At the start of December, Reuters estimated the impact of the war in Ukraine as follows:

Deaths
At least 41,295 people
Non-fatal injuries
At least 53,616 people
Missing
At least 15,000 people
Displaced
Approximately 14M people
Buildings destroyed
At least 140,000
Property damage
Approximately US$350B

Nearly 10 months after his invasion of Ukraine began, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday acknowledged that the conflict is “going to take a while,” as he also warned of the “increasing” threat of nuclear war.

Speaking at a meeting of Russia’s Human Rights Council at the Kremlin, Putin said Moscow will fight by “all available means at our disposal,” in what he insists on calling a “special military operation,” but also said he saw no immediate need to mobilize more troops.

The fighting in Ukraine has been slowing down and this will likely continue in the coming winter months, US intelligence agencies believe. However, there has been no evidence of fading resistance on the part of Ukrainian forces, US director of intelligence Avril Haines said.  She said both sides would try to "refit, resupply and reconstitute" for any counter-offensive in the spring. 

NATO’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, has said Russia is attempting to “freeze” the fighting in Ukraine over the winter to prepare its forces for a renewed assault early next year. Stoltenberg urged NATO allies to continue sending weapons to Kyiv over the winter, adding that the conditions for a peaceful settlement to the war are “not there now”.  It follows Russian attacks on Ukraine's critical energy infrastructure.  The war in Ukraine is now in its tenth month but Russia has lost more than half the land it seized. 

More:  Reuters, CNN, Guardian

Pray:    For the safety and welfare of civilians in conflict zones in Ukraine (Psalm 121:7)

For those who have lost family members in the war, are grieving, widowed, or orphaned.

For the peace and justice of God to flow through the land of Ukraine (Deuteronomy 20:1-4)

In Port-au-Prince you cannot see the boundaries, but you must know where they are. Your life may depend on it. Competing gangs are carving up the Haitian capital, kidnapping, raping, and killing at will. They demarcate their territory in blood. Cross from one gang's turf to another, and you may not make it back.

Those who live here carry a mental map, dividing this teeming city into green, yellow, and red zones. Green means gang free, yellow can be safe today and deadly tomorrow, and red is a no-go area. The green area is shrinking as heavily armed gangs tighten their grip.

Armed groups control - and terrorise - at least 60% of the capital and its surroundings, according to Haitian human rights groups. They encircle the city, controlling roads in and out. And the UN says the gangs killed almost 1,000 people here between January and June of this year.

Kidnapping is a growth industry. There were 1,107 reported cases between January and October of this year, according to the UN. For some gangs it's a major income stream. Ransoms can run from $200 (£164) to $1m (£819,740). Most victims come back alive - if the ransom is paid - but they are made to suffer.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres proposed a "rapid action force" to confront the gangs, and the United States and Mexico proposed a security mission that would be led by an unnamed "partner country".

But most countries remain sceptical of a role in any military intervention in Haiti, noting that previous efforts such as a 2004-2017 U.N.-backed peacekeeping force did not yield sustained improvements in security.

Canada and the United States have instead imposed sanctions on Haitian politicians and business leaders accused of financing the gangs for economic and political benefit.

More:  BBC, Reuters

Pray:    For God’s light to shine in the darkest corners of Haiti, for His love to overwhelm the ever-growing evil of gang warfare (John 1:4-5.)

                For the safety of Haitians from kidnapping, murder, and the impact of gang warfare.

For the work of the United Nations and other international organisations working to confront violence. (Psalm 107:20)

On 14^th December, Iran has been removed from the United Nations women’s body, a move pushed by the United States as the Iranian government continues to repress protests across the country.

“UN Member States just voted to remove Iran from the Commission on the Status of Women,” the US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said on Twitter following the vote. “Iranian women and activists called on us to do this – and today, we got it done.”

Iran has rejected a newly-appointed independent U.N. investigation into the country's repression of anti-government protests, the foreign ministry said, as demonstrations showed no sign of abating.

"Iran will have no cooperation with the political committee formed by the U.N. Rights Council," ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said.

The U.N. Rights Council voted to appoint a probe into Iran's deadly crackdown on protests.  Volker Turk, the U.N. rights commissioner, had earlier demanded that Iran end its "disproportionate" use of force in quashing protests that erupted after the death in custody of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini on Sept. 16.

Activist news agency HRANA said 450 protesters had been killed in more than two months of nationwide unrest as of Nov. 26, including 63 minors. It said 60 members of the security forces had been killed, and 18,173 protesters detained.

The unrest has posed one of the boldest challenges to Iran's clerical ruling elite since it came to power in the 1979 Islamic revolution, though authorities have crushed previous rounds of major protests. Iran has blamed foreign foes and their agents for the unrest.

More:  Reuters

Pray:    Asrin’s Prayer for Iran (Prayer 24-7)

Heavenly Father,

With a breaking heart, I lift up my country to you.

Comfort

As we watch the pain, sorrow and violence spreading across Iran right now, we thank you that you are the God of all comfort.

We grieve for those hurting. We lift up especially the family of Zhina Mahsa Amini, and the loved ones of those who have died or been injured in the protests. Please, show them your comfort. You alone can ease this pain.

Many protestors have been arrested and their families do not know where they are. Many people are afraid to leave their homes amid the unrest. Many people are so hurt and angry they are consumed by it. Please, reveal your comfort to them. Comfort my country, Lord.

Hope

Now more than ever, Iran needs your hope.

So many of our people don’t know you. They are hurt, they are angry and despairing. They desperately need hope. They feel unseen and unheard. But Father, you see all. You hear the cry of every heart.

Now is the most important time for our people to hear and receive your Good News. Lord, open their hearts. Bring them near to you. Let them enter into your living hope.

Courage

Lord, you have many faithful people in Iran. Strengthen your church to be courageous as they go out to share your love with the hurting. Be with them by your Spirit and protect them as they go on prayer walks, as they hold out your words of hope, as they minister to people practically.

Awaken your church in Iran to be fully present with those who are buried deep in pain and anger. And awaken your global Church to know how to pray and act at this time.

Light

Father, we ask that no more of Iran’s daughters or sons would be killed. Restrain the violence, we pray. May many lay down their weapons and refuse to use violence.

We pray the fear of God would enter the hearts of Iran’s leaders: that they would repent and turn to you. Lord, free our beautiful nation from oppression.

Lord, dispel the darkness, the anguish and the suffering from our land. Let your light break through!

Maranatha. Come, Lord Jesus.

Amen.

Hospitals in China appear to be filling up amid concerns about a fresh Covid-19 wave hitting the country, the World Health Organization (WHO) says.  Dr Michael Ryan says intensive care units (ICU) are busy despite officials saying numbers are "relatively low".  In recent days hospitals in Beijing and other cities have been filling up as the latest Covid surge hits China.

Since 2020, China has imposed strict health restrictions as part of its zero Covid policy.

But, the government ended most of those measures two weeks ago after landmark protests against the strict controls.

In a significant easing of Covid controls, the Chinese government said that people will no longer need to show negative virus tests or health codes in order to travel between different parts of the country. Chinese authorities also said that unless an area is designated as high-risk, work and local production cannot be stopped.

In an example of how strict Covid controls had become in mainland China, the capital city of Beijing this year increasingly required people to scan a health code with a smartphone app in order to enter public venues. The health code then had to show a negative virus test result from within the last two or three days.  If the health code decided the user had come into contact with an infection or Covid risk area, the app would show a pop-up window, making it impossible for the person to enter public areas, or board a train or airplane until the pop-up was resolved.  The capital city relaxed its health code scanning requirements on Tuesday.

Despite a national easing in Covid measures in mid-November, a surge of infections and the ensuing local implementation of China’s stringent zero-Covid policy added to people’s frustration with the controls. Students and groups of people held public protests during the last weekend of November.  The unrest was triggered by a fire in a high-rise block in the western Xinjiang region that killed 10 people last week. Many Chinese believe long-running Covid restrictions in the city contributed to the deaths, although the authorities deny this.

It led to days of widespread protests across various cities, which have since ebbed amid a heavy police presence.  Thousands of Chinese in more than 20 cities took to the streets beginning on November 25, frustrated by lengthy COVID-19 lockdowns, widespread testing and other restrictions placed on people's movements. It was one of the largest acts of public dissent in China in decades.

While most of the protesters focused their anger on the government's COVID-19 policies, some also demanded the resignation of President Xi Jinping. The government considers such speech subversive.  Though government officials did not publicly mention the protesters, they suggested easing restrictions within days of the first protests to head off any more demonstrations.  Videos of protesters across the country captured demonstrators raising blank sheets of paper, a quiet show of dissent and a tactic used to evade censorship and prosecution.

More:   CNBC, VOA

Pray:    From Premier Christian News

Almighty God,

May you bless all who are persecuted and under threat.

We pray for an end to the unrest in China, Iran and other parts of the world.

May those who do not know you, come to follow you and your example of love and hope.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

A 5.8-magnitude earthquake hit Indonesia’s main island of Java on 8^th December with no immediate reports of damage, less than a month after another quake in the same province killed more than 300 people.

The quake struck at 07:50 am local time (0050 GMT) around 15 kilometres from the town of Cianjur, epicentre of November’s devastating tremor, the United States Geological Survey said. It said there was a low likelihood of casualties or damage following the quake, which struck at a depth of 123 kilometres (76 miles).

Last month, a shallow 5.6-magnitude earthquake hit Cianjur, triggering landslides and collapsing buildings, killing at least 334 people, injuring thousands and leaving tens of thousands more homeless.

Save the Children warned this week that evacuees faced a “ticking time bomb” of disease and infection due to poor living conditions. Thousands of cases of respiratory infections and hundreds of cases of diarrhoea have been reported.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo is visiting the area on Thursday to distribute aid to affected residents. The tremor that struck Cinajur on November 21 was the deadliest in the archipelago nation since a 2018 quake and resulting tsunami killed more than 4,000 people on the island of Sulawesi.  Indonesia experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, where tectonic plates collide.

More:  PUNCHNG

Pray:    President of the Uniting Church in Australia Rev Sharon Hollis has offered this prayer:

God of mercy,
We pray for the people of Indonesia
and particularly the people of West Java
following the recent earthquake.
Be with them as they search for survivors
and recover the bodies of those who have died.

God of love we pray
For comfort for those grieving
For healing for those who are injured
For strength for first responders and medical staff
For wisdom for those who will plan the recovery.
Grant the people of West Java courage and strength
as they rebuild homes and businesses.
Grant them hope and resilience
as they rebuild lives and communities.

Stir up a spirit of generosity in us
that we may respond to the needs of our neighbours
with abundance and open heartedness. Amen.

More than 20 million men, women and children continue to depend on humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia. Millions have seen their source of livelihood disrupted when they were uprooted from their homes fleeing hostilities or drought.

Parents have seen their children suffer from malnutrition for lack of adequate food and water and associated diseases due to weakened immunity. Others could no longer send their children to school due to insecurity, migration or destroyed income source.

Many have fallen ill from disease outbreaks such as cholera, which are the by-products of shortage of clean water. Women and children also continue to face increased protection risks in conflict areas as well as in drought-affected areas when they make treacherous long journeys in search of water.

Halfway through the year, the number of people targeted for lifesaving multi-sectoral assistance across Ethiopia had already increased by 11 per cent and needs in 2023 are expected to remain high. According to the Global Humanitarian Overview for 2023 that was officially launched on 1 December 2022, more than 26 million people in Ethiopia are estimated to require assistance in the coming year and US$3.5 billion is required to meet all the needs.

More than 3.6 million children in Ethiopia have never been to school or have dropped out due to a combination of conflict, climate change and displacement, according to UNICEF.  The number of out-of-school children in Ethiopia has spiked from 3.1 million to 3.6 million in the last six months driven in part by recent conflict in Afar, Amhara and Tigray regions and ongoing violence in parts of Oromia causing further civilian displacement.

More:  reliefweb, savethechildren

Pray:    For children who have no access to or experience of education.  That they may be closely held and protected them from evil. (Psalm 82:3-4)

                For adequate water and food supplies, and relief where these are not readily available. (Job 5:20)

                For an end to violence and civilian displacement in the regions of Afar, Amhara, Tigray and Oromia

During 2023, millions of believers around the world will be committing to ‘Pray Together’ for gospel movements in the Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish and Hindu nations. 

We are committing to pray on 4 Global Days of Prayer

• Chinese New Year Jan 22^nd 8am (EST) to 8am (EST) – Praying Together for the Buddhist world and China
• Night of Power - April 17^th 8am (EST) to 8am (EST) – Praying Together for the Muslim World during their traditional Night of Power
• Pentecost Sunday May 28^th 8am (EST) to 8am (EST) – Praying Together for the Salvation of Jewish unbelievers around the world, the Outpouring of the Spirit, and the Return of Christ
• India Day - Global Day of Prayer for India and the Hindu World – October 31^st – 8am (EST) to 8am (EST) - Praying Together for India and the Hindu world

We will focus our prayers on strategic unreached cities in each of these nations. 90 percent of the remaining unreached peoples of the world live in or near 110 strategic mega cities in these Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish and Hindu nations.  

Each of these 4 days are important times when the unreached peoples of these cities are often more open and receptive to the Gospel.  Many are reaching out to families and neighbors with the good news of Jesus during these special days!

We want to invite you to join us during these 4 Global Days of Prayer in 2023. You can pray with your family, from your home, at work, in your house church, local church, house of prayer, prayer tower, etc. Commit to pray on each of these four days as the Lord leads you. We will provide you with profiles, maps and prayer points to help guide your prayers. You can also join us online if you would like to pray with gifted men and women of prayer from around the world at the Global Family 24-7 Prayer Room!

Little Keys open Big Doors – Let’s take this little key called prayer, put it in God’s hands and see him open up a big door called Revival and Awakening!  Your prayer matters – God releases his power in response to the prayers of his people! Let’s join our voices before the throne with millions of believers in Christ-exalting, Bible-based, Worship-Fed, Spirit led prayer and believe God to do immeasurably more than all we could ever ask or even imagine, all for His Glory, for our Joy and for the salvation of multitudes of people amongst the Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish and Hindu worlds!

For the Supremacy of Christ in all things

Dr. Jason Hubbard – Director
International Prayer Connect

Will you join us in Praying for the Buddhist World during the 21-day lead up to Chinese New Year?

We are calling Christians and churches worldwide to take 21 days, January 2- 22, to learn about and pray for our world’s Buddhist friends. With an illustrated and helpful guide, we invite you to pray specifically that Jesus Christ will become known to the one billion people across the globe who are at least nominally Buddhist.

We are encouraging believers to ask the Father to give his Son these Buddhist nations as his inheritance (Psalm 2:8). Let’s ask the Lord of the Harvest to send forth laborers (Matt 9:38) to key Buddhist cities as messengers of Hope, drenched with the Spirit of God, in the power of God for the mission of God!

Browse the Buddhist Prayer Guide

Each day, beginning January 2 – 22, 2023, you will learn something about Buddhist practice and influence in a different place including some specific prayer points for key Buddhist cities in countries with large Buddhist populations like China, Thailand, Japan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia, Korea, and Laos. The last few pages of this guide include key Scriptures to use as we participate in ‘Bible-based’ Prayer!    

We want to encourage you to consider adding ‘fasting’ to your times of prayer. We know that the Buddhist peoples of these lands are in need of spiritual breakthrough. The discipline of fasting - abstaining from food for spiritual purposes - is a powerful weapon in spiritual warfare as we cry out for deliverance for our Buddhist friends.

A special focus for this year is the country of China. This guide culminates on January 22 - Chinese New Year. We profile eight of China’s largest cities, and a specific people group within each city to pray for.

Pray…

Let’s pray for the salvation of the peoples of China.

Pray for the Lord to send Chinese believers as missionaries to the remaining unreached peoples.

Pray for unity amongst the churches and leaders of China.

And pray for Chinese families and children to be awakened to Christ for all that He is!

The name Buddha means ‘awakened one.’ Buddhist’s claim to be enlightened with divine revelation. Let’s pray on behalf of our Buddhist friends worldwide to experience a ‘Christ – awakening.’ May they awaken to Jesus Christ for all that He is by the Spirit of the Living God.  As the Apostle Paul shared,

“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” – 2 Cor. 4:6

The Buddhist World Prayer Guide is available in 20 languages online and 10 as a PDF download and is being distributed through more than 1000 prayer networks worldwide.

We hope you can join us and add your prayers with millions of Jesus followers around the world for a Global Christ-awakening amongst our Buddhist friends. 

May we win for the Lamb who was slain the due reward for his sufferings!

Dr. Jason Hubbard – Director

International Prayer Connect