The State Department recently released its International Religious Freedom Report for 2017. A wide range of U.S. government agencies and offices use the reports for such efforts as shaping policy and conducting diplomacy. The Secretary of State also uses the reports to help determine which countries have engaged in or tolerated “particularly severe violations” of religious freedom in order to designate “countries of particular concern.”
A major concern addressed in this year’s report is that “international religious freedom is worsening in both the depth and breadth of violations.” Here are five facts from the report about the persecution of Christians:
- North Korea, where religious freedom is nonexistent, continues to rank as the one of the world’s most repressive regimes. The United Nations estimates that less than two percent of North Koreans are Christian, or somewhere between 200,000 and 400,000 people. As the report notes, the North Korean government relentlessly persecutes and punishes religious believers through arrest, torture, imprisonment, and sometimes execution. Once Christians are imprisoned, they are typically sent to political prison camps where they are “treated with extraordinary cruelty.”
- The government of China, a country that has about 70 million Christians, has circulated revised regulations governing religion, including new penalties for “illegal” religious activities and an increase on the crackdown on Christian house churches. The report also notes that the Chinese government is continuing its campaign, launched in 2014, to remove crosses and demolish churches. Over the past three years Chinese authorities have removed crosses or demolished churches at more than 1,500 locations in Zhejiang Province alone.
- In Eritrea, Pentecostals and Evangelicals comprise the majority of religious prisoners. Persons detained for religious activities, in both short-term and long-term detentions, are not formally charged, permitted access to legal counsel, accorded due process, or allowed family visits. Prisoners are not permitted to pray aloud, sing, or preach, and religious books are banned. Evangelicals and Pentecostals released from prison report being pressured to recant their faith, forced to sign statements that they would no longer gather to worship, and warned not to reengage in religious activities.
- Iran continues to arbitrarily arrest and detain Christians. Since 2010, more than 600 Christians throughout the country have been held as religious prisoners. In 2016 there were numerous incidents of Iranian authorities raiding church services, threatening church members, and arresting and imprisoning worshipers and church leaders, particularly Evangelicals. As of December 2016, approximately 90 Christians were in prison, detained, or awaiting trial because of their religious beliefs and activities.
- As the report notes, the Russian government views independent religious activity as a major threat to social and political stability, an approach inherited from the Soviet period. It maintains and frequently updates laws that restrict religious freedom, including a 1997 religion law and a much-amended 2002 law on combating extremism. The Russian religion law sets strict registration requirements on religious groups and empowers state officials to impede their activity. It also effects religious liberty in parts of the Ukraine controlled by Russian-occupied separatist para-states. In December 2016, Ministry of State Security of one such groups denounced the Baptist community as a “non-traditional religious organization” engaged in “destructive activity.”
From: The Weekly <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: Fri, May 12, 2017
Pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ in these five countries which are among the worst abusers of Christians. Pray they will be strong and faithful to the Lord who called them and that these regimes will change their attitudes and pass laws protecting religious believers that live under their rule
During our time in Herrnhut, some of us met with a former Tibetan Buddhist monk from the Himalayan nation of Bhutan that we will call “K”. K has come to Christ and has a deep burden to share the Gospel with other monks back home. Please pray for him and others on his team as they conduct a prayer walk around their beautiful but spiritually dark country for 10 days, starting from August 17-26 and also again in September 11-20. Next year they hope to do the same.
They invite people who are really interested to pray for the Buddhist world to support this initiative. He writes: “We really want to see nation change by power of prayer. Bhutan need lots of prayer. Please join us.”
With love from your brother in Christ,
Lebanon has taken in about as many refugees from Syria and the conflict there as there are Lebanese themselves. What a hospitable and kind nation! Let’s pray with these requests sent from one of the intercessors there:
Pray for Lebanon. Here Christians enjoy the freedom to worship, evangelize and express their faith though Lebanon has a small area in the Middle East, and that is what makes Lebanon special. That's why many Christians and non Christians from the neighboring regions are seeking refuge in our small land, including those from non-Christian background.
We always thought that this is okay despite the differences between us as Christians and them until the war began. 2.5 million refugees came to Lebanon seeking shelter and help from Syria, Iraq and those long-time Palestinians. Now we began to realize the important role Lebanon can offer. However, the problem is that there is not a united CHURCH strategy to guide them and lead them to hear the Good News of salvation, though mainly they come to escape the death and insecure areas where they used to live. If we manage to share the Gospel with a coordinated strategy, there will be a major spiritual revival here in Lebanon and through out the Middle East, which we lack now. Every church does whatever they want. Please pray for wisdom and vision for the leadership of the CHURCH.
- Pray for real revival in Lebanon and the Middle East. May the spirit of the Lord move over and give deep and real repentance to the elected people to accept Jesus Christ.
- Pray that the Lord raise a new generation of dedicated faithful leaders and pastors to be equipped for the ministry.
- Pray that Christ’s church moves out in planting new churches in all the region. And those from the underground church be strengthened in the faith.
Pray for the believers to be a blessing to others, especially the refugees. As it happened in the first century, the people of God scattered because of the persecution, but they reached out with the gospel to others. Now close to two million refugee people are in Lebanon because of the war in their country, we pray that the Lord give wisdom and faithfulness to the church in Lebanon to reach out to the refugees and be a blessing to them.
The United Nations says it needs $4.4 billion by July to prevent famine in Yemen, South Sudan, Somalia and northeastern Nigeria. U.N. humanitarian chief Stephen O'Brien, who just returned from field missions to the affected countries, told Security Council members Friday that the United Nations is facing its largest humanitarian crisis since the organization's creation. He said that without the necessary funding and full, safe and unimpeded access for aid workers, people will die.
"We stand at a critical point in history," O'Brien told council members. "Now, more than 20 million people across four countries face starvation and famine. Without collective and coordinated global efforts, people will simply starve to death."He said all the regions on the brink of famine have one thing in common: They are conflict zones.
March 10, 2017 7:02 PM, VOANews.com
Let’s pray for God’s intervention. This is truly a God-sized crisis that so often is not even mentioned in the media. Pray for His deliverance of these dear people that will die if they do not get relief in time. Pray for an end to these senseless conflicts, for the UN and for the humanitarian organizations as they seek to bring aid and that those caught in this unbearable situation-adults and children- will find both spiritual hope and physical deliverance through faith in Jesus Christ
Strengthening our Partnership in Prayer for His Revival and Transformation of North America
For the leaders of prayer networks and ministries in North America
You are invited to the North American Prayer Summit!
One of the great joys experienced since the launch of the International Prayer Council in 2002 has been the development of various regional prayer summits that have united prayer ministry leaders to build friendships and pray together for their regions. In North America, we have already met several times as prayer leaders from each nation have taken turns to host three-day gatherings to learn about the issues of each of the three nations in order to connect our hearts in the unity of the Spirit and pray with a new depth of understanding and empathy. These times in the manifest presence of the Lord have marked both us and our nations through their powerful effects as the God answers such united intercession, doing the things only He can do, bringing revival to His people and transformation in the challenging situations each country faces.
It is time for us to gather again on behalf of our continent. The Canadians, after coming to stand with those from the USA at the National Prayer Assembly in October last year, are now inviting us for a North American Prayer Summit, August 21-24, 2017. It will be held in one of the most gorgeous places in our continent- St. John’s, Newfoundland. Please see the 30-second clip below. We will mix times of praying, listening to God, and prophetic sharing about the issues of Mexico, Canada and the USA with building and strengthening a North American Prayer Partnership. We will also take time to pray at Cape Spear, the easternmost point of our continent, enjoy some whale watching and the famously delicious fish and chips, all the while soaking up the stunning beauty of the surroundings of the historic coastal town of St. John’s.
You are warmly welcomed to take part and if there are others who are leading prayer ministries or networks in your country or elsewhere in North America you think should be invited, please do send your recommendations to us. This gathering will be by invitation only and it will be for those who seek to be led by the Holy Spirit, are evangelical in conviction, have a heart for the unity of Christ’s Body, and are fervent in prayer for the nations. We also want to give special priority to younger ministry leaders. We have tried to keep the costs as low as possible for everyone. Meals will be on your own in the hotel restaurant for breakfast, and lunch and dinner will be catered. We have booked the Holiday Inn in St. John’s at a very reasonable rate that you will pay directly to the hotel when you check-in (please see that information below).
The registration fee to cover three lunches and two dinners, three days of bus transport, and other costs of the event will be $150 Canadian ($111 USD at current exchange rates). This is the early-bird registration and after June 10th we will increase the registration to $200.00 ($147 USD) because of the need to confirm local arrangements. There will be a special Newfoundland night that will include a banquet for which there will be a separate charge as well as for those wishing to go whale-watching. Details will follow in a later email. Please do register ASAP to ensure you will be able to reserve a place. To register, please pay this fee through PayPal.com by credit card using our local host Wanda Fost’s email address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You can add your address, phone and email address on the same PayPal form, which we need to complete your registration. Please book your own hotel reservation with the hotel contact information below, being sure to say that you are part of this consultation to get the discounted rate.
When you book your flight, please be advised that there is another city in Canada called St. John in New Brunswick. You don't want to book your flight to that place in New Brunswick which is in a different part of the country. Just to clarify again, the NAPS is meeting in St. John's, Newfoundland. The airport code is YYT when you make your flight reservation and here is the airport website http://stjohnsairport.com. Also you may find that depending on where you live, it can be cheaper and provide more options to book a flight to an intermediate city like New York or Toronto and then make a separate flight booking on to St. John's, so you might want to explore that possibility.
Our organizing team is praying that you will be able to join us at this magnificent venue. It will be a powerful, transformative time together that we believe the Lord will use to advance His Kingdom purposes for our three nations and our continent. We earnestly hope you can be with us in beautiful Newfoundland. For further information, please contact MaDonna Eason This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 709 834 9493 or our local host Wanda Fost This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 709 364 1949, cell 709 691 5124.
Yours in Christ,
The North American Prayer Partnership organizing team
Canada: Murray Dodds, Wanda Fost, and Dave Carson
Mexico: Javier Martinez and Yanira Gonzalez
USA: Dave Butts, Maureen Bravo, Dallas Eggemayer and John Robb
Two brief video clips from Newfoundland:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8U1DrQrDeFI
https://youtu.be/H1QSZ_iexoY
Booking your stay at the Holiday Inn in St. John’s:
The cost for a standard room per night is $139 Canadian ($102 USD at current rates). If you want to share a room with someone to save costs (the rooms are equipped with two beds), you can make that arrangement with the one you want to room with and then it will be just half the cost. However, one of you will need to make the booking with the hotel directly and then settle financially between yourselves since the host team will not be handling any hotel bookings or room assignments.
For an executive room, it will be $159 ($117 USD at current rates) per night. Again, after you book the room, you can make your own arrangement to share the room (they also are equipped with two beds) and save costs if you like.
Book your room under 'North American Prayer Summit' reservation code: PSN
1 855 914 1413
1 709 722 0506
email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Please pray with us for the right network and ministry leaders to be able to come. For the provision of funding for those who still need assistance and for His powerful presence and anointing to be upon all who participate as we seek His face for our three nations and our continent.
Paul Eshleman
Herrnhut Consultation
May 2017
During the wonderful Prayer Conference in Herrnhut, we introduced several lists of unreached people groups to give us all an introduction to the work of prayer and missions that still remains throughout the world. Our thesis was that when we pray specifically, we can see specific answers to our prayers. And, when we concentrate our prayers toward the unreached peoples and nations we see remarkable results.
We finished the conference with the following suggestions for carrying out our desires to work together more closely toward the fulfillment of the Great Commission. We suggested some objectives for each of us involved in the consultation, and we acknowledge that each of our groups had much to learn from the other. Here are some of our suggestions:
- The Prayer movement could:
- Consider sending prayer warriors to every remaining unengaged, unreached people group in the world. They could team up with indigenous intercessors whose churches might eventually send workers to the group(s) they are praying for.
- Send similar type of intercessors to the 150 people groups that currently need the most workers.
- Pray specifically for each of the global networks that are currently launching initiatives toward their part in the Great Commission. This would include 20-30 global networks and 100 geographic networks.
- Help prepare prayer intercessors for all network meetings scheduled for the next 3-5 years.
- Help mission leaders to set up a prayer plan for their ministry, their workers, and the people they are trying to reach.
- Disseminate very specific requests to all of its prayer leaders that outline:
- Peoples, places and leaders where the cause of the Gospel is being blocked.
- Praise reports from each of the five strategic elements involved in the fulfillment of the Great Commission.
- Develop a prayer calendar where people will pray each day for a different Christian leader or Christian organization, much like the Master Media Prayer Guide. Much like the Master Media Prayer Guide, prepared to help us pray for leaders in the entertainment industry
- Be a continual encouragement to mission leaders to live lives of holiness and dependence on the Holy Spirit.
- The Missions Movement could:
- Provide a speaker/reporter for every major prayer conference. Jesus said, “My house shall be a house of prayer, for the NATIONS”. We should have a report on the Nations at each prayer meeting.
- Provide a listing of all major evangelistic outreaches planned for each six-month time period.
- Make sure intercessors are invited to every strategic meeting being planned.
- Bring in leaders from the Prayer Movement to help church planters teach their new church leaders to pray more effectively, specifically, and scripturally.
- Provide contacts of mission and church leaders that intercessors could contact with when they go to a country to pray for the unreached, and unengaged people groups.
- Provide 2-4 reports annually on:
- The number and list of people groups still without a missionary.
- The number of workers still needed in the people groups with large populations.
- Provide reports twice per year on:
- Progress in reaching Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, etc.
- Language groups still without any scripture translation.
- Progress on scripture distribution efforts.
- Ideas for both groups in combining prayer and “connection work” to hasten the fulfillment of the Great Commission:
- Begin by praying for the people groups you received in the materials packet at Herrnhut. If you want profiles on additional groups, write to Lara Heneveld Finishing the Task at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
- Send copies of the groups profiles to all of the members of your network.
- Ask if any of the people in your network have contacts in the country of your UUPG, or if any are planning a visit to the country in the next year or so.
- Become an international “Connector” for an unengaged people group.
- Definition – Connecting with Believers in the country of the Unengaged, Unreached people group (UUPG) to tell them you are praying that someone will take the gospel to your people group.
- Tell your contact that:
- Your prayer group or church is praying for this people group and might want to partner with them.
- Ask them if they know of a Christian National that could find this group and do a 3-day survey trip to find their needs.
- Suggest that you might help with the transportation expenses for someone to go and survey the people group.
- Pray for their current ministry and their personal needs.
- Set a time to call them, Skype, email, etc.to get a report on the people group.
- Call Dr. David Pope at the Finishing the Task office for help on the next steps in encouraging your church to commit to a partnership with a local church or ministry (760)260-5070.
- Along the way, there are practical things you can do to encourage your local church.
- Talk to your pastor about Prayer for the Nations
- Find out what countries your church is already sponsoring missionaries
- Talk to your church about praying and giving toward a people group in one of those countries.
- The Prayer Resources: During this conference, you were given several resources to use during times of prayer. If you do not have these, write to the Finishing the Task office, and ask for the prayer conference materials.
- You have the PRAISE REPORT capsule on page 8 from the first day’s handout which lists what has been happening to engage unreached people groups since November 2005.
- Secondly, you have the chart of the Elements of the Great Commission showing WHAT God wants us to do regarding the Great Commission and how we should go about it. These are 17 passages of scripture that are the essence of our Lord’s message to us relating to the Great Commission.
- Thirdly, you have a short listing of WHO the leaders and networks are that are contributing to the completion of each of the elements involved in the Great Commission. You will add your contacts from many other Christian ministries as you pray for each part of the Great Commission task.
- Finally, you have two lists of WHERE we need to pray that the Lord will send workers.
- List #1 shows all the people groups that have no known workers.
- List #2 shows all the people groups that with not enough workers to reach that portion of the population.
- Summary:
In summary, if we in the body of Christ can work together off the same Biblical priorities and objectives, then we can think about what our specific prayers should be for the elements of the Great Commission that are still not being addressed.
As we look at scripture translation, or church planting, or evangelism, we can see the people that are being neglected or the languages that are not funded, or the geographic areas for which there are no workers. When we know who the people and organizations are that are attempting to play a significant role in any of these areas, we can pray for them specifically by name.
Finally, we can look at the geographic areas of greatest need and pray specifically for workers to go to those places.
Thousands of children from India and Indonesia along with others prayed for the Consultation that happened in the little town of Herrnhut (the Lord’s watch), May 8-12. Thank you if you were part of that intercession. The Lord did far more abundantly than we could have asked or imagined! It was such a joy and blessing to be with 120 key leaders from across the world, who are on the cutting-edge of His Kingdom’s work. YWAM younger missionaries in training and members of the Jesus Haus community in the town also took part. Powerful, heart-stirring presentations from the most conflicted, challenging countries brought tears to our eyes and a strong response in united, fervent prayer.
We focused on three main themes:
- Reaching the Unreached- focusing on those unreached people groups that are still without a witness to Christ or those larger groups that are underserviced due to lack of mission workers. There are over 1500 unengaged people groups that are on the “Finishing the Task” list which you can get from their office plus prayer profiles to help you and others “adopt” them for prayer until they are reached. Please write to Lara Heneveld,This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to get connected. A fuller article by Paul Eshleman, the leader of the Finishing the Task initiative with valuable suggestions on how you, your organization, church or prayer group can get involved in this Matthew 24:14 challenge that is so much on the Lord’s heart-- enabling a witness to go to the remaining unreached peoples before the end shall come-- is attached below.
- Another important emphasis was on empowering not the Next Generation but the “Now Generation”, the youth and children, each of whom has a special, unique calling from the Lord that they will discover as we encourage them. They need and want to be included them in the prayer and mission force for the transformation of our world NOW!
- The third major theme was on authoritative prayer for breakthroughs in territorial deliverance. We heard from Christian leaders who have led authoritative prayer initiatives that God has used to liberate places and people from demonic influence and broken through spiritual enslavement and deception so they can come to Christ.
Valuable connections were made among the participants and they engaged in productive times of deliberation and strategic planning according to the three foci just mentioned. All in all, it was an outstanding time that we believe will impact our world significantly.
Part of the success of the event was the venue. Indeed that is why we chose to have the gathering there. It was here that the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Moravians almost three centuries ago. As a small community of praying people, God used them way beyond their insignificant number to impact our world. After the revival in 1727, they continued in prayer with a 24/7 chain that lasted over 100 years and sent out the first Protestant missionaries to the ends of the earth, affecting whole nations for Christ and His Kingdom. There is still a sense of hallowedness about the town and the nearby graveyard where 6000 of these dear saints, very ordinary people with an extraordinary love for Jesus, are buried.
Here is the Accord that came out of the consultation and that we commend to your continued prayers that the mission and prayer movements will fully converge, working closely together around the world until every people group and person is reached with the Good News of the Gospel:
Herrnhut Accord
International Prayer and Mission Leaders Consultation
at Herrnhut Germany, 8-12 May, 2017
In this historic place where, 290 years ago, an outpouring of the Holy Spirit gave birth to 24 hours of continuous prayer by both children and adults for 100 years, and which also launched what became known as the era of modern mission movements to the world,
We, as representative leaders of both prayer and mission movements from many nations on all continents of the world, now commit ourselves to this historic agreement and join forces and partner as the Lord leads and connects us to
Encourage, nurture and develop prayer and mission movements in the nations, with prime focus on the children and youth, preparing them to be warriors of faith, to be listening constantly to the voice of God, to be bold and courageous in the face of increasing challenges, and to reach out with the Gospel of the Kingdom, to plant churches and be agents for God´s kingdom.
Out of a place of unity with all true members of the body of Christ, regardless of denominational distinction, we commit ourselves to the unfinished task so that
Every nation, people, tribe and language group will have a sustainable and growing church,
Every enterprise in all walks of life will be served by representatives of the kingdom, with the biblical goal that "the whole earth be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord and that all nations be transformed by the Gospel and become servants of the Kingdom of God".
We commit ourselves to pray, plan and prepare for the coming of the Lord and to gather in a global harvest, that He might receive the reward of His sufferings.
We commit ourselves not to speak ill of one another but in a spirit of Christ-like love to welcome, respect and affirm the gifts and callings of each other.
We commit ourselves to help one another across the world and between the generations, to fulfil God's unique call through all means available to us, particularly where prophetic and timely calls to go to the nations are being obeyed, aiming to complete the Great Commission of our Lord.
In this context, we recognize and want to honour our older brother Israel, the first recipient of the Word and the promise. As Gentiles and first fruits of the Gospel, we are committed to love and serve Israel until we are reconciled as one new man, sharing the covenental promises.
We, from the North to the South and the East to the West, who are all "One in Christ Jesus", invite the Lord of Glory to help us fulfil all that is on His heart, through all the resources of heaven, the empowering of the Holy Spirit, and the unique gifts and callings He gives to His church, His bride.
Our Lamb has conquered. Let us follow Him, around the throne, around the clock, around the globe!
Herrnhut/Germany, 12 May, 2017
Acts of kindness
26 May 2017
Monday’s devastating attack in Manchester can cause us to think that there is nothing good in the world. It can feel paralysing not to be able to do anything, but it is good for the soul to hear of small kindnesses. In between spreading fake news, social media has been filled with examples of helpers supporting the emergency services, and their community. Here are some examples:. #RoomForManchester saw people and hotels offering up their spare beds. #Anybody stuck in Manchester tonight I have a spare room and I just made some really nice soup. #I live 5 mins from the Manchester Arena. I have sofa bed, food/drink and phone chargers if anyone needs any help. Cabbies offered their services free to get people back to where they needed to be; some even drove from Liverpool to help. People queued to donate blood, or brewed tea for the police and emergency services still on call.