Perfect Love

Qatar
Small country that is a peninsula off Saudi Arabia in the Persian Gulf.  Very diverse population.  The majority is Muslim, but practicing Christians are allowed to meet together.  They many not share the gospel with Muslims, though.  Recently, Christians have been offered land to build their own meeting places.  Pray for the media ministry to reach many.

Reunion
African island east of Madagascar that is an overseas department of France.  There are some export earnings, but most of the income is from French aid.  The history of slavery is hard for many to get over.  Several still live in poverty as a result.  Leadership among young churches is in great need.  Pray for a positive impact from radio, media and Bible distribution.

Daniel 11-12
In the end of Daniel, he sees the man dressed in linen again and is told many things about what will happen to the people and their leader.  They are going to turn away from the Lord.  When he is finished speaking, he tells Daniel to write all these things down and then to seal them so no one can see them.  Daniel tells the man that he doesn't understand what he has been told, but the man says to forget it because it has already been sealed.  The end was a little confusing.

Hosea 1-3
Hosea is told by the Lord to marry a whoring woman and have children with her as an example of how Israel has become a whore and forsaken the Lord.  His first child was named Jezreel because that was to be the place where the Lord would break Israel.  The second child was named No Mercy because the Lord would no longer have mercy on the people.  The third child was named Not My People, "for you are not my people and I am not your God," said the Lord.  Then Hosea talks to his wife about how she has chosen to turn away from him and follow after the ones she thinks are providing for her, but in reality he was the one who gave her all she needed.  She tries to go and return to her other lovers, but is unsuccessful in finding them.  She would be punished for a time, but then he would bring her to the wilderness and speak tenderly to her, and she would return to him.  This, of course, is how God is going to handle His people so that they will return to Him.  When they return this is what the Lord says, "I will betroth you to me forever.  I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy.  I will betroth you to me in faithfulness.  And you shall know the Lord."  After God explains all this, he tells Hosea to go and marry his wife again, bringing her back to him.  What a wonderful picture of how God pursues us even when we turn away from Him and chase after other things.

1 John 4-5
Both of these chapters have several really good things in them, so I am just going to write a few.  "Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.  ...  Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.  ...  No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. ...   There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.  ...   For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world.  And this is the victory that has overcome the world- our faith.

Psalm 123
"Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt.  Our soul has had more than enough of the scorn of those who are at ease."

Psalm 124
"If it had not been for the Lord... they would have swallowed us up alive... the flood would have swept us away... over us would have gone raging waters.  Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth."

Proverbs 29: 2-8
These verses contrast the righteous and wicked man.