Thank God for what he has done - 90 Days of Prayer & Fasting

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters Church Planters, Greetings. I am Pastor  Douti  Claude, VCP director. I am sending you this message as part of “Multiply,” our podcast that gives a word of encouragement to church planters.

Dear brothers, I would like to invite you this morning to thank God for which he has done. In our 90 days of fasting and prayer that we had begun, for almost three months, God has done many things: winning souls, delivering people… miraculous things have happened. There is reason to recognize the benefits of God, to say a big thank you to God. I exhort you to prayers of gratitude. Here, in 1 Timothy 2, verse 1 and 2, the apostle Paul says “I exhort therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men; for kings and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior.” There you have it, the apostle Paul speaks of all kinds of prayers and supplications or giving of thanks. I will insist on giving thanks. We must be grateful to God and give thanks to Him for all that He has done.

God has done many things among us. There have been testimonies. Today, I would like to bring you to thanksgiving, not to always ask, but to take the time to also thank God. The great King David recognized this. In Psalm 103, he spoke to his soul, to his interior, his innermost being, saying, “Bless the Lord, O my soul!” “Bless the Lord, O my soul!” “Bless the Lord, O my soul!” “Let all that is within me bless his holy name!” “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” He cited all that God does in his life. It is a form of recognition that God loves, that God appreciates.

In the Bible, there were lepers that Jesus sent out, he asked them to go and throw themselves into the water and they were healed. And there was only one who came back to Jesus out of 10 lepers. Jesus appreciated his gratitude, he asked him "Oh really, and the others, weren't they healed?" He said "of course", but where are they? And there, Jesus spoke another word over him, a word of special blessing because of his gratitude. The Bible no longer speaks of 9 lepers who left. Was their healing perfect? Did the leprosy come back harder than before? We don't know that. But without gratitude, it's not good before God. God needs our gratitude, thanksgiving for everything he does for us. I myself sometimes snatch money out of my children's hands when they don't know how to say thank you. "Thank you" is important.

I want to encourage you, dear church planter brothers, dear church planter sisters, you know what we experience in church planting: Going from place to place, we work among the robbers, among the criminals, among the fetishists, among the sorcerers, people who bewitch us, who do everything. But God heals us, he delivers us from all these things. And God touches the hearts of people so that they give themselves to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Oh, it's wonderful. Let us recognize the goodness of the Lord, the benefits of God. And let us say thank you to Him. So, let us learn again to say thank you with thanksgiving for all that God has done for us during these 90 days of prayer, fasting and church planting that are still ongoing. Dear church planters, it is within the framework of "Multiply".

May the Lord bless you wherever you are.

Shalom, shalom. Do everything to share this word of recognition, of thanks with someone else around you. Amen.

Persevere - 90 Days of Prayer & Fasting

 Hello, this is multiply a podcast to encourage village, church, planters, and leaders. I am Brad Snowden, and on this podcast. I want to encourage you to persevere. We have such a blessing that the Lord has given each one of us the powerful tools in which to grow in, it is by God ‘s grace that he has given us his word in which we can see his heart. 

He desires for every heart to know him, and his love there are times that we must arise in battle with a Warriors heart to see and experience, the victory, the greatest victory is to see Jesus transform lives and as we intercede may we be persistent warriors, Ephesians 6 :10-18 the apostle Paul gives us the understanding of the armor of God and the last tool is prayer Ephesians 6:18 with all prayer and petition pray at all times on every occasion and every season in the spirit with this in view stay alert with all perseverance, and petition interceding in prayer for all God’s people I believe it’s not the last or an additional thought, but the very tool that ties all the armor together to be effective for the hearts of those who have not yet accepted Jesus. 

Oh church, planter, leader, brothers, and sisters may we arise in the power of his might whether we stand, kneel, or walk it is a persistent intercession on the behalf of others that God will honor. This does not mean it will be easy by any means, but to persevere, this means to walk continually as if nothing will stop us. The Lord will honor our perseverance as we push forward in our walk with him. Do not get weary and while doing but allow God to strengthen you in your persistent walk, and your intercession on behalf of others. 

My prayer for every believer in Jesus to arise as a great intercessor for the hearts in every village in Africa. We will experience a testimony of God ‘s faithfulness as we persistently call on him.

 This has been a word of encouragement for village church, planters, who you share this with today, Lord bless you.

Pray for the Holy Spirit to speak to those who hear the Good News - 90 Days of Prayer & Fasting

 Hello, dear brothers and sisters church planters, I greet you all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ this morning. I am Pastor Douti Claude, Director of VCP Africa. I am proud of you.

This morning I would like to share this very important message with you as part of “Multiply,” our podcast that provides the word of encouragement. In the 90 days of prayer fasting and church planting, you have done a wonderful work throughout Africa. You continue to do that work in soul winning, of course.

We are happy to receive your testimonies and all that is being done. May God bless you, may God strengthen you. I would like to ask you, dear Church planters, dear servants, let us pray that the Holy Spirit will speak to those who hear the Good News.

We are preaching the Good News. People are hearing it, people are coming to Jesus, but we need to pray for them, for the Holy Spirit to speak to them and for the Holy Spirit to dwell in them. Why? Listen to this passage in Romans chapter 8, from verse 13 to 16. It says, “For if you live according to the flesh, you will die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. And you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear. But you have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.” Oh, Hallelujah! The Spirit of God bears witness with our human spirit that we are the children of God. That is the assurance of our salvation. The Spirit of God reassures us that we are children of God. You see, it is important to pray for the Holy Spirit to speak to us, for the Holy Spirit to dwell in us. But how is that going to happen? It is to dissociate ourselves from the affairs of life, from the flesh, from the desires of the flesh; and live in the spirit, give ourselves more to spiritual things, to the things of God. Because verse 13 says, “If you live according to the flesh, you will die. But if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live!”

Dear brothers, dear sisters, church planters, it is necessary that we pray for the new converts, all those who accept Jesus. That the Holy Spirit will speak to them, that the Holy Spirit will direct them. That they will put to death the desires of the flesh and connect with the things of God, and love God, and worship God in spirit and in truth. And the Holy Spirit will continue to convict them and reassure them that they are children of God. It is very interesting to know that you are a child of God. He says that the Spirit helps us. We need to understand that we have received a spirit of adoption. We are adopted by God and we are children of God. And by that spirit, we have the right to cry, “Abba, Father,” to call God “Our Father.” It is wonderful to hear that kind of thing.

But without the Spirit of God, we cannot understand these things. Without the Spirit of God, we cannot forsake the desires of the flesh and be interested in the things of God. This morning, dear church planters, I want to encourage you to pray earnestly that the Spirit of God will speak to the minds of all who hear the good news. That they will abide in Christ and have the assurance that they are children of God. Thank you. Have a great day.

 Shalom. Shalom. It was "multiply"

Pray for Heads of Households - 90 Days of Prayer & Fasting -

 Welcome to Multiply, a podcast to encourage village church planters, pastors and Christian leaders. I am your host, Daneille Snowden.

When we pray, we pour out our soul to God as we communicate with Him. In that, we are drawing ever so near to God. In Philippians 4:6 Paul admonishes in EVERY situation, present your requests to the Lord.

Today, we will pray for the heads of households. Praying for those who are responsible for their family's needs, be it physically and spiritually. For God to be affective in communicating His love for to an entire community, it is vital that we pray for each home, including those who lead their families.

What do we pray? Every household is unique and has specifics to pray for. Today, let us begin by praying for the head of each home. First, that God soften their hearts to the Word of God. To create a hunger for all God has for him. A prayer could be for the Lord to 'till the soil of their hearts.'

Secondly, that they indeed will surrender all their hearts and lives to Jesus. Vowing to live for Him all their days.

Thirdly, as we read in Matthew 20, verses 26-28:

"...But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Let us pray that the heads of the households become servant leaders as we see this in our Lord Jesus. For them to serve first, Jesus as their Lord and second, others. That they will sacrificially serve, laying aside all their own desires and wants.

Fourth, pray then that they maintain a strong relationship with the Lord Jesus.

Fifth, pray that they will be disciplined in his or her walk with Christ.

Sixth, pray that they will be sensitive to those they lead. And especially sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

In Ephesians 5:25 it instructs the husbands to love his wife as Christ did the church. It continues to say, to love your wife in all humility and gentleness. Thus, when we pray, pray for humility and gentleness for the heads of households.

I thank God for those who have prayed for my household.

Because of prayer our family has built our house upon the Rock and though the storms may come, we are not shaken.

This has been Multiply, please share this podcast with others.

Follow us on Facebook, YouTube and our podcast channels. You can find us on our website www.vcpencouragement.org.

Thank you and God bless!

Believe God for Daughter Churches - 90 Days of Prayer & Fasting

    Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that

provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

In Village Church Planting, we put a great emphasis on the importance of

churches planting churches. In fact, if our ministry were not called, “Village

Church Planting,” it could easily be called “Daughter Church Planting.” But the

vast majority of the churches in the world today find it very hard to plant

daughter churches. Some churches would even say it is impossible for them to

start new churches in new places. But why? Why is it so hard to plant daughter

churches?

It’s hard because people are usually more concerned about their own family,

their own neighbors, and their own village than they are for people who live in

other villages. Daughter church planting is hard because people would rather

build up their own church than start new churches. Sometimes this good desire

to build up a church comes from very selfish motives. Leaders say to

themselves, “I want my congregation to be strong so I can be strong and

secure.” Have you ever said such a thing? Oh my brother, my sister, God will

take care of you. He will take care of you regardless of how strong your local

church is.

Daughter church planting is hard because it’s risky. Not everyone who goes to

plant churches succeeds every time they try. Sadly, some people are so afraid

of failure that they never take a risk and try to start a new church.

Daughter church planting is hard because its expensive. It costs money to

travel to a new place and start a new work. It takes valuable time to go to

another village to teach the people there to obey all that Jesus commanded;

time that could be used on the farm, in business, and with our own families.

The monetary cost and the cost in time for church planting are high.

And church planting exposes us to the criticism of others. Some people just

can’t stand to be criticized.

So, when a congregation thinks about all the difficulties and challenges

associated with planting daughter churches, they are often tempted to give up,

stay home, and hope for the best. How can these poisonous ideas be

overcome? What is the antidote to all this negative thinking? The only way to

neutralize this toxin is to exercise faith.

Is it costly to plant churches? Yes, it is. But God will provide. “Remember this:

Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously

will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in

your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a

cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at

all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (2

Corinthians 9:6-8).

Is it risky to plant churches? Yes, it is. There is no guarantee that you will

succeed. But God will be with you, he will redeem your every effort. So stir up

your faith. Stir up the faith of your disciples and of your whole church. Help

them to only glance at the challenges but to focus on the goodness of God our

heavenly Father. He has promised never to leave us or forsake us. Help them

gaze upon the Lord who has promised to do exceedingly, abundantly above all

you can ask or think. Build up the faith of your people; believe God for

daughter churches.

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this

encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #FastAndPray #DaughterChurches

Take A Disciple With You - 90 Days of Prayer and Fasting

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that

provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

Village Church Planting is a ministry that is characterized by rigorous training

over a long period of time. For four years, first generation church planters

participate in classes in a VCP training center. In the training center they read

and study the Bible, they consider and practice new ministry skills, and make

plans to share the Good News, makes disciples, and start new churches. But as

wonderful as training in the Village Church Planting training center may be, it

is not sufficient. Don’t get me wrong. I love VCP trainers and the learning that

takes place in the training center. But it’s just not sufficient. To learn how to

plant churches you need to observe church planters at work. Let me repeat

that, “To learn how to plant churches you need to observe church planters at

work.”

So, when you go out to do the work of church planting, take a disciple with

you. When you prayer walk, take a disciple with you. When you speak to the

chief, take a disciple with you. When you tell Bible stories, take a disciple with

you. When you pray for the sick, take a disciple with you. When you teach one

of the seven basic commands of Jesus, take a disciple with you.

Jesus taught his apostles to go out two by two (Mark 6:7). He told the 72 to go

out two by two (Luke 10:1). But why did Jesus insist on team ministry? Why did

he continually teach his followers to go out in pairs as they went to ministry

and spread the Good News? I think there are several reasons. 

It was a safety measure. Two people travelling together are safer than one. 

They are safer from attack and less vulnerable to accident or sickness.

Two people ministering together have stronger faith than a person ministering

 by himself. Together they agree in prayer, and this agreement brings blessing. 

Jesus said, “Truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything 

they ask for, it will be

done for them by my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 18:19).

So, by taking a disciple with you, your safety increases and your spiritual power

through faith in Christ increases. Those are reasons enough to always take a

disciple with you when you go to minister. But there’s more! When you take a

disciple with you as you minister, you are accomplishing two goals at the same

time.

 You are ministering to others and you are training your disciple. He or

she observes you as you prepare for ministry. Your disciple observes you,

listens to you, and sees how you do your work. He or she can then ask you

questions to find out why you do what you do in ministry. This observation and

conversation is hugely beneficial to the disciple and to you. This is where real

learning takes place. When your disciple observes you ministering in the power

of the Holy Spirit, the ideas and concepts and information discussed in the

training center become real in their heart and mind. So take a disciple with you

when you minister. Train your disciples to also take their disciples with them

when they minister. As you do so, your ministry will be strengthened and a new

generation of Christian workers will be developed.

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this

encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #FastAndPray #2By2

Pray For Workers - 90 Days of Prayer & Fasting

 Hello, this is Multiply, a podcast to encourage church planters, pastors, and Christian leaders. I am your host today, Daneille Snowden. 

The scripture admonishes us to pray for one another. As Christian leaders in the church of Jesus Christ, it’s so important to pray for those who are working for the Kingdom of God.

I love what Colossians 4:2 says, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.”

To pray has an amazing definition to apply to each of one of our lives. 

To pray, we have to be in a humble place in our hearts, asking God with complete earnestness. It implies a continuous act, thus ‘to pray’ and keep on  praying! We basically pray without ceasing.

As church planters and church leaders, when we pray for all our workers we are praying as Paul instructed in Colossians; “…that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ…”

Let’s continue on praying for our workers and for one another so that

“…this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come!” Matthew 24:14

This has been Multiply, will you please share this podcast with others? Thank you, and God bless!