We said at the end of last year, 2017 would be a year of the extraordinary; Extraordinary good, extraordinary bad and extraordinary unusual at local, national and global level.
Within our own nations political unrest and division is an everyday headline. The uncertainty and challenges coming out of the Brexit vote for both the UK and Europe, together with the constant threat of terrorism on our doorstep. As we look further afield, the continuing persecution and killing of followers of Jesus in a number of countries, (90,000 in 2016); increasing hostility amongst and between nations in Asia, the Middle East and Europe; increased hostility to Israel and the Jews, millions starving whilst nations, radical ideologies and so called religions spend billions on bombs and bullets. We could go on; we are living in extraordinary times.
Extraordinary Faith
In the midst of all that the kingdom of darkness is releasing, our strong belief is that God is ruler of the nations; that He had the first word and He will have the last word. As we go through 2017 we shall celebrate events and prophetic statements that have a significant time line. We celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, 70 years since Smith Wigglesworth prophesied the coming together of Word and Spirit that would herald a great spiritual awakening in the nation, 50 years since Jean Darnall prophesied that the light of the gospel would spread from Scotland across the UK and into Europe, 50 years since the birth of the Catholic charismatic movement. Malcolm Duncan stated that he saw in 2017 across the Church, a renewed confidence in the gospel, a deeper yearning for prayer, a fresh openness to the Holy Spirit, a revived church taking the gospel to Europe.
This year we will see an increased synergy of prayer and mission, synergy being the combined power of a group when they are working together, that is greater than the total power achieved by each working separately. That synergy or unity, will release God’s commanded blessing even life for evermore - extraordinary faith in extraordinary times.
Through Extraordinary Prayer
Prayer is the lungs of the Church. Prayer attracts the presence of God. Prayer changes spiritual climates. Faith filled prayer, persistent prayer, believing prayer, warfare prayer, prayers of thanksgiving and prayers of agreement. Prayers based on the sovereignty of Jesus, the perfectness of God and the truth of His Word releases His power and nullifies the works of the kingdom of darkness. As we pray, “Thy Kingdom come,” that darkness has to shift.
In these extraordinary times our prayer, along with yours, is that God’s breath would fill our lungs as we pour out our praise, worship, thanksgiving and requests. What an extraordinary privilege.
Ian Cole
Founder of World Prayer Centre
Thirteen terror attacks foiled in under 4 years
22 Mar 2017
Let us keep up the prayer shield for our nations and take time to thank God for every plot and scheme of the enemy that has been uncovered and stopped.
Let us never take for granted the Lord's mighty hand of protection over our nations. Sky news reported that there has been 13 terror attacks prevented over the last 4 years. They are the ones we know about - how many times has the Lord intervened on our behalf that we will never know about.
http://news.sky.com/story/thirteen-terror-attacks-foiled-in-under-four-years-10791804
STAY VIGILANT
We are looking to continue to mobilise effective informed united prayer across our nations by praying for God’s wisdom, revelation, insight and protection for:
1) Government and World Leaders.
2) Emergency Services
3) Armed forces
4) Intelligence Services
5) Media and communications
6) ISIS and others who may wish to cause danger.
7) Angelic protection for our gates, airports, ferries and ports, tunnels including the Euro tunnel, rail networks and stations, shopping centres, schools, colleges, football stadiums and other vulnerable places where many people gather together.
8) Closing of spiritual gates to violence and premature death.
9) An unprecedented move of God across our communities and nations.
Why?
1) To provide mercy and protection to reduce the danger to life and limb from attacks for our communities and nations.
2) To release a clear trumpet call to those in the valley of decision.
3) To reduce fear and hopelessness - The aim of terror is to bring fear, confusion, hatred – we stand against that in the name of Jesus because his perfect love casts out fear.
4) To bring any plots into the light before they are actioned.
5) To see the Church arise and stand united around Jesus love.
Who can pray?
1) Churches, Groups and individuals – anyone, anywhere general prayer.
How can we pray?
1) This is bigger than one network so we need to stand united to release a clear sound across all of the networks and denominations.
2) Use social media – Twitter, Facebook eg 3 simple prayer points:
a. Lord have mercy across the UK today.
b. Fill us with your love and protect us.
c. May Jesus be revealed across this land.
3) Train and equip people to pray effectively.
4) Provide prayer resources with regular updates as circumstances demand.
6) Coastlands and Gateways
7) Encourage faith and not fear by declaring Jesus victory.
Here are some scriptures you can use:
“Stand therefore...praying at all times in the spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keeping alert with perseverance.” Ephesians 6
“He neither slumbers nor sleeps ....my help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth.” He is the Lord of Hosts
“He is the head of all rule and authority” Colossians 2.16
“He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” 1 John 4:4
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.” Luke 4:18
Habakkuk 3:2 “Oh Lord. Revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.”
Jeremiah 29:7 “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper."
2 Timothy 2:1-2 “I urge, then, first of all that requests, prayer, intersession and thanksgiving be made FOR everyone FOR kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
Psalm 18:2-3 “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.”
Isaiah 53:5 “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us PEACE was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. “
Source: Coastlands & Gateways
Cybersex trafficking
22 Mar 2017
International Justice Mission is a global organisation that protects the poor from violence in the developing world. Their global team includes more than 750 lawyers, investigators, social workers, community activists and other professionals at work through 17 field offices.
Pray for IJM as they fight a new but devastating form of slavery in the Philippines: the cybersex trafficking of children. It involves the live sexual abuse of children, most under the age of 10. Before the internet, predators had to physically go to into a bar or a brothel to purchase sex. Now, paedophiles can abuse children without ever leaving their home. For this, reason, cybersex trafficking is harder to track down than traditional trafficking, as the abuse can happen anywhere there is an internet connection and a webcam, or simple a mobile phone. Find out more here.
- Pray for the IJM investigators as they work with police to locate the abuse, and that they would be able to successfully rescue and protect these children.
- Pray for the physical and emotional healing of those who’ve already been rescued, and for specialised aftercare facilities that can meet the long-term needs of both these young girls and boys.
- Pray that we would be able to catch not only the traffickers in the Philippines, but the paedophiles around the world (including from the UK), who are paying to direct the abuse.
The Way of Blessing by Roy Godwin
22 Mar 2017
NEW BOOK BY ROY GODWIN FROM FFALD-Y-BRENIN
In The Way of Blessing you are invited into a spiritual pilgrimage to the windswept hills of Wales, and to the small praying community of Ffald y Brenin, where the deaf hear, the blind see, the lost are found and the broken receive healing.
Roy reveals how God longs to bless us and has given believers the authority to bless others, and teaches how to do it. He shares how this ministry began, stories of miraculous healings, and ways you can usher God’s manifest presence into your community.
Richard's Watch
22 Mar 2017
Richard's Library is a library of prophecies and visions that have been given from 1909 to 2017. www.richards-watch.org
Christian woman refuses IS conversion demand
17 Mar 2017
Mariyam Petrayus, a blind Christian woman, was trapped under IS control in Mosul for over two years before she escaped. When IS took over territory in Iraq, it gave Christians and other religious minorities the option to convert to Islam, pay a large tax or die. Mariyam, who is now living in the Sewdinan displacement camp, recounted at least one instance in which an IS jihadist pressured her to convert to Islam. Mariyam, who is in her 50s, refused to deny Christ. ‘He told me, “Why don't you convert to Islam? Why are you Christian?” I told him that everyone is on their religion, and nobody leaves their religion.’ She also told the jihadi that she did not want to convert to Islam and be anything like him.
Sharing Christ’s love with North Koreans
17 Mar 2017
Some Christians study weather patterns over North Korea in order to choose the best time to launch helium-filled weather balloons, with a GPS transponder, carrying gospel tracts and New Testaments into the country. By including a GPS transponder, workers can track the paths and see where the precious payloads land. Another method of reaching the unreached involves radio broadcasts from South Korea. The North Korean government tries to jam signals, but frequencies are repeatedly changed and sharing the Good News continues. North Korean defectors read Scriptures over the air deliberately slowly so that listeners can write down passages of God’s Word themselves. These handwritten verses are the only Bibles that many will ever have in a nation where owning a Bible is only a dream for most. Also brave Christians hand out Bible tracts. John was detained for passing out gospel tracts in North Korea. Listen to his story by clicking the ‘More’ button.
Friday Focus: let’s get talking
17 Mar 2017
Are we prepared, alert and ready to talk about Jesus? Are we living in a way that stirs people to ask us for the reason for the hope that we have? Together as God’s people, today and every day, we have God-given opportunities to share our faith. How can we live intentionally to make the most of every opportunity? Lord, thank you that out of Your great love for us, You sent Your son, Jesus, who in turn sends us.
(Phil Timson, HOPE Youth Director)