1. Introduction
Protestant Christianity in Korea has rapidly developed in a short time—about one hundred thirty years—to claim 25 % of Protestant population, which amounts to twelve million people. Korea has the largest percentage of a Protestant Christian population among all the nations of the Asian mainland. It thus deserves to be called one of the most successful Protestant mission fields in the world.
Furthermore, many churches in Korea are currently the largest in their individual denominations in the world. For instance, Myungsung Presbyterian Church has approximately ninety thousand members. Kwanglim Church, a Korean Methodist church, accommodates around seventy believers. Suwon Central Baptist Church holds forty thousand Christians.
And Yoido Full Gospel Church—referred to as YFGC hereafter—which belongs to the Pentecostal denomination, is the world’s largest church with seven hundred eighty thousand members as of May, 2008, when the transition in the church’s leadership occurred. From that time on, [Pastor Cho’s] “disciple churches”—or 19 satellite churches—had become independent from our church with 360,000 church members, and their full independence was granted to them in January 2011. During the past three and a half years the church has welcome approximately 50,000 new comers, so the current membership of our church reaches 470,000. In sum, our church and the “disciple churches” altogether have more than 830,000 members now. For this reason, a numerous number of pastors and scholars in church growth and missiology are analyzing and studying the various aspects of the Korean church, particularly YFGC’s rapid growth.
Though there are a variety of spiritual, historical, cultural, social and economic factors for such a tremendous revival, one of the most prominent elements is the spirituality of prayer. Prayer has always preceded any true revivals in church history. A revival is unceasing as long as prayer remains constant.
One of the most suitable examples for rising of revival through prayer and spreading of the prayer movement through revival is the Korean church and YFGC. Through my presentation, I would like to state that the revival of the Korean church had been originated from the prayer movement first, and then introduce YFGC’s prayer movement in more detail.
2. The Prayer Movement of Korea’s Early Evangelization Period (1885-1909)
From its beginning period of evangelization, the Korean church had experienced the strong power of prayer on the basis of the word of God. Even before the first Western Protestant missionaries came to Korea in 1885, many parts of the Scripture had been translated into Korean by some Koreans and missionaries who had lived in China and Japan. (Kyungbae Min, Korean Church History, New edition (Seoule: Yonsei University Press, 1993), 149.) When the missionaries came to Korea, they thus brought the Korean Bible. As the word of God was deeply rooted from the beginning, fervent prayer movements took place in the Korean church. The embers of the fire caused at Wonsan, a northern Korean city, in 1903 and the great revival movement, which started in earnest at Pyungyang in 1907, were not only the Pentecostal Holy Spirit movement but also a strong prayer movement. (The document of World Missionary Conference which was held at Edinburgh in 1910 reported that the Pyungyang Great Revival in 1907 was a “Pentecostal movement”(World Missionary Conference, Report of Commission I [Edinburgh, 1910], 77, 80).)
Missionary Robert A. Hardie who ministered in Kangwon province did not bear fruit in terms of the number of converts even though he put in a lot of work and dedication. He attended a prayer meeting mainly with Methodist missionaries at Wonsan in 1903 because of the visit of a missionary to China whose name was Ms. M. C. White. He prepared a sermon about prayer for this meeting. In reading and preaching Luke 11:13—“If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”—he was inspired powerfully by the Holy Spirit. When he testified of his own experience, the missionaries who had gathered there started praying and afterwards they also experienced the work of the Holy Spirit. This Wonsan revival movement was the spark of the great 1907 Pyongyang revival.
At the beginning of 1907 the prayer movement was accompanied by much repentance, which centrally arose from the Jangdaehyun church in Pyongyang. (On the great revivals in Wonsan and Pyungyang see Young-hoon Lee, The Holy Spirit Movement in Korea: Its Historical and Theological Development (Oxford: Regnum, 2009), 24-34.) Revival meetings were supposed to be held as bible exposition sessions for 10 days. However, there was a powerful evangelical meeting every evening. According to the missionaries’ reports, powerful works of the Holy Spirit occurred in these evening meetings. While leading an evening prayer meeting in January 14th, Graham Lee asked those 1,500 who attended this meeting to pray loudly together and they started praying loudly. Then people shed tears, and prayers of repentance arose here and there. The gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and divine healing, then took place powerfully within that place.
The revival movement accompanied by the prayer of repentance expanded across the entire region of Korea. It followed with the movements against alcohol and smoking. Believers prayed with tears and were deeply moved all night long and the works of repentance with contrition occurred ceaselessly among them. No one could prevent the fire of the Holy Spirit and it spread beyond the boundary of the church and over into schools, finally many cities, and further into other countries including China and Japan.
The great revivals of Wonsan in 1903 and Pyungyang in 1907 were not just temporary events, but stood not only as wildfire of the Holy Spirit movement and repentance, but also as the precursor of the Korean church’s prayer movement that has connected to the contemporary church today. Besides, the Korean church clearly learned through these events that the only key to revival was prayer.
3. The Prayer Movement during the Nation’s Period of Suffering (1910-1953)
Korea had suffered from the brutal Japanese colonial rule from 1910 to 1945. During this period the Korean church was also severely oppressed. The secret to overcoming these dark and painful times for Koreans and the Korean church could be found only in the prayers of Korean Christians. Pastor Sunju Gil, who played a pivotal role in the 1907 Pyongyang great revival, and many other spiritual leaders provided hope through powerful prayer movements for the nation and people who fell in times of extreme distress. Early prayer meetings and targeted prayer movements were stressed by him, and contributed greatly to the revival of the Korean church. (Younghoon Lee, The Holy Spirit Movement in Korea, 36. ) They also become the original source of the Korean church’s spirituality that the world church longs to learn from the Korean church.
Even after her liberation from the severe Japanese Imperial occupation, Korea had to undergo an enormous tragedy: that is, the Korean War, which broke out in 1950. Even in this time the Korean church participated in the nation’s suffering and comforted the people through prayer and perseverance. By prayer, the church provided a source of renewal and comfort.
4. The Prayer Movement during the Period of Revival of Yoido Full Gospel Church and the Korean Church (1954-2000)
4.1. Re-igniting the Fire of Prayer
On the close of the Korean War in 1953, the Korean peninsula had emerged as a heap of ashes. From that time, YFGC and Rev. Yonggi Cho played the primary role to lead the prayer movement and the Holy Spirit movement. (Younghoon Lee, The Holy Spirit Movement in Korea, 92-117; Younghoon Lee, “The Life and Ministry of David Yonggi Cho and the Yoido Full Gospel Church,” in Wonsuk Ma et al. ed., David Yonggi Cho: A Close Look at His Theology and Ministry (Baguio City and Goonpo: APTS Press and Hansei University Press, 2004), 3-24.)
Rev. Sunjoo Gil had led the overnight prayer gatherings in the period of the Japanese colonial rule. However, around the time when Rev. Yonggi Cho built up a tent church with his five family members at Daejo-dong, an outskirt area of Seoul in 1958, most of the Korean churches did not practice the overnight prayer sessions.
As Rev. Cho relocated the church to Seodaemoon region, a downtown area of Seoul, in 1963, and held the Friday overnight prayer services, many sick people were healed by the Holy Spirit, and the great revival occurred in the church. Church members prayed all night long for the fullness of the Holy Spirit, divine healing, resolution of personal problems, and church growth.
Accordingly, YFGC’s overnight prayer worship services became a location in which a lot of Korean believers beyond their denominations gathered together, prayed fervently, and experienced God’s grace. Due to the church’s Friday overnight prayer meetings, many Korean churches came to recognize the importance of fervent prayer once again. As a result, many churches began to recover the tradition of the Friday overnight prayer sessions from late 1970s.
In addition, Rev. Jasil Choi, a coworker of Rev. Yonggi Cho, restarted the fast prayer movement that had begun as the fruit of the great revival of Pyungyang, but had been forgotten for a significant period among the Korean churches. She also established the “Osan-ri Fast-Prayer Mountain,” and made a great contribution to reigniting the fast prayer movement in both Korean and world churches. Even after moving to current Yoido area in 1973, YFGC continued to carry out the Holy Spirit movement and prayer ministry so that the explosive growth of the church went on. In addition, even since the transition in the church’s leadership in 2008, YFGC has placed priority to the prayer movement and continued to be revived by prayer sessions.
4.2. Earnest and fervent Prayer with Loud Voices
Many people who attend the worship services and prayer sessions are surprised at the loud sounds of prayer. Because all church members cry out their requests in unison to the Lord, the church is filled with the loud sounds of prayer. People start their prayer by shouting, “Lord! Lord! Lord!” Such a prayer custom spreads through the prayer movement of YFGC all around the country.
The reason for which people pray aloud is that they pray with earnest hearts. Sometimes, church members pray so loudly that it may be difficult to go to the next step of the service. In that case, the presider of the worship requests the congregation to stop praying by ringing a bell. Praying aloud in unison, which has been widespread through YFGC, has become a characteristic feature that shows the spirituality of prayer of the Korean church.
4.3. Prayer of Faith with Absolute Positivity
In YFGC prayer is neither a form nor a ceremony. It is not a vague and implicit religious ritual. Rev. Yonggi Cho and YFGC have taught practical and clear thoughts about prayer since the church’s beginning fifty-four years ago. In other words, prayer is a decisive element to receive the salvation and blessing that our good God gives through the cross of Jesus Christ. Therefore, the members of YFGC pray with obvious prayer requests and not with indefinite prayer requests. They also pray with the faith of absolute positivity that if they believe and pray, they will be answered.
YFGC often practices the “targeted prayer sessions” which can be held personally, or in groups such as cells or mission groups. A “targeted prayer session” is to set a designated period of time for prayer—for instance, for one week, for twenty-one days (we call this “Daniel Prayer”), for one month, for one hundred days or so)—and pray for a clear pray request like healing or solving any problems. It is difficult to do such a targeted prayer without concreteness and conviction. That YFGC’s members execute many kinds of “targeted prayer” shows that they pray with the strong belief in God’s answer and with the faith of absolute positivity.
Church revival cannot be attained by forceful coercion or by cultivating a sense of obligation. When more members in a church meet the living God who answers their prayer of faith, it will enter into revival. Therefore, I would like to reemphasize that prayer is the key to revival.
4.4. Cell Group, the Community of Prayer
A numerous number of people want to learn about the well-organized cell system of YFGC. They seemingly assume that the secret to the church growth lies in the cell system. However, just as Rev. Yonggi Cho has made every effort to emphasize whenever possible including church growth seminars, those who want to learn the cell system of YFGC for church growth should learn the power of prayer first.
It is true that the cell system of YFGC played a great role for church revival. However, the reason for which it has performed such a role is that the cell structure is the community of prayer. Many cell leaders and section leaders have prayed together for their members’ problems, and experienced the answer of prayer. Cells and the church have kept growing because all the cell members in a cell gathered together every day at the home of a member in need, prayed together for three days or for a week, and experienced the answer from God. Furthermore, some cells or sections have bought or rented a space for their own “prayer place” in their local area, and gathered everyday for prayer or worship service. Once in a month, our church members go to Osanri Prayer Mountain by the districts that they belong to. They have revival prayer meetings there so that they may keep the fire of prayer on. Our church has grown so swiftly through cells because they are not the communities of social gatherings, but those of spiritual prayer.
4.5. Church Devoted to Prayer
All worship services in YFGC have a set time for the whole congregation to pray with a loud voice. After the sermon, the whole congregation always prays earnestly with a loud voice for a minimum of 15 minutes and a maximum of 30 minutes. Specifically, the service on Wednesday and the night service on Friday are conducted with the main emphasis on prayer. In those services, all pastors of YFGC sincerely pray for the worshippers by laying their hands on the heads of the congregants.
The church also has three early-morning prayer meetings every day at 5a.m., 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. all year round, and overnight services every night. In these services, the time of praying with crying out becomes longer. The first session of an overnight prayer meeting service begins at 11p.m. in the week days, and the assigned time of praying aloud is almost one hour. Soon after closing the first session at 1 a.m., the second session of the service as a prayer meeting starts with the listed prayer requests for three hours until 4 a.m.
When a new year begins, all congregants come together for a special early morning prayer meeting for twelve days: we call this special designated prayer period “twelve-basket special prayer session.” In summer time, various departments of the church hold retreats for three nights and four days at the prayer mountain. All these events are designed to urge the church members to focus on the prayer activity which is an essential part of the church ministry.
4.6. A Leader who Becomes an Example of Prayer
The capability of a spiritual leader is in proportion to his/her devotion to prayer. If the leaders of YFGC continue to emphasize the life of prayer to the laity, but are behind the laity in the spirituality of the prayer, it will be difficult to maintain the spiritual order of the church, let alone the revival of the church. Rev. Yonggi Cho before his retirement strongly encouraged the congregants to pray for more than an hour a day, while urging the pastors to pray for more than two hours. In particular, he prayed for about three hours before any revival meetings abroad.
I myself believe that it is one of the most important goals of my ministry to inherit this spirituality of prayer. Although I carry out various kinds of schedules from early morning till late night, I usually get up at around 3 a.m., and come to my office before 4:30 a.m. The reason for this is that I am able to have more time to pray without any disturbances during such an early time period. Coming to the office at dawn every day can sometimes make me tired. However, the more I pray, the more invigorated I am. Martin Luther said, “I cannot help praying because I am too busy.” The busier a pastor is, the more he/she must pray.
What I emphasize most to the pastors of YFGC is prayer. If you do not pray, you cannot do the work of God. Especially, the pastors in the position of important leadership in the church and I go to the prayer mountain every Saturday, and pray individually for two hours in an individual prayer compartment. Only after finishing the prayer, we have a discussion session on the important matters of the church. If you want to plan a revival, you should make a prayer plan first. Without praying earnestly for a long time, neither the revival of the church, nor the change of the individual can happen. In particular, spiritual leaders should be an example of prayer.
5. Praying and Serving—Expecting a New Revival
The 21st century is the “century of change.” The changing world demands the church to take care of many people who are alienated in this world. The church in the 21st century should thus be the community which is sharing and serving with a humble attitude. YFGC is actively practicing such works as relieving the homeless, supporting people in lower socio-economic status, helping people in North Korea through the establishment of “Cho Yonggi Heart Hospital,” and worldwide relief works through the “Good People,” an NGO. Making all the efforts for those relief works with a humble and serving spirit is the vision that I received from God, while praying for the direction of the YFGC’s future ministry. The church in the Acts of Apostles was the church practicing the relief for the world with the devotion of praying and proclaiming the word of God. Above all, all pastoral visions should be received through prayer, and be conducted through the power of prayer.
No matter how much the pastoral environment changes, the truth that never changes is that a church should receive the empowerment through praying and relying on the Lord. Even if the world may change swiftly, the key to revival is always in praying. Therefore, YFGC in the 21st century endeavors to be the church praying more.
The revival of the Korean church and YFGC is the revival accomplished by praying. However, this cannot be a characteristic of the Korean church and YFGC alone. Prayer is the characteristic of all the authentic revivals. All revivals are prepared and maintained by earnest prayer. It is not because YFGC has employed a special method or skill, but only because it has devoted itself in praying that the church has experienced a remarkable revival. For s church to pray is just to follow the teachings of our Lord Jesus, who himself set an example of praying from early dawn, or through a whole night. Moreover, for a church to make efforts for praying is to succeed to the spirituality of the one hundred twenty disciples who received the Holy Spirit by praying with their whole heart on the Pentecost day.
In my opinion, the most serious problem of today’s Christians is that they do not pray. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, devoted himself in praying throughout his life. (According to the gospel of Luke, Jesus always prayed before the important things: for example, at the time of baptizing(Luke 4:21), at the time of choosing the twelve disciples (Luke 6;12-13), at the time before Peter’s confession of faith (9:18), at the time before climbing up the transfiguration mountain (9:28-29), at the time just before teaching Lord’s prayer (11:1), at the time of facing with Peter’s disownment(22:31-32), on the Mount of Gethsemane (22:40), and on the cross (22:34, 46).) If the son of God prayed so earnestly to carry out his ministry on the earth, we should strive to pray much more with our might. Praying is the indispensable factor for the revival of the church. If anyone—or any church—devotes oneself to praying, he/she will come to experience the same revival with that of the early church, and that of YFGC.
“Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus” (Acts 4:29-30).
Dr. Younghoon Lee
“Let the New Wave of His Glory Fill the Earth!”
A New Paradigm
The World Prayer Assembly will be a “new paradigm” for an international congress of ministry and marketplace leaders. It will be an Acts 13-type encounter with the living God who longs to reveal Himself to those who are listening and wanting to implement His strategies for “prayer-action” that will revive and transform our world. Five early church leaders at Antioch gave the Lord opportunity to speak. The result was the launch of the mission movement to the Gentiles that brought the Good News of Jesus Christ to Europe and eventually around the world, changing human history more than any other movement. What will happen when 5000+ leaders gather in Jakarta to do the same? We believe it will be a “new wave” of His glory. It has the potential to bring revival and transformation to the nations as the Spirit of the Lord through the global prayer movement, joining with the mission and marketplace movements, rises up like a mighty spiritual tsunami, flowing back across the nations!
Hearing from the Lord of the Church
Many internationally known men and women of God like Dr. David Yonggi Cho, Dr. Enoch Adeboye, Suzette Hattingh, Cindy Jacobs, Luis Bush, Ed Silvoso, Graham Power, Tom Hess, Brian Mills, Ian Cole, Leslie Keegel as well as many prayer, mission and marketplace networks from around the world will join us in Jakarta. Some heads of state and other political officials have also been invited. We are not, however, gathering around great human personalities or important networks and organizations. We are gathering to seek the Lord of all the earth, the majestic God of glory, wisdom and love, and to hear from Him directly. His presence will be the main draw because we are convinced that He will speak as we give Him the opportunity to do so. Every presentation will be brief and given to facilitate prayerful encounter with God around a particular issue - so that we hear back from Him regarding His assignments for us corporately and personally.
Tri-Generational
The WPA will be tri-generational. One-third of the participants will be under age 30 for the leaders’ day sessions. In addition 40,000 youth and children will participate in the May 17 national stadium event, an event that will unite many millions of praying people within Indonesia and worldwide. Youth and children will be co-leaders of the WPA along with the adults. We recognize that God often uses the youngest and least known to convey His most important messages. We want to listen. As we partner with the younger generations and encourage them to share in leadership, we believe the Lord will raise up many new Josephs, Daniels, Samuels, Esthers, and Deborahs to do exploits for Him in generations to come.
Track Sessions According to Calling and Assignment
During our day sessions, approximately 40 2-hour track sessions will focus on various international issues, models of ministry and social spheres. Participants will have the opportunity to caucus according to their own choice and ministry calling. They will also hear updates on what is happening in that particular arena of concern. Together they will seek God with others who share their same passion for His strategies of “prayer- action” for the transformation of that issue or sphere.
Unity of the Body of Christ
The atmosphere of the WPA will be characterized by openness to God and others from diverse traditions and movements within the Body of Christ. We will meet in fulfillment of Jesus’ prayer in John 17 for true heart-unity within His Body. It will be a time of listening to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and sharing what we believe the Lord is saying.
Prayer Saturated
The WPA will be saturated with prayer in many different formats and styles - personal, contemplative, pairs, triplets and small groups. We will also join in prayer together in plenary sessions led by adults, youth and/or children from the platform. We want to be open to the richness of what the Spirit is doing and saying throughout the Body of Christ, not foolishly thinking that our way of understanding and practice is necessarily the only right way.
Learning Together
It will be an adventure of learning from the Lord and one another, as we enthrone Him, submit ourselves in His Presence and we watch Him do His wonders among us.
Welcome to the World Prayer Assembly! Welcome to a time of encounter with the Lord. Welcome to a time that has the potential to shape the future history of His Church and our world.
“Suicide attacks by the Taliban against government targets over the last two days demonstrate the near futility of trying to negotiate with the group. Despite talks between the US and the Taliban over the last year and indications that the Obama administration is considering releasing Taliban prisoners from the Guantanamo Bay facility as part of a peace settlement, the Taliban thus far has shown no indications of agreeing to a cease-fire.” January 12, Newsmax.com
In addition, a BBC News report from January 6 states that the Taliban in Afghanistan are being “directly assisted by Pakistani security services, according to a secret Nato report.” This report, the result of thousands of interrogations, claims the Taliban “remain defiant and have wide support among the Afghan people.” The report also alleges that Pakistan knows the locations of senior Taliban leaders and has not divulged that information. After 10 years of war and the loss of thousands of lives and billions of dollars, this is very discouraging reading for Nato and the Afghan government.
A Pakistani foreign ministry spokesman denied these allegations calling them "ridiculous" and saying "we are committed to non-interference in Afghanistan and expect all other states to strictly adhere to this principle."
US Pentagon spokesman Captain John Kirby commented: "We have long been concerned about ties between elements of the ISI [Pakistan's intelligence service] and some extremist networks," said US Pentagon spokesman Captain John Kirby, adding that the US Defence Department had not yet seen the report.
Please pray for the peace and healing of both Pakistan and Afghanistan and for the cutting off of ties between Pakistan’s intelligence services and government with the Taliban. This is such a strategic part of the world and we need to keep covering it in our prayers of intercession with faith for breakthrough.
Pakistan was created in 1947, in a terrible blood bath, as the only nation created to be a Muslim republic:
• 6th most populous nation in the world
• 96% Muslim
• 1.5 % Christian
• 1.5 % Hindu
• 0.5-1 % Buddhist, Jain, etc.
Economy
• Four years ago, under President Musharraf’s government, Pakistan had the one of the fastest growing economies in Western Asia. Today, it is right at the bottom.
• In the 2010 floods, the UN proclaimed it the worst human disaster (twice as many people affected as the Indian tsunami, the 2005 Pakistan earthquake, and Haiti earthquake, combined). One-fifth of the country was under water - crops, fields, and the infrastructure of electricity, canals, roads were destroyed. Most of this still has not been repaired. Summer of 2011 another major flood covered much of the southern part of Pakistan. Crops, homes, livestock were destroyed. Today many places are still under 10 feet of water.
• Much of the county is without electricity and/or gas 10-18 hours a day.
• Food prices for basic staples of vegetables and flour have almost tripled in the last 2 years.
Government
People are fed up with the present government of Zardari. Corruption is listed as some of the worst in the world. In the midst of this economic collapse and the inability of the present government to govern, five other political parties are fighting for leadership. Taliban/Militants are growing in popularity as they use Satan’s weapon of FEAR.
”For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Eph 6:12
Pakistan has a definite hierarchy of SPIRITUAL FORCES/LEADERS. Both religious and government leaders are in submission to them…They are Satan’s agents to “steal, kill and destroy.” Under the influence of these spiritual powers, hardcore Islam is growing rapidly and spreading across the country and the world. The Taliban and Al-Qadea are quickly expanding their influence. They claim they can save Pakistan from corruption, claiming that democracy has not worked, and Pakistan must return to Allah’s laws of sharia.
• Pray against these evil spiritual leaders and agents of Satan. May their strongholds fall and people be freed.
• Pray for fear to be removed and prayer leaders to be raised up.
• Pray for yourselves that God will increase your burden for Pakistan.
Christians in Pakistan
Christians live under the constant oppression of Islam. It is difficult for them to get an education or jobs. Attacks by militants against Christians and churches are increasing.
PRAY:
• May Pakistani Christians quickly realize that their only hope of survival is to turn to God in prayer. 2 Ch 7:14
• Pray that eyes may be quickly opened. We are learning that most Christians are
• completely blind to these evil SPIRITUAL FORCES/LEADERS and their strongholds that surround and entrap them.
• Pray for Christians to be bold.
• Pray they may learn to pray and know the authority they have in Christ and to use that authority to pray and tear down the evil ones strongholds.
• Pray that they will see answers to their prayers as one by one these strongholds that cover the country are pulled down.
GOD, RAISE UP A REMNANT OF PRAYER INSIDE AND OUTSIDE PAKISTAN.
We have already sent hundreds of invites, commitment forms to churches and ministries across 50 cities in all the provinces. Thousands of posters, handbills, and printed prayer points have already reached people who took part in the last year’s campaign. About 70 coordinators/facilitators and volunteers will be motivating new churches and ministries to be a part of this campaign. We hope to register 2000 churches/ groups/ ministries and individuals across the country to pray targeted strategic prayers for the Pakistani Church and Country during these 40 days.
Therefore we urge you to kind pray for this campaign and its success and for the core team in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, 70 plus facilitators and coordinators (around the country) and for hundreds of churches, groups, ministries and families taking part in this campaign.
There is a major arms buildup going on as Gulf states respond to the rising threat of Iran in the region that could threaten their security. They are buying billions of dollars of weapons from U.S. defense firms. Iran continues to flex its muscles within Iraq and elsewhere, and some American intelligence officials have warned that it may try to strike the United States with a terror attack.
Potential Dangers with Iran
“Iran is striking back at countries that have imposed sanctions with military and economic threats and may soon be willing to launch attacks on its enemies in the West. European countries are likely to be the first targets of economic reprisals given the announcement by Tehran that it may immediately cut off oil exports to Europe ahead of the EU embargo taking effect. Several large multinational corporations, including British/Dutch oil company Royal Dutch Shell (London: RDSA) as well as Japanese and South Korean companies such as Mazda, Kia, and Samsung do significant business in Iran and could be expelled because of support of sanctions by their home countries.
This week, the seriousness of Iranian defiance of international pressure over its nuclear weapons program was brought into sharper focus. On Sunday, an Iranian parliament member said his country may respond to the EU oil embargo – scheduled to be gradually implemented over the next five months – by banning oil sales to Europe for five to 15 years. Iran reportedly will cut off of sales of oil to Europe next week. On Tuesday, the U.S. intelligence community warned in its annual worldwide threat report to Congress that Iranian leaders are now willing to launch attacks inside the United States, basing this assessment on the uncovered Iranian plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the United States in a restaurant in Georgetown, in Washington, D.C.”
February 2, LIGNET.com
Please pray for the economic sanctions to have their desired impact so that Iran is dissuaded from continuing its nuclear program that could destabilize and threaten many other nations in the region and elsewhere. Pray for His peace in the Middle East to be restored and maintained and for His protection over the USA and other Western countries from terrorist attacks.
Open Doors has offered some excellent resources to help us pray for persecuted believers and their nations. Please have a look at them, share them with your church or prayer group and remember them in your prayer. Here are the helpful links to find information and prayer items for each of the 50 nations:
http://www.opendoors.org/
http://www.opendoorsusa.org/persecution/country-profiles/
http://www.opendoorsuk.org/resources/country_profiles.php
Open Doors 2012 World Watch List reports that “North Korea tops the list for the 10th straight time as the country where Christians face the most severe persecution, while Islamic-majority countries represent nine of the top 10 and 38 of the 50 countries on the annual ranking.
Afghanistan (2), Saudi Arabia (3), Somalia (4), Iran (5) and the Maldives (6) form a bloc where indigenous Christians have almost no freedom to openly worship. For the first time Pakistan (10) entered the top 10, after a tumultuous year during which the nation’s highest-ranking Christian politician, Cabinet Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, was assassinated for his attempts to change the blasphemy law. The rest of the top 10 is composed of Uzbekistan (7), Yemen (8) and Iraq (9). Laos was the lone country to drop from the top 10 list, falling to No. 12 from No. 10.
While persecution has worsened due to persecution by Muslim extremists, without question North Korea once again deserves its No. 1 ranking. Defiantly Communist, North Korea built a bizarre quasi-religion around the founder of the country, Kim Il-Sung. Anyone with ‘another god’ is automatically persecuted. The estimated 200,000 to 400,000 Christians in this country must remain deeply underground. An estimated 50,000 to 70,000 Christians are held in ghastly prison camps. “How the death of Kim Jong-Il last month and the coming to power of his son Kim Jong-Un will affect the status of Christians in North Korea is hard to determine at this early stage,” Open Doors USA President/CEO Dr. Carl Moeller said. “Certainly the situation for believers remains perilous. Please pray with me that the Lord will open up North Korea and there will be religious freedom to worship the One, true God, not the gods of Kim Jong-Il and Kim Il-Sung.”
"Being a Muslim Background Believer is a huge challenge."
There are significant moves on the World Watch List, including Sudan moving up 19 spots to No. 16 – the biggest leap of any country from 2011. Nigeria jumped 10 spots to No. 13. Egypt, racked by violent protests and upheaval during the Arab Spring, rose four positions to No. 15. Increased Islamic extremism triggered the upward movement of Sudan, Nigeria and Egypt. “Being a Muslim Background Believer or ‘Secret Believer’ Christian in a Muslim-dominated country is a huge challenge. Christians often face persecution from extremists, the government, their community and even their own families,” said Moeller. “As the 2012 World Watch List reflects, the persecution of Christians in these Muslim countries continues to increase. While many thought the Arab Spring would bring increased freedom, including religious freedom for minorities, that certainly has not been the case so far.”
In July 2011 southern Sudan, which is mostly Christian, seceded to become an independent country, called South Sudan, leaving the Christians of North Sudan much more isolated under President Omar al-Bashir. In response to the loss of the south, al-Bashir vowed to make constitutional changes to make his country even more Islamic. On the ground the military has attacked Christian communities in battles over resources with many being killed.
Nigeria remains the country with the worst atrocities in terms of lives lost. More than 300 Christians were martyred last year in Nigeria, though the actual number is believed to be double or triple that number. The total is probably greater in North Korea, but impossible to confirm due to its isolation. Since 2009 the extreme Islamic group Boko Haram has destroyed more than 50 churches and killed 10 pastors in Nigeria.
Christians in Egypt experienced a disastrous start to 2011 when a bombing at the Coptic Orthodox Church of Saint Mark and Pope Peter in Alexandria killed 21 Christians on New Year’s Day. After the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak in February, hopes soared for new freedoms for all Egyptians. But on Oct. 9 the military turned on its own citizens in the Maspero massacre in Cairo, killing 27 Coptic Christian demonstrators. At the close of 2011, Islamist parties flourished in the November elections, prompting some to speak of an Arab Winter instead of an Arab Spring for Christians. "We wouldn't be growing if we didn't have a price to pay for our witness."
China still has the world’s largest persecuted church of 80 million, but it dropped out of the top 20 this year to No. 21. Last year China ranked No. 16. This is due in large part to the house church pastors learning how to play ‘cat and mouse’ with the government. The good news behind the bad news of rising persecution is an increase in church growth, which often results from the persecution itself. A pastor in Iran states: “We wouldn’t be growing if we didn’t have a price to pay for our witness.”
The WWL is based on a questionnaire devised by Open Doors to measure the degree of persecution in over 60 countries. The questionnaires are filled out by Open Doors field personnel working in the countries, and cross-checked with independent experts, to arrive at a quantitative score per country. Countries are then ranked according to points received. An estimated 100 million Christians worldwide suffer interrogation, arrest and even death for their faith in Christ, with millions more facing discrimination and alienation. Open Doors supports and strengthens believers in the world's most difficult areas through Bible and Christian literature distribution, leadership training and assistance, Christian community development, prayer and presence ministry and advocacy on behalf of suffering believers. “
Dear Praying Friends!
My heart is so broken for my nation! The nation is under huge attack from the evil one! Egyptians against Egyptians. Chaos. Almost no security existing!
Last night, February 1st, after a soccer game, 74 people were killed and about 300 injured. Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16848473
This is a cry on behalf of 88 million people in Egypt!
• Pray for mercy.
• Pray for the Christians to have the spirit of wisdom and revelation.
• Pray that the Lord would expose the evil one and his plans to steal, destroy, and kill.
• Let the Lord give you His heart for Egypt.
Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for standing at this urgent time of need!