Pray Network Forum

Did you hear the response yesterday when the Democratic moderator at their convention asked for a vote as to whether they would reinstate God into the party platform? A significant part of the crowd voted with a rousing "YES!"  However, a group that sounded just as large boomed a resounding "NO."  As the cameras moved in on those voting negatively we saw people standing and waving their arms as they seemed to be defiantly saying, "We don't want God's name even mentioned in our policies."

Now to be honest, it should not be surprising when ungodly people act ungodly. What is more troubling is how many people were so overt about their disapproval of even recognizing God. How sad to think that in our country there are enough people who want to debate this issue. There have no doubt always been people in our culture who would disavow God's existence or importance. But today it appears to becoming more and more of the "in" thing. It's popular, progressive and cutting edge now.

That's one of many reasons why I hope we who love God and follow Christ will do more this election season than just utter a few "God bless the election" prayers. First of all, we need to vote, but we must also pray. Let me suggest ten things to have on your prayer list, things I hope we might consider starting to pray for soon, maybe even for a biblical forty days starting September 27th or so.

1. Pray for the election results to bring God glory.

2. Pray for the truth to be prominent and win out over falsehood.

3. Pray that whatever the results Christians will be energized to stand for Christ, remain compassionate and learn to trust God more deeply.

4. Pray for Christian leaders in government to stand strong and firm and to remain committed to leading like Jesus.

5. Pray that our public arena will continue to welcome the mention of God, freedom of religion and fair dialogue about the role of faith in our country.

6. Pray for a harvest of decisions for Christ and the election of more Christians and moral leaders to public office.

7. Pray for a reduction of our debt and a new commitment to wise spending and use of our resources.

8. Pray for the safety of our country from terrorism and an ongoing development of military protection and readiness.

9. Pray for the churches of America to remain focused on their mission to go into their communities and all the world with the Gospel and its message of compassion.

10. Pray for heart change towards God in the current administration and leadership of our country.

Add your own items but let's commit to pray together this year. It will probably matter more than we even think.

Do you care about what is happening in the world today regarding Israel? Would you like to do more but feel you cannot? Well NOW there are 

THREE ways you can right from your cell phone!

First, The Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem (DPPJ) now has a FREE Mobile App  where you can find all the information you need about resources, becoming a prayer leader or joining us through text prayers.

This works on ALL Web-Enabled Phones and on Smart Phones!

To get the App, simply scan the QR Code

to the left or just open the browser on your

phone and go to www.daytoprayapp.org

Second, through the services of Greater Calling, you can join believers around the world in praying for the DPPJ work and workers during the critical 30 days leading up to October 7th.

Receive daily texts that cover the important prayer needs of this global prayer movement and the critical events concerning Israel during the month of  September. 

Just text  DPPJ to 59769 and starting September 7th, begin receiving your daily TEXT with a new prayer need each day to fuel intercession for the DPPJ work, its leaders, and its many workers around the world.

Third- Join &/or Lead Prayer on the DPPJ 24 Hour Prayer Call!

We praise God that once again we can join our prayers with Christian brothers and sisters from every tongue, tribe, and nation, throughout the entire 24 hours of The  Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem - October 7th - on the DPPJ 24 Hour Prayer Conference Call. Through the Teleconferencing Prayer Ministry  Greater Calling, we can gather together from every continent and every time zone in a "cyberspace" prayer room. to intercede for the many needs of God's Holy Land and ALL of her people.

The number people will dial to participate in the Prayer Conference Call is 1-712-432-0075 and the Access Code is 7739242#. This unique prayer room is open from 12 Midnight EST (US), October 7th until 11:50 PM EST (US) October 7th.

People can call anytime during the 24 hours and stay on the line as long as they would like. There will be prayer leaders to facilitate. If you volunteer to be a prayer leader, you will receive training, resources, and appropriate Scriptures to lead intercession on your chosen prayer topic. Sign up now to lead a one hour prayer watch during this strategic time.

The dial-in number is a toll number and can be reached from anywhere in the world. To connect for FREE, simple use your cell phone where minutes are generally free and unlimited on weekends, or use a VOIP service like Skype to use your computer as a telephone.

We look forward to praying with you on October 7th during The Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem. Remember, God blesses those who bless Israel (Gen. 12:3) and prospers those who love her ( Psalm 122:6).

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 175 | Wed 05 Sep 2012

SAUDI ARABIA: CONVERT FLEES; HELPERS TO FACE COURT
- Interpol and Swedish authorities aid Saudi Embassy to hunt convert

by Elizabeth Kendal

Since late July Saudi media have been buzzing with reports that a 28-year-old Saudi woman has embraced Christianity and fled the country, staying initially in a church in Lebanon before moving on to Sweden. According to the Saudi Gazette, the woman, Maryam, appeared on an Arabic TV channel saying she was tired of performing prayers and fasting during Ramadan - rituals that never brought her any benefit. She also criticised Saudi Arabia's Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. She claimed that she was raised to hate Judaism and Christianity but fell in love with the religions after she found peace in Christianity. She said she had been converted through a dream.

The woman's father said his daughter was working in an insurance company in Al-Khobar (in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province) when her boss, a Lebanese Christian man, influenced her and ultimately encouraged her to leave Islam. According to Saudi investigators, a second man, a Saudi national, helped the woman obtain false documents and leave the country. The woman's family have pressed charges against the two men because apostasy (leaving Islam) is an Islamic capital offence and a Saudi woman is not allowed to get a passport without the permission of her male guardian. The men will face court on Saturday 15 September.

Prosecuting lawyer, Humood Al-Khaldi, said that whilst the penalty in Islam of death for apostasy is clear, 'the roles played by the two men, the Saudi and Lebanese, in making the girl become Christian should be taken into consideration'. He said the court must ensure first whether the woman 'was coerced into converting to Christianity and fleeing the country'. According to Gulf News, 'Most Saudis reacting to the Khobar woman saga . . . have been calling for stringent action against the Lebanese and Saudi nationals for their alleged roles in the case, claiming that they were "well aware of the consequences of their act".'

Domestically, the totalitarian Wahhabist Saudi regime will be keen to perpetuate its lie that Saudi Arabian citizens are 100 percent Muslim and that the land of the two holy mosques could never produce Saudi Arabian Christians! Consequently it will be imperative that the Saudi woman, Maryam, be deemed to have been emotionally unbalanced and coerced and/or kidnapped - anything but converted. Likewise the Saudi man must be deemed to be an opportunistic criminal - anything but a sympathiser.

Saudi media are sparing no effort to influence public opinion. Whilst initial reports described Maryam as a 28-year-old professional, later reports simply describe her as a 'girl'. (One article stated she is 17.) According to the Saudi Gazette, Maryam's conversion was nothing more than that of a 'girl' forming an 'emotional attachment to a Christian young man'. In other words, her act was emotional, not rational. It also claimed the 'girl' rejected Islamic rituals only because she had not been properly taught to understand and appreciate them - her action was based on ignorance, not reason. The Saudi Arabic daily Al Youm claimed Maryan had contacted them, denying she had appeared on television, maintaining she is still a Muslim and requesting help to return home. According to Gulf News, Maryam's family has suggested she may be 'a victim of an international organisation trafficking in people'.

On 2 September the Saudi Gazette reported that 'Interpol is co-ordinating with the Saudi Embassy in Stockholm and Swedish authorities to return the girl to her homeland before her "kidnappers" move her to another country'. The embassy reportedly has started a search for the woman, with the aid of Swedish authorities.

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT THE LORD WILL -

* break the chains of fear and darkness that keep the hearts and minds of Saudi Arabs shackled to an Islamic Jesus who cannot save while the biblical Jesus is waiting to show grace. ' . . . you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.' (John 8:32)

* work powerfully in and through Henna Sarkees, the Lebanese, and his Saudi colleague when they face the court in Al-Khobar on Saturday 15 September; may this trial be redeemed for the glory of the LORD. (Pray through Matthew 10:16-20 and 26-33.)

* protect Maryam from a forced return to Saudi Arabia where, as an apostate, she may well face violent retribution, even death.


SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE

SAUDI ARABIAN CONVERT FLEES; HELPERS TO FACE COURT

In late July Saudi media reported that a Saudi woman named Maryam (28) had illegally both embraced Christianity and fled the country. Her family have charged two men - a Lebanese and a Saudi national - with complicity in her conversion and escape. The men will face court on 15 September. Whilst a woman claiming to be Maryam told an Arabic TV channel that she was converted through a dream and has found peace in Christianity, Saudi media maintain it is all either fraud or coercion. The woman's family has suggested she is a victim of human traffickers. Interpol is reportedly coordinating with the Saudi Embassy in Stockholm and Swedish authorities to find and return the 'girl' before her 'kidnappers' can move her to another country. Please pray.


To view this RLPB with hyperlinks, visit the Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin blog at

http://rlprayerbulletin.blogspot.com


We suggest that churches and fellowships using the above Summary might also provide a copy of the listed prayer points to be used in their worship by people who are leading in prayer.

For more information, updates and helpful links see Elizabeth Kendal's blog 'Religious Liberty Monitoring'

http://elizabethkendal.blogspot.com

Previous RLPBs may be viewed at http://rlprayerbulletin.blogspot.com

This RLPB was written for the Australian Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission (AEA RLC) by Elizabeth Kendal, an international religious liberty analyst and advocate, and a member of the AEA RLC team.

If this bulletin was forwarded to you, you may receive future weekly issues direct by sending a blank email to

<join-rlpb@hub.xc.org>.

I’m always challenged (if not always happy) when someone invites me to speak, then, after I’ve accepted, gives me the subject of my presentation.  A friend recently invited me to preach in his absence at the church where he is Pastor and assigned me a theme, for which I was both happily challenged and appreciative. The theme for the month was, “Power of a Whisper.”  We decided I would preach on the subject, “When God Whispers.”  Robert Browning raised the fact of God whispering when he wrote (Abt Vogler): “God has a few of us whom He whispers in the ear. . .”  But do you know of any occasion in the Bible where God ever whispered to anyone?  Granted, it’s an assumption, but I’ve recently been to two funerals and was reminded how, in the presence of death, people talk low, like in a whisper, unlike at normal worship services, where Americans, at least, enter and depart rather loudly. The Old Testament book of Joshua begins with the words, “After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua . . .” (Joshua 1:1). Could these words from the Lord have been spoken to Joshua in a whisper?  There’s no way of knowing for sure, but its close enough for a sermon text.  Has God ever whispered to you? The sermon comes up later this month so I could still use a couple of good illustrations.  My experience is that the best sermon illustrations come from those who listen to sermons, rather than from those who deliver them.  Help anyone?

You can read more of Dr. Dan's writings at www.discipleallnations.org/blog and even subscribe to Dr. Dan's Monday Morning Manna, delivered free via E-mail every Monday morning.

For two years, a handful of members at my church have gathered for prayer in our Lighthouse Prayer Chapel during at least one weekend service. Every weekend, we lay down our own agenda and life’s general busyness, and pursue one thing. We ask God to be increasingly present and powerful in Kentwood Community Church (KCC). ministries and services. We ask Him to reveal Himself, and lead the services to a deeper experience of his purpose, presence and power.  (see Jer. 29.11-13)  Without God, our efforts at ministry fall flat. There’s not one heart we can change, one life that can be lifted, or one program that will be successful without the Power of God through is Holy Spirit, and the Word of God guiding us in truth.

Most KCC’ers, and many believers haven’t experienced an extended prayer time. The idea of praying together in a group for 70 - 90 minutes is intimidating and unknown. At the same time, we mentally agree that praying together for the church ministries is a good thing. Prayer is something that ‘somebody’ should do. This reminds me of a poem I heard somewhere long ago.

The Parable of Responsibility  

Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody came to church one Sunday.

There was an important job to do and Everybody was asked to do it.

Everybody was sure that Somebody would take up the challenge.

Anybody would have done it, but in the end Nobody did it.

Somebody got angry because it was Everybody’s job.

Everybody thought Anybody would do it, but Nobody realized that Anybody wouldn’t do it.

In the end, Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

We started the Outlet Prayer Ministry to end Everybody’s, Somebody’s Nobody’s and Anybody’s dilemma when it comes to prayer. Jesus encourages us all to pray.

• He set the example for us to follow.
• He chided his followers when they couldn’t minister to others because of their lack of prayer.
• He longed for their support in the Garden, asked them to come along with Him.
• He lamented when they couldn’t pray just an hour with Him.

Jesus promised power, and positive results when we follow his example, accept his invitation, and then follow through by laying down our agenda, and spending time in prayer. Maybe your church could establish the same kind of prayer group. I would love to know what you think about this idea.

The Lord is bringing me into a season with something I battle with all the time...Need prayer this is going to be a  long journey ....Lord I ask that you get me through this

Why Leaders Today Need Holy Testosterone

The stress on Christian leaders in America is seldom the result of overt persecution. Sadly, most of us have not been enough of a threat to anyone to be persecuted.

Instead, the stress comes primarily from the daily wear and tear of babysitting self-absorbed believers who are more concerned about their own needs than about the gospel. Having chosen to babysit rather than confront, emasculated leaders find themselves increasingly frustrated with a ministry typified by spinning of wheels instead of changing of lives.

Those with crushed testicles not only are crippled from leading, they also are disabled from reproducing. Like eunuchs, their castration prevents them from having normal “intercourse” and raising up a new generation of leaders. Amazingly, this lack of spiritual reproduction has become accepted as normal by many who are in leadership today. Losing sight of the clear biblical mandate to equip new leaders, many leaders have become content to have no spiritual offspring.

Be clear on this: It is not a sin to have been crushed. But it is a sin to wallow in an impotent condition, not letting God heal us and restore our courage to lead and reproduce.

After listing the traits that would disqualify a person from the priesthood, God concludes Leviticus 21 with this word of encouragement: “I am the Lord who sanctifies them” (v. 23). This means that no matter what condition you find yourself in today, God is committed to help and heal you if you let Him.

Take heart! Today there can be a whole new beginning for your leadership journey.

On the Wednesday morning of Isaac’s landfall into Louisiana, I prayed. Not for judgment and destruction. Not for God’s wrath against New Orleans to be displayed. I prayed that God would be merciful and that the distraught people, whose lives were in one way or another affected by the hurricane would turn to Him with all their hearts and find strength through faith in Christ. Desiring calamity and retribution upon others for their sin, regardless of the nature and enormity, is not the heart of God and exposes a wrong spirit. In the Old Testament, the prophet Jonah displayed unrighteous anger towards God and the people of Ninevah when he was commanded the second time to preach judgment to Israel’s fierce enemies. He knew that if they repented of their evil, God would forgive them. Jonah wanted them annihilated. That was not the heart of God. In the New Testament, Jesus rebuked James and John, His own faithful disciples when they requested to call down fire upon the Samaritans to which Jesus replied, “You don’t know what spirit you are of”.  In other words, that was not His Spirit working in them, but the devil’s. We need to be careful not to play God’s advocate, in the sense that we know how He should act towards those we detest. In Christ’s parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10, both the priest and the Levite passed by the wounded traveller as he lay dying on the Jericho road, assaulted by thieves. It was a despised Samaritan who showed compassion and came to the helpless man’s aid. Perhaps their religious minds convinced them that “He must have got what he deserved, sinner that he is!”

Years ago, when I would read the account of David and Nathan the prophet, who finally confronted the King of his covered up sin with Bathsheba, I read it imagining that fire and brimstone were pouring out of Nathan’s nostrils as he pronounced God’s judgment against David’s wickedness with lightning bolts shooting out from his smoking mouth. I saw him absolutely hostile, red in the face and full of rage in his fierce indictment, “Thou art the man!” Thank God, I don’t believe that anymore. Psalm 145:8 reveals God’s true heart and nature towards sinful man. “The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy”. And so once again, with Isaac, mercy triumphed over judgment. I believe the prayers of God’s people had much to do with the reprieve of judgment upon New Orleans. But what will they do with that mercy? Will they acknowledge their sin and turn to God in repentance? Let’s go further-- Will we, as God’s people, acknowledge our sin and turn to God in repentance? Remember that judgment begins in the house of God. The only safe place is to be living clean in daily repentance under the shadow of His wing. Hurricanes, earthquakes, famines, wars and diseases will continue to increase upon the earth in the remaining four months of 2012 with more intensity and frequency all in an effort to turn wicked hearts back to God’s grace, mercy, love and forgiveness.

And so we pray with the prophets of old, “In Thy wrath, O God, remember mercy!” That is His constant heart. Yes, we reap what we sow and there will be present and eternal consequences to our unrepentant sin—but pray that mercy will still triumph over judgment according to God’s heart while the door of grace remains opened. In the end, the Judge of all the earth will do right according to His justice and His unchanging Word for which at that point, we will be without excuse.

I've traveled to Russia fourteen times and will add a fifteenth in October. It's been a privilege to teach, train and inspire pastors and other leaders there over the years. They've also taught me much and my last trip almost a year ago was no exception.

After the worship conference we helped lead finished, I and some of my team went out to a town called Istra where I've known the people and staff in a church there for over fifteen years. We helped them finance a building and have been able to share ministry ideas every time we're together.

However, this Sunday morning I got to hear one of their leaders preach in the pastor's absence and he said a line I've never forgotten. "Too many Christians are more in love with the kingdom than the King!" Wow. That phrase hit me big time both as I thought about its implications for me and then as I considered other humbling comparisons.

I realized that yes I'm often more drawn in by my work, the logistics of ministry and even the habits of spiritual growth  than the One who I serve and am supposed to love. So that day I began to think of other tensions that have challenged me to look differently at my life and what I sometimes erroneously call spirituality and commitment. Maybe they will stir something in you as well and cause you to think of other tensions that will resonate with you.

I know that I also pray differently these days as I more often think in fresh ways about the greatness of our God and Savior who meets with me each time. I ponder the presence of the One who is described in small but significant way below. Maybe your prayers will change, too.

Am I more in love with . . .

Being saved or the Savior?  I Timothy 4:10

Creation or the Creator?  Colossians 16

Prayer or the presence of the Father?  Jude 24

Worship or the One who deserves our praise? Matthew 2:2

Serving or the Suffering Servant?  Philippians 2:7

My rules or the Ruler of all?  I Timothy 6:15

My Bible study or the Word who was with God and was God? John 1:1

My way or The Way?  John 14:6

Holiness or the Holy One?  I John 2:20

Life or He who gives us life?  John 15:21

My image or the image of the invisible God?  Colossians 1:15

My stardom or the Bright and Morning Star?  Revelation 22:16

My strength or the Rock of our Salvation? I Corinthians 10:4

What I've built or the Chief Cornerstone?  I Peter 2:6

My insights or the Only Wise God?  Romans 16:27

My leadership or the Captain of our Salvation? Hebrews 2:10

My children or the Son of God?  I John 5:11

I have always wondered what the true definition of peace meant to me....for years I have struggled with it constantly. Until one day God told me to go outside earlier this year. So I did I went outside...and for the longest moment I sat quietly just sitting outside my front porch thinking to myself...what now? Here I was waiting for something to happen...then it's hits me...I found myself listening to the wind...the birds chirping  and I find myself staring at the sky when I realized how beautiful it was and quiet...I had forgotten that it wasn't all noise and the people who lived next door that was bothering me. I was not content with myself. God showed me exactly what I needed and it was in front of me the whole time. Thank you Lord for your peace. I finally have your peace!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 - "Be joyful always.  Pray continually."

As we approach Labor Day weekend, I want to encourage you to watch for opportunities to pray throughout the day today and each day to come.

The heart of praying on site (OnSite prayer) is to observe people and circumstances around, then invite God to work in those lives or circumstances.  Some examples of how this can be done during the normal course of a day...

*  If you eat out, pay attention to your servers and people seated elsewhere in the restaurant.  Quietly pray for individuals to have a (S)piritual (A)wakening or (F)resh (E)ncounter with Jesus Christ.  This is called a SAFE prayer.  It's effective without necessarily needing to know a prayer recipient's position before God.  For more about this:  http://prayerleader.com/content/view/859/69/

*  As you drive to/from work (or any destination, really), pray for people jogging, walking their pets, walking with their children; pray for students of schools as you drive through school zones; pray for the drivers ahead and behind you in traffic (not just those that cut you off in traffic!), etc.  The SAFE prayer is a quick and effective prayer for these people and children.  You may also ask God to lead you how to pray for these people as you encounter them in passing.  Just be sure to pray after He shares how He'd like you to pray for that person/those people!

My friend, Dennis Conner, wrote an excellent article in PrayerConnect magazine (July/August) with these ideas, and many more for praying continually (Pray Without Ceasing).  Visit www.prayershop.org to order a copy.


I was encouraged to receive a message from a ministry partner in Houston, TX last night.  She shared that she'll be in Washington D.C this weekend to attend a friend's wedding.  While strolling about town, she plans to pray on site- in front of the White House, the Capitol Building, or wherever else she goes.  That, my friends, is an example of taking prayer wherever one goes- and inviting God into peoples' lives and places wherever we go!  Whether in Washington D.C. or looking out at your neighbor's house across the street, you too can pray on site.  I encourage you to try this form of prayer today and throughout weekend!

Rob Griepentrog

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 174 | Wed 29 Aug 2012

By Elizabeth Kendal

WELCOME to the intercessors who have joined the list this month.

AUGUST 2012 UPDATE - During August we prayed concerning . . .

* SYRIA, SUDAN & BURMA (RLPB 170), where wars have displaced hundreds of thousands of Christians. In Syria they are fleeing Islamic jihadists; in Sudan they are fleeing an Islamic, Arab-supremacist regime; and in Burma they are fleeing a Buddhist Burman-supremacist regime. In each case, Western governments ignore the suffering of these 'inconvenient Christians' because addressing their plight would mean risking Western economic and geo-strategic interests. Though Western governments abandon them, God does not (2 Corinthians 4:9) and neither must we.

UPDATE BURMA: REFUGEES EXPELLED FROM CHINA China has been forcing Kachin Christian refugees back over the border into the war zone. At least 1500 refugees have been forced back in recent weeks and another 4000 were set to be deported last weekend (25-26 Aug). Because it is the monsoon season, travel is exceedingly difficult, leaving many Kachin stranded in the Burmese jungle amidst armed conflict. According to Chinese authorities, the Kachin are returning 'freely' of their own volition. A Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) spokesman told The Irrawaddy that returning refugees report that the Chinese are demolishing the camps. The KIO reports furthermore that the Burmese military has been building up troop numbers in Kachin State in preparation for an offensive. The Burmese junta, which despises the Christian Kachin on racial and religious grounds, covets Kachin lands. Please pray.

UPDATE SUDAN: REFUGEE HEALTH 'ALARMING' Around 170,000 predominantly Christian refugees from Sudan's South Kordofan and Blue Nile States are sheltering in camps in South Sudan's Upper Nile and Unity states. In February we prayed for the God who parted the Red Sea to open an escape route through the besieged Kauda Valley (RLPB 145) - and he did (RLPB 148)! Consequently, the population of Yida camp in Upper Nile has more than doubled since then to some 60,000. Now we must pray for their provision. According to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), at least half of the refugees in Upper Nile are under 11. The health situation is described as 'alarming', with rain, cold and lack of sanitation accounting for increases in malaria, diarrhoea and respiratory tract infections. Acute malnutrition is contributing to the shocking mortality rate (double the emergency threshold) of children under 5. Pray for God's provision for the camps and to displaced, imperilled believers still stranded north of the border. HE can do it!

UPDATE SYRIA: 'REBELS' BLOCKADE CHRISTIAN TOWNS On Friday 24 August, the Syrian Army liberated Rableh killing 60 rebels in the process. Armed opposition groups linked to the Free Syrian Army had isolated and surrounded Rableh, a Christian town west of Qusayr, near Homs in the south of Syria. For two weeks, the 12,000 mostly Greek Catholic residents were besieged, their supplies of food, water and medicines dwindling as rebels enforced a blockade. Snipers killed at least three men: George Azar (20), an unnamed 21-year-old, and Elias Tahch Semaan (35) who was married with four children. While Rableh has been liberated, Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need is presently trying to get aid to another Syrian village in a similar situation. As in Rableh, bridges have been blown up, power has been cut and rebels are enforcing a blockade. 'We have organised ourselves so we could stand by each other and we are sharing everything so we could survive,' a local priest said. 'We need every help we could get. Please help us.' Pray that the LORD of hosts will intervene for his people.

* EGYPT (RLPB 171), where some 120 Coptic Christian families had been driven from their homes in Dahshur by rioting Muslims. Continue to pray for Egyptian Christians in these days of insecurity.

* IVORY COAST (RLPB 172), where some 5,000 predominantly Christian ethnic Guere had been driven from the Nahibly camp in Duekoue by rioting Muslims who killed 11, wounded dozens and burnt the camp to the ground. Pray for God's intervention and provision.

* PAKISTAN (RLPB 173), where hundreds of Christians have been driven from Islamabad's Mehrabad slum by rioting Muslims, after an illiterate, mentally-impaired 11-year-old girl, Rimsha, was accused of burning paper with Qur'anic verses on it. Rimsha was arrested on 16 August.

UPDATE: THE SHAME OF PAKISTAN   Rimsha is being held in solitary confinement in the high security Adiala Jail, the same jail housing Mumtaz Qadri, the bodyguard who assassinated Punjab governor Salman Taseer in revenge for his campaign against the blasphemy law. Rimsha's legal team has not been able to meet with her. Christian activist Xavier William visited Rimsha during the week and confirmed that she had been severely assaulted by the mob. He said she is in 'very bad shape' with 'bruises on her face and on her hands'. She would not speak or make eye contact. 'She was frightened and traumatised,' he said. Hafiz Mohammed Khalid Chishti, a local imam in the Mehrabad slum, insists that his efforts to have Rimsha arrested actually saved the girl from a lynching. It is to Pakistan's shame that he is right. The whole family has been taken into 'protective custody' for their own safety and the Interior Ministry has asked the Islamabad police to oppose bail on the pretext that Rimsha's release would put the lives of the whole family in danger. 

Imam Chishti maintains that the incident only arose because Muslims had not stopped the 'anti-Islam activities' of local Christians who 'caused antagonism by playing music in services at their makeshift church'. He says that though he warned the Christians at Christmas, they did not stop their 'vulgarity'. He regards it all as a 'conspiracy' and maintains that Rimsha knew exactly what she was doing. During his Friday sermon (24 August) he declared that it was 'time for Muslims to wake up' and defend their Qur'an. On the day of Rimsha's arrest he threatened to have all the Christians burnt alive. However, he will not face justice and neither will those who violently assaulted the family or burnt and looted Christian homes. That is because the Interior Ministry has asked the Islamabad police not to arrest anybody involved in the anti-Christian violence that swept over the slum at the time of Rimsha's arrest.

On 20 August, while the controversy over Rimsha's arrest raged, an 11-year-old Christian boy named Samuel Yaqoob disappeared from the Christian colony in Faisalabad, Punjab Province, on his way to the market. On 22 August his body was found dumped in a drain. He had been so severely tortured, mutilated and burnt that his family could only recognise him from a mark on his forehead. There had not been any ransom demand and detectives in Faisalabad are investigating whether accusations of blasphemy had been made against the boy.

'Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the night watches! Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord! Lift your hands to him for the lives of your children . . . ' (Lamentations 2:19 ESV)


AUGUST 2012 ROUND-UP - also this month . . .

* SOMALIA: AL-SHABAAB SQUEEZED; CHRISTIANS ABDUCTED

On 27 August US-backed Somali, Kenyan and African Union forces liberated the port of Marka, 70km south of Mogadishu, from al-Shabaab. Despite gains, Christian aid workers remain at risk in Somalia. On 11 July three Kenyan nationals (including one woman) serving with International Aid Services were kidnapped by Islamic militants, possibly with the backing of al-Shabaab, in Somalia's Puntland region. The militants are reportedly seeking a prisoner swap for alleged pirates being held in Kenya. Please pray.

* KENYA: MUSLIMS RETALIATE AGAINST CHRISTIANS

On Monday 27 August Sheikh Aboud Rogo Mohammed, an al-Qaeda-linked radical cleric recently designated by the US as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, was assassinated in Mombasa. He had been responsible for raising funds and recruiting Kenyans for al-Shabaab. Francis Auma, from the local organisation Muslims for Human Rights, subsequently heard the imam of a local mosque shouting through the speaker: 'blood for blood'. Muslims retaliated against Christians, whom they doubtless view as supportive of the US-driven anti-terror laws that Muslims complain discriminate against them. Two churches were burnt and looted while at least four other churches were vandalised. Riots continued on Tuesday. One policeman was killed and 16 wounded when a grenade was thrown at police racing to save a burning church. Islamic leaders are calling the assassination an attack on Islam. Al-Shabaab has called on Kenyan Muslims to 'take the matter into their own hands, stand united against the kuffar (unbelievers) and take all necessary measures to protect their religion, their honour, their property and their lives from the enemies of Islam'. In particular they are calling for Muslims to boycott Kenya's presidential elections on 4 March 2013. Tensions are escalating.

* LAOS: PERSECUTION FOLLOWS REVIVAL

On 6 August Mr Tongkoun Keohavong was summoned before the village chief of Nahoukou village to explain why around 30 locals had embraced Christianity since February. He explained that the Lord had been healing diseases and liberating the people from evil spirits in response to prayer: 'We cannot deny the reality of God's power,' he said. The believers have been ordered to renounce their faith or face expulsion from the village. Similarly, Mr Bountheung, who had been living as a Christian in Nongpong village for 10 years, is also being persecuted. In May of this year, around 300 residents of Nongpong village decided they would embrace the Christian faith and worship the Lord as did Mr Bountheung. As leader of the village church, Mr Bountheung was summoned three times to explain to the authorities why people in his village were embracing a banned 'foreign religion'. On 3 August the believers were given until 10 August to recant their faith or be expelled from the village. After refusing to recant on 10 August, Mr Bountheung was told he had a week to sell his possessions. On 20 August he was arrested and taken to prison. Conditions in Lao prisons are severe and torture is routine. Please pray for the Church in Laos.


To view this RLPB with hyperlinks, go to Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin blog http://rlprayerbulletin.blogspot.com


We usually provide a summary to use in news-sheets unable to run the whole of an RLPB. As a summary is not practicable with this monthly update posting we suggest one or more of the above items be used instead.


For more information, updates and helpful links see Elizabeth Kendal's blog 'Religious Liberty Monitoring'

http://elizabethkendal.blogspot.com

Previous RLPBs may be viewed at http://rlprayerbulletin.blogspot.com

This RLPB was written for the Australian Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission (AEA RLC) by Elizabeth Kendal, an international religious liberty analyst and advocate, and a member of the AEA RLC team.

If this bulletin was forwarded to you, you may receive future weekly issues direct by sending a blank email to

<join-rlpb@hub.xc.org>.

Aging is both a blessing and a barrier.  (I confess to a different “b” word when I first had this thought, but for this means of communication, I’ll go with “barrier.”)  Having reached the biblical standard of “three score and ten” (Psalm 90:10, KJV) I feel qualified to comment on this subject. One blessing of aging is the obvious additional years that God has purposely given.  Obviously, God is not finished if we are still here.  Additional years allow for ministries that, for whatever reason, we didn’t perform earlier.  My mother is a good example.  Homebound the last twelve years of her life, she developed a rather extensive prayer ministry.  In her pre-Internet, E-mail, Facebook, Twitter world, she used her telephone to call through the church directory repeatedly to see what matters she could include in her prayer for that day, often singing a hymn or chorus to the person on the other end of the line.  The barrier created by aging is likewise obvious – physical, emotional, mental, limitations.  An unnamed friend is a good example. He pouts about everything.  “If it works, it hurts!” he exclaims. “This young generation  . . .” and he continues with a list of complaints about youth. As one who now attends more funerals than weddings, I want my aging years to be a blessing, not a barrier.  How about you? Comments are appropriate and welcome. 

Check out Dr. Dan's other writings at www.discipleallnations.org/blog.

         Lord, I belive that you are the God of meracles. Give me a heart of expectation and an attitude of faith that says God can, God is able, and God is willing. Teach me, Lord. To  develop a belief system that believes nothing is impossible with God. Lord, let your ordained miracles be in me, around me, and through me Lord, I believe you have a miracles prepared for me today and every day, miraculous and life-changing miracles. A miracle is on its way to intercept me right now. I'm looking for these miracle, beliving, reaching, praying, and expection. Lord, I see miracles coming my way in my finances, my relations my physical body, my job, my family, my life. Lord, let me receive thing beyond my seeing, thing beyond my imagining, thing you have prepared for me. New visions, new dreams, New possions, new miracles are coming my way. Let the miracles begin!

Prayer Thought: that Christ may dwell in our hearts, by faith, without the indwelling Christ,

We are at Satan's mercy, and eventually we will do his bidding. Christ in you the hope of glory.

So, after writing my blogs this week, I got a chance to practice.

Someone in my department messed up and had to leave.

My boss and I both liked this person, and so we were temporarily discouraged. We were imagining all this bad stuff that was going to happen to them because they were jobless. By the grace of God, I began to pray for this person in my heart. I saw them, with their hands uplifted to the Lord in praise, joy sparkling in their eyes. I knew I had to turn the verbal and faith train around. I thought of David, and how he had to encourage himself. How he reminded himself of the things God had done. How David considered who God was as he went to face big ole Goliath. I said, You know what? No, the devil will not have this person. I just saw them with their hands lifted to the Lord, in love and joyful. God has a plan for their life, and nothing they do can mess that up. Ishmaels may be born, but Isaac will come to pass. My feelings may be hurt, my heart may be broken, but I will continue to speak life over this person, regardless of what I see or how I feel. I have been praying for them, and it's already done. The promise of God will be fulfilled. I had to remind myself of what God had done with me, as messed up as I was, and still am. How His big, loving hand reached down into the pit that was and sometimes is my life, and scooped me up. Thank you, Jesus! No matter what, I will lift my eyes to the hills. I will worship. It's who I am. God's banner over me is love.

• Have your Friends sign up for Intercessors Arise here!
• If you would like to pray for us and get monthly updates, sign up here at Norm and Debbie's Prayer Partner.
• Become a member of the Intercessors Arise International Network here. Connect with intercessors and what God is doing in prayer worldwide! Discover many resources and training on prayer in this network.

 
Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise 
International House of Prayer (IHOP) KC Staff
deb@intercessorsarise.org
http://www.intercessorsarise.org
 

 Recently I was talking with a young mother who was apprehensive about sending her daughter to kindergarten this fall. It reminded me of when I sent my oldest son to kindergarten. I was also a nervous mother, concerned about sending my little boy out into the big world. My first three years in school were in a one-room schoolhouse with no more than 12 students in all eight grades. Now I was sending my son to a school of about 600 students in K-6^th grade, it was scary for me as young mother.

A frantic friend just shared with me on the phone how stressful this week has been getting her five children off to four different schools.

I have been blogging about praying for the grandchildren as they go back to school. However, let’s not forget to pray for their mothers and fathers because it is quite a change in the home schedule getting the children off to school, helping them with their homework, and additional activities. It is important that we pray God will give our grandchildren’s parents wisdom and time management in their monumental task of guiding our grandchildren through their school years.

In addition to praying, grandparents can help their grandchildren academically by speaking positively about the value of learning, and speaking favorable about their teachers, principal, and school.

An anxious heart weighs a man down,

but a kind word cheers him up” (Proverbs 12:15 NIV).

Be your grandchild’s cheerleader.

Jim Cymbala's "6:4 Fellowship" (based on Acts 6:4) reposted my artcile: Pastor's Strategies For Mobilizing Men To Pray

Pastor's Strategies For Mobilizing Men To Pray

Pastors get to lead the church on one or two days a week, but the men of the church get to lead their families seven days a week.  Are you leading the men of your church in prayer? It may be the best investment you can make.  Here's some heplful strategies on how to do that.

Most of us have now heard (perhaps too many times) the old joke about the guy on the roof of his house as the flood waters rise. A motor boat comes to save him but he refuses stating that he has prayed and knows that God will rescue him. Then a helicopter comes and hovers overhead and he responds the same way.

Soon of course he dies and meets the Lord in Heaven. He is clearly perturbed and questions God about why He didn't save him after his passionate prayers. And God says, "What do you mean? I sent you a boat and a helicopter."

Well, a similar type of story is actually found in the book of Nehemiah that reminds us that we too must do more than just pray. Nehemiah has been called to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. And unfortunately not everyone in leadership is happy with him. In chapter 4, verse 7 we read, "But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the men of Ashdod heart that the repairs  to Jerusalem's walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed they were very angry."

In fact this wasn't the first conflict Nehemiah encountered. Chapter two says they had been mocked and ridiculed.

But then verse eight adds that his detractors were actually going to come and fight against Jerusalem. But notice what verse nine says . . . . "But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat."

We prayed to our God AND posted a guard. What a helpful model for the praying Christian today. Yes, pray like crazy as my boss likes to say but do everything you can do to be wise. This verse speaks volumes for why we should find the best doctors when we're sick, have our cars checked out before a long trip and count the cost before we start a building project. "Posting a guard" isn't a lack of faith, it's just smart and what many have modeled throughout Scripture. God put these examples in the Word for a reason.

Faith still challenges us to believe God for a miracle, to do beyond what we could ask and think, to be confident that God can provide and protect even in the middle of the worst. Sometimes there is nothing else we can do and God has to accomplish it totally without our involvement.

But maybe today you're wondering what to do next after you've prayed passionately about a need in your life or an initiative you believe God is leading you to pursue.

You might try posting a guard, doing the next wise thing. And when the boat and the helicopter show up, you'll recognize from whence they came!