Syria / Iraq: children impacted by war
14 Jul 2017
Children who have experienced the unspeakable horrors of war need long-term help coping with their experiences. Lives have been torn apart after years of IS rule and terrorist invasion. Since mid-2014, the people of Iraq have been caught up in a resurgence of violence that has exacerbated the already dire humanitarian situation stemming from Syria’s five-year civil conflict. 240,000 Syrian refugees are in the Kurdish region of Iraq, creating additional strain among host communities with limited resources of clean water, sanitation, food, shelter, essential items to help face winter, healthcare, education and emotional support. Pray for children now living in camps, struggling to express themselves, and in some cases too terrified to speak. Ask God to release more workers into this field of suffering to relieve physical and mental health resulting from brutal occupation. Many children have fled with only the clothes they wore - no toys, no comfort.
Israel / USA: strange proceedings at UN
14 Jul 2017
Nikki Haley, the new US ambassador to the UN, has described her first Security Council meeting, which was discussing the Middle East, as ‘very strange’. She expected to be addressing maintenance of international peace and security. However, the debate was not about Hezbollah’s illegal build-up of rockets in Lebanon, or about the money and weapons Iran provides to terrorists, or how to defeat IS. It was not about holding President Assad accountable for slaughtering hundreds of thousands of civilians. Instead it focused on criticising Israel, the one true democracy in the Middle East. She said, ‘ I am new around here, but I understand that that’s how the council has operated month after month for decades. I am here to say that the US will not turn a blind eye to Israel’s needs any more.’
Iraq: will Christians be welcomed back?
14 Jul 2017
The Government has allocated $100 billion for post-IS reconstruction in Iraq following the recapture of Mosul and other devastated towns in the Nineveh plains. The worst-destroyed areas are in the historic heartland of Iraqi Christianity, but will Christians be welcomed back? Many who fled the region in 2014 remain deeply sceptical that they will ever be able to return safely, recounting how their Muslim neighbours helped evict them and destroyed or commandeered their homes while IS militants deliberately destroyed churches. A member of the Nineveh Council told journalists that any plans for the future must be to eliminate ‘ideological extremism from the culture of the people of Mosul, who have been living for three years with IS inflammatory rhetoric, and to prevent the emergence of a new generation inspired by the culture of hate’.
Qatar: spiritual poverty
14 Jul 2017
Qatar is accused by her Gulf neighbours of destabilising the region, and some nations have cut diplomatic ties (see Prayer Alert article ). The ramifications of escalating tensions are yet to be fully determined. Qatar is one of the wealthiest countries in the region but suffers from devastating spiritual poverty; it is almost entirely Muslim, and proselytising is forbidden. The church mainly consists of foreigners. At this time of unrest we can intercede for the 90% of Qataris who have not yet heard the good news. May this pivotal moment in Qatar’s history become a spiritual turning point for a nation that has been long closed to the Gospel. Pray for the south and southeast Asians, Egyptians, Palestinians, Lebanese, Syrians, and Iranians, who comprise most of Qatar’s workforce.
India: high stakes in 17 July election
14 Jul 2017
India's politics are complicated by caste, racial and religious prejudices, and cultural identity. The constitution outlawed the caste system, but it is very much alive. It also guarantees religious freedom, but increasing persecution threatens that liberty. On 17 July Indians will elect a new president. The leading candidates, Mr Ram Nath Kovind and Mrs Meira Kumar, are Dalits (formerly known as ‘untouchables’). Mr Kovind is anti-Christian and anti-Muslim. Mrs Meira is said to ‘represent the values that bind India as a nation.’ Prime minister Modi wants a Hindu nation. There is a very real danger that Christians could be marginalised by the outcome of this election. An Indian Christian pastor is urging Christians reading this prayer alert to pray, ‘binding demonic spirits that are forcing through anti-conversion laws and trying to wipe out the Christian presence in India. Bind the spirit of confusion and pray for truth to reign, for God's perfect plan for India to prevail.’
Egypt: living as a terrorist target
14 Jul 2017
An Egyptian blogger writes: ‘Lack of parking spots used to be one of the few concerns on Cairo streets, but there’s a different perspective now. Families used to go to church together to celebrate; now they separate, attending mass in twos and threes in different churches. It’s a precaution so that at least part of the family will survive in the event of a bomb attack. Now that most places of worship have closed their doors to visitors for “safety” reasons, people have lost the opportunities to make their usual summer spiritual visits to places of peace and prayer. Churches have cancelled all children’s summer camps and trips. I make fewer trips to church, and have become very selective where I go. With many warnings on social media against going to malls and public places, I am wary about my errands. Security checks and metal detectors all around me add to my fear instead of making me feel secure.’
Dr. Jason Hubbard, Director, LOWPC
The International Prayer and Mission Leaders' Consultation, May 8-12th convened together 120 of the world's top prayer and mission's leaders from 34 nations. We partnered together with the International Prayer Council, www.ipcprayer.org led by John Robb. In John's words, "Together, we transacted business with the King of Kings for His world."
John Robb and the IPC council asked us at Light of the World Prayer Center to administrate and organize the event, together with his oversight and leadership! John is an amazing leader and it was truly an honor to work together with him! Jamie Frey, one of our full-time staff members, and I started planning back in August of 2016. Over the next number of months we helped create a vision statement and set goals for the event, drafted an invitation email to key leaders, launched a website to share vision and process registrations, and put together complete color program booklets for the each of the delegates.
The impact of the Moravian community, both the intercessors and missionaries, is undoubtedly one of the greatest stories in church history! We have patterned our house of prayer and prayer strategy in the 'spirit of the Moravians.' Our vision is become a modern-day expression of this inspiring community, linking together night and day prayer, revival and mission to the remaining unreached, unengaged peoples on the earth!
It was a such a joy to travel together as a family, Kristie, Gracelyn and Joshua. It was the first international trip for Gracie and Josh! Kristie connected much with our amazing friend Sue Williams, sharing tea together and praying for one another. Sue served with us for a year at LOWPC as our staff development leader and now is one of the primary leaders at the Jesus Haus (house of prayer and retreat center where the Consultation gathered). Gracie sang with Sue on the worship team on Wednesday night, and Joshua helped Michael Lienau in capturing the Moravian story on video. We are praying for the provision to produce a full-length documentary on the history of the Moravians!
Mark Iblings, LOWPC board president, and Tim Scott, one of my prayer partners and our Education sphere leader both came to help serve the 120 leaders, carrying bags and escorting/driving many of them around during the event! They were such a huge help!
Tom Victor, director of the Great Commission Coalition, who serves as one of our advisory board members also joined us. From Tom's perspective, "The International Prayer and Mission Leaders Consultation in Herrnhut was, from my perspective, one of the most powerful mission and prayer gatherings of our day. Bringing together key leaders from the global prayer and mission movements as well as leaders of the children in prayer and youth prayer movements was so strategic, especially in light of the history and heritage of the Moravians and Herrnhut."
Paul Wemmer, author, historian, and one of our original leaders at LOWPC, was also with us and donated a copy of his book on Count Zinzendorf and the Moravians to each of the 120 delegates.
Serving together with Jamie Frey, Mark Iblings, Tim Scott, Tom Victor, Paul Wemmer, Sue Williams, and our on-site intercessors in Whatcom County...What a joy! I am so proud of our team...All for the Glory of the Lamb!
The vision for the consultation was to gather key mission and prayer leaders from around the world to ask God how the global prayer and mission movements could unite in our day - to accelerate the fulfillment of the Great Commission. I have personally never been in a gathering before with such humble men and women of God, young and old, who truly longed to encounter the Lord together, and grow in loving and serving one another!
Dick Eastman, the president of Every Home for Christ, was one of the 120 leaders. The ministry of Every Home for Christ sees about 20,000 decisions for Christ every day around the world, giving Dick a unique perspective. After the consultation he wrote, "I am more convinced than ever that the Moravian movement of prayer and missions was the greatest such movement in the history of missions, especially in light of the challenges they faced in that unique time in human history."
Dick shared that this gathering was "the most personally significant gatherings he had been a part of in his 5 decades of full-time ministry." Wow!
We sensed the Lord's leading to gather in historic Herrnhut, Germany to learn from the Moravian story of a canopy of 100 years of continual prayer, beginning in 1727, which launched the start of a Protestant Missions Movement across the earth! At its core, the motivation and watchword of the Moravian prayer and missions movement was this: "May the Lamb who was slain receive the due reward of his sufferings!" He is truly All-Deserving!
As we walked through the Moravian cemetery (pictured here), we were on historic ground. The graves here honor 6000 intercessors and missionaries who had fully embraced God's heart for missions. They had joyfully taken the gospel to those who had never heard, many at the cost of their lives. These radical Moravian missionaries launched over 5000 missionary settlements around the world!
The legacy of Count Nicholas Zinzendorf, the leader of the Moravian prayer and missions movement, is astounding. Zinzendorf was famous for saying, "I have but one passion, and that is Jesus, only He." The seal of the Moravian church has in its center the white Lamb of God . He holds a staff with a victory banner displaying the cross. In a circular band on the outer edge it says: "Our Lamb has conquered, let us follow Him!"
During the consultation, descendants of the Moravians shared with us about the lifestyle of prayer and missions that emerged in Herrnhut, and the powerful role that children and youth played in the movement. It was truly an honor to be with the elders and leaders of both the church and the Jesus Haus. We love them and stand with them as they continue to see day and night prayer and worship established together with the sending of missionaries to the ends of the earth to share the good news of Jesus!
A request went out to leaders of children in prayer around the world, asking them to pray as we met in Herrnhut. 1,000 Royal Kids in Chennai, India, committed to pray for 100 hours and then added another 50 hours while we met!
We were so aware of the prayers of thousands of children around the world. It was an honor to meet and learn from Anton Cruz, the leader of this amazing orphanage in Chennai, India. Here is a powerful video clip of the children praying for our gathering!
Paul Eshleman,with Campus Crusade for Christ, (CRU), founded the Jesus Film Project, the most watched movie in the world. He currently serves as the Executive Director of Finishing the Task Network and as President of the Issachar Initiative, passionately calling us to make our lives Count for Zero, that there would be Zero unreached people groups without a witness for Christ.
Paul challenged us with research showing that, with more than 2.7 unreached people, Asia is the focal point for the global mission challenge. While other regions of the world have on average one missionary for every 1,000 unreached people, Asia has only one missionary for every 46,000 unreached people! There are currently 1570 remaining unreached/unengaged people groups yet to hear the good news of Jesus, and 521 of the largest remaining unreached people groups on the world map have over 500,000! We also learned that 90 percent of the missionary force and finances today goes towards the reached world. We came away with the passionate conviction and cry, "Lord of the Harvest, send forth laborers into the remaining harvest fields of the world!" (Matt. 9:37)
A final personal highlight for me was gathering together at the Bertlesdorf church. This historic church, known as the church of reconciliation, is where the Holy Spirit was poured out among the Moravians, young and old, in a powerful way during a communion service on August 13th, 1727. We celebrated communion together there, and reconciliation took place on several fronts! I truly believe we experienced a 'baptism of love' for one another. Coming away from the gathering, we had such a sense of family and affection for one another, desiring to continue to partner together in prayer and mission across our various denominations, generations and nations! The Lord truly knit our hearts together and I believe much fruit will come in the generations to follow!
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34-35).
We only love to the degree that his love, most fully revealed at the cross, is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5). Just as Zinzendorf and the Moravians were compelled by the Glory and Love of the Lamb, to pray 24/7 and go on mission, I believe the Lord is calling forth a "Lamb's Reformation" in the church in this hour - a new reformation that will lead to a great transformation!
Prayer: "Father, I believe that the hour has come for your Son, the Lord Jesus to be honored, and treasured as the Worthy Lamb who was slain! Even as the Lamb is in the center of the throne in Heaven, we declare and decree that it's time for the Lamb to become the center of the throne on the earth! Father, we know that you are always looking at the wounds of your Son and we ask for a Lamb's Reformation in the church that would wake us up again to his cross, to bring your Son the reward he deserves for giving his life as a Lamb!"
"Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, 'Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power, and wealth, and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing" (Rev. 5:11-12).
For the Supremacy of Christ in all things,
Jason Hubbard
Impact of Moravian prayer and mission movement
10 Jul 2017
Here is an excellent three-minute video that describes the impact of the Moravian prayer and mission movement from Herrnhut where a number of global prayer and mission leaders met for a consultation in June 2017.
Here are the three main emphases I believe we need to keep our hearts, minds, prayers and actions wrapped around going forward:
1) Reaching the unreached with the Gospel - Pray for the effective linking and coordination of prayer and mission efforts for finishing the task, adoption of every unengaged unreached people group in prayer and mission in the coming 5-10 years. Let’s pray especially for the “Finishing the Task” event in early December that will bring together hundreds from the mission agencies along with a significant group of prayer leaders for the first time. You can find out more about specific unreached people groups needing to be adopted at https://joshuaproject.net/ Please adopting one yourself as your own assignment to cover that group in prayer until they are reached.
2) Raising up the “now generation” of youth and children to find their unique missions in life and impact generations to come for Christ and His purposes. Pray that in the coming decade, we will see children and youth prayer movements develop, be connected, and strengthened in every nation on earth (they are probably going in one-third of the nations so far). The Children in Prayer movement and the international team coordinating this effort and the UPRISING youth prayer movement with their team are both extending this crucial vision for the raising up of the Now Generation vision. Please pray for His provision, guidance, unity and wisdom for the leaders of both these movements.
3) Transformational prayer for breakthroughs in the socio-political realms (global institutions like the UN, “Seven Mountains” cultural spheres, regional summits, national initiatives, wars and human suffering, authoritative prayer efforts for territorial deliverance). Please pray for prayer leaders and ministries targeting those challenging socio-political issues and institutions affecting life in our various nations and world. Pray for clear discernment, guidance and power from on high to pull down strongholds and drive out forces of spiritual darkness in His authority for atmosphere-changing breakthroughs that open peoples to the Gospel and bring about major transformations in favor of Kingdom values.
Source: IPC Prayer