Israel: US scraps demand for Israel settlements freeze
A senior US official told the BBC that attempts to get Israel to renew a partial freeze on settlement construction in occupied territory had failed. He said this did not mean the end of Washington's efforts to revive Middle East peace talks. There are about 2.5 million Palestinians living in the West Bank. The Palestinians say settlement-building and peace talks are incompatible. Israeli defence minister Ehud Barak said talks with the Americans had been postponed because Washington was distracted by the fallout from the release of secret documents by the whistle-blowing website Wikileaks and the crisis over North Korea. Pray: for a way forward that enables Israelis and Palestinians to trust and live with each other under Gods covering of peace. (Ps.133) More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11943599
Philippines: Anglican leader appeals to free 43 detainees
A church leader has renewed his appeal for supporters to help persuade President Benigno Aquino to free 43 church-based health workers detained for more than nine months, accused of being members of a clandestine communist-led New People's Army. The workers were conducting primary health-care training for communities, and deny the allegations. ‘Another day in prison for the 43 is another day of justice denied,’ said the Rev. Rex Reyes, general secretary of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines and a priest in the Episcopal Church of the Philippines. Reyes requested support from global church organizations, human rights advocates and civil libertarians. After pressure from these groups a presidential spokesperson said on November 16th that the presidential palace had organized a team to review the case of the 43 detainees and, ‘A prompt resolution would be forthcoming.’ Pray: for God's mighty right hand to hold this situation and guide it through to an imminent release for the detainees. (Is.42:7) More: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81808_125811_ENG_HTM.htm
Pakistan: Government cannot pardon Christian woman
The Pakistani government was barred on Monday by the country's high court from pardoning a Christian woman sentenced to death for alleged blasphemy. A lawyer argued that a pardon would be illegal while the case was pending in the courts. ‘Since the matter is in the high court, the government cannot now make any move to pardon Bibi,’ lawyer Allah Bakhsh Leghari told Agence France-Presse. Asia Bibi was sentenced early this month to death by hanging for allegedly speaking against the Prophet Muhammad. (see last week's Prayer Alert) Religious leaders including Pope Benedict XVI, and human rights groups have called for her release but conservative Muslims have threatened anarchy if President Asif Ali Zadari pardons Bibi. Federal Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti said he expects her to be freed, his preliminary findings from investigations of all accusations showed she was innocent. Pray: for God's mercy and justice to rule and reign through all decisions made regarding Bibi’s future. (Is.14:3-4)
Tanzania: Christian fears growing
Radical Islamists have demolished two church buildings on Tanzania’s semi-autonomous island of Zanzibar on Sunday Nov. 21, and congregation members have since received death threats. The church buildings which belong to the Tanzania Assemblies of God and the Evangelical Assemblies of God Zanzibar were torn down at about 8 p.m. said Bishop Fabian Obeid of EAGZ. This is the latest in a string of violent acts aimed at frightening away Christians in the Muslim-dominated region. The destruction on the island off the coast of East Africa has raised fears that Muslim extremists could go to any length to limit the spread of Christianity, church leaders said. A church member who requested anonymity reported hearing one Muslim saying, ‘We have cleansed our area by destroying the two churches, and now we are on our mission to kill individual members of these two churches – we shall not allow the church to be built again.’ Pray: for the Christians of Zanzibar to overcome fear, be protected and encouraged by the power of God’s Holy Spirit. (Ro.8:39-39) More: http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/tanzania/28938/
Indonesia: The front line against radical Islam
Some of the most dangerous international terrorist networks are using Indonesia as a base to recruit, plan and train for attacks on Western targets. The Indonesian government is launching several security operations aimed at crippling the terror activity. But the fight against radical Islamists is far from over. Banda Aceh, a city 1,000 miles from Jakarta was almost wiped off the map during the 2004 Indonesian tsunami. Six years later, Banda Aceh has bounced back. The economy is thriving, tourism is up, and foreign investments are pouring in. But a group of Muslim radicals have now moved into the area and set up a base of operations. ‘These radical groups came in the name of doing disaster relief and some were able to set up bases which became conduits that later helped Jihad groups set up,’ explained Sidney Jones, an American terrorism expert living in Indonesia. Pray: for God to employ the NGO operations working for good in Indonesia to shame and repel iniquity in disguise. (Job12:22) More: http://ausprayernet.org.au/newsletter/DisplayNewsletter.php
Egypt: Christians pray for protection
Raised tension between the Coptic community and the Muslim majority have come to a head with the news that extremists who have been killing Christians in Iraq may also target believers in Egypt. Prayer meetings are being held at churches throughout Egypt amid heightened security. In Cairo, the number of security officers standing guard outside churches has doubled. In Zamalek, visitors to a recent Christmas bazaar and festival at the All Saints Cathedral were met with body searches, metal detectors and sniffer dogs. News agencies report that the Government has asked pastors to ‘cancel unessential, large-scale public meetings’. President Hosni Mubarak has made a statement through the state-run MENA news agency promising protection for Copts.See His promise coincides with heated debate in the media over ‘Coptic heritage’ and its ‘Islamic identity’. Pray: against religious fanaticism and the fear it creates and pray for harmony between Muslims and Christians in Egypt.
North Korea: Keep praying
The North Korean attack against a South Korean island on 23 November is being called ‘one of the most serious incidents between the two nations since the Korean War.’ It was North Korea's third major provocative action this year. China has called for an emergency meeting of the six countries involved in talks about the North's nuclear disarmament. But South Korean President Lee Myung-bak said he was not interested in resuming the six-party talks immediately, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap.See: Western observers learned that North Korea has a modern uranium enrichment facility with at least 1,000 centrifuges - potentially offering Pyongyang [the capital of North Korea] another route to nuclear power. Observers speculate hostility may be an attempt to manufacture North Korean victories ahead of the exchange of power from Kim Jong-Il to his son, Kim Jong-Un. North Korea is number one on the Open Doors World Watch List 2010. Pray: for the Lord to intervene in this conflict, establishing and maintaining peace. (Ps.37:37) More: http://www.win1040.com/post.php?id=917
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ! May the grace and peace of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ be with you!
On March 9, 2003, the decision was made about creating of the “Prayer about Russia” Russian National Prayer Movement. This was done in the Second Baptist Church of Moscow during the Moscow United Interdenominational Prayer Service dedicated to the Day of Repentance and Reconciliation with God. This convention held about 500 leaders and representatives of different Christian denominations from Russia. The purposes of creating an activity of this “Prayer about Russia” National Prayer Movement were the spiritual awakening and transformation of the state and creation of the Russian prayer watch.
Seven years of our cooperative labor on the God’s field were marked by the following:
1. The people of God responded to His calling to stand in the gap in prayer for our homeland Russia. With God’s help 31 interdenominational prayer conferences were held with the theme from 2 Chronicles 7:14 “Consolidation through Prayer that can Transform a Nation” along with nine Schools of prayer interceders.
2. The participants of all the conferences and schools from these seven years, the total amount of whom was about 7,000 leaders from 1,500 churches from different denominations, took this challenge and knelt down full of tears upon their eyes and proclaimed the end of the bondage of sin in Russia; they declared that Russia belongs to the Lord. Through these conferences, God has raised His people for the prayer of salvation for the Russian peoples, for the opening of the door for the Good News from God, and for wide evangelization.
3. The leadership of the Association of the Churches of Christians of Evangelical Faith and the Russian Undivided Union of Christians of Evangelical Faith have called upon their churches to support the activity of the Russian Prayer Movement as a ministry of repentance, reconciliation, and consolidation. The Russian Church of Christians of Evangelical Faith (RCCEF) had announced the year 2007 as the year of prayer partnership (within the scope of the denomination). One of the priorities of the prayer of the RCCEF churches became the prayer for salvation of the peoples of Russia.
4. It took God 9 months to build the foundation of the national prayer watch in Russia in 2006-2007. Today we have about thirty cities where God’s people agreed to pray about the awakening and transformation of our country. For example, the people of God from different churches from Naberezhnye Chelny, Samara, Rostov-on-Don gather every month for the joint prayer sessions where people pray for awakening in the country. Some of the people come to these sessions from as far as 300-500 km. Three pastors from Rostov gather together three times per week for the joint prayer of awakening. Two big churches began the permanent 24/7 prayer. Sixty cities and towns of Russia participated in the Global Day of Prayer. We could only dream about it in the past. The coordinator of this ministry in Russia from 2006 to 2010 has been the church in Nabarezhnye Chelny.
5. In the opinion of many of the believers, Russia sees, thanks to these prayers, the real changes and progress in developing democracy and freedom of conscience. The attitude of the government is changing concerning corruption, casinos, and the drug mafia. The attitude started to change toward orphans and youths. In 2010, for the first time in the last 10 years, the birth rate was higher than the death rate. Today we live in a different Russia.
The invaluable contribution in the drive for the spiritual awakening of Russia was made by the National Prayer Watch of Romania. Since the fall 2005, the Prayer Watches of Romania have raised their voices in the prayer of awakening on Russia. Ioan Peia, the leader of the National Prayer Watch of Romania, pastor of a Baptist church from Bucharest, has participated directly in organizing, arrangement, and establishment of the “Prayer about Russia” National Prayer Movement. Since spring 2006 till now, brother Ioan has traveled across the whole Russia from its west to east participating in more than a dozen prayer conferences of awakening as one of the speakers, including those in the cities of Moscow (3 conferences), Saint-Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don, Krasnoyarsk, Naberezhnye Chelny (2 conferences), Yekaterinburg, Irkutsk, Novosibirsk, Khabarovsk, Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Magadan, and Orsk. We express our deep and sincere gratitude to the National Prayer Watch of Romania for the help they granted us in the cause of awakening and transformation of our country
God is changing Russia answering the prayers of Christians!
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Your prayer support will be all-important to the planning of this event which is intended to be a “new paradigm” for an international congress—carried out Acts 13-style—incorporating listening to God, united prayer, and strategic implementation of world-impacting action that proceeds out of that encounter with the Lord and one another.
Prayer Concerns:
1. Please pray for the seven planning task forces (Program, Logistics, Mobilization, Finance, Registration and Website, Youth and Children), the Media Strategy Group well as for the Prayer Support Team. We need to be led of the Lord, given His creative, anointed ideas and to all do our work diligently, joyfully and unitedly.
2. This will not be just another prayer conference. The word “world” adds a great deal of complexity and challenge to the planning process since we hope to have about 5000 ministry leaders from all 220 nations. Please pray for excellent organization on the part of the Indonesians and Koreans who are co-hosting the event, for the International Coordination Team, and for the right people from every nation to hear about the WPA and be able to come to Jakarta for it.
3. The WPA Planning and Prayer Retreat will happen in Jakarta, January 23-27. It will be a crucial time for about 50 of us on the wider WPA planning team team to meet together for a time of bonding relationally, praying together to get His mind on the way forward and to update each other on progress made and what needs to be done during the coming year.
4. Some leaders that are key to the WPA process are: the Indonesian and Korean national committees who will co-host the event and the WPA International Coordination Team (14) that provides overall oversight. Please pray for His guidance, protection and provision for each of us. The spiritual battle, as you can imagine, is and will be intense.
Here are the two Scripture passages that have particularly inspired us in arranging the WPA:
• The Church Becoming United- that all followers of Christ may be one so that the world may believe. (John 17:20-26)
• Our World Being Transformed-that “the earth may be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea”. (Hab.2:14)
Thanks so much for your gracious help through prayer that will mean so much, not just to those of us doing the planning and organizing, but also to our world that will be affected by the WPA.
In Jesus Name Productions (IJNP) is scheduling a world-wide release on Easter 2012 and asks the IPC prayer community to become part of this endeavor by way of sustained prayer.
Besides the prayer requests for the movie that John Robb mentioned in the opening greeting, please pray for IJNP:
1. That the Lord will continue to grow the relationships He established while the team was at the 2010 Lausanne Congress.
2. That many will come alongside to join the effort and to pray for the project and for the hearts of those that will be impacted by this film and by Christians around the world.
3. For God to bring divine appointments and introductions of key leaders, investors, and influencers from around the world.
4. That the Lord will prepare the ground for The Messiah to reach the ends of the earth and for the hearts of people to be ready to hear the message of the Gospel.
For more information, please go to http://www.injesusnameproductions.org