The Czech EU presidency is proposing an annual minimum on the number of asylum seekers EU states are willing to relocate. The idea is part of bigger discussions on solidarity sharing, a concept eluding member states when it comes to EU-wide migration and asylum reforms. A Czech presidency paper is proposing either 5,000 or 10,000 voluntary relocations annually as suggestions to gauge what EU states are willing to accept. That debate feeds into an overhaul of the EU's asylum and migration laws proposed by the 2020 European Commission. The solidarity ideas are among many that have sought to create some sort of balance with what the EU has coined flexible responsibility. It is not immediately clear if EU states will agree to the Czech presidency idea. Should they fall short, it will be up to the next EU presidency under Sweden to try to find a solution.

In Ethiopia’s first free and fair election last year, after decades of repressive rule, the Prosperity Party won. However, an opposition boycott and the war in the Tigray region that left many dead and two million people displaced overshadowed the election. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has now lifted a ban on opposition parties, released tens of thousands of political prisoners, and is opening up one of Africa’s last untapped markets. Praise God that the Inter-Religious Council has declared a week of prayer. Pray that calls for peace will be amplified on all fronts as the prayers are broadcast on religious and secular television channels and pray that the ethnic battle will stop. Pray that the frightened people will receive encouraging counselling to release their stress and anxieties in productive ways. Pray that in the new regime, multitudes will hear the Gospel and many will accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour. May they be trained to grow in faith through the efforts of the Churches.

The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted (IDOP) is Sunday, November 6. It is observed every year around All Saints’ Day when the Church traditionally remembers the saints of the Church, many of whom suffered torture and martyrdom for Jesus. IDOP recognizes those who have paid the ultimate price for their faith in Christ and reminds us that many are still paying that price today. This is a special time for us to pray for those who are persevering in the face of hardship, letting them know they are not forgotten and we are praying for them. Prayer Alert intercessors are invited to be a part of this special day by scheduling a few minutes to pray for Afghans, Ukrainians and the many others now arriving into new countries, and those still waiting to re-settle. For most Ukrainian’s this will be seen as a temporary re-settlement. Pray for converts to Christianity in the Muslim world, who have been threatened and abandoned by their families because of their faith in Jesus Christ.

The next Climate Change conference, COP27, takes place 7-18 November in Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt. God has given us dominion over the earth He created, so we have a duty to steward God’s creation and pray for its healing. Let’s pray for good implementation of the climate goals. Specific prayer points are: The boldness and integrity for nations to follow up on the promises made during COP26 in Glasgow. For honest and fair access to funds for nations affected the most by the impacts of climate change. i.e. a fund has been created but it is very hard for nations to access this fund for help. For a good transition from the UK, as the prior chair, to Egypt the new chair. That the voices of truth would be listened to and louder than the voices which are speaking for their own gain. Climate Intercessors have released strategic prayers for COP27.

Lebanon is trying to contain cholera in its most vulnerable communities. 290 cases and 11 deaths were confirmed since October 6th. Cholera is a bacterial infection caused by contaminated water or food, it spreads quickly and can kill within hours through severe dehydration. It’s completely preventable with clean water and sanitation access, usually provided by public utilities, but those empowered to deliver this have already made off with the money budgeted for the infrastructure. See Haiti is also grappling with cholera, and the timing couldn’t be worse. The previous outbreak killed nearly 10,000 people between 2010 and 2019. Now, over 1,700 cholera cases have been confirmed, half of them children, and 40 people have died so far. Haiti was already struggling under hostile gang takeovers in cities. A few medical centres try to treat cases, but they lack fuel, gangs blocking the seaport prevent fuel being released, bringing businesses and health facilities to a halt.

On October 26th Canadian parliamentarians voted no to severing ties with the monarchy, after Yves-Francois Blanchet introduced a motion that sparked conversation in the House of Commons about the monarchy. His move follows 14 recently elected Quebec politicians refusing to recite an oath of allegiance to the King as required by Canadian law. Many Quebecers are in favour of Canada being a republic rather than a constitutional monarchy - a sentiment that is tied to the province's history of being a French-speaking region that was once under British colonial rule. Over the years Quebec politicians have continued to put forward policies that seek to define the province as distinct from English Canada. When tabling his motion Mr Blanchet said Canada's tie to the British Crown is ‘archaic.’ Opinion polls following Queen Elizabeth’s death found 79% of Quebec agreed they should sever their ties with the Crown.

At least 15 people were killed and 40 others were injured in a terrorist attack at the Shahcheragh Shrine in the city of Shiraz. Two children were among the victims. Iranian security forces have arrested two of the suspected attackers, and a manhunt is underway to capture a third. The terror group ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack, releasing a statement through its affiliated Amaq news agency that said one of its members had ‘targeted groups of Sunni refusal infidels inside the shrine with his Kalashnikov machine gun, causing the death of tens of them.’ The attack happened on the same day that clashes broke out throughout Iran and thousands of people came to the burial site of Kurdish Mahsa Amini to mark 40 days since her death. Iranian news ISNA said it’s unclear if the attack was related to the protests.

Libya’s government has been unstable for a decade. The situation for Christians changed drastically after Gaddafi’s regime fell. Weapons and Islamist ideologies such as Ansar al-Sharia, Nusra Front, and ISIS began hunting down Christians. The world will never forget ISIS beheading Coptic Christians on Libya’s beach. We praise God that a Christian ministry was able to visit Libya for a week recently and was warmly welcomed as they encouraged many people and shone the bright light of Jesus Christ in this difficult-to-reach nation. Thank God for the global Christian communities and individuals who are praying for the Libyans with love and sympathy. May more avenues be opened for Christians to enter and encourage the persecuted Libyan church. Pray for Christians to gain greater religious freedom to spread the gospel and be able to follow Jesus openly and pray for the believers who are arrested and mistreated because of their faith.

06/04/1955 – 14/10/2022

Today we say goodbye to a dear mentor, father and friend, who walked closely with the Lord and whose life has touched millions around the globe.
Graham Power, a general in the Christian prayer & missions movement, visionary marketplace leader, philanthropist and dearly loved family man went to be with the Lord earlier today after succumbing to kidney failure and lung complications.

Graham was the founder and Chairman of the Power Group of Companies, formed in 1983. The company has made its mark in the world of construction, building and property development. In 2001 Graham initiated a stadium gathering in Cape Town, South Africa that saw 45,000 Christians pray for the needs of their nation. By 2010 this movement grew to become the largest prayer gathering in recorded history, where about 350 million people from 220 nations participated in the Global Day of Prayer on Pentecost Sunday.

Unashamedly Ethical was launched internationally under Graham’s guidance in 2006, promoting ethics, values, and clean living across all sectors of society. The movement has also launched a youth arm, known as Tribe. In 2020 Graham brought together a number of leaders and ministries to launch Global Voice of Prayer, a new expression of unity in the global prayer movement. He also founded Heal our Land in 2021, an initiative focusing on developing sustainable solutions for social and spiritual challenges.

All of these ministries form part of a vision that Graham received from the Lord in 2006, entailing 3 waves starting from the Southern tip of Africa and crossing the continent of Africa into the nations around the globe. The first wave was a wave of prayer, expressed through the Global Day of Prayer movement 2001 – 2010. The second was a wave of ethics, values and clean living brought about by Unashamedly Ethical, in operation since 2006 to the present. The third wave Graham could only describe as a massive tsunami of transformational revival like the world has never seen. Graham strongly believed that there will be a dynamic global revival in the near future, following these ‘waves’ of prayer, ethics, values and clean living and ultimately, the healing of our land, based on 2 Chronicles 7:14. Many believe that we are beginning to see this third wave of transformational revival rise.

Graham had been diagnosed with Acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a cancer of the blood and bone marrow exactly a year prior and after a courageous battle was declared 0% cancer free earlier this year. A run in with COVID-19 triggered a series of complications with his health and Graham was hospitalized end of September after attending the Economic Summit Africa and a special Unashamedly Ethical Awards Gala where he received a Lifetime Leadership Award. He passed away peacefully on Friday, October 14th in the presence of his family. Graham is survived by his wife, Lauren, their children, Gary, Ilene, Nadene, Stephen and Alaine, and their 5 grandchildren, Geordie, Robert, Madison, Amelia and Gabriella, as well as his siblings, Theresa, Avril and Alex.

For any questions or to submit a tribute to Graham,
please contact Melani September – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | Office Tel. +27 (0) 21 907 1330