the whole world!