Archives
September 2006
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Subject: September 2006
Time: 7:21:00 AM CDT
Author: seawater999
Sudan: Over the past 23 years, nearly 2 million civilians have died in Southern Sudan and over 4 million have been forced to flee their homes at one time or another due to civil war. Always poorer than the North, the South lost much of their limited infrastructure and public services that existed before the peace agreement was signed on January 9, 2005. Many NGOs left Southern Sudan during the civil war.
Open Doors stayed and kept the same country coordinator, George. Johannes Pretorius, former project manager for the Multi-Purpose Training Center built by Open in Sudan, said "In people like him, you can see growth, the commitment, the calling. Despite all the problems and despite the fact that he had malaria 48 or more times, he never wanted to leave. Now you see the fruit…in educated leaders who…make a difference in churches and in the lives of many people.
Call to Action:
As a member of the Save Darfur Coalition, ODUSA will be participating in the 10 Days of Prayer and Action for Darfur. This international prayer movement will begin September 8th and will culminate with a Day of Prayer and Fasting for Sudan on September 17th. Open Doors has created daily prayer points for each of the 10 days with a different prayer theme focusing on the needs of Christians primarily in Southern Sudan. These requests were especially compiled from Open Doors field workers for these 10 Days of Prayer and Action and are current, pressing needs!
Please Pray:
- That the Holy Spirit will pour out wisdom and strength upon the pastors and church leaders as theystrive to lead their congregations at this unsettled time.
- For unity among the Christians despite tribal divisions.
- For forgiveness and reconciliation.
- For the churches to be strengthened with a renewed zeal for evangelism.
- Thanks for leaders such as George, for his health andsafety, and for more leaders to come forward.
- For the training center, for the seeds that have been planted to produce fruits in the hearts of the people of Sudan.
Week of the 13th
"I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow….For we are God’s fellow workers, you are God’s field, God’s building." I Corinthians 3:6,7,9.
Sudan: Open Doors’ Africa Services Director, JP, has been involved with the construction and development of the Multi-Purpose Training Center (MPTC) in Southern Sudan. Describing the atmosphere of the training center, JP said "joy and happiness…you see peace and hope as well -- hope that the situation will change, that the people of Southern Sudan will have a better future and hope that the education of the students at the MPTC will make a lasting change in the lives of many people." When asked about the future importance of the MPTC, JP answered, "The church in Southern Sudan is very unstable, very weak. People never had the possibility to study or to be trained. This is different now, thanks to the training center." Students who come to the center are not educated, but they are very intelligent and very eager to learn, hungry for the Word of God, and hungry to learn more skills. Although the students are extremely poor and cannot pay for the tuition, Open Doors has been able to not only provide support for the construction of the center but now also provides financial support for their education.
Give Thanks! We rejoice in the wonderful fruit of the faith and hard work and persistence of the Sudanese Christians; and the sustaining prayer and support of our Open Doors family!
Please Pray:
- For wisdom and strength for the pastors and church leaders who have been trained at the MPTC.
- For the expansion of the MPTC to accommodate the many servants whom God is calling.
- For God to provide continued protection for the teachers, students, and facilities as the LRA is still a threat in Southern Sudan.
Eritrea:* Information gathered from compiled statistics smuggled out of Eritrea indicate that at least 1,918 Eritrean citizens are imprisoned and subjected to torture and forced labor because of their religious beliefs; 95 percent of these known religious prisoners of conscience are Christian. Of the total numberin prison, 35 are pastors, priests, and church elders under arrest in Asmara’s Wongel Mermera investigation center. In 14 other cities and towns, an additional 1,758 Christians of both evangelical Protestant and Orthodox confessions are jailed. According to reports compiled by Compass Direct, many were arrested while simply attending prayer meetings in private homes. Since the arrests began 4 years ago, none have yet been brought before a court of law to be charged or tried.
Please Pray:
- For the faith and courage of all these prisoners.
- That Jesus himself will speak to their hearts.
- For the salvation of the persecutors, that their hearts will be pierced with the Gospel.
- For their families’ welfare and that the Lord will comfort and encourage them.
"Jesus said, ’Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’ " Matthew 19:14
Colombia: A team from ODUSA visited Colombia in July. On this trip they met the children of a Christian mother who was murdered on July 7th. Although the children’s names have been changed for this story, Michael (14), a sister Ana who is 9 years old, and a younger brother (3) are now living in a home that receives Open Doors support. When Michael first arrived at the home, he was especially traumatized because he had witnessed his mother being shot by a hired gunman. Thank the Lord for the opportunity given to these children to receive comfort and love in the home, and for the opportunity He gave these Christian visitors to minister to His beloved flock.
Please Pray:
-That the children--Michael, Anna and their young brother--will come to know Jesus as their Savior; and that they will find comforting arms and loving hearts to help them.
-For the grandparents who are caring for the baby, who was only 5 months old at the time of the murder.
-For the children’s father who had left the country; that he will return and be a Godly leader for the family.
-For the many Colombian children who live in the midst of danger and terrible violence.
-Against the unending persecution and fear that reigns in Colombia.
"Look upon my suffering and deliver me, for I have not forgotten your law. Defend my cause and redeem me; preserve my life according to your promise. Your compassion is great, O Lord; Preserve my life according to your laws." Psalm 119:153, 154, 156.
Iran: Recently the United States took Iran to task for its "harsh and oppressive treatment" of religious minorities, including Christians. In its annual "Report on International Religious Freedom" around the world, the State Department said it found a further deterioration in what it called "the extremely poor status of respect for religious freedom" in Iran. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is on a three-day visit to New York City and is scheduled to address the United Nations General Assembly. The following is an update on the status of persecuted Christians in Iran.
The situation in Iran is very similar to that of the first century church: mass conversions, persecution, signs and wonders, visions and dreams and even multiple wives. Only God knows how many thousands of Iranian Muslims have come to Christ through Christian satellite TV broadcasts. Most of the new believers are young and very passionate about their faith in Christ, although, out of fear, most remain "secret believers" not connected to any church or house church. Christians report that persecution has increased markedly and that believers are experiencing much greater hardship since the election of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in August 2005, who has pledged to restore an Islamic government in Iran.
Please Pray:
-Against the present government and leadership in Iran, that God will soften their hearts to be open to His love.
-That the leaders at the UN General Assembly meetings who hear President Ahmadinejad speak will not be swayed by his false talk.
-That the Lord will raise up prayer from every corner of the world for the country of Iran.
-That God will protect and comfort His people in Iran and that the Holy Spirit will give them power to witness in every situation.
-That the presence of Jesus will be evident among them as never before.
Week of the 27th
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor." Luke 4:18-19
Nigeria:* A mob of Muslim youths injured six Christians, one critically, and burned 10 churches last week in Dutse, capital of Jigawa state in northern Nigeria. The attacks were sparked by allegations that a Christian woman, identified only as a tailor named Jummai, had blasphemed the Muslim prophet Muhammad. Demanding that she be stoned, angry Muslims went on a rampage, destroying several churches, 20 Christian homes and 40 shops and leaving more than 1,000 Christians displaced. Reported by Compass Direct, police have detained the accused woman for questioning, along with more than 20 suspects involved in the mob attacks.
Please Pray:
For the Lord to protect Jummai in these terribly dangerous circumstances.
That Jesus will make His presence with her so evident that even her jailers will perceive it.
That her life will be spared, and she will be able to return to her home and her family and her livelihood.
For Nigeria, that this terrible destruction targeted at the Christian community will be brought to an end.
Pakistan:* A young Pakistani Christian jailed last week on suspicion of ripping book pages containing Quranic verses appealed to Punjabi police yesterday through his lawyer for his case to be cancelled for lack of evidence. According to lawyer Khalil Tahir Sindhu, the sole evidence against Shahid Masih, 17, was the testimony of a Muslim man already accused of the same crime. If convicted of breaking article 295-B of the Pakistan Penal Code, Masih will serve a life sentence.
Sahotra, a Christian representative employed to secure his release is convinced Masih has been falsely accused. More than 200 Islamist extremists attended the first hearing against Masih and his Muslim accuser Muhammad Ghaffar before a judicial magistrate in Faisalabad on September 14, Sindhu said. According to Compass Direct at least 23 people, Muslims as well as Christians, involved in blasphemy cases have been murdered in Pakistan since the laws were instituted in the 1980s.
Please Pray:
For Shahid’s safety in prison as he awaits further hearings.
For the Lord to give Shahid and his family courage, increased faith, and the peace that only Jesus can give.
For the Lord to give wisdom to those who make the laws in Pakistan, that they can find a way to rescind this unjust law.
http://www.opendoorsusa.org/Display.asp?Page=pray
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Subject: September 2006
Time: 7:21:00 AM CDT
Author: seawater999
Persecution Prayer Alert from Open Doors
SEPTEMBER 2006
http://www.opendoorsusa.org/Display.asp?Page=pray
Week of the 6th
Sudan: Over the past 23 years, nearly 2 million civilians have died in Southern Sudan and over 4 million have been forced to flee their homes at one time or another due to civil war. Always poorer than the North, the South lost much of their limited infrastructure and public services that existed before the peace agreement was signed on January 9, 2005. Many NGOs left Southern Sudan during the civil war.
Open Doors stayed and kept the same country coordinator, George. Johannes Pretorius, former project manager for the Multi-Purpose Training Center built by Open in Sudan, said "In people like him, you can see growth, the commitment, the calling. Despite all the problems and despite the fact that he had malaria 48 or more times, he never wanted to leave. Now you see the fruit…in educated leaders who…make a difference in churches and in the lives of many people.
Call to Action:
As a member of the Save Darfur Coalition, ODUSA will be participating in the 10 Days of Prayer and Action for Darfur. This international prayer movement will begin September 8th and will culminate with a Day of Prayer and Fasting for Sudan on September 17th. Open Doors has created daily prayer points for each of the 10 days with a different prayer theme focusing on the needs of Christians primarily in Southern Sudan. These requests were especially compiled from Open Doors field workers for these 10 Days of Prayer and Action and are current, pressing needs!
Please Pray:
- That the Holy Spirit will pour out wisdom and strength upon the pastors and church leaders as theystrive to lead their congregations at this unsettled time.
- For unity among the Christians despite tribal divisions.
- For forgiveness and reconciliation.
- For the churches to be strengthened with a renewed zeal for evangelism.
- Thanks for leaders such as George, for his health andsafety, and for more leaders to come forward.
- For the training center, for the seeds that have been planted to produce fruits in the hearts of the people of Sudan.
Week of the 13th
"I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow….For we are God’s fellow workers, you are God’s field, God’s building." I Corinthians 3:6,7,9.
Sudan: Open Doors’ Africa Services Director, JP, has been involved with the construction and development of the Multi-Purpose Training Center (MPTC) in Southern Sudan. Describing the atmosphere of the training center, JP said "joy and happiness…you see peace and hope as well -- hope that the situation will change, that the people of Southern Sudan will have a better future and hope that the education of the students at the MPTC will make a lasting change in the lives of many people." When asked about the future importance of the MPTC, JP answered, "The church in Southern Sudan is very unstable, very weak. People never had the possibility to study or to be trained. This is different now, thanks to the training center." Students who come to the center are not educated, but they are very intelligent and very eager to learn, hungry for the Word of God, and hungry to learn more skills. Although the students are extremely poor and cannot pay for the tuition, Open Doors has been able to not only provide support for the construction of the center but now also provides financial support for their education.
Give Thanks! We rejoice in the wonderful fruit of the faith and hard work and persistence of the Sudanese Christians; and the sustaining prayer and support of our Open Doors family!
Please Pray:
- For wisdom and strength for the pastors and church leaders who have been trained at the MPTC.
- For the expansion of the MPTC to accommodate the many servants whom God is calling.
- For God to provide continued protection for the teachers, students, and facilities as the LRA is still a threat in Southern Sudan.
Eritrea:* Information gathered from compiled statistics smuggled out of Eritrea indicate that at least 1,918 Eritrean citizens are imprisoned and subjected to torture and forced labor because of their religious beliefs; 95 percent of these known religious prisoners of conscience are Christian. Of the total numberin prison, 35 are pastors, priests, and church elders under arrest in Asmara’s Wongel Mermera investigation center. In 14 other cities and towns, an additional 1,758 Christians of both evangelical Protestant and Orthodox confessions are jailed. According to reports compiled by Compass Direct, many were arrested while simply attending prayer meetings in private homes. Since the arrests began 4 years ago, none have yet been brought before a court of law to be charged or tried.
Please Pray:
- For the faith and courage of all these prisoners.
- That Jesus himself will speak to their hearts.
- For the salvation of the persecutors, that their hearts will be pierced with the Gospel.
- For their families’ welfare and that the Lord will comfort and encourage them.
"Jesus said, ’Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’ " Matthew 19:14
Colombia: A team from ODUSA visited Colombia in July. On this trip they met the children of a Christian mother who was murdered on July 7th. Although the children’s names have been changed for this story, Michael (14), a sister Ana who is 9 years old, and a younger brother (3) are now living in a home that receives Open Doors support. When Michael first arrived at the home, he was especially traumatized because he had witnessed his mother being shot by a hired gunman. Thank the Lord for the opportunity given to these children to receive comfort and love in the home, and for the opportunity He gave these Christian visitors to minister to His beloved flock.
Please Pray:
-That the children--Michael, Anna and their young brother--will come to know Jesus as their Savior; and that they will find comforting arms and loving hearts to help them.
-For the grandparents who are caring for the baby, who was only 5 months old at the time of the murder.
-For the children’s father who had left the country; that he will return and be a Godly leader for the family.
-For the many Colombian children who live in the midst of danger and terrible violence.
-Against the unending persecution and fear that reigns in Colombia.
"Look upon my suffering and deliver me, for I have not forgotten your law. Defend my cause and redeem me; preserve my life according to your promise. Your compassion is great, O Lord; Preserve my life according to your laws." Psalm 119:153, 154, 156.
Iran: Recently the United States took Iran to task for its "harsh and oppressive treatment" of religious minorities, including Christians. In its annual "Report on International Religious Freedom" around the world, the State Department said it found a further deterioration in what it called "the extremely poor status of respect for religious freedom" in Iran. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is on a three-day visit to New York City and is scheduled to address the United Nations General Assembly. The following is an update on the status of persecuted Christians in Iran.
The situation in Iran is very similar to that of the first century church: mass conversions, persecution, signs and wonders, visions and dreams and even multiple wives. Only God knows how many thousands of Iranian Muslims have come to Christ through Christian satellite TV broadcasts. Most of the new believers are young and very passionate about their faith in Christ, although, out of fear, most remain "secret believers" not connected to any church or house church. Christians report that persecution has increased markedly and that believers are experiencing much greater hardship since the election of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in August 2005, who has pledged to restore an Islamic government in Iran.
Please Pray:
-Against the present government and leadership in Iran, that God will soften their hearts to be open to His love.
-That the leaders at the UN General Assembly meetings who hear President Ahmadinejad speak will not be swayed by his false talk.
-That the Lord will raise up prayer from every corner of the world for the country of Iran.
-That God will protect and comfort His people in Iran and that the Holy Spirit will give them power to witness in every situation.
-That the presence of Jesus will be evident among them as never before.
Week of the 27th
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor." Luke 4:18-19
Nigeria:* A mob of Muslim youths injured six Christians, one critically, and burned 10 churches last week in Dutse, capital of Jigawa state in northern Nigeria. The attacks were sparked by allegations that a Christian woman, identified only as a tailor named Jummai, had blasphemed the Muslim prophet Muhammad. Demanding that she be stoned, angry Muslims went on a rampage, destroying several churches, 20 Christian homes and 40 shops and leaving more than 1,000 Christians displaced. Reported by Compass Direct, police have detained the accused woman for questioning, along with more than 20 suspects involved in the mob attacks.
Please Pray:
For the Lord to protect Jummai in these terribly dangerous circumstances.
That Jesus will make His presence with her so evident that even her jailers will perceive it.
That her life will be spared, and she will be able to return to her home and her family and her livelihood.
For Nigeria, that this terrible destruction targeted at the Christian community will be brought to an end.
Pakistan:* A young Pakistani Christian jailed last week on suspicion of ripping book pages containing Quranic verses appealed to Punjabi police yesterday through his lawyer for his case to be cancelled for lack of evidence. According to lawyer Khalil Tahir Sindhu, the sole evidence against Shahid Masih, 17, was the testimony of a Muslim man already accused of the same crime. If convicted of breaking article 295-B of the Pakistan Penal Code, Masih will serve a life sentence.
Sahotra, a Christian representative employed to secure his release is convinced Masih has been falsely accused. More than 200 Islamist extremists attended the first hearing against Masih and his Muslim accuser Muhammad Ghaffar before a judicial magistrate in Faisalabad on September 14, Sindhu said. According to Compass Direct at least 23 people, Muslims as well as Christians, involved in blasphemy cases have been murdered in Pakistan since the laws were instituted in the 1980s.
Please Pray:
For Shahid’s safety in prison as he awaits further hearings.
For the Lord to give Shahid and his family courage, increased faith, and the peace that only Jesus can give.
For the Lord to give wisdom to those who make the laws in Pakistan, that they can find a way to rescind this unjust law.
http://www.opendoorsusa.org/Display.asp?Page=pray
Written by seawater999 Blog about this entry |
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