Pray for Bulgaria

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Varna, Bulgaria, an important Black Sea port city, is a very popular vacation spot. Having a population of about 350,000, it attracts about 4.5 million tourist each year. The city has been fortunate, even in the present world economic down-turn, to be financially strong. I have no Christian contacts in this Bulgarian city and do not know the spiritual climate, but felt we should pray for this key city.
This city is believed to have been visited by Christian disciples as early as 57 BC. So there has to be redemptive seeds in the cities’ DNA.
1) Lord, we ask for an out-pouring of Your love on Varna, Bulgaria.
2) Lord, we ask for a bubbling over of Your joy in the Christians there.
3) Lord, raise up men and women of vision, wisdom and boldness. Give them a heart for Your purposes in Varna.
4) Let us pray for a ministry that reaches out to the tourist.

5) There is a Ministry to the Bulgarian Military that works with the International Association of Evangelical Chaplains. They provide a spiritual presence to the Bulgarian Army and the police. Let us pray for their ministry to reach men and women in uniform.

I am not sure who did the following survey but I found it on a Bulgarian Church website. It is sad to see that prayer, fasting and standing under persecution are not mentioned. Humbleness is considered but it is at the bottom.

Spirituality is defined by church members as:
Walking in the Spirit (40%)
Closeness to God (31%)
Operating under the gifts of the Spirit (11%)
Love toward neighbor (10%)
Works of faith (5%)
Care for widows and orphans (2%)
Humbleness (1%)

6) Lord, we all need to pray and fast so we may be able to then walk in humility. Let us pray that the Bulgarian church would learn that prayer is necessary before they try to walk in the spirit or love their neighbor.
7) Let us pray for the teenagers in Bulgaria. Western culture is rushing in with its brand of decadence, so let’s pray that their eyes would be opened to the destruction of lustful pleasure.
8) Let us pray for the school system of Bulgaria, asking the Lord to put it in the hearts of administrators to let the Gospel be taught.
9) As both parents are choosing to work, the children are being somewhat neglected. Let us pray that the parents would be diligent in guiding their children around the pitfalls of life.

Pray for Bosnia-Herzegovina

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From my travels and extended stay in Former Yugoslavia twenty five years ago, the Serbs, Croats, Hungarians and Slovenes I talked to, said the people in Bosnia were considered backwards. Maybe Bosnia Herzegovina had less access to education and prosperity but as Christians we are to never measure people by such standards.
1) In the name of Jesus let us come against the spirit of poverty and backwardness. We speak prosperity to these beautiful people and this beautiful land of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
2) We believe that when men act upon the knowledge of the Lord they will prosper and be in health. Let us pray for the knowledge of the Lord, the Gospel that sets men free, to be proclaimed in Bosnia.
3) Lord, we ask You to pull down any hindrance to the preaching of the Gospel in Bosnia-Herzegovina. We ask for the removal of any authorities or magistrates that would want to restrict the Gospel. The same goes for any non-evangelical church or organization that would stand in the way.
4) Lord, we know from our past prayers for B-H, You are energizing the evangelical churches. Let us pray for open doors now for the churches to bless the culture around them. The people of Bosnia-Herzegovina are in need of a comforting word.
5) I can see it in the spirit, “a comforting word will set the captives free in Bosnia-Herzegovina”. Lord, we cry out for the hurting of B-H and ask that the “word of comfort” be released.

THE FOLLOWING ARE TWO REPORTS THAT BRING LIGHT ON THE FACT THAT ETHNIC CONTENTION IS STILL VERY MUCH PRESENT IN BOSNIA

SARAJEVO -- Former member of Bosnia-Herzegovina Presidency, Ejup Ganić – “Civil security in Bosnia-Herzegovina is very threatened and it is one of the reasons why refugees have not returned”, he said and added that there were no returnees at all in parts where police were not ethnically balanced.

Angelina Jolie Movie Permit Revoked in Bosnia. October 17th, 2010. War victims were outraged after reports in local media that the movie would describe a love story between a Muslim victim and her Serb rapist.

Jolie to get back license to film in Bosnia: Oct.18
Hollywood star Angelina Jolie is expected to get a new license to film in Bosnia after the authorities revoked the initial one over concerns about the script, a local producer said Saturday.
If you have time, go to Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosnian_War and read up on the Bosnian War of the 90s. I’m sure your heart will be stirred to pray for the hurting of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

During the Bosnian War the saddest story I heard was of a family in Sarajevo that had to cut up their kitchen table to make a casket to bury a family member that had been killed. Because of the bombardment of the city, they could barely get out of their house.

Also visit our Balkan news website www.freebalkans.com.

Pray for Albania

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When seeking the Lord as to how I should pray for Albania, I was drawn to the book of Ezra.

Ezra 1: 1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying,
1) Let us pray for the present Prime Minister of Albania, Sali Berisha. Lord, we ask for his heart to be turned toward You and toward Your people. Lord, You did it for Cyrus so we ask You move in Sali Berisha’s heart. Ezra 6:22 & Ezra 7:27 supporting verses)

Ezra 1: 2 "This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:
" 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah.
Now we know God has given/is giving Jesus the kingdoms of this earth. God can use earthly kings to forward His plan.
2) Let the house of God be built in Albania. Lord, capture that nation for Your glory. Lord we come and ask that favor be granted to the churches and to Your people from, government, education, religion, etc.

Ezra 1:4 And whoever is left in any place where he dwells, let the men of his place help him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, besides the freewill offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.
3) Lord, we ask for finances to pour into the work in Albania. That many would hear of the good work and give freely to the needs.

Ezra 2:68-69 Some of the heads of the fathers’ houses, when they came to the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem, offered freely for the house of God, to erect it in its place: According to their ability, they gave to the treasury for the work sixty-one thousand gold drachmas, five thousand minas of silver, and one hundred priestly garments.
4) Lord not only let finances come in from the outside but we pray that the Albanian Christians will freely give.

Paul wrote of how he had preached the Gospel in Illyricum the ancient land of Albania.
Romans 15:9
4) Therefore let us believe for the restoration of the Gospel in Albania. Pull out the treasures of the Gospel that the saints of old proclaimed; Just as King Cyrus restored the treasures of Jerusalem to Israel.
5) Lord, we are proclaiming that the enemy give up what he has stolen from the land of Albania. Lord, raise up a church that will kick the Devil’s gates down and demand their inheritance back.
6) We pray that when the saints assemble You would be in their mist to encourage.
7) Lord, we thank You for blessing Albania and letting freedom of worship come forth. May the saints rise up and reach this present generation of Albanians.

Pray for Turkey

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God loves Turkey so much that He is sending labors to distribute His Word.

“God, we honor You for all that You’ve done!” Over half a million (500,000) Turkish New Testaments have been distributed! Turkish believers have been trained, and sent out to do evangelism! Four (4) NT book companies have been started! We’ve been arrested, and harassed over 55 times. We’ve done open-air preaching, endured many threats. (2 Cor. 3:5) The Gospel has been preached, and red Turkish NTs have been distributed in Ankara, Istanbul, Diyarbakir, Izmir, Antalya, Adana, Sivas, Samsun, Erzurum, Elazig, Mersin, Eskisehir, Bursa, Gaziantep, Van, etc. all over this nation. (This is a report from ASLAN International, a ministry reaching out to the poor of Turkey. Read More at http://www.aslanintl.org/)

1) Let us pray for ASLAN International ministry. Pray for these dear labors that are living on the edge. Although they are rebuked, spit upon, cursed, and imprisoned, may they have strength within their minds and bodies to continue.
Ro. 8: 18For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
2) Lord, thank You for the great favor You give them with the people. We pray they also have favor with those in authority.
3) Lord, we pray that signs and wonders would follow them as they boldly go where You lead them to reach the lost and deceived.

They call us the persecuted church of Turkey. And yet, we're the happy church. The reason we're happy is not just because of all the persecution we've been through. We're happy because we're confident in God's love for us, just like His love for YOU. He never lets go, never, ever. (Another report from ASLAN)

4) Satan cannot compete with the joy God gives His servants. Let us pray that the Joy of the Lord would rest upon His servants in Turkey.
5) We remember how the Soviet Union’s anti-Christian policies quickly fell; Let us ask the Lord to do the same in Turkey and throughout the Muslim lands.
a. Lord, we ask that the hearts of the Turkish people be soften
b. Lord, we pray that the present trend in government against freedom of worship would be changed and wise leaders be raised up
c. We pray that new churches be allowed to open and freely worship
6) Let us pray for the houses-of-prayer in Turkey. Lord, protect them from the enemy. Let Your glory fall in their meetings. May there continually be an open heaven above them with the Holy Spirit hovering.
7) Lord, we pray for all that attend these houses-of-prayer. May they meet with You intimately and be changed to Your likeness. Birth within them vision and the burdens of ministry You have designed for their lives.
8) Let us pray for the families of Turkey. We can be thankful that there are less divorcés in Muslim countries, but the enemy has other destructive forces at work. We pray that the father’s hearts would be softened toward their wives, sons and daughters.