Safe homes, Safe Places, Safe cities
In December we issued a specific call to pray protection on our nation. We had heard from a credible source that there were a series of five terrorist attacks scheduled to hit five key English cities just before Christmas. We were keen to stress that the call to prayer was not simply because of the prophetic word but also because as watchmen we felt the nation was particularly vulnerable to terrorist attack over the entire Christmas and New Year period. Thankfully there were no attacks.
Was that due to our prayer or because nothing was ever going to happen? We can't say. What we do know is that we need to continue to be vigilant. ISIS is targeting the UK and has supporters in many of our cities and towns.
Isaiah 62 says "Upon your walls O Jerusalem I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never be silent." Jesus says "What I say to you I say to everyone – WATCH" Mark 13: 37. So we encourage everyone to watch, to never be silent and to keep on praying. This is more than about terrorism. We are praying for SAFE HOMES - where children and families are protected, SAFE PLACES – for our schools, universities, churches to be protected, and SAFE CITIES – and towns and regions to be protected from attack, crime, despair. Out of this protection we can then pray blessing – for BLESSED HOMES, PLACES AND CITIES. 2016 is a year of prayer, a year of becoming more reliant on Jesus.
New Year Message 2016
Listen to our New Year message for 2016 from our founder Ian Cole. What does the future hold for the world, the nation and for WPC?
Call to prayer for the UK
World Prayer Centre believes there is an urgent call for God's people to stand in prayer for the United Kingdom. The nation has entered a new phase in our conflict with ISIS. We are particularly vulnerable to terrorist attacks and fear in the days leading up to Christmas and when there are large gatherings of people in the post-Christmas/News Year's Eve period. We feel this is part of a wider time of shaking for our nation and other nations.
We believe God is challenging His church. It is time for all God's people to pray – we are called to be alert, to protect, guard and bless our communities and nation.
Here is a prayer format you may wish to use in small groups and church meetings, or to help personal prayer. We want to pray for God's mercy for our communities and the United Kingdom, that we might turn our hearts to Jesus – the Prince of peace, Deliverer, source of hope and goodness and see many people discover a fresh revelation of Jesus across the nation this Christmas.
So let's unite in prayer.
We are asking people to pray on the 12 – 14 December in different prayer gatherings and church services.
- Join us at our WATCH + PRAY day on 14 December at WPC
- Support Community Watchman Ministries - Big PUSH in Liverpool on 12 December.
Pray daily between now and Christmas – and beyond:
- Lord have mercy and protect our nation
- Lord, fill us with Your perfect love so that we can walk with You and not in fear.
- Pour out your blessing on this nation so that thousands will have a revelation of Jesus in this Christmas period
Download our prayer guide to pray for the UK. Please share this with your friends, your bible study/home group, your church and across your networks.
Joel 2:1 'Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand'.
How do we pray for ISIS?
Most of us face news of the atrocities and inhumane things happening at the hands of ISIS on a daily basis due to our work/ministry; we are bombarded with prayer requests for the people suffering, who are being persecuted for their faith, taken as sex slaves and fleeing their countries. And because we are compelled to as Christians, by love for our brothers and sisters, we pray. We even heard how the family members of the 21 Egyptians who were slaughtered in Libya, ask us to pray for those who killed their loved ones. And as believers we are very aware of Jesus' command in Matthew 5:44 to pray for our enemies.
These words of Jesus became a real "challenge" to many of us when we heard about the attacks in Paris, France this week as we realize the threats are coming "closer to home". It is then when we ask: Should we pray for the defeat of ISIS, or their conversion? Our hearts and our minds tell us that we need justice, not mercy, condemnation not salvation!
Jesus says to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44). BUT the Spirit of Jesus in the prophets and in the apostles also tells us that those who turn a blind eye to the killing of others are wrong. So how do we pray?
The main problem is that we sometimes forget that we are called to be a people of both justice and justification, and that these two are not contradictory.
It sounds awfully spiritual, to say that we should not pray for the defeat of our enemies on the field of battle. But that's only the case if these enemies are not actually doing anything. This terrorist group is raping, enslaving, beheading, crucifying our brothers and sisters in Christ, as well as other innocent people. To not pray for swift action against them is to not care about what Jesus said we should seek, what we should hunger and thirst for, for justice. As Christians, we ought to be, above all, people concerned with such justice.
At the same time, praying for the salvation of our enemies, even those committing the most horrific of crimes, is not a call to stop praying for justice against them.
We ought to pray for the gospel to go forward, and that there might be a new Saul of Tarsus turned away from murdering to gospel witness. At the same time, we ought to pray, with the martyrs in heaven, for justice against those who do such wickedness.
Therefore praying for the military defeat of our enemies, and that they might turn to Christ, are not contradictory prayers because salvation doesn't mean turning an eye away from justice.
The thief on the cross—a Middle Eastern terrorist by Rome's standards—in his act of faith did not believe that his salvation exempted him from justice. He confessed that his sentence was justice, and that he was receiving "the due reward for our deeds" (Luke 23:41) even as he cried out to Jesus (and was given) for merciful entrance into the Kingdom of Christ (Luke 23:42).
Pray for 30 Days
May God give you HIS love for ISIS during these 30 days and that the body of Christ will pray through and into His heart. This Prayer Guide is a guide line for praying for ISIS.
Source: Jericho Walls International, Russell Moore
Pray for Paris
The events of this weekend's Paris attacks have changed Europe forever. We have all watched with sadness and wept with the people of Paris, for those who have lost loved ones, and those traumatised by this brutal attack on the city and people they love.
Lord, have mercy on France and bring deep comfort to those who mourn. Draw close to those in hospital and bring healing.
France is a secular nation, where the Church is restricted, and it birthed much of the secular and humanist thought in Europe that set itself up against God. At the Bataclan concert hall on Friday night it was as the band Eagles of Death Metal were playing a song called 'Kiss the devil' that the gunshots started (see reports in The Sunday Times). In many ways France has given up on God. In Zephaniah, the Lord says "here comes upon you the day of the wrath of the Lord. Seek the Lord all you humble of the land, who do His commands; seek righteousness and humility" Zephaniah 2: 2-3. God has not given up on France. His cry is "turn to me", "I will comfort you" I will give you peace in your hearts".
We declare God's love for France. May your Church in France be equipped and enabled during this time of mourning, may many come to know you. May you bring hope.
Great wisdom is needed at this time. As France responded with bombing ISIS strongholds in Syria, will there be ramifications? On social media, people are already pointing the finger at refugees.
Lord, we ask for Your wisdom for world leaders and those in government and the security services searching for the right ways forward. For God to reveal intelligence to the French Police, Interpol and other security services to expose the works of the enemy and for His to light to shine.
President Hollande said 'this is a declaration of war'. We believe that war was declared by ISIS some time ago in the heavenly places – God wants to bless and Satan wants to bring evil, mayhem, murder and lawlessness. As the Archbishop of Canterbury said on Friday, "Lord, deliver us from evil".
We declare the Supremacy of Christ 'who disarmed the principalities and powers and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in Him' over France. (Colossians 2:15) Protect our brothers and sisters on the frontline of this spiritual battle in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan and Iran, and provide for their basic needs. Change the hearts of the ISIS leaders and persecutors.
This is not just a French problem. Europe was once the Gospel-sending centre of the world – now it is in desperate need of the Gospel again. The refugee crisis will become an even more complex and troubling issue. Jesus says "I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me" Matthew 25:35-36. We believe much of the spiritual warfare is because many Muslims are coming to Christ. Finally, pray:
- Prepare us Lord for the times that lie ahead – humbly, with compassion and grace.
- That the deep mercy of God and his grace will be revealed in every nation in Europe.
- Bless the refugees across Europe – may they meet with Jesus, their only hope.
- For the peoples of Europe 'let them say among the nations – the Lord reigns.' 1 Chronicles 16:31
Blessing your town - 31 October
We received this blessing from a contact who believes that it should be released as a blessing prayer of villages, towns and cities on 31 October, Halloween, as the power of blessing is something that darkness cannot stand.
So, why don't you release God's light and blessing on that day in your location:
A BLESSING FOR A TOWN
Heavenly Father, we take upon ourselves the mantle of authority that Jesus delegates to us and in His Name we speak to every household in this town and surrounding area and say to you:
"We bless you in the Name of the Lord. We bless your marriages that they may be strong and whole. We bless the relationships between each marriage partner that they may be loving, forgiving, merciful and strong. We bless every inter-generational relationship within each household that there may be peace and love and understanding flowing between each one.
In Jesus' name we bless every network of wholesome and supportive friendship.
We bless your health that you may be strong and well. In Jesus' name we resist any sickness or disease which seeks to invade this town and to every person in the surrounding area we say, be well, be strong, be healthy. To any who are sick right now we say we bless you in Jesus' name with a speedy recovery.
We bless your wealth that you may have plenty to replace poverty. We bless you to have enough to live and enough to give. We bless the work of your hands that whatever you turn your hand to which is wholesome may be profitable. We bless every wholesome enterprise that is conducted by you that it may prosper and be successful. We bless the shops and restaurants in every good that you do.
We bless the Residential Homes for the elderly, that they may be secure, safe and peaceful places where those who live there may be loved and cared for in a way that maintains their dignity.
We bless Pre-school, Schools, colleges and universities(name those within the town or those that you know the name of), that they may be secure, safe places for teachers and pupils alike. We bless the children's capacity to learn and develop relationships and we bless their simple trust in Jesus that their trust may grow and become enriched.
We speak to the Churches, (name as many that you know) and we say we bless you in the Name of the Lord that the Holy Spirit and the Word of God may flow out from you in power. We bless the hearts of all who live in and work in this town and surrounding area, that the overspill of the blessings of the presence of the Kingdom of God may fall upon you."
Amen
(After the pattern of the Blessing used at Ffald-y-Brenin Prayer Center, South Wales)
Download a PDF of the blessing