ASAP Ministries

United in Prayer

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Julia O'Carey

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Series Code: ASAP

Program Code: ASAP000009


00:34 Welcome and thank you for joining
00:36 the special ASAP Ministries program on United Prayer.
00:41 ASAP Ministries is dedicated to spreading the gospel
00:44 by being the hands and feet of Jesus
00:46 to the people of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand,
00:50 Myanmar, Vietnam and other close countries
00:52 as well as to South East Asian refugees and immigrants.
00:56 We do this mainly to national missionaries
00:59 and by supporting evangelism,
01:01 education and humanitarian projects.
01:04 The easiest way to learn about ASAP
01:07 is to visit our website asapministries.org.
01:11 Prayer drives the ministry of ASAP.
01:15 We take seriously God's command in Matthew 7:7 to ask
01:19 because we know that apart from Him
01:21 we can do absolutely nothing.
01:24 Ellen White an inspired writer says,
01:26 "We're encouraged to pray for success,
01:29 with a divine assurance that our prayers
01:32 will be heard and answered.
01:34 The promise is made on the condition
01:37 that the united prayers of the church are offered,
01:40 and in answer to these prayers,
01:42 there may be expected a power greater than
01:45 that which comes in answer to private prayer."
01:48 When God's people come together
01:50 and praying the floodgates of heaven open.
01:53 We want to share three of many of the stories
01:57 we've had of the answered prayers with you today.
02:00 The first story comes from the country of Cambodia.
02:03 ASAP church planter and teacher San Makhura
02:07 has tirelessly worked in remote villages
02:09 of this Buddhist country for 12 years.
02:12 In the last year, since he began
02:14 using United Prayer daily in his home and classroom
02:17 interesting Christianity nearly tripled.
02:20 Listen, as one of his students
02:22 a young girl named So Cali tells her story.
02:32 I've heard adults say that there're times in the life
02:35 that change everything.
02:37 I think this might be one of those times for me.
02:41 It feels like everything in my life is new right now.
02:48 Six months ago I lived with my father
02:51 in the city of Poipet right on the border of Thailand.
02:55 He gambles a lot and well,
02:59 I don't really like to talk about it.
03:01 But he remarried and things got hard for me there.
03:05 So I moved to this small village to come
03:08 to live with my mother and two sisters.
03:11 Village life is different than the city.
03:14 Most of the people are farmers
03:16 and my mom also goes
03:18 and plants rice when it's planting time.
03:20 At first I didn't know if I would likely it here
03:23 but then I learned about the school my sister goes to.
03:27 I like school and I am a good student.
03:30 In my last school I even got an award for higher grades.
03:35 This new school is very different from the last school.
03:39 I think the biggest difference is that this school
03:42 they believe in the Bible and God,
03:45 my teachers very different too.
03:48 His name is San Makhura.
03:50 I've never had a teacher like him before.
03:53 He really wants us to learn so it gives us lots of hard work
03:57 but he also really cares about my family and my problems.
04:02 He has taught me that God is like a father
04:05 which is rally nice because I didn't really have one now.
04:10 There are so many things about this new faith
04:12 that I've really liked.
04:14 I like knowing about Jesus.
04:16 I like the Ten Commandments
04:18 and how the Bible teaches us to be good.
04:20 I have been learning lots of new songs
04:22 from the song book and memorizing Bible verses.
04:26 I love to help out the church programs
04:28 we have in Sabbath and during the week.
04:31 And my faith is growing.
04:34 My favorite thing that they've taught
04:36 at school is United Prayer.
04:38 Every afternoon before we go home
04:41 we pray together in groups of three or four.
04:44 There's a very special way that we pray.
04:46 We start by praising God and then we confess our sins
04:51 which is sometimes hard to do with my friends with me.
04:54 Then we get to ask God for help and for the things we need.
04:59 At end we thank God for the answers to our prayers
05:02 and for the good things in our life.
05:05 I really like praying. It's nice to talk to God.
05:09 I ask God to help me do well in school work and He does.
05:13 I'm getting good grades.
05:15 I also ask Him to help me be brave
05:18 about this new faith that I have.
05:20 Because, my mother is a Buddhists
05:22 and she sometimes tells me not to do Christian things
05:25 or go to Christian programs.
05:27 It's hard.
05:29 I want to bring many people to God especially, my mom.
05:33 I want her to be happy like I feel happy.
05:38 My mom has had a hard life.
05:40 She has no one to take care of her.
05:42 But she takes care of my sisters and me.
05:45 For last few years she has been sick
05:48 so now we have a lot of debt
05:50 and not a lot of food to go around.
05:53 My mom can't read or write.
05:55 Sometimes when she asks me
05:56 to help her understand things I can see she is embarrassed.
06:00 I wish I could take care of her but I don't know how yet.
06:05 But my new faith in God gives me hope
06:09 that may be He can take care of us all.
06:12 The school I go to now is proof that God takes care of us.
06:16 It's brand new
06:17 and that's an answer to my teachers prayer.
06:21 The old problem was really old.
06:23 In every rainy season it flooded
06:26 for three or four months each year
06:28 and the floor and desks were covered with water.
06:31 It was so deep that school has to be cancelled.
06:35 My teacher prayed and prayed for a new building.
06:38 Then the owner told them that old building
06:42 could no longer be rented.
06:43 They had to get out and they had nowhere to go.
06:47 My teacher and many others prayed even harder.
06:51 God answered their prayers
06:52 and money was given for a new school.
06:56 It took only three months to build
06:58 and this new school never floods.
07:00 So we can go school and learn about Jesus all year long.
07:05 If my teacher can ask for big things may be I can too.
07:09 And if God answered him may be He will answer me too.
07:13 Actually, He already has.
07:16 Ever since, I started learning about how Jesus
07:19 comes into our hearts and changes our lives
07:22 I wanted to be baptized.
07:24 My mom didn't want me to.
07:27 I was afraid she would never let me
07:29 but I decided to prepare for baptism anyway.
07:33 Every afternoon in United Prayer
07:36 I've been asking God to change her heart
07:38 and bring peace to my family.
07:41 This month she changed her mind
07:43 and I was baptized along with 15 other people.
07:47 My teacher says we are into his prayer too.
07:51 I know I am only 12 years old
07:53 and my faith is very new but I am learning a lot.
07:57 I'm so happy with my new home and friends and school.
08:02 I don't know what's next for me or what the future holds.
08:06 But I do know that when we pray with United Prayer
08:09 God listens and big things happen.
08:25 What a precious young lady.
08:27 It touches my heart to see how even young children
08:30 respond to United Prayer.
08:32 You may be wondering what exactly is United Prayer?
08:36 The goal is to join with others in communion with our Savior
08:40 so the Holy Spirit can fill us and use us.
08:44 United Prayer is nothing new.
08:46 It's simply a conversational style prayer
08:49 where people one at a time
08:51 pray short prayers as the Holy Spirit leads.
08:54 It works for groups large or small.
08:56 A facilitator leads the group through four main themes.
09:00 Praise, confession, asking and thanksgiving.
09:04 You can find these themes in model prayer
09:06 that Jesus taught His disciples when they asked Him how to pray.
09:10 We begin with praising God that shifts our minds
09:13 to who God is and what a privilege it is
09:17 to commune with Him in prayer.
09:19 Next we move to confession which is crucial
09:22 for an authentic effective prayer life.
09:25 That helps to keep the connection open
09:27 between God and us.
09:28 He promises in 1 John 1:19 that "If we confess our sins,
09:32 He is faithful and just to forgive us
09:34 and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
09:37 Next we ask we can come boldly
09:40 to His throne of grace for what we need.
09:42 Not just for ourselves but for others too.
09:45 The bible says that we have not because we ask not.
09:50 Finally, we end with thanksgiving.
09:52 Our hearts pour out in gratitude for all God has done for us.
09:57 I can tell you personally that this way of praying
09:59 drives me closer to my Father in heaven
10:02 and my brothers and sisters in Christ.
10:04 It allows God to work mightily
10:06 in our behalf and is transforming lives.
10:10 Our next story highlights how prayer brought Preak Phally
10:14 to understanding of truth in God's word.
10:17 God worked across countries and denominations
10:19 to bring two pastors together in a way that
10:22 it's continuing to impact the world today.
10:28 This house is our old place when we worship on Sunday
10:33 but now we retain from this house
10:37 to worship God at the new place.
10:42 This is the picture of my church member Brenda Chase faith home
10:48 Sunday to Saturday and then we got baptize
10:51 in my own these people.
10:53 And this is also me and my family
10:57 when we got baptized.
10:59 Pastor Phally's amazing story of courage and conviction
11:03 actually begins over eight thousand miles,
11:05 away with a man he's never met in person.
11:12 Pastor Sophat Sorn is a Cambodian American
11:15 living in Stockton, California.
11:17 With prayer and a burning desire
11:19 to share Christ in his home country
11:21 he started a radio ministry 10 years ago.
11:24 At first, he had no idea how God would use it
11:28 or if people were even listening.
11:30 At faraway we do program here.
11:32 Its time go on, go on broadcast to Cambodia
11:35 and then we do not know how people will respond to it.
11:39 It seem like we cast the bread
11:40 you know in the rolling water we don't know where it ends.
11:43 But I pray to God all the time my family we believe in prayer.
11:50 Pastor Sophat prayers where answered
11:53 in an amazing way one night when God gave him a vision
11:57 that dream profoundly changed him
11:59 and he clearly felt God's presence
12:01 touching his life and work like never before.
12:05 I was ordained in a ministry in 1989
12:10 but I don't feel that I was full of spirit
12:15 like a Paul or anybody
12:17 but from that time on I felt that I was anointed.
12:22 I prayed the Lord on that day.
12:24 I said Lord, thank You may be You--
12:26 You will that I continue to spread
12:28 the gospel of salvation through radio.
12:31 And starting from that time on
12:34 I heard people would have greater respond.
12:37 Of all the responses Pastor Sophat has received
12:40 from his Voice of Love radio program.
12:42 None stand out more than Pastor Preak Phally.
12:46 Pastor Phally a Methodist minister at that time
12:49 was deeply interested in what he heard
12:52 and the two began a life changing friendship.
12:57 Pastor Sorn Sophat
12:59 he rang me east from United State
13:01 and he asked me about my situation,
13:04 about my families about my life and about ministry.
13:08 And that I ask him what is the true Sabbath in the Bible?
13:13 And then he said. Oh, it's not Sunday, right?
13:16 And I tried to explain him that God worked six day
13:20 and then He rested on the days events.
13:23 As that count from Monday is the first day,
13:26 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,
13:29 Friday and Saturday and Sunday.
13:31 So Sunday is the seventh day.
13:32 This is the holy day it is the Sabbath day.
13:36 I said well you read for yourself.
13:38 I share from the Bible
13:40 and we can share it under reading the Bible.
13:42 At that time he said, wow Sunday
13:45 is not the Sabbath according to the Bible.
13:48 So when I realized that Saturday is the Sabbath day
13:53 I have told to my church member,
13:54 my whole church member around 30 people.
13:57 And after I explained to them like this.
14:00 They say, "oh, Pastor that's good."
14:02 Saturday is the Sabbath day why not worship God on Saturday.
14:11 Phally and his family and 30 families at his church
14:16 become Seventh-day Adventist probably.
14:19 So from then on he asked me
14:21 to teach him more about the truth
14:24 because he want to be right with God.
14:28 I feel that he is like my mentor,
14:31 especially I feel like he is Paul
14:34 and I feel like I am Timothy, like this.
14:36 Because the all way support me and he correct me.
14:42 I believe that anybody
14:44 who becomes Seventh-day Adventist
14:47 they have to fill themselves before they can share.
14:51 And I share with Pastor Phally
14:53 completely of 28 that not believe.
14:56 Because, I believe the Lord call him and equipped him
15:01 in order to share the people the truth of God.
15:06 Then I left from the Methodist
15:08 I don't seem that I will become the pastor
15:11 or would lead this Seventh-day Adventist church.
15:14 We just want to worship God on the right day
15:17 but I thank God that I can become part of working
15:21 with the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Cambodia.
15:25 With fervent prayer and great enthusiasm
15:28 for the truth in God's word
15:30 Pastor Phally is sharing what he is learning
15:33 with all the Sunday pastors in his area.
15:36 I have all the group that Pastor Phally request.
15:39 He asked okay pastor, I have on the Sunday pastor
15:44 coming here about 20 or 30 people
15:48 and can't you teach them on Skye.
15:50 I said of course.
15:52 I really want to see many life changed to Christ.
15:55 I really want to see many Sunday Christian
16:00 they rely that Saturday is the Sabbath day.
16:03 I really want them to understand about this.
16:06 These men who have yet to meet in person
16:09 are united by a passion for bringing lives to Christ
16:13 and a love for their people.
16:15 God is using them.
16:17 And many others in Cambodia to change hearts
16:20 and draw people to His kingdom.
16:23 It is the partnership forged with the power of prayer
16:26 from its very beginnings and everyday after.
16:30 I said Lord, here is your program.
16:33 It's a your program, your word might be heard.
16:36 Please send your Holy Spirit to be with
16:39 so people can hear and they can convert
16:42 and they can believe that this word is Yours not mine.
16:46 And people they changed their lives.
16:49 They changed their faith their believe to us at cry.
16:53 I think that is the great joy and no greater joy than that.
16:59 The power of prayer is so amazing
17:02 and then we have to rely on
17:04 hundred percent on the power of prayer.
17:10 Yes, when we rely one hundred percent on God
17:14 we can expect Him to do
17:15 exceedingly above what we ask or think.
17:18 We long for each of you to experience
17:21 the joy of a prayer filled life that is used in service to God.
17:25 Listen now as Pastor Scot Griswold
17:28 shares and praise from his heart.
17:34 Here I am waiting in the Mekong River.
17:36 On one side its Laos and other side Thailand
17:39 flowing down from China and it just keeps going slowly,
17:43 slowly down towards Cambodia and finally out
17:46 through the delta of Vietnam into the ocean.
17:49 There it's connected clear cross to North America.
17:53 And what an incredible, incredible place.
17:55 I love these countries of South East Asia.
17:58 They are so beautiful in many ways
18:01 and yet so needy as well.
18:03 And yet we're connected
18:05 as children of God every one of us.
18:07 He is our Father and these are our brothers and sisters.
18:10 And so as I see them in their poverty
18:13 and in their need to know who Jesus is
18:15 I reminded that we must care for our brothers and sisters.
18:20 We're connected to them
18:21 and it is our responsibility to love Him with all our heart
18:24 so that one day, some day when Jesus comes again
18:28 and we're united in heaven
18:30 in one place from many nationalities
18:32 we can see those who because of what Jesus did
18:35 and because He moved through our hearts and lives
18:37 to give and to share to pray and to go.
18:40 We can be together for eternity.
18:42 Looking forward to that day
18:44 and I want to pour my heart and life into that
18:46 and I invite you to do the same.
18:53 Father in heaven, as I am standing here
18:55 in the Mekong River connected with Cambodia,
18:59 Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and over across there Myanmar
19:04 I just pray that You'll pour out your spirit
19:07 that You'll come like a flood to bring life
19:10 to bring help to bring the good news to these countries
19:14 that need You so desperately.
19:16 They're so many poor people and there're so many
19:18 who never had a chance to know Your name.
19:20 Your church is being growing but it is still so small.
19:23 Please pour out Your spirit on each of the workers.
19:27 Let, Your mighty love be seen through them
19:30 and the things that they do help the people.
19:32 Let them speak with boldness,
19:33 let them tell what You have done through Jesus Christ
19:36 that You were the Father of all people
19:38 and not just Americans or foreigners
19:40 but that You're their God.
19:42 Pour out Your spirit on your workers
19:44 and Your church everywhere
19:45 that we can rise up and be Your people
19:48 that we can join the swear of that mighty,
19:51 mighty river that will take the gospel
19:53 to all corners of the world.
19:54 We ask this through the almighty
19:56 the powerful name of Jesus Christ, amen.
20:06 Our final story is nothing short of miraculous.
20:09 And it had occurred because our brothers and sisters
20:11 in Vietnam united together in persistent prayer and fasting.
20:47 I stood speechless, frozen and feared.
20:51 My heart beat faster. my mind raised.
20:53 This man's face has been splashed over
20:55 newspaper headlines and on TV.
20:58 I knew the threat of danger very real
21:00 but somehow I also knew
21:01 that this had to God's answer to our United Prayer.
21:04 We were asking for miracles
21:06 but this was more than we had expected.
21:10 But I'm gonna ahead of myself. Let me back up.
21:13 There is a lot you'll need to understand
21:14 before we return to this part of the story.
21:19 It was only a few years ago
21:21 that my life was radically changed
21:23 by the Bible truths that I accepted
21:25 when listening to Pastor Isah Young sermons
21:27 on Peace and Happiness radio.
21:29 The change affected not only me
21:31 but also my family and over 500 members
21:34 at the Christian church where I was pastoring.
21:38 Being a pastor in Vietnam is the job
21:40 that comes with many risks.
21:42 But these risks are nothing compared to the love of Christ.
21:48 My heart burns to share the truth in God word
21:51 with ever person in my country.
21:53 It doesn't matter that Vietnam is communist
21:55 and against us publicly sharing our faith.
21:57 We completely rely on the power of the Holy Spirit
22:00 and do it anyway.
22:07 The city where I live is home to about four million people.
22:11 That's millions of people who don't know Jesus.
22:17 My church members and I felt we had to reach them.
22:19 So we began to regularly go out
22:21 and distribute sermon DVDs.
22:23 Each time we went we encountered difficulties.
22:26 Many people proud of their Buddhist faith
22:28 told us to leave the city and never come back.
22:31 Without fail the police would arrest us
22:33 which resulted in hours of interrogation and big fines.
22:37 It was hard not get discouraged.
22:41 Though some people appeared interested in the DVDs.
22:43 We saw little results.
22:45 It was clear that we needed to do something more
22:47 and ask when God reminded me
22:48 at the power that comes from these people United Prayer.
22:51 I gathered together the believers in my area
22:54 and asked them to commit to a month of prayer and fasting.
22:57 We prayed daily, hourly, fasting three days a week.
23:01 We prayed in groups and alone.
23:04 We prayed continually confessing our sins
23:06 pleading with God for the people of our city
23:09 and thanking Him for what He was already doing.
23:13 It was not longer after this
23:15 I heard that loud knock on my door
23:17 and I opened to stand face to face
23:19 with the man I immediately recognized
23:21 as the notorious former Viet Cong commander
23:24 turned mafia gang leader in our city.
23:27 I knew of this man's illegal activity,
23:29 his drug dealing, gambling homes and brothels.
23:32 I couldn't help and wonder what this man can want from me.
23:35 I have to admit I felt a little nervous
23:37 allowing this dangerous man into my home
23:39 but my desire to share Jesus with him overpowered my fears.
23:43 I reminded myself there is nothing too hard for God.
23:48 As we talked and studied together
23:50 one hour turned into two
23:52 and then the hours turned into days
23:54 soon we were intensely
23:55 studying the Bible together day and night.
23:58 Bit by bit he discovered how much God loved to him.
24:01 The Holy Spirit convicted his heart
24:03 and he confessed his sins
24:04 and accepted Jesus into his life.
24:08 It was amazing to watch this man transform before my eyes.
24:13 He realized this act that he was making
24:14 that gave his life to God.
24:16 In a holy boldness he immediately went to work
24:18 to dissolve his mafia organization
24:21 closing any business that did not honor God.
24:30 Everyone he knew he may contact
24:32 with saw a major change in his life.
24:39 His men began to ask questions
24:41 so he asked me to come with him
24:43 and explain Christianity to them.
24:45 God worked to reach their hearts and podium them
24:48 along with their families followed their leader's example
24:50 in accepting Jesus as their Savior
24:53 and decided to give up their criminal lifestyle.
24:59 He didn't stopped at just that.
25:01 He too wanted to reach down the city.
25:04 One day he had the bright idea
25:05 to hold the celebration of Christianity.
25:08 This was probably the first time
25:10 in the history of communist Vietnam
25:11 as such a large public Christian event
25:13 for success pulled off.
25:16 Masses of people poured into a rented home
25:19 I was invited to be the guest speaker
25:21 for the celebration and he shared
25:22 his powerful testimony of how God changed him
25:25 from media crew and stubborn person
25:27 into a joyful good hearted one.
25:30 Now, all house churches
25:32 have been established in the city
25:33 that including ex-gangsters
25:35 has over 200 members in as growing.
25:37 People are on fire for the word and in His word.
25:40 Over 90,000 DVDs have been copied
25:42 and shared with people through out the city.
25:45 Many are hearing the everlasting gospel message
25:47 and preparing for Jesus Christ's soon return.
25:51 I praise God for the power of the Holy Spirit
25:53 that comes in answer to the prayers of His people.
25:56 My story is one example of what United Prayer can do.
25:59 But it is not wanting to me
26:01 but He has done at Vietnam He will do for you.
26:04 God is waiting for us,
26:06 me and you to humbly come to Him
26:08 with praise and confession to ask so He can answer.
26:16 God surely is a prayer hearing,
26:19 prayer answering God, isn't he?
26:21 Has the Lord lauded on your heart
26:23 to unite with us in prayer.
26:25 Visit the prayer section on asapministries.org
26:29 to learn how to start a United Prayer group
26:32 and to find out of our ARME ministries
26:34 another great ministry
26:35 where you can experience United Prayer firsthand.
26:39 Right now, there are tremendous needs in Vietnam
26:42 and throughout South East Asia.
26:44 Ninety five dollars was sponsor a lay pastor for a month
26:48 and $200 will send an ASAP missionary to training.
26:52 We invite you to join us
26:54 in helping our brothers and sisters
26:56 discover the more abundant life
26:58 that Jesus promises in scripture.
27:01 If you have experienced God' blessings
27:04 why not give Him a special gift today.
27:06 God will joyfully take your gift and multiply it.
27:10 In closing I want to say thank you
27:13 to the growing ASAP family
27:15 that praise and supports this ministry.
27:18 You are a part of the miracles.
27:20 I really look forward to heaven
27:22 when I can meet you and we will all surround
27:25 our Heavenly Father's throne united in prayers
27:28 of praise to Him for what He has done.
27:32 If you've enjoy these mission stories
27:34 and would like to read some more
27:35 call and request a free copy of our 10 favorite mission stories.


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Revised 2014-12-17