Gospel advances amid war against IS in Iraq
13 Nov 2015
The coalition units in Iraq during October stepped up military strikes in Ramadi in the west and Baiji in the north. At the same time, Christian workers doing spiritual battle in northern Iraq could barely keep up with area residents' desire to learn about Christ and the Bible. People in northern Iraq's Muslim autonomous region of Kurdistan have long been more open to Christianity than other Iraqis, but they have been especially keen since IS took over parts of the region. ‘They're just sick of Islam,’ said the director of a ministry based in Kurdistan. ‘People are very hungry to know about Christ, especially when they hear about miracles, healing, mercy and love.’ He has heard numerous testimonies every day; churches have emerged and people watch satellite television broadcasts of others telling how they came to put their trust in Christ. It’s an ‘awakening’ among Muslims in northern Iraq.
IS releases 37 elderly Assyrian Christians
13 Nov 2015
The Assyrian Human Rights Network has confirmed that the Islamic State has finally released 37 elderly Assyrian Christians on Saturday morning, following their nine months of travail under the hands of the extremists. They were captured in Tal Talmer, a city in northeastern Syria. The recently released captives were part of a group of 215 civilians who have been held by IS since February. Families of those still being held hostage are hopeful that they will also be released because Saturday’s release of hostages follows recent smaller releases. 88 of those captured are now free, and the Human Rights Network is in ongoing negotiations to free the rest. See also: http://edition.cnn.com/2015/11/07/middleeast/assyrian-christians-isis-released/
The Heartbeat
12 Nov 2015
Read the recent copy of the World Prayer Centre's print newsletter The Heartbeat, which goes out once a quarter. You can view it here.
We also send a regular email newsletter called The Pulse which keeps people regularly updated with prayer points, prayer events, initaitives and lots of new stuff! Sign up to receive The Pulse.
Small Group study & prayer guides
12 Nov 2015
World Prayer Centre has ten prayer booklets to help people with prayer. These simple study guides can help small groups learn together about a key prayer theme or issue, and then think through how they can pray in new and more effective ways. The approach is simple – read the booklet (takes 10-20 minutes) before your meetings, discuss the content and work on a new approach to prayer together. Here are some guidelines:
WHICH BOOKLETS CAN I USE?
All of them are easy to read and study. There are some practical ones on strengthening prayer – Praying Scripture, The Call of the Watchman, a Guide to Blessing and Prayer Walking. Others are focused on key areas for prayer and you can decide which will resonate most with your small group. Choose from praying for - Children and young people, A Nation, People at work, Persecuted Church, Health Care Professionals, and Unsaved family and friends.
BE PREPARED
You must read the booklet before the study. It is a guide with some ideas, scriptures and practical actions. As you read, make notes on the guide. Where you find something that resonates with you, or you like it, put a tick. Where you want to explore an issue put a question mark. Highlight or underline passages or lines that you want to remember for the future or refer to when you discuss the booklet. Pray before the meeting that God will speak and guide your group into a renewed focus on prayer.
BE VERY PREPARED
Our prime focus at World Prayer Centre is on the Supremacy of Christ. Study, group time and prayer are only worthwhile when we are consciously and deliberately in His presence. Why not start the study by meditating and praising around key descriptions of Jesus.
He is the Good Shepherd – He will guide our ways as we study
He is Sovereign – we are in a place of obedience to Him
He is the Lord of Hosts – when we pray things happen in the heavenly places
He is the Prince of Shalom/peace – He wants strong whole relationships with himself and between us
He is the Redeemer – He is constantly working to bring people to Himself
Proclaim God's sovereignty over the subject you are studying – and praise Him!
GETTING GOING
Check on the level of knowledge and expertise in the room, e.g. if you are studying the children's guide, get names and ages of children/grandchildren, who has worked in a job with children, been a parent or helped in church work or other organisations.
Review the key messages in the book. This can either be done as a whole group or in smaller groups of 3 – 5 people.
- Ask 3 or 4 people to say (one at a time uninterrupted) what they felt were the key messages in the booklet.
- Ask others what additional things struck them as key messages.
- Who do we know on the front line? Who is working in this particular area? How could we pray for them? How could they help us pray?
- What is happening in our village, neighbourhood/town or city? What should we be concerned about? What might be key things to pray about?
- Are there any testimonies from the group? Personal testimonies of God using them or stories of others from books, the internet, friends etc.
- What were some of the issues the group marked for discussion? Pick 2 – 3 recurring issues and ask – what was the concern? What do others think? What is the way forward?
CREATING A PRAYER ACTION PLAN
This should not be rushed at the end. It needs time because many in the group might not have thought practically about praying for a subject in an informed and determined way before. Each of the booklets will give some ideas for action. We encourage you to listen to what God might be saying to you as a group and then to think through some ways forward.
- Listen to God quietly- some people might want to meditate on some of the scriptures in the guide booklets, others might want to just sit in the presence of God and ask God what is on His heart. God may give you a word, scripture or picture.
- Pray together submitting yourselves to God and asking that you might each know His heart.
- Discussion What happen next? What will we do in the next four weeks?
- How can we pray for this issue in the future?
- How can we keep ourselves informed? What more do we want to know or understand?
- Who can we pray for? What situations or places should we pray for?
- How do we keep praying for significant change? E.g. for the sovereignty of Christ, for harvest, for strongholds to be broken.
- How do we make sure we are monitoring on-going issues? E.g. praying protection, releasing blessing, pray for wisdom for key people, etc.
- How do we ensure God gets the glory? Keep watching for stories, answered prayer, testimonies that demonstrate that God is on the case!
- How do we sustain this?
Now put it into action! Visit our store to check out what guides are available and order them for your small group.
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. Ephesians 6.18
Dear Praying friend,
In difficult days, even great-hearted Christians can become more self-absorbed, and tend to pray “fix-it” prayers. Such problem-solving prayers ask God to help us get back to what we remember as normal. But now is the time to pray “fulfill-it-all” prayers. These are the prayers that cry out with hope-filled desperation for God to advance His purposes in our lives and communities. God is exalting His Son as He brings life-giving changes by the power of the gospel, even in the face of great evil and worsening darkness.
Seek God for the City helps ordinary people pray beyond their own concerns, learning to pray the scriptures with clarity and relevance for people throughout their communities.
We invite you to examine Seek God for the City 2016. As in previous years, this 64-page, full-color prayer guide is designed to focus and unite prayer through the 40 days leading to Palm Sunday, February 10 through March 20, 2016. Seek God for the City is a proven resource that encourages and unites whole churches in persistent and passionate prayer for spiritual awakening throughout their cities and communities.
We’ve been able to keep the same affordable prices. Quantity discounts make the booklet available for as little as $1.20 a copy. This makes it possible to equip many in your church or community for much less than the $3.00 single-copy price. Check out a couple sample pages at www.waymakers.org or call us at 800-264-5214 .
Let’s pray in these days with our hearts stirred and resolute with the certain hope that God will fulfill all that He has promised. The prayers in Seek God for the City re-ignite faith and expectancy that Christ will be glorified among our neighbors and amidst the nations.
Yours in hope,
Steve Hawthorne
Director
PS: We are offering a complimentary review copy to leaders in recognized positions of pastoral or prayer leadership. Call our office at 800-264-5214 to request a review copy.
A watchman call to rise and build for America
Then I said to the nobles, the rulers, and the rest of the people, “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated far from one another on the wall. Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.” Nehemiah 4:19-20
Need: America is at a tipping point requiring stronger relationships and strategic intervention and communication to turn the course of the nation.
Vision: A watchman call across the time zones of America for spiritual awakening, transformation and preparation of an alert and ready bride.
Mission:
- Awaken the body of Christ in prayer for the critical needs of the times.
- Build through relationship to bridge the time zones in worship/prayer
- Connect time zones through effective communication infrastructure
- Disciple to equip and empower the watchmen to take their place on the wall
- Expect God to move through prayer and raise a culture of prayer in our cities and regions
Call to the Wall USA gatherings:
Short term: Initial time zone “Trumpet Call to the Wall” gatherings for Mountain, Central, Eastern time zones. These gatherings would focus on the following:
- Fellowship and relational atmospheres that connect the time zone N-S, E-W (This likely will be a remnant that responds)
- Repentance of key spiritual issues
- America’s redemptive call
- Understanding of the 4th watch and potential into 7 sphere influence
- Communication infrastructure to assist in mobilization
- Inspiring mobilization messages like “ekklessia”
Structure, small team will work initially with the time zones
- Develop national team from these gatherings
After initial time zone specific gatherings, vision is to have national gatherings once a year for ongoing visionary inspiration, testimony, and encouragement
“Ignite the Night” focus on the 4th watch
The 4th watch 3am-6am is the New Testament version of the Old Testament night watch (2am-6am). When mobilized as a corporate call in cities and regions, it carries a lot of spiritual weight and can pave the way for stronger prayer environments to arise. Biblically strategic events take place on the night watches:
- Jacob wrestled with God and met Him face to face, Gen 32:22-31
- The Israelites crossed the Red Sea, Exodus 14:25-36
- Gideon defeated the Midianites, Judges 7: 19-24
- Saul defeated the Ammonites, 1 Samuel 11:11
- Angels appeared to the shepherds to announce the birth of Jesus, Luke 2:8
- Peter and Jesus walk on water, Mt. 14:25-26
- Jesus was resurrected from the dead, Mt. 28:1
Benefits of 4th watch mobilization:
The advantage of corporate agreement towards this strategic time to pray carries the following potential for cities, regions:
- Participation builds relational connections between people, churches, and regions in the time zones promoting powerful agreement
- Promotes accurate discernment through relationship and accountability
- It is doable and sustainable. Most cities/regions can sustain with a small group of committed “watchmen”
- It promotes unity and breaks down barriers that have divided cities and regions
- No church/ministry is too big, or person too small to participate
- It releases creative strategy for further prayer/worship advance
Furthermore and more importantly, God is simply doing it. He is waking many people up between 3am-6am. We just have to understand why it is happening and respond.
Expected outcome:
- Culture of prayer and worship to increase in our cities and regions reflected as corporate HOP, communities of prayer arise.
- Stronger collaboration between regions, prayer streams and ministries as barriers are removed and relationships develop
- Testimony of God’s intervention to rise across America through salvation, healing, restoration
- Realignment politically, socially with biblical values.
- Prayer ministries to increase and expand within churches as a functional identity of the church and increased support of HOP efforts from local church bodies
- Creative strategies released for needed social, political, and cultural intervention
- America to develop a model that will feed into the nations: Psalm 132:17
Participation possibilities:
- Simply commit to a time to worship/pray, preferably one day a week on the 4th watch 3am-6am, do it and allow God to work on your heart
- Engage with others in your spheres of influence
- Mobilize your city with those who will fill in the gaps 7 days a week and develop communication infrastructure that encourages relationship
- Mobilize Trumpet Call gatherings for time zones.
Contact us: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
661-747-2996
Fred and Susan Rowe
Co-founders "The Living Wall"
Transform World Celebration Challenge Facilitators, Trumpet Call to the Nations
The fight to sustain David’s Tent
As those in Christ, we are not merely survivors, but we are victorious! Yet at times it sure seems that the greatest victory is simply surviving. "...and after you have done everything -- to stand" Ephesians 6:13
In the winter of 1777-1778, General George Washington and the Revolutionary Army suffered through winter in Valley Forge, PA. Thousands of troops died there, as they were ill-clothed, ill-housed and under-supplied. In compassion for his men, George Washington wrote a candid circular letter to the leadership of the 13 colonies appealing for more troops and supplies, while at the same time appealing to heaven in prayer. The Battle of the Valley Forge Winter had its casualties, but the army survived and eventually was victorious.
David’s Tent DC has faced many hurdles so far, but the fire on the altar has never gone out. (The teardown and reset due to the Pope's visit did in fact cost us $6,000 and we resorted to worshipping outside in the rain! We paid $6,000 to sing in the rain! Jesus is Worthy!) Yet, David’s Tent DC is coming face-to-face with what will probably be our greatest hurdle of the entire next year... winter! Already, our night-watches have been worshipping in the 35 degree weather, all bundled up, with hand-warmers in their shoes.
Please appeal to heaven in prayer with us on these four prayer points and for those that are called by the Spirit to give of your lives and finances, I appeal to you to help us stay victorious through this “Valley Forge Winter”.
This is our ONE BIG REQUEST: Pray for God to Pour Out His Spirit on David’s Tent! We want God to show up in a huge way!!
1 Finances - I'm still haggling to find the best possible and permissible way to heat the tent on the mall this winter, but the current numbers are coming in at $20k per month. For 5 months, that's quite the utility bill. The funding to heat the tent truly is an alabaster jar offering!
2 Staff - We currently have 30 full time staff and we need to see that grow to 80 to truly sustain well. Our staff in DC are all serving overtime to get this off the ground. It's working for now, but it is not a sustainable pace. We know that the Lord is calling those who will count the cost and come with servant hearts!
3 Worship teams to sign up. While it may be easier to plan for July or further ahead than for the quickly approaching winter, we'd like to see more worship teams sign up for watches during this winter! It will be cold and maybe even difficult, but I know the sacrifice will be worth it. I believe this season is the critical, hinge period of the Tent.
Of course, pray for grace with the weather!
He's worth it all!
Jason Hershey