Following the detention of its pastor and about 100 members earlier this week, a Christian church in Chengdu, China, is thanking God and preparing for even more hardships. Overnight on December 9 and 10, government officials arrested leaders and members of Early Rain Covenant Church, one of the country’s most prominent unregistered churches. Since then, some people have been released, while others are being closely watched. Some members report rough treatment while in custody.
(December 13, 2018)
“God has given us a reward”
“Shortly before his arrest, elder Li Yingqiang wrote a letter to his church from a hiding spot. Describing the “large-scale persecution” as a “reward,” Li expresses confidence that the detainees are within God’s “sovereign providence” during their trials.
Citing 1 Peter 4:12-14, Li asks his fellow Christians, “Are you rejoicing in the fact that you are suffering with Christ because of this church? Do you know that we are blessed?”
He then thanks God for being present during the ordeal, “for training us through these days of hardship,” and “for sculpting us through today’s persecution.” Though the future is uncertain, Li says, he expects the crackdown on Christians to “become the status quo for us in the future.”
The Church Plans to Stand Firm
In his letter, Li relays the church’s contingency plans, urging elders who haven’t been detained to continue leading the congregation. No matter what happens, Li says, Early Rain must not alter its faith statement or its “path of openness.” He writes, “We will not register with the Religious Affairs Bureau.”
China has been cracking down on churches, requiring them to register and submit to government control. Most of the country’s Protestant house churches remain underground, but Early Rain operates and evangelizes openly. Earlier this fall, it received a warning from authorities.
Saying Early Rain “will not easily relinquish our church building,” Li urges worshipers to return to the sanctuary. If necessary, he says, worship will be held at a rented location or even outdoors. The “last resort,” according to his letter, is meeting in small groups.
“We are willing to pay an even greater price to bear witness to the…gospel,” Li writes. “We are willing to have 200, 300 or 500 people arrested and imprisoned.” He encourages Chinese Christians to “welcome, filled with hope, the even heavier cross and more difficult lives that lie ahead.” Early Rain’s Pastor Wang Yi Faces Charges of Subversion
Wang Yi, pastor of Early Rain, is being charged with “inciting subversion of state power,” according to documents his mother was shown. Wang hasn’t been allowed to meet with lawyers or relatives, and his wife’s whereabouts are unknown.
The couple’s 11-year-old son is staying with Wang’s mother, who says officials are constantly stationed outside her home. “They follow us whenever and wherever we go,” says Chen Yaxue, adding that officials are urging her to send her grandson to a local school rather than Early Rain’s primary school.
Wang, a human rights activist and scholar who converted to Christianity, wrote an open letter to church members in September, giving instructions in case he went missing. He emphasized that he’ll employ non-violent means to oppose crackdowns against his faith. “My Savior Christ also requires me to joyfully bear all costs for disobeying wicked law,” Wang wrote.
Stephanie Martin, ChurchLeaders.com
Let’s continue to uphold the Christians in China in our prayers as they seek to bear the increased surveillance and persecution of their government.
Pray for those that are being held in prison to be released and that the authorities there will realize that followers of Christ are actually the best citizens they will ever have. May China be liberated from this anti-Christian spirit that has recently reemerged so strongly!
We appreciate your prayer for Gujarat Christian Youth Festival that was recently concluded in Ahmedabad. We could see God’s presence moving in a big way throughout the conference. This time we prayed and focused on North Gujarat where the Christian population is less than 1%, churches are very small and there are two district (Pathan and Mehsana) without any Christian witness.
There were 940 participants that came from 26 Districts of North Gujarat, 110 Group Leaders and around 150 Volunteers, out of these total 513 committed their lives for the ministry. All glory to God alone for moving the hearts of the youth.
- Kindly continue to pray that these 1200 people should bring at least 4-5 non-Christian friends to Christ and out of these they should invite at least 2-3 friends to Vision India Youth Festival in 2020.
- Kindly uphold 513 youth as they have committed to serve the Lord, that they will remain faithful in their call.
- Kindly pray that at least 200 will complete the five modules of follow-up training.
- Also Please continue to pray for the remaining programs...@ 1000 youth in each program, that God will provide all that is needed resources to accomplish the remaining programs for His glory. We are focusing on the geographical area where there is less Christian population in North India…
Vijay Mohod
December 13, 2018 14:57 GMT
Afghanistan is by far the world's deadliest hot spot, with 44,655 civilian fatalities so far this year.
Yemen- pray for an end of civil war that has cost lives of tens of thousands and endangers millions
“The agreed cessation of hostilities in Yemen, beginning today [December 20th], comes at a crucial moment when an entire country is on the brink. Humanitarian agencies warned today that should the ceasefire break down again, as previous ones did, the consequences would be catastrophic.
This last year of escalated violence has meant that each day, around 6610 people were forced to flee their homes and around 25 civilians are killed or injured. A school or hospital has been attacked every three days. The number of children dying daily from preventable diseases has risen to 137, an additional 28 a day since the start of the war. More than 82 per cent of Yemenis, or 21.2 million, now depend on humanitarian aid.
In just the last two months, more than 325,700 people were displaced by the conflict, raising the total number of displaced to a staggering 2.75 million.
“The peace talks and subsequent discussions must also provide an opportunity to plan for early recovery needs as part of addressing the humanitarian crisis and paving the way for facilitating durable solutions for the affected populations,” said Lisa Piper, Danish Refugee Council’s Country Director in Yemen.
“Commitments toward restoring livelihoods and diminishing the vulnerabilities of households brought on by the devastating conflict must be considered so that Yemenis can begin to restore their lives, livelihoods, and dignity,” says Lisa Piper, Country Director for the Danish Refugee Council.
"This is a moment of truth for Yemen’s millions of civilians. A real ceasefire could be the first step towards ending this staggering yet forgotten crisis," said the Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, Jan Egeland. "If it doesn't hold, those breaking it must be held accountable for the bloodshed. The figures speak for themselves. Every day of war is another day of massive death, displacement and despair."
While an immediate cessation of hostilities is essential, it is just the first of several measures needed to stop the crisis and pave the way for long-lasting peace and recovery.
"The widespread destruction of Yemen's houses, factories, schools and hospitals will require decades to rebuild; the destruction of Yemen's social fabric and the trauma millions of innocent people are suffering will take even longer to heal," said Sajjad Mohammad Sajid, Oxfam's Country Director in Yemen. "In the more than three decades that we've been working in Yemen, we have never witnessed a crisis of this scale. The blockade, war and now a looming banking crisis risk pushing millions into famine."
The humanitarian agencies reiterated their call on international governments to fully fund the humanitarian response so that millions of civilians receive essential aid and services like food, water, medicine and housing as an immediate priority. Parties to the conflict need to allow aid agencies to reach those most in need caught in the fighting, and the most vulnerable to reach the services they need. The commercial blockade needs to be lifted so that commercial supplies are allowed into Yemen.
Save the Children's Country Director in Yemen Edward Santiago said: “As long as parties to the conflict continue to wage war and obstruct aid, millions of children will continue to go hungry or without healthcare, clean water and education. Yemenis must not be let down yet again, with more empty promises of ceasefires that fail to stop the killing. Yemeni children need more than words this time, they need action and a genuine commitment to end the violence once and for all."
The agencies warned that the upcoming UN-sponsored peace talks, due to start on 18 April, are the only real opportunity to end the suffering. Long-term solutions however must include the voices and concerns of Yemeni civil society in a representative and inclusive process.
“All Yemenis need their voices to be heard if there is any hope for these peace talks to be sustainable,” said Daw Mohammed, CARE Country Director in Yemen. “Women, youth and minority groups must be included because they will be critical to rebuilding Yemen in the years to come.”
https://drc.ngo/news/news-archive/yemen-ceasefire-must-hold-or-thousands-more-will-die
Please pray for the ceasefire in Yemen to hold and that it will lead to successful peace talks to end this awful conflict.
“Last year facing the UN, President Trump spoke of nationalism over globalism. This year he spoke of patriotism over globalism –essentially the same concept.
Are we for globalization? We certainly believe in an age of world peace as described in Isaiah 2 and Micah 4. Yet we know that this will only take place when the Messiah returns and rules and reigns from Jerusalem in the Millennial age.
In the meantime, and even into the Millennium, there is a purpose for nations staying separate. Trump spoke at the same time as the Torah portion Ha’azinu was being read in Jewish synagogues: “When the Most High gave inheritance to the nations, in separating the sons of Man, He established boundaries for the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel” (Deuteronomy 32:8).
The global national boundaries are seen as a parallel inheritance to the Israelite ownership of the land of Canaan, in accordance with, and as an extension of, God’s covenant multiplication of the people of Israel.
The peoples, or nations, are defined by tribal distinctions, physical boundaries, and language (Genesis 10). The apostle Paul expands on the verse from Deuteronomy when preaching in Athens:“He made from one man, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation” (Acts 17:26).
Thus, according to the Bible, it is God’s will and plan that there should be borders and distinctions among the nations, to preserve order and to protect each one’s unique inheritance.
Aligning with His Plan
We are for a vision of global Messianic peace and for a spiritual global family among believers of every racial background. However, we are against globalization in terms of a one world government, religion, or culture.
Nationalism, in the here and now, is not meant to be nations trying to conquer other nations, but rather each nation respecting one another’s borders and rights. It is the opposite of colonialism, Nazism/fascism, communism or radical Islam.
Most of the prophetical books in the Bible include descriptions of an apocalyptic world war immediately before the coming of the Messiah. All the nations will be united in an attack against Israel. At that moment God will intervene to stop the war and establish the Messiah’s kingdom on earth (Zechariah 14, Ezekiel 38-39).
In order for a united attack to take place, there would have to be at least two elements:
- An organization of some sort uniting the nations of the world with a bent against Israel.
- A worldwide philosophy or religion inciting people to try to destroy Israel.
In our day, the UN seems to be fulfilling the first, and radical Islam the second. The bizarre partnership between the radical Left and radical Islam is a dangerous, yet biblically coherent, combination.
Power tends to corrupt. Therefore, God has designed a system of division of spheres of authority, with checks and balances between family, business, religion and governments. When one tries to take over the other, there are usually destructive results.”
Asher Intrater,
https://tikkun.tv/globalization/
Please keep the United Nations and other international organizations in your prayers. There are very subversive elements at work in them that want to bring about a “New World Order” that will be a fitting control mechanism for the one the Bible calls the Antichrist. Totalitarian regimes in which power is concentrated in the hands of an elite tend toward dominating and reducing their populations to slavery. How much more awful will be a world-controlling dominion of the kind that the globalists have in mind! Pray that totalitarianism in whatever form, whether from the socialist/communist Left or radical Islam or other such ideologies will be resisted and overcome.
“Every once in a while, we’re offered a peek behind an ideological curtain. That’s what happened last week in the New York Times.
If you were a surgeon and someone asked you to perform a surgery that would not heal, would not help, would not make them feel better, and would leave the patient with a permanent wound, would you do it? Is there any area of medicine where such a request would even be considered?
The answer to the first question is, of course, no. No one should perform a surgery that does not help, does not heal, does not make someone feel better, and that would leave a permanent wound. The answer to the second question – does any field of medicine perform such surgeries—is yes. One. Only one.
In the case of gender dysphoria, doctors perform a surgery that, in effect, amputates perfectly healthy body parts. This kind of surgery is not performed in the case of any other type of what’s called “body dissociative disorder,” cases in which patients believe they were born into the wrong body. For example, there are those who believe they should be without an arm or a leg. But their requests to become an amputee are not honored, nor even taken seriously.
However, in the case of gender dysphoria, amputative surgery will, we’re told, “align someone’s physical body with their internal sense of sex and gender.” We are told that without this surgery, they’d be a high risk of suicide and other mental health risks.
At best, this is pseudo-scientific. Dr. Paul McHugh, longtime chair of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Medical School, has argued for years that such procedures ignore and may even aggravate underlying psycho-social troubles. In fact, those who undergo sex-reassignment still have a suicide rate nearly twenty times that of the general population. That’s why McHugh famously called transgender medicine “cooperating with mental illness” and that’s why he put an end to surgeries at Johns Hopkins.
So why should these surgeries proceed? Andrew Long Chu, in a stunning, must-read piece in the New York Times, ventured an answer. Chu is a man who identifies as a woman and is currently raising money for sex-reassignment surgery. In his Times piece, he says that he knows the transition won’t make him happy. “Until the day I die,” he writes, “my body will regard [the result of this surgery] as a wound… (that) will require regular, painful attention to maintain.”
Chu even admits that the transition process and treatments have made him more miserable. “I was not suicidal before hormones,” he writes. “Now I often am.” And yet he insists that he has a right to the surgery—and that no doctor should refuse. Why? Because, it’s what he wants. That’s it.
This deeply troubling opinion piece reads like a cry for help. In fact, more than a few transgender advocates have condemned it. And to be clear, not everyone who pursues gender reassignment surgery reports being as miserable as Chu. But his story is revealing something very important. Already, this is the only type of surgery that amputates fully-functioning and otherwise-healthy body parts for no physically necessary reason. The justification has always been emotional and psychological health. Now we have an individual admitting that it won’t help him emotionally or psychologically either, but that he still wants the surgery anyway. If that’s all it takes, then it’s clear: Transgender ideology isn’t really about health or scientific reality at all. What we’re doing is aiding and abetting serious problems, not helping.
As hard – brutal even – as this piece is to read, please do. It’s a look behind the curtain of a harmful ideology to which our entire culture is currently bowing down. Anyone who disagrees is a bigot. Well, read this piece, and then read Ryan Anderson’s important response to it, and see who’s being hateful and who’s being loving. As Ryan writes, the New York Times just “revealed painful truths about transgender lives.”
John Stonestreet with Shane Morris //d.docs.live.net/Users/johndonaldrobb/Downloads/This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Please pray for the overthrow of this destructive ideology that has possessed the minds of many, not only those wanting to change their gender, but also increasingly those in politics and the media. This is a prime example of how Satan seeks to pervert and destroy the goodness and wholesomeness of God’s creation.
Pray too that those afflicted by this false ideology will be set free to become all that He wants them to become, accepting themselves and their gender identity that was given to them at birth.
Towards the end of January, in Indonesia, hundreds of younger generation men and women of God will gather from around the world for the “Global UPR” - World Generation Gathering.
See: www.unitedprayerrising.com
Here is a video about that:https://youtu.be/3xrEl4UdsTE
Please pray for:
- The organizing team that is facing a last-minute change of venue and program details
- Young people (under 30) to hear God calling and come to Jakarta. For them not get diverted and provision of funds to travel there
- For a strongly anointed event that equips them to become leaders for the prayer and mission movement.
- For many of them to be called to reach Unreached People Groups (over 5500 still less than 5 % Christian, about 4700 of which less than 0.1% Christian or one believer in Christ for 1000 people).
In the book of Acts, God used the culture of prayer that was birthed after the ascension and command of Jesus to the disciples to remain in Jerusalem. It says in 1:14 that they “joined constantly together in prayer”. All the great breakthroughs in the book of Acts resulted from the guidance and anointing of the Spirit they received through that practice of corporate prayer. In the history of the Church, breakthroughs and revivals also occurred once this early church practice was reclaimed. The Moravians of the 18th century are a prime example. They experience deep revival and through a subsequent 24/7 prayer chain that went on for over 100 years, they sent missionaries out to over 5000 locations on earth!
A similar convergence of the prayer and mission movements is happening in our day towards fulfillment of Great Commission of Jesus, thanks be to the Lord. Go 2020 is a prayer-based global cooperative mission effort to mobilize 100 million believers to pray for and reach one billion unreached by May 2020. For more information about this movement and to get involved, please see www.go2020.world
- Please pray for Go 2020 leadership and participating mission agencies for unity and clarity and protection.
Pray also for the prayer mobilization task force to be effective in networking the Body of Christ to help get 100 million praying for and reaching out to 1 billion. Youth and children especially need to hear His call to get involved.
IPC Leadership Team colleague, Austen Ukachi reports back on the Strategic Prayer Network of the Movement of African National Initiative's recent consultation. The theme was 'Convergence of Prayer & Missions'.
The 3-day consultation, which held at the serene Catholic Resurrection Garden, in Karen, Nairobi was a memorable event packed with awareness, networking, prayer and worship. It was designed to stir up the delegates to the need of prayer for the Unreached People Groups, the missionaries, the Persecuted Church and the Bibleless peoples of the earth. In addition, the consultation was a collaboration and networking of intercessors, missionaries and mission agencies that share a common vision of pursuing world evangelization.
The consultation commenced on Tuesday 6th November with a welcome address by Bishop Geofrey Njuguna, the East African regional coordinator of MANI, who was ably represented by Pastor Grace. Austen Ukachi, the Co-ordinator of the Strategic Prayer Network of MANI, pointed out to the delegates that the purpose of the consultation was to fill up a gap and area of need in the Church. This need is for prayer, which is the engine that propels World Evangelization. The Church, he says has never lacked mission plans, projections strategies and ideas, but always fell short of building up the prayer momentum that is indispensible for accomplishing the task of World Evangelization. He said that the consultation would not dwell on mere platitudes and presentations only, but engage in actual prayer for the UPGs, the persecuted Church, missionaries and the Bibleless people.
The morning sessions witnessed corporate devotions that reiterated the hope of revival as one of the aftermaths of the ongoing global church persecution, and a reminder that the Gospel work is time bound, and of the need for renewed dedication and commitment to the urgent task. Shan Barry of African Inland Missions AIMS, spoke powerfully on the importance of listening to the Holy Spirit and the need for consistence in the work of the ministry. She narrated a revelation the Lord gave to her that despite the numerous problems of Africa, the continent would experience a great revival.
The various presentations were inspiring, refreshing, and challenging. However, Elizabeth Kendal, a religious liberty analyst and advocate, prophetically sounded the voice of the Lord very clearly in her presentations. She presented a global survey of areas where the Church was facing persecution in China, Africa, Middle East and lamented about the appalling indifference of the Church in Europe to the plight of persecuted Christians in different parts of the world. She emphasized that the global church needs to respond to persecution by speaking out, giving assistance to the persecuted, and praying in the Bible way for the persecuted.
Austen Ukachi’s second presentation focused on the impact of the Moravians on missions through their sacrificial 24/7 prayer chain which lasted for over hundred years. The mission movement was born out of this sacrificial prayer by the Moravians. He played a nine minutes video clip produced by the International Prayer Council to buttress the place of the convergence of prayer and missions over the centuries. He said, the rekindling of this convergence between prayer and missions is what the Holy Spirit is calling for now in the Church.
Neil Gamble emphasized on the primacy of Intimacy with God in our daily walk with God. He said, listening to God in prayer is key to maintaining a relationship with God. Reuben Ezemadu, the Continental Co-ordinator of MANI clearly outlined the convergence of prayer and mission as a prerequisite for the end-time harvest.
The environment, all through the time of the gathering was Spirit permeated with high praises and due worship of the Lord. Each session of presentations and devotions was wrapped up with prayers and worship.
The meeting closed with a holy communion fellowship meal administered by Bishop Geofrey Njuguna, and with a commitment by the Nehemiah Prayer team’ the MANI steering Team for the Strategic Prayer Network to sustain the monthly prayer for the Unreached People Groups and the persecuted Church. In all, 31 delegates drawn from 11 countries participated in the consultation. Some other delegates came from the city daily to participate in the consultation.
Austen Ukachi
Co-ordinator, Strategic Prayer network of MANI
More: http://maniafrica.com/
Syria: 31 Days of Prayer - December 2018
It’s easy to master the art of ignoring other people’s pain when we don’t recognize their faces, and the chaos is not right IN our face. You didn’t ignore the pain of the Syrian people or the opportunity to join us, stepping into the gap 4 years ago this month with a 31 Day Prayer Focus.
Together we answered the call to what we sensed God asking, “If not you, who, and if not now, when? What are YOU waiting for?” Together we took action because a more urgent and radical response to the situation was needed from Christ’s Church. We believed God had dislodged something in the hearts and minds of Syrians, and it was now time for them to hear the good news afresh, like no other time in history.
It’s still their time NOW, and we can’t miss it. The Church can’t miss it. Or, is it another tragedy of neglect and callousness toward God himself?
What God has done in the intervening years is another whole story. Within 2 weeks, over 1,000 people were praying from over 100 Nations. We’re not sure how all that happened so quickly. We can only attribute that to the more than 200 of you who said you would become a Circle Starter -- and gathered groups of friends and family to pray with you.
Several 1,000’s were activated through the prayer initiative to go work among the refugees in the harsh camps, tent settlements, and cities of Europe, Lebanon, Jordon and Turkey. Many have come to faith along the journey and in new host countries. Many dollars were given for relief, evangelism and church planting efforts, as well as training new believers to reach their own people.
We’re convinced there is a future story too. In some ways, a lot has changed, but many things have not.
What has changed? Many have come to faith and are now being discipled and discipling others.
These are estimates since the violence erupted:
• 500,000 have been killed (Total population in 2011 before the war was 21 million)
• 1.8 million have been injured
• 5.6+ million have fled the borders
• 6+ million are internally displaced
What has NOT changed?
• They have no guaranteed safety
• They’re still victims of other people’s wars.
• For most, they still haven’t been integrated into their host nations - many without jobs or warmth during winter, and some still hungry.
• Most children are still not being educated 7 years later.
Yet -- GOD is still drawing many to Himself in the midst of the loss, pain, and chaos. He’s not asleep, distracted or off duty.
Now is not the time to give up. Will we let the hope of future generations dissipate because we stopped praying? We must persevere and capture the lessons we’ve learned and press into the future with fervent prayer for the Syrian people and the region. We believe there is too much still at stake.
Will you prayer-push with us once again a few minutes each day this December?
There is no better time than when it’s no longer in the news, and many have forgotten! Fire up those “prayer circles” once again. We will send out revised and daily prayer prompts and also have available a downloadable 31-Day prayer guide.
31 - Day Prayer Guide and Flipboard Magazine
You can click on the link here to download a printable pdf of the guide.
We launched a Flipboard Magazine to curate articles on the crisis. Click on the link here
The Syrian Circle Team
Thankful to God for the Past, Anticipating His Wonders for the Future
Some history
The International Prayer Council (leadership team) and eventually International Prayer Connect (network of prayer leaders, ministries and networks) came into being shortly after 9/11 in 2001 – when a simultaneous terrorist attack took place on the twin towers in New York and on the Pentagon in Washington – an horrific day which we all knew would go down in history. A few weeks later the IPC was formed in New York (close to what became known as Ground Zero), with prayer leaders from around the world pledging to work and pray together on a global level, over global issues.
Before that year many of us had begun to discover each other through fresh global initiatives, like the Lausanne Movement (formed in 1974), the first International Prayer Assembly in South Korea (1984) and through involvement in the AD2000 and Beyond Movement in the 1990’s. The IPC as a prayer entity was to be both the successor to these initiatives and involve many of the key prayer leaders from within those structures. It was important for us to stay connected, find out more about what was happening in our world, and to pray more strategically about some of the pressing needs facing the world.
Our focus was to be the transformation of our world, encapsulated in our motto “Globalising Prayer, Transforming our World” and this was adopted at our first international consultation in South Africa in 2002. (Please see this video about its founding and early history IPC Prayer Globalizing Prayer Transforming Our World https://youtu.be/5ZYVFLML1sU).
Much of the experience of the church around the world was about praying for its work – its daily activities, including mission and evangelism. For many of us, however, transformational prayer became our work. Praying for mission in all its aspects was included, along with issues of international and national importance.
Networking with prayer leaders and their ministries both internationally and regionally was a priority. To that end global and regional consultations were held in many nations, including South Africa, Egypt, United States, Canada, England, Germany, Switzerland, UAE, Thailand, Hong Kong, South Korea, Kenya, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Cyprus.
The World Prayer Assembly envisioned and arranged by the IPC in partnership with the powerful Indonesian prayer movement (involving up to three million Indonesians in 380 cities as well as many others worldwide through satellite TV and internet) was in a sense the culmination of such networking and resulted in a further explosion of prayer ministry around the world that continues to grow, thanks be to God!
“God by His Spirit was working so many agendas in the lives of those who took part that it is impossible to recount all that happened or was reported. So many said their lives and ministries would never be the same. We have received encouraging reports from a number of nations as participants have begun to implement strategies of prayer mobilization and other actions that they were inspired to undertake during the WPA. Praise God for all He did and continues to do through this gathering!”
Here is an inspiring video report about this great gathering that God used and continues to use so wonderfully to ignite so many other things: World Prayer Assembly https://youtu.be/qmDeuokTQ7I
Prayer initiatives, with teams of intercessors, have been undertaken over strategic issues in many nations, especially those caught up in awful wars and ethnic conflicts. By the grace and goodness of the Lord, several hopeless wars have so far been ended, soon after national prayer initiatives (sometimes within a day or few days) that IPC teams were able to facilitate with local Christian leaders. In addition, three international initiatives were held within and for the United Nations with ambassadors, hundreds of prayer leaders and praying children from around the world as well as another arranged for Hollywood (the home of the film industry).
Children in Prayer has been an important part of IPC initiatives, with leadership being given from the United States, Australia, Indonesia and Malaysia, and more recently India, but including CiP coordinators from 70-80 nations. Consultations and leadership gatherings have been held in many nations along with three global CiP events that brought adults and children from scores of nations to pray, learn, and plan for the future of this movement.
The recent Youth-focused prayer movement called the UPRising (United Prayer Rising) developed out of the World Prayer Assembly in Indonesia in 2012 and has seen further prayer and worship events in many nations since 2016. Both of these key initiatives (Children and Youth) have produced another tier of leadership. The Global UPR called “World Generation” being held in Jakarta (January 23-26, 2019) is challenging the participants to find and engage in the unique missions the Lord has for each one, especially reaching the unreached with His Gospel in order to fulfil the Great Commission.
The Global Issachar Group developed out of an initial consultation in Cyprus, with its focus on the dark places and powers, and it too has held gatherings in several nations in N. America, Europe & Asia.
Each of these various above initiatives has developed out of or come under the umbrella of the IPC. But separately, and also strategic, have been a number of initiatives that others have spear-headed, and which have been incorporated into or led by those with close association with the IPC. Among these would be the emphasis on the 4/14 Window (led by Luis Bush) on mission to the generation included in that age range. This has focussed the minds of missiologists the world over.
The Global Day of Prayer ran annually out of a vision stemming from South Africa, and was led by Graham Power and Dawie and Isebel Spangenberg for great blessing to the international prayer movement and the many nations touched by it.
Praying through the 10/40 Window (led by Beverly Pegues) which originally emerged in the 1990’s has continued to be featured in our communications.
The IPC has sought to reflect the importance of praying for the Persecuted Church, for Muslim nations, for Governments, for war zones, and on issues concerning historic sins and brokenness with the need for identificational repentance and reconciliation.
In short, the IPC started off as a networking structure, but it has developed into taking many initiatives as well. National Prayer initiatives have been undertaken in over 50 countries over the last 20 years, many in the really difficult nations on the planet. Generally, these initiatives have consisted of three days of prayer by local ministry leaders of all denominations in the spirit of 2 Chron. 7:14 led by John Robb with IPC colleagues on the ministry teams. It was discovered over and over again that as His people focused on repentance for corporate sins and reconciliation, God would bring about stunning breakthroughs, such as unexpected peace agreements ending wars, governments of national unity being formed, and spiritual revival happening among participating church and political leaders. Glory to the Lord!
The IPC has always sought to connect with and support other global initiatives - like Ethne - who are focused on Unreached People Groups and now we are focusing on the Go 2020 initiative to see a billion unreached people reached with the Gospel by May 2020 and the raising up of hundreds of millions of additional intercessors to engage for the fulfillment of Christ’s Great Commission, even as early as 2025- http://go2020.world. We are interested to maintain a close connection between prayer and mission in the spirit of the Moravians as we describe in this video: “The Spirit of the Moravians” (9-min & 3-min).
Links have also been maintained with the International Reconciliation Coalition, Global Church Planting Network, and prayer for the Persecuted church etc.
Our emphasis has always been on prayer for socio-political transformation and mission. We continue to be open to Spiritual Warfare, Spiritual Mapping, understanding the Spiritual Powers, Identificational Repentance and Reconciliation, on-site prayer, and governmental connections. We continue to have a deep desire for the unity of the Body of Christ and Word-based prayer.
Remaining challenges - unfinished business for the IPC and the international prayer movement
- Identifying and developing prayer in and for the “global gates” (major international institutions like the U.N., World Economic Forum, etc.) and international cities.
- Seeking God’s strategy and deliverance for the ‘dark places’ on planet earth.
- Developing technology and language translation in support of global prayer.
- Finance - raising more substantial support through the Transformation Prayer Foundation to meet ongoing costs of all we do and hope to do for the future.
- More effectively connecting prayer leaders, their ministries and networks in an ongoing way so that we can flow together, coordinating and supporting one another.
- Integrating more fully with the rising youth and children’s prayer movements and co-working with the Lord to raise up the next generation of mighty men and women of God to lead His people and reach our world with the Gospel
Important questions to consider for the future
- Are we to be just a “network” of prayer movements, or are we called to do things together? Or both?
- What else are we being called to be and do? What priorities should we focus on for the next 5-10 years?
- How can we best steward the “New Wave” of transformational prayer and mission engagement coming out of the World Prayer Assembly and all that the Lord has done through the last couple of decades of various prayer initiatives seeking to unite Christ’s global prayer movement and see His breakthroughs?
- Finding a new wineskin for the global prayer movement. How can we best reflect the inter-generational nature of what God is doing in global prayer at the current time?
If you have any suggestions in this great task of transforming our world through united prayer, we welcome your getting in touch with us. Please write to us at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Please also pray with us as our leadership meets to consider future directions and new leadership for the IPC just before the Global UPR youth prayer and mission event in Jakarta, January 23-26.
Brian Mills and John Robb