M
MrVersatile48
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Subject: Eastern European Prayer Update (March 16, 2006)
To: "Eastern European Prayer Focus Group" <eeprayer@lyris2.strategicprayer.net>
March 16, 2006
Submitted from Our Friends in Eastern Europe
Forwarded by Global Harvest Ministries
EASTERN EUROPEAN PRAYER UPDATE
Each of you can continue to help us in the following ways:
Send this information to Roger Bullard (rwbullard@ fastmail.us) who will take your updates and put them together so that we can forward them.
Send the prayer focus to others who you know will intercede and encourage them to sign up for themselves.
Give us grace if we make a mistake and pray for us as we seek to see changes in these nations.
Pray for us to "connect" with many other intercessors so that our intercession will expand.
Finally, thank you for sending information regarding the prayer issues your nation faces that affect religious freedom, mission opportunities and social issues that would affect the Body of Christ.
****
Watchman Report - Islam and Transformation:
Last month we began this section and reported a growing concern regarding radical Islamists beginning to focus on regions of Southern Europe and Eurasia where nominal Muslims live under difficult conditions. This month we have a glorious report where prayer and unity among Christian leaders from three of these nations brought them together in a common cause to heal past wounds of strife and division. We also remember Albanians living in other nations are suspicious and therefore not receptive to the gospel coming from someone outside their heritage, but very likely to be receptive to those of their former homeland.
The March 7-9 Regional Pastors Conference for Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo that we have been praying for produced fruits that far surpassed faith expectations. Albanians of nominal Islam heritage have been the excuse used that is at the very root for the term Balkan or Division. Instead, the report reads:
For 3 nights and 2 days we gathered on the mountain of the Lord. were over 70 pastors and church leaders from Albania, almost 90 pastors and church leaders from Macedonia, and about 7 pastors and church leaders from Kosovo around 175 in all. We also represented about 20 different nations that were gathered together Here we were, people of different ethnic groups, but the same God, different spoken languages, but the same language of the heart; different histories, but servants of the same Lord who is writing His-Story in these present days...
As the conference began, the snow was falling outside, and it was like a covering of God's grace upon us, like the falling of the Holy Spirit over us, His children. He was blanketing us in covering us with His love Even the weather was under God's control As people began arriving on the first night, it was starting to snow and it continued to snow for two days.. The first morning of the conference there was a small earthquake. This I believe was a sign of a spiritual quaking that was to come later that day! Finally on the morning of the last day the clouds and fog lifted --- the sun came out, and we saw the incredible beauty of the snow covering the trees, the mountains, and the valley. This I believe was the spiritual coming out and coming together of God's Church in these nations!
We closed the conference with the Lord's Supper. National pastors from Macedonia, Albania, and Kosovo broke the bread and distributed the wine. As the worship team led us in a closing celebration, the Spirit of God descended heavily over all who gathered. The Spirit began to move people spontaneously around the room. People embraced one another, prayed and prophesied over one another, blessed one another. The Holy Spirit was being poured out like a flood. It was like a Family Reunion. Tears of joy were flowing around. The Spirit lingered on such that no one could escape the presence of the Lord. No one wanted to! People from Albania, Macedonia and Kosovo were making plans to come and visit one another.
A full report and pictures are available upon request by sending an Email to Bryan of Pray Macedonia: [Bryan@PrayMacedonia.com]
BALKAN NATIONS
Albania:
· Thank the Lord for the way in which the Gospel has spread in Albania. Thank Him for the freedom they enjoy to learn and worship together and for the process taking place to grow and mature the Church there.
· Pray for those pastors and leaders that are networking with their colleagues in Macedonia and Kosovo to take the gospel to Albanians living abroad. Pray that their influence will penetrate the shield of resistance that some communities have built up and persist to avoid hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
· As fire and passion builds among Albanian Christians to reach their people in other nations (i.e. over 600,000 in Macedonia) there is a need for their training to perform in excellence as God's ambassadors. GCCM out of Canada, for example is currently holding a 5 module Church Planting seminar sponsored by the Albanian Bible League.
· God has provided GCCM with medical and dental equipment to help the poor of their region as well as preach the gospel. They need good facilities and finances to meet operating costs in meeting “total health needs of the poor in Albania. Please pray for these needs.
· As this move of God touches lives across the land we need to be praying for dark customs of the past that hold some of the people down such as “blood feuds between families. One pastor and his family and in another case a widow and her 10-year old son are in hiding for their lives for this reason.
· Pray for the vision of Rick and Patti Roberts returning from the field to minister through Albanians back home. They regret leaving their work in Albania but note: There are 15-25,000 Albanians and tens of thousands of Muslims from various cultures. There are two groups of Albanian Christians presently meeting in Philadelphia who are praying for a shepherd. We know the language! We know the culture! We are ready to take on this challenge! We believe this could develop into a thriving ethnic ministry that sends missionaries back to Albania.
Bosnia Herzegovina:
· Praise God that 20,000 New Testaments supplied by the Gideons have now arrived and been stored away safely. The next step will be distribution. Workers are needed to do this, and wisdom in how and where to start the task. Please pray.
· Prayer leaders in Bosnia are praising God for the great contribution in prayer that so many of us are making for them. It's so hard to pray here. The support of praying people in other countries makes a tremendous difference.
· Please pray for the newly formed government in Republika Srpska, headed by Milorad Dodik as Prime Minister. He has said that he will prioritize ending corruption.
· The new, High Representative, Christian Shwarz Schilling, has begun his work in Bosnia Herzegovina. It is hoped that during his time in the country, and very soon, it will move to a closer relationship with the EU, and eventually to membership.
· Pray that his many years of experience in the business world will help development of business and production that now is being stifled by red tape and corruption.
· Unemployment continues to be very high and many of those who have jobs are paid little and irregularly. A high proportion of young talented people still leave the country if they can. Many don't want to have to go abroad to provide sufficient income for their families. Please pray.
Bulgaria: Please pray
· For an intercessory prayer implementer to rise up, form a prayer network and correspond with us the prayer points for the Church of Bulgaria. That excellent apostolic work begun there through Target Europe how can we pray into God's plans and purposes for it? How can we pray for Bulgaria’s role in the current breakthrough in neighboring nations?
· Pray for the life-giving churches to come together with a common cause to reach the lost for Christ in changing lives and transforming communities. Pray the five-fold ministry leaders come together often in fellowship, prayer and planning outreach.
· We praise God for the evangelism, church plants and community development work by at least one church in Sofia and IPEG in orphanages and among the Bulgarian Romany. Please continue to pray for their work.
Croatia:
· A prayer leader from Croatia is praising God for new beginnings there. God's people have started to wake up and take their stand. Last month 70 Christians from 15 different churches met and had 5 days of unceasing prayer. The impact was great!
· Pray for the new prayer and fasting chain that began on 11 March.This time we pray for 7 days –24 hours. Thank you for your prayers and this time I ask you to stand with us again for the Kingdom of God to come and millions to be saved.�
· Please pray for more intercessors and watchmen to be raised up and equipped and for Church leaders to wake up, see and take their stand.�
· Please pray into the vision of this leader for wisdom and protection in igniting a prayer movement, even establishing a House of Prayer.
· YWAM Croatia has been praying into this awakening as well – for evangelism and discipleship. About 87.2% of the population is Roman Catholic, many of which faithfully attend services but has not been stirred to step into “deeper waters� beyond tradition and obligation. The remaining Christian believers (Orthodox and Protestant) attend very small churches. Evangelism and youth work are lacking.
o Pray for awakening and evangelization of nominal Christians.
o Pray that the Church will turn outward to fulfill its role in society to be salt and light.
o Pray that church members will have true concern and compassion for those who do not know God personally.
o Pray for individual born again believers to be bold in their witness.
o Pray for God to rise up good disciplers and mentors in churches and for believers to seek to grow in maturity.
o Pray that Bibles will be “dusted off� and read. May this lead to love for the Word of God and true worship of its author.
o Pray for young people in the churches, and those outside, to be drawn to Christ. Pray for Karolina from a YWAM Catholic group who is considering attending a DTS that she and YWAM will all have wisdom and direction.
o Pray for the Church to start vigorously interceding for the nation and the whole church.
· Pray for Branimirova Church-Zagreb as they release evangelistic radio messages and for the development of their Internet radio. Pray specifically for their ministry on the radio in Velika Gorica (short Bible messages) and for open doors of two radio stations in Eastern Croatia.
· Pray for prayer and support teams for their radio ministry and that many lives would be touched.
· Twelve Church of Christ congregations from across Croatia will meet at the end of March. Pray for harmony, unity and the Holy Spirit to have free rein in an anointing that will be transforming lives.
Macedonia:
· See page 1 of this Prayer Focus for words regarding the “Regional Pastor’s Prayer Conference for Macedonia, Albania, and Kosovo that was held March 7-9 at Bitola, Republic of Macedonia – Hotel Pelister. You can obtain the report and pictures and please continue to pray not only for what was accomplished to be sustained, but for this to be the beginning of transformation Balkan-wide.
· Pray for David and Delynn in their latest round of visa applications and airline tickets to return to the Balkans and continue on with their ministry.
Serbia-Montenegro:
· Pray for God’s hand to dispel any darkness across these lands as a result of the death of Slobodan Milosevic last Saturday. Pray for the beginning of revival fire to instead cover the land and that the Kingdom of God come to this region in power and might.
· Last month, a new weekly 30-minute program in the Serbian Romani language began airing for Gypsies in Serbia. The new program is called Shalom Romalen (Peace to the Roma). Around 14,000 Romani live in Leskovac alone, with about 100,000 in the whole region. Please pray that this program impact many lives for Jesus Christ.
· Shalom Romalen is aired on five FM stations and several more local stations in the region are also expressing a desire to air it. The production team, from the Romani Protestant-Evangelical church, also desires to air the program on medium wave (AM) so the wider Romani community can be reached. Please pray for resources and arrangements to come together to make this happen.
· TWR-Serbia and Montenegro built a small studio and provided training for the production of Shalom Romalen. An additional part of the project is the distribution of solar radios to the local Romani population. Pray for this work as well.
BALTIC NATIONS
Estonia:
· Pray for the great need of evangelism in Estonia. Pray that God might strip away the secular materialism and empower the Church to reveal the living Christ to them.
· Pray for leadership training among church leaders and for seminaries and schools.
Latvia:
· The Prayer, Fellowship and Strategy Summit is over now and we expect to hear people rejoicing and praising God for what he did there. The Catholic cardinal, Lutheran archbishop, Baptist bishop, two Pentecostal bishops, Adventist bishop and two of the three mega-church pastors were to come. This is the “stuff� for transformation when churches of all flavors holding common biblical absolutes come together in unity. Please rejoice and pray into the afterglow of this event.
· Pray now for discipling the new converts that came to Christ and will be coming to Him as a result of this summit. Pray for needed teachers, curricula and training materials to flow across all of the churches involved as Kingdom workers are formed.
· Praise God for recent large outreach to Bauska region in Latvia, working together with local churches, government and social department. Many people were touched by receiving, mercy ministry, through prayer and a presentation of the gospel.
· Praise God for the safe return and fruitful ministry of YWAM DTS outreach teams from ministry in Ukraine and Belarus and for their many opportunities to minister.
· Pray for an upcoming concert tour (20 April-5 May) of 2 Latvian bands who have a strong Christian message for cities and towns across Latvia. Pray for the logistics, needed finances and much favor and grace to be upon the musicians...and that many seeking hearts would be drawn to these concerts.
· Pray also for Christian workers in the nation...missionaries, pastors, and others serving. Many are feeling worn out, and stressed as the pressures of finances and other strains are draining the strength. Pray for freshness, grace from God and new releases to happen ... that would also raise and build up the faith of these workers.
· Praise God for the recent Missions Conference in Latvia, attended by close to 200 people from different churches, denominations, backgrounds and ages. A real spark and interest was released for missions and a sense of the call and destiny upon Latvian believers to take their part in missions. Pray for the spark to become a fire and for the faith to see it fully realized.
Lithuania:
· Please pray God's protection over some emerging unity in the body of Christ. Some churches are starting to work together more - pray for blessing on this. Pray for the many churches and church leaders who still hold grudges. Pray God heals hearts, brings forgiveness and repentance and brings lasting wholeness to relationships.
· Pray for Godly Government. Continue to pray against corruption. Pray the Government would give increased moral and financial support to the orphanages, hospitals, drug addiction centers and the few women's refuges. Pray the Government would see the need; understand some of the solutions may be long-term, and give to an unpopular section of society.
· Pray Protestant churches and organizations would find their role in Lithuania and be accepted in what is a strongly culturally-Catholic country. Many mainstream Protestant churches are called sects here, often out of ignorance, fear and a cultural mindset.
· Pray for blessings on Protestant churches' relationships with Catholic and other churches, with the media and with the general public. Pray Protestants can love their Catholic and Russian Orthodox brothers and sisters.
· Please continue to pray about those who became Christians prior to the break up of the former Soviet Union and immediately following Lithuania's regaining of independence. Many may have been "converted" but not discipled. Pray for Godly discipling and that these people would be free to share Christ out of love. This is a need and seems pivotal to the expansion of God's kingdom in Lithuania and beyond.
CENTRAL NATIONS
Czech Republic: Please pray
· That the Lord of the harvest will rise up and thrust out the workers needed to accomplish His work in the Czech Republic, both Czech and outside missionaries.
· That the Czechs will one day follow in the footsteps of their forefathers, the early Moravian missionaries, who carried the gospel to many countries around the world.
· And praise God for the deaf of the Czech Republic are responding to God's word. Last November 35-40 deaf Czechs attended a church planting conference and their lives were transformed. Now they are leading their friends and families to the Lord, looking to start new groups, and making a serious impact for the cause of Christ.
Hungary:
· Pray for the Ellel Ministries Eastern Europe Modular School that will begin at the end of this month – that a mighty anointing flows over the teachers and students.
· Pray for the upcoming April 9 elections: “We have to pray that leaders with a Josiah heart will be elected to government. We also have to pray that the hidden things (corruption etc.) would come to the surface and false accusations would be exposed. They come from both the right and left wings and the population doesn't really know who to vote for.�
· The bird flu in parts of Europe has now invaded Hungary. “At this point only wild birds are found dead because of it and we trust it remains so. Let's pray that Hungarians get to repentance before God so that He could protect us rightfully. Even so, may Christians in the process stand with faith, not with fear trusting that even if they eat something deadly it won't hurt them.�
· “Let's pray continually that the vision of the worldwide day of worship announced for 5 and 6 June this year would resound in the hearts of as many believers and leaders as possible so that the Hungarian Body of Christ would play its whole role in the events.�
Romania:
· Pray for the 9,500 towns and villages across Romania that is still without an evangelical presence. The country’s poor economy is forcing many people to leave the country in order to find work and the number of church workers is dwindling.
· Baptist missionaries request prayer for all missionaries as they daily carry out the responsibilities of teaching, discipling, and in all ways lifting up the name of Jesus.
· An Ellel Ministries team is in the midst of teaching their six-day basic ministry course "Answering Christ's Call" at the Haven of Hope orphanage in Lipova. Please pray both for this and their upcoming Modular School that will be held in Cluj-Napoca.
· Pray that the Body of Christ from Romania will respond to the call to unity and love (John 17:21-23), so that we will be a true testimony for those who do not believe.
· Pray for a watchman spirit in the Church of the Lord, that the eyes and the hearts of believers would be focused on the Lord, not on the things of this world.
· Pray for those who gave themselves to God, to bring Him worship and praises - for those who are leading the Church in praise and also for the whole Body of Christ. Pray that our worship would come from pure hearts (John 4:23).
· Pray that God would increase the number of intercessors in our nation. We need revelation from heaven to touch us and motivate us, so that we could learn how to pray strategically and with perseverance, until we see the results. Pray that we would be open to hear what God is speaking to us these days. (Isaiah 62:6-7)
· Pray that God’s people come before Him with repentance, asking for mercy, and praying that He would stop any possible calamities, such us floods and epidemics.
· Continue to pray for our leaders, that God would search their hearts and that they would come to know Him. Pray for wisdom and discernment, that they would give right laws, for the good of our people.
· Pray for those who administrate finances in our country, that they would be people of integrity who wisely and equitably administrate the finances of this nation. Pray for protection for them and their families.
· Pray that God would give courage, boldness, wisdom and guidance to all of those involved in the procedures regarding adherence to EU. Pray especially for the parliament and the president of Romania.
· Continue to pray for the law of cults and the law of minorities.
Poland:
· Pray for Christian radio programming through Impuls Polska, TWR’s partner in Poland. Pray for Evangelical programming that will draw the masses to understand the simple gospel of salvation and sanctification.
· Today, Impuls Polska has a new 15-minute weekly children’s program titled Fireflies, which includes music and stories designed to inspire and uplift Polish children. “I believe it is better when a young (person) can know more about God and Jesus and family during childhood because they have their whole life in front of them,� said Marek Cieslar, one of the producers. Please pray for this programming.
· Pray for intercessors to be birthed out of the teaching of Pastor John Abraham Godson who is writing curricula and materials that will help Poland’s Christians recognize and follow their calling. Pray for a national prayer network and leader for connection with us for monthly prayer points.
Slovakia:
· Pray for Evangelical workers to join in the development of the work in Slovakia. They need more Slovak-English and Slovak-Hungarian translators to share the burden of translating the teaching and ministry.
· Pray for God to break down ethnic and cultural barriers between the Slovaks and those of another descent (i.e. Romania, Hungary, and Romany).
· Pray for an upcoming Answering Christ’s Call 6-day school at Licence in June and another school that will begin in August. Pray for ministers, students, our director and her family and the facilities.
· A new evangelical work is coming to Shala, Slovakia out of Harvest Breakthrough Ministries in Sofia, Bulgaria. Please, pray for Pastor Peter Ivanov and House of David Church in Shala as they launch the first work of many to come across Slovakia.
Slovenia: Please pray:
· For men in the churches of Slovenia to grow and mature into spiritual leaders in their homes and in the church. Pray for good discipleship curricula and teachers to disciple them well.
· For Calvary Chapel Celje, particularly for the Thursday study in I Timothy to be fruitful, open and honest, and for the Spirit to move during that time.
· For Slovenia Christians to be effective and fruitful in sharing of the gospel with friends, families, neighbors and colleagues.
· Pray for the English camp Calvary Chapel will host this June to reach out to high school students. Pray that students will be interested in attending – that their hearts will be open to receive, and also pray for God to raise up laborers in the church who have a heart to reach out to and minister to teenagers.
· Pray that the Church of Slovenia will grow in prayer and that intercessors will recognize their calling and follow it. ‘Pray that their prayers would be fruitful and full of faith, and that God would speak to us in prayer.�
· Pray that Church leadership will be wise and protected in the spiritual battles (Romans 16:19-20).
RUSSIAN LANGUAGE NATIONS AND NEIGHBORS
Armenia:
· Please pray for Ellel Ministry Eastern Europe’s fact-finding visit to Armenia in April. Pray for contact with Armenian former students of past ministry schools in Russia and Ukraine. “Pray for unity among Armenian church leaders as we come together to seek God's will for the work in Armenia.�
Belarus: Please pray
· That the December 1 decree exempting registered religious organizations from taxes on land and property would also apply to the few Evangelical churches that own land. The Belarusian Orthodox Church owns vast amounts of land and will benefit most from this new decree.
· For understanding and protection of Protestants regarding the December 31 law making it a crime to criticize the government before international organizationsâ€â€Âpunishable by up to two years.
· For God’s hand in the 19 March presidential elections that an upright man be elected to replace president Lukashenko under whom Christians outside Belarusian Orthodoxy have been persecuted.
· For Pastor Georgi Vyazovsky of Christ's Covenant Reformed Baptist Church who was freed on 13 March from a 10-day stay in the Minsk prison for Administrative Violations Code offenders for conducting religious worship in his own home.
· For a pastor in Soligorsk for release of about $5,000 needed for the purchase of a vehicle. He asks also for an anointing that brings revelation, release from burdens and bondages.
· For the overflow of the work by YWAM-Latvia DTS teams that came recently to Belarus for ministry. “There were many opportunities to serve and minister. The crackdown and oppression of the government in Belarus has become more extreme....and the team had to move locations because of suspicion.�
Moldova: Please pray
· For the 4.2 million people of Moldova, some of the poorest in all of Europe, to be released from the bondage of poverty.
· For a ministry: “This year we want to start at least TWO churches here. We are even now developing relationships with some key leaders and are looking where to start these churches.� In this nation, half of which speak Russian and the other half speak Romanian, there are hundreds of cities and villages that do not have a single church in them.
· For another ministry organization working with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in a “There is Hope� Project. “We show 5 B.G.E.A. movies in churches, where unbelievers are invited, orphanages, prisons, apartments, schools, colleges and many other places. Please pray God will move the hearts of people that see the movies and turn to God by receiving Jesus in their hearts. Just in 1 week we saw 1225 people in 16 shows and 151 prayed to receive Jesus in their hearts. Pray all of them will want to start a Bible study with them in their places and will join the local churches.�
· For a “web site we are working on starting (http://www.moldovaforchrist.com). It will contain the information about the churches in Moldova and ministries, as well as ministry opportunities. We hope it will be a blessing for the Moldovan churches and for Christians from other countries.�
· For “God’s provision for the heat installation in our church where we have 3 Bible study groups with children and 43 kids every week during Sunday Worship at the church. The outside temperature is below zero, many times gets as low as 30 below zero and a lot of snow. Most children that come are from non-Christian families and we need to continue working with them, teaching the God’s word.�
· For teams and preachers from States that would come to Moldova and help conduct Crusades in the cities and villages where we do not have churches in order to plant churches and strengthen the churches that are already being planted. Please pray God will lay on people’s hearts to come and partner with us in the proclamation of the Gospel in Moldova. (The teams can come beginning with September 2006)
Russia:
· Please pray for Russians in New Zealand so that they will see that their hunger cannot be filled by possessions but by receiving the Holy Spirit.
· The Slavic Gospel Association reports that there is a growing youth movement in Russia. Recently, 300 youth ministry leaders from nearly every Russian state gathered in Moscow for a three-day SGA-sponsored training conference. Its success seemed to indicate this growing youth movement.
· Please pray for SGA leadership as they meet “with regional pastors from across Russia as well as church leaders from all 12 nations of the CIS.
· A Messianic Jewish leader seeks our prayers. “My ancestors came from Russia. My great-grandfather, a rabbi, and his entire congregation were burned alive in their synagogue during a service. Those responsible were Russian Orthodox Church members… In just a few short weeks, Jews worldwide will celebrate Passover…� In Russia there will be tokens of remembrance of those whose lives were lost under similar circumstances. “For many elderly, Russian Jews that cannot afford to purchase the elements for the Passover Seder, it will be a time of hardship.� Please pray for them.
Northern Caucasus: Please pray for
· Chechnya. Visit http://www.mosnews.com/images/g/s130.shtml “Grozny: After-War City" to get a perspective of one view of the situation in this republic. There is another side of course and a parliamentary election was held on March 4th. Prayer points:
o That God would bless Chechnya's leaders and grant them wisdom, understanding and the fear of God.
o That God would bring peace and justice to Chechnya and bring an end to the hostilities there.
o That the Good News of the Gospel would be presented to every person of Chechnya in a way that they can receive it.
o That God's Kingdom would come and His will be done in Chechnya as it is in heaven.
o That God would encourage and strengthen the few believers in Chechnya and add to their numbers!
· Dagestan. In the last month 65-year-old Mukhu Aliev was chosen to be the president of Dagestan in the wake of the sudden resignation of Magomedali Magomedov from his position as head of the State Council. The 14-member Dagestan State Council that Magomedov headed from 1991 until last week was also disbanded and the new presidential post established in its place. Please pray:
o That God would grant wisdom, understanding and the fear of God to President Mukhu Aliev and to all of the governmental leaders of Dagestan (1 Tim. 2:1-4). Pray that God would superintend all the events happening in the government now – that He would root out corruption, and place people in the new power structure who will lead according to His principles of integrity and fairness. Pray that peace prevail throughout the whole region.
o That God would extend His grace toward Dagestan and grant that there would be peace between the various political, religious and ethnic factions there.
o that God would confuse Satan's plans to thrust Dagestan deeper into a cycle of violence and instability – that "cooler heads would prevail" and that violence would not break out as a result of the leadership change
o that God would protect His Church in Dagestan and give His people there wisdom as to how they should respond (like the men of Issachar in 1 Chron. 12:32)
o For peace in Dagestan and that God would continue to open doors for His Word to go forth into the hearts of the Dagestani people (Col. 4:3).
o For more workers in the Northern Caucasus to bring in the harvest (Matt. 9:37-38).
o Two young men Christian men ask us to pray that they soon receive the official invitations from the government required for visa applications.
o Pray that God stirs up His workers in boldness, creativity, and shrewdness in getting gospel truth out in a manner that it is distinctly different form the world view. Pray for fruitful conversations and receptive hearts. Ask the Holy Spirit to convict of truth.
Far East Russia: Please pray
· For the upcoming prophetic conferences and seminars led by Apostle and Prophet Ron Sawka from Japan. This is his second year in the region last year in Khabarovsk city and this year in Vladivostock city in the Primiorsky region.
· For the Holy Spirit to bring revelation in hearts of believers in local church in Vladivostock city to know the will of God. (Eph.1:16-23)
· For open hearts among church pastors and leaders for receiving truth about spiritual gifts.
· For God's hand in establishing a school of Holy Spirit in Far East Russia as a part of CI-Asia.
Ukraine:
· Parliamentary elections in Ukraine will take place on March 26. A lot of people feel disappointed with the post-Orange Revolution reality and corrupt overthrown authorities are trying hard to gain revenge. Please pray
o Against disillusionment, indifference and hopelessness in the hearts of people.
o For righteous God-fearing people to be elected into the Parliament and local authority
o For unity, peace and God’s blessings for the Ukrainian nation
· Please pray for Life Unlimited Ministries in Kiev that are early into a new work in the city that not only reaches indigent Ukrainians, but are becoming a welcoming place for people from other nations.
o Pray for their services along with the many classes and outreach groups they have started to be full and for healthy staff to teach them.
o Pray for the work on their facilities that have been fraught with so many resource and labor problems that would boggle the minds of most Westerners.
o Pray for Pastor Bob as he leads this along with the PrayKiev prayer network that he founded.
· Pray for the discipleship training video schools in Russian-language nations held by the Ukrainian team from Ellel Ministries Eastern Europe. Pray for the teams who travel regularly throughout Ukraine to present the school courses and lead assignments and prayer ministry. Pray for God's continued anointing on the video teaching and the ministry times and for the upcoming residential ministry school in Zhovty Vody from In June.
· Please pray for Ukraine's Institutionalized children at risk. We recently prayed regarding child trafficking. At age 16 to 18 the children are given their 'Diplom' and sent off to make their fortune. Approximately 10-15% may be sent on to a trade school. The rest are left to their own devices. Unofficially, some say that at least 70% of them cannot be accounted for after five years. They have simply disappeared!
Teenage children who have little to offer in the way of work skills and who have been cut loose on the street are vulnerable to unscrupulous gangs, "businessmen," (mafia) usually for prostitution and drug trafficking. Others answer ads promising work in some foreign land where they are offered transportation and housing then when they arrive is pressed into prostitution. Ukrainian prostitutes in Turkey are called, "Natasha's."
· Please pray for schools like “River of Joy in Crimea where these children can come and be trained in Christian ethics, morality, healthy life styles and a trade. One must give the Ukraine government credit for some humanitarian assistance, but outside God and His Church it is hugely inadequate. The government run “Schola Internats are huge government run boarding schools with thousands of children and inadequate training and few boundaries on morals. The results are poor.
SILK ROAD NATIONS
Azerbaijan:
· Pray for Christians in Azerbaijan to have greater freedom to worship Almighty God.
Kazakhstan:
· Praise the Lord that many portions of Scripture, including the entire New Testament, have been translated into Kazakh, the language of a Central Asian people group numbering 10 million (2 Timothy 2:2)! Translators continue to work on the Old Testament. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide and empower the translators, granting wisdom and insight. Pray for the Kazakh translation to be accurate, understandable and relevant to the vast majority of Kazakhs who have no knowledge of Jesus the Messiah.
· Please pray for God's wisdom and guidance on President Nazarbayev. “Father, may he rule with compassion, tolerance, and respect for human rights and religious freedom.
· Pray for a Baptist pastor who faces confiscation of his home because he is unable to pay a massive fine imposed on him because of his leadership of an unregistered religious congregation. He has already spent 3 days in prison for the matter.
· Other Baptists and evangelicals who refuse to register their congregations with the authorities on principle also face pressure from the police and public prosecutor's office. Please pray this situation is resolved and religious freedom flow.
· Pray the members of all unregistered churches in Kazakhstan will be witnesses to the loving reality of Jesus Christ. Pray for a powerful movement of the Holy Spirit to sweep away the spiritual darkness of this country and bring in the light of Christ.
Kyrgyzstan:
· Please pray for the family of Saktinbai Usmanov, an ethnic Kyrgyz convert to Christianity who was recently murdered in what is believed to have been the culmination of a long series of intolerant incidents. “Heavenly Father, comfort them as they mourn and bring real religious freedom to this nation.
· Pray that the hand of God quiet any future persecution such as this on the Christians of Kyrgyzstan.
Tajikistan:
· Pray that as people read God's Word, that He would reveal Himself to them. “We pray that they be inspired to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with their friends and family.
· Please continue to pray for the Church of Tajikistan and ask the Father that He would continue to grow and mature it. We know that it has faced opposition in the past from the authorities, but we pray that this would not stop people from meeting together to worship you and to learn more of your love for them.
Turkey:
· Pray that it will become accepted that one can be a Christian and a good citizen of Turkey.
· Please pray for an Australian team that will be ministering in Turkey. Pray for God's wisdom, anointing, and more understanding about their future involvement in Turkey
Turkmenistan:
· Please pray for the registered Baptist church in Deynau that was raided by the secret police and others in mid-December midway through their Sunday morning service, demanding the pastor write and sign a statement that he was conducting an illegal meeting. Stated consequences being, that if he didn't trucks and busses would be ordered and everyone in the congregation would be arrested.
· Ask God for His protection on this church and for healing for all of those who were detained. Several other churches have undergone similar situations please pray for them as well.
· Pray Father's supernatural influence on police and governmental officials in Turkmenistan for the good of His Church there.
· This pastor started the Bethany Church as an independent congregation in 1996. With Sunday attendance averaging 130 or more, the church has since started two spin-off church groups in nearby districts of northeast Tashkent. The members are an ethnic mix of Germans, Koreans, Uzbeks, Tatars, Kazakhs and Russians. Please pray for this work to not be interrupted through governmental and religious persecution.
Uzbekistan:
· Persecution of Protestants continues throughout Uzbekistan - please pray for the following situations:
o Interrogation of a group of 40 Protestants for 18 days.
o The unlawful imposition of a fine for "security" on one woman.
o Protestants in a cafe being ordered by police to state that they were in an unauthorized religious meeting.
o Nine Pentecostals at a social gathering having permitted religious literature - including copies of the New Testament confiscated. Fines were also imposed.
o The Uzbek Christian lawyer standing for their rights asserted "No-one can prevent people from visiting each other and talking about religious issues!" The head of the Criminal and Administrative Court for Syr-Darya was unable to explain why permitted religious literature was confiscated.
· Over the past 10 years, an Uzbek man has assisted various Christian workers. During this time many gospel seeds have been sown and watered in his life and recently he announced I have accepted Jesus into my life! In the midst of adversity this happened. Ask God to clearly show him the right time to share this important decision with his family.
· Pray for all believers in Uzbekistan, asking for boldness to share their faith and for wisdom to honor Him as they respond to the increasing tensions in the country.
· Please pray for persecuted Muslim-background believers to remain true to their faith in Christ. Ask the Lord to abundantly supply the wisdom, courage, and grace they need to continue to share their faith with their family and community. Pray for Central Asians to hear and heed the Word of God.
To: "Eastern European Prayer Focus Group" <eeprayer@lyris2.strategicprayer.net>
March 16, 2006
Submitted from Our Friends in Eastern Europe
Forwarded by Global Harvest Ministries
EASTERN EUROPEAN PRAYER UPDATE
Each of you can continue to help us in the following ways:
Send this information to Roger Bullard (rwbullard@ fastmail.us) who will take your updates and put them together so that we can forward them.
Send the prayer focus to others who you know will intercede and encourage them to sign up for themselves.
Give us grace if we make a mistake and pray for us as we seek to see changes in these nations.
Pray for us to "connect" with many other intercessors so that our intercession will expand.
Finally, thank you for sending information regarding the prayer issues your nation faces that affect religious freedom, mission opportunities and social issues that would affect the Body of Christ.
****
Watchman Report - Islam and Transformation:
Last month we began this section and reported a growing concern regarding radical Islamists beginning to focus on regions of Southern Europe and Eurasia where nominal Muslims live under difficult conditions. This month we have a glorious report where prayer and unity among Christian leaders from three of these nations brought them together in a common cause to heal past wounds of strife and division. We also remember Albanians living in other nations are suspicious and therefore not receptive to the gospel coming from someone outside their heritage, but very likely to be receptive to those of their former homeland.
The March 7-9 Regional Pastors Conference for Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo that we have been praying for produced fruits that far surpassed faith expectations. Albanians of nominal Islam heritage have been the excuse used that is at the very root for the term Balkan or Division. Instead, the report reads:
For 3 nights and 2 days we gathered on the mountain of the Lord. were over 70 pastors and church leaders from Albania, almost 90 pastors and church leaders from Macedonia, and about 7 pastors and church leaders from Kosovo around 175 in all. We also represented about 20 different nations that were gathered together Here we were, people of different ethnic groups, but the same God, different spoken languages, but the same language of the heart; different histories, but servants of the same Lord who is writing His-Story in these present days...
As the conference began, the snow was falling outside, and it was like a covering of God's grace upon us, like the falling of the Holy Spirit over us, His children. He was blanketing us in covering us with His love Even the weather was under God's control As people began arriving on the first night, it was starting to snow and it continued to snow for two days.. The first morning of the conference there was a small earthquake. This I believe was a sign of a spiritual quaking that was to come later that day! Finally on the morning of the last day the clouds and fog lifted --- the sun came out, and we saw the incredible beauty of the snow covering the trees, the mountains, and the valley. This I believe was the spiritual coming out and coming together of God's Church in these nations!
We closed the conference with the Lord's Supper. National pastors from Macedonia, Albania, and Kosovo broke the bread and distributed the wine. As the worship team led us in a closing celebration, the Spirit of God descended heavily over all who gathered. The Spirit began to move people spontaneously around the room. People embraced one another, prayed and prophesied over one another, blessed one another. The Holy Spirit was being poured out like a flood. It was like a Family Reunion. Tears of joy were flowing around. The Spirit lingered on such that no one could escape the presence of the Lord. No one wanted to! People from Albania, Macedonia and Kosovo were making plans to come and visit one another.
A full report and pictures are available upon request by sending an Email to Bryan of Pray Macedonia: [Bryan@PrayMacedonia.com]
BALKAN NATIONS
Albania:
· Thank the Lord for the way in which the Gospel has spread in Albania. Thank Him for the freedom they enjoy to learn and worship together and for the process taking place to grow and mature the Church there.
· Pray for those pastors and leaders that are networking with their colleagues in Macedonia and Kosovo to take the gospel to Albanians living abroad. Pray that their influence will penetrate the shield of resistance that some communities have built up and persist to avoid hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
· As fire and passion builds among Albanian Christians to reach their people in other nations (i.e. over 600,000 in Macedonia) there is a need for their training to perform in excellence as God's ambassadors. GCCM out of Canada, for example is currently holding a 5 module Church Planting seminar sponsored by the Albanian Bible League.
· God has provided GCCM with medical and dental equipment to help the poor of their region as well as preach the gospel. They need good facilities and finances to meet operating costs in meeting “total health needs of the poor in Albania. Please pray for these needs.
· As this move of God touches lives across the land we need to be praying for dark customs of the past that hold some of the people down such as “blood feuds between families. One pastor and his family and in another case a widow and her 10-year old son are in hiding for their lives for this reason.
· Pray for the vision of Rick and Patti Roberts returning from the field to minister through Albanians back home. They regret leaving their work in Albania but note: There are 15-25,000 Albanians and tens of thousands of Muslims from various cultures. There are two groups of Albanian Christians presently meeting in Philadelphia who are praying for a shepherd. We know the language! We know the culture! We are ready to take on this challenge! We believe this could develop into a thriving ethnic ministry that sends missionaries back to Albania.
Bosnia Herzegovina:
· Praise God that 20,000 New Testaments supplied by the Gideons have now arrived and been stored away safely. The next step will be distribution. Workers are needed to do this, and wisdom in how and where to start the task. Please pray.
· Prayer leaders in Bosnia are praising God for the great contribution in prayer that so many of us are making for them. It's so hard to pray here. The support of praying people in other countries makes a tremendous difference.
· Please pray for the newly formed government in Republika Srpska, headed by Milorad Dodik as Prime Minister. He has said that he will prioritize ending corruption.
· The new, High Representative, Christian Shwarz Schilling, has begun his work in Bosnia Herzegovina. It is hoped that during his time in the country, and very soon, it will move to a closer relationship with the EU, and eventually to membership.
· Pray that his many years of experience in the business world will help development of business and production that now is being stifled by red tape and corruption.
· Unemployment continues to be very high and many of those who have jobs are paid little and irregularly. A high proportion of young talented people still leave the country if they can. Many don't want to have to go abroad to provide sufficient income for their families. Please pray.
Bulgaria: Please pray
· For an intercessory prayer implementer to rise up, form a prayer network and correspond with us the prayer points for the Church of Bulgaria. That excellent apostolic work begun there through Target Europe how can we pray into God's plans and purposes for it? How can we pray for Bulgaria’s role in the current breakthrough in neighboring nations?
· Pray for the life-giving churches to come together with a common cause to reach the lost for Christ in changing lives and transforming communities. Pray the five-fold ministry leaders come together often in fellowship, prayer and planning outreach.
· We praise God for the evangelism, church plants and community development work by at least one church in Sofia and IPEG in orphanages and among the Bulgarian Romany. Please continue to pray for their work.
Croatia:
· A prayer leader from Croatia is praising God for new beginnings there. God's people have started to wake up and take their stand. Last month 70 Christians from 15 different churches met and had 5 days of unceasing prayer. The impact was great!
· Pray for the new prayer and fasting chain that began on 11 March.This time we pray for 7 days –24 hours. Thank you for your prayers and this time I ask you to stand with us again for the Kingdom of God to come and millions to be saved.�
· Please pray for more intercessors and watchmen to be raised up and equipped and for Church leaders to wake up, see and take their stand.�
· Please pray into the vision of this leader for wisdom and protection in igniting a prayer movement, even establishing a House of Prayer.
· YWAM Croatia has been praying into this awakening as well – for evangelism and discipleship. About 87.2% of the population is Roman Catholic, many of which faithfully attend services but has not been stirred to step into “deeper waters� beyond tradition and obligation. The remaining Christian believers (Orthodox and Protestant) attend very small churches. Evangelism and youth work are lacking.
o Pray for awakening and evangelization of nominal Christians.
o Pray that the Church will turn outward to fulfill its role in society to be salt and light.
o Pray that church members will have true concern and compassion for those who do not know God personally.
o Pray for individual born again believers to be bold in their witness.
o Pray for God to rise up good disciplers and mentors in churches and for believers to seek to grow in maturity.
o Pray that Bibles will be “dusted off� and read. May this lead to love for the Word of God and true worship of its author.
o Pray for young people in the churches, and those outside, to be drawn to Christ. Pray for Karolina from a YWAM Catholic group who is considering attending a DTS that she and YWAM will all have wisdom and direction.
o Pray for the Church to start vigorously interceding for the nation and the whole church.
· Pray for Branimirova Church-Zagreb as they release evangelistic radio messages and for the development of their Internet radio. Pray specifically for their ministry on the radio in Velika Gorica (short Bible messages) and for open doors of two radio stations in Eastern Croatia.
· Pray for prayer and support teams for their radio ministry and that many lives would be touched.
· Twelve Church of Christ congregations from across Croatia will meet at the end of March. Pray for harmony, unity and the Holy Spirit to have free rein in an anointing that will be transforming lives.
Macedonia:
· See page 1 of this Prayer Focus for words regarding the “Regional Pastor’s Prayer Conference for Macedonia, Albania, and Kosovo that was held March 7-9 at Bitola, Republic of Macedonia – Hotel Pelister. You can obtain the report and pictures and please continue to pray not only for what was accomplished to be sustained, but for this to be the beginning of transformation Balkan-wide.
· Pray for David and Delynn in their latest round of visa applications and airline tickets to return to the Balkans and continue on with their ministry.
Serbia-Montenegro:
· Pray for God’s hand to dispel any darkness across these lands as a result of the death of Slobodan Milosevic last Saturday. Pray for the beginning of revival fire to instead cover the land and that the Kingdom of God come to this region in power and might.
· Last month, a new weekly 30-minute program in the Serbian Romani language began airing for Gypsies in Serbia. The new program is called Shalom Romalen (Peace to the Roma). Around 14,000 Romani live in Leskovac alone, with about 100,000 in the whole region. Please pray that this program impact many lives for Jesus Christ.
· Shalom Romalen is aired on five FM stations and several more local stations in the region are also expressing a desire to air it. The production team, from the Romani Protestant-Evangelical church, also desires to air the program on medium wave (AM) so the wider Romani community can be reached. Please pray for resources and arrangements to come together to make this happen.
· TWR-Serbia and Montenegro built a small studio and provided training for the production of Shalom Romalen. An additional part of the project is the distribution of solar radios to the local Romani population. Pray for this work as well.
BALTIC NATIONS
Estonia:
· Pray for the great need of evangelism in Estonia. Pray that God might strip away the secular materialism and empower the Church to reveal the living Christ to them.
· Pray for leadership training among church leaders and for seminaries and schools.
Latvia:
· The Prayer, Fellowship and Strategy Summit is over now and we expect to hear people rejoicing and praising God for what he did there. The Catholic cardinal, Lutheran archbishop, Baptist bishop, two Pentecostal bishops, Adventist bishop and two of the three mega-church pastors were to come. This is the “stuff� for transformation when churches of all flavors holding common biblical absolutes come together in unity. Please rejoice and pray into the afterglow of this event.
· Pray now for discipling the new converts that came to Christ and will be coming to Him as a result of this summit. Pray for needed teachers, curricula and training materials to flow across all of the churches involved as Kingdom workers are formed.
· Praise God for recent large outreach to Bauska region in Latvia, working together with local churches, government and social department. Many people were touched by receiving, mercy ministry, through prayer and a presentation of the gospel.
· Praise God for the safe return and fruitful ministry of YWAM DTS outreach teams from ministry in Ukraine and Belarus and for their many opportunities to minister.
· Pray for an upcoming concert tour (20 April-5 May) of 2 Latvian bands who have a strong Christian message for cities and towns across Latvia. Pray for the logistics, needed finances and much favor and grace to be upon the musicians...and that many seeking hearts would be drawn to these concerts.
· Pray also for Christian workers in the nation...missionaries, pastors, and others serving. Many are feeling worn out, and stressed as the pressures of finances and other strains are draining the strength. Pray for freshness, grace from God and new releases to happen ... that would also raise and build up the faith of these workers.
· Praise God for the recent Missions Conference in Latvia, attended by close to 200 people from different churches, denominations, backgrounds and ages. A real spark and interest was released for missions and a sense of the call and destiny upon Latvian believers to take their part in missions. Pray for the spark to become a fire and for the faith to see it fully realized.
Lithuania:
· Please pray God's protection over some emerging unity in the body of Christ. Some churches are starting to work together more - pray for blessing on this. Pray for the many churches and church leaders who still hold grudges. Pray God heals hearts, brings forgiveness and repentance and brings lasting wholeness to relationships.
· Pray for Godly Government. Continue to pray against corruption. Pray the Government would give increased moral and financial support to the orphanages, hospitals, drug addiction centers and the few women's refuges. Pray the Government would see the need; understand some of the solutions may be long-term, and give to an unpopular section of society.
· Pray Protestant churches and organizations would find their role in Lithuania and be accepted in what is a strongly culturally-Catholic country. Many mainstream Protestant churches are called sects here, often out of ignorance, fear and a cultural mindset.
· Pray for blessings on Protestant churches' relationships with Catholic and other churches, with the media and with the general public. Pray Protestants can love their Catholic and Russian Orthodox brothers and sisters.
· Please continue to pray about those who became Christians prior to the break up of the former Soviet Union and immediately following Lithuania's regaining of independence. Many may have been "converted" but not discipled. Pray for Godly discipling and that these people would be free to share Christ out of love. This is a need and seems pivotal to the expansion of God's kingdom in Lithuania and beyond.
CENTRAL NATIONS
Czech Republic: Please pray
· That the Lord of the harvest will rise up and thrust out the workers needed to accomplish His work in the Czech Republic, both Czech and outside missionaries.
· That the Czechs will one day follow in the footsteps of their forefathers, the early Moravian missionaries, who carried the gospel to many countries around the world.
· And praise God for the deaf of the Czech Republic are responding to God's word. Last November 35-40 deaf Czechs attended a church planting conference and their lives were transformed. Now they are leading their friends and families to the Lord, looking to start new groups, and making a serious impact for the cause of Christ.
Hungary:
· Pray for the Ellel Ministries Eastern Europe Modular School that will begin at the end of this month – that a mighty anointing flows over the teachers and students.
· Pray for the upcoming April 9 elections: “We have to pray that leaders with a Josiah heart will be elected to government. We also have to pray that the hidden things (corruption etc.) would come to the surface and false accusations would be exposed. They come from both the right and left wings and the population doesn't really know who to vote for.�
· The bird flu in parts of Europe has now invaded Hungary. “At this point only wild birds are found dead because of it and we trust it remains so. Let's pray that Hungarians get to repentance before God so that He could protect us rightfully. Even so, may Christians in the process stand with faith, not with fear trusting that even if they eat something deadly it won't hurt them.�
· “Let's pray continually that the vision of the worldwide day of worship announced for 5 and 6 June this year would resound in the hearts of as many believers and leaders as possible so that the Hungarian Body of Christ would play its whole role in the events.�
Romania:
· Pray for the 9,500 towns and villages across Romania that is still without an evangelical presence. The country’s poor economy is forcing many people to leave the country in order to find work and the number of church workers is dwindling.
· Baptist missionaries request prayer for all missionaries as they daily carry out the responsibilities of teaching, discipling, and in all ways lifting up the name of Jesus.
· An Ellel Ministries team is in the midst of teaching their six-day basic ministry course "Answering Christ's Call" at the Haven of Hope orphanage in Lipova. Please pray both for this and their upcoming Modular School that will be held in Cluj-Napoca.
· Pray that the Body of Christ from Romania will respond to the call to unity and love (John 17:21-23), so that we will be a true testimony for those who do not believe.
· Pray for a watchman spirit in the Church of the Lord, that the eyes and the hearts of believers would be focused on the Lord, not on the things of this world.
· Pray for those who gave themselves to God, to bring Him worship and praises - for those who are leading the Church in praise and also for the whole Body of Christ. Pray that our worship would come from pure hearts (John 4:23).
· Pray that God would increase the number of intercessors in our nation. We need revelation from heaven to touch us and motivate us, so that we could learn how to pray strategically and with perseverance, until we see the results. Pray that we would be open to hear what God is speaking to us these days. (Isaiah 62:6-7)
· Pray that God’s people come before Him with repentance, asking for mercy, and praying that He would stop any possible calamities, such us floods and epidemics.
· Continue to pray for our leaders, that God would search their hearts and that they would come to know Him. Pray for wisdom and discernment, that they would give right laws, for the good of our people.
· Pray for those who administrate finances in our country, that they would be people of integrity who wisely and equitably administrate the finances of this nation. Pray for protection for them and their families.
· Pray that God would give courage, boldness, wisdom and guidance to all of those involved in the procedures regarding adherence to EU. Pray especially for the parliament and the president of Romania.
· Continue to pray for the law of cults and the law of minorities.
Poland:
· Pray for Christian radio programming through Impuls Polska, TWR’s partner in Poland. Pray for Evangelical programming that will draw the masses to understand the simple gospel of salvation and sanctification.
· Today, Impuls Polska has a new 15-minute weekly children’s program titled Fireflies, which includes music and stories designed to inspire and uplift Polish children. “I believe it is better when a young (person) can know more about God and Jesus and family during childhood because they have their whole life in front of them,� said Marek Cieslar, one of the producers. Please pray for this programming.
· Pray for intercessors to be birthed out of the teaching of Pastor John Abraham Godson who is writing curricula and materials that will help Poland’s Christians recognize and follow their calling. Pray for a national prayer network and leader for connection with us for monthly prayer points.
Slovakia:
· Pray for Evangelical workers to join in the development of the work in Slovakia. They need more Slovak-English and Slovak-Hungarian translators to share the burden of translating the teaching and ministry.
· Pray for God to break down ethnic and cultural barriers between the Slovaks and those of another descent (i.e. Romania, Hungary, and Romany).
· Pray for an upcoming Answering Christ’s Call 6-day school at Licence in June and another school that will begin in August. Pray for ministers, students, our director and her family and the facilities.
· A new evangelical work is coming to Shala, Slovakia out of Harvest Breakthrough Ministries in Sofia, Bulgaria. Please, pray for Pastor Peter Ivanov and House of David Church in Shala as they launch the first work of many to come across Slovakia.
Slovenia: Please pray:
· For men in the churches of Slovenia to grow and mature into spiritual leaders in their homes and in the church. Pray for good discipleship curricula and teachers to disciple them well.
· For Calvary Chapel Celje, particularly for the Thursday study in I Timothy to be fruitful, open and honest, and for the Spirit to move during that time.
· For Slovenia Christians to be effective and fruitful in sharing of the gospel with friends, families, neighbors and colleagues.
· Pray for the English camp Calvary Chapel will host this June to reach out to high school students. Pray that students will be interested in attending – that their hearts will be open to receive, and also pray for God to raise up laborers in the church who have a heart to reach out to and minister to teenagers.
· Pray that the Church of Slovenia will grow in prayer and that intercessors will recognize their calling and follow it. ‘Pray that their prayers would be fruitful and full of faith, and that God would speak to us in prayer.�
· Pray that Church leadership will be wise and protected in the spiritual battles (Romans 16:19-20).
RUSSIAN LANGUAGE NATIONS AND NEIGHBORS
Armenia:
· Please pray for Ellel Ministry Eastern Europe’s fact-finding visit to Armenia in April. Pray for contact with Armenian former students of past ministry schools in Russia and Ukraine. “Pray for unity among Armenian church leaders as we come together to seek God's will for the work in Armenia.�
Belarus: Please pray
· That the December 1 decree exempting registered religious organizations from taxes on land and property would also apply to the few Evangelical churches that own land. The Belarusian Orthodox Church owns vast amounts of land and will benefit most from this new decree.
· For understanding and protection of Protestants regarding the December 31 law making it a crime to criticize the government before international organizationsâ€â€Âpunishable by up to two years.
· For God’s hand in the 19 March presidential elections that an upright man be elected to replace president Lukashenko under whom Christians outside Belarusian Orthodoxy have been persecuted.
· For Pastor Georgi Vyazovsky of Christ's Covenant Reformed Baptist Church who was freed on 13 March from a 10-day stay in the Minsk prison for Administrative Violations Code offenders for conducting religious worship in his own home.
· For a pastor in Soligorsk for release of about $5,000 needed for the purchase of a vehicle. He asks also for an anointing that brings revelation, release from burdens and bondages.
· For the overflow of the work by YWAM-Latvia DTS teams that came recently to Belarus for ministry. “There were many opportunities to serve and minister. The crackdown and oppression of the government in Belarus has become more extreme....and the team had to move locations because of suspicion.�
Moldova: Please pray
· For the 4.2 million people of Moldova, some of the poorest in all of Europe, to be released from the bondage of poverty.
· For a ministry: “This year we want to start at least TWO churches here. We are even now developing relationships with some key leaders and are looking where to start these churches.� In this nation, half of which speak Russian and the other half speak Romanian, there are hundreds of cities and villages that do not have a single church in them.
· For another ministry organization working with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in a “There is Hope� Project. “We show 5 B.G.E.A. movies in churches, where unbelievers are invited, orphanages, prisons, apartments, schools, colleges and many other places. Please pray God will move the hearts of people that see the movies and turn to God by receiving Jesus in their hearts. Just in 1 week we saw 1225 people in 16 shows and 151 prayed to receive Jesus in their hearts. Pray all of them will want to start a Bible study with them in their places and will join the local churches.�
· For a “web site we are working on starting (http://www.moldovaforchrist.com). It will contain the information about the churches in Moldova and ministries, as well as ministry opportunities. We hope it will be a blessing for the Moldovan churches and for Christians from other countries.�
· For “God’s provision for the heat installation in our church where we have 3 Bible study groups with children and 43 kids every week during Sunday Worship at the church. The outside temperature is below zero, many times gets as low as 30 below zero and a lot of snow. Most children that come are from non-Christian families and we need to continue working with them, teaching the God’s word.�
· For teams and preachers from States that would come to Moldova and help conduct Crusades in the cities and villages where we do not have churches in order to plant churches and strengthen the churches that are already being planted. Please pray God will lay on people’s hearts to come and partner with us in the proclamation of the Gospel in Moldova. (The teams can come beginning with September 2006)
Russia:
· Please pray for Russians in New Zealand so that they will see that their hunger cannot be filled by possessions but by receiving the Holy Spirit.
· The Slavic Gospel Association reports that there is a growing youth movement in Russia. Recently, 300 youth ministry leaders from nearly every Russian state gathered in Moscow for a three-day SGA-sponsored training conference. Its success seemed to indicate this growing youth movement.
· Please pray for SGA leadership as they meet “with regional pastors from across Russia as well as church leaders from all 12 nations of the CIS.
· A Messianic Jewish leader seeks our prayers. “My ancestors came from Russia. My great-grandfather, a rabbi, and his entire congregation were burned alive in their synagogue during a service. Those responsible were Russian Orthodox Church members… In just a few short weeks, Jews worldwide will celebrate Passover…� In Russia there will be tokens of remembrance of those whose lives were lost under similar circumstances. “For many elderly, Russian Jews that cannot afford to purchase the elements for the Passover Seder, it will be a time of hardship.� Please pray for them.
Northern Caucasus: Please pray for
· Chechnya. Visit http://www.mosnews.com/images/g/s130.shtml “Grozny: After-War City" to get a perspective of one view of the situation in this republic. There is another side of course and a parliamentary election was held on March 4th. Prayer points:
o That God would bless Chechnya's leaders and grant them wisdom, understanding and the fear of God.
o That God would bring peace and justice to Chechnya and bring an end to the hostilities there.
o That the Good News of the Gospel would be presented to every person of Chechnya in a way that they can receive it.
o That God's Kingdom would come and His will be done in Chechnya as it is in heaven.
o That God would encourage and strengthen the few believers in Chechnya and add to their numbers!
· Dagestan. In the last month 65-year-old Mukhu Aliev was chosen to be the president of Dagestan in the wake of the sudden resignation of Magomedali Magomedov from his position as head of the State Council. The 14-member Dagestan State Council that Magomedov headed from 1991 until last week was also disbanded and the new presidential post established in its place. Please pray:
o That God would grant wisdom, understanding and the fear of God to President Mukhu Aliev and to all of the governmental leaders of Dagestan (1 Tim. 2:1-4). Pray that God would superintend all the events happening in the government now – that He would root out corruption, and place people in the new power structure who will lead according to His principles of integrity and fairness. Pray that peace prevail throughout the whole region.
o That God would extend His grace toward Dagestan and grant that there would be peace between the various political, religious and ethnic factions there.
o that God would confuse Satan's plans to thrust Dagestan deeper into a cycle of violence and instability – that "cooler heads would prevail" and that violence would not break out as a result of the leadership change
o that God would protect His Church in Dagestan and give His people there wisdom as to how they should respond (like the men of Issachar in 1 Chron. 12:32)
o For peace in Dagestan and that God would continue to open doors for His Word to go forth into the hearts of the Dagestani people (Col. 4:3).
o For more workers in the Northern Caucasus to bring in the harvest (Matt. 9:37-38).
o Two young men Christian men ask us to pray that they soon receive the official invitations from the government required for visa applications.
o Pray that God stirs up His workers in boldness, creativity, and shrewdness in getting gospel truth out in a manner that it is distinctly different form the world view. Pray for fruitful conversations and receptive hearts. Ask the Holy Spirit to convict of truth.
Far East Russia: Please pray
· For the upcoming prophetic conferences and seminars led by Apostle and Prophet Ron Sawka from Japan. This is his second year in the region last year in Khabarovsk city and this year in Vladivostock city in the Primiorsky region.
· For the Holy Spirit to bring revelation in hearts of believers in local church in Vladivostock city to know the will of God. (Eph.1:16-23)
· For open hearts among church pastors and leaders for receiving truth about spiritual gifts.
· For God's hand in establishing a school of Holy Spirit in Far East Russia as a part of CI-Asia.
Ukraine:
· Parliamentary elections in Ukraine will take place on March 26. A lot of people feel disappointed with the post-Orange Revolution reality and corrupt overthrown authorities are trying hard to gain revenge. Please pray
o Against disillusionment, indifference and hopelessness in the hearts of people.
o For righteous God-fearing people to be elected into the Parliament and local authority
o For unity, peace and God’s blessings for the Ukrainian nation
· Please pray for Life Unlimited Ministries in Kiev that are early into a new work in the city that not only reaches indigent Ukrainians, but are becoming a welcoming place for people from other nations.
o Pray for their services along with the many classes and outreach groups they have started to be full and for healthy staff to teach them.
o Pray for the work on their facilities that have been fraught with so many resource and labor problems that would boggle the minds of most Westerners.
o Pray for Pastor Bob as he leads this along with the PrayKiev prayer network that he founded.
· Pray for the discipleship training video schools in Russian-language nations held by the Ukrainian team from Ellel Ministries Eastern Europe. Pray for the teams who travel regularly throughout Ukraine to present the school courses and lead assignments and prayer ministry. Pray for God's continued anointing on the video teaching and the ministry times and for the upcoming residential ministry school in Zhovty Vody from In June.
· Please pray for Ukraine's Institutionalized children at risk. We recently prayed regarding child trafficking. At age 16 to 18 the children are given their 'Diplom' and sent off to make their fortune. Approximately 10-15% may be sent on to a trade school. The rest are left to their own devices. Unofficially, some say that at least 70% of them cannot be accounted for after five years. They have simply disappeared!
Teenage children who have little to offer in the way of work skills and who have been cut loose on the street are vulnerable to unscrupulous gangs, "businessmen," (mafia) usually for prostitution and drug trafficking. Others answer ads promising work in some foreign land where they are offered transportation and housing then when they arrive is pressed into prostitution. Ukrainian prostitutes in Turkey are called, "Natasha's."
· Please pray for schools like “River of Joy in Crimea where these children can come and be trained in Christian ethics, morality, healthy life styles and a trade. One must give the Ukraine government credit for some humanitarian assistance, but outside God and His Church it is hugely inadequate. The government run “Schola Internats are huge government run boarding schools with thousands of children and inadequate training and few boundaries on morals. The results are poor.
SILK ROAD NATIONS
Azerbaijan:
· Pray for Christians in Azerbaijan to have greater freedom to worship Almighty God.
Kazakhstan:
· Praise the Lord that many portions of Scripture, including the entire New Testament, have been translated into Kazakh, the language of a Central Asian people group numbering 10 million (2 Timothy 2:2)! Translators continue to work on the Old Testament. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide and empower the translators, granting wisdom and insight. Pray for the Kazakh translation to be accurate, understandable and relevant to the vast majority of Kazakhs who have no knowledge of Jesus the Messiah.
· Please pray for God's wisdom and guidance on President Nazarbayev. “Father, may he rule with compassion, tolerance, and respect for human rights and religious freedom.
· Pray for a Baptist pastor who faces confiscation of his home because he is unable to pay a massive fine imposed on him because of his leadership of an unregistered religious congregation. He has already spent 3 days in prison for the matter.
· Other Baptists and evangelicals who refuse to register their congregations with the authorities on principle also face pressure from the police and public prosecutor's office. Please pray this situation is resolved and religious freedom flow.
· Pray the members of all unregistered churches in Kazakhstan will be witnesses to the loving reality of Jesus Christ. Pray for a powerful movement of the Holy Spirit to sweep away the spiritual darkness of this country and bring in the light of Christ.
Kyrgyzstan:
· Please pray for the family of Saktinbai Usmanov, an ethnic Kyrgyz convert to Christianity who was recently murdered in what is believed to have been the culmination of a long series of intolerant incidents. “Heavenly Father, comfort them as they mourn and bring real religious freedom to this nation.
· Pray that the hand of God quiet any future persecution such as this on the Christians of Kyrgyzstan.
Tajikistan:
· Pray that as people read God's Word, that He would reveal Himself to them. “We pray that they be inspired to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with their friends and family.
· Please continue to pray for the Church of Tajikistan and ask the Father that He would continue to grow and mature it. We know that it has faced opposition in the past from the authorities, but we pray that this would not stop people from meeting together to worship you and to learn more of your love for them.
Turkey:
· Pray that it will become accepted that one can be a Christian and a good citizen of Turkey.
· Please pray for an Australian team that will be ministering in Turkey. Pray for God's wisdom, anointing, and more understanding about their future involvement in Turkey
Turkmenistan:
· Please pray for the registered Baptist church in Deynau that was raided by the secret police and others in mid-December midway through their Sunday morning service, demanding the pastor write and sign a statement that he was conducting an illegal meeting. Stated consequences being, that if he didn't trucks and busses would be ordered and everyone in the congregation would be arrested.
· Ask God for His protection on this church and for healing for all of those who were detained. Several other churches have undergone similar situations please pray for them as well.
· Pray Father's supernatural influence on police and governmental officials in Turkmenistan for the good of His Church there.
· This pastor started the Bethany Church as an independent congregation in 1996. With Sunday attendance averaging 130 or more, the church has since started two spin-off church groups in nearby districts of northeast Tashkent. The members are an ethnic mix of Germans, Koreans, Uzbeks, Tatars, Kazakhs and Russians. Please pray for this work to not be interrupted through governmental and religious persecution.
Uzbekistan:
· Persecution of Protestants continues throughout Uzbekistan - please pray for the following situations:
o Interrogation of a group of 40 Protestants for 18 days.
o The unlawful imposition of a fine for "security" on one woman.
o Protestants in a cafe being ordered by police to state that they were in an unauthorized religious meeting.
o Nine Pentecostals at a social gathering having permitted religious literature - including copies of the New Testament confiscated. Fines were also imposed.
o The Uzbek Christian lawyer standing for their rights asserted "No-one can prevent people from visiting each other and talking about religious issues!" The head of the Criminal and Administrative Court for Syr-Darya was unable to explain why permitted religious literature was confiscated.
· Over the past 10 years, an Uzbek man has assisted various Christian workers. During this time many gospel seeds have been sown and watered in his life and recently he announced I have accepted Jesus into my life! In the midst of adversity this happened. Ask God to clearly show him the right time to share this important decision with his family.
· Pray for all believers in Uzbekistan, asking for boldness to share their faith and for wisdom to honor Him as they respond to the increasing tensions in the country.
· Please pray for persecuted Muslim-background believers to remain true to their faith in Christ. Ask the Lord to abundantly supply the wisdom, courage, and grace they need to continue to share their faith with their family and community. Pray for Central Asians to hear and heed the Word of God.