January 2018 Prayer Partner Message
In Luke 18, Jesus tells the parable of a widow who persistently seeks justice from her town’s judge. Though the judge is described as unjust, neither fearing God nor caring about people, he eventually relents and grants justice to the widow because she would not give up.
In our democratic form of government, we too can—and should—persistently advocate before those in positions of governmental authority, urging them to pass just and compassionate policies. We believe that includes a permanent, inclusive solution for the hundreds of thousands of young people we know as “Dreamers,” who came to the U.S. as children and now, as the result of the termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, could soon lose their work authorization and be put at risk of deportation—unless Congress takes action. In fact, if you haven’t already done so (or, in the spirit of the persistent widow, even if you have), we encourage you to visit www.PowerToAct.org to make a simple phone call to your Members of Congress and then challenge others to do the same.
The point of Jesus’ parable, though, was not to be good political advocates: it was to teach His disciples “that they should always pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1 NIV). The Bible is replete with God’s promises that He hears our prayers and that He has power and authority even over governments. We are invited to bring our requests before God with boldness and persistence.
As Dreamers—including many within local churches throughout the U.S.—face the frightening possibilities of what will happen when their DACA protections expire, we want to invite you to commit to persistent prayer. The attached guide offers specific prayer suggestions for seven days’ worth of focused prayer for Dreamers and their situation, intermixed with the personal testimonies of Christian Dreamers and with Bible passages that remind us of why we pray.
We invite you to pray with us—whether in the solitude of your home, together with a small group, or corporately with your church community. If we are persistent in prayer, “will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly” (Luke 18:7-8).
The Evangelical Immigration Table (www.evangelicalimmigrationtable.com)
Voices of Christian Dreamers (www.ChristianDreamers.us)
