World horrified as scores of children massacred
05 Feb 2016
Last weekend, Boko Haram burned children alive in Nigeria, and IS bombed schoolchildren in Syria. Homes were reduced to piles of ashes and left smouldering in the Nigerian village of Dalori following a Boko Haram rampage. For four hours heavily armed gunmen and at least three suicide bombers attacked, setting much of the village aflame. Children were burned alive in their huts. Two nearby refugee camps were also attacked. Nigerian army troops arrived, but were outmanned and outgunned by terrorists. 3,000 miles away, IS detonated two suicide car bombs in a neighbourhood south of Damascus protected by Hezbollah. As people gathered to help dead and injured children, an IS terrorist wearing a suicide vest set off another blast. 45 were killed and 110 wounded.
Three Christian students went on trial yesterday in Egypt for allegedly insulting Islam. A thirty-second video, filmed by their teacher, showed one student kneeling to pray while reciting verses from the Qu’ran and two others standing behind him laughing. One student ran his hand under the praying student’s chin, as if beheading him. At the time of writing this article, the outcome of the trial is not yet known; however, the teacher has already been sentenced to three years in prison. Coptic Christians have long complained of the injustices they have suffered in this predominantly Muslim country. Christians make up 10% of Egypt’s population. Egypt’s president Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has vowed to crack down on extremism and to get rid of harsh blasphemy laws, but such blasphemy charges have increased in recent months.
Syria: churches responding to atrocities
05 Feb 2016
Christians are facing atrocities not only from the so-called Islamic State but also 45 other different terrorist groups in Syria ;some are linked with Al-Qaeda. Since 2011 it has been clear that terrorist groups have wanted to take over and create an ‘Islamic state’. Their actions affect Muslims and the infrastructure of society as well as Christians, but Christians are worst affected. Churches were not prepared to deal with persecution or oppression and did not know how to respond, but they are catching up rapidly. At least five church networks in Syria are very involved with humanitarian aid to both Christians and non-Christians in their areas. Caring for people of other faiths was not a priority before, but now social action and evangelism are going hand in hand. Most churches are now reaching out with aid and education services for the displaced, the poor and those impacted by war. Social action is becoming a priority.
Praying through Lent 2016
03 Feb 2016
At the World Prayer Centre we believe that prayer is foundational to everything we do as Christians. The 40 day season before Easter is traditionally marked in many churches as a time to discover more about God through prayer and fasting. Here are some resources to encourage and equip us from ministries we commend to you.
BEYOND THE LETTER BOX
The Neighbourhood Prayer Network's Lent Resource is designed for individuals, home groups or whole Church engagement. Each week has a scripture and one neighbour challenge for the week. For those of us who would like to do one small thing each day (Sunday's excluded as a day of rest), there are an additional 33 suggestions for you. There are also 7 prayer themes each week. The whole resource is 20 pages long and costs just £1 per booklet. www.neighbourhoodprayer.net
The Fast UK
KEEP BLESSING YOUR COMMUNITY
Network Norwich Call to Prayer's latest blessing booklet can offer an inspirational 40-day prayer guide that would lend itself well to daily prayer throughout Lent. Each day has a short declaration, scripture, blessing and prayer linked with one of the many names of God, to be spoken over the city, town or village where we live. £3.00 + postage and packing orders to E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
CATCHING THE WAVE
This is a 40-day prayer guide encouraging us to pray for our communities and to pray for revival ideal for us during Lent produced by the organisers of TryPraying www.thereishope.co.uk/resources/
Try praying is for people who don't do church. The Try Praying booklet & app includes a simple challenge to try praying for seven days and see what happens. www.trypraying.org
PASSIONART: BE STILL celebrates Lent with a creative twist.
Onsite in six of Manchester's most iconic city centre venues, comprising of contemporary installations, paintings, sculpture and live performances by internationally renowned and local artists, uncovers moments where the sacred inhabits the ordinary. This year's vision is to call our busy city to "be still.... and know that I am God" www.passionart.guide/about/
Online access to 40 days reflections.
FAST AS YOU CAN
The Filling Station Network's plan is to pray and fast for Lent, which starts on the 10th of Feb, and pray for the Lord to work powerfully across the nation, Europe and the USA. Using the fasting model practiced by Daniel in the Old Testament, fast from 'rich foods, wine & delicacies' not total abstinence, as part of this prayer life. Find out more.
24-7 PRAYER – Lent podcasts www.24-7prayer.co.uk
Prayer Breakfast
03 Feb 2016
We would like to extend a very warm invitation to you to have breakfast with us and take a unique opportunity to hear from one of the pastors who works in Damascus.
Pastor Edward is coming to Birmingham on SATURDAY 27 FEBRUARY and the two ministries of Open Doors and World Prayer Centre are partnering together to host a morning of hearing Edward speak, having chance to ask some questions and pray together. This is a significant visit for Pastor Edward to this nation and we would urge you in the strongest way possible to come to this event as we feel he has important things to share with us all.
Pastor Edward said, "I want to express my deep appreciation for the people in the West who keep us Christians in Syria in their prayers. My wife and I are thankful that we are still in Damascus. It is not in our own power that we are there, but it is through God's intervention in our lives. Your prayers encourage us. Through them we can encourage others. We have a deep sense of peace and both believe that this peace is a gift from God, so we can stay in the country to encourage our people and to relieve some of the suffering."
We are meeting at the home of Birmingham Vineyard, Network House, in Barford Street, Digbeth. The morning will take the form of breakfast at 8:00am along with the chance to hear Pastor Edward speak. There will also be an opportunity to hear about partnering with Open Doors and their work with the persecuted church including plenty of complimentary resources available to equip your church in prayer. This will be followed by a more open time of sharing and a call to prayer for one of the great issues facing the global church, that of our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ. The morning will finish prompt at 12noon.
Download the invitation and to book a place, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 01993 460015 so that have an indication of numbers for catering. For more info see our websites :www.worldprayer.org.uk or www.opendoorsuk.org. We would appreciate you letting us know by Friday 29 January if you are going to be there.
Praying for communities
03 Feb 2016
At the World Prayer Centre we believe that prayer is foundational to all evangelism and social action. Here are some resources to encourage and equip us from ministries we commend to you.
PRAYING FOR OUR NEIGHBOURS
This is very much on the Father's heart at the moment and there are many different ways to do this. The Neighbourhood Prayer Network's vision is to see every street in the UK covered in Christian Prayer. Their resource book Neighbours, Transform your Street: Bringing prayer to our neighbours, Bringing Community back to our Streets (Sovereign World) brings together all the resources from partner agencies such as Ffald-y-Brenin Local Houses of Prayer, Adopt a Street, Love your Streets, Lighthouses of Prayer, etc. The invitation is for everyone to sign up on the website and receive a weekly email. More information: www.neighbourhoodprayer.net
HELPING THOSE WHO AREN'T 'RELIGIOUS' TO PRAY
Trypraying is for people who don't do church. The TryPraying booklet includes a simple challenge to try praying for seven days and see what happens. There is an adult, youth and children's versions. The invitation is to use it and then lose it (i.e. give it away) and can be used by individuals, small groups, churches and it has been very effective when a whole town or city uses it. "This is the only thing I have come across in the last 30 years that I have been willing to give away to friends and colleagues. It is nicely produced, starts with where people are at rather than expecting them to come to 'our position' and is completely non-cringe. In short, it's brilliant!" Church leader. For more information and to download a preview copy www.trypraying.org
PRAYING FOR OUR SCHOOLS: Every school in the UK a prayed-for school! That's the vision of Pray for Schools: to mobilise Christians to support their school communities through prayer. You can do this through starting a group to pray regularly for your local school; having schools prayer as a focus for your church or praying as an individual for a school near you. http://www.prayforschools.org
PRAYING FOR THOSE WHO ARE MUSLIM
The Mahabba Network exists to motivate and mobilise ordinary Christians to love their Muslim neighbours in word and deed, and to help churches to mentor and multiply dynamic communities of disciples. Mahabba means 'love' in Arabic. www.mahabba.co.uk
PICKING UP PRAYER
Picking up Prayer is praying through the streets of your village, town or city while picking up litter. This method of praying gets Christians out of their churches and homes and onto the very streets they want to see transformed. The primary aim is to bring blessing onto the streets, both physically and spiritually. http://churchplus.info/prayer/picking-up-prayer
WORLD PRAYER CENTRE BOOKLETS
Guides to: Prayer Walking; Praying Scripture; Praying for a Nation; The Persecuted Church; Children & Young People; Health Care Professionals; People at Work; Unsaved Family & Friends . £1.00 each or set of 8 for £5.00. New guide will be available March 2015: A Guide to Blessing; The Call of the Watchman £1.00 each or set of 10 for £8.00. www.worldprayer.org.uk
EU Referendum
03 Feb 2016
Watching and Praying over the UK's relationship with the EU
Now is the time to watch and pray over the next stage of the negotiations that are taking place between the UK and the rest of the European Union nations.
The decision over whether we 'stay in' or 'leave' the European Union has the potential to bring significant division into every area of our society in the UK. As the body of Christ we need to be on our guard in prayer over our families, churches, communities, businesses and governments asking that His kingdom will come and His will be done in and for the UK as well as for the rest of Europe.
On 2nd February the draft deal, that David Cameron and his team have negotiated, was published by European Council President Donald Tusk who writes: 'To be, or not to be together, that is the question which must be answered not only by the British people in a referendum, but also by the other 27 members of the EU in the next two weeks. This has been a difficult process and there are still challenging negotiations ahead. Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed....The clear objective is to have an agreement of all 28 Member states at the February European Council (18-19 February).'
Representatives will meet on Friday this week (6th) to have the first discussion of the proposal.
Our Father in heaven hallowed be your Name
- Lift the name of Jesus high over all these negotiations
- Worship Him as Lord of every nation in our continent
We pray for your kingdom to come
- Through all the negotiations still to take place
- In the areas of sovereignty, competitiveness, protecting non-euro countries and migration, benefits, employment and security
You will be done on earth as it is in heaven
- Give wisdom and discernment to Donald Tusk (Head of the European Council); David Cameron and all the other EU member state leaders and their teams of advisors.
- In the summit of all EU leaders on 18-19 February with a just and righteous outcome
Give us today our daily bread
- For wisdom in the choice of a referendum date.
- For clear and balanced reporting by the media
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us
- Lord, have mercy on us as a nation.
- Lord, have mercy on us as your church.
- Lord have mercy on Europe
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
- Help us as a nation to show compassion and uphold your justice.
- Help us as your church to share your love and talk about Jesus.
- Where there is division, tension, deception let us bring your peace and integrity
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever
- We pray that your name will be glorified across our continent.
- We bless every nation with the blessing of your shalom peace.
Amen.
For a 12 minute video testimony, Whatcom Story: Waves of Glory www.lowpc.org
For more information, contact Jason Hubbard <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>.