Nigeria: Jos hit by new wave of attacks
At least 16 people have been killed in the latest violence between rival groups in central Nigeria's Plateau state, officials say. The villages of Babale and Dabwak, mostly inhabited by a Christian community, were attacked on Sunday night, the officials said. Eleven people were killed the previous night in another village, Tatu. More than 1,000 have been killed in religious and ethnic violence in Jos over the past two years. The state lies in Nigeria's so-called Middle Belt, between the mainly Muslim north and Christian south. The BBC's Ishaq Khalid in the state capital, Jos, says the violence is widely seen as religious, but there are many other factors that trigger it - including political rivalry. In the Plateau state which surrounds Jos, Hausa-speaking Muslims are seen as supporters of the opposition, while ethnic Beroms, who are mostly Christian, are perceived to favour the governing People's Democratic Party.
Pray: that God would intervene and bring peace to this troubled nation and protection for His people. (Ps.5:11)
Sudan: Gunfire erupts on tense north-south border
Heavy gunfire broke out on Tuesday in the capital of Sudan's Blue Nile border state where government soldiers have been fighting armed opposition groups, a Reuters correspondent said. Tensions have mounted in states along Sudan's poorly-defined border with South Sudan since the south declared independence in July. Thousands fled after fighting erupted last week in Blue Nile state. Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan - both states on Sudan's side of the border - and the disputed Abyei area, saw heavy fighting during decades of civil war between the Khartoum government and South Sudan. Fresh clashes have broken out in all three this year. They are all still home to tens of thousands of people from ethnic groups that
sided with the south during the civil war. Khartoum has accused people from those groups of trying to spread chaos along the border, backed by South Sudan's government - a charge denied by South Sudan.
Pray: for a resolution to this conflict bringing peace and stability to this area. (Pr.29:4)
More: http://www.france24.com/en/20110907-tension-gunfire-sudan-border-kordofan-blue-nile-south-new-state
Tanzania: Christians live in cloud of fear in Zanzibar
On Tanzania’s semi-autonomous island of Zanzibar, Christians live in a climate of fear. It’s a place where a young man flees the island to escape death threats from his Muslim family where others opt for jail, by entering a guilty plea, rather than face certain death from a furious mob. Yusuf Abdalla fled to Moshi, mainland Tanzania, after his family threatened to kill him in June. Having converted to Christianity after hearing the gospel on the radio when his family found out that he had left Islam. The beating he then received from family members left him with injuries to his head, hand and torso, as well as a serious mouth wound and substantial loss of blood, said an area pastor who requested anonymity. As soon as he had recovered enough to leave, Abdalla found refuge at the pastor’s church before fleeing to Moshi. Click on the ‘More’ link for more stories.
Pray: that God would lift the fear from His people and give them a spirit of boldness. (Act.4:29)
More: http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/tanzania/article_117316.html
Egypt: Christian billionaire seeks Egypt's presidency
The Egyptian Revolution began on January 25th of this year, marked by President Hosni Mubarak stepping down on February 11th, and still continues as a new government is formed. One of those figures who has thrown his hat in the ring to be the new president is Naguib Sawiris, a ‘billionaire telecom scion and art patron’ according to a Forbes report. Sawiris is also a Coptic Christian who has already founded a new political party known as the ‘Free Egyptian Party.’ His goal is to establish a secular democratic government in Egypt. Money certainly won't be an issue in his run for office; Sawiris is number two on the billionaire list in Egypt - his father is at the top spot. Coptic Christians in Egypt have suffered much violence and persecution especially in the last year, but Sawiris seems to be unafraid of the risks involved in seeking to be head of his country.
Pray: that God would use Sawiris to bring His light into this election and sound government. (Ez.2:6)
Surge in born again Christians since 9/11
A Barna Group study has revealed that New Yorkers are more ‘spiritually active’ today than they were immediately following the attacks of 9/11. As reported in the Christian Post, the new study says following an initial lapse, the faith of New Yorkers—‘faith’ meaning going to church, reading the Bible, praying, etc. - began to increase ‘significantly’ after September 2004. ‘Most of the change in spiritual behaviour seems to have happened since the middle of the last decade. Church participation in the New York market especially has shifted most since 2004,’ said David Kinnaman, Barna Group president. According to the report, another interesting statistic coming out of the study shows that the percentage of New York's residents who qualify as born again Christians surged from 20 percent in the late 1990s to 32 percent today. ‘The research shows that spiritual change can and does happen, even in large population centres like the New York media market,’ said Barna.
Praise: God for this growth in adversity of new believers. (1Pet.5:8-10)
More: http://www.breakingchristiannews.com/articles/display_art.html?ID=9288
Surge in born again Christians since 9/11
A Barna Group study has revealed that New Yorkers are more ‘spiritually active’ today than they were immediately following the attacks of 9/11. As reported in the Christian Post, the new study says following an initial lapse, the faith of New Yorkers—‘faith’ meaning going to church, reading the Bible, praying, etc. - began to increase ‘significantly’ after September 2004. ‘Most of the change in spiritual behaviour seems to have happened since the middle of the last decade. Church participation in the New York market especially has shifted most since 2004,’ said David Kinnaman, Barna Group president. According to the report, another interesting statistic coming out of the study shows that the percentage of New York's residents who qualify as born again Christians surged from 20 percent in the late 1990s to 32 percent today. ‘The research shows that spiritual change can and does happen, even in large population centres like the New York media market,’ said Barna.
Praise: God for this growth in adversity of new believers. (1Pet.5:8-10)
More: http://www.breakingchristiannews.com/articles/display_art.html?ID=9288
Slovakia: The beginning of huge revival
A Church in the town called Vrútky, Slovakia, offers prayers for healing to non Christian people, reports Lusi Gertliová, Liecenie press centre. A couple of months ago the church put and advertisement in the newspaper and 400 new visitors came in the first event and almost all of them were healed by the power of God. 300 of them accepted Christ as their personal Saviour and Lord. Today events called ‘Healing’ take place all around the country. There are thousands of testimonies online that could be found on www.liecenie.com. ‘Slovakia is a tiny little country in the middle of Europe. But the movement of God in this country is becoming greater and more powerful these days. We are witnesses of something miraculous that God is doing in charismatic Pentecostal churches. We can see the beginning of huge revival,’ notes Lusi Gertliová.
Praise: God for this stirring of faith through His healing power and miracles. (Ps.77:14)
Slovakia: The beginning of huge revival
A Church in the town called Vrútky, Slovakia, offers prayers for healing to non Christian people, reports Lusi Gertliová, Liecenie press centre. A couple of months ago the church put and advertisement in the newspaper and 400 new visitors came in the first event and almost all of them were healed by the power of God. 300 of them accepted Christ as their personal Saviour and Lord. Today events called ‘Healing’ take place all around the country. There are thousands of testimonies online that could be found on www.liecenie.com. ‘Slovakia is a tiny little country in the middle of Europe. But the movement of God in this country is becoming greater and more powerful these days. We are witnesses of something miraculous that God is doing in charismatic Pentecostal churches. We can see the beginning of huge revival,’ notes Lusi Gertliová.
Praise: God for this stirring of faith through His healing power and miracles. (Ps.77:14)
Please keep praying for the WPA! Your prayer support will be all-important to the planning of this event which is intended to be a “new paradigm” for an international congress—carried out Acts 13-style—incorporating listening to God, united prayer, and strategic implementation of world-impacting action that proceeds out of that encounter with the Lord and one another.
“As we come close to the opening of the NATIONAL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE 2011 here at the IMA Vision City, Hyderabad, India, on the 14th September 2011, we are awaiting with great anticipation for God’s wonderful grace, Presence, and wisdom on this conference. All those who will participate in this historic conference of mission & church leaders from around the country will set new goals in the work of mission. www.imaindia.org. We do solicit your continued earnest prayers at this time.
1. For safe travel and financial provision for all participants and resource persons and for politically peaceful atmosphere in & around Hyderabad with His glory hovering over.
2. For God’s anointing over the speakers, resource persons and all those who will be taking part and that all invitees will go back fully charged to do greater things for God in the context of discipling our nation.
Rev. Susanta Patra, General Secretary, India Missions Association (Serving Missions and Churches to fulfill God’s Vision)
Eastern India Prayer and Harvest Network
North East India Harvest Network is committed to mobilize intercessors and church planters within India and the neighbouring countries since 2000 AD with many milestones already as a result of God’s answer to united and strategic prayer initiatives:
1. After 40 days of fasting and prayer initiative – joined by more than 700 Churches and Prayer groups – revival broke out in Mizoram and the neighbouring states of eastern India resulting in the salvation and renewal of thousands of people.
2. So many prayer mountains, prayers groups had been raised up in NE India through the efforts to network and specifically focus on “Transformational Prayers” for revival in the Churches and healing of the land.
3. We are connected with national and international prayer networks like NPN, GDOP, WIN, etc. and facilitate them to connect with others. Many missionaries are now doing cross-cultural mission works in South and South East Asia and Africa as a result of these partnerships.
4. This year our slogan is “Celebrate a Million More” as we begin to praying for a million more intercessors and a million more new believers to harvest by 2012.
5. We are focused on Bengali and Assamese people. Church planting movement is going on. January this year, 1,420 new believers were baptized, and last month 725 were baptized again while 520 are waiting to be baptized this month.
God has given us Isaiah 54:2-4 for this year – A year of expansion and multiplication! Praise the Lord!
Blessings,
PC