Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.” (Isaiah 49:15)
In December 2001, close to the time of the first IPC gathering near Ground Zero in New York, I was arriving with a team of prayer facilitators for a national prayer initiative in Monrovia, Liberia. As I entered the hotel entrance, a man selling mahogany wood carvings of all kinds, mostly of various African animals, excitedly handed me a different-looking one. “This one’s for you,” he proclaimed, no doubt anticipating he would make yet another sale to a foreign tourist.
The beautifully sculpted reddish wood depicted the large hand of God reaching protectively over the head of a small child and as I looked at it, I sensed the Lord was speaking to me again. On the same trip, I had become convinced that He was calling us in the international prayer movement to give special place to children and youth in the various initiatives that my colleagues and I were organizing around the world. This seemingly accidental reach for one of hundreds of different wood sculptures became one of many subsequent confirmations to me that the Lord was serious about this new focus.
After that time, both in World Vision International, the organization I served during those years, and in the wider Children in Prayer movement that I discovered had begun some years before, we began to prioritize the involvement of children and youth in various initiatives, both internationally and in nationally. Each time, we wondered at how God used the kids as His “secret weapon” in so many ways. They prayed for nations in conflict and suffering, with ambassadors at the United Nations, as well as for political leaders when we got that opportunity. Always, the Lord showed up in moving experiences so that we have been increasingly learning that tri-generational prayer is the way to go for the future-- adults, youth and children praying together for their nations and our world.
This became the guiding philosophy that led us during the World Prayer Assembly in 2012, in which tens of thousands of young people participated. Now, in the IPC and under the leadership of Pastor Jerome Ocampo from the Philippines, we are working with a team of international youth leaders to plan the World Youth Prayer Assembly. Supported by the prayers of children and the advice of the older generation, the WYPA will be called “UPrising” (United Prayer Rising) and will be held in Seoul, South Korea, July 26-30, 2016. Please see http://www.unitedprayerrising.com for more information.
Getting back to that 14 year-old Liberian wood carving. A couple weeks ago, it was my joy to present it to Father Anton Cruz and the Royal Kids, a wonderful ministry to thousands of orphans and children from poorer families in India and now other nations. As I was preparing to make the presentation that evening in honor of their 25th anniversary, I reflected again on the verse that was so roughly imprinted on the bottom of the statue- Isaiah 49:15. God’s reassuring words to His ancient people Israel in the midst of their great hardships that His love for them would go beyond the strongest of all human affection, that of a mother for her nursing babe, hit me powerfully. However, this time, I was especially struck by the next verse that I had hardly noticed before—“See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands…” Suddenly, I realized that the hands of God Isaiah was describing were those stretched out for all of us on the cross of Calvary. The engraving was carried out with sharp iron nails in the sensitive palms of God the Son. Our faces and very lives were then and are now still engraved on His hands. You and I whether as a child or older adult will never be forgotten no matter what hard times we endure. When the Lord looks at His hands, He sees each of us in them- His exceedingly precious and beloved children. Whether we are cognizant of it or not and no matter what befalls us, we are always encompassed by those nail-engraved yet all-powerful hands, guiding us through life and into eternity.
John Robb
Invitation to pray with WPC for five nations
20 Aug 2015
We would invite our readers to join the rhythm of prayer at the World Prayer Centre this coming week, by praying for the countries listed below on the allotted weekdays:
Thursday 20 August: Persecuted church in Afghanistan More 1: | More 2:
Friday 21 August: Benin More 1: | More 2:
Monday 24 August: Persecuted church in Sudan More 1: | More 2:
Tuesday 25 August: Bermuda More 1:
Wednesday 26 August: Persecuted church in Iran More 1: | More 2:
China - Tianjin explosions: 112 Dead, 95 missing
20 Aug 2015
The number of people confirmed killed in Wednesday's blasts in Tianjin, China has risen to 112. Ninety-five people, 85 of them firefighters, are still missing (at the time of writing), and hundreds have been hospitalised. The explosions, in a warehouse containing hazardous chemicals, were so powerful that few of the recovered bodies have been identified. At a news conference on Sunday morning, officials said they had identified 24 of the dead. Experts are carrying out DNA tests to help identify the rest of the victims. At least 21 firefighters are among the dead. Of the 721 people injured, 25 are in critical condition and 33 are serious. Dozens of relatives of the missing and local residents have held a number of angry protests at a hotel used for official news conferences. They say they have not received enough information from the government about what chemicals are at the site. Homeowners are also demanding compensation for damage to their properties. Also on Sunday a senior military officer, Gen Shi Luze, became the first named official to confirm the presence of the toxic chemical sodium cyanide at the site, saying that ‘several hundred tons’ had been identified at two locations in the blast zone. Residents within a 3km radius of the blast site were evacuated on Saturday, amid fears of chemical contamination. However, Greenpeace said that surface water tests carried out at the site had not found high levels of the chemical.
Following a request for prayer for Burundi in last week's Prayer Alert, readers will be encouraged to hear there were only a few deaths after the assassination of Burundi's second most powerful man. Locals feared many more. Our contact in Burundi reports that most days in the capital there is gunfire and great fear, and the economy is totally decimated. Burundi is one of the world's poorest countries. It has one of the lowest GDP per capita of any country and has faced terrible genocides rooted in tribal tensions, like Rwanda but far less publicised. Over 300,000 people died between 1994-2005 in ethnic conflict. The country faces an ongoing battle with corruption, poor access to education and the effects of HIV/AIDS. We are asked to pray for the Great Lakes Outreach as they are sending out 500 Christian evangelists this week, into all but two of the provinces. Among the activities organised will be 75 outreach events, film showings and hospital/prison visits.
European Trumpet Call, Romania
20 Aug 2015
Intercessors and people of prayer from across Europe and beyond are planning to gather together in Timisoara, Romania, from 31 August to 4 September to sound the trumpet and to pray for the continent of Europe.
The invitation is to you, your church, your prayer ministry, your mission agency to come together and stand united on one great promise. ‘When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you, sound a blast on the trumpets. Then you will be remembered by the LORD your God and rescued from your enemies.’ (Numbers 10:9)
A great shift is happening and many are aware of it.
It is time.
It is time to gather, to move forward together, to lift our voices and rejoice together in prayer.
God is calling His people to come together to blow the trumpets for the whole continent of Europe for:
PRAYER. There’s nothing more powerful than when saints pray and seek the Kingdom, standing in the gap for the lost. (2 Chronicles 7:14)
RECONCILIATION. We are ambassadors of Christ, coming in His name, calling out the lost to come into His marvellous Kingdom of light.
UNITY. In the mighty name of Jesus we will speak unity among brothers from different nations. 'Behold how good and how pleasant it is, for brothers to dwell together.. there God commands a blessing.' (Psalm 133)
ANTISEMITISM. We are not led by the world’s standards and thoughts but by the Bible that teaches us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. So our focus will be to bless the nation of Israel.
THE POLITICAL LEADERSHIP. Our leaders need wisdom and support from Heaven. “Prayers, supplications, intercessions and thanksgivings should be made for kings and all in high positions. It is pleasing in the sight of God, our Saviour.” (1 Tim. 2:1-3)
The Mill Gathering Statement
20 Aug 2015
Back in January 2015, a number of leaders within the movement for prayer met together at the invitation of the World Prayer Centre - asking the question 'What is God saying to us in England at this time?' and 'what is our response?'.
We are reproducing the full text of the statement that came out of that gathering below:
We believe that God is preparing us for an unparalleled spiritual harvest. We also believe that there is going to be a great increase in turbulence and uncertainty as the Lord continues to shake the nations. He is calling us to mobilise prayer and be ready for action.
This is a time of awakening: a time when many will come to know Jesus and a time when many will come back to the church. This is not like anything we have experienced in our nations before. We know harvests don't just happen. They are preceded by long periods of preparation of the ground, the seed and the workers. Each of us will have a different role.
This is a time of great opportunity. Are we ready? Can we gather it in? Do we have enough capacity to cope with what is produced? Jesus warned that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few (Matthew 9: 36-38).
Therefore, we believe we must
Purify and humble ourselves - we are called to be a holy priesthood, spending time in God’s presence, listening attentively to Him. God is calling us into greater intimacy with Him – a worshipping, holy, dedicated people.
Prepare ourselves – for a new time – standing as a united army that is equipped to stand firm in faith and trust in God, faithful in prayer and ready to work for the harvest.
Proclaim Jesus - far and wide with great boldness, praying for His Kingdom to come.
It is time to pray - believing that our God really 'is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine' in our nations in these challenging times. We have identified five key prayer themes. We encourage persistent, regular prayer for many people and situations with each of these themes:
1. It is time to pray for God’s mercy to triumph over His judgment on us His church and on our nations. We have turned away from God and His values and guidelines. Lord, have mercy and help us to turn fully back to you (2 Chronicles 7.14; Luke 3:8).
2. It is time to pray for the whole church to awaken - for all of God’s people in every expression of church (Isaiah 60:1-4; Ephesians 5:14-16).
3. It is time to pray for the unity of all God’s people - so that the world may see Jesus in His church, as we love one another irrespective of creed, colour, culture and class (John 17:21; John 13:34-35).
4. It is time to pray for the release of God’s Word and Spirit - for a bold proclamation of the Word of God and a powerful move of His Spirit - in every believer, church, village, town and city (Luke 4:18-19).
5. It is time to pray for a revival generation - with a mighty move of God amongst our children and young people running together with the older generations (Joel 2:28; Luke 1:16-17).
We believe that God’s trumpet is being sounded in our lands - to mobilise His army, to call His people to pray, proclaiming the cross of Christ and that salvation is found in no other name but the name of Jesus.
Syria: 22 Assyrian Christians released by IS
20 Aug 2015
22 Assyrian Christians who were captured by the self-proclaimed Islamic State in February have been released, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has been told by what it claims is a 'reliable source'. The release was mediated by tribal leaders, they say. This group of Christians were taken captive in several villages on the banks of the Khabur river not far from Hassaka. The released Christians came from Tal Shamiram and Tal Jazirah. 14 of them are women, and all are elderly, reports claim. The BBC reported that 19 Christians from this group were released in February, all over the age of 50. However, Islamic State militants abducted dozens of Christians from the city of al-Qaryatain last week.
IJM's Prayer Journey
17 Aug 2015
Prayer is one of the most powerful ways we can journey with those who experience violent injustice. International Justice Mission have developed a great new prayer resource - Prayer journey: A casework-based on-line prayer walk-through. It can be used by Churches, prayer groups and individual Christians. The prayer journey invites you to pray for justice and restoration in individual lives and our world. This journey follows the story of a young client's path to restoration following sexual exploitation. It takes the participant on a prayer journey through 14 prayer stations allowing them to reflect and pray at each stage of the journey.
If you have a heart for young people, we encourage you to pray for cause. Start here.
There are also a number of our other great prayer resources free to download from IJM's website on:
- Justice and Prayer: A short article giving an overview of God's heart for justice; how to pray for justice and ways of getting started.
- The Lord's Prayer – justice reflections: A series of four articles that explores four key elements of the Lord's Prayer and what they reveal about God's character and justice. Be inspired by God's everlasting, unconditional love and his unrelenting passion for justice.
- Just Prayer Devotional: An eight-week journey through the work of prayer and justice. Explores scripture and the reality of injustice today, side by side, leading into a deeper level of prayer. Great for individuals or small groups.
- 5 Day Justice Devotional: A 5 day devotional designed to guide you as you dive a little deeper into what it may look like for you to follow God into His work of justice. Suitable for individuals or small groups.
- Advocacy Devotional: A seven-session devotional that explores how God used different Biblical characters as advocates in their own contexts, giving inspiration for how you might advocate for justice in your spheres of influence. Each session includes prayer points to help as you begin to intercede - to stand in the gap - with and for your leaders.
- Prayer in action – stories from the field: 4 case stories of actual IJM clients covering property grabbing, sex trafficking, police brutality, and sexual violence. The stories allow you to understand the nature of the violence and the hope God brings as He transforms real situations. Each story ends with prayer points to help guide you in praying for these difficult issues. Can be used personally, in prayer rooms, small groups etc.
Sopurce: International Justice Mission