Bray-Missionaries.org: PRAY

"Prayer Priority" Request for Tuesday, April 29, 2008
30 Second Pause for Prayer from Bill and Ivy Bray...

LORD GOD and Father of All, we thank you for the Prayer Partners and Friends of the Bray Family Missionaries. We thank you for those who have stood with the Brays over these many years of service. AMEN

MAN OF SORROWS, bless each of the Bray Family sponsors and OSM supporters today. Give them prosperity, health, blessings and a ready heart to give as the monthly newsletters arrive this week. Open their eyes of faith and hearts of compassion to the vision of reaching Overseas Students and visitors in the country. Open the windows of heaven and bless us your children, even though we are so often like the prodigal son. Give hearts of thankfulness, liberality and generosity. AMEN

VERSE OF THE WEEK: "I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?" (Jeremiah 32:27).

"Prayer Priority" Request for Sunday, April 27, 2008
30 Second Pause for Prayer from Bill and Ivy Bray...

GREAT PHYSICIAN, thank you for guiding Dr. Finley and the OSM Board of Directors, the CIS Board of Directors, and the Christian Aid Board of Directors who are playing such a valuable role in the transition of Overseas Students Mission into it's future ministry. Praise you for the advice and encouragement of many godly elders in the rebirth of this mission. AMEN

MY MAKER and LORD OF HOSTS, use the OSM Vision letter from Dr. Finley as it arrives this week in the homes of long-time supporters of this mission and in the homes of the Bray's support team. May it be delivered safely, opened prayerfully, and responded to generously in the power of the Holy Spirit. AMEN

VERSE OF THE WEEK: "I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?" (Jeremiah 32:27).

BACKGROUND ON TODAY'S PRAYER REQUEST: Although a generous contributor to the Bray's missionary work has offered us a $50,000 challenge grant to help support the Brays as they revitalize and renew the vision of OSM, it must be matched in order to be paid out. Therefore, it is vital that a strong impression be made during the May mailing of the OSM vision-casting letter from Dr. Finley. It will be arriving in the homes of OSM and Bray supporters all this week. Please pray that it will be received with great favor and be used to start a steady stream of renewed support to propel the Brays forward into their new work.

"Prayer Priority" Request for Thursday, April 24, 2008
30 Second Pause for Prayer from Bill and Ivy Bray...

THANK YOUR LORD for the volunteers who are meeting today and over the weekend in Virginia and New York to send out May missionary prayer letters to supporting partners in the USA. AMEN

OVERCOMER, bless the mission volunteers who come out to help the mission. Please call out more qualified people to help with church relations, sending out monthly missionary mailings, taking shifts in the OSM Prayer Room, serving as receptionists and answering phones in the Charlottesville office, and working as advisors and mentors with international students. AMEN and AMEN

VERSE OF THE WEEK: "Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and season; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning" (Daniel 2:20-21).

ABOUT TODAY'S PRAYER REQUEST: We are looking for part-time local volunteers as well as full-time, self-supporting volunteers who will come here to minister in our national headquarters office. Charlottesville is a great spiritual challenge and has many opportunities for bi-vocational Christian workers who want to make their lives count for the Lord Jesus Christ as servants of his Great Commission. We especially need intercessory prayer warriors who can help get our prayer ministry growing but also advocates, advisor-mentors, Internet/WWW outreach missionaries, researchers, writers and people with the gifts of helps and administrations. In May, we need volunteers to help cover the office hours full-time while Bill and Ivy are in Chicago and part-time volunteers weekdays from 10:30 to 3:45, Monday through Friday.

"Prayer Priority" Request for Wednesday, April 23, 2008
30 Second Pause for Prayer from Bill and Ivy Bray...

THANK YOU LORD for the favor you are giving the Brays in various cities across America and the new, stronger focus that you are developing in the heart of Dr. Bray for students and overseas visitors. AMEN

REFINER, bless and prepare the hearts of friends and supporters in Chicagoland as they plan the details of a short-term mission there when Bill and Ivy will come to develop support and student outreach there next month. Use friends and supporters there to expand the circles of ministry contacts in the tri-state area as well as in Atlanta, Charlottesville, Dallas and New York. AMEN

VERSE OF THE WEEK: "Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning" (Daniel 2:20-21).

"Prayer Priority" Request for Tuesday, April 22, 2008
30 Second Pause for Prayer from Bill and Ivy Bray...

MIGHTY GOD, we thank you for the signs of a prayer revival brewing at strategic spiritual gateway strongholds throughout Virginia including Charlottesville, Fredericksburg and Richmond. Lord, you are merciful to us sinners and we thank you for hearing and answering our pleas for mercy. AMEN

PROPHET MIGHTY IN WORD AND DEED, help Bill Bray to bring glory to you in all he writes and publishes this week even in the missionary support-raising newsletters. Help the team to meet all editorial and mailing deadlines, and bless all the vendors and the post office as they print and distribute the news. May every letter reach it's intended, be anointed, read and acted upon. AMEN

"Prayer Priority" Request for Sunday, April 20, 2008
30 Second Pause for Prayer from Bill and Ivy Bray...

PURIFIER and REWARDER, thank you for helping Bill, Ivy and the whole mission staff team to live more focused and holy lives in every area of family, ministry and vocational calling. AMEN

SCEPTRE, help the Brays to focus on their new job descriptions and fulfill all promises, contracts and expectations that Dr. Bill has created through OSM, CIS and personally. May they do all this with grace from you, integrity, skill, wisdom and always to your greater glory. AMEN

VERSE OF THE WEEK: "Praise be the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning" (Daniel 2:20-21).

BACKGROUND ON TODAY's PRAYER REQUEST: During this time of transition, we are faced with many challenges in logistics and scheduling, balancing deadlines and obligations. Long term, we want to simply our lives and have less conflicts and become more focused in a single direction. Although much has already been accomplished in this area of management and stewardship, there is still much to be done. This is another one of those areas where we are in perpetual need of supernatural assistance.

"Prayer Priority" Request for Friday, April 18, 2008
30 Second Pause for Prayer from Bill and Ivy Bray...

PRAISE THE LORD for the new, full-color introductory brochure to the Bray's assignment with OSM that will be coming from the printers next week for distribution in Charlottesville, Chicago, and nationwide and even to key apostles overseas. We thank you also for the new website that is now in final stages of preparation. AMEN

PRINCE OF PEACE and ROCK OF MY SALVATION, we pray for many doors to open wide in the churches of Charlottesville and Chicago for the Brays and for their missions book table ministry. Give the Brays and OSM tremendous favor from pastors and missions leaders in other indigenous mission agencies, Bible schools, Christian universities and among the leaders of evangelistic missions on college campuses of all kinds. We pray for many new friends. AMEN

VERSE OF THE WEEK: "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea" (Psalm 46:1-2).

BACKGROUND THOUGHTS ON TODAY'S PRAYER REQUEST: Renewing established missions like OSM, or starting new ones, all require new networks of friends. Reaching out to find friends involves a lot more than using the Internet and World Wide Web, as valuable as those networking tools are. It still involves "boots on the ground" face contact to build bridges into the future. OSM will require a network of several thousand Christian leaders to identify, disciple, mentor and send native missionaries back to their own homelands. Pray for this big task and for Dr. Bray to stay focused. This takes superhuman, supernatural empowerment by the Holy Spirit. Pray that God will smile on this enterprise with his grace and favor.

"Prayer Priority" Request for Thursday, April 17, 2008
30 Second Pause for Prayer from Bill and Ivy Bray...

SEED OF THE WOMAN, we thank you for the vision you have given Dr. Bill Bray for a Christian Alpha Male mentoring book to help the next generation of young men cope with life-controlling challenges and respond to the challenges of today. We thank you in advance for the provision of a publisher and web master. AMEN

A WRITER'S PRAYER

Lord, make me an instument of thy truth.
Where there is ignorance, let me sow knowledge;
Where there is foolishness, wisdom;
Where there is confusion, clarity;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is rancor, civility;

Grant that I may not so much seek to enlighten
As to be enlightened;
To instruct as to be instructed;
For it is only as Your Word illuminates my life
That I can bring light to others;
And it is only as Your love seasons my words
That I can bring truth to a deluded world.

(Adopted from the Prayer of St. Francis by Linda Whitlock)

"Prayer Priority" Request for Wednesday, April 16, 2008
30 Second Pause for Prayer from Bill and Ivy Bray...

SON OF MARY, we thank you for the doors you are opening for Bill Bray and the OSM team at schools like Moody Bible Institute and Liberty University, and for the many friendly contacts who have come forward at the NRB Convention last month and around the world. AMEN

SENT OF THE FATHER, we ask you to send forth Your Holy Spirit to enable Bill and Ivy to follow-up with potential missionary candidates and supporters from the NRB Convention, churches and evangelistic outreaches to overseas students. Especially send volunteers to join the national network of advisors, helpers, leaders and mentors who are needed to help the Brays do their work. AMEN

VERSE OF THE WEEK: "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall in the the heart of the sea" (Psalm 42:1-2).

BACKGROUND ON TODAY'S PRAYER REQUEST -- Although this week we are actually fully focused on writing and editing newsletters and websites for use in the month of May, I believe that the Holy Spirit is still answering our prayers for good contacts and supporters. Even while we sleep, God is not resting and He can be working in the hearts of those needed to join us. We must pray for mature leaders to join our cause who can help us identify, disciple and support native missionaries in the USA and other industrialized nations so that the next generation of native apostles will return to their closed lands and carry on the five-fold New Testament ministry. We are working alone as hard as we can but more volunteer staff and friends are needed to join us in this work. This request will be continual for as long as OSM remains and needs to be one of those perpetual petitions we are making to the Lord every day. Not only do we need voluntary associate staff here in Charlottesville but in every major city and campus community where there are concentrations of overseas visitors.

"Prayer Priority" Request for Monday, April 14, 2008
30 Second Pause for Prayer from Bill and Ivy Bray...

ROSE OF SHARON, we thank You for the visitation of your Holy Spirit to minister to Bill and Ivy and the local churches over the weekend on the Acquire the Fire prayer and fasting retreat. Thank you for revealing plans for building the altars upon which the fire will be falling during the coming revivals in the USA and worldwide. AMEN

SON OF DAVID, SENT OF THE FATHER, be with Bill and the Charlottesville volunteers and communications team all this week as they complete the printing and mailing of the May newsletters for the missionaries. We especially pray for the final editorial and art work which must be done in the next 48 to 78 hours. We ask you to especially use the introductory endorsement letter from Dr. Bob Finley to inspire much favor and support for the Brays as they begin support raising and development work for their new mobilization and leadership role at OSM. We pray that you will use this letter to revive dormant donors and attract the seed capital needed for the new OSM headquarters in Charlottesville. AMEN

"Prayer Priority" Request for Friday, April 11, 2008
30 Second Pause for Prayer from Bill and Ivy Bray...

THANK YOU HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD for the example of the early missionaries in the Book of Acts who never began a new mission without meeting with the local church to pray and fast for Your leading. We thank you that we can count on you to lead and that you will lead as we submit, that it is you who are give the new birth, make us holy, and equip us for every good work. AMEN

MY SHEPHERD, come Holy Spirit and meet with Bill and Ivy and the believers here as we devote this weekend to prayer and waiting upon you during the "Acquire the Fire" convocation in Charlottesville. Bless and use Dan and the whole Charlottesville Prayer Center support team this weekend as they minister to those who attend. Speak to Dr. Bray as he waits upon you for your directions. Teach him how and what he has to do to focus and be productive at OSM--and how to subtract the good from his agenda and schedule in order that He might do Your best. Deliver us from the works of the flesh. AMEN

VERSE OF THE WEEK: "Is not this the kind of fasting that I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?" (Isaiah 58:6)

"Prayer Priority" Request for Thursday, April 10, 2008
30 Second Pause for Prayer from Bill and Ivy Bray...

THANK YOU SON OF GOD for the renewed favor and encouragement the Brays are receiving from pastors and local mission leaders in the church at Charlottesville, Virginia as they introduce their new mission. AMEN

SON OF GOD, we pray that you will expand the goodwill and cooperation of church and mission leaders in Charlottesville and the surrounding communities. We ask you to cause many mission committee leaders to include the Brays in their regular mission budgets and also to support new staff members and key students who are Christ's chosen vessels. Also, Lord we pray that volunteers will come forth from the local churches to serve as receptionists and fill other human resource needs at the national headquarters office. We pray for love, mercy and righteousness to prevail in all our relationships with the local Body of Christ. AMEN

VERSE OF THE WEEK: "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?" (Isaiah 58:6).

BACKGROUND ON TODAY'S PRAYER REQUEST: The churches of Charlottesville have provided a great welcome to the Brays since 1991 and also to various ministries with foreign students and overseas visitors for decades. There is a well developed outreach here to overseas visitors through International Students, Christian Aid and the many other wonderful indigenous support agencies based in Central Virginia. It is a good environment for our work and in general terms, our national and global mission is already looked upon with favor. We need to pray and work that the local believers including the leadership, will understand the unique and special role that OSM plays in the big picture. Like Paul, our heart longs after the church at Charlottesville in the same way that he prayed for the Church at Phillippi in chapter one, verses 10-12. We will begin a day of prayer and fasting for the churches here on Friday and Saturday this week. Please join us wherever you are or meet with us in person to intercede for the saints in this city.

"Prayer Priority" Request for Wednesday, April 9, 2008
30 Second Pause for Prayer from Bill and Ivy Bray...

SIGN, we thank you for a powerful new computer just installed at the OSM headquarters office in Charlottesville and for Bill Bray who volunteered to come in and install it on April 8. AMEN

STRONG ROCK, we pray for Ivy Bray as she sets up the receipting department and accounting department at the Bray's new missions office. May she have comprehension and wisdom as she organizes and learns the new software programs. Guide Bill and the leadership in the selection of the best CPA and other outsourced professional services that will be necessary to fully equip the ministry. Guide Dr. Bill and Ivy as they prepare for future domestic mission trips this year to Chicago in May, and then later to Dallas and Atlanta. Give them favor and many good contacts both with Overseas Students and with supporters. Especially give Dr. Bob Finley and the communications team wisdom in writing and preparing the introductory materials for mailings and Internet websites. AMEN

VERSE OF THE WEEK: "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke" (Isaiah 58:6).

BACKGROUND ON TODAY'S PRAYER REQUESTS: This is a time of transition with much ongoing change in the way we organize and reorganize our obligations both to the work of God and in our personal lives. Pray that we will have the wisdom we need to make right choices, and the special grace to recognize when to make faith decisions to move ahead or to back away. We are aware that God wants us to changes and not to cling to emotional attachments in areas where God is calling us to make changes.

"Prayer Priority" Request for Friday, April 6, 2008
30 Second Pause for Prayer from Bill and Ivy Bray...

TRIED STONE, we thank you for opening up new opportunities to save money, work smarter, and see financial blessings come to us such as the $50,000 challenge grant. We thank you for those who have already responded to this challenge just in the first two weeks since it was announced. We thank you also for the Brays new partnership with YTB online travel stores, YWAM Publishing and Send the Light, and for the many new supporters who are joining us in Charlottesville. AMEN and AMEN

SURE FOUNDATION, bless our travel plans for this year and help us to cover the costs, not only for support raising missions like the one to Chicago in May, but also to travel mobilize and disciple overseas students and visitors all over the USA. Help us to cover the higher costs of travel, lodging and training venues through creative ways such as our new YTB online travel store and Mission Book Table sales. AMEN

VERSE OF THE WEEK: "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?" (Isaiah 58:6).

BACKGROUND ON TODAY's PRAYER REQUESTS: As we look at long term financial planning for the ministry of missions, we realize that we have to do some things differently. As missionaries, we will always need to look primarily to the offerings and gifts of God's people for our support because we have to devote full time to the work of expanding the Kingdom of Christ. However, we need to find creative ways to save money and cover the costs of some of our biggest expenses such as literature, new kinds of e-media and travel. Pray that we will find ways to do this in ways that honor the Lord and allows the mission to grow to the size needed to meet the growth challenges of the 21st Century. This includes suffering and sacrifice as well as tent making at times so pray that the whole family will have a mind to work and that the Lord will keep us strong and rejoicing throughout.

"Prayer Priority" Request for Saturday, April 5, 2008
30 Second Pause for Prayer from Bill and Ivy Bray...

TRUE LIGHT, we thank you for the expanded virtual presence you are giving the Bray's missionary outreaches through new websites that are now being created and revised to reflect the changes in the mission. We thank you for the volunteers and contract workers that are helping Dr. Bray to edit and write the messages for these new websites, brochures and other communication tools...and we praise you for the new computer work station and phones that are being installed this weekend and next week in the new office for Ivy Bray and her accounting/receipting department at OSM. AMEN

SHILOH, we ask you to attract new volunteers to join the communications work on the Internet, the World Wide Web and other "new media." We also ask you to provide more volunteers and staff to help the Brays reach their new goals and work at the brick and mortar office including a full-time receptionist, part-time receptionists and other volunteers in the prayer room. Finally we ask you to help Bill develop a nationwide network to help the team minister to overseas students, visitors and other leaders from abroad. AMEN

VERSE OF THE WEEK: "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgives you" (Colossians 3:12-13).

BACKGROUND ON TODAY'S PRAYER REQUEST: Besides the virtual world of mass communication on the Internet and World Wide Web, we still have to staff and network our offices with real people in the real world. Much of the Lord's work is still done face to face by anointed people in real time. We especially face challenges with keeping a real presence at our new "brick and mortar" offices and Prayer Room in Charlottesville. In addition, we need to network nationwide with overseas student advisors, missions professors and others who will help us locate God's "chosen vessels" for missions to closed lands and unreached people groups. Pray that God will use Bill and Ivy Bray to attract the human resources that are needed, and that we will have the support to cover their salaries and expenses for volunteers. This is not a one-time request but something that we will be facing for the next few years, the Lord willing.

"Prayer Priority" Request for Friday, April 4, 2008
30 Second Pause for Prayer from Bill and Ivy Bray...

THANK YOU LORD JESUS CHRIST, SON OF GOD, for the volunteers who are helping to set up new offices at the OSM national headquarters in Charlottesville and for the donations of computers, desks, furniture, phones, signs and software that is so urgently needed to get the Brays working at full capacity. AMEN

ADVOCATE, we pray that you will equip the mission offices with every material need, especially for computers, software and audio visual equipment for the Prayer Room...and at the same time, we also pray that you will give us the virtual presence we need on the Internet and the World Wide Web. AMEN

ABOUT TODAY'S PRAYER REQUEST: In today's mission world, we still need bricks and mortar as well as virtual outreach on the Internet and World Wide Web. It isn't enough just to have a good witness on the Internet, as critical as that is to reaching students, but we still need to have an old fashioned "bricks and mortar" office as well. Bill Bray and Ivy are torn now between their home offices (where they share only one inadaquit home computer) and the new offices on Ivy Road which don't have any computers yet! Since most of the mission outreach ministry is done today by counseling Overseas Students and Visitors on the web--as well as communicating with the support team--it is critical that we establish a virtual presence on the Internet this month. Pray for both the new brochure and the website, as they are the principle witnessing tools we will be using to share the vision for our mission activity.

"Prayer Priority" Request for Tuesday, April 1, 2008
30 Second Pause for Prayer from Bill and Ivy Bray...

THANK YOU for our new offices at Overseas Students Mission which officially open today at 10 AM and for using them for your glory and protecting them from all harm and malice. AMEN

TESTATOR, TESTIFIER, we ask you to endorse the April issue of "Christ's Missionary Call" newsletter as it arrives this week, and use it to attract many new support team members to join the monthly group of connected and committed partners with the Brays, especially in the Chicago and Charlottesville areas. AMEN