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Japan Alive Prayer Focus #2 - Orphan Spirit
“… Japanese youths will be known as the righteous generation. Youths are going to say about living in Japan, ‘I love being Japanese.’ God is going to restore the sanctity of life in this country. The suicide rates are going to go down. People will find purpose in life. There is no answer for Japan but Jesus…Reaching out to the poor, changing its systems that bind people, protecting orphans…Christians should be doing all of these works. (Cindy Jacobs, May Conference ’06).
There are many orphans in Japan. They are not deserted or thrown out of their houses, nor are they living on the streets. However, manifestations of the orphan spirit are seen everywhere, such as “Shinya-haikai (youths wandering at late night)” or “Puchi-Iede (temporary runaway)”. According to the police white book, 90% of these problems derived from unhealthy relationships with their families. We not only need to engage in practical help, such as taking care of orphans by introducing foster parents and adoptive parents, but we also need to tackle the spiritual issues….
- Orphan Mentality
The orphan spirit makes people think, “Nobody cares for me or loves me,“ “I have to be tough to protect myself,” and “I will lose my worth if I fail.” These “I am not worth anything,” or “I am not their child / I don’t belong” types of thinking lead to low self-esteem, emotional death, and self-rejection, which could increase the pressures of contemplating suicide (including “wrist-cutting”), or going into to prostitution or “Enjo-Kousai (selling “some” of yourself).”
- ”I don’t belong to my church”
This spirit also works in a church. There are many Christians who feel out of the place at their own church, and have hard time accepting love from other church members. Out of fear of being rejected, people with this fear act in a way, that causes people to reject them, therefore, fulfilling their own “prophecy/confession.” They yearn for family and acceptance, yet are unable to become a family member. Often, the root cause is this “orphan mentality.”
- To be made a child of God
Romans 8:14-16 says, “Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, father.” The spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”
- You are Special
Jesus gave His life for us so that we may be called children of God. We need to tell youths that they are loved, and they worth a lot. When we really understand the sanctity of life, abortion and suicide will diminish, and people become thankful they’re alive. As Christians, we need to take this message to society.
--- Prayer ---
1) Please pray for right connections! So that we would be connected to organizations, missions, and media people who share the same vision. Also, pray for all the activities surrounding the issue of pregnancy and abortions, such as temporary shelters for pregnant women, self-reliance support for single mothers, foster care and adoptions.
2) Pray for ideas and strategies for pamphlets, teaching materials, and a website – and that these things would be widely read in Japan.
3) Repent for the dedication of children to temples and shrines. This sin created a door for the orphan spirit to come in. Pray that they may come to know God and be made children of God. Pray also that they may find Jesus who dearly loves them, and consequently, they might learn to cherish themselves.
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