Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 159 | Wed 16 May 2012

ACEH, INDONESIA: NEW GOVERNOR ADVANCES ISLAMISATION 

by Elizabeth Kendal

Acehnese went to the polls on 9 April to elect a new governor. The incumbent, Irwandi Yusuf, running as an independent, had been favoured to win. However, in the end the people chose to put their loyalty behind the Aceh Party's candidate Zaini Abdullah (72). Founded in 2008, the Aceh Party (Partai Aceh, PA) has dominated the parliament since 2009. PA is the political party of the now defunct separatist guerrilla Free Aceh Movement (Gerakan Aceh Merdeka, GAM). Both Irwandi and Zaini have their origins in GAM. But in 2006, after GAM put Irwandi forward as its candidate for governor, GAM strongman Malik Mahmud overruled and put his own man forward, splitting the movement and forcing Irwandi to run (and win) as an independent. The political rivalry continues. All through 2011, the PA tried but failed to have Irwandi banned from the contest. Furthermore, the increasingly autocratic and militant PA has been blamed for the deadly political violence that has struck Irwandi's team and supporters. Moreover, the PA played the populist 'religion card', vowing to advance a more 'pure' form of Quranic Sharia (Islamic law).

On 17 April governor-elect Zaini Abdullah pledged to 'strengthen peace across Aceh' and 'eradicate corruption'. Claiming that 'moderate Islam' is what is 'in line with the Koran and Prophet Muhammad's hadiths' (i.e. is fundamentalist!), he pledged to raise awareness of right and wrong by means of Islamic education, so that Islam in Aceh 'can return to where it was during the Sultan Iskandar Muda era'. (Iskandar Muda was a cruel 17th Century Islamic autocrat who shed much blood in making Aceh strong, expansive and Islamic.)

Aceh is around 98 percent Muslim and one percent Christian (mostly Protestant). At the southern-most tip of Aceh, Singkil district has the highest proportion of Christians of any district or city in Aceh, with Christians making up about one-sixth of the 120,000 population. Despite this, the administration has ruled that Singkil is only permitted to have one church and four 'undung-undungs' (small prayer rooms without exterior crosses).

On 30 April hundreds of Islamic hard-liners from the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) and the Aceh Singkil Muslim Forum held a rally in Singkil demanding the undung-undungs be closed. The administration subsequently shut down 17 Christian places of worship in four sub-districts of Singkil on the grounds that they were built without permits.

A spokesman for the group 'Pro-Democracy People', Agusta Mukhtar, denounced the administration for acquiescing to hard-liners and failing to promote religious tolerance. 'The religious peace here has been shattered,' he said, 'by this anarchistic action that seeks religious domination for an inflexible faith. This is a dark time in the history of religious freedom and tolerance in Aceh.' Everything indicates life is about to get even more difficult for Aceh's minority Christian community.

To see this RLPB with hyperlinks go to http://rlprayerbulletin.blogspot.com.au


PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT GOD WILL -

* fill Acehnese Christians with full assurance of his presence, finding their security, wisdom and strength in him in these darkening days.

* embolden Aceh's many secular, moderate and folk Muslims, awakening them to the fact that Quranic Islam brings cruel repression and culture change (Arabisation), not the utopia the Islamists promise.

* work all things for good, so that repression will be replaced with beauty and liberty; may Aceh know revival, for ' . . . where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom' (2 Corinthians 3:17 ESV).


SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE

NEW GOVERNOR IN ACEH, INDONESIA, ADVANCES ISLAMISATION

Aceh, on the north-west tip of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, is around 98 percent Muslim and one percent Christian (mostly Protestant). Acehnese went to the polls on 9 April to elect a new governor. The winner, Zaini Abdullah (72) of the dominant and increasingly autocratic and militant Aceh Party, ran on a platform that included a vow to advance a more 'pure' form of Quranic Sharia (Islamic law). On 30 April hundreds of Islamists protested in Aceh's southern-most district of Singkil, which has the highest proportion of Christians of any district in Aceh. The Islamists demanded the closure of Singkil's supposedly 'illegal' churches and prayer houses. The administration quickly acquiesced and 17 places of Christian worship across Singkil have since been closed. Please pray for Aceh's minority Christian community.


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

Praying Psalm 119

I have written a number of books, but this is the first one (since Prayer Made Alive) that I have had peace about printing. I believe this will be an excellent tool for you to cause Psalm 119 to really come alive to you.

Check out the Title Page (below) as there are a couple of appendices that you will find both encouraging and, well, fun, believe it or not.

We'll see what happens with the other books.

From the Table of Contents:

As this ministry moves further and further in the direction that I believe God is leading it, I find myself more and more burdened to help folks learn to pray for both others and themselves. And it is not praying for blessings, rather, it is learning to pray for a properly broken spirit, accompanied by a contrite heart.

As you read these prayers I trust that the passages will come alive as you make them YOUR prayers. We, as a church, are great at shallow
repentance. But I believe that this is a call to embrace deep repentance.

I am grateful for two things that happened in early December 2011. First, Chaplain Paul Voorhees and Dr. Joe Coley of the Ranger Joe’s God and Country Show challenged me with a daily radio prayer show. And second, the Lord and I visited together in Toccoa Georgia at the Georgia Baptist Conference Center where He and I fought over Him teaching me brokenness…Praise the Lord, I lost, and these prayers reflect that.

Mark S Mirza
March 22, 2012

To See Samples of the Following:

Title Page,
Click Here:
Psalm 119 Prayers,
Click Here:
Psalm 119 Overview,
Click Here:
25 Days of Prayers, During Christmas,
Click Here:
Praying in the New Year,
Click Here:

Beginning with the month of May, we are praying The Book of James on the Ranger Joe’s God and Country Show .
James 1:26-27

Lord, we thank You for Your word. It so often puts it’s fingers all over our life, both encouraging and challenging us. Today’s verses remind us of what is important to You, and challenges what we usually think is so important. Father, forgive us as a nation and as Your church for  thinking that we can be religious and not control, or even take responsibility for our tongue. Father, cause us to humble ourselves and seek ways that we can experience pure and undefiled religion, before You God, by taking care of those who cannot take care of themselves and by keeping ourselves unstained from the world.

From January to April we prayed Psalm 119 on the Ranger Joe’s God and Country Show .

To see ALL of the Psalm 119 prayers, click here.

Each stanza has a Key Word, Emphasis and Application which succeeding prayers are built around. We are currently praying the key word for each stanza.

  Psalm 119:121-128Key Word                RescueToday’s Prayer

Lord, we all face times when we wonder where You are, and we strain to see Your salvation in our situation (Psalm 119:123). Lord, thank You for the promise of rescue every time I am tempted to sin...if I would just take the way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13). Forgive us as a nation and as Your church Lord, for rejecting what we have heard, for rejecting Your word, causing our prayers to be an abomination (Proverbs 28:9). Each of Your commands are right. Teach us to hate and turn from every false way (Psalm 119:128)

Making Prayer Come Alive

This week I was reading in Prayer Connect ,
issue four 2012, pg 28

God has moved powerfully across Indonesia, establishing more than 1,100 prayer networks with five million intercessors, even though this is the largest Muslim nation in the world.

It got me thinking about our churches in the Georgia Baptist Convention (GBC). Are we willing to invest time in prayer? I'm counting on you to do so between now and the Annual Mtg.

You might also forward link No. 2 below to others to sign up for these weekly emails.

This morning begins the third week of praying for the GBC Annual Meeting.

Since the site is now up live you have a few links:

1. This Week's Prayer Sheet: http://www.ctmprayer.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Prayers-Wk03-May14-May18-Psalm119.17-24.pdf
2. GBC Prayer Initiative Overview: http://www.ctmprayer.org/?page_id=2056
3. Weekly Prayers, thus far: http://s342658327.onlinehome.us/web/?page_id=2153

Finally, to print this attachment in it's optimal size, use legal size paper, 8 1/2 x 14. A friend printed it on 11x17 which he said worked well.

As usual, please, Please, PLEASE feel free to give us your feedback.

Mark S Mirza
Common Thread Ministries
C: 404-606-2322
E: Mark@CTMPrayer.org
W: www.CTMPrayer.org
T: @CTMPrayer

Beginning with the month of May, we are praying The Book of James on the Ranger Joe’s God and Country Show .

James 1:19-25

Lord, we desire to be people who are blessed in what we do. Yet we too often come to church, realize how You want us to live and then Monday morning we wake like a person who forgets what kind of person he was supposed to be, forgetting the good works You want us to do. Father, forgive us as a nation and as Your church for being, what James calls, "forgetful hearers." Father, cause us to be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger,  for our anger and indeed ANY of our sin, does not accomplish Your righteousness. Father, cause us to demonstrate that not just on Sundays, but even during the week, we rid ourselves of all moral filth and evil, ALL sin. Confident that we are blessed in what we do, we pray in Your Son's name, amen.

From January to April we prayed Psalm 119 on the
Ranger Joe’s God and Country Show .


You can't miss it. The signs are everywhere. Interest in the future is growing... Nostradamus, the Mayan calendar, St. Malachy, Edgar Cayce, 2012. Now that we have arrived at that dreaded year, people everywhere feel that something is about to happen. They're nervous and they're searching for answers.

In the last part of the 20th century and into the 21st, it seems an entire industry sprang up to publish the "amazing" prophecies of Nostradamus. Amazing? At best, his quatrains are so nebulous that they can be interpreted myriad ways. Just the law of averages proves him "right" occasionally!

But if you want to talk about truly "amazing" prophecies, you have to talk about the predictions of the ancient Bible prophet Ezekiel. And unlike Nostradamus and the others, he wasn't afraid to name names! Ezekiel's prophecies pinpoint an exact time, place, and the precise historical conditions of a future world catastrophe. He names the peoples and nations involved in an intricate convergence of history. Out of a spectacular chain of eleven specific prophecies, we have witnessed ten come to exact fruition. And we see the eleventh taking unmistakable shape today. What's more, Ezekiel predicted all of these things more than 2,600 years ago!

If you haven't been quite convinced that we're barreling into the last laps of the race to Armageddon, you will be after I show you the stunning implications of "Ezekiel's Prophetic Enigma."

On a personal note, I have learned that my friend and colleague, Grant Jeffrey, has recently suffered a very serious heart attack. At this moment, he remains in critical but stable condition. Please join with me to lift up our brother in prayer and ask God for his complete healing and recovery. Remember, too, his dear wife Kaye during this difficult time.

Thank you.

From January to April we prayed Psalm 119 on the Ranger Joe’s God and Country Show .

To see ALL of the Psalm 119 prayers, click here.

Each stanza has a Key Word, Emphasis and Application which succeeding prayers are built around. We are currently praying the key word for each stanza.


Psalm 119:105-112
Key Word                Inclined
Today’s Prayer

Lord, the context of “inclined” here is that I incline my heart to be obedient (Psalm 119:112), but Lord, the word is used so many more ways  in scripture. You incline your eat to hear our prayers (Psalm 17:1,6) and You incline my heart to Your word (Psalm 119:36). Forgive us Father, and show mercy on us, even though we are a nation, and a church, Your church Lord, that no longer inclines our ear. Rather, we are stiff necked (Proverbs 29:1). Cause us to look at Your laws as our treasure, our delight, and the joy of our heart (Psalm 119:111).

Beginning with the month of May, we are praying The Book of James on the 
Ranger Joe’s God and Country Show .




James 1:16-18



Father, the church in the West has become so complacent. We have trivialized the gift of the new birth, salvation. We have taken lightly Your generous and perfect gifts. Father, forgive us, as a nation and as Your church, for not realizing that when You gave us the message of truth, it reflected our perfect gift from You, of being Your first fruits, Your preeminent creation. Oh Lord, thankful for Your gifts, and thankful You are the same, yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8) we pray in Your Son's name, amen.


“Then Nahash the Ammonite came up and encamped against Jabesh Gilead; and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you.” And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, “On this condition I will make a covenant with you, that I may put out all your right eyes, and bring reproach on all Israel.” Then the elders of Jabesh said to him, “Hold off for seven days, that we may send messengers to all the territory of Israel. And then, if there is no one to save us, we will come out to you.” So the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and told the news in the hearing of the people. And all the people lifted up their voices and wept. Now there was Saul, coming behind the herd from the field; and Saul said, “What troubles the people, that they weep?” And they told him the words of the men of Jabesh. Then the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard this news, and his anger was greatly aroused.  So he took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, “Whoever does not go out with Saul and Samuel to battle, so it shall be done to his oxen.” And the fear of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.” 1 Samuel 11: 1-7

The above text from 1 Samuel takes place during a time when the tribes of Gad and Reuben have been tormented by this King of the Ammonites named Nahash. If you recall, these two tribes were the ones who settled on the other side of the Jordan and chose to take the good pasture land there instead of staking a claim on the Promised Land. But, not neglecting their duties as full members of the tribe of Israel they left of their families and flock on the other side of the Jordan to fight with the rest of Israel to defeat the inhabitants of the land God had set before them, even though they knew the fighting gave their families no personal gain and it would put them in harms way.

So now fast forward to the time of 1 Samuel 11. The historian Josephus states that this King Nahash “had been grievouly oppressing the Gadites and Reubenites. He would gouge out the right eye of each of them and would not grant [them] a deliverer. No one was left across the Jordan whose right eye...had not been gouged out...[except] seven thousand men who had escaped from the Ammonites and had entered Jabesh-gilead.” Do you not think the rest of Israel knew what was going on? Was there any account in the above text to indicate they were doing anything about this injustice? Not even their newly appointed King was doing anything – he was in his field plowing with his oxen. It was not until the people cried out and the Spirit of God led Saul to generate dread in their hearts, that the nation of Israel began to rise up against this injustice and fight.

As I sat and read this story this morning, my thoughts were quickly brought to places of injustice and the more typical response we as a Christian people have in those instances. It is sad but true, but we live in a nation defined by a lot of complaining and very little action to rectify the problems we see before us. We simply turn our backs on injustices when we hear about them, or if we do put out any effort we then speak words of disgust about them, but then go back to our own lives not wanting the bad news we have heard interrupt what we have planned for our own happy futures. But listen to what the following scripture verses have to say about that type of attitude:

“For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.  For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.  But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.  You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.  Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.  For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night.  But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.  For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,  who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing. And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.  See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.  Do not despise prophecies.  Test all things; hold fast what is good.  Abstain from every form of evil.” 1 Thessalonians 5: 2-22

I don't know about you, but in light of all I have shared above, added to these verses here, I find it very hard to justify a lifestyle which turns its back on the injustices heard about in the world and pursues personal gain. And not only the injustices we by chance hear about, but those we are to be sobering searching out as is our calling as we watch and wait on the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.

As the scripture verses from 1 Thessalonians states with the weapons of faith, love and salvation we are to comfort and edify one another in Christ as well as warn those who are laboring among us who are moving out of the will of God in their work for the kingdom (that is what admonish means). We are to stand up and speak out to those who are doing things against the law of the Lord. We are to bring comfort to those who have been pushed down by the injustices this world, as well as stand next to those who need someone to lean on if the weight of this world is crushing them in mind, body and/or spirit. We are to persevere with the best and the worst of this world, hoping and praying for salvation for all mankind. We are to show the world how good prevails by returning good for evil no matter what.

And as we seek to do these things, the way we stay on track is by rejoicing in the love of the Lord, by praying and keeping in communion with Jesus every moment of every day making sure all we do and say are directed by Him and are supplied by His overabundance of grace, mercy, and love for the world we live in. It is when we live in communion with the One true Judge that we are able to help in spreading the works of righteousness and justice through our land.

Finally, the warning we all must not ignore. Where the Spirit of the Lord grieves your heart you must lean into that injustice and pursue the way God is moving your heart to act out against it. Whether you are called to pray against it, comfort those who are hurt by it, speak out for those who are unable to speak for themselves in the midst of it, or be a strong pillar among a group that needs your spiritual strength to lean on, you cannot turn your back if you are to call yourself a Christian and a true follower to Christ.

The time is coming soon when Christ will return and we do not have the luxury of pursuing our own interests and seeking out happy havens in this world of evil. We must willingly put ourselves before the Lord daily and say, “Here I am Lord. Send me.” when the Lord shows us through His word and through the circumstances in our lives how we are each individually called to work as His kingdom and reign approach the coming day.

I leave you with theses words of encouragement today from 2 Chronicles 32:7-8:

“Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed ...[for]with [man] is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.”

Feel free to visit my personal blog at www.sheddinglightonthepath.blogspot.com

Too much has been said about freedom, deliverance, breaking free, breaking loose from the bondage and shackles of our past without the actual application of just doing it! So many Christians live such defeated lives that it would take me another book to dissect all the reasons; rhymes and horrible times we put ourselves through when we refuse to live in the Victory.

Sometimes I seem to have more faith to pray for other people’s situations than I do for my own. Their “giants” seem smaller than mine. I can pray for their needs longer without being tempted to give up. I can envision miracles more easily in their circumstances than in mine. I know it doesn’t make much sense, but that’s just how it is.

A while ago, God put it on my heart to pray with unusual (for me, it was unusual) faith for a friend’s rather large burden. I am pretty sure this will be a long-term prayer assignment, but that doesn’t bother me. I am confident that what I’m asking for is God’s will, and I am confident that He can do it, so I am asking Him to do what seems humanly impossible, but is an easy thing for Him. It is a joy to pray for my friend’s situation—and to watch God respond in small yet undeniable ways.

Meanwhile, quietly and on her own, my friend had been praying for an “impossible” situation of mine. It’s something that frankly, I hardly even talked to God about anymore—I’d prayed for it for so long without seeing any signs of an answer that I’d all but given up. Somehow it came up one day, and I learned about her quiet intercession for me. So I asked her about it. She told me she really believes that God is going to come through for me in it—so she keeps praying. The fact that it felt hopeless to me didn’t faze her; she had faith to spare.

It was fun to realize that God had given her spare faith for my need, and He had given me spare faith for hers. It was like we were trading faith. And in the process, our faith in God for our own situations is increasing.

I point out to her the little ways I can see God working in her circumstances. And she does the same for me. We’ve talked about how hearing things from the other’s (more objective) perspective, boosts our faith: God really does seem to be doing something here!

Maybe there’s someone in your life who needs some of your faith to intercede for their “impossible” burden. What do you think, brother, sister . . . can you spare some faith to pray for them?

Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin | RLPB 158 | Wed 09 May 2012

INDIA: HINDU NATIONALISM FUELS VIOLENCE & INJUSTICE

by Elizabeth Kendal

Hindu nationalism - the idea that India should be a Hindu State - is the political construct of India's high caste Hindu powerbrokers who pursue political power for the purpose of perpetuating their own power and privilege.

Hindu nationalism works to dragnet the votes of India's Hindu majority (74 percent), primarily through promoting Hindu supremacy and to effect religious conversions for political gain through fear-mongering amongst India's indigenous tribal peoples who are traditionally non-Hindu. The Hindu nationalists tell the indigenous tribals that their nation is under threat from seditious elements (Muslims and Christians) who they say are in the pay of foreign enemies like Pakistan and the CIA. The only way to protect India from separatism and colonialism is for the tribals to join the Hindu mainstream and fight politically and physically. This Hindutva propaganda goes largely unchallenged and is responsible for the dramatic escalation in dangerous communal violence right across India, a situation that is further fuelled by the impunity with which attackers are rewarded.

On 12 April Hindu militants went to the home of Pastor Ratnababu in Kakinada, East Godavari, Andhra Pradesh. They seized Pastor Ratnababu's son, Madhu, whose mouth they stuffed with cloth before tying his hands and legs, sprinkling chilli power in his eyes and stabbing him repeatedly. Pastor Ratnababu and his wife were also savagely beaten. The militants had come with a gas cylinder intending to set fire to the house when neighbours, hearing the commotion, came to the family's aid and forced the attackers to flee - praise God! Despite the militants being identified by name, the police filed the complaint as being against 'unknown persons', thereby guaranteeing their impunity. Pastor Ratnababum, who has served the Christu Asinadu Prarthana Mandir church for 15 years, has received numerous death threats and survived three attempts to burn his church. The Evangelical Fellowship of India reports that the 500-strong congregation is traumatised.

Not only is basic law ignored but one very bad law is continually exploited. Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code criminalises 'deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs'. This law, which is essentially an anti-blasphemy or anti-defamation law, is constantly exploited to silence religious dialogue and persecute religious believers, supposedly in the name of communal harmony, but usually for religious or political gain. Truth is not a defence. Suresh Bhat, a member of the People's Union for Civil Liberties in Mangalore, has authored several books on communalism. Speaking by phone to Tehelka in late April, he accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP, the Hindu nationalist political party) of running a nationwide campaign to file cases against Christian workers. According to Bhat the police department in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh has issued a circular directing police to keep an eye on Christian missionaries.

On Thursday morning 10 April Pastor Victor Babu (45) was driving 23 children in a bus from Kundanhalli village to the Hebron Pentecostal Church in Marathahalli, an eastern suburb of Bangalore in BJP-ruled Karnataka. All but a couple of the children were from church families and all 23 had enrolled to attend the church's Vacation Bible School. However, the bus was stopped en route by a group of villagers led by local BJP leader Rajshekhar Reddy, who accused Babu of 'forcible conversion of children' and had him arrested. Babu was subsequently charged under section 295A of the Indian Penal Code for 'outraging religious feelings', and remanded to judicial custody. Whilst Reddy claimed to have acted because he 'could not bear to watch innocent children being brain washed', he was in reality inciting religious tensions purely for political and personal gain: to make himself politically powerful so he can perpetuate his own caste privilege.

For more examples of persecution in India, see Compass Direct News http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/india/

To see this RLPB with hyperlinks go to http://rlprayerbulletin.blogspot.com.au


PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT GOD WILL -

* awaken India's long-downtrodden tribals and Scheduled Castes to the truth that radical transformation, justice and equity are found in the gospel of Jesus Christ and not in perpetuating the obscenely racist Hindu caste system.

* bless all courageous gospel witness with the Holy Spirit's effectual power so that multitudes might be liberated from darkness and come to know the Saviour.

* motivate the federal government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to confront the Hindu nationalist propaganda that is fuelling dangerous communalism and anti-Christian violence across India.

* watch over and guard his Church, preserving his precious faithful ones and revealing his power and glory to all those watching. May the Lord 'bring forth justice to the nations' and 'open the eyes that are blind'. (Isaiah 42:1d,7a)


SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE:

HINDU NATIONALISM FUELS VIOLENCE & INJUSTICE IN INDIA

Hindu nationalism - the idea that India should be a Hindu State - is the political construct of India's high caste Hindu powerbrokers who pursue political power for the purpose of perpetuating their own power and privilege. Hindu propaganda promotes Hindu supremacy and demonises Christianity as a threat to national security. Not only does Hindu nationalist propaganda go unchallenged, but the impunity with which violent attackers are rewarded is fuelling the escalation in violence against Christians. Pastors, Christian workers and even humble worshippers are routinely charged and imprisoned under Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code that criminalises their so-called 'deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs'. Please pray for India's persecuted Church.


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

“In every revival in history we read a similar testimony. When God responded to His people by sending His presence, He didn’t just work Himself into their routine religion - He overtook them by His power and glory! He left a trail of glorious chaos in His wake - weeping, repenting, rejoicing, reconciling, changing of habits, healing of families! Nobody wondered if Jesus was involved in these meetings. There was no doubt in their minds and no lack in their hearts.” Rhonda Hughey 

Dear Intercessors,
 
God wants to invade our cities with His glorious and powerful presence. He wants to overtake our lives and change our plans and routines so that they are fully in line with His purposes. As we think about the Kingdom of God and preparing the way for God’s presence, the Sermon on the Mount is the greatest test to measure our personal success. How well do we live out the 8 beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-12, and how well do we obey all of Matthew 5-7? Do we seek to obey God in every area of our life? Do we declare war on all compromise? This is the test.
 
We are made for personal holiness and to intimately know God.        
 
This is what is so fantastic about the increase in prayer worldwide and how is raising up Houses of Prayer. God begins to change you, and you begin to prioritize prayer in a way you have never done before or even imagined possible. Prayer begins to take center stage in your life. God begins to deal with our lives - our speech, our time, our money, our relationships, and everything. There is an internal calling in God to love and follow Him with all our heart. God wants our hearts and a life of complete obedience so that we would be perfect and complete, not lacking anything (James 1:4). In working with IHOP Kansas City and living in a prayer environment, I am personally challenged to make quality decisions for holiness and to let God challenge my motives. I still have a long way to go, but at least I am on the road. It definitely is a life-long journey.  
 
When we get a vision for a House of Prayer, we are challenged in our prayer lives as the Holy Spirit begin to reinforce the importance of personal prayer and the absolute necessity of corporate prayer for the nations. There is a lying down of secondary priorities for many. We become very hungry for Jesus and His presence (Matthew 5:6). Through prayer and praise, we welcome God into our region. Many of us begin to treasure the presence of God above all else, as we realize deep in our hearts the truth of John 15:5, “Without Me you can do nothing.”
 
You may be thinking, “Well, how do I even begin to think about a House of Prayer in my city?
 
The first step is to PRAY! You start by praying about a House of Prayer in your city. Even if you are not the one to start it, you can pray for others who will. Pray that God raises up the right ones to begin, and you be the one who supports them in prayer. You may want to start with a one-day, weekend, one-week, or one-month House of Prayer. In starting to plan towards a House of Prayer and beyond, there are several initial steps to pray and work towards. Every city needs a House of Prayer but there always needs to be a few who start it.

Now this may seem overwhelming at first, but you will be surprised at how God helps you. After all, it’s His idea and desire in the first place. You want to provide times and places for many to come together for prayer, asking the Lord to visit your city with His presence. Ultimately, you want to role out a red carpet for the King of Kings, inviting Him to come and do His work. In Biblical and church history, united prayer has been proven to be the single lifesaver of a nation during times of danger and uncertainty. The Lord commands His people to seek His face (2 Chronicles 7:14). God warned Noah concerning the flood even when there was no visible sign of it, not even a raindrop! He took heed and diligently and reverently constructed and prepared an ark for the deliverance of His family (Hebrews 11:7).  

It is difficult to predict exact results in a House of Prayer. The key is to be faithful in doing what God shows you to do in prayer. We have to be willing to pay the price for God’s continual presence in our city. It’s up to the Church to decide long-term how much of God they really want. It is important that churches and intercessors continue to pray and anticipate the ongoing development of God’s plan for the city while the discipline and blessing of united prayer is still fresh. I believe the following results will follow when Christians do accept the challenge of united prayer in their city:

• A united praying church develops that is pleasing to the Lord.

• There is a breaking of the spiritual darkness that is invading the nation.

• The church demonstrates an example of corporate prayer that challenges others in cities around the country to do the same.

• A movement of the Spirit occurs, bringing salvation to thousands of people.

• A continued growing movement of prayer arises, sweeping tired Christian into a fresh new vitality in Christ.

Imagine the future of your city when a House of Prayer is operating day and night. God will pour out His spirit. There will be the manifest presence of the Lord scattering His enemies and ours. Signs, wonders, healing, and deliverance from demonic oppression will become the norm. There will be the revival of the church, and the church will grow. Sinners will come under conviction and will open their hearts to the message of the Gospel. 
 
A House of Prayer welcomes God into your city. As I traveled from nation to nation as a young missionary on a ship, upon arrival in a new country we would often have a great welcome from the people of that city. In New Zealand we experienced a special dance form the Mori Indians. It was quite impressive, and one I will never forget! At the end of that unique tribal dance, the staff and crew of our ship received a beautiful lay of flowers around their neck and the Mori greeting of rubbing noses. It was quite a cultural experience for many of us, I can assure you. In other countries we had special greetings unique to each culture - everything from other cultural dances, to gifts, to songs and banners - that was a beautiful welcome to the ship into their unique city. It made all of us on board feel very welcome in that country and city. It made us deeply desire to stay there and interact with the people. 
 
Perhaps God feels the same way. 
 
When He sees His people eagerly praying for His presence - welcoming Him into their city day and night in prayer - He is delighted and wants to invade that city with His presence. When He sees your desperate cry for His presence, He feels like a welcomed and longed-for guest and wants to make your city His home.  
 
Begin now to prepare the way for God’s presence. Start with increasing your prayer life and find a few others who have a vision for transformation in your city. Get together regularly, and God will lead you and add others to your prayer meetings. Transformation will occur in your lives, and you will become consumed with a hunger for God’s presence. The Lord will hear your cry for your city, and God will begin to move in your midst. Early in our month of 24/7 prayer that we had in Spain a few years ago, God made his presence known to us in a very special way. There was no rain outside and as I was having my prayer time early in the morning, I suddenly looked out the window and there in the sky surrounding the House of Prayer was a big, bright colorful rainbow. It was as if God was speaking to us and saying, “See, my desire is for citywide, united prayer, and I love your House of Prayer - Keep it up for I shall surely come with my presence - I have heard your cry.”  
 
During this last month we were in Spain and Gibraltar encouraging Houses of Prayer. We went to Madrid, Seville, Malaga, Cordoba, Gibraltar, and Algeciras, Spain. Everywhere we went we saw a hunger for prayer and for Houses of Prayer. After our team prayed on the top of the rock of Gibraltar, the following morning a rainbow appeared in the sky. God is doing something big everywhere. Hunger for God is increasing. A House of Prayer in Madrid was started and another House of Prayer in Cordoba will be started soon. Others are in the planning stage.
 
It is time that we change our life styles and become desperate for God and His ways. It is time that we welcome God into our cities!
 
“To be desperate means to be without hope in your current condition and to know that in your own power you don’t have the necessary resources required to change it. People who are desperate become determined to find help, often taking great risks to meet their desperate need. In the communities where transforming revival has occurred the people of God were desperate enough to change their lifestyle and their priorities and to commit their time and resources, making everything secondary to the desperate pursuit of God in their midst. They cried out in desperation, and the Lord heard their cry.” Rhonda Hughey

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Together in the Harvest,

Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise
deb@intercessorsarise.org
http://www.intercessorsarise.org
 

I realize I need to Beware the Month of March!


Last March I had an interesting experience. I had been running with some friends who talked me into doing a half-marathon. (I also need to beware who I hang out with! :-)) We had been training for a while. The week before the half-marathon our local community had the Race for Faith. We decided that would be a good prelude

10K, about 6ish miles.


No biggie.
Been doing 6 miles for quite some time.


Piece of cake.

OOOPS! Forgot to Proceed with Prayer!

And I got my tail whipped!



That 6 miles had to be the worst 6 miles I had ever run! By mile four I was ready to shoot anyone who mentioned a half marathon!! And then I got super nervous! If I couldn't run a dinky 6-mile race, how on earth would I finish a 13.1 mile race?? So, before the 13.1, of course, I
 Proceeded with Prayer! I prayed like crazy that next week, asking everyone I knew to pray also. And then came the half. Now, I'm not one who enjoys running for running's sake - really. I enjoy the company and fellowship, and the fact that people get me out of bed to exercise. But that half marathon really was a spiritual experience for me!


• 

• My fears were taken care of
• 

• Each mile ticked off quickly
• 

• It was hard, but I actually enjoyed the running
• 

• I had a 13.1 mile conversation with God
• 

• He allowed me to run and not be weary, and walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31)
• 


As I processed my races, God brought to mind the story of Joshua in the Old Testament. Joshua led the Israelites in the great battle of Jericho!    

Big, strong city.   
Fortified beyond belief.    
Not easy to conquer. 
However, God fought for them, and they won in amazing fashion! YIPPEE!!

Next on the list - dinky little town of Ai.

No biggie.
Got this conquering thing DOWN!

Piece of cake.

OOOPS! Forgot to Proceed with Prayer!

And they got their tails whipped!



There's a difference I see between the Battle of Jericho and the Battle of Ai.


• Before Jericho, 
lots of conversations between God and Joshua are recorded (Joshua 1-6).

• Before Ai (Joshua 7),
 no conversations between God and Joshua are recorded until the Israelites got their tails whipped (kinda like I did in that Race for Faith!!).


I saw the parallel in my life.
Little stuff - Got it.  
No problem.  
I can handle this
on my own.
WRONG! Forgot to 
Proceed with Prayer!


The problem is, I rely on my own understanding, thinking, etc. instead of God's, which is exactly what Proverbs 3:5-6 tells me NOT to do! And
 every time I get my tail whipped!! You'd think I'd learn my lesson, but I just had another experience this March where I jumped right into making a decision without 
Proceeding with Prayer! What happened, you ask??   You guessed it - I got my tail whipped!  See why I need to Beware the Month of March? :-) So hopefully by having a written record of these mistakes, I'll learn to
 Proceed with Prayer, no matter the situation. Ask me how it's going!


Do you have any situations where you're tempted to not Proceed with Prayer?
Any times you've Proceeded with Prayer and God's done amazing things?
Leave a comment and share your experiences!
Thanks! :-)

Dear Prayer Partners of the World Prayer Assembly,

We are entering the last week before the WPA begins on May 14. Your prayers have been and are continuing to be vital to the whole process.

Please join us in prayer for the following:

1. Some are still waiting for visas including a few speakers and facilitators especially those from countries Indonesian immigration considers "restricted". Please pray for great favor and speed in processing visa approvals for them. We need a real miracle for Leslie and Grace, two who are part of the leadership team, to get their visas this next week in time to come to Jakarta.

2. For the 6000+ registered participants and the 363 cities of Indonesia that are taking part, literally millions of people, that all of us will be under His glory cloud and all playing our part in the power, joy, love and unity of the Spirit.

3. For all the logistics to work well in accommodating this "army" of God's people from the ends of the earth- hotel and retreat center rooms to be comfortable, clean and a good home away from home for all; buses to run on time and not miss anyone; airport pickups to work well; meals to be well organized. A patient, gracious attitude by the participants and also by the hundreds of volunteers as well as the WPA staff so that frictions and conflicts will be avoided and love with consideration for others will characterize our interactions and times together.

4. For the WPA staff who are putting in very long hours trying to process the large numbers of latecomers and the hospitality team who have to find and put them in rooms and arrange ground transport, a very complicated affair. Pray they will be refreshed by the Spirit of the Lord and filled with His joy and get their work done efficiently and well.

5. For all the media connections and efforts, web-streaming, and electronics to work well; for all the audiovisual preparations; translation of presentations and other logistical challenges to be overcome and go well.

6. For His strong anointing upon all who speak, facilitate, interpret and lead worship; for the dancers, singers and technical people, ushers and the many others serving.

7. For great favor with government and airline authorities for all the participants and for excellent security and protection for all of us on the way and while we are in Indonesia.

Thanks so much. Without your support in this way, the WPA would not have been possible. Let's trust the Lord for the glory of His presence to fill the venues and the airwaves so that the WPA will indeed be a major stepping stone towards the fulfillment of Habakkuk 2:14.

As the Indonesians say, "The New Wave is coming!"

Every blessing,
John

--
John Robb
Chairman, International Prayer Council
International Facilitator, World Prayer Assembly 2012
www.ipcprayer.org
www.wpa2012.org