Iraq: spiritual retreat for persecuted women
08 Oct 2021
80 persecuted women in northern Iraq are experiencing three days in a Help The Persecuted spiritual retreat this weekend. They will have a safe place to stay, hear from Godly speakers, receive biblical counseling, and worship together. Cala has lived in a refugee camp since IS invaded in 2014. She always believed in God and tried desperately to draw near to Him, but never knew what was missing. She heard about Jesus through the internet, asked a visiting pastor about church, and accepted Christ in 2020. Her Yazidi community persecutes her, and she has been kicked out of the camp several times. Cala feels very isolated, and her heart’s cry is to serve the Lord. Pray that she and her 79 companions will be encouraged as they build relationships with other Christian women, accepting each other now in unity as members of the Body of Christ.
Mobs are targeting Christian households, led by aggressive Hindu vigilantes known for their hardline approach. Churches are vandalised, pastors are beaten or abused. Congregations are broken up by mobs and believers hospitalised with injuries. The police raid church services to threaten and arrest congregations. This persecution coincides with renewed attention on a longstanding claim that a string of forced conversions are taking place in Chhattisgarh. Speeches, rallies and press statements have openly attacked Christian pastors and believers for allegedly converting tens of thousands of people from tribal communities and poor, lower-caste Hindu families. They are alleged (without evidence) to have been lured into churches by proselytising pastors offering cash payments, free medical assistance, and foreign trips, funded by foreign donors. Dozens of ‘anti-conversion’ rallies have been held in the past month.
Nigeria: secular Sharia?
08 Oct 2021
The idea that Nigeria is well-intentioned but under-resourced to contain religious violence is incomplete. The government may be under-resourced, but is not blameless in the matter of sectarian violence. Government forces have fought to quell the violence in some instances, but in others they exacerbated the problem if not created it in the first place according to a report by International Christian Concern. The report considers ways which Nigerian states contribute to discrimination and violence against Christians: in particular, twelve northern states which adopted Sharia criminal law, leading to problems for Christians in the region and impacting their ability to participate as equal members of society. Using Sharia to adjudicate on criminal matters has done significant real-world harm, and the departure from secularism has harmed Christians in northern Nigeria.The report recommends the US government to establish an official stance against non-secularism in northern Nigeria, rework aid delivery to Christians, and appoint a special envoy to address each region’s issues.
New Covid pill reduces hospitalisations by half
08 Oct 2021
An antiviral pill has cut the chances of Covid-19 patients being hospitalised or dying by 50% in late-stage trials, raising hopes of a new weapon in the arsenal against the virus. The pill, Molnupiravir, was initially developed to tackle influenza but is also effective at reducing deaths and hospitalisations from Covid, the data from human trials showed. The manufacturers will now seek emergency authorisation in the United States as soon as possible and submit their data to regulators worldwide. A simple pill that can be taken at home to stop the disease in its tracks has been a key aim throughout the pandemic. Until now, Remdesivir, another existing antiviral, was the only one licensed to treat Covid - but it has to be administered intravenously and results have been modest. Other antivirals are also in development, including some specifically targeted at Covid-19, such as a pill currently being tested by Pfizer.
Afghanistan: winter and fatigue threaten
08 Oct 2021
Many Afghan Christians have fled from cities to remote regions to escape Taliban detection; others are hiding in communities. World Mission’s Greg Kelley learned of a Christian leader caught by the Taliban, who publicly tortured and executed him. Continue to pray for Afghan believers, in hiding and meeting in secret locations. Now, with the borders to neighbouring countries closed, they have nowhere to turn. With winter approaching they face extreme difficulties. It is exceedingly difficult to get aid into Afghanistan to meet their needs. Many want to leave because they are known to the Taliban or other extremists. Ask God to protect them and help mission agencies to arrange for their safe escape. Things are changing dramatically in Afghanistan, and those who suffer the most are the weak and vulnerable. Pray for wise short-term strategies to address the needs of elderly, sick and frail refugees.
Fireseeds of Spiritual Awakening - by Dan Hayes
01 Oct 2021
The room was full of God's presence...a feeling of God's nearness impossible to describe. The whole audience began to pray. ...It was not many, but one, born of one Spirit, lifted to one Father above. ...God came to us in Pyeng Yang that night. ...Man after man would arise, confess his sin, break down and weep. Some threw themselves full length on the floor; hundreds stood with arms outstretched towards heaven. Every man forgot each other. Each was face to face with God.
Everywhere the story was told the same Spirit flowed forth and spread. All through the city men were going from house to house, confessing to individuals they had injured, returning stolen property and money. The whole city was stirred.
"This account of the 1907, Pyeng Yang revival in Korea, is not an anomaly. Not even close. Such revivals of prayer and Spirit are our history and heritage and they continue to pulse us forward in the fulfilment of the Great Commission, even today.
These revivals have brought entire cities to their knees and as they have swept across the universities they have left up to half the student body converted in their wake. This book is about such prayer, and such revivals, and preparing ourselves for another mighty movement of God's Spirit: a movement I believe we can, and will see, if we will meet God's criteria for revival and awakening."
To Order: Available from various sources AND on Amazon Kindle / Amazon
Movement Prayer Guide 2022
01 Oct 2021
This guide builds on Jesus’ promise in Matthew 24:14 that the good news of His kingdom will be proclaimed to every ethne—every people group—before he returns at the end of this age.
Given the rapid increase of global population, the only way God’s kingdom is currently growing faster than population increase is through church-planting movements (CPMs)—a rapid multiplication of disciples making disciples, and churches reproducing churches, to four or more generations.
Part of God’s biblical strategy for starting (catalyzing) such movements is reaching households and groups (note the Greek word oikos used for example in Luke 10:5,7; Acts 16:15,31; Col 4:15) rather than just reaching individuals.
This weekly prayer guide includes a theme with related Bible passages and prayer requests aiming toward engagement of every people and place with a CPM catalyst team.
Over the 52 weeks, we will pray for disciple-makers (those who help others become obedient followers of Jesus), movement catalysts (those God has called to pursue initiating new movements) and movement leaders (those God is using to lead existing movements).
Movement catalysts may come from within a given culture (inside catalysts) or from a different culture (outside catalysts). May the Lord guide and use all of our prayers to advance his kingdom among those still unreached.
The material in this prayer guide was produced by the 24:14 Coalition (2414now.net) in cooperation with Finishing the Task.
Order the Guide Here: https://prayerstrategists.net/52-week-movement-prayer-guide/
We are pleased to bring you this October 2021 edition of IPC Connections.
In partnership with our friends at GO Movement, we have produced a 30-minute program entitled Harvest Prayer, packed with encouraging answers to prayer and heartening testimonies of many lives saved during GO Month, in May 2021. As well as introducing '1st Friday - GO PRAY', it also contains some reflections on the powerful connection between prayer and mission, illustrated by a clip about the Moravian missionaries.
Harvest Prayer is showing on the GOPRAY website from Friday 1st October and is being broadcast on GODTV on October 1st, 2nd and 3rd with replays later in the month. See the article below for details and timings in each region.
In our Editorial this month, we are taken on a journey of understanding of the joyful significance of the Feast of Tabernacles. This is quite apt as many of us have participated in a number of events under the theme ‘Trumpets to Tabernacles’ this last two months. In their article entitled Christ in the Feast of Tabernacles, Dr Jason Hubbard and Dr Darrell Johnson bring to life why we should be joyful in the Lord’s presence, (Ps 16:11) and the unique message that this feast brings to us as we pursue our calling to be a house of prayer for all nations. May each of us be uplifted and encouraged as we proclaim these scriptural promises of joy over our lives and ministries.
Thank you for continuing to partner with us in mobilising and informing united prayer across nations, denominations, movements, and generations for the fulfilment of the Great Commission.
May we express grateful thanks to Andy Page and the IPC Editorial Team who put this email together each month.
Every blessing,
Jason Hubbard - Director
International Prayer Connect
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Disclaimer… The views and opinions expressed in IPC Connections and the articles on our website are those of individuals and our partner organisations. They do not necessarily represent the policies or views of IPC or its individual leaders.
We aim to respect the diversity within the prayer movement and yet embrace our unified calling to mobilise prayer for the nations. (2 Chron 7:14) If you wish to discuss the appropriateness of any articles, please contact us.