Encouraging Development for the Two Sudans: Bashir and Kiir Hold Face-to-Face Meeting in Addis Ababa
Independence day ceremony: Sudan's president Omar Al-Bashir and South Sudan's president Salva Kiir met in Ethiopia for the first since the two countries went to battle over the Heglig oil field in April. Presidents Omer al-Bashir and Salva Kiir met in the Ethiopian capital to discuss unresolved issues between the two countries for the first time since the clashes over Heglig in April last year.
The meeting sends encouraging and positive signals to the people of the two countries who suffer from a severe economic crisis and to the international community expressing their serious commitment to reach a deal before the deadline of 2 August. "The two presidents have agreed and instructed their negotiating teams to expedite negotiations and develop bold decisions in key areas as well as to reach agreements in all issues," South Sudan chief negotiator Pagan Amum told reporters after the private encounter. "It was a good meeting," he further told reporters who gathered outside the meeting room where they met at the Sheraton on Saturday evening…
Bashir underscored the security concern and the need to speed up the operationalization of the buffer zone saying there was no reason to contest Sudan's current border because it served to give South Sudan its independence.
Kiir on the other side focused on the issue of oil transportation saying Juba wants clear commitment to not divert South Sudan production, and asked for international guarantees. He also stressed on the need to reach a quick solution over Abyei issue.
The delegation of the two countries have already agreed earlier this month to hold talks on all the outstanding issues as Juba reassured Khartoum on the implementation of the demilitarized zone and the presence of Darfur rebels in South Sudan. The Sudanese delegation also agreed with the mediation on the resumption of talks with the SPLM-North rebels over South Kordofan and Blue Nile…
The chief negotiator also pointed out that the two parties have an opportunity to conclude a "fair deal" and to end hostilities.
"We are ready to resume oil production if there is a fair deal, and there is a guarantee that there will be no diversion (of the oil)," he further pointed out.
After a session of talks in presence of their close aides and ministers, Bashir and Kiir held a one-on-one meeting.
The two men were seen in good mood smiling and shaking hand after the private meeting as Bashir accompanied Kiir outside the room where they held their talks.
On 7 July Sudan and South Sudan announced they reached a Comprehensive Strategic Approach providing to enhance confidence, good faith and transparency to resolve the pending issues between the two countries.
They also committed themselves to resort to peaceful means to resolve their disputes and to not interfere in the internal affairs of each other.
Yesterday Pagan Amum, who is also the secretary general of the ruling party in Juba, in statements to Sudan Tribune praised the new spirit of the talks stressing that he believes the two sides will "get out with something positive".
"Peace is in the interest of our people. They need peace to prevail so that we can live side by side as friendly neighbours," he said.
The delegation of the two countries will hold non-stop meetings during the upcoming two weeks in order to finalize a deal over the outstanding matters before 2 August.
Please thank the Lord for this positive development which must be seen as answered prayer! Pray for the full cessation of hostilities between the two Sudans and for successful, continued peace talks to resolve their differences.
It is very interesting to see how the ranking of Sudan on the world list of persecuted countries changed through the 14 years of involvement with the country. Every year Open Doors bring out a list of top 50 countries in the world persecuted for their faith.
14 years ago, Sudan was number 5 on the world list. As people prayed for the country, God changed the nation. Gradually the situation changed in the country until it reached number 38 on that list in the beginning of 2011. It was the open question what spot Sudan would be placed at after the independence of South Sudan on 9 July 2011.
For a downloadable prayer map with lots of information on the topic, please go to: http://www.opendoors.org.za/downloads/pray_pdfs/our_father_wwl_2012.pdf
Currently Sudan is at number 16 of persecuted countries in the world. Important to note that there are four different categories of persecution on the list. The top category, with one country, is viewed as “SEVERE PERSECUTION”. ONLY North Korea (1) is categorized as being under severe persecution. It has been in that spot for a number of years now.
The second category is called “OPPRESSION”. This refers to countries like AFGHANISTAN (2), Saudi Arabia (3), and Somalia (4). Then the third category of the list is called “SEVERE LIMITATIONS”. That refers to countries like Mauritania (14), Egypt (15), and Sudan (16). The fourth category is called “SIGNIFICANT LIMITATIONS”. On the list for that are countries like Burma (Myanmar) (33), Tajikistan (34), and Tunisia (35).
A description about persecution in Sudan could be viewed on the website of Open Doors. Here is the link: http://www.opendoors.org.za/eng/persecuted_christians/wwl_2012/sudan/
The main persecution engine in Sudan is Islamic extremism. Sudan (North Sudan before the independence of South Sudan on July 9, 2011) jumped from position 35 to 16 in the World Watch List.
Please pray for the overthrow of Islamic extremism in Sudan and for protection over believers in Christ.
Join with John Bornschein (Vice President), Lisa Crump, Dion Elmore, and more on the first Thursday of every month for a National Prayer Call from 10 p.m. – 11:30 p.m. For more details, go to http://commit2pray.com/national-prayer-calls/
Liberia, as a nation and people, suffered a terrible past consequence of bad governance, neglect of rural communities, undermining of the rule of law, lack of respect for civil liberties and human rights, economic disparities, misuse of public funds, ethnic divisions, poverty, etc. Different parties ruled the country from Independence in 1847 until 1869 when attempts at consolidating multi-party democracy were undermined when a one-political-party system was forcibly introduced in 1870. That one-party ruled the country for 110 years until its bloody overthrow in April 1980.
Ten years later an incursion provoked a senseless civil war aimed at dislodging elements responsible for the overthrow of the 110-year oligarchy. The brute civil conflict lasted for 15 years and murdered more than a quarter-million of the 3.5 million Liberians, especially women and children, destroyed public and private properties, and increased unemployment to 85% amongst others. A ceasefire ensued and peace was obtained in August 2003 with the landing of a West African Peace Keeping Force in Monrovia, the Capital of Liberia. The peace obtained was a consequence of much prayer by the People of God in and out of Liberia.
With Presidential and Legislative elections conducted twice in 2005 and 2011 to consolidate peace, stability, and democracy in the country, the need exists to encourage ordinary Liberians not to be spectators in the historic remaking of their country but to rise up and take responsibility for the reconstruction and development of their country. The challenges facing the country are enormous. Almost every face of Liberian life was destroyed during the civil war. To rebuild the country, every facet of Liberia life must be re-engaged.
A lot of progress has been made, but a lot remains to be done. There are several concerns that cannot be overlooked. These concerns include but are not limited to:
1. Hidden political, tribal, and cultural tensions that may have the potential to spark renewed conflicts
2. The cries of judicial inadequacy and fraud, lengthy pretrial detention, denial of due process, and harsh prison conditions, etc.
3. Reports of unlawful dispossession of life, mob killings, ritualistic killings, police abuse, harassment, intimidation, etc.
4. Unabated reports of violence against women and children including rape and domestic violence, child labor allegations, etc.
5. The fear that civil war along ethnic lines could break out again once the United Nations Peace keepers leave
6. The fear that former warring factions were not completely disbanded and ex-combatants demobilized and reintegrated into normal life
7. Cross-border violence and participation of Liberian mercenaries in conflicts in neighboring countries, i.e. Ivory Coast, Guinea, etc.
8. Lack of Institutionalized political institutions, “hand-bag” or “only-election-time” political parties, “privatized” advocacy on behalf of the people
9. Increasing hard-time and entrenched poverty and its consequences on the peace and stability of the nation
10. Lingering disputes over land ownership, which the International Crisis Group in 2009 described as “the most explosive issue in Liberia today”, amongst others.
Please pray with the Liberian believers for the full healing of their nation.
For more information, contact Pastor Kortu Brown (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
The very fact that until the announcement on Sunday, June 24th, Egyptians had no idea who would be declared President, is proof of the remarkable change that has taken place in our country since the January 2011 Revolution! President Mohammad Morsi (who was the Muslim Brotherhood’s presidential candidate)is facing incredible challenges…
1. He needs to satisfy the aspirations of the right-wing Muslims who dream of applying Islamic Sharia law in both belief and practice in all areas of private and public life. On the other hand, he needs to demonstrate to moderate Muslims and Christians (up to 30% of the population) that he will champion freedom of expression and equal rights for all Egyptians regardless of creed or political affiliation.
2. He has already declared that the army should relinquish some of the Presidential powers it appropriated just days before his election. But he must avoid a showdown (the first of which he seems to have lost upon demanding the reinstatement of the dissolved Parliament)
3. He must quickly appease the masses by beginning to solve some of the endemic economic employment and supply crises which are escalating at an alarming rate.
While his election was a shock for most Christians, many are relieved that the tensions and violence, which could have resulted if he were not elected, have been averted. It’s now high time to “Rebuild Egypt”, but we still need to draft a constitution and re-elect a Parliament! Many fear that this process will distract us from tackling the complex immediate issues facing the nation.
As the new president tries to work with diametrically opposed aspirations of the different groups, Christians wonder what the future holds and where the priorities will be. In the next 2-3 decades, Egypt may be very different than we know it today. Decisions by the new leadership on questions related to a civil state, true democracy, freedom of religion, and rights of minorities are worrying to many.
How we want you to pray for us:
1. Pray that we in the Bible Society will continue to think of creative and appropriate ways to place God’s Word in the Egyptian marketplace and in the hearts of those who seek God.
2. Pray that Christians, instead of yearning to flee Egypt, will boldly choose to remain and be a vibrant witness and influence for good in their needy nation.
3. Pray for the Coptic Orthodox Church as they seek God’s will for a new Patriarch. (The majority of Egyptian Christians have felt bereft of leadership since the death of Pope Shenouda in March.)
4. Pray that moderate Muslims will be able to resist being forced to submit to the right-wing Islamist agenda. If they are able to resist, there is a much better chance that Christians also will continue to maintain many of the freedoms they now enjoy.
As the nation of Sierra Leone prepares for the forthcoming Presidential and Parliamentarian elections on Nov. 17th, 2012, please pray for the peace, stability, and tranquility that this nation has enjoyed after ten years of brutal civil war will be maintained.
Please pray for a peaceful, fair, free, and transparent elections and that there will be no violence, vandalism, insurrection, or rigging.
Pray that pastors and church leaders will not get mixed up in politics and compromise their call. There are some pastors and religious leaders who claim to prophesy and give false hope to politicians, that they are the ones the Lord has chosen even when the Lord has not spoken. Please pray that the word will be preached with integrity and not diluted.
Please pray that during this period many will come to the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
John 12:32 “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”
The wave is beginning to rise for the 3rd Annual Global Day of Worship on 12.12.12!
This year, the Global Day of Worship team will be leading 12.12.12 from Jerusalem, Israel. We invite the world’s believers and followers of Jesus Christ, the Messiah to give thanks and declare His goodness, faithfulness, salvation as well as deliverance over our lives, families and nations – with special emphasis on Israel.
In four months, the third annual Global Day of Worship will be held in 24 time zones around the world from 7:00 to 8:00 pm in every zone. Imagine a wave of worship beginning at 7 pm in New Zealand and spanning the globe uniting all believers. We will agree with and join the 24 elders, who are spoken of in Revelations 4, and are already worshiping Jesus around the throne. Global Day of Worship on 12.12.12 has a heart to unify many denominations while embracing and celebrating the differences in our expressions of love for Jesus, the Messiah. Join gatherings around the world via www.globaldayofworship.com or create a gathering of worshipers in your area. Let the Global Day of Worship team know and we can help to spread the word.
Leaders from all over the world gathered for this significant forum in Uganda. Among the other speakers and delegates were senior leaders in business, many Church leaders and numerous politicians.
It was a privilege to share as a plenary speaker and workshop leader for ‘EXPOSED – Shining a light on corruption’ and Unashamedly Ethical. There was tremendous interest and support for both campaigns, and of course there were many wonderful friends who are leaders and participants in the Global Day of Prayer. I am confident that God’s work has been taken another step forward.
The Lord placed Proverbs 31.8-9 on my heart at the start of the conference:
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
One trillion US$ goes missing each year as a result of corruption. Just 1% of the world’s wealth could solve the problem of poverty across the world. Half of the world’s population lives on less that $2 a day. The theme of my presentations was ‘Corruption has a name. Poverty has a face. You have a voice’.
It is so important that Christians rise up to do what Jesus himself did during his earthly ministry. He still calls the body of Christ to do the same today – to stand against injustice, to expose corruption, and to pray and work for God’s loving Kingdom to be established in every sphere of society.
There are a few news stories about EXPOSED going into the press over the next few days. This one by ChristianToday may be of some interest:
<http://www.christiantoday.com/article/exposing.corruption/30421.htm> please do share it with others!
Please pray fervently for Dion Forster, Graham Power and their colleagues as they seek to battle corruption through the Exposed and Unshamedly Ethical efforts around the world. Pray that an army of Christian people in every sphere of society will join them in a massive effort to bring reform and eliminate corruption in the nations.
It is particularly strategic to be in prayer for Muslims as they celebrate Ramadan, a month of prayer and fasting, around the world. Here are two websites with information on how to do this:
http://www.30-days.net/
http://www.30-days.net/resources/email/
Night of Power - August 14th. What will you be doing while millions of Muslims are praying?
August 2012 Muslims will celebrate Laylat al-Qadr – the Night of Power. This is the night they believe an angel gave Mohammad the Qur’an. It is also when they expect to have visions and dreams. According to the Qur’an, Laylat al-Qadr is “better than a thousand months.” Muslims seek Allah with greater intensity on this night. They expect to have divinely inspired dreams and see visions. They also believe that on Laylat al-Qadr, special angels perform special missions. If they worship with enough diligence on this night, Muslims think their sins will be forgiven.
Some Muslims expect God to answer their prayers on Laylat al-Qadr. It is also known as the Night of Destiny. Many Muslims spend all night in prayer in hopes of receiving direction or experiencing something supernatural. “Some Muslims rise well before dawn to make their requests, others pass much of the night in prayer,” explains “30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World.” They are encouraged to ask Allah with sincereity and conviction for anything and everything they need…”
Our Call to Prayer:
During the Night of Power, millions will be praying from the Muslim world – what will you be doing? Will you join us as we pray? Will you stand in the gap for Muslims globally? Do you believe God will use your prayers and open their eyes to the revelation of Jesus Christ?
What can I do?
1. Hold a prayer meeting on the Night of Power
2. Follow our Pray4Saudi Initiative on Facebook and Twitter which will have daily prayer points.
3. Pray with leaders globally through Visual Chat
4. Prayerwalk around local Mosques
Pray for:
1. The Lord to reveal Himself to Muslims on this night. Pray for them to have dreams and visions of Jesus Christ. (The Bible, Acts 2:17)
2. The hearts of Muslims to be open to the Gospel. Pray for the veil of deception to be removed from their minds. (The Bible, II Corinthians 4:3)
3. The strongholds of Islam to be demolished. Pray for the lies of this false religion to be exposed. Ask the Lord to set free all who have been deceived and misled by Islam. (The Bible, II Corinthians 10: 4,5)
4. The salvation of the leaders in the Muslim world – especially heads of government, imams, and members of terrorist groups. (The Bible, 1 Timothy 2:1-4)
5. A great harvest of souls as the Kingdom of God come in great power in the Islamic world. (The Bible, I Corinthians 4:20)
We are happy to respectfully inform you that on 5 July 2012, in a historic moment for the Protestant churches in Malaysia, nineteen (19) church and prayer leaders met at the office of the Methodist Church in Malaysia, Petaling Jaya. The came from all over the country, representing most of the major prayer networks in the country, including those of NECF and CCM, and also denominational and regional Pastors’/Ministers’ Fellowships. All came at short notice but with prepared hearts and minds, as each had been burdened with an urgent sense of the Lord’s call for united prayer for the church and nation.
During the dialogue, various participants shared their concerns. There was general agreement that the country is facing many critical issues, and the Malaysian Church needs to come together in prayer. And it was noted that, if the church is to play a significant role in national transformation, we must take seriously the call to live as a holy people, to strive for genuine unity, and to pour our hearts out in prayer for our nation!
The meeting was marked by a great sense of unity and hope, as well as much joy in every heart over the common desire for a united prayer initiative to bring the whole church together to seek God’s blessing for our country. We believe that through such an expression of unity and love for one another (Ephesians 4:1-6) Christ would be truly glorified. We praise and thank God for giving us this unity of the Spirit in the first place! We therefore would like humbly to invite all the churches and Christians in this country to join with us in a common prayer platform for the nation. We do this in response to God’s promise in 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 (NIV):
“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” This united platform will be called PRAYER UNITED, and its terms of reference are:
THE VISION
• All Christians, churches, and prayer networks in Malaysia coming together to pray for the church and our nation.
THE PURPOSE
• The first purpose is to set up a united prayer movement for the whole church to coordinate prayer and to enhance unity among Christians.
• The second purpose is to challenge the whole church to pray together for the transformation of society and nation. In particular, the focus will be on the two upcoming key national events, namely, the National Jubilee Celebration, beginning on 16 September, 2012, and the upcoming General Elections, GE13.
THE OBJECTIVES
The following are the objectives of PRAYER UNITED:
• To identify key strategic issues for prayer and to communicate these clearly and quickly to all prayer networks and churches.
• To serve as a link for all those involved in prayer in our churches, including both those in NECF and CCM, and to coordinate our efforts to ensure that our prayers are united in purpose and focus.
• To challenge the church to pray for God’s special blessings upon our nation in the Jubilee Year (Level. 25:10-12), the 50th Year of the formation of our nation, so that it will usher in a new season of peace, prosperity, freedom, and justice for our land.
• To call on the church to pray that the upcoming General Election, GE13, will be carried out peacefully and with integrity and that those elected will be honest and able men and women who sincerely have the country’s true and long-term interest in their hearts.
THE WAY FORWARD
1. The work of Prayer United will be coordinated for the moment by an Interim Committee with representations from all major prayer networks present at the meeting on 5 July, 2012. This committee will function until after the Jubilee Celebrations and GE13, when the present set-up will then be reviewed.
2. All communications from PRAYER UNITED will be coordinated by the two Joint Secretaries, Ms. Chrisanne Chin and Rev. Andy Chi, who are respectively in charge of the prayer ministries of CCM and NECF.
3. All communication released would be made available in Bahasa Malaysia, English, Chinese, and Tamil for dissemination to the churches.
We look to you to join us in this spiritual venture of prayer so that all of us will see the Lord’s blessings poured out upon our nation, bringing about a powerful transformation for the good and well-being of all citizens in our land. May our prayers and our lives serve to glorify our Lord Jesus Christ, even as we pray: ‘Your Kingdom come; Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven!’ Les us humbly seek God together to ask Him to reveal His glory in Malaysia in our day. Let us also ask Him for grace that we may fulfill His purpose for His church and nation in our generation. May His name be praised and glorified exceedingly in every way!
The Interim Committee, PRAYER UNITED