Please read this article prayerfully, asking for the protection of President Calderon and his administration and God’s guidance for the capture of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman Loera, the leader of the Sinaloa cartel, the most powerful one in Mexico. Pray also for the female candidate chosen by the National Action Party (PAN) to succeed Calderon that she will have the Lord’s favor and support of the Mexican people to win the upcoming election.
Mexico will hold its presidential election July 1 against the backdrop of a protracted war against criminal cartels in the country. Former President Vicente Fox of the National Action Party (PAN) launched that struggle; his successor, Felipe Calderon, also of the PAN, greatly expanded it. While many Mexicans apparently support action against the cartels, the Calderon government has come under much criticism for its pursuit of the cartels, contributing to Calderon's low popularity at the moment. The PAN is widely expected to lose in July to the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), which controlled the Mexican presidency for most of the 20th century until Fox's victory in 2000. According to polls, the PAN has lost credibility among many Mexican voters, many of whom also once again view the PRI as a viable alternative…
Guzman’s Web
Within his home territory of rural Sinaloa state, Guzman is respected and even revered. An almost-mythical figure, he has used his fortune to buy good will and loyalty in his home turf and elsewhere. In addition to his public largesse, Guzman has bribed people for decades. Unlike Los Zetas, the Sinaloa cartel leadership tends to take a long view on corruption. It will often recruit a low-level official and then continue to pay that person as he rises through the ranks…Quite simply, Guzman and the Sinaloa cartel have had police and military officers, politicians, journalists and judges on their payroll for years and even decades…Once an official or politician is on a cartel payroll (a situation similar to a network of sources run by an intelligence agency), he is subject to blackmail should he stop cooperating. And the relationship between a politician and the cartels can go beyond just cash. It can also involve the murder of a rival or provide other forms of non-cash assistance in the attainment of political power.
Guzman has been operating as a high-level narcotics trafficker in Mexico for decades now, and a big part of his operations has involved bribery…We must also note that without Guzman, the dynamics that drive the Mexican cartels would continue, and other leaders or even organizations would rise to take his place. Killing or arresting an individual will not be the end of Mexico's criminal cartels.
Guzman has been a high-profile fugitive for three decades now. He has not survived that long by being careless or stupid. It would be very difficult to track down such an individual in a short window of time established by political calculations unless those responsible already know his exact location and have chosen not to arrest him thus far. ..Still, Guzman is one of the most wanted individuals in the world, and large teams of Mexican and U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agents are trying to locate him. Therefore, it is possible that Guzman could be arrested before the election in July.
Ask the Lord for His will and his way to be clear as it relates to all of the healthcare in America, and that this would be clear to the justices, their clerks, the lawyers, and the providers, and legislators in how they should respond. Ask for God’s justice in America’s legal system and healthcare system.
In just over a month, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments over the 2010 healthcare law commonly referred to as Obamacare. The headliner is the individual mandate. There is also the employer mandate. Conscience rights could come up as well. With the argument just weeks away, briefs are being written and filed with the Supreme Court, and preparations are well under way for this historic week of arguments.
Pray that the Lord will place in our national leaders' hearts a deep understanding of the preciousness of the freedoms that our U.S. Constitution grants to all of its citizens. May this current administration's action with their healthcare legislation continue to stir outrage in all Americans who cherish the blessings of freedom and liberty that are granted to us by our Constitution. Pray that the Church will awaken to take a stand and begin to reverse the nationwide effort to silence God's people!
The State of Religious Freedom in America
The state of religious freedom is at the forefront of national conversation as people across America attempt to process the stunning actions recently taken by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that pit religious freedom against compliance with a federal healthcare mandate, forcing people of faith to make a decision that infringes upon the religious freedom that our Founding Fathers robustly protected from our very beginning. Unfortunately, the HHS mandate is not an isolated incident; it is more of the same. Members of the Congressional Prayer Caucus, a bipartisan group of 103 Members of the House of Representatives dedicated to preserving religious freedom in America, will continue standing up against burdens on these inherent freedoms.
In August 2011, HHS issued a mandate requiring that all health plans cover abortion-inducing drugs, contraceptives, and sterilization at no cost to the patient, despite the fact that scores of people have religious and moral objections to these services. The mandate included an extremely narrow exemption for churches, but offered no protection to religious hospitals, schools, and charities, with the reason being that these entities often serve and employ individuals that do not share the groups' religious beliefs. "A long time ago, the Catholic Church received a mandate from a higher authority . . . It is the mandate of Jesus Christ. . . . Catholic ministries for the needy are as blind to race, creed, class, and gender as Jesus Christ, their founder. That any one of them, much less all of them, should be forced to choose between the Gospel mandate and the U.S. government's healthcare mandate strikes at the very heart of the right to religious liberty on which our country was founded.”
The Jesus mandate vs. Obama’s mandate (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/guest-voices/post/the-jesus-mandate-vs-obamas-mandate/2012/01/27/gIQAJ5jpVQ_blog.html) Washington Post, January 27, 2012.
More of the Same: Hostility Towards People of Faith and Religious Institutions
In recent years, there have been numerous examples of a recurring hostility towards people wishing to exercise their constitutionally-protected religious freedoms. The HHS mandate is not an isolated incident; it is more of the same. The very existence of these occurrences, regardless of whether they are successfully reversed, shows a troubling pattern that has a chilling effect on people of faith, leaving them uncertain about exercising their religious freedoms.
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings, be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity.” (1 Timothy 2:1-2)
On March 25, Hong Kong will elect a new Chief Executive. We believe that as Christians we are called to seek the peace and prosperity of the city in which God has placed us and to pray for it. The Lord says, “…if the city prospers, you too will prosper” (Jeremiah 29:7). We are calling for all who love our city and committed Christian intercessors to pray:
1. Pray for the CE election (5 minutes) – (Scriptural ref.: Isaiah 11:2-5; Psalm 33: 8-12)
• For God’s choice to be elected
• For campaigns to be conducted with transparency and integrity
• For fruitful dialogue with the public by all candidates
• For God’s choice for the team supporting the CE elect: Chief Secretary, Secretary for Justice, Financial Secretary, and all Bureau Chiefs
• For the current government to effectively govern HK during the transition period
• For smooth transition of power and God’s protection of HK during the process
2. Pray for current election issues in HK (5 minutes) – (Scriptural ref.: Habakkuk 2:14; Psalm 24). Pray that constructive ideas will be generated through debates and discussions during the CE election campaign process. Items may include but are not limited to the following:
• Housing and land use policies
• Population and immigration policies
• Widening wealth gap – poverty issues
• Policies regarding pregnant mainland mothers giving birth in HK
• Education policies
• Healthcare policies
• Environmental issues
• Solution to increasing tension between mainlanders and HK peoplea
The “Two Nations Locking Arms against Human Trafficking Plan” is moving along. I am heavily involved with the Administration in Florida to put on a State-wide Human Trafficking Summit this year. My goal is to move across the Border States and do the same thing. Please pray for me as I seek representatives from each state to form a National Human Trafficking Task Force. This will be for the purpose of sharing information, rescuing and restoring the victims, and working together to bring an end to human trafficking.
If you ever need a Speaker or Child Advocate for future events here or abroad, please do not hesitate to ask me. God is doing amazing things in the U.S. for bringing more awareness to the Children who are abused, neglected, abandoned, and enslaved in human trafficking.
Please pray for the forthcoming IMA NATIONAL SUMMIT on CHURCH & MISSION to be held from the 7th to 9th March 2012 at IMA Vision City, Hyderabad. Please pray for the National Church Leaders taking part in this Summit and for each session, plenary, workshop, group study, and more so that each talk, discussion, and decision be to the glory of God and for the transformation of India. We must dream nationally and work locally. www.imaindia.org
We certainly appreciate your sincere intercession for this historic gathering of National Church & Mission leaders.
Dear Friends, please join us in observing the Global Day of Prayer for Burma: March 11, 2012. The Day of Prayer magazine is now available to be downloaded in English, Russian, Danish, and Thai languages. For more information, please go to www.prayforburma.org.
Christians Concerned for Burma
“Watchmen are ordinarily placed on the walls of a city to give notice to the rulers of coming danger. God appoints watchmen not only to warn men - often they will not hear - but also to summon Him to come to their aid whenever need or the enemy may be threatening. The great mark of the intercessors are that they are not to hold their peace day or night, to take no rest, and to give God no rest, until the deliverance comes. In faith they may count upon the assurance that God will answer their prayers.” Andrew Murray
Week of prayer for Morocco: March 5-11
Week of prayer for Mauritania: April 9-14
Some of the key emerging themes to pray into include: the national church - unity - signs & wonders, dreams & visions - opening of doors - barriers & resistance to the Good News - rising up of prayer within and for the nation - fasting for the nation - freedom - salvation & revival - workers for the harvest.
ALGERIA
An Algerian believer explains, "I went to visit a lady who said she had become a follower of Christ. She lived in a small town. She was illiterate. She had a vision of Jesus and had decided to put her trust in Him. She had a Bible but could not read it. She asked for help to read it, but no one would help. So she cried out to God in her desperation, and Jesus appeared in her room, sat with her, and began to teach her to read the Bible. She showed me that she can read it. Her family are amazed!"
• Praise God for the revival that continues in Algeria, specially among the Berbers.
• Pray that believers will be committed to fellowshipping together.
• Thank God for the churches who have permission to operate openly, and ask God to protect that permission.
• Pray for an increase in home fellowship groups too.
• Pray for good discipling of believers.
• Pray that Algerians will receive a burden for evangelism in their own nation and in neighboring North African nations.
• Pray that there will be a softening of the hearts of Algerian Arabs towards the Good News.
Please undergird these important efforts being carried out by brothers and sisters in Christ who prefer to be unnamed for obvious reasons. Pray for His wisdom, protection and great favor as they engage in these sensitive and delicate missions.
Sudan
It is about nine months since Sudan divided into two countries. While there was an initial celebration in South Sudan, the situation once again has become very dire. About half a million Christians have fled from the North. A Christian organization has been asked to play a mediating role in some of the current challenges. Senior Government leaders in both the North and South have indicated that, in partnership with Sudanese faith leaders, this organization can act as a broker in building a peaceful solution to the conflict. In addition, to the North-South conflict, they have also been asked to intervene in a violent conflict between two tribes in South Sudan. Pray for them as they take a small team to Sudan the latter part of March.
Congo (DRC)
The situation in eastern Congo is also dire. Government and rebel militias fight to control Congo’s mines, which are rich with natural resources. Profits from conflict minerals fund horrific violence. Congo’s disorganized military and police do little to stop it. Armed groups, operating without accountability, use rape and murder to intimidate civilians. Since 1996, over 5.5 million have died from war-related causes. Countless women and children have been raped. Congo’s wars ended in 2003, yet more than 2.5 million people live as refugees. Modern day slavery is a reality in this failed state. This same Christian organization has been asked to develop a more comprehensive coordinated intervention, and they are planning a visit to DRC.
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Religious Conflict Zones
Pray for several situations where religion is being used as instrument to promote violence and serious discrimination. In Nigeria, hundreds of Christians have been killed, and thousands are under threat. This organization is seeking to work with moderate Muslim leaders to deescalate this conflict.
In Pakistan, the same organization has been asked to help take up the cause of religious minorities, including those under threat from the blasphemy laws through which Christians have been falsely accused, imprisoned and killed.
They are following up with the Egyptian Christians leaders to facilitate some encounters between Christian and Muslims leaders to promote and encourage a pathway to a more secular, pluralistic society rather than a radical Islamic State.
At the request of evangelical leaders in Kazakhstan who are facing serious discrimination and pressure, they are working on communication with their president to ask for a change in the law.
The president of Myanmar (Burma) has agreed to meet with a small delegation of three people in March. The team needs real wisdom on how best to approach the issues of religious freedom and human rights.
North Korea
They are working on a visit North Korea in May, with the hope this will lead to a much more substantive engagement in the coming years. They are envisioning a major humanitarian aid project.
China
Very high-level government leaders in China have reached out and requested a meeting, and they have agreed to meet in May. This is a critical year in China, as they will have a new president and will be replacing seven of the top nine leaders in their country.