Daily Devotional for Friday September 5, 2003
Sharing in victories
(Proverbs 17:17, Ecclesiastes 4:9,10)
Sharing in victories. Every morning for the past 4 years I have done my best to hear from God and minister to the needs of those who subscribe to this Devotional. In that time, it has grown from a handful of people to over 1.7 million worldwide. In the coming year, we hope to expand this outreach to over 8 million worldwide each day. You have become part of my life, and are like my family. It is important that we not only share our struggles together, but our victories. So today, I want to share with you some of those victories that God has given to us recently.
VICTORY OVER THE RECENT VIRUSES ON THE INTERNET. Thank you for your prayers and patience over the past couple of weeks. As you know, the Internet was rocked with the worst series of viruses ever. These attacks came during the week we take each year to celebrate the anniversary of Liveprayer. God protected Liveprayer and kept our systems clean, and operating without failure during these attacks. We are grateful for our dedicated technical people that worked some 36-48 hour shifts to keep Liveprayer operating. We need to pray for those people that create and unleash such destruction. Also, please continue to pray daily for God to watch over the technical operations of Liveprayer.
VICTORY OVER OUR CREDIT CARD PROBLEM. Two weeks ago, I was notified by the company that processes our credit card transactions that they would no longer accept charges from the Internet. We quickly negotiated with a new processor which ended up saving Liveprayer app. $5,000 annually in the discount rate we pay. What was supposed to be a 72-hour process turned into a 2-week nightmare with every problem you can imagine. Since August 27th, we have not been able to accept any credit card donations on our website, which accounts for app. 20% of the donations we receive each month.
As of today, our new system is up and running on a secured server like before, and we can now start taking credit card donations again. Again, this all took place during our anniversary week, which is the time many people make an annual contribution to Liveprayer. If you have not been able to make a credit card donation, please go to www.liveprayer.com and click on the "Donation" link on the left menu bar.
VICTORY IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE LIVEPRAYER EVANGELISTIC CENTER. One week ago, I shared with you how God had been speaking to me for about a year now about establishing the Liveprayer Evangelistic Center. In accordance with Judges chapter 6, I laid out a fleece for the Lord, and He answered definitively within a week. I am excited to announce that the first phase of the Liveprayer Evangelistic Center is a reality.
The fleece was two-fold. I asked God for 100 people that would commit to pray for, attend, and support the new Evangelistic Center. I needed a core group of people to stand with me in this new work. We have had well over 100 make that commitment. I also told God that I needed a qualified, anointed Minister of Music since I was committed that we would have the best possible music at the Evangelistic Center. I had used a powerful young man during several crusades I did 7 years ago in the Central Florida area. We lost touch and had not spoken during the past 7 years, but God brought him back into my life the day after I asked people to start praying. Needless to say, he will be the Minister of Music at the new Liveprayer Evangelistic Center.
Starting on Sunday, October 5th, I will hold evangelistic meetings at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. at the new Radisson Hotel on Roosevelt Blvd. in Clearwater, Florida right by Home Shopping Network. We will hold evangelistic meetings there every Sunday in October, November, and December. The first of the year, we will move into a permanent facility in that area where we will have evangelistic meetings 7 nights a week at 7 p.m.
VICTORY IN OUR FINANCES. God has used many of you that faithfully and sacrificially give to Liveprayer to help us see victory in this area each month. We are now 5 days into our 5th year of ministry on the Internet. It is a new year, with new challenges, and wonderful new opportunities to bring to people worldwide each day the hope of Christ. YOUR prayers and YOUR gifts make all of this possible each day. As you know, it takes $30,000 every month to cover all of the operational costs of Liveprayer. THAT IS ONLY $1,000 A DAY TO MINISTER TO JUST UNDER 2 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE EACH DAY!!!
The Bible teaches to give according to your ability to give. For some that may be a gift of $10 or $20. For others it may be a gift of $50 or $100. For others it may be a gift of $300, $500, $1,000 or even the entire $30,000! Simply pray and be obedient to give what God leads you to give.
Because we were not able to take credit card donations for over a week, and with many people being offline due to the virus problems, we have had a pretty dramatic decrease in giving over the past 2 weeks. Please do what you can today so that we can catch up. Give the very best gift that you can today.
You can make your gift with your credit card on a secure server on our website at www.liveprayer.com under the "Donation" button, you can give via your PayPal account using my email address, bkeller@liveprayer.com , or, you can mail your gift to: Liveprayer 6660 46th Avenue North St. Petersburg, Florida 33709 All gifts to Liveprayer are 100% tax deductible.
I AM CLAIMING VICTORY TODAY IN THE FUNDING NEEDED TO HELP EXPAND LIVEPRAYER. Over the past 8 weeks, I have asked 30 people to make a special one-time gift of $5,000 to help me in expanding the outreach of Liveprayer here on the Internet and on secular television. To date, we have had 25 people help, and I have commitments from 3 more. That means I only need two more people. Please take a moment and pray, and if God is leading you to be one of the last two I need, contact me at bkeller@liveprayer.com and I will mail you out the information.
I love you and care about you so much!!! In case you haven't figured it out yet, GOD...IS A GOD OF VICTORY!!! The same God that has helped us see these wonderful victories here at Liveprayer, is the same God that will help you see victory in the battles you are fighting in your life today. Please know that I am here for you, to pray with you, to pray for you, and to stand with you in the battles you are fighting.
THANK YOU for your love, your prayers, your gifts, and for being part of the Liveprayer family. God has brought us together during these exciting days to do something GREAT for His Kingdom. As wonderful as the victories we share today are, there are greater battles ahead, and greater victories to be won. Of course, the greatest victory of all is when a lost soul comes to know Christ as their Savior. THAT is why Liveprayer is here. In 4 years, over 38,000 that we know of have made that decision. THAT IS THE GREATEST VICTORY OF ALL!!!
In His love and service, Your friend and brother in Christ, Bill Keller