The IPC Needs Your Help!
“God does nothing on earth except in answer to believing prayer.”- John Wesley
“History belongs to the intercessors, who believe the future into being.”- Walter Wink
Dear Friends and Supporters of the International Prayer Movement,
Over the last 25 years, it has been a deep privilege for me and my colleagues to witness how the Lord responds to united prayer, often in the most hopeless situations of war and human suffering. During those years, through national prayer initiatives in 60 countries, involving Christian leaders coming together across the denominational spectrum, we have seen God bring an end to eight wars and ethnic conflicts, bring about governments of national unity between former enemies, ignite revival in Christ’s church, and other amazing social transformations. Participants have repented of corporate sin, gotten reconciled with one another, and prayed in one accord, with their lives deeply impacted forever. A few of these initiatives and what happened were recorded in the book, The Peacemaking Power of Prayer, published in the year 2000. But since then, we have seen the Lord do far, far more.
Though not a “prayer guy” in most of the earlier years of ministry, I have become convinced that there is no social or world problem that the Lord cannot solve if His people will take Him at His promise: “If my people will humble themselves, pray, seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chron. 7:14)
Now, the International Prayer Connect (also called International Prayer Council) at this pivotal time in history will be conducting three international prayer initiatives for the most troubled and challenging region of the world--the Middle East. In Dubai, United Arab Emirates (Feb. 18-21), 600 participants from 60 churches composed of scores of nationalities who are guest workers there will come together to seek His face for the UAE and the region as our team speaks and facilitates. In Turkey (May 18-21), 800 Turks, Korean missionaries and other nationalities will join together to pray for His breakthrough in this one of the most unreached nations and for the wider region. In addition, at the end of May, through local partners, the IPC is in the process of planning an interethnic and interdenominational prayer initiative for Israel. This initiative will bring ministry leaders together, hopefully to overcome the ever-present and tragic disunity based on political affiliation. We will also pray for the wider region that hates and wants to destroy this “apple of God’s eye”.
Our largest project for 2016 will be the World Youth Prayer Assembly in South Korea. The UPRISING (www.unitedprayerrising.com) as its youthful planners are calling it will bring together up to 2500 youth and young adults from every region of the world to encounter the Lord and one another, July 26-30. They will not only pray, worship and deliberate together, focusing on the issues of our world, but also be mentored by senior ministry leaders from all walks of life, developing life-long relationships and getting guidance on the unique mission God has for each of them. We hope to see the Lord raise up a new generation of Christian leaders through this initiative that will involve them becoming “agents of transformation” in their own countries by mobilizing their peers. Then, as this process builds nation by nation, up to one million from this under-35 generation will gather in Indonesia in 2018 for another such assembly that God will use to inspire and activate a global movement of young world-changers for Christ.
In my capacity as chairman of the IPC, I am also working with others in the American prayer movement to put on a second National Prayer Assembly for the USA, Oct. 27-28, in Washington, D.C. It will bring together ministry leaders from across the nation to cry out to God for His healing of America with the very challenging issues we face and especially for our national election in November.
I am writing to ask if you would please consider joining us not only in prayer but also with financial support to undergird these 2016 initiatives. God provided funding in amazing ways for the World Prayer Assembly that the IPC organized with enormous help from the Indonesian prayer movement in 2012. Now, we need another miracle of His provision for all of this to take place. Would you please prayerfully consider giving and/or connecting us with others who have the capacity to give generously? Each of these initiatives in the hands of the Lord have the potential to change the history of nations and our world. Would you please partner with us to see our world impacted for Jesus Christ through united prayer and the raising up of a new generation of leaders for the generations to come?
Our budget for this year will be as follows:
1) Three national/regional prayer initiatives for the Middle East - costs for travel, accommodation and other expenses for our ministry teams - $21,000
2) The UPRISING: World Youth Prayer Assembly- $679,000 (please see the breakdown of costs in the attached sheet). We would also like to see funds come in for partial travel subsidies for worthy youth and young adults who need this assistance so an additional amount is included for that.
Thanks for your prayers and also for any financial assistance you or others you know may be able to provide.
Every blessing in Christ,
John Robb
Chairman, International Prayer Connect
International Facilitator, World Prayer Assembly 2012
Donating to IPC Through PayPal
PayPal is an online banking service that can receive donations from over 30 currencies worldwide through automatic draft and credit cards. It is safe and secure. International Prayer Connect is a non-profit ministry funded through the Transformation Prayer Foundation and relies on individual donations to keep the work going. If you are willing to provide support, please click below. Thank you for your sacrificial gift to IPC! Click Here to Donate
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On Tuesday, justice secretary Michael Gove said his Christian faith informs his prison policies, telling critics, ‘I believe in redemption’. He was rejecting criticism from Philip Davies, who sits on the justice committee. ‘It's because I’m a Conservative I believe in the rule of law as the foundation stone of our civilisation. It's because I'm a Conservative I believe that evil must be punished. But it's because I'm a Conservative and a Christian that I believe in redemption. The purpose of our prison system is to keep people safe by making people better.’ Since May he has removed the ban on prisoners receiving books and also scrapped the criminal courts charge. He has also ditched a ministry of justice contract that would have meant the UK government was involved in constructing Saudi Arabian prisons.
‘Many Beautiful Things’ is a film about Lilias Trotter, an accomplished artist who gave up her most cherished dream as one of history’s greatest female artists to pursue her life’s true calling as a missionary in Algeria. The film makes its debut on 6 February in Washington DC, USA, with theatrical screenings taking place around the country between 7 and 14 February. The film will be available for download and DVD from March. It features the voices of Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey) and John Rhys-Davies (The Lord of the Rings) and introduces viewers to an extraordinary woman of faith who caught the eye of an art critic who promised she would become the world’s greatest living painter - but only if she gave herself completely to her art. Trotter refused. She believed God was calling her down a different path, and resolved to ‘seek first the Kingdom of God’ by becoming a missionary in Algeria.
Germany: police and internal security
29 Jan 2016
240,000 police take care of the internal security of Germany, upholding public order and playing an important role in maintaining the trust of citizens and ensuring their safety. The influx of large numbers of refugees presents a huge challenge for the police and calls for much sensitivity and intuition. They quickly come under criticism and seldom get recognition for their service. They are exposed daily to attacks and are themselves frequently victims of crime. There is an increasing lack of respect from the public. Criticising the state and complaining about officials is now perfectly acceptable in social circles. Because of the shortage of personnel the police cannot always adequately respond to demands. Consequently danger is rising in cities and crime goes unpunished with a state of lawlessness. Upholding the law is a major challenge. Every loss of control leads to public unease. Please pray for respect for the police, and for their work to be restored. (2Pe.2:9-10)
Sweden: adults posing as ‘refugee children’?
29 Jan 2016
Back in July 2015 the Gatestone Institute reported that the fastest growing refugee group in Sweden is the so-called unaccompanied refugee children. The number of children seeking asylum has exploded because children are granted asylum quicker than adults, and Sweden cannot always verify the age of these ‘children’. Refugees are allowed to bring their entire family to Sweden once they get residency status - even if they claimed to be alone in the world when they arrived. This week a 'child refugee' has been arrested, accused of murdering Swedish aid worker, Alexandra Mezher, at a shelter for unaccompanied young asylum seekers. Although claiming he is only 15, he is suspected of being an adult posing as an orphan. Alexandra is said to have earlier warned that she was caring for 'big powerful guys' aged up to 24. Miss Mezher's mother said 'orphans' at the centre often lied about their age. See also:
Storm Gertrude: thousands without power
29 Jan 2016
The Atlantic storm system brought winds gusting up to 130km/h to Northern Ireland and Ireland. Ten thousand homes and businesses were left without power after being battered by heavy winds. Road travel has been affected by fallen trees and debris while there has also been disruption to air and sea routes. In Scotland Gertrude has caused similar travel disruption: one landslide led to a 154-mile diversion. The Met Office has issued amber ‘be prepared’ and yellow ‘be aware’ warnings for Scotland and large parts of the rest of the UK with more than forty flood warnings covering areas across Scotland. Seven thousand homes across the north of Scotland have lost electricity supplies. The Met Office said the amber warning for wind across Shetland will later be upgraded to red, with gusts of 100mph expected. See also:
Over 33,000 former soldiers are thought to suffer from illnesses related to their service. The illnesses come under the title of ‘Gulf War Syndrome’ and include chronic fatigue, headaches, sleep disturbances, joint pains, irritable bowel, stomach disorders, respiratory disorders and psychological problems. The British Legion said that too little was known about the condition and the Government should fund more research into it. The Ministry of Defence said it was always open to new research proposals, but the overwhelming consensus of the scientific and medical community is that the range of symptoms is too broad for this ill-health to be characterised as a syndrome in medical terms. More than 60% of the 50,000 members of the armed forces deployed in 1991 now suffer from illnesses related to the conflict. Nearly 10,000 receive a war pension, the only financial aid any ex-service personnel with an illness due to service can get.
No home for persecuted Pakistani Christians
29 Jan 2016
At present there are only a handful of Pakistani lawyers in the UK, and many Pakistani Christians desperately need shelter and refuge in Britain. The suffering of Pakistan’s Christian minority is well documented, but people are not aware of the tragic way in which many of those who muster up the courage to seek refuge in the West are turned away at the door. There is a need for the Pakistani church in Britain to work in tandem with the church in Pakistan to ensure that members of their flock know in advance what support is available for them from the church and where they can turn upon arrival in a foreign and bewildering land. For many, their poor English makes receiving guidance from a British advisor a daunting challenge. Even if they are able to find a fellow Pakistani to assist them, the advisors tend to be Muslims and so the problem of distrust arises.