The Importance of Prayer
“…Peter went up on the housetop to pray around the sixth hour…And he beheld heaven opened, and a certain vessel like a great sheet descending, being let down by four corners onto the earth, in which were all the four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth and birds of heaven. And a voice came to him: Rise up, Peter; slay and eat!” (Acts 10:9-13)
In chapter 10 of Acts there is a strong emphasis on the importance of prayer. First, we have Cornelius’s prayer and then Peter’s prayer. The prayers of these two men became the means for the Lord to come in to open the door for the Gentiles. While Cornelius, a devout man, was praying, a vision came to him. Likewise, it was while Peter was praying that the vision recorded in this chapter came to him. From this we see that we all need to learn to have a prayer life, for a prayer life always prepares the way for the Lord’s move and opens the gate for Him to spread. As those who are here for the Lord’s recovery, we must learn that the Lord can use only those who have a prayer life, a life of contacting Him in prayer.
We are not told for what Cornelius and Peter were praying. The record does indicate, however, that they set aside certain times for prayer, that they prayed according to a schedule. Acts 10:3 says that Cornelius was praying at the ninth hour, at three o’clock in the afternoon, and 10:9 says that Peter was praying at the sixth hour, at twelve noon. From this we see that they had a prayer life and even prayed at scheduled times. If we in the Lord’s recovery have such a prayer life according to set times, we will be used by Him in opening the way for the spread of His recovery. (Life-study of Acts, 2nd ed., msg. 29, pp. 233-234)
LA Hall 4 Retreat
More than 80 saints in the Hall 4 area are registered for our upcoming retreat this weekend, January 23 to 25, at Oak Glen. We expect a good number of very new ones to participate. Please stand with us to pray:
- For sweet fellowship among all the saints, including those of different ages, backgrounds, and various levels of maturity in the Lord.
- For a tender shepherding of the newer and younger ones who are coming.
- For the Lord to personally and directly speak to each saint from John 15 so that we can be normal, fruit-bearing branches abiding in the vine to bear fruit for God’s glory!
SoCal Spanish-speaking Conference Follow-up
Around 600 Spanish-speaking saints from Southern California gathered last weekend in Anaheim to hear the Spirit’s speaking to the churches. On the Lord’s Day, the whole church in Anaheim also joined.
The subject was “Being Constituted in Life in Order to Minister Life for the Building up of the Church as a Living Organism.” Today, we need to be constituted with life to become living members of the Body of Christ to be witnesses, priests of the gospel, those who bear fruit and shepherd, and perfected in order to perfect others. If we are not constituted with Christ as our life, we have nothing to impart to others; to be constituted in life is to cooperate with the Lord for the building up of the church. Please pray:
- For all the saints who attended the conference to cooperate with the Lord to be constituted in life.
- That more vital members would be produced to be living and active for the propagation of the high gospel.
- For more shepherding to be manifested among us in all the churches in Southern California.
FTTA Gospel Trips
From January 2 to February 10, FTTA gospel trip teams are going out to 12 countries in Europe and North America to join with local saints for the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom. Please pray:
- That the Lord will fully cover the travel, safety, security, border crossing, and health of all those involved as they make their way to each destination.
- That the Lord will blend and build all the saints involved so that He can fully bless these trips.
- That the sanctifying Spirit will go before the saints to prepare the hearts of those the Lord has chosen.
- That the gospel of the kingdom will be prevailing and reach all those the Lord desires to save.
- That the Lord will add remaining fruit to the churches as His testimony in each of these nations.
For regular reports and updated prayer lists, go to ftta.org/gospeltrips.
Switzerland
For decades, Switzerland has been regarded as a very safe and secure country. However, in the past couple of years, this image has been seriously shaken by a series of tragic and destabilizing events. The collapse of the Credit Suisse bank, the total destruction of the village Blatten by a glacial landslide in the mountains, the economic pressure through US tariffs, and most recently the deadly fire in a bar in Crans-Montana are some major incidents once thought unimaginable in this country.
Although we mourn the loss of so many young people in the tragic fire, we believe that the Lord is causing the Swiss people to lose their trust in their own country and creating in them a sense of uncertainty that He wants to use for the spreading of the gospel of the kingdom. Please pray:
- For the Lord to expose to the Swiss people the vanity of human achievement.
- That the Lord would turn them from darkness to light.
- For many young people to thirst for reality and the truth.
- For the saints to rise up and cooperate with the Lord to preach the gospel of the kingdom all over Switzerland.
France – Lille
This weekend, January 24 to 25, a new lampstand will be raised up in Lille, the fourth-most populated metropolitan area in France. This will be the third new local church raised up in France since the gospel trips related to the Paris Olympics in 2024. How we praise and worship the Lord for His doing: “Unless Jehovah builds the house, those who build it labor in vain” (Psa. 127:1a). Please continue to pray:
- For a clear and strong beginning for the church in Lille.
- For the consecration of the saints who will be standing in Lille, that Christ may be all and in all.
- For more blending with visiting saints, that Lille would remain in fellowship with all the churches.
Italy – Gospel Trips
Torch Relay gospel trips are taking place from January 16 to 26 in Vicenza (including Padua) and Turin. May Satan be put to shame to the uttermost, and the Lord raise up many lampstands in Italy! Please pray for the Lord to prepare the hearts of many seeking people to receive Christ in His word and be added to the Lord’s testimony in Italy and other parts of Europe.
Saints in LA may give through the Church in Los Angeles designated for “Italy Olympics.”
Sri Lanka
Please pray for the Sinhala NT Recovery Version proof-reading currently taking place from January 5 to February 7, that all the coordinating saints would be strengthened into the inner man. Around 20 million people speak Sinhala, making it the most spoken language in Sri Lanka (in comparison with the other official language, Tamil, which is spoken by around 5 million people).
Announcements
- Morning Revival: Week 3 of our guided reading through the Book of Acts.
- Bibles for America’s recent blogpost “Two Important Greek Words in the Bible: Logos and Rhema” is available to read and share at bfa.org/blog.
- Upcoming Feasts: A schedule of LSM conferences and trainings in 2026 is posted at lsm.org/events. The International Chinese-speaking Blending Conference will be February 13 to 15 in Anaheim.
- GTCA: To learn more about the burden for migration and 2026 target cities, visit gtca.us.
- Lord’s Move to Europe: A presentation given at the 2025 December Semiannual Training on the Lord’s present move in Europe is available at lme.org/reports.html.
- FTTA Graduation: A video of the recent graduation is available for a limited time at ftta.org.
- LSM Digital Resources: Living Stream Ministry’s many digital resources, including recorded hymns and free booklets, may be enjoyed at lsm.org/daily.
- Ways to Give: Information may be found at www.churchinlosangeles.org/
members/offerings.