Dear Prayer Tip Tuesday and Connection Prayer Devotion Readers,

As members of the Board of Directors of Harvest Prayer Ministries, we have asked permission to send HPM’s 2022 annual year-end letter.

We do so with heavy hearts after the recent passing of our Co-Founder, David Butts (November 26^th, 2022). But we also do so with a sense of God’s providence and His forever faithfulness and goodness to Kim and Harvest Prayer Ministries. As most of you know, Dave had a reoccurrence of cancer diagnosed in July which spread rapidly and without any medical solutions for a recovery. He went into hospice care at the beginning of November, and while we all know God is bigger than man’s best attempts to treat cancer we prayed for God’s best and that He would be glorified whether He healed Dave on earth or in heaven. As Dave often mentioned, either option would be a “win” for him; however, he and Kim began to prepare for a ministry future that might require her to carry on in his physical absence.

As a board we could not be more pleased with how Dave and Kim demonstrated faithfulness to their priorities of relationship with the Lord, each other, their family and ministry. Kim has always been by Dave’s side in helping to carry the ministry forward. Dave’s desire was for Kim to remain fruitful in her calling with HPM. She continues to do so with amazing vigor and is even more determined that his legacy will endure to the glory and praise of the Father.

We are filled with gratitude that God has been at work for several years now positioning our ministry in even greater and more impactful ways for the future than in the past.

For the past five years, and especially in the past few months, HPM has been in succession planning. Strategically, it includes ways in which the existing resources and especially Kim’s ministry, can be not only maintained but accelerated. With that said, the board has unanimously made Kim the new President of Harvest Prayer Ministries. We have every confidence in her leadership abilities and she has our full and complete backing.

2023 and Beyond!

Nearly three months before Dave went to worship at the feet of Jesus, with full board approval, he formed a strategic missional partnership with One Cry for Revival (onecry.com), a highly effective and reputable ten-year-old ministry believing that personal revival of God’s people will lead to a revived church which can have tremendous impact on communities and be used by God to influence the entire nation.

As you know, this fits right in with Harvest Prayer Ministries’ vision to see churches become houses of prayer for all nations in order to see revival and the fulfillment of the great commission. We are filled with joyous hope for all of the kingdom possibilities that lie ahead within this Spirit-influenced partnership.

HOW CAN YOU HELP HARVEST PRAYER MINISTRIES STEP INTO THE FUTURE WITH GREAT KINGDOM EFFECTIVENESS?

As you know Dave and Kim have been the epitome of humility in the way they do ministry. They do not share about themselves. As a result, most do not know the extent of their impact as a couple.

But as a board member for many years, I can attest that the influence they have both had among Christian leaders domestically and globally is beyond incredible. Their teaching, writing, online and influential partnership ministries have perhaps influenced millions.

Dave’s servant leadership in the prayer movement nationally and globally will be deeply missed. Kim does not intend to try to fill this void, as it is not possible; however, she intends to continue to seek God’s heart for whatever doors He opens. She will also continue her writing/teaching/training ministry, as well as continuing to produce Prayer Tip Tuesday and also our daily devotionals: Connection!

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

This is the first time the Harvest Prayer Ministries’ Board of Directors has directly communicated with those who receive Prayer Tip Tuesday and Connection Prayer Devotions. So as we do, please know that we hope you are being blessed in powerful ways by the content HPM creates and freely shares each day/week.  What an honor to report that HPM functions at the highest level of integrity . . . it is lived out everywhere. The frugality and prayer that goes into program/outreach decisions and associated funding decisions creates a culture of widespread trust. WE ARE THANKFUL FOR THAT!

Each year, Harvest Prayer Ministries trusts God for His provision into the New Year. This year we are trusting Him for $50,000 by the end of December. We know this is a big ask – we also know we serve a BIG GOD! We have reached the 50% mark of this goal, but in Dave’s honor and memory we would like to see the ministry he and Kim co-founded in 1993 be set up for an even more fruitful future! The funds go to maintain and advance each of the primary outreaches, including:

 Digital Prayer Ministry – Distributing core content of Dave and Kim through resources such as Connection Prayer Devotions, Prayer Tip Tuesday, blogs, articles, etc. There are so many plans to expand with new content from additional writers also.

 Content Development – Kim is a terrific writer and has plans for more PrayerU courses, several books in process (one on Intimacy that Dave began and she will finish), etc.

 Travel to National Leadership Meetings – Kim continues to serve with the National Prayer Committee.

 Financial Support for Kim’s salary, and for HPM’s administrative assistant, JoLyn Graf.

 Administrative Services – Outsourcing various functions

 PrayerU.com – Marketing and distributing this one-of-a-kind resource of Dave and Kim’s resources so that it can be widely expanded to help individuals and churches grow in prayer!

 Forming a Strategic Partnership with One Cry for Revival, currently functioning under HPM’s 501c3. It will take time and resources as we move forward together.

Will you pray and give?

Would you pray into the future of Harvest Prayer Ministries?

And as the Lord leads, would you invest in the future of our nation through Harvest Prayer Ministries through giving your most generous gift? And please pray for all of us as board members, that we would faithfully multiply the heart cry and voices of both Dave and Kim as we move to implement our 2023 plans!

We know that praying churches can transform people, cultures and nations for God’s glory! One Cry for Revival seeks to awaken people, churches, communities and nations towards spiritual transformation. If there was ever a time for the mission and message of HPM to go forward in strategic partnership it is now. The culture has never been more in need of revival and spiritual awakening.

Thank you in advance for your wonderful partnership and fellowship in the gospel! In Dave’s memory, we ask for your best gift to continue his legacy of prayer into the future.

Mobilizing the church in prayer, together!

Vince McFarland

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

PS

You can give online right now at harvestprayer.com/donate or you can send your check to Harvest Prayer Ministries, PO Box 10667, Terre Haute, IN 47801. If you prefer to give your gift by credit card over the phone you can call JoLyn Graf at our office: 812-230-3130.  PLEASE REMEMBER that each gift must be received or postmarked no later than December 31, 2022. If you give after this date, it will go on your 2023 tax returns.

Some of Kim's Books

Growing up in church was a wonderful privilege for me. One of the benefits was the encouragement I received to memorize scripture. I’m pretty sure that the first full chapter I ever memorized was Psalm 23. The beautiful imagery and spiritual depth of the Good Shepherd’s Psalm has been a blessing for me throughout my life.

Though I rarely use the King James Version anymore, I still revert to that when praying through Psalm 23:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

There are many benefits to memorizing scripture, but one of the best is the ease of access to God’s Word when praying. It is a simple matter for me to pray Psalm 23 because I have committed it to memory.

Sometimes Psalm 23 suffers from the old adage that familiarity breeds contempt. We view it as a nice, safe portion of scripture best used at funerals. May I suggest instead that this powerful Psalm prayed regularly with insight can bring transformation to your life at a deep level?

Consider what you are asking of Him. Psalm 23 from beginning to end is all about the Presence of God in a person’s life. When prayed from that perspective, it changes all of life. David, the Shepherd King, understood from personal experience what a shepherd’s presence means to sheep.

Whether it is protection, provision, rest, or direction, the sheep are dependent upon the leadership and presence of their shepherd. That is precisely what is needed in our lives today.

What has become a powerful spiritual experience for me involves personalizing Psalm 23 as I pray. It is astonishing to me how I sense the Lords presence by simply changing a pronoun. “You are my shepherd, Lord.” I am speaking to the One who is present with me now.

If you struggle with doing this, please note that David himself, the author of this Psalm, personalizes His prayer: “Thou(You) are with me”…”thy (Your) rod and staff”…”thou (You) preparest a table”….”thou (You) anointest.”

Psalm 23 is all about the Lord being present with us every day in every aspect of life. For me, it is the way I experience and live out the truth of Col.1:27, “Christ in us, the hope of glory.” No longer just head knowledge or good theology, but a way of life.

Like Col.1:27 which speaks of the Lord’s presence as the hope of glory, so Psalm 23 concludes in a similar way. As we walk with Jesus through all of life, we dwell in the midst of His glory in and as the house of the Lord forever.

My challenge to you today is to memorize Psalm 23 (if you haven’t already) in whatever version you enjoy, and begin to pray these amazing words back to God. This will be a life-changing experience for you as you trust and look to the Father to answer.

(c) Harvest Prayer Ministries, 2021

(PASTE YOUR NEW TEXT HERE OVER THE OLD TEXT) Each year, it’s usual and appropriate to prayerfully look back, remember, assess, and reflect on how the year has gone…and then to prayerfully take a look forward…seeking the heart of God about how to live more grace-filled, courageous lives that bring glory to His Kingdom.

This past year has been unusual, to say the least. The process mentioned above has, at least for me, gone somewhat off the rails in terms of what “normal” or even “extraordinary” looks like in 2020. How do we evaluate a year that has been unlike any other in our lives? I suggest that, despite all that has changed, been different or unsettling, or that has challenged the limits of our faith – we should not be paralyzed in our efforts to see God at work in the midst of it all.

Here is a prayerful way to process all that has happened in the midst of your relationships with God and others, and to look forward to what lies ahead. I hope it will be a blessing to you:

1. Sit in silence for a few minutes daily – perhaps light a candle as a reminder that Jesus is the Light of the World, and that you are seated in His presence. Breathe out any burden, heartache, pain, fear, uncertainty or anger. Breathe in His peace.

2. Remind yourself that He is very near as you pray from Psalm 46:1-3, “Lord Jesus, thank You for being my refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble. Because of Your presence I will not fear…even if the earth gives way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea…though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” 
3. Reflect on all that has swirled around you this year:

• Name the things that stand out from this past year as you sit in the stillness.
• Invite God to meet you in the midst of every remembered situation, relationship, struggle or joy that comes to mind.
• Take time to imagine Him being near in every circumstance even if you cannot remember His presence when the event happened. Ask Him to show you where He was in the midst of everything that comes to mind. Thank Him for His presence.
• Ask Him to help you to find joy and peace in whatever has caused turmoil or distress.
• Give God thanks for everything He has walked you through. Thank Him for the blessings, expected and unexpected, that have come your way.
• Thank Him for the way He has shown up in your life this past year.

4. Have you reflected Christ to others in the midst of the upheaval, fear, anger, angst, violence, uncertainty and pain? Ask God to show you those who have experienced His love or encouragement through you this past year…and those who haven’t. Ask Him to bring to mind those who have experienced darkness, pain or distress, but have seen and experienced extraordinary love, forgiveness, patience, peace, kindness, generosity and even joy from Jesus living within you. When God shows you those who needed encouragement, peace, etc. from you and didn’t receive it, ask God for His forgiveness. Ask for His help and strength to reflect Jesus better and more fully in your relationships in this new year.

5. Have you prayed for those who have disagreed with you or done harm to you and/or others this year? Think about every painful, frustrating or difficult experience with others and release each person to God. Ask Him to restore your joy and give you a deep desire to pray for His presence to be evident in their lives. Ask Him to help you to learn to love those who may have persecuted you or treated you badly this past year.

6. Has your life been marked by forgiveness? Ask the Father to give you the grace gift of forgiveness to extend to each person who came to your mind in #5. Ask God to forgive you for each person you may have damaged by your words or actions as He brings them to mind. Next, ask Him to show you anyone you may need to go to and ask to be forgiven by. Determine to set things right in any relationship that has been damaged. Deny any attempts of the enemy to make you feel guilty. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). Receive His pleasure as you seek His heart in each circumstance and relationship.

7. What does God have for you in this new year? Take time to seek the heart of God for your direction and purpose. Perhaps He will give you a Scripture, a word of encouragement or a challenge. Ask Him to fill you with His hope, joy and peace. Most of all, ask Him to strengthen your desire to carry the Light of the World into the darkness with every step, word, and action. Renew your desire to be His hands and feet in great love.

8. End this time in silence. As your time of reflection comes to a close, give thanks to Father, Son and Holy Spirit for meeting with you in this season of prayer. Sit quietly for a few moments in the peace of His presence. When you feel ready, blow out the candle and carry His presence into the world.

© Harvest Prayer Ministries

Some of Kim’s Books

Scheduling Contact:

Email: kim@harvestprayer.com

Phone: 812-230-3130