Prayer Letter - May 2009

Is 50:4   The Sovereign LORD has given me his words of wisdom, so that I know what to say to all these weary ones. Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will. ( NLT )

We live in an age where hope is fast running out and is a scarce commodity. We need only to look around us and see the cause. The road thus travelled is strewn with failed businesses in the wake of economic recession, failed ambitions, failed projects, failed relationships leading to depression, a feeling of lostness and general hopelessness. To add to all this is the very real fear of exotic illnesses such as Influenza A caused by the H1N1 virus and other pestilences. What about the destruction of the environment due to human irresponsibility? But this is all part of the human condition and human experience in the marketplace and needs to be addressed.

There is need for leaders with voices – not their own. We need leaders who know the heart and mind of God and speak. I recall the words of the Apostle Peter: If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God (1 Pet 4:11). God is looking for men and women who will go forth in His name to accomplish His purposes. “Who will go for us” He asks the prophet Isaiah “And whom shall I send”? (Is 6:8). The prophet having recognized that his call came from God answered: Here I am. Send me! God’s response? “Go and tell….” That’s who prophetic leaders are. Men and women who respond to God’s call to go and tell. But go and tell what?

The word “prophetic” comes from the Greek word propheteia which means “the speaking forth of the mind and counsel of God”.

The prophetic leader is one who has a passion to know and understand the heart of God. The psalmist reminds us that “The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant.” (Ps 25:14 - NKJV). His intimacy with God enables God to transfer His heartaches and His burdens to the leader. After all, God always works through those who are committed to Him. Doesn’t He say that in Amos 3:7? “Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.” (NKJV). The Prophet Habakkuk puts it this way: The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw (Hab 1:1) or as the Message puts it: The problem as God gave Habakkuk to see it. The word “burden” or “problem” implies emotional and heartfelt issues at stake – not an abstract truth. A modern day prophetic leader, Bob Pierce stood in the slums of Kolkata and prayed:  Lord, break my heart with the things that break yours and World Vision was born.

“Hope”,“Peace” and “Freedom” are guaranteed by the Good News. The world with its ideologies and false religions promise “Peace, Peace when there is no peace” (Jer 6:14). Instead, there is more hopelessness that inevitably affects social conditions. The prophetic leader is one who sees through the lies and false promises of the world and is able to call people into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ by proclaiming the truth of the Gospel. Outside of that relationship, there is no true hope and no true peace.

There are two intertwining convictions that mark a prophetic leader. The first is that God is personal, alive and active. He or she is plugged into the heart of God. That is why the Apostle Paul says: “But we know these things because God has revealed them to us by his Spirit, and his Spirit searches out everything and shows us even God's deep secrets. No one can know what anyone else is really thinking except that person alone, and no one can know God's thoughts except God's own Spirit. (1Cor 2:10,11). The second conviction is that what is going on right now, in this world, at this time of history is critical. Tell me readers, are you obsessed? Are you obsessed with GOD? Are you immersed in the NOW? As a prophetic leader, your work is to call people to live well. That is to say – live rightly – live up to the potential God meant for us. Live with compassion for those around you. Call them to enjoy the peace, freedom from fear and guilt, contentment and the assurance of salvation and eternal future that comes from turning over one’s life to Jesus Christ. And you can do that in the Marketplace environment in which God has placed you!

Haggai Institute does just that! The ministry of Haggai Institute prepares and equips prophetic leaders in business, government, education etc to seek hard after the heart of God and be powerful channels of His Word proclaiming hope in Christ amidst decaying institutions and hopelessness and draw them into a relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ.

But there is something else. The prophetic leader goes beyond the present and points to a future time when the whole earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God as the waters cover the sea. That is the sure faith and knowledge that rests on the hope of eternal life, which God who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time. (Titus 1:2)

Our theme for the ministry this year is Prophetic Leadership. May your prayer be the prayer of the Prophet Isaiah: Here I am Lord….send me! And you in turn, be prepared to hear God saying: Go tell……. And as Jesus reminds us in Jn 14:15 – If you love me, you will obey what I command. Go and do likewise

Agape!

Highlights of AGM 2009

Haggai Institute India celebrated 20 years of God faithfulness to the Ministry at the Annual General Meeting dated 24th & 25th April 2009 held at Hotel Taj Banjara, Hyderabad.

Former Presidents and Executive Directors shared on their experiences with the HI Ministry on 24th Apr’09. Presidential Dinner was hosted on the eve of 24th Apr’09 where the promotional CD of HI India was launched during the 20 year celebration.

Our prayer is that Haggai Institute India will stand true to the theme for the year, “Prophetic Leadership” with the help of the Holy Spirit in rising up leaders in the Country who would proclaim hope amidst hopelessness.

• Ministry openings in Udaipur, Kota and Ajmer in Northern Region. Also, pray for Delhi AA, who are planning for an SLS in the month of Nov’09.
• The one day promotional seminar held at Miraj dated 11th Apr’09.
• The breakthrough in the new districts Ujjain & Chhindwara in MP, Central Region.
• The National Staff Meeting held dated 21st & 22nd Apr, National Executive Committee Meeting held dated 23rd Apr’09 at Taj Banjara Hotel, Hyderabad.
• The seminars conducted in the month of April: Western Region: TLM Miraj SS; Central Region: Chhindwara, Ujjain; NE Region: Chokpotgre; AP Region: Mehboobnagar.

Please Pray For:

• Mr. Donald Pant’s meeting with core people in Gwalior, Bhopal, Meerut and Agra.
• Regional Alumni Get-together for Central Region scheduled 28th and 29th Sep’09 at Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh.
• Mrs. Suvarna Rani Gandham, Society Member, & Mr. T. G. V. Naidu, former Society Member, who are unwell.
• Staff family retreat scheduled dated 28th to 30th May’09 at Brooklands Christian Guest House, Coonoor.
• Suitable candidate for the post of Regional Director for Western Region.
• Suitable candidate for the post of Area Manager for Northeast Region.
• The upcoming State Level Seminars in 2009: Mettupalayam 8 – 12 May, Panchgani   11 – 16 May, Jhansi 15 – 20 Jun, Pune 11 – 16 Aug, Belapur-Navi Mumbai 12 – 16 Aug, Pondicherry 12 – 16 Aug, Coonoor 26 – 30 Sep, Pune 12 – 16 Oct, Kolhapur     19 – 23 Oct.
  

NS – National Seminar, SLS – Special Leadership Seminar, SLSD– SLS for Doctors,
In-house - seminar fee is not disclosed as it is a sponsored seminar.

Please Note: We seek your prayer support for all these National Level seminars coming up. We also solicit your assistance in the recruitment of suitable candidates for these seminars. For more information regarding these seminars please feel free to call us at 040 27131209, 27141221 & 32928823 or email at hiindia@haggai-india.com also browse our website: www.haggai-india.com

Seminars in May 2009

Note: Please be informed that you can now deposit your donation Cheques/DD’s favouring ‘Haggai Institute’ directly with our account # 01262560000416 in any branch of HDFC Bank. Please do intimate our office the deposit details indicating your name, the amount and the date of deposit.

Yours in Him,
Paul Balasundaram