Schedule of Events
01-02 March IVORY COAST Leadership Seminar: Zone 1 (Southeast)
02 March KENYA Executive Board Day of Prayer
02 March LIBERIA National Leaders Meeting
02 March SOUTH AFRICA Executive Board Meeting
02-04 March NAMIBIA National Leadership Fasting and Prayer Conference and Reconciliation Services
03 March SEYCHELLES Day of Fasting
03 March SOUTH AFRICA General Board Meeting
04 March Focus prayer for Africa's children
04 March SOUTH AFRICA Special Thanksgiving Service at Rosettenville church, speaker Supt. Jan Smith
05 March EQUITORIAL GUINEA Board Meeting
05-10 March CONGO (DRC) Seminar in Bandundu, Idiofa: Pastoral and Leadership Training
05-12 March KENYA Preparation for MTC Bible School Opening
07 March NIGERIA Ministers' Seminar in Edo State
08-09 March IVORY COAST Leadership Seminar: Zone 1 (Southwest)
08-09 March NIGERIA Oneness Seminar in Delta State
08-10 March LIBERIA Section I Annual Crusade in Suehn Mecca District
09-11 March GABON Three-Day Prayer and Fasting for the whole church
10 March SEYCHELLES Opening service/Bible Study at Anse Louis, Mahe
10 March LIBERIA Section III Workshop, Temple of Praise UPC
11 March GHANA ACTS Students Day (Fund Raising)
11 March LIBERIA Church Anniversary, Bethlehem Star UPC
11 March ZIMBABWE Big Sunday, Bulawayo Assemblies
14 March Focus Prayer for African Francophone nations
17 March SEYCHELLES Ladies Service
16-18 March ZIMBABWE Regional Youth Conference, Midlands Region
17 March ZIMBABWE Sunday School Graduation Ceremony, Bulawayo Assemblies
20-21 March IVORY COAST Leadership Seminar: Zone 3A
21-23 March LIBERIA National Youth Revival, Section IV
22-25 March IVORY COAST Seminar & Evangelization in Jacqueville
23-24 March KENYA Evangelist Board and Seminar
23-24 March IVORY COAST Leadership Seminar: Zone 3B
24 March SEYCHELLES Evangelistic Outreach
25 March LIBERIA Section III Fellowship Service, Revival UPC
25 March SIERRA LEONE Africa Sunday
25-27 March SIERRA LEONE Pastors' Refresher Course
29-31 March LIBERIA National Sunday School Workshop, Section VIII
30 Mar-01 Apr MAURITIUS Bible Conference
BURKINA FASO
National Bible Study Campaign will begin March 1st. This is a new type of Evangelism for our pastors and churches. Pray that the pastors will catch the vision of Home Bible Studies.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
We thank the Lord that the country is relatively quiet after the elections and so church activities are able to go ahead as scheduled.
Prayer Requests: Pray for the presbyter of eastern Kasai, Pastor Katende, who is very sick. Also, we ask to pray for the leadership structure in DRC church...asking that needs be met and that the leaders will be strong and united at all the levels.
EQUATORIAL GUINEA
Pray for a successful beginning of our Bible school. Pray for the ladies evangelism program for the month of March. Pray for the Mua family for divine guidance and protection.
LIBERIA
During the annual conference, a blind lady was completely healed. God opened her eyes, and she was able to see. She was also baptized in Jesus Name and filled with the Holy Ghost. 32 received the Holy Ghost, and 18 were baptized in Jesus' name. At a church dedication service, after the conference, 18 were filled with the Holy Ghost. To God be the glory!
MAURITIUS
We are presently working in two different areas of the island, the north and the south of the island. We believe that God will help us open a new church in both of these areas. We also ask that you pray for all our ministers in Mauritius.
NIGERIA
One of our 2011 graduates has taken a church in Jos, Nigeria, site of a recent terrorist attack upon a church. The pastor said they could hear the bomb blast while they were in service; it was that close to them. Please keep him and his congregation in prayer.
A secondary school employs two of our pastors as teachers, and recently, I was invited to speak to the teachers. This past Friday the school was given a written warning from a terrorist group to stop converting their people or face the consequences. Please pray for them and for the students and school.
SEYCHELLES
There will be pastoral outreach visits on the 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th. Pray these will be very productive. Also, pray that the Lord provide anointed altar workers in praying with people to receive the true salvation experience of receiving the Holy Spirit.
SIERRA LEONE
During the 2nd week in March, two of local churches are involved in a fund raising project.
SOUTH AFRICA
The UPC Worship Centre in Rosettenville, SA, has been celebrating February as Thanksgiving month. This followed January's emphasis of prayer and fasting. So, many have shared their testimonies of thankfulness. The months of April and May are being set aside as Outreach months with special emphasis being focused on students in the colleges, varsities, and technical schools. We ask prayer for these endeavors. We also ask prayer for the families in the church, for strength against massive onslaughts and for restoration.
SOUTH SUDAN
Pray for continued growth and strengthening of the infant Church and that peace and stability will prevail in the country.
TANZANIA
Regional minister's meetings are taking place in all regions during March.
TOGO
Bible School has begun in Togo. As we have students representing several French West African Nations: Togo, Burkina Faso, Benin and Central African Republic, we ask you to pray that the Lord will touch and guide each heart attending. Pray that they will remain committed to call, as it requires several of them to be away from their families for the entire two years of training. Please, pray for the instructors that the Lord would place within each of us the ability to communicate His word effectively. Training is the key to revival and harvest! We covet your prayers.
ZAMBIA
Pray for the special events for the Youth of Zambia during the following scheduled activities:
Esther Ministries: March 10, 17, 24 - Copperbelt, Central, and Lusaka Regions, respectively
Timothy Ministries: March 10, 17, 24 - coinciding along with Esther Ministries
Regional Quizzing: March 17, 31 - Lusaka and Central Regions
Paraphrase of Psalm 150
Verse 1 - Praise Him if you are here, praise Him if you are there.
Verse 2 - Praise Him if He has done this for you, praise Him if He has done that for you.
Verses 3-5 - Praise Him if you can play any kind of instrument, praise Him if you can just crash a cymbal.
Verse 6 - FINALLY, if you do not fall into any of the above categories, IF YOU ARE BREATHING, THEN PRAISE HIM!
The Bible encourages us, and exhorts us, and even COMMANDS us to "PRAISE" the Lord. So just what is praise? Did you know that in the New Testament the words praise, worship, glory, and honour are ALL translated from the same one Greek word? It is the word, "doxa," and its base meaning is GLORY.
If there is a difference between praise and worship, it is simply that WORSHIP is how we esteem God. It is the attitude of adoration in the heart. You can worship God without a sound. PRAISE, however, is the articulation of that adoring heart. When we praise God, we give vent and voice to our heart of worship. But both mean to give God esteem-to commend Him highly.
So, when the Bible tells us to "PRAISE" Him, it is telling us to speak out from our adoring heart. Worship can be silent, but Praise NEVER is. We speak out and tell the Lord that we love Him, adore Him, and give thanks to Him.
MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE TO THE LORD! "PRAISE" requires action or voice! There is power in lifting your voice in a song or a shout, or a prayer of praise. Something happens when we applaud and magnify God with our voice.
1) Praise Brings Us Into the Presence of God
READ: 2 Chronicles 5:13-14 (Solomon's Temple)
When was the last time you saw the glory of God in such an awesome way that people were simply UNABLE to proceed with the business of doing the routine? When we really Praise Him, we draw nearer to Him and He comes near to us. He inhabits, or lives, in our praise. Psalm 22:3 - "God dwells in the praises of His people."
The glory of God in His House! Prayer is very important, but there comes a time when we just have to "enter into His Presence" through our praises. In this scripture, we read of the coming of the shekinah glory, God's manifest presence. This is linked with His people praising Him.
2) Praise Brings Victory
READ: 2 Chronicles 20:15-22 (Jehoshaphat going against Moab and Ammon)
Do you need a victory in some area of your life?! Instead of focusing all the time on the situation, start to praise HIM! Remember, God inhabits praise!
READ: Psalm 149:6-9. Praise, coupled with the declaration of God's Word, binds the enemy in chains.
PRAISE is a very good way to resist the devil. "Resist the devil and he will flee from you!" The devil's most common methods of attack are to bring discouragement, negativity, hopelessness, and despair into our lives to paralyze us from within and to get us to take our eyes off of Jesus. So the best way to deal with the devil is to start praising the LORD! Get your eyes back on the greatness of God and declare His praises. Sing and shout of His love, and His faithfulness, and His goodness, and His mighty power. When you do this, just watch the enemy flee. Victory is our through our praise.
3) Praise Allows Us to Unburden Ourselves
READ: Isaiah 61:3. Are you carrying a heavy burden, weighed down by a crushing load? Are you living with a "spirit of heaviness"? The Bible tells us to "put on the garment of PRAISE for the spirit of heaviness". It is instructing us to exchange that spirit of heaviness for PRAISE! We can see the burden lifted when we begin to praise.
Sometimes, we have PRAISE in spite of how we feel. King David knew this as he stirred himself: "Bless the Lord oh my soul, and all that is within me, bless His Holy Name."
4) Praise Gives Us a Release
READ: Acts 16:25-26. Whatever the circumstances we find ourselves, it should not quench our determination to praise God. Whatever the situation may be, begin to praise the Lord. Get your eyes off the bars of your "prison" and onto Jesus! Praise Him! Exalt Him! Testify of His goodness and power. Praise will release you from the chains that may have you bound.
In conclusion, we need to realize that PRAISE is the very Purpose of the Church. In I Peter 2:10, we read that if we do not praise Him, then the stones will cry out. And if we do not praise Him, we will never know the tremendous power that comes through our PRAISES! I do not want the STONES to do my PRAISING, but I will PRAISE Him in all things!
There is Power in my Praises!
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