A prayer walk along the former east-west border is being undertaken by German intercessors, from 3 October to 9 November, with the slogan ‘From a lifeless divide to a new lifeline’. The walk will take place along two routes, one from the north and one from the south, to a central meeting point. Its aim is to thank God for freedom and unity, and to pray for further reconciliation and understanding between former East and West Germany.

Sudan’s dominant religion is Islam, and it ranks 6th in the persecution table. Almost 50% of the population live below the poverty line. President al-Bashir was forced to step down after thirty years in power marked by oppression, genocide, and human rights abuses. The military now rule the country, and sharia law throughout the country allows stoning and amputations as punishments. Bashir’s military was responsible for bombing Christian civilians in the Nuba mountains. Christians are often subject to brutal treatment from the surrounding culture and from authorities; conversion from Islam to Christianity is punishable by death. Church buildings are regularly attacked and burned. The Christian community in Sudan is waiting and watching the uncertain future under military law. Pray for God to work in the hearts of Sudanese leaders, convicting them to seek justice and peace through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The ancient Silk Road connected east and southeast Asia with Iran, the Arabian Peninsula, East Africa, and Southern Europe. Recently, after Central Asian pastors and leaders fasted and prayed for three days, a vision to raise up strong, unified, consistent prayer for this region of the world was ignited. With Central Asian Consultation, they are launching ‘Silk Road Prayer’, sending out regular prayer updates with specific information on how to pray for current needs in the region, and using social media to spread information for focused prayer. Intercessors everywhere are invited to join them in this effort to see God move in a new and unprecedented way along the ancient Silk Road. May believers and churches facing persecution across the region have His great strength to stand strong. Current needs are for churches in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to have registration to meet freely without persecution and a Kazakh church to have justice in a court case.

Selahattin Demirtas stood against President al-Sisi in the last election before he was arrested on terrorism charges. He is still there along with thousands of other ‘terrorists’. Businessman Mohamed Ali accuses al-Sisi of wasting public funds on vanity projects despite widespread poverty. The former military contractor, living in self-imposed exile in Spain, has called for a ‘million-man march’ to topple al-Sisi in a video that has gone viral. Demonstrators have been responding to Ali’s call that ‘all squares are Tahrir Squares’. On 25 September Egyptian authorities arrested 1,100 people, including several high-profile individuals. Two days later, they arrested a further 2,000 nationwide but acknowledged only 1,000. News and political websites are now blocked, and the internet services that protesters relied on to communicate and document government abuses are interrupted. Security forces have deployed armed masked men and riot police to prevent further challenges to the regime, at least for now. See