Week of April 29 - May 5, 2013

 

What is the largest city in Europe?  - lubnatsI

Istanbul, with an estimated population of 14 million, it is the second largest city in the world after Shanghai, China.

First established 660 BC as Byzantium, the city now known as Istanbul developed to become one of the most significant cities in history. For nearly sixteen centuries following its reestablishment as Constantinople in 330 AD, it served as the capital of four empires: the Roman Empire (330–395), the Byzantine Empire (395–1204 and 1261–1453), the Latin Empire (1204–1261), and the Ottoman Empire (1453–1922). It was instrumental in the advancement of Christianity during Roman and Byzantine times, before the Ottomans conquered the city in 1453 and transformed it into an Islamic stronghold and the seat of the last caliphate.

The Roman emperor Constantine in 330 established Istanbul (Constantinople) as the new Christian Rome. The historians debate his motives, but the result was a place where Christianity had a foothold and a major city to be launched from. In 1453, Sultan Mahmed II finally captured the city for the Ottoman Empire and it has been an Islamic ever since.

A Great City well worthy of our Prayers –

1)      Let us pray for Istanbul. May the Lord visit the city in a special way. Lord, come release your compassion on this city.

2)      Churches are allowed to exist in the city but it had for them the get established. There is much resistance from the predominant Muslim neighborhoods and magistrates. Let us pray for open doors and open hearts.

3)      There are houses of prayer in the city and they are contending in prayer for the city. Let us first pray for them to have an open heaven to intercede from.

4)      May there be a release of creative strategies to reach many in the city with the Gospel.

5)      Lord, we ask You for protection on behalf of every Christian in Istanbul.

6)      Lord, we pray for the positioning of Christians to be lights among their Muslim neighbors. May they excel in wisdom, kindness and favor. Help them be able to walk above the oppression of Islam that is now allowed to dominate the city.

7)      Let us believe for a day when the city can once again be established as stronghold of the Gospel. Let us believe for a day when Muslims find their true redeemer.

8)      Let us pray for many missionaries to be sent to Istanbul. There is a new generation of missionaries being raised up to preach the end-time message to the world; may they find an open door to Istanbul.

9)      Let me describe a mental vision I received while praying the directive I had written above. I seen the Lord standing above Istanbul with His feet resting on the city. I looked and He had His hands stretched out in a welcoming jester. Then I looked again and He had a sword held at His side. I ask what did this mean? The Holy Spirit  said the Lord would stand above the city and He would be seen by two types of people. Some would see him as a welcoming friend and loving Savior. Some would see Him as a conquering warrior, a man of authority. Both would receive Him as Savior.; both would enter into His peace.



Please leave a Comment or Reaction so we will know you Prayed.

Pray for Slovenia

Week of April 22-28, 2013

After Cyprus, Slovenia will be the next euro zone country to succumb to a bailout

Markets are betting that Slovenia will be the next euro zone country to succumb to a bailout. In contrast to Cyprus, Slovenia's banking system is not large - around 1.4 times as big as the economy - and there are negligible foreign depositors. But the Slovenian banks, most of them state-owned, are crippled with bad loans, which reached 14.4 percent of their loan books last year. Like Cyprus, Slovenia does not have the money to recapitalize them, Reuters notes. http://www.balkans.com/open-news.php?uniquenumber=172863

1)    First of all let us rebuke that news headline. In our prayers for Slovenia let us replace “will be” with “will not be”.
2)    Let us pray for wise men and women to arise with wisdom from on high.  Lord, bring forth those who know the times and know how to work out the least painful way to avoid economic short-fall.
The following prayer directives are mainly directed toward the Christians in Slovenia.


Deuteronomy 27: 11-13 And Moses commanded the people on the same day, saying,  “These shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people, when you have crossed over the Jordan: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin;  and these shall stand on Mount Ebal to curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.(NKJV)


Moses gave Israel a prophetic act to preform when they would come into the land. In Deuteronomy Moses had laid out the law and he was about to explain the Blessings and the Curses. The tribes were to be divided with one group stationing themselves on Mt. Gerizim to speak the blessings of God and the other group to stand on Mt. Ebal to speak the curses of God. These two mountains faced each other. These were not necessarily declarations or proclamations but rather reminders to the people of how God would judge them in the land.

3)    Let us ask the Lord to speak these blessings and curses in the ears and the hearts of the Slovene people. We do not ask for legalism but rather clear guidelines to righteousness.
4)    May the God anointed pastors and teachers in Slovenia clearly proclaim the whole counsel of God so the Christians may know how to walk in righteousness.
5)    Slovenia is a mountainous area; May the mountains sing out the ways of the Lord. May Slovenia be saved from the wrath to come, May the earth proclaim His glory.

Isaiah 55:12 “For you shall go out with joy,
And be led out with peace;
The mountains and the hills
Shall break forth into singing before you,
And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. (NKJV)

There is a dear brother named Todd that sends out a prayer calendar each month with guidelines on how to pray for Slovenia. His prayer calendar for April 22 – 30, 2013 ask us to pray for children. May we join in praying for the following concerns regarding the Slovenian children of Christians and you may pray these for all children:

6)    Pray for Assurance of Salvation (Jn. 3:16, 10:28-29; 1 Jn. 5:13)
7)    Pray for Spiritual Blessing (Eph. 1:3-14, 3:17-19, 5:8-10)
8)    Pray for Repentance (Ps. 32:1-2, 1 Jn. 1:5-9)
9)    Pray for Sanctification (2 Co. 3:18, James 1:2-4, Heb. 12:5-11)
10)    Pray for Hope and Rest (Jer.29:11 Matt. 11:28-30; Rom. 15:13 Phil. 4:6-7)
11)    Pray for Comfort (Matt.5:4; Jn. 14:16-18)
12)    Pray for Friendships (Eccl. 4:9-12; Prov. 27:5-6; 1 Cor. 15:33)
13)    Pray for Effective Parents (Prov.20:7; Eph.6:4)
14)    Pray for Godly Heritage (Ps. 127:35, 128:1-4; 1 Cor. 7:32-35)
15)    Pray for Protection (Jam. 5:14-16; Jn. 17:15; 2 Thes. 3:3; 1 Cor. 10:13)

Please leave a Comment or Reaction so we will know you Prayed.

Pray for Serbia

Week of April 15-21, 2013

I want to bring you Praise Reports from Serbia.

Belgrade (Pastor Savic): After teaching on “Relationships Our Daily [Bread]”, Pastor Savic’s church grew to 115 not counting children.

Pastor Savic writes, “Evangelism is still our priority. Every Saturday we organize evangelism at the hotel in downtown Belgrade that is attended by 20 to 30 students. We also started a Bible group every Thursday at the Student dorm .”

Pastors Nebojsa and Gordana Savic have a Family Counseling ministry where they are directing couples in God’s marriage plans. They say, “At the moment we have eight couples, three children and two individuals for counseling.” Because of the work they are doing to help marriages, the news papers and television have interviewed them many times.

Contact information: Savić Nebojša i Gordana

Slavonskih brigada 21, 11030 Belgrade, Serbia

Email Nesa: nesagoca2@gmail.com

Website: www.brakiporodica.org

Novi Sad (Pastors Danny and Vera Kuranji), they write:

 Dear Friends,

This is too good not to share right away!

Last Saturday we had 14 people baptized! Praise and joy followed each one as they came out of the water. Touching testimonies of changed lives have moved us to tears. Changed lives and changed destinies is what Jesus went to the cross for! Thank you, Jesus!

Four young men from the rehab center were in the group, they are in final phase of rehabilitation (more were interested, but we have decided to limit to those who are in center longer than 8 months). Free from heroin, free from sin, adopted in God’s family and excited to be baptized!

Each soul is precious to Him. Thank you for praying for us and we do hope that you will rejoice and praise Him for teenagers, young men and all others that you see on the picture. (picture above)

Love and thanks for your partnership,
 

Vera & Danny

Contact Information: kuranjid@gmail.com

There are many other good things happening in Serbia; Pastor Sabo in the north and their work with the Roma (Gypsies) and the refugees. There are doors of ministry opening in southern Serbia.

   

    1)      Thank You, Lord Jesus for the moving of Holy Spirit in Serbia. We pray for daily increase just like in the book of Acts.

    2)      Lord, we pray for the day when Serbia will be a blessing to all the nations surrounding it and even beyond. Let us declare over Serbia the release of Blessing from on high.

    3)      Thank You Lord, for the salvations in Novi Sad, Serbia. Lord, we ask for a seal to be put on each person’s heart that has followed You in baptism. May they see miracles in their lives, transforming them daily.

    4)      Let us pray for the drug and alcohol rehab in Novi Sad. Each client that is there, may they be overwhelmed by Jesus’ love. Be with the counselors and leaders; Give them patients to wait on the transformation in each life. In Prayer, give them hope for the clients. May they all grow in Faith daily.

    5)      Oh, Lord, I know You love Belgrade. Thank You for Pastors Nebojsa and Gordana Savic. Belgrade is a really hard city. Lord, we ask You to protect them and their family daily. Their hearts are totally Yours, make sure they have everything they need.

I see (in the Spirit) a tent set up outside the city of Belgrade. The Lord is in the tent and His army stands at attention in line with the tent. Angels are entering the tent and then exiting with orders in their hands. They go among the ranks selecting their platoon or squad. They lift their swords to the heavens, cry “Holy is the Lamb” and then fly off to do battle in the city.  

    6)      I have to believe that these angels are carrying out the prayers of the intercessors. As we pray, the Lord hears and an angel or assistant writes them out. The Lord places His seal of approval on the order and it is carried out. Lord, do not pull back from the city!

    7)      Let us pray for an army of saints to hear the call to go to Belgrade. Equip them with Your Love. No one can argue with pure Love from above.

Special Prayer: In most of the Balkan nations there are youth camps planned for the summer months. Many present day leaders in the Balkans testify of meeting Jesus in these camps. Pray that this summer many would give their lives to Jesus.

Please leave a Comment or Reaction so we will know you Prayed.

Pray for Romania

Week of April 8-14, 2013

While doing research on Romania I kept coming across reports of good things happening in the country.
Such as:

⦁    Romania’s credit rating should be improved because the country has narrowed its ⦁    budget deficit and is economically stable, Economy Minister Varujan Vosganian said.

Credit-default swaps, which measure the cost of insuring Romanian debt against non-payment for five years, traded at 241 points today after reaching 190 points on Jan. 28, which was the lowest in about five years.

⦁    After the economic crisis and negative growth rates in 2009 and 2010, Romania has managed to return to a steady and sustainable path of economic growth and the medium-term prospects are encouraging.

But growth in Romania cannot be achieved without its most valuable asset, the labor force, and therefore we certainly do not want our people leaving the country.

Migration from Romania may have seemed a solution during a time of economic crisis, budgetary cuts and austerity measures.

⦁    Average unemployment in Romania is 6.8% while the overall EU average is 10.9%.

⦁    It is reported that the net average wages in Romania has risen 5.5%.

There was one article in my research about recent appointments by the prime minister that indicated he is not serious about corruption in the government.

Let us Pray:
1.    Lord, we want to first give You credit for the good things that are happening in Romania. Lord, You have directed us in the past to pray the economy.
2.    Let us pray into the economy, asking for righteous decisions on how money should be invested and how surplus should be spent.
3.    Among the Balkan countries Romania has the highest percentage of evangelical Christians. Most of the countries have about a half of one percent where Romania has over 4%. Lord, now we know why You are blessing Romania. Let us pray for that percentage to grow (exponentially).
4.    Righteous decisions need righteous people making them. Let us pray for the elevation of Christians in the financial affairs of government and businesses, large and small.

While we were in Romania in January on the outreach to the Roma (Gypsy) community, there was times we had to interact with businesses there. I noticed a real coldness; no smile, no kind word in the business atmosphere. I don’t remember hearing “thank you (mulțumesc) for your business”.

5.    Let us pray against this coldness and indifference in the people. Part of this was left by self-centered communism. Let us pray for that 4% to be baptized in Joy and to take it into all the Romanian institutions.
6.    Let us pray that the Christians would let Hope arise in their lives. Lord, send them out into the Romanian culture to bring a smile to people’s faces. May the Christians be known as the happy people.
7.    Lord, continue to show the Romanian churches how to share the Gospel. We are trapped in our sorrows until we acknowledge our sin and accept His redemption.

Nehemiah 8:10  Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Psalm 35:27 Let them shout for joy and be glad, Who favor my righteous cause; And let them say continually, “Let the Lord be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”

8.    Let us pray that the Christians in Romania would truly be prosperous. May they strive for excellence, showing forth a testimony of the blessings the Lord has for His people.
9.    Let us continue to pray against corruption throughout the Balkan countries.

Pray for Montenegro

Week of April 1-7, 2013

Montenegro is a small country with a population of just over a half million people. Here are some recent things of concern:
⦁    In the News - “Montenegro’s reforms are ambitious. And they are on the right path. We encourage you to continue your efforts, especially in reinforcing the rule of law, and fighting corruption and organized crime. More reforms in the defense sector will also be critical. There is still hard work to do. But Montenegro is moving in the right direction,” the NATO Secretary General Rasmussen said during a press conference with Prime Minister of Montenegro Milo Đukanović. http://www.nato.int/cps/en/SID-969823DC-94641015/natolive/news_99300.htm
⦁    There is investment money coming into Montenegro on the premise that it can be developed as a tourist destination.
⦁    In the News - A high-ranking Montenegrin state official resigned on Thursday after a video appeared on YouTube, which showed him having sex with an unidentified woman in his office, reported Radio Television Montenegro (RTCG).
⦁    Montenegro since their independence have been making slow but steady economic progress. There are still areas of great poverty, and many refugees from the Kosovo Crisis in the nineties continue to live here in bunkers and makeshift homes. There are only three protestant churches in Montenegro, with a few small home groups meeting along the coastline.

1)    Let us pray for items and issues the NATO secretary mentioned. Pray that Montenegro would truly enforce just laws and especially crackdown on corruption.  Government officials need to be true to codes of law and not let money and favoritism pervert justice.
2)    Let us thank the Lord for exposure of that government official who resigned. May others be exposed who are stealing and lying to the Montenegrin people.
3)    We have prayed for investment to pour into the country before. Let us pray for the investment for tourism to be channeled toward helpful projects and not sinful places like casinos, breweries, etc.
4)    Let us pray that many Christians throughout the world would hear of the great spiritual needs in Montenegro and would invest time and money this coming summer. May the Lord raise up many intercessors to pray for Montenegro.
5)    We pray for those three evangelical churches in the country. Lord, purify them so they would be seen by Montenegrins as a safe place. May the pastors and members reach out beyond their walls to the hurting around them.
6)    Let us pray for the home groups that have been started. May the glory of the Lord be in their mist when they meet and may peace be on these homes at all times. Bless the families that host these meetings.
7)    Let us pray for complete freedom for these churches and home groups. May the Orthodox churches and the government not team up to brand these churches as cults but freely let them operate.
8)    There are many poor and suffering from health problems in Montenegro. Let us pray that the glorious Gospel would be proclaimed and demonstrated to the suffering.

Let me thank you for praying with us for the Balkan countries. May the Lord’s presence be with you as you pray. Let me quote Gordon Lindsay, “It is in recognizing the actual presence of God that we find prayer no longer a chore, but a supreme delight.”

Please leave a Comment or Reaction so we will know you Prayed!