Free speech and religion in Russia
A survey by a Russian think tank shows that the Russian people are conflicted over freedom of expression and perceived attacks on Christianity. This past summer, sociologists at the Levada Centre found that 58 percent of Russians believe people should enjoy freedom of speech, which means they have the right to publicly criticize religion. At the same time, 21 percent believe that the authorities should have the right to fine or imprison people who publicly criticize religion because such criticism could ‘undermine the reputation of the church.’ The survey comes in the wake of a high-profile trial of two Russian intellectuals who organized a 2006 exhibition called ‘Forbidden Art', and were subsequently charged with degrading and insulting the Christian faith and believers. The art depicted an Orthodox icon of the Virgin Mary made out of caviar. Western-style freedom of speech is still scarce in the former Soviet Union.
Pray: that such controversies will open up opportunities for the Gospel and so transform the hearts and lives of many people. (Jn.15:18)
To live a lifestyle of 24/7 prayer does not mean praying literally 24 hours a day. A 24/7 lifestyle of prayer is a ministry of availability:
1. being available to listen to the Holy Spirit and
2. praying according to the prayer burdens that He lays on your heart.
24/7 Prayer is to live as a priest appointed by God: being in constant fellowship with God through praise and worship and also to intercede for the world.
To grow in your own prayer life, we are giving two different ways on how to pray.
1. Guidelines (2 models) on how to pray for one hour.
2. Guidelines on how the use the Bible/Scripture for prayer.
Practical guides on how to pray for One Hour
Many people struggle to spend more than 5-10 minutes in prayer. By following the link below you will find two models that will help you to pray step by step for one hour. We have divided an hour into 12 x 5 minute blocks and this easy way of praying will help you to spend your prayer time more effectively.
One of the models is a prayer pamphlet, available in 20 languages, called Seek My Face. These models are completely adaptable to your needs, e.g. should you have only 20 to 30 minutes available, then you simply take 4 to 6 of these 5 minute blocks to pray. You can also change any of the blocks of information to make it more suitable for your own situation. It is important to understand that you can use this as a guideline, and it certainly does not mean you have to pray for one hour every day.
www.jwipn.com/articles.asp (Look for the articles Hour that Changes the World and Seek My Face under 24/7 Prayer in the English section.)
Guidelines for praying the Word
One of the most neglected but most fruitful ways to pray is by simply using your Bible. It is time to make our Bibles our prayer book. There are many ways to do it by simply reading the Word, reading and praying the Psalms, praying God's promises, praying God's will, purposes and commands, or contemplatively praying through one Bible book at a time. Follow this link for more info:
http://www.jwipn.com/articles.asp (Under the section: God and His Word, you will find several helpful articles.)
24/7 Prayer for churches and communities
Guidelines on how to mobilise 24/7 prayer for churches and communities, you will find at www.globaldayofprayer.com/res_247.html
When the protests began in Egypt and other Middle Eastern nations, World Evangelical Alliance (WEA, http://www.worldevangelicals.org/) and Evangelical Fellowship of Egypt called on believers around the world to pray. We still need to be in prayer because the protests in Egypt, now almost three weeks old, may have reached their most critical and dangerous stage. President Mubarak has appointed a vice president—the first time to do so in 30 years of power—and his government is offering reforms that are not acceptable to the protesters, so the movement continues to grow and demands his ouster. The latest, as of February 10, is that Mubarak refuses to step down as president though he has handed over some powers to his new vice-president.
Two Egyptian prayer leaders that have been affiliated with the IPC walked around Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the protests, earlier today and sensed strongly the presence of spirits of rebellion and oppression. Please pray that violence may be averted on Friday, February 11th, the Muslim prayer day, that is being called the “Day of Martyrs” and in the days to come. May there be an orderly and peaceful transition of power to those democratic reforms and government that the people are calling for. Pray that radical elements such as the Muslim Brotherhood will be stopped from subverting this process and taking power as they did in Iran.
On February 2, 2011, WEA issued a news release calling urgently for global prayer for Egypt that is still relevant:
“The WEA communicated to the Evangelical Fellowship of Egypt (EFE) its concern over the current unrest in the country and asked how the WEA community can effectively pray. The EFE confirmed that the church all over Egypt is united in prayer for the country and called on the church globally to pray with them. Since WEA’s contact with EFE, the situation has become more violent and unstable. Nobody knows what the changes in Egypt will be, but evangelicals in Egypt know that God is in control. Though they are a small minority, they are deeply committed to being good citizens and contributing positively to the future health and development of their nation.
They are asking prayer for:
• wisdom for all leaders in Egypt – both for the present government and for the future leadership of the country
• safety of the young people in Tahrir Square – some of them are Christian; some of them are Muslim. The Christians believe strongly that most Muslims and Christians are united in their common concern for the welfare of the nation.
• peaceful change
• positive outcomes that will benefit the country as a whole and will bring glory to God
• positive impact on the region and the wider world as a result of the change in Egypt”
The World Evangelical Alliance is made up of 128 national evangelical alliances located in 7 regions and 104 associate member organizations and global networks. The WEA is the world’s largest association of evangelical Christians serving a constituency of 600 million people. The WEA is a voice to governments, media, and other faith communities and holds consultative status at the United Nations.
Also, pray for the overthrow of evil that is secretive, deceptive, and subtle that will try to take advantage of the vulnerability of the government and those who are protesting their lack of justice and freedom.
Gambian jail nightmare over for mum
A South Devon Christian missionary, jailed for sedition in the Gambia, has been released. Fiona Fulton, from Torquay, and her husband David, originally from Troon, Ayrshire, were sentenced to 12 months in prison with hard labour last December. The Foreign Office has now confirmed Mrs Fulton was deported back to the UK on Tuesday after being released from the Gambian jail. Mr Fulton remains in prison after three more years were added to his jail term. Friends and family of the South Devon-based couple were last night celebrating Mrs Fulton's release after campaigning relentlessly to see her and David freed. Martin Speed, pastor of the Westhoughton Pentecostal Church in Bolton which supported the couple's missionary work in the Gambia, said the community's prayers had been answered. The couple were arrested in November 2008. They were sentenced to one year in prison with hard labour. The couple always denied the charges against them. Pray: God that Fiona has been released and pray that David will be able to join her soon. (Is.42:6-8)
Gambian jail nightmare over for mum
A South Devon Christian missionary, jailed for sedition in the Gambia, has been released. Fiona Fulton, from Torquay, and her husband David, originally from Troon, Ayrshire, were sentenced to 12 months in prison with hard labour last December. The Foreign Office has now confirmed Mrs Fulton was deported back to the UK on Tuesday after being released from the Gambian jail. Mr Fulton remains in prison after three more years were added to his jail term. Friends and family of the South Devon-based couple were last night celebrating Mrs Fulton's release after campaigning relentlessly to see her and David freed. Martin Speed, pastor of the Westhoughton Pentecostal Church in Bolton which supported the couple's missionary work in the Gambia, said the community's prayers had been answered. The couple were arrested in November 2008. They were sentenced to one year in prison with hard labour. The couple always denied the charges against them. Pray: God that Fiona has been released and pray that David will be able to join her soon. (Is.42:6-8)
Nepal: Church grows exponentially to one million believers
The number of Christians in Nepal is growing exponentially. This is reported by American researcher Dr. Cindy Perry, who recently finished a study on the Nepali church. Many new churches have not just been planted in Nepal, but also in nations where Nepali workers have migrated to. ‘This is a special development,’ Perry says. ‘When a Nepali comes to Christ, he apparently also becomes an evangelist straight away.’ Until 1951 Nepal was closed to the outside world. Nepali Christians were few and mainly lived in north India on the border with Nepal. 1990 in the Kingdom of Nepal it was officially prohibited to have another religion than Hinduism. It was hard for Christians to fellowship and many were imprisoned. In 1990 a revolution broke out, followed by a new constitution that granted freedom of religion. In 50 years the number of baptized Christians has grown from 26 in 1960 to one million today. Pray: God for this wonderful growth of His church in Nepal and long may it continue. (Ps.95:1) More: http://www.joelnews.org/
Nepal: Church grows exponentially to one million believers
The number of Christians in Nepal is growing exponentially. This is reported by American researcher Dr. Cindy Perry, who recently finished a study on the Nepali church. Many new churches have not just been planted in Nepal, but also in nations where Nepali workers have migrated to. ‘This is a special development,’ Perry says. ‘When a Nepali comes to Christ, he apparently also becomes an evangelist straight away.’ Until 1951 Nepal was closed to the outside world. Nepali Christians were few and mainly lived in north India on the border with Nepal. 1990 in the Kingdom of Nepal it was officially prohibited to have another religion than Hinduism. It was hard for Christians to fellowship and many were imprisoned. In 1990 a revolution broke out, followed by a new constitution that granted freedom of religion. In 50 years the number of baptized Christians has grown from 26 in 1960 to one million today. Pray: God for this wonderful growth of His church in Nepal and long may it continue. (Ps.95:1) More: http://www.joelnews.org/
Israel: Jewish Christian seeks protection following repeated attacks
A Christian of Jewish origin who has been attacked on the streets here four times because of his faith in Christ and is seeking police protection. Jerusalem resident Yossi Yomtov said police have been slow to investigate hate crimes against him by youths wearing kippahs, cloth skullcaps typically worn by observant Jews. In two of the attacks a youth plied him with pepper spray and stun gun shocks, he said. 'This young man cursed me for my belief in Christ,' Yomtov told Compass. ‘He used ugly curses and spoke in highly abusive language.’ Yomtov, who founded the social activist group Lemallah (‘Upward’) after moving to Israel from the United States in 1999, said he was last attacked on Dec. 19. On that occasion his group was holding a demonstration in downtown Jerusalem, he said, when a man chanting anti-Christian slogans and using foul language approached him and began striking him. Police never showed up in spite of many calls to the police station, he said. Pray: that Jewish believers would be given protection against persecution by non-believers. (Ps.5:11) More: http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/israel/13055/
Indonesia: Thousands celebrate Christmas despite attacks
Thousands of Christians have celebrated Christmas in a volatile area of Indonesia's West Java province, despite concerns of more attacks against them. At least 5,000 worshipers living in the city of Bekasi reportedly gathered in the unfinished St. Albertus Church for a Christmas Eve mass, a week after it was attacked by an angry Muslim mob. Christians said hundreds of Muslims began the Islamic New Year last Thursday, December 17, by attacking the Catholic Church, throwing stones and setting fires to it. Kristina Maria Rentetana, head of the church building committee, told reporters that the crowd shouted ‘destroy it’ and that ‘even women carrying babies’ participated in stone throwing. Most damage was reportedly done to the makeshift security post and the developer’s office. The Indonesian Committee of Religions for Peace has urged authorities to increase security for Christians, who comprise a minority in this mainly Muslim nation. Pray: for the security and protection of believers as they worship in volatile places. (Ro.8:35) More: http://www.bosnewslife.com/10513-thousands-celebrate-christmas-in-indonesia-after-attacks
Record number visit Bethlehem
The little town of Bethlehem has seen the highest number of Christmas pilgrims in a decade, according to the Israeli military. More than 100,000 people from around the world gathered in the birthplace of Jesus this Christmas, up from 50,000 the previous year. The increase in tourists is most likely down to a decrease in violence between Palestinians and Israel in recent years. Included among the pilgrims are about 500 Christians from Gaza Strip who were granted a rare holiday entry permit by Israel. There are about 3,500 Christians among Gaza’s 1.5 million population. Palestinian officials said all 24 of Bethlehem’s hotels were fully booked. The Middle East’s senior Catholic cleric Fuad Twal travelled to Bethlehem from Jerusalem and held a midnight mass at St Catherine’s Church, next to the Church of the Nativity. Twal called for peace and reconciliation between Israel and Palestinians. Praise: God for this increased number of pilgrims gathering to worship at the stable. (Lk.2:15)