Monthly Prayer Agenda

November 2018 Prayer Agenda

Created: Wednesday, 28 November 2018 15:03
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Welcome to the November 2018 Global Prayer Agenda featuring major concerns affecting the nations of our world, and the growth of Christ's church universally for the advancement of world evangelism and the establishment of God's Kingdom.  This agenda was specially prepared for use during the Monthly Global Prayer Teleconference sessions by a few members of the team of leaders facilitating these monthly global prayer calls.  The agenda is structured into three main categories for the convenience of our users.  As you join us in prayer about these various issues, during this month, we trust that you will find the experience spiritually rewarding.  We also extend a special invitation to join us for our next Monthly Global Prayer Teleconference.       

Category One

Prayer for North and South America, the Caribbean and Europe

    Scripture: Psalm 149: 1 - 9

Prayer for Revival in the United States of America

 

Prayer For Pastors  Across America

 

Pastors across America that are leaving the ministry in droves.

Top 2 Causes for Pastors Leaving Ministry and More Statistics

More than 70% of pastors do not have a close friend with whom they can openly share their struggles. The dominant cause for pastors to leave the pastoral ministry is burnout. Number two is a moral failure. These are alarming statistics. And there are many more:

  • 80% of pastors believe the pastoral ministry has negatively affected their families (Life Enrichment Ministries – 1998)
  • Only 50% of pastors felt that the education they received adequately prepared them for ministry. Most pastors rely on books and conferences as their primary source of continuing education. (George Barna – 2002)
  • 25% of all pastors don’t know where to go for help if they have a personal or family conflict or concern. 33%  have no established means for resolving the conflict. (George Barna – 2002)
  • 40% have no opportunity for outside renewal like a family vacation or continuing education. There is a very clear relationship between the amount of time a pastor takes for personal renewal and his satisfaction in his job. (George Barna – 2002)
  • At any given time, 75% of pastors in America want to quit. (Church Resource Ministries – 1998)
  • More than 2000 pastors are leaving the ministry each month. (Marble Retreat Center 2001)  (Source: www.Standaloneministry.org)

Pray

  1. For pastors across America experiencing loneliness, the burning out effect, other challenges of the pastoral ministry that impact negatively on their families or considering quitting the ministry as a result of discouragement to turn to the Lord, the only Rock of our Salvation for spiritual comfort, assurance, and strength. Indeed, all other grounds or bais of faith or worship are sinking sand.  
  2. For all pastors facing all types of moral failure that continue to undermine the credible witness of the church as salt and light of this nation, to turn to the Lord in prayer and repentance to help to facilitate revival in the church for the spiritual healing and transformation of the nation so urgently needed at this time.  
  3. For those institutions and agencies that provide all types of spiritual support to pastors, including seminaries, denominations and the local church to do a more effective job of training, mentoring and caring for the spiritual, emotional, social and family needs of the pastors they serve.     

 

Prayer for the Government, Upcoming Mid-term Elections, and Appointment of New US Supreme Court Justice

 1 Timothy 2: 1 -6

 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. This is good and pleases God our Savior, four who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, six who gave himself as a ransom for all people.”

 

PRAY

As we pray for the US Government, the upcoming Mid-term elections and the new Supreme Court Appointment, let us do so with Paul’s instructions in 1 Tim. 2: 1- 6   

  1. For President Donald Trump and his Cabinet, All Members Congress, the Judiciary, State Governors and other State Legislators and Mayors, across America for wisdom to govern the nation in equity and fear of God.  Pray also that God’s divine intervention in the affairs of the nation’s Government will result in the healing of our deeply divided nation, and in the advancement of the moral, social and economic well being of the nation for general the benefit of all Americans and the advancement of His kingdom locally and internationally.
  2. For all candidates seeking offices in the upcoming mid-term elections and also for God’s will to be done in the appointment of persons to these offices, who are honest, God-fearing and committed to serving the nation in pursuit of justice and equity for all regardless of their political allegiances.

Prayer for Children Across America

 Proverbs 8:16

“…by me princes govern, and nobles—all who rule on earth. I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me. With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity.”

TUESDAY, Oct. 16, 2018 (HealthDay News) Excerpted here.

 A rare but devastating polio-like virus appears to have made itself at home in the United States, partially paralyzing hundreds of children.

There have been 127 cases reported in 22 states so far this year, with 62 confirmed as acute flaccid myelitis, said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, head of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She announced the numbers in a Tuesday media briefing.

This year's outbreak marks the third wave of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) to hit the United States since 2014, and this wave is on track to be the worst yet, experts say.

"We need to pay attention to this because the long-term consequences the children and their parents suffer is immense," said Dr. Carlos Pardo-Villamizar, a neurological disease expert with Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. "You can't imagine the amount of suffering these kids have in their lives."

PRAY

  1. Children are our greatest spiritual and natural resource. Pray that the blood of Jesus covers them and that the angels of the Lord camp round about them to keep them in all their ways.
  2. Pray for families/homes that, according to Psalm 91, no plague shall come near them.
  3. Pray for those already afflicted to receive good care and to fully recover quickly.
  4. Pray that God will be sought as the greatest source of healing, wisdom, and
  5. Ask God to have mercy and protect our nation from every plague and assignment of hell.

South America and The Caribbean

Guatemala nabs 100 'ISIS terrorists' in the caravan

Guatemala president Jimmy Morales boasted that his security forces had captured almost 100 ISIS terrorists from the migrant caravan surging toward the US border. Morales said his forces coordinated with intelligence agencies worldwide to identify their links with terrorism issues. Furthermore, he claimed that Guatemala had deported them to their countries of origin. However, he did not provide details. His communications secretary said that the data was “protected information of National Security.”

This comes after heavy criticism that Guatemala had allowed thousands of migrants to break through its border fence. The caravan swelled to over 7000 as it crossed through Guatemala to the Mexican border. Mexican officials say that 5100 to 7200 of them registered to stay in shelters on the Mexican side of the Suchiate River. Another 2000 camped in the town square of Cuidad Hidalgo. Also, Mexico officials estimate that 2000 stayed in Guatemala.

 

Dangers in the Mob

How could Guatemala's powerful security forces identify and capture 100 ISIS terrorists in such a huge passing caravan? Also, how could they let thousands of others go unimpeded? Therefore from the outside, it looks like a massive security failure. Is Morales exaggerating his claims of capture to save face?

Yet we cannot underestimate the dangers that the caravan could be hiding. Already some of the dangers of such a mob have broken out. Not only did they push down the Guatemala border fence. They picked up long iron barricades and swung them over the heads of the crowd. Also, dozens suffered injuries when unruly elements clashed with Guatemalan authorities. US President Trump warned of criminals and drug traffickers in their midst. Accordingly, he threatened to send the US army to close the US border if Mexico let them get that far.

Guatemala's capture of 100 alleged ISIS terrorists underlines concerns that even a small percentage of the caravan could wreak havoc wherever they end up.

Sources:

Guatemalan president boasts about catching 100 ISIS operatives as his country lays in turmoil amid thousands fleeing towards the US border.

Migrant caravan grabs for American Dream, as immigrants forge unique challenge for US, Mexico.

Caravan Chaos Continues Mexican Riot Cops Calm Migrant Violence With Tear Gas.

 

Pray

Pray that God will:

  • Arise, disrupt all terrorist and criminal plans, and bring perpetrators to the law.
  • Bring order to the rest of the caravan, and show how He can fulfill their aspirations
  • Show the tens of millions living in poverty in Central America how to prosper in His will and His ways instead of seeking gain elsewhere.
  • For Venezuelans, that instead of carrying refugee problems into surrounding nations, they will find God's solutions in their own.

 

Revival across Europe

  1. Romania's marriage referendum fails to attract enough voters

By Sallyann Nicholls & Chris Harris and Alice Cuddy, • last updated: 07/10/2018 [adapted]

https://www.euronews.com/2018/10/07/romania-s-marriage-referendum-fails-to-attract-enough-voters

A referendum which sought to change Romania's constitution to make gay marriage less accessible has failed to meet the minimum turnout needed for the result to be valid.

The country's national election bureau said Sunday that only 20.4% of voters took part, significantly less than the required 30% baseline.

Romania held a controversial referendum on October 6 and seven that could have made it harder than ever for gay marriage to be legalised.

Same-sex marriage or civil unions are already illegal, and the poll was a bid to make it harder to unpick this legislation.

It came after the approval of same-sex marriage in a host of EU countries since the turn of this century.

Campaigners behind the referendum wanted to stop this wave washing into Romania.

Even though most Romanians claim to be Christian, little evidence is seen in their lifestyles.  Romania has one of the highest abortion rates in the world, and difficulties from drug abuse, prostitution, and pornography reflect the emotional state of many.

The largest church influence in Romania is Eastern Orthodox, which, though it survived communism, has since been discriminating against other Christian churches.

Despite this, Romania has the fourth-largest growing evangelical population in Europe. An increase in materialism, devotion to tradition, and lack of unity in denominations and churches have not stopped a growing receptivity to Jesus Christ in Romania. (https://prayercast.com/romania.html).

PRAY

  1. Pray that the Lord will encourage and strengthen His people in the face of failure to attract the votes to lock the door against gay marriage in Romania;
  2. Pray that the evangelical population will continue to grow in numbers and in spiritual depth and maturity;
  3. Pray for the Christians to be united in love for one another and in bold witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

  1. Christian Concern told they should pay for own security at Wilberforce Academy in Oxford

Thu 25 Oct 2018 |by Cara Bentley [adapted]

https://www.premier.org.uk/News/UK/Christian-Concern-told-they-should-pay-for-own-security-at-Wilberforce-Academy-in-Oxford

A student body voted against hosting Christian Concern for their annual Wilberforce Academy, but the college who make the final decision have said Christian Concern will have to pay for their own security. 

The five-day conference, which aims to train young Christians in leadership skills for public life, is normally held on a university campus and was meant to be at Lady Margaret Hall (LMH) in Oxford in 2019. 

Other campuses have expressed a desire not to host them in the past because of their views on transgenderism, homosexuality and abortion, such as Exeter college, Cambridge. 

Christian Concern said in a statement: "Today (25 Oct), the college wrote to inform us that if they were to host our event, they would require us to pay for additional security, due to the likelihood of members of the LMH community – including staff and senior members – wishing to “express vehement disagreement” and engage in “sustained, “very noticeable” protest."

"It seems that the college is afraid that members of its own community would be unable to maintain peaceful protest, bringing into question their commitment to their own college value of ‘fairness – openness and equality.’

"We are perplexed as to how the historic Christian view of marriage, gender, and sanctity of life would constitute a threat to students’ “physical and mental safety”. We have held nine other Academies in Oxbridge colleges. Students, there have been able to cope, and neither we nor those universities have heard of any harm caused by our events. On the contrary, we have often been told that we were exemplary guests". 

It ends by saying they have written to the college asking what the expected costs are and that they are disappointed the university feels threatened by "an event promoting the same Christian values as Oxford University has so clearly been shaped by." 

A spokesperson for LMH told Premier: "Christian Concern, as an organization opposed to abortion, Islam, embryo research and the rights of LGTBQ+ people, itself indulges in forms of direct action and protest. It seemed courteous to alert the organizers that they might expect similar forms of protest, both internal and external. 

PRAY

  1. That the Lord will lift up a standard to counteract the continued hostility and discrimination in the UK against those who stand up to pursue and promote Christian values;
  2. That the Lord will cause a revival to break out in Universities and Colleges such as Oxford University to bring them back to the Christian values upon which they were built and shaped;
  3. That the Lord will empower and strengthen the believers in the Oxford University Christian Union so that they will be able to live out their faith on the campus and bear powerful, dynamic witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

PM promises to 'look into' case of Christian brothers facing deportation

https://www.premier.org.uk/News/UK/PM-promises-to-look-into-case-of-Christian-brothers-facing-deportation

Thurs 25 Oct 2018| By Eno Adeogun [adapted]

 The Prime Minister has promised to review the case of two teenage Christian brothers facing deportation from Scotland.

The boy's plight was raised during Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday by Paul Sweeney, MP for Glasgow North East, who has urged the Home Office some times to allow the boys to stay in Scotland.

The family - with the support of their community - have been fighting for over seven years.

Almost 90,000 have signed a petition asking the Home Office not to deport the family.

The petition was started by Rev Linda Pollock, the pastor of Possilpark Parish Church in Glasgow where the family worships.

Mr Sweeney told members of the House that the petition recently delivered to the Home Office had been met with "callous indifference".

Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn tweeted that the family was "being failed by this Tory Government".

Somer, 15, Areeb, 13 and their parents are afraid they will be killed by Islamic extremists if they are sent back to Pakistan where Christians are often persecuted.

Mr. Sweeney said: “They've had the support of multi-faith communities in Glasgow, including the moderator of the Church of Scotland and the former Archbishop of Glasgow in their case."

"They are living in the most humble and basic of conditions - indeed slum accommodation could be the best way to describe it..."

PRAY

  1. That the Lord will break the ‘callous indifference’ at the Home Office to the boys’ case and prevent their deportation to Pakistan where Christians are often persecuted;
  2. The Lord will intervene to protect the many more Christians in similar positions in the UK who are threatened with deportation to countries where there is extreme hostility to the Christian faith;
  3. The Pakistani Christians in the UK will become concerned about the plight of their brethren in Pakistan and consciously work and labor for their deliverance as well as the triumph of the Gospel in their homeland.

Category 2

 Israel, the Middle East, and Africa

Scripture—Psalm 29:1-11

 

Israel

A leading human rights watchdog has called out the Palestinian authorities for establishing police states in which peaceful protestors are regularly arrested and brutally tortured. In a new 149-page report published Tuesday titled "Two Authorities, One Way, Zero Dissent," the New York-based Human Rights Watch states that Western-backed Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Islamic militant group Hamas in Gaza have established "machinery of repression to crush dissent."

"Both the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in Gaza have in recent years carried out scores of arbitrary arrests for peaceful criticism of the authorities, particularly on social media, among independent journalists, on university campuses, and at demonstrations," the report explains. The PA and Hamas use detention to punish critics and deter them and others from further activism. In detention, security forces routinely taunt, threaten, beat, and force detainees into painful stress positions for hours at a time."

The report implicates security agencies including Hamas' Internal Security, the Palestinian Authority's Preventive Security, Intelligence Services and the Joint Security Committee for perpetrating what could be considered crimes against humanity punishable by the International Criminal Court. (Samuel Smith, CP Reporter, Oct 24, 2018)

https://www.christianpost.com/news/palestinian-authority-hamas-using-torture-silence-critics-human-rights-watch-228145/

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) and the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) have signed an accord aimed at strengthening economic ties and bilateral technology partnerships between the so-called Garden State and the Startup Nation.

The memorandum of understanding signed in Israel over the weekend seeks to develop further and strengthen economic, technological and commercial cooperation and help identify opportunities for growth in the innovation economy by generating more partnerships, the two entities said in a statement. (SHOSHANNA SOLOMON, Times of Israel, 22 October 2018)

https://www.timesofisrael.com/new-jersey-israel-sign-accord-to-boost-tech-economic-cooperation/

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday intervened again to prevent the Knesset committee charged with approving legislation from considering a bill to allow the state to confiscate lands in Israel sold by churches to private developers. The move followed pressure from the churches and, as the Times of Israel can reveal, from the co-chairman of a powerful US congressional caucus established five years ago to advance the trilateral interests of Israel, Greece, and Cyprus. (SUE SURKES, Times of Israel, 22 October 2018)

https://www.timesofisrael.com/pm-again-puts-brakes-on-draft-law-to-confiscate-land-sold-by-churches

Pray

  1. Thank God that the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) has signed an economic and technological accord with the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA).
  2. Thank God that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intervened to prevent the passing of a bill allowing the state to confiscate lands in Israel sold by churches to private developers.
  3. Thank God for the Human Rights Watch Report exposing the criminal actions of Hamas and the Palestinian Authority (PA) against their critics. Pray that the international community will act to stop the criminal actions of Hamas and the PA.
  4. Pray for the peace, protection, and prosperity of Israel.
  5. Pray for the strengthening and growth of the Church in Israel.

Iran

WASHINGTON — 

The U.S. imposed sanctions Tuesday on a network of businesses that is said to support an Iranian paramilitary force that allegedly trains and deploys child soldiers to fight with Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The network of at least 20 businesses, known as Basij Cooperative Foundation, creates shell companies to hide its ownership and control of multibillion-dollar entities that are "deeply entrenched" in Iran's automotive, mining, metals, and banking industries, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said.

"This vast network provides financial infrastructure to the Basij's efforts to recruit, train and indoctrinate child soldiers who are coerced into combat under IRGC's direction," Mnuchin said.

(VOA News, October 16, 2018)

https://www.voanews.com/a/us-imposes-sanctions-on-iran-business-said-to-support-child-soldiers-/4616157.html

Pray

  1. Pray for the international community to take strong action against Iranian companies that support the training and indoctrination of child soldiers.
  2. Pray for God to expose any efforts or plans of Iran to produce nuclear weapons.
  3. Thank God for the growth of the Church in Iran. Pray for the continued expansion of the Church in Iran.

 

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is hampering efforts to contain an Ebola outbreak that has already killed more than 150 people, according to the World Health Organization. "It's a very serious situation. This is something that we have feared from the beginning; that the security situation will influence the response to the level that we cannot function fully," says a WHO spokesman, Tarik Jasarevic.

The outbreak in Congo's North Kivu province is in a conflict zone where dozens of armed groups operate. Aid agencies have been forced to suspend or slow down their work on several occasions since the outbreak began in July. It happened again over the weekend when two health agents with Congo's military were killed by rebels. The next day, residents in the city of Beni pelted aid groups' vehicles with stones during a protest against a separate rebel attack that killed at least 13 people.

Jasarevic tells VOA's English-to-Africa service that the incidents have forced Ebola containment teams to severely curtail their operations. The result? "Contacts will not be followed; this is something that has to be done on a daily basis. People who may develop the disease will not go immediately to treatment centers and will present danger to their environment," he says.

According to the WHO's most recent report, released Tuesday, a total of 238 confirmed and probable Ebola Virus Disease cases have been reported in Congo's North Kivu and Ituri provinces. It said 155 people have died. (Paul Alexander, VOA News, October 24, 2018)

https://www.voanews.com/a/who-very-serious-Ebola-situation-in-eastern-drc/4627654.html

JOHANNESBURG — 

Congolese rebels killed 15 civilians and abducted a dozen children in an attack at the center of the latest deadly Ebola outbreak, Congo’s military said Sunday, as the violence threatened again to force the suspension of crucial virus containment efforts. The Allied Democratic Forces rebels attacked Congolese army positions and several neighborhoods of Beni on Saturday and into Sunday, Capt. Mak Hazukay Mongha told The Associated Press.

Congo's health ministry has reported "numerous aggressions'' against health workers, and early this month two Red Cross volunteers were severely injured in a confrontation with wary community members in a region traumatized by decades of fighting and facing an Ebola outbreak for the first time. (Associated Press, October 21, 2018)

https://www.voanews.com/a/rebels-kill-Congolese-army-health-workers-fighting-ebola/4622429.html

Pray

  1. Pray for peace to be reestablished in the Democratic Republic of Congo so that the efforts of health workers to contain the Ebola outbreak would not be hampered. Also, pray for an end to the Ebola outbreak in the DRC.
  2. Pray for the Congolese rebels to release the children and others that they have abducted.
  3. Pray for the strengthening and growth of the Church in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Angola

LUCAPA, ANGOLA — 

The destruction in Kapende, where no house remains occupied or intact, marked the culmination of three days of violence in Lucapa, a sprawling mining town in the northeast surrounded by some of the world's richest diamond fields. About 300,000 Congolese have fled Angola in the last few weeks, many of them in response to the violence in Lucapa at the beginning of October.

For many in the town, the violence was shocking in an area that had turned a blind eye to Congolese migration and where digging for diamonds provided a living. Politically, the upheaval threatens to further destabilize Congo ahead of elections in December and harm relations with Angola, an old ally.

In interviews with 14 eyewitnesses as well as an Angolan security source, Reuters has pieced together the events of Oct. 3, 4 and 5, detailing for the first time the ethnic violence, police action and looting that forced half the city to flee to the border and into the Democratic Republic of Congo.

An Angolan security source with knowledge of the operation said between 10 and 14 had been killed. Congolese who fled Lucapa and were interviewed by Reuters across the border said the number was higher. It remains unclear how many deaths were the result of police fire or ethnic violence, but at least three people were killed by law enforcement, according to witnesses. (Reuters, October 25, 2018)

https://www.voanews.com/a/three-days-violence-emptied-Angola-town-of-congolese/4629364.html

Pray

  1. Pray for peace to be reestablished in Lucapa, Angola. Also, pray that those responsible for the violence and destruction of property would be brought to justice.
  2. Pray that humanitarian aid will get to the 300,00 Congolese who have fled Angola because of the violence.
  3. Pray for the strengthening and growth of the Church in Angola.

Tanzania

DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA — 

Tanzanian police have arrested 104 suspected militants planning to establish bases in neighboring Mozambique, where scores of people have been killed in Islamist attacks over the last year, a senior official said.

Forty attacks have been carried out since October 2017 in Mozambique's Cabo Delgado province, an area near the Tanzanian border close to where companies are developing one of the biggest natural gas finds in a decade. More than 100 people have been killed, often by decapitation.

At a news conference on Friday, Inspector General of Police Simon Sirro said security forces had launched operations over the last few months against "criminals" in eastern and southern areas, but that some of them had managed to flee. "During that operation, some criminals were arrested and some ... died, and a few escaped. Those who escaped are the ones trying to cross the border to Mozambique to establish a base," he told reporters. Earlier this month, Mozambique put 189 people, including foreigners, on trial on accusations of involvement in Islamist attacks in Cabo Delgado. (Reuters, October 20, 2018)

https://www.voanews.com/a/tanzania-arrests-104-for-plotting-radical-camps-in-mozambique/4622398.html

Mr. Mohammed Dewji a wealthy young Muslim business man who recently featured in the Forbes magazine and whose family business empire extends to over 11 African nations was abducted by unknown people in Tanzania and held for over ten days before he was finally released this week. What is unusual about this kidnapping is that it raised regional and international attention and attracted prayers from both Muslim clerics and Christian intercessors.  The Christian’s bishops and the pastor prayed the release of Mohammed Dewji and for Tanzania.

Tanzania has been experiencing many unresolved kidnappings and assassinations, the most recent one being that of the member of opposition party Hon Tundu Lissu, a fierce critic of President John Pombe Magufuli whose car was sprayed with 39 bullets in January 2018. He is currently in a Belgium hospital recovering from the assassination attempt. Mr. Tindi Lissu miraculous escape is viewed by many as a testimony of the hand of almighty God who intervened to save his life. (Rev. Peter Israel Kegode, IPMI Facilitator, October 22, 2018)

https://africatimes.com/2018/10/20/billionaire-mo-dewji-safe-in-tanzania/

Pray

  1. Pray for peace to prevail in the nation of Tanzania
  2. Pray for Godly Counsel to guide the Tanzania Government Leadership including, the presidency, Legislature, Judiciary.
  3. Pray for Justice to be done for abducted politicians, citizens, journalists, business people and God to comfort the families of those who have been killed by their kidnappers.
  4. Pray for the growth of church of Christ in Tanzania
  5. Thank God for the release of Mohammed Dewji through the prayers of Christians. Also thank God for the arrest of 104 suspected militants who were planning to establish bases in neighboring Mozambique.

 

Category 3

Prayer for Movement Day Global Cities, the Persecuted Church and Other Critical Concerns of Asia

Scripture   -   Psalms 6: 7 - 13

 

PRAY 

Movement Day Expressions

  1. Pray for new team member Elizabeth Bloodworth as she navigates her new role supporting events management.
  2. Pray for financial provision as Movement Day Oslo leader, Joakim Magnus andhis team are strategizing and handling logistics for this first time gathering. Joakim Magnus is a young leader, who has a true passion for youth. Along with spearheading this Movement Day gathering he also works  with Youth with a Mission (YWAM)
  3. Prayer for Arthur Thangiah (Mumbai, India), Jeyakaran Emmanuel and Mark Visvasam (Chennai, India) as they plan Movement Day Expressions January/February 2019 respectively to advance high-level city transformation in the face of heightened religious persecution.

 

100 Cities Summit

  1. Pray for high attendance at our 100 Cities Summit Closing Ceremony at the National Presbyterian Church. We can seat 1,000 guests!
  2. Pray as we gather all Movement Day expression leaders forour inaugural Executive Directors gathering on November 26th. Pray that God would use each leader to cast a vision for the future of their respective expressions of Movement Day  
  3. Pray for financial provision as leaders are coming from a wide array of countries all over the globe.

  

The Global Persecution of Christians

Open Doors Lists Top 10 Persecutors of Christians Worldwide

Over 215 million believers are persecuted with intimidation, prison, and even death for their faith in Jesus Christ across the world, Open Doors USA says in a report, listing the top 10 persecutors of Christians.

The report, released this week, notes that hostility against Christians is particularly intense in some areas "due to the focused efforts of either one person or a larger system bent on smashing or squeezing out Christians in the region."  Half of the top 10 human rights offenders toward Christians are Islamist terror groups, including the Islamic State terror group, also known as IS, ISIS, ISIL or Daesh. The brutal and targeted attacks from ISIS have driven many Christians to flee countries like Iraq, where Christianity has had a presence for nearly 2,000 years, the report says. "Ten years ago, there were nearly 1 million Christians living in Iraq, with a large majority of the population living in Mosul. Today, ISIS has been driven out of Iraq and Syria for the most part, but now they are spreading to Southeast Asia. Abū Bakr al-Baghdadi is the current leader of ISIS in western Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Afghanistan," it notes.  While Islamic State was listed as No. 1, the list is not comprehensive or in particular order, the ministry notes.

The second persecutor of Christians listed is the al-Qaeda terror group, which has not been in the news much but "has continued to fight in countries throughout the Middle East, often marking Christian communities as specific targets."  The report mentions particularly Yemen, where Christian converts from Islam are particularly at risk as they are already treated as outcasts by their communities. "As Al-Qaeda takes advantage of distracted governments, Christians in their path experience intense persecution. Ayman al-Zawahiri is the current leader of Al-Qaeda."

The far-right Hindu nationalist movement" seeks to wipe out any religious expression, including Christianity, that falls outside of the Hindu faith, the report says. It mentions the Hindu nationalist association Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, or RSS, which "has created a culture war and made it very dangerous and difficult for many Christians living in the region who are often forced out of villages, beaten and arrested for believing in Jesus." The governing Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party in India is seen as the political wing of the RSS.

Fifth on the list is the al-Shabaab terror group, which is "in many ways the Eastern African version of al-Qaeda." "Al-Shabaab has terrorized the country of Somalia for the past decade and is recently focusing its attacks on the neighboring country of Kenya. In 2015, a Kenya college campus faced an attack where Christian students were specifically targeted, killing 148 in total. Any place al-Shabaab controls operate under Sharia law, which includes the slaughtering of anyone who identifies as Christian."

Another top persecutor is the Boko Haram terror group in Nigeria, "whose belief is that any sort of Western influence is heresy, especially Christianity." "Boko Haram has conducted raids, bombings, and assassinations against any target it deems Western, especially churches and schools. They have taken out contracts on influential Christian leaders and are also at war with the Nigerian government," says the ministry.

Next on the list are Muslim Fulani herdsmen in northeastern Nigeria, who have been accused of aligning with Boko Haram.

The 2017 Global Terrorism Index described the herdsmen, who attack Christians regularly in southern Adamawa, as terrorists in 2014. According to the index, the Fulani are responsible for as many as 60,000 deaths since 2001. This week, Nigerian Christian leaders warned that if the current rate of massacres continues, with hundreds of believers being killed each month, Africa's most-populous nation is on the brink of decimating its Christian population by 2043.

Open Doors further identified as a top persecutor radical Islam, which continues to spread, "aiming to bring many parts of the world under Sharia Law." "The movement, which often results in Islamic militancy and persecution of Christians," is expanding in Asia, including the Philippines, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and in African countries like Egypt, Nigeria, and Somalia.

Also making a list are drug cartels in Colombia and Mexico. "On top of the danger that these groups bring to ordinary citizens, Christians are specifically targeted," the report says. "A soul won for Jesus is a soul lost for them," it quotes a pastor from Colombia as saying. "They know that too." "For this reason, Christian evangelists are particularly targeted. Drug cartel leaders know that they are the greatest threat to their way of life."

Rounding out the top 10 on the Open Doors list is "the ultimate enemy," or Satan.  "It's easy to read this list and feel hopeless in the face of so much evil. However, in Ephesians 6 we're told our war isn't a physical war, it's a spiritual one. Behind all of the atrocities listed above is Satan, who prowls this world like a roaring lion," the ministry explains. "We are also told that God's kingdom is forcefully advancing and that in the end, Satan is overthrown and all things are made new."

Open Doors said it published the list because "Jesus commanded us, directly, to pray for our enemies." "Pray that God would stop their actions, change their hearts and shine the brilliant light of the gospel onto their path." (Source: Christian Post - June 2018)

PRAY

  1. For the over 200 million Christians worldwide suffering persecution with intimidation, prison, and even death for their faith in Jesus Christ across the world to experience the blessings of the Kingdom promised by Christ to those who suffer persecution for righteousness;  
  2. For the leaders of ISIS, al-Qaeda terror group, Boko Haram and other terrorist organizations involved with the wide-scale persecution of Christians in the Middle East, Asia and Africa to halt their evil actions against Christ and His church, to come to a full knowledge of Christ, and aid in the spread of the Gospel and expansion of God’s Kingdom worldwide.

Pakistan

Asia Bibi's Life in Extreme Danger Even If Released From Death Row: 'They'd Feel Proud of Killing Her.

Christian mother-of-five Asia Bibi's life is in imminent danger even if she is released from death row, a religious freedom advocate has warned. Shaheryar Gill, senior litigation counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice, told Baptist Press that the only reason Pakistan's Supreme Court hasn't yet announced its decision on her fate is due to security concerns. "If she's acquitted she is going to need a lot of security ..., security provided by the government," Gill continued. "And she cannot be released openly. If she is, there's no doubt, no question about it, that her life will be in jeopardy. They feel proud of killing somebody like this."

Bibi has been on death row since 2010 after being found guilty of blasphemy against the Islamic faith, stemming from an incident with field workers in 2009 who claimed that she insulted their religious sensitivities.Top of Form Bibi has denied the charge, but despite international pressure and the campaigns of human rights groups, she has remained in prison, waiting for the results of her appeal against the death sentence.

Earlier in October, AFP reported that Muslim hardliners had threatened "horrible" death for Pakistan's Supreme Court justices if it's revealed that they have voted to release the Christian mother. Radicals, arguing that the blasphemy laws must be upheld, have vowed to carry out nationwide protests if she is set free, threatening to paralyze the country.(Source: Christian Post, October 25, 2018)

PRAY

  1. For the acquittal of Asia Bibi from the charge of blasphemy against the Islamic faith and her immediate release from prison
  2. For Asia Bibi’s protection
  3. For the safety and protection of Pakistan’s Supreme Court Justices threatened with “horrible” death should they vote to release Asia Bibi  
  4. For God, by His sovereign grace to open the door for the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ, to be proclaimed throughout Pakistan.

 

North  Korea

Why Is Kim Jong Un Afraid of Christianity? Group Points to Clash Between Jesus and 'Supreme Leader'

A persecution watchdog group has explored the reasons why North Korean leader Kim Jong Un remains "afraid" of Christianity, which go to the heart of people's beliefs about Jesus."It's likely because people who are following Jesus and who are committed to one another mean there are people he can't control, and who follow a greater King. It means there are people who practice radical love for each other and Jesus — who won't so easily follow him and the lies of his regime," Open Doors USA suggested. "This is why Christians continue to be seen as 'dangerous' and are also part of the hostile class, according to the country's social system called songbun. What this means is that anyone who is known to be a follower of Jesus is immediately assumed to be a hostile political figure." 

The organization, which lists North Korea as the No.1 worst persecutor of Christians around the world, noted that Christianity "directly challenges the notion of any Supreme Leader and the idea that there is any master outside of Jesus Christ. Additionally, Christianity offers a new way and identity for people in North Korea. Both aspects of faith are direct threats to the ruling family of North Korea." Kim continues making moves to meet major world leaders, though the consequences of that for the suffering minorities in his country, including close to 300,000 Christians, are yet unclear.Top of Form Back in May, the congressionally-mandated 2017 International Religious Freedom report by the U.S. found that there are between 80,000 to 120,000 people trapped in North Korea camps, many imprisoned for their faith.

"The government continued to deal harshly with those who engaged in almost any religious practices through executions, torture, beatings, and arrests," the report stated. "An estimated 80,000 to 120,000 political prisoners, some imprisoned for religious reasons, were believed to be held in the political prison camp system in remote areas under horrific conditions. "Religious and human rights groups outside the country continued to provide numerous reports that members of underground churches were arrested, beaten, tortured, and killed because of their religious beliefs."

Christian defectors have spoken of torture they have suffered at the hands of the North Korean regime. Believers are often thrown in prison or even executed if they are found with a Bible. Amid the uncertainty for believers, Open Doors urged people to pray (Source: The Christian Post, October 25, 2018)

PRAY

  1. Pray for their spiritual strength to enable them to withstand any threat to their faith from  the regime.
  2. Pray for God's grace in every situation.
  3. Pray for a change in the hearts of the regime, that they would see the love of Jesus as the road to truth and peace," the group stated.

China

Will Chinese Christianity Be Co-Opted?

WASHINGTON — The Chinese government is supervising a five-year plan to make Christianity more compatible with socialism in which there will be a "rewrite" of the Bible, a prominent religious freedom activist has told Congress.

The Rev. Bob Fu, a former Chinese house church leader who immigrated to the United States in 1997 and founded the persecution watchdog organization China Aid, provided great detail during a House hearing Thursday about a plan enacted by leading state-sanctioned denominations in China to "Sinicize" Christianity.

As China's crackdown on religion has seen many house churches demolished and thousands of crosses removed from churches nationwide, Fu warned upfront that what is happening right now in China represents the highest degree of persecution for independent faith groups the country has seen in decades. (Source: The Christian Post, October 21, 2018)

Pray

  1. Praise God for the survival, resilience and continued growth of the Christian community across China despite the various attempts by the Communist government to decimate the Christian faith in China.
  2. For all attempts by the Chinese Government to crack down on churches in an attempt to restrict the growth of the church across China to fail. 
  3. For the continued growth of the church across China to facilitate the expansion of Christianity across Asia.

 

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