Sweden: Riots spread beyond Stockholm
Police reinforcements were deployed to Stockholm on Friday to help quell unrest as rioting continued for a sixth straight night, spreading beyond the Swedish capital. (See Prayer Alert 21-2013) A nearly week-long spate of rioting spread outside Stockholm on Friday but authorities said police reinforcements sent to the Swedish capital had reduced the violence there, even though dozens of youths set cars and a recycling station ablaze. The rioting - set off earlier this month by the police shooting of a 69-year-old man - continued for a sixth night in mainly poor immigrant areas in Stockholm. The rioting has exposed a fault-line between a well-off majority and a minority - often young people with immigrant backgrounds - who are poorly educated, cannot find work and feel pushed to the edge of society. Two cars were torched in Stockholm but the city appeared to have had its calmest night since the trouble began.
Pray: for a solution to this problem and that the way of peace will be found. (2Tim.2:22)
More: http://www.france24.com/en/20130525-sweden-riots-spread-beyond-stockholm
NIGERIA: Christians condemn cold-blooded murder of a British hero
Part of a press statement by the Overseas Fellowship of Nigerian Christians based in England sent commiserations to the family of Drummer Lee Rigby stating, ‘Our prayers are with Amy Rigby, their young son, wider family and friends as they grapple with this dastardly act. May our good LORD comfort them in their sorrows. This cowardly and cold-blooded murder of a British icon in the locale of an established military base was intended to strike fear into our hearts and break the bands that unite us as a peaceful nation. This is characteristic of the violent agenda of the proselytized adherents of these fringe groups in their grandiose belief that such carnage and unjustifiable acts glorify a just and merciful God. We utterly deplore the barbaric actions of these unscrupulous individuals who would not hesitate to invoke darkness on their motherland on the altar of self-glorification. We are deeply saddened at the recent revelation that the perpetrators are British of Nigerian extraction.’ For the full press release click the more button
Pray: for divine intervention and human vigilance to defeat the agents of terrorism. (Ps.77:14)
Global: Media reporting
Two men engaged in a horrific act of violence on the streets of London by using a meat cleaver to hack to death a British soldier. The assailants shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ and a video showing one of the assailants citing Islam as well as a desire to avenge and stop UK violence against Muslims spread across media outlets. Also last week, a disturbing video made the social media rounds showing an armed Syrian rebel dismembering a dead Syrian government soldier’s body, extracting an organ and taking a bite out of it while saying, ‘We swear to Allah that we will eat your hearts and livers, you soldiers of Bashar the dog.’ We’ve seen this before with a bloody beheadings of Daniel Pearl and hundreds of others. We’ve seen the lynching of Israeli soldiers by men who then held up their blood-drenched hands in celebration.
Pray: for government implemented media blocks on articles that encourage further acts of terrorism. (Ps.2:1-7) Pray for families of victims of terrorist crimes as they become ‘to-days news.’ (Ps.17:8)
More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/may/23/woolwich-attack-terrorism-blowback
Iran: Government arrests Pastor, closes Assemblies Of God Church
On 21st May Robert Asserian, pastor of Assemblies of God (AoG) church in Tehran, was arrested while leading a prayer meeting and the church has now been closed by government officials. ‘These incidents appear to be an attempt to stop worship services from being conducted in Farsi, the language of the majority of Iranians,’ said the general superintendent of the AoG in the United States. Before his arrest authorities raided Pastor Asserian’s home and confiscated his computer and books. His arrest is part of an intensifying campaign against the AoG and other recognized churches. Iranian Christians request our continued prayer that: a. Pastor Robert will know the presence and peace of Jesus, and that he will be released soon. b. Church leaders will know the Spirit's wisdom, especially concerning public acts of worship. c. The pressure against churches will relent and services in Farsi will be permitted.
Pray: for all detained because of their Christian faith and activities. May they know the closeness of Jesus daily. For many more officials involved to love mercy, act justly, learn about Jesus and choose to follow Him. (Mic.6:8)
Eritrea 1: The forgotten prisoners
Incarcerated in metal shipping containers with extreme temperature changes; forbidden to pray aloud, sing, preach or have a Bible; tortured to make them recant their faith, these are the extremely harsh conditions that Christians in Eritrea experience in prison. Some torture victims died because they were denied medical care. The country is among the world’s worst persecutors of Christians. Many have been detained in mass arrests for being part of a congregation or prayer meeting. The majority are held without formal charges, legal counsel, or allowed to see their families. A year ago 35 Christians were arrested and taken to notoriously harsh Adi-Nefase prison camp. They are still there. Christians conscripted to serve as soldiers can be imprisoned for attending prayer meetings and receive severe punishments for possessing a Bible. The mass arrests are a consequence of the government regarding Christians as a threat to national unity because they give their ultimate allegiance to God.
Pray: for those held in metal shipping containers to be strengthened. Pray for those Eritrean Christians who have managed to escape and share their stories with the West (see next item) (Ps.40:1-2)
More: http://barnabasfund.org/Help-and-hope-for-persecuted-Eritrean-Christian-refugees.html
Eritrea 2: Persecuted Eritrean Christian refugees
Kidnapped; raped; starved; tortured; jailed; are experiences of many Eritrean Christians who flee persecution in their homeland and suffer unimaginable horrors in their quest for freedom. As they make the dangerous journey across the Sinai deserts in a bid for safety in Israel many are captured by people traffickers. The Christian detainees are subjected to horrendous abuse, and huge ransom payments are demanded from their families for their release. Others are arrested and imprisoned in Egypt where they face similar violations and deprivation. Among them is Merhawi (17) who was transferred from one group of traffickers to another. The third group in Sinai tortured him mercilessly leaving him with permanent scarring all over his body. Merhawi’s family paid US$30,000 for his release, having already paid US$5,000 to each of the two other groups. Merhawi managed to get to Cairo, where he met fellow Eritreans who took him to Christians who arranged urgent medical treatment and a safe house.
Pray: for his full recovery, for the Christian ministries throughout the Middle East which are helping hundreds of persecuted Christians. (Ps.40:3)
More: http://barnabasfund.org/Help-and-hope-for-persecuted-Eritrean-Christian-refugees.html
Israel: Iran nuclear; Syria chemical; Hezbollah rockets
Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman said Iran was moving at a ‘crazy pace’ toward obtaining a nuclear weapon and he hoped Israel would be able to make the correct decisions. He also said there was no doubt Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had used chemical weapons and the international community had done nothing while 90,000 people were massacred. He noted Hezbollah has missiles that can reach anywhere in Israel and expressed concern about a situation in which any terrorist group could strike Israel. The Strategic Affairs Minister said Israel was not ruling out any scenario in the Syrian civil war, including a victory by the Assad regime and warned that the S-300 anti-aircraft system that Russia plans to sell to Syria could potentially be used to shoot down civilian aircraft over Tel Aviv. Israel has not publicly taken sides in the Syrian conflict but it has launched air strikes inside Syria to destroy weapons it believed were destined for Hezbollah, which is allied with Assad.
Pray: for those in authority to be God fearing and recognize that they are accountable to Him for each decision and action. (Pr.9:10)
More: http://www.worthynews.com/top/israelhayom-com-site-newsletter_article-php-id-9579/
Pakistan: What Nawaz Sharif's win means for Pakistan's neighbours
Nawaz Sharif's victory at the polls is welcomed by countries in the region hoping for a more stable Pakistan. Much will depend on how effectively he is able to work with the Pakistani army. As prime minister in the 1990s he made genuine efforts towards peace with India but was thwarted by an aggressive and uncompromising army. General Kayani is due to step down at the end of the year and a new army chief may well be able to end the years of acrimony between Mr Sharif and the army. Pakistan's traditional allies in the West are unlikely to offer Islamabad much in the way of financial bailout to the bankrupt economy, however India could play a major role in reviving the economy as a potential investor. The withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan through the Pakistani city of Karachi next year could end Afghan hostilities if Pakistan plays its role in forcing the Taliban to the peace table.
Pray: that Mr Sharif will be able to work with the army and end Pakistan's tolerance of extremism. (Ps.46:9)
PRAY WITH YOUR CHURCH, ASSEMBLE IN PUBLIC PLACES, GATHER IN HOMES OR SECRET PLACES
United by a Prayer for the World, Christians from all over the world, from different cultures and denominations, from many diverse streams will gather in their homes, or where appropriate, assemble in stadiums, public auditoriums and open squares, and many will devote portions of their Sunday morning Service to united prayer.
Some meetings will be small. Others will be large, but each one will be praying with the same vision of repentance and hope. As at the first Pentecost, we’ll worship God openly in Christ’s name and pray for the healing and blessings of the nations. As much as possible, we are seeking to gather in places beyond the walls of our church buildings.
On this day we are all praying WITH the world as we pray FOR the world.
A New Season Global Day of Prayer – Promotional Video on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4FFKLgBCFo
To unite in Prayer with Christians from across the globe, we request every observance to use “A Prayer for the World” during their gathering.
http://www.globaldayofprayer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/1.-Prayer-for-the-World.pdf
We finished the trumpet wake-up call in January. Turkey was the nation number 50 and the last in Europe. Below you can read that the vision grows and we start to go to the continents… So the message spreads out in the German-speaking world. And now we produced also a new professional English version (sound the trumpet see below) to give it in international meetings to brothers and sisters.
It is important that people know that God is at work in Europe! We have some awesome testimonies as to what is happening in some nations after we blow the trumpets and prayed together with brothers and sisters from there. For example: In Greece (northern part), some ministries and local churches gave more than 100,000 Bibles to the people. In Spain, trough a nationwide evangelistic campaign, more then 10,000 people came to Christ!! In the Balkan nations, the prayer leaders come together. Also in the north and south region of Europe, God brought pastors and prayer leaders together, and I was a part of some awesome meetings. This is only a very quick report that God is doing his work on this continent in all the darkness. And this is just the beginning. Hope you will help to make it public as an encouragement for us all.
I will thank You, Lord, above all the nations of the world!
Hallelujah! Praise and glory be to our great God. It is finished! And our hearts are full of wonderment and thankfulness. In March 2010 we had our first meeting in Basel, where we proclaimed God’s message and blew the trumpets. On 27th January 2013, we did the same in Turkey. Between these two dates we have been able to travel to all 50 European countries to deposit God’s Word and together with our brothers and sisters there blow the two trumpets. God gave us many wonderful moments of fellowship. And a good portion of protection! Also time and again, God provided for us through friends like you so that we were able to travel to all the nations either by car or plane, to carry out that which He had said that we should do. Please look on our website. www.verein-abraham.ch
Thank you, dear Father!
An now the task continues…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao9alAQ__A8&feature=youtu.be
Blow the trumpets on all continents!
We have often been asked on our travels by different brothers and sisters: “What about the other countries? Shouldn’t they also hear this message and the trumpets?“
We passed on these questions to God and believe we have received the following answer from Him: The trumpets should be blown on every continent, as before, with brothers and sisters from their respective countries. They should be blown in the north, south, east and west parts of each continent.
As we realised the implications of this new task, we were intrigued to see how the initiative is seamlessly continuing.
In Turkey we finished the first task for Europe! There, we have started this new initiative to the continents! The largest part of this country is part of Asia. It is the most western part of the Asian continent. And therefore, we blew the trumpets out from the west over the continent of Asia. Blow the trumpets in and from Switzerland over Europe and the whole world!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao9alAQ__A8&feature=youtu.be
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.