IS releases 37 elderly Assyrian Christians
The Assyrian Human Rights Network has confirmed that the Islamic State has finally released 37 elderly Assyrian Christians on Saturday morning, following their nine months of travail under the hands of the extremists. They were captured in Tal Talmer, a city in northeastern Syria. The recently released captives were part of a group of 215 civilians who have been held by IS since February. Families of those still being held hostage are hopeful that they will also be released because Saturday’s release of hostages follows recent smaller releases. 88 of those captured are now free, and the Human Rights Network is in ongoing negotiations to free the rest. See also: http://edition.cnn.com/2015/11/07/middleeast/assyrian-christians-isis-released/
Dear Praying friend,
In difficult days, even great-hearted Christians can become more self-absorbed, and tend to pray “fix-it” prayers. Such problem-solving prayers ask God to help us get back to what we remember as normal. But now is the time to pray “fulfill-it-all” prayers. These are the prayers that cry out with hope-filled desperation for God to advance His purposes in our lives and communities. God is exalting His Son as He brings life-giving changes by the power of the gospel, even in the face of great evil and worsening darkness.
Seek God for the City helps ordinary people pray beyond their own concerns, learning to pray the scriptures with clarity and relevance for people throughout their communities.
We invite you to examine Seek God for the City 2016. As in previous years, this 64-page, full-color prayer guide is designed to focus and unite prayer through the 40 days leading to Palm Sunday, February 10 through March 20, 2016. Seek God for the City is a proven resource that encourages and unites whole churches in persistent and passionate prayer for spiritual awakening throughout their cities and communities.
We’ve been able to keep the same affordable prices. Quantity discounts make the booklet available for as little as $1.20 a copy. This makes it possible to equip many in your church or community for much less than the $3.00 single-copy price. Check out a couple sample pages at www.waymakers.org or call us at 800-264-5214 .
Let’s pray in these days with our hearts stirred and resolute with the certain hope that God will fulfill all that He has promised. The prayers in Seek God for the City re-ignite faith and expectancy that Christ will be glorified among our neighbors and amidst the nations.
Yours in hope,
Steve Hawthorne
Director
PS: We are offering a complimentary review copy to leaders in recognized positions of pastoral or prayer leadership. Call our office at 800-264-5214 to request a review copy.
A watchman call to rise and build for America
Then I said to the nobles, the rulers, and the rest of the people, “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated far from one another on the wall. Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.” Nehemiah 4:19-20
Need: America is at a tipping point requiring stronger relationships and strategic intervention and communication to turn the course of the nation.
Vision: A watchman call across the time zones of America for spiritual awakening, transformation and preparation of an alert and ready bride.
Mission:
- Awaken the body of Christ in prayer for the critical needs of the times.
- Build through relationship to bridge the time zones in worship/prayer
- Connect time zones through effective communication infrastructure
- Disciple to equip and empower the watchmen to take their place on the wall
- Expect God to move through prayer and raise a culture of prayer in our cities and regions
Call to the Wall USA gatherings:
Short term: Initial time zone “Trumpet Call to the Wall” gatherings for Mountain, Central, Eastern time zones. These gatherings would focus on the following:
- Fellowship and relational atmospheres that connect the time zone N-S, E-W (This likely will be a remnant that responds)
- Repentance of key spiritual issues
- America’s redemptive call
- Understanding of the 4th watch and potential into 7 sphere influence
- Communication infrastructure to assist in mobilization
- Inspiring mobilization messages like “ekklessia”
Structure, small team will work initially with the time zones
- Develop national team from these gatherings
After initial time zone specific gatherings, vision is to have national gatherings once a year for ongoing visionary inspiration, testimony, and encouragement
“Ignite the Night” focus on the 4th watch
The 4th watch 3am-6am is the New Testament version of the Old Testament night watch (2am-6am). When mobilized as a corporate call in cities and regions, it carries a lot of spiritual weight and can pave the way for stronger prayer environments to arise. Biblically strategic events take place on the night watches:
- Jacob wrestled with God and met Him face to face, Gen 32:22-31
- The Israelites crossed the Red Sea, Exodus 14:25-36
- Gideon defeated the Midianites, Judges 7: 19-24
- Saul defeated the Ammonites, 1 Samuel 11:11
- Angels appeared to the shepherds to announce the birth of Jesus, Luke 2:8
- Peter and Jesus walk on water, Mt. 14:25-26
- Jesus was resurrected from the dead, Mt. 28:1
Benefits of 4th watch mobilization:
The advantage of corporate agreement towards this strategic time to pray carries the following potential for cities, regions:
- Participation builds relational connections between people, churches, and regions in the time zones promoting powerful agreement
- Promotes accurate discernment through relationship and accountability
- It is doable and sustainable. Most cities/regions can sustain with a small group of committed “watchmen”
- It promotes unity and breaks down barriers that have divided cities and regions
- No church/ministry is too big, or person too small to participate
- It releases creative strategy for further prayer/worship advance
Furthermore and more importantly, God is simply doing it. He is waking many people up between 3am-6am. We just have to understand why it is happening and respond.
Expected outcome:
- Culture of prayer and worship to increase in our cities and regions reflected as corporate HOP, communities of prayer arise.
- Stronger collaboration between regions, prayer streams and ministries as barriers are removed and relationships develop
- Testimony of God’s intervention to rise across America through salvation, healing, restoration
- Realignment politically, socially with biblical values.
- Prayer ministries to increase and expand within churches as a functional identity of the church and increased support of HOP efforts from local church bodies
- Creative strategies released for needed social, political, and cultural intervention
- America to develop a model that will feed into the nations: Psalm 132:17
Participation possibilities:
- Simply commit to a time to worship/pray, preferably one day a week on the 4th watch 3am-6am, do it and allow God to work on your heart
- Engage with others in your spheres of influence
- Mobilize your city with those who will fill in the gaps 7 days a week and develop communication infrastructure that encourages relationship
- Mobilize Trumpet Call gatherings for time zones.
Contact us: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
661-747-2996
Fred and Susan Rowe
Co-founders "The Living Wall"
Transform World Celebration Challenge Facilitators, Trumpet Call to the Nations
Please pray for a peace breakthrough
“Iran will be invited to participate in the Oct. 30 round of talks in Vienna on ending the conflict in Syria, a U.S. State Department spokesman said Oct. 27, Reuters reported. An unnamed official from the Middle East said Iran had already been invited by both the United States and Russia, and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian would attend the talks. The possible participation of Iranian Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was still under discussion, the official said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke with both Zarif and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry earlier in the day. If the Russian and Iranian efforts to stabilize al Assad's forces and restore their advantage on the battlefield prove successful, Damascus will be in a much more favorable position at the bargaining table.”
From Stratfor.com, OCTOBER 28, 2015
The fight to sustain David’s Tent
As those in Christ, we are not merely survivors, but we are victorious! Yet at times it sure seems that the greatest victory is simply surviving. "...and after you have done everything -- to stand" Ephesians 6:13
In the winter of 1777-1778, General George Washington and the Revolutionary Army suffered through winter in Valley Forge, PA. Thousands of troops died there, as they were ill-clothed, ill-housed and under-supplied. In compassion for his men, George Washington wrote a candid circular letter to the leadership of the 13 colonies appealing for more troops and supplies, while at the same time appealing to heaven in prayer. The Battle of the Valley Forge Winter had its casualties, but the army survived and eventually was victorious.
David’s Tent DC has faced many hurdles so far, but the fire on the altar has never gone out. (The teardown and reset due to the Pope's visit did in fact cost us $6,000 and we resorted to worshipping outside in the rain! We paid $6,000 to sing in the rain! Jesus is Worthy!) Yet, David’s Tent DC is coming face-to-face with what will probably be our greatest hurdle of the entire next year... winter! Already, our night-watches have been worshipping in the 35 degree weather, all bundled up, with hand-warmers in their shoes.
Please appeal to heaven in prayer with us on these four prayer points and for those that are called by the Spirit to give of your lives and finances, I appeal to you to help us stay victorious through this “Valley Forge Winter”.
This is our ONE BIG REQUEST: Pray for God to Pour Out His Spirit on David’s Tent! We want God to show up in a huge way!!
1 Finances - I'm still haggling to find the best possible and permissible way to heat the tent on the mall this winter, but the current numbers are coming in at $20k per month. For 5 months, that's quite the utility bill. The funding to heat the tent truly is an alabaster jar offering!
2 Staff - We currently have 30 full time staff and we need to see that grow to 80 to truly sustain well. Our staff in DC are all serving overtime to get this off the ground. It's working for now, but it is not a sustainable pace. We know that the Lord is calling those who will count the cost and come with servant hearts!
3 Worship teams to sign up. While it may be easier to plan for July or further ahead than for the quickly approaching winter, we'd like to see more worship teams sign up for watches during this winter! It will be cold and maybe even difficult, but I know the sacrifice will be worth it. I believe this season is the critical, hinge period of the Tent.
Of course, pray for grace with the weather!
He's worth it all!
Jason Hershey
Thanks for your prayers for last week's national security prayer initiative, "Seeking God's Face for the Deliverance and Destiny of America" as well as the National Day of Prayer Leadership Summit. Both events were wonderful. The Lord was among us and gave us a magnificent time with so many prayer leaders from across the country. We are in the process of digitizing the video of the many excellent presentations and will let you know how to access them.
During the national security initiative, three recently retired generals, one of the former Homeland Security Department officials and a converted Muslim jihadist warned us about the incursion of the Muslim Brotherhood into many spheres within our government and society. Their goal over time, which the current administration does not seem to oppose and some of whom may be cooperating in, is neutralizing or destroying Christianity and subverting the U.S. Constitution to eventually replace it with Sharia (Muslim law). Indeed, Ramadan, "observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad according to Islamic belief" (Wikipedia), is regularly being celebrated in the White House whereas the National Day of Prayer leadership has been excluded since the current administration took over.
The implication is pretty obvious. Let's pray for the exposure of the evil one's strategy of deception and manipulation to subvert this nation carried out under the cloak of political correctness and religious pluralism. As it says in the Psalms, let's agree that God would "break the arm of the wicked" hopefully so they might repent, but in any case removing them from the U.S. government and other positions of influence in our society. We need a major house-cleaning and that during this election cycle He would raise up people of integrity who will do what is right in His sight for the country.
There are also internal threats such as the existence of Muslim terror cells within the country who might resort to a dirty bomb with nuclear materials and external threats such as cyber attacks, Electro Magnetic Pulse (destroying the power grid with one nuke set off above the nation) as well as possible direct nuclear attack by Russians, Chinese or North Koreans. In such situations of potential national peril, it is not enough to rely on our military which itself is under attack through political correctness and the demotion or expulsion of those who speak up against the administration's agenda of LGBT rights and religious pluralism. It is therefore imperative that we as intercessors help to build a wall of spiritual protection as the Lord told Ezekiel (Ez. 22:30) when national leaders have become evil and have forsaken the ways of God with their policies. Intercessors are the last line of defense for a nation that is ripe for His judgment and destruction. Please continue to pray for the nation's security and protection and for the military and intelligence services to be strong and vigilant in spite of the policies of the current administration that deeply threaten their readiness.
We were also given new hope as prayer leaders shared their various initiatives and strategies, such as a nationwide effort to prayer walk every community and street and to gather one million to the Washington Mall to cry out for a RESET of America. If the Holy Spirit is raising up such efforts, then we believe He intends to deliver the nation through our united prayers though we may well pass through a storm of difficult circumstances. Canada also needs our continued prayers since the newly elected Liberal government will undoubtedly take our northern neighbor down the same dark road we have traveled in the USA; however even dark roads are encompassed by the loving, almighty hands of our God. Thank you so much for participating in such an effort for North America's deliverance to come and destiny to be recovered.
Elsewhere, let's please keep the Middle East region as well as Afghanistan and Pakistan in our prayers. ISIS along with other radical Islamic groups like the Taliban plus the seemingly endless wars in Syria and Iraq have brought great destruction and terror to millions upon millions of people and continue to cause an enormous exodus of terrified and hopeless refugees. Pray for these dear people to get relief and rehabilitation they so desperately need. Pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ to be protected (see the alert below) and to shine as courageous lights in the darkness and fear that pervades these lands. Pray also for confusion, disunity and overthrow of these misguided and wicked devotees of Islam. May many more of them hear the Gospel, receive supernatural encounters with the Lord, and give up their crazed, fanatical jihad to serve the Living God.
John Robb
IPC Chairman
Another perspective on “Seeking God’s Face for the Deliverance and Destiny of America with some key national security prayer concerns
Pierre Bynum who was one of the speakers and facilitators of this gathering of prayer leaders from across the USA, October 18-20, in Colorado Springs gives us his perspective on how it went:
“National Security Prayer Wall, Ramparts - Leaders in the national prayer movement agree that repentance and revival in our churches and a biblical awakening are the only hope for America, and they are believing for both. But the 150 prayer leaders who met in Colorado Springs also recognize that biblical "watchmen," those who understand the responsibility and power of prayer, must be concerned with warning and protecting the American people in the face of glaring, escalating threats to our national security. The three retired generals who addressed the group agreed that America faces several "existential," threats, i.e., threats to our very existence as a nation. Scripture teaches, "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness' (1Tim 2:1-2 NIV).
America's president and military Commander-in-Chief, President Obama, has spent seven years making a radical sexual agenda and downsizing our military a priority over strengthening our military's ability to fight and win wars. This is one reason our nation is in such jeopardy. He has been and is still diminishing our military forces (e.g., reducing troop strength, readiness, equipment, weapons, ships, aircraft -- and many other factors by which military strength can be measured). He has allowed our border to remain substantially unsecured even as U.S. foreign policy is in shambles.
By prematurely pulling our troops from Iraq, many analysts believe President Obama created the vacuum that enabled the meteoric rise of ISIS and its wholesale rape and slaughter of Christians and other religious minorities (even moderate Muslims) and gave Russia opportunity to establish a stronghold in the Middle East. President Obama has minimized the threat imposed by such groups as the Muslim Brotherhood and now placed both Israeli and American security at risk through his recent nuclear deal with Iran. Moreover, by doing so, he has endangered our closest ally, Israel, something no other American president ever has done. Beside all this, the administration has implemented policies that have restricted our service personnel's religious liberty and in some cases sought to silence our Chaplains from preaching the whole gospel, truth our troops need above all things.
Those in Colorado heard from leaders like FRC's Executive Vice-President, Lt. Gen. Jerry Boykin (U.S. Army, Ret.), Lt. Gen. Pat Caruana (USAF, Ret.) and Maj. Gen. Bentley Rayburn (USAF, Ret.). They heard from Kamal Saleem, a former Muslim Brotherhood terrorist, sent to the U.S. to recruit terrorists and set up sleeper cells (now a Christian, he risks his life daily to awaken the sleeping church). And they heard from pastor/prayer leader Dutch Sheets, whom God has stirred to revive the "Appeal to Heaven" motto embraced by the American military during the War for Independence, and with it the prayer that accompanied it.
John Robb shared a vision of the diverse groups that compose the national prayer movement coming together in unity to erect a round-the-clock prayer wall -- "ramparts," as with Nehemiah - around North America made up of praying Christians from every denomination, race and ethnicity -- believers in Canada, Mexico and elsewhere.
Many students of history know about the impact Rees Howells and his Christian school children in Great Britain had in day-and-night intercession for the Allies, as they tracked Hitler's whereabouts and the Nazi troop movements, praying for miracles and hearing them answered again and again until the final Allied victory (see The Role of Prayer in WWII).
I will keep you informed. But we should begin to be part of this invisible Prayer Wall immediately. The "Prayer and Action Points" below were written by Gen. Caruana:
1 As a nation and God's people the church we would seriously heed the warnings God has graciously provided so we would not be laid low in today's wilderness. We need to repent of rejecting God's wisdom and ask Him to renew the desire in our national and church leaders to see His wisdom as His provision for our security (Dt 4:9; Ps 119:25-26; Eze 3:17; 1 Cor 10:1-11; Jas 3:17 ).
2 We need to ask the Lord to open the eyes of both His church and our senior national leadership to the perils of entering the Iran nuclear deal, and to beseech the Lord to lead our nation's leadership to receive God's wisdom and reject the binding of the US in a partnership with lawlessness (Numbers 22:31; Is 30:1-3; 2 Cor 6:14-15).
3 For leaders that will not compromise any elements of our national security and respond with clear resolve to threats either internal or external to our nation's interest. Leaders who recognize and understand who our enemies are and how to wisely deal with them. Leadership with a worldview consistent with the principles upon which our nations has depended since God allowed the United States of America to become a nation (Pr 8:1-20; 2 Cor 6:14-18).
4 Pray for unity first within the Body of Christ so that our nation can witness what true Christ-like unity is. That we as one nation under God would reject the forces that divide our nation and make us far more vulnerable to a weakened security (Lk 11:17; Jn 17: all).
5 Pray for leaders who will arise with the courage to make the right decisions concerning the social changes being made to ensure that our military remains equipped and combat-ready to protect our country (Ex 18:21; Pr 1:24-31; Tit 1:4-6).
6 Pray for God's wisdom to penetrate into the hearts of our congressional leadership to recognize their responsibility as our elected representatives and legislate well-defined budgets that empower our military forces to keep our nation strong and safe (Luke 14:28-32; 1 Tim 2:1-8).”
Rev. Pierre Bynum
Chaplain & National Prayer Director
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Family Research Council
Web: www.frc.org
Finishing The Task Conference
December 2-4, 2015
Prayer Requests:
- Pray that the majority of the remaining 511 Unengaged Unreached People Groups (UUPGs) will be engaged at this year's FTT Conference.
- Pray for significant connections leading to greater Kingdom advancement among UUPGs.
- Pray for significant progress among major research organizations in collaboration and unification of strategies.
- Pray for church leaders to catch the vision for full engagement of all people groups.
- Pray that the Holy Spirit will transform people’s minds and hearts in such a powerful way that they will be motivated to make a difference in lives around the world.
- For continued prayer for the administration team, their health, their families: that stress will not take our focus away from the joy of the progress we are so blessed to see.
- Pray that significant progress be reported in missional information collection, management, distribution.
- Pray that hearts and minds be willing to recognize challenges and receive new ideas and solutions without division but in the Spirit of Unity.
- Pray for our keynote speakers - Rick Warren, Francis Chan and Paul Eshleman - as they prepare the messages God has put on their hearts.
Download the flyer:
https://www.getamericapraying.com/groupdocs/90_1444326184.pdf
Please join in helping others to find this opportunity to pray together for International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER
November 1 and 8
Persecution of Christians has increased around the world, including imprisonments, torture and beheadings. The International Day of Prayer is a time set apart for us to remember the thousands of Christian brothers and sisters around the world who suffer persecution because they have confessed Jesus Christ as Lord. Please join fellow believes in Christ around the world in prayer for the persecuted on both Sunday, November 1 and Sunday, November 8. For more information visit International Day of Prayer at http://idop.org/en/.
Driven out of their ancestral homes, killed and crucified, Assyrian Christians face execution at the hands of their Daesh captors. This latest threat is to execute 180 of the 230 who were abducted from their Khabur river valley villages in mass raids in February. Ridiculous ransoms are demanded for their lives. Negotiations led by Bishop Otnaial, head of the Church of the East in Syria, have been suspended due to "the unbearable demands of the terror group." The original demand was 23 millions dollars to free 230 people. Terrorist have "drastically reduced" their demand to 12 millions for 180 people.
Recently Daesh showed a video of three orange-jumpsuit-clad captives being executed. The video drew condemnation from watchdog groups, such as A demand for Action: "We condemn this latest act of barbarism in the strongest possible terms.... They are helpless. They are children. They are women. They are someone's father and brother." Now more than the money, the organization of the liberation is a key issue. Just last week militants claim to have kidnapped at least 220 Christian Assyrians in northeast Syria. The plea goes out to the international community to act now to save the lives of the kidnapped.
The nation of Syria is number 4 on the 2015 Open Doors World Watch List of the worst persecutors of Christians in the world. Window International Network partners pray for Syria on Day 30 in accordance with the Praying Through the Window 9: Global Terrorism and World Religions prayer calendar.
ISIS (Dash) Threatens the Execution of 180 Assyrian Christians
Let’s Pray For:
God's angels to watch over and protect these Assyrian Christians. We ask God to protect the weak and strengthen them. We pray that facing death, they will endure for Christ until the very end (The Bible, James 1:12).
The Daesh captors to be confronted by the living God as they see the faith of their Christian captives. We pray for them to be so convicted of the evil they are perpetrating that they will either convert to Christianity or desert their Daesh terrorists (The Bible, Acts 9:1-19).
The supernatural release from their captors just as the Apostle Peter when he was released from prison by God's angel (The Bible, Acts 12:1-10).
God to send his angels to slay Daesh terrorists who work as agents of Satan. Nothing is too hard for God who slew 185,000 in one night in the enemy's camp! (The Bible, Isaiah 37:36).
Sources:
ISIL Threatens to execute 180 Assyrian Christians (AINA)
ISIS Threatens to execute 180 Assyrian Christians (TheStream.org)
ISIS to Execute 180 Assyrian Christians after Negotiations Break Down (Genocidewatch.net)
Photo: Reuters
YouTube, Published on Oct 1, 2015
Discover the reasons why a Muslim man from a Muslim country decided to ask the question "Who is Jesus?"
Learn why all the answers in the Koran led him to the truth of who Jesus actually was.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTZYT9ve-AU
Jesus Christ is mentioned many more times than Muhammad in the Koran. Let’s pray for many millions of Muslims among the estimated 1.4 billion to be drawn to Him even as they read the Koran and go about other Islamic practices so that they will want to also read the Bible and come to know Christ like this man did.