“The head of Britain’s intelligence service, M16, said this week that Iran will acquire a nuclear weapon by 2014 at the latest and predicted Israel will likely strike before the Iranians acquire “all the technologies they need.” Sir John Sawers said it is “equally clear that Israel and the United States would face huge dangers if Iran were to become a nuclear weapon state.

With the U.S. increasing its military forces in the Persian Gulf and Iran’s foreign minister opening warning that if sanctions are fully enforced, his nation will close the Strait of Hormuz and choke one-fifth of the world’s oil supply, many are asking, “Is a war with Iran imminent?”

Some experts believe the Israeli military may strike Iran soon and that the “window” is closing for Israel to stop Iran’s nuclear program.

The threat of an escalation is real. And if Iran is struck, what would this do to the price of oil, the world economy, and the stock market?

And would Iran retaliate against Israel and the U.S.? In the past few days, the New York Times reported: “The United States has quietly moved significant military reinforcements into the Persian Gulf to deter the Iranian military from any possible attempt to shut the Strait of Hormuz and to increase the number of fighter jets capable of striking deep into Iran if the standoff over its nuclear program escalates.”

Iran continues to secretly enrich uranium amid reports that It is pushing forward with its nuclear weapons program, while diplomatic talks to thwart Iran’s program and stop pre-emptive Israeli airstrikes have so far failed.

Please keep this volatile situation in your prayers and pray that Iran will back down in the face of possible attack on their nuclear installations.

Student Volunteer Movement II is a global movement focusing on mobilizing 100,000 new workers to the harvest among least-reached peoples from the student generation. The SVM2 Alliance is getting excited about the upcoming “21 Days for Global Harvest” prayer campaign to pursue God for spiritual awakening and global harvest. This campaign will take place from September 30 – October 20, 2012, with the theme “Let My People Go!” based on Exodus 8. Small groups of young adults from student ministries related to campus ministry organizations, Christian colleges/Bible schools and local churches will participate from many nations.

Very few prayer campaigns exist connecting the emerging generation of believers together with one purpose. “21 Days for Global Harvest” targets this age group with a united prayer emphasis for awakening across the student generation and becoming ignited with passion for global harvest.

It is important to have as many student ministries from as many nations involved in this prayer campaign. It is our hope to see 1,000 prayer groups praying for 387 unengaged, unreached people groups during the 21 days.

Would you and your organization or church commit to participating with this prayer campaign as a stakeholder network? This would include the following action steps:

1.    Promotion – Among your constituency (Both Para-Church ministries as well as Local Churches and Denominations – the goal is to see prayer groups involved across the spectrum of the body of Christ)
2.    Participation – Schedule it on the GDOP Annual Ministry Calendar
3.    Partnership – Partner to Make the Prayer Campaign a Success

The “21 Days for Global Harvest” website will include your group as a stakeholder network with the prayer campaign.

An informational graphic email is available to help with promotion. This could be sent on to the group constituency as a means of promoting the campaign. In that email it will also state clearly where to obtain hard copy prayer guides and promotional posters for local churches, student ministries, etc.

To date, other stakeholder networks include International Prayer Council (IPC), IFES-Carribean, International Center for Evangelism, Church Planting & Prayer (ICECAP), Mission-Net Europe, Malaysian Center for Global Missions (MCGM), Latin Link, Moving In Action (MIA)-SA, ForMission-Niger, World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), Japan Antioch Mission (JAM), World Mission Prayer League.

I look forward to hearing from you about the possibility of organization or church serving in this important role as a stakeholder network for the “21 Days for Global Harvest” prayer campaign.

Over the last two years, Pakistan has had something of a respite from dramatic attacks such as those that plagued the country from 2007 to 2010. During those years, a series of high-profile and highly disruptive attacks against police, army, and intelligence targets challenged the government’s ability to control the country. The attacks occurred in Pakistan’s most populous province, Punjab, in cities such as Lahore, and in the capital, Islamabad.

While suicide bombings and attacks in Pakistan’s troubled northwest (along the border with Afghanistan) have continued apace since 2010, major attacks in Pakistan’s Punjab-Sindh core have essentially ceased. The sole instance of dramatic violence involving government targets outside of the northwest since 2010 was an attack on a naval station near Karachi following the death of Osama bin Laden. Despite the break from violence in Pakistan’s major cities, many of the same conditions present during the wave of attacks from 2007 to 2010 remain. Another escalation in violence is very possible, especially in Pakistan’s volatile climate and with elections coming up.

Timing of the Attacks

The two attacks (along with numerous other attacks and an attempted assassination) came the week after Pakistan formally reopened NATO supply routes through the country to Afghanistan. The supply routes had been closed for more than seven months after a deadly cross-border attack by U.S. forces in November killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. The day the routs reopened, the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan told journalists it would attack trucks carrying NATO supplies in protest.

Bur rather than an impetus for attacks, the reopening of the supply line is more likely a political opportunity for the Pakistani Taliban militants to promote anti-American sentiment in Pakistan. The NATO supply line is one of the most visible products of the U.S.-Pakistani relationship. The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and some political opposition groups have criticized the Pakistani government for helping Washington while the U.S. military conducted strikes killing mostly Pakistanis along the border with Afghanistan. By opposing the NATO supply line, the Pakistani Taliban militants are able to generate popular support across Pakistan…

Right now, Pakistan’s military presence in the country’s northwest is backed only by a feeble government. The lead-up to Pakistan’s elections is an opportunity for the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan to make its case against internal military deployments. Should Islamabad’s political will shift and the military lose its advantage in the northwest, the militants could continue their campaign in Pakistan’s core, returning to high-profile, disruptive attacks.”

Please pray for the dissolution of the Tehrik-i-Taliban and the end of their terrorist attacks in Pakistan and for God’s peace to reign in the nation.