East Timor: fighting poverty, corruption, virus
28 May 2020
Asia’s youngest democracy is grappling with political instability that has hampered efforts to reduce poverty, stamp out corruption, and develop its rich energy resources. Though the prime minister had tendered his resignation after failing to pass the budget several times, he withdrew his resignation to help lead the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, and has called for a state of emergency while approving a $250-million fund to fight it. As this mostly Catholic nation recently celebrated Easter, we stand with them and declare that Jesus is ‘the resurrection and the life’ over East Timor. We declare that traditional and nominal religious following must be shaken off, and speak of a coming to life of real and loving relationship with the Saviour. See also
Global: setting the oppressed free
28 May 2020
If the world consisted of 100 people, 20 would live in a slum; 42 would never hear about Jesus; 49 would live on less than £1.50 a day. Please pray for the many missionaries working to preach the Good News to the poor (Luke4:18a). Jesus was clear that everyone has a right to know and to choose to follow him in ways that are culturally appropriate for them. Pray for abundant distribution of Bibles and teaching materials for the various unreached people groups. 81% of these people live in Asia and the Arab world. Jesus also said that there should be freedom for the prisoners (Luke 4:18b). Families can be trapped for generations, feeling hopeless and out of control. Jesus had a lot to say about poverty and its effects, so pray for God to empower all who engage with communities and address issues such as income-generation, vocational training, education, and social justice. See also
Global: coronavirus corruption
28 May 2020
Transparency International warned of the dangers of funds for the response to the coronavirus crisis being misappropriated. On 26 May more stories confirmed the validity of these concerns. In Bolivia, the minister of health was removed from his post after the government paid over the odds for ventilators that were not even fit for purpose. In Italy, the head of Sicily’s coronavirus response has been put under house arrest following an investigation into bribery cases going back to 2016. In Poland, the health minister is under fire after the government bought more than 10,000 useless face masks through a family friend. The case has been referred to prosecutors. These examples join many others, including an investigation in Bosnia and Herzegovina into a multi-million-euro government contract for ventilators that went to a raspberry farm with political connections, and the resignation in Panama of a senior politician involved in yet another ventilator procurement scandal.
India: pandemic, heatwave, locusts
28 May 2020
Delhi has 47.6oC temperatures and Churu in Rajasthan recorded 50oC in north India’s heatwave, which will last a few more days. The region also struggles with rising Covid-19 infections and swarms of locusts ravaging their crops. The temperatures are the highest India has seen in decades. Indian heatwaves in recent years have caused a number of deaths; there are no data yet on the impact of the current weather. Thousands of migrants are walking the highways after fleeing pandemic-ridden cities to try to return to their villages. Many have little food or water and will be among the most exposed to the sun and heat. In addition to that, the heatwave has affected efforts to combat the swarms of locusts. 100+ workers are using vehicle-mounted sprayers, pesticides and drones in the searing heat.
USA: black man dies after being pinned down
28 May 2020
A white Minneapolis police officer pinned down George Floyd with his knee, while he yelled, ‘I cannot breathe’. Later he died, causing community outrage and the dismissal of four officers. Ben Crump, a prominent civil rights lawyer, has been retained by the victim’s family. A video of the incident shows Floyd crying out, ‘My stomach hurts. My neck hurts. Please, please. I can't breathe,’ while moaning and trying to cough. Floyd was eventually motionless under the officer's knee. People watching can be heard begging police to move off him. Many are drawing comparisons with Eric Garner, an unarmed black man, who in 2014 died after being choked by police, sparking nationwide protests. African Americans are nearly six times more likely to be imprisoned or jailed than white Americans. These racial disparities have given rise to Black Lives Matter.
Christian geneticist is 'optimistic' about cure
28 May 2020
Professor Francis Collins, the Christian geneticist who famously led the ‘human genome project’, has said he is hopeful about developing a successful vaccine to protect people against Covid-19. He has recently been asked to join the White House coronavirus task force to help the government combat the disease. As the head of the NIH - a government agency responsible for biomedical and public health research - Collins said that he was prepared to ‘say the truth’ to President Trump even if he disagreed with it. This followed the repudiation experience of leading immunologist and government adviser, Dr Tony Fauci. A prominent public figure in the fight against coronavirus, Dr Fauci is a ‘truth-teller who is incapable of doing anything except saying exactly what we do and don't know’. Collins added, ‘If there is one thing more infectious than virus, it is hope.’
Dear Praying Friends,
A number of us in the prayer movement have strongly felt during this season between Passover and Pentecost, when the pandemic shutdown has also been occurring, that the Spirit of the Lord is moving over the face of the earth as never before. Many millions of us have been in prayer since the World Prayer Together online call and the launch of the Go 2020 prayer and mission effort on May 1st. Last week, many of us also prayed for the Muslim world during their Ramadan festival that many of them would wake up, possibly through dreams and visions, as well as through the bold witness of local Christians, to understand who Jesus really is and come to know Him.
Here attached are some of the wonderful prayer and mission initiatives that are happening now and during the next few days, leading up to Pentecost and the ongoing Go 2020 effort to mobilize 100 million believers to pray for and reach out to one billion who still need to come to Christ. The Global Voice of Prayer team, some of whom organized the Global Day of Prayer that many of us participated in years ago, has arranged this attached broadcast that we hope you will enjoy and circulate to others in your own networks during this week. If you have local Christian TV stations that would be open to airing it, please do pass it on to them as well as to churches that might want to use it during their services this weekend. We hope it will also be broadcast on major Christian satellite TV programs on Saturday and Sunday across the various world time zones.
Please pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Body of Christ and that tens of millions will hear the Gospel and come to know the Lord during this special season. Pray for amazing love and unity among brothers and sisters in Christ across denominations and movements to continue and increase, that we will all flow together like tributaries in HIs great river of eternal and abundant life so it will touch every person and every people group on earth. May we see great breakthroughs for the Gospel with loving witness (prayer, care and share) accompanied by signs and wonders, dreams and visions among Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and agnostic secularists-- all who still do not know the Lord of life!
Thanks for your prayers and for getting the Word out as well as the broadcast and attachments below so they can go far and wide and have a multiplied impact for His Kingdom so that our world will never be the same.
Yours in Christ,
John
ipcprayer.org
worldprayertogether.com
From the Global Voice of Prayer Team
We are excited to announce that the Sound from Heaven Pentecost 2020 global broadcast is now LIVE and ready to distribute!
The broadcast can be viewed and shared via:
PraiseLive Facebook page: www.facebook.com/praiselivenow
Global Voice of Prayer on YouTube: https://youtu.be/A4P_lC3mkQA
The challenge now is to get the word out, and to collaborate with as many as possible to bring this message of hope to the Global Church in the next few days in the run up to Pentecost.
May we solicit your collaborative help? We are asking if as many of us as possible could join hands to bring this blessing to the Global Church before Pentecost on Sunday 31st.
Some ideas for getting the word out:
- Post the broadcast on your ministry’s social media platforms / schedule watch parties in the coming week
- Send the attached broadcasting proposal & info to media partners in your networks
- Encourage churches in your spheres of influence to broadcast the programme as part of their Pentecost Sunday celebrations
- Encourage believers around the world to use this as an outreach tool
- Post the attached flyers on your website
We have attached a few media items to help spread the word:
- Sound from Heaven Pentecost broadcast flyer – please feel free to share on social media, via Whatsapp, email etc
- Sound from Heaven events flyer – with key upcoming events
- A broadcast proposal template with more information on the programme, that can be adapted and sent to ministry partners, churches and media contacts in your networks
You will also find additional information and resources at www.globalvoiceofprayer, www.go2020.world and other partner sites.
We believe that this broadcast is going to bring hope to millions in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. Let’s release the sound of hope!
Every blessing,
The GVOP team
On Friday 22 May & Saturday 23 May, the International Prayer Council’s regional representatives based in Jamaica will host their fourth Caribbean Prayer Summit Online.
It will consist of two days of prayer, worship and intercession led by representatives from across the region.
IPC family from around the world are invited to join the event online at which our Executive Coordinator, Dr Jason Hubbard will be taking part.
It will be streaming on the event’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/caribbeanprayersummit/?__tn__=%2Cd%3C-R&eid=ARCCQNZKmxgm1ruB4jE1NyFELAwqN5hwcxYPI1oR0bUlPX4-imuppJ4AkXyKRbeYohiss24BVXNJViUo and from YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCii3zUjurcDyE8jfMgknlw
Kindly note that the Summit is free of cost, and is open to anyone who shares a burden for their country, and wants to join us in petitioning the Lord. Gifts can be sowed in here. https://caribbeanprayersummit.org/give/
Visit the website for full details at https://caribbeanprayersummit.org/ or contact Maria Harbajan, the Convener on 876-398-2299 if you have any queries.