Middle East Update
Throughout 2015 we often invited you to join us as we concentrated our praying into the Middle East. We trust you will agree that concentration needs to be intensified as we go into the New Year. Every day our media is reporting from the area on political upheaval, millions of displaced people, acts of terrorism, a generation of children and young people with no hope, and nation fighting nation.
In the first days of this year we see the breakdown in contact between Saudi Arabia and Iran; Riyadh and Tehran vying for religious and political influence in the region. This breakdown has serious consequences for the two countries as Shia and Sunni battle for supremacy. The consequences for the whole region especially Syria and Yemen are equally serious and of course sitting in the middle of all this waring is Israel. A destabilised Middle East will increasingly have global spiritual, political, social and economic repercussions.
At the same time we are receiving reports of increasing numbers of people in that region becoming followers of Jesus. Even in the face of severe persecution, both Sunni and Shia men and women of all age groups, often through dreams and visions, are willingly risking everything to follow the One who they met in their dreams.
So today we renew the call to pray for the Middle East and here are some suggestions for prayer for you, your prayer group and your church.
• We declare the sovereignty of Christ over the whole region.
• We declare God's love for every Middle East country and every person in those countries, including those who govern each nation.
• We pray for courage and wisdom for every Christian.
• We pray for God's mercy on the children and young people.
• We pray for every agency endeavouring to bring comfort, food and shelter to those in need.
• We pray for every peace maker.
• We bless those who persecute and pray they too will find Jesus the Prince of Peace.
• We pray, "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done across the Middle East in 2016".
Trypraying Birmingham 2016
Trypraying is a simple evangelistic booklet (or App http://www.trypraying.org/app/) that has grown to a multi-church and multi-region activity! The last five years have been remarkable with over 200,000 copies of the booklet in use and over 120 towns, cities and networks of churches making use of it.
And the stories keep coming back - so many heart-warming and thrilling 'God stories'.
This is the first time I've walked through the trypraying booklet with someone. I loved it. It was the two babies in the womb illustration on Day One that grabbed him. Genius illustration - never heard it before. He has since become a Christian.
Birmingham 2016.
Together, we have a call to reach our City, and we are proposing to put the 'trypraying' logo into the public space in March 2016 (bus advertising) and to make the booklet as widely available as possible across South and Central Birmingham. Trypraying is a booklet, it is also a project for a church and a multi-church project. For many who read this, it may be the first time you have considered it, but the initiative can gather momentum, year after year. In its simplest form trypraying is easy to repeat, although it's use is not confined to an annual event. It boils down to one person giving a friend or family member a booklet and inviting them to try praying. You can check out the short video at www.thereishope.co.uk to get the idea.
In step
Nevertheless the trypraying 'season' enables churches to do things in step with each other – crossing denominational boundaries. For example in York, 62 congregations were involved in a simultaneous trypraying initiative there, with a launch service in York Minster.
While we have prayed and facilitated many things in York, this was something that we have ALL been able to do together. Steve Redman, The Ark Church.
In March 2016 we have the possibility of not only churches in an area doing the same thing, but towns and cities also in step with each other across many regions. This little idea can bring about big changes. Can we suggest you consider two things:
- Register your interest with us for a Birmingham campaign.
- Consider a donation to get bus advertising in Birmingham this March so that the campaign is in the public space.
(We have £5k committed and a further 20 donations of £500 would give us £15k to move ahead in mid-January – our deadline!).
Note: Donation is not required to be part of this, but any donation or promised donation would help us decide the scope of the campaign. We are stepping out on this one!
Join in.
Want to join in? Then register your interest. We suspect there will be over 1000 churches in the UK using this. If you are planning to get involved we would like to know your email address and location, so we can keep you informed of any news. You can register here: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
In the 30 years since I became a Christian my mother had always rejected Christianity. Even on her deathbed she was saying 'that's nice for you to believe but no one really knows what's on the other side.' On visits to the hospital she started to express her guilt at the things she had not done in her life and things she had done. But she did not want to pray. I thought the opportunity had gone as her condition deteriorated. On the next visit she suddenly began to talk about her guilt again. Just that morning I had read Day 5 of the trypraying booklet about forgiveness and shared it with her. This time mum wanted to pray and asked for forgiveness. After that conversation she had complete peace and we regularly prayed together. She died shortly afterwards but I now believe she is more alive than ever. Thank you for providing such a wonderful tool.
And finally.
Prayer Breakfast
We would like to extend a very warm invitation to you to have breakfast with us and take a unique opportunity to hear from one of the pastors who works in Damascus.
Pastor Edward is coming to Birmingham on SATURDAY 27 FEBRUARY and the two ministries of Open Doors and World Prayer Centre are partnering together to host a morning of hearing Edward speak, having chance to ask some questions and pray together. This is a significant visit for Pastor Edward to this nation and we would urge you in the strongest way possible to come to this event as we feel he has important things to share with us all.
Pastor Edward said, "I want to express my deep appreciation for the people in the West who keep us Christians in Syria in their prayers. My wife and I are thankful that we are still in Damascus. It is not in our own power that we are there, but it is through God's intervention in our lives. Your prayers encourage us. Through them we can encourage others. We have a deep sense of peace and both believe that this peace is a gift from God, so we can stay in the country to encourage our people and to relieve some of the suffering."
We are meeting at the home of Birmingham Vineyard, Network House, in Barford Street, Digbeth. The morning will take the form of breakfast at 8:00am along with the chance to hear Pastor Edward speak. There will also be an opportunity to hear about partnering with Open Doors and their work with the persecuted church including plenty of complimentary resources available to equip your church in prayer. This will be followed by a more open time of sharing and a call to prayer for one of the great issues facing the global church, that of our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ. The morning will finish prompt at 12noon.
Download the invitation and to book a place, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 01993 460015 so that have an indication of numbers for catering. For more info see our websites :www.worldprayer.org.uk or www.opendoorsuk.org. We would appreciate you letting us know by Friday 29 January if you are going to be there.
EU Referendum
Watching and Praying over the UK's relationship with the EU
Now is the time to watch and pray over the next stage of the negotiations that are taking place between the UK and the rest of the European Union nations.
The decision over whether we 'stay in' or 'leave' the European Union has the potential to bring significant division into every area of our society in the UK. As the body of Christ we need to be on our guard in prayer over our families, churches, communities, businesses and governments asking that His kingdom will come and His will be done in and for the UK as well as for the rest of Europe.
On 2nd February the draft deal, that David Cameron and his team have negotiated, was published by European Council President Donald Tusk who writes: 'To be, or not to be together, that is the question which must be answered not only by the British people in a referendum, but also by the other 27 members of the EU in the next two weeks. This has been a difficult process and there are still challenging negotiations ahead. Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed....The clear objective is to have an agreement of all 28 Member states at the February European Council (18-19 February).'
Representatives will meet on Friday this week (6th) to have the first discussion of the proposal.
Our Father in heaven hallowed be your Name
- Lift the name of Jesus high over all these negotiations
- Worship Him as Lord of every nation in our continent
We pray for your kingdom to come
- Through all the negotiations still to take place
- In the areas of sovereignty, competitiveness, protecting non-euro countries and migration, benefits, employment and security
You will be done on earth as it is in heaven
- Give wisdom and discernment to Donald Tusk (Head of the European Council); David Cameron and all the other EU member state leaders and their teams of advisors.
- In the summit of all EU leaders on 18-19 February with a just and righteous outcome
Give us today our daily bread
- For wisdom in the choice of a referendum date.
- For clear and balanced reporting by the media
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us
- Lord, have mercy on us as a nation.
- Lord, have mercy on us as your church.
- Lord have mercy on Europe
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
- Help us as a nation to show compassion and uphold your justice.
- Help us as your church to share your love and talk about Jesus.
- Where there is division, tension, deception let us bring your peace and integrity
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever
- We pray that your name will be glorified across our continent.
- We bless every nation with the blessing of your shalom peace.
Amen.
The Supremacy of Christ
The Supremacy of Christ is a key foundational issue for us in WPC. Ian Cole spoke passionately about it at both the UK and European Trumpet calls and we declared the Supremacy of Christ together reading from Colossians 1:15 – 20. What is our expectation as we pray? Imagine you are leading an army unit besieged by enemy forces and you have the option of a direct call to the SAS who will immediately send their best troops and resources – alternatively you could send an email to the Ministry of Defence and hope it will eventually reach the right committee. Sometimes we pray as if we need to send that polite memo but the reality of the supremacy of Christ is that we have authority through Jesus to see amazing things happen.
Paul starts Colossians saying he does not cease from praying that they be "filled with all spiritual knowledge and understanding, to lead a life worthy of the Lord." He then outlines his understanding of who Jesus is.
'He is the image of the invisible God' – when we see Jesus we see God, when we understand Jesus we understand the character of God. If we want to be like God we need to become more like Jesus.
'All things were created through Him and for Him' - this is a stark simple theology – He is the God of all things. There is no sacred/secular divide – Jesus is Lord of all.
'He is the head of the body, the church' - Jesus is the brains of the Church, everything is controlled through the head; the body responds to instructions from the head. He has all authority over His Church, we need to let Jesus take that authority.
'For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell' – Jesus is fully divine, and fully God. 30 years after His death Paul asserts that this Rabbi from Nazareth, this man hung on a cross is God Himself. He was so much more than a good man, or moral leader and teacher, He was, and is, God.
Jesus is the Reconciler – He has reconciled 'to Himself, all things'. He heals, redeems, releases, forgives and brings all things together under His authority. He reconciles each of us with Himself – we have relationship with Him. In Colossians 2, Paul goes on to describe the triumphant Jesus who has 'disarmed the principalities and powers'. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against spiritual powers and authorities, but we wrestle knowing that Jesus is victorious. He is the Lord of Hosts, the Victor on the Cross, the one who has defeated death and rules over all things.
So we see Jesus with authority and power over all things. He is the Head of the Church; He has reconciled us to Himself. Then Paul reveals one more key piece in this theological jigsaw – 'Christ is within us, the hope of glory."
Where we go Jesus goes, when we pray Jesus is with us, when we gather together Jesus is in our midst. As we proclaim the Supremacy of Christ – over our lives, homes, workplaces, communities and nation – we declare tremendous truth and we raise our faith.
As Paul says in Philippians, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." In these days of challenge and shaking let us grow in our confidence, not in ourselves but in our awesome Jesus, who is supreme over all things.
Written by Steve Botham, Director
Trypraying - The Road Ahead
"The only impossible journey is the one you never begin."
We are on a journey. It's full of excitement and hope and, like the Israelites of old, it needs the presence of God all along the way. It's a journey to see change in our lives and the towns and cities where we live. Specifically it's to pray for 40 days and then to invite everyone else to try praying so they can meet the creator God.
Over the next 10 weeks there are three stages to the journey...
In January.
Several places are looking to book advertising. In Scotland there is a target of £80,000 to book bus adverts for ALL Scotland. Some places in England are arranging for bus advertising. During each of the last 5 years money has come mostly from individuals andchurches rather than trusts. If your city/town is interested to join in this aspect contact us immediately to see if we can make a combined booking. We would love a few large gifts, matching gifts or underwriting to help this. The figure for Scotland means that £120 buys one hour of advertising across ALL Scotland and £3000 buys a whole day.
In February.
Launching a 40 day prayer initiative from Wednesday 10th February (for Lent). With 100s (1000s?) of people praying for their big issue, for revival and for three friends to become Christians this may be the power-house of what happens this year. We hope for simultaneous prayer gatherings in several cities. We have a new 40 day prayer guide to help this called 'Catching the Wave'. Order copies for yourself, your house group or your church.
In March.
Click the image below for video. 1000 churches engaged with the 'Use it and lose it' strategy. The idea of using the trypraying booklet in this way is a simple and straightforward strategy that any church can use. We just need to start conversations. Is your church one of those that will join in? Join in.
Visit the trypraying website.