Pray for Croatia

Week of Dec. 29, 2014 - Jan. 4,2015

Josipovic in Narrow Lead in Croatian Presidential Polls
Incumbent president Ivo Josipovic leads by just 1.5 per cent in first round of Croatian presidential elections, held amid a continuing economic crisis in the newest EU state.
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/croatian-presidential-elections-kick-off

Much prayer is needed for this Government. The Croatian economy is struggling as Croatia continues the process of full integration into the European Union. Present statistics are grim with 19.2% unemployment overall and 41.5% unemployment among the youth. 

On a positive note, there has been some forward movement in government / church relations. With Croatia being a predominately Catholic nation the government has generally catered to their concerns and turned a blind eye to evangelicals and other denominations. But there has been a change in 2014 as the following report announces.

Pastor Mario Ducic, with Croatian Christian Coalition, in September 2014 filed this report about the legal battle him and two other pastors fought:

AFTER YEARS OF FIGHTING legal battles, meeting with politicians, participating in television debates, and holding protests, we are excited to announce that last Friday we finally signed a contract with the Government of the Republic of Croatia! This contact secures for us the right to hold meetings in prisons and hospitals, hold catechism in the public schools, and legally conduct weddings. We will also receive an annual donation from Government. What is important to note is that in the contract it states that the State has no right to dictate the beliefs or practices of the church.

We will now move forward to legalize homeschooling in Croatia. Please join us in prayer for this, as many families in Croatia would like to have this option for their children.

Added Note: A few days ago, Ivo Josipovic visited the Christmas Day service of the largest Evangelical church in Zagreb.

Prayer Points:
1)    Let us pray for the various spheres of government in Croatia. May God give the government wisdom to face the many challenges boldly and with the best interest of the people.
2)    The government needs men and women that understand the times, do not bow to corruption and can formulate sound policies. Pray for ethical, moral statesmen to be raised up.
3)    Unemployment creates a burden for the people. Let us pray that new policies would encourage entrepreneurial endeavors which will result in many new jobs.
4)    Let us thank the Lord for intervening in the affairs of state to bring about equality legislation for all religious institutions. Let us pray that religious freedom be set in as a solid policy of the Croatian Constitution.
5)    Let us pray for Pastors and church leaders who sacrifice their time and energy to press forward the issue of religious freedom. May many more Christians be encouraged to get involved in government.

Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
 Serve the Lord with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.
Psalm 2:10-12 (NKJV)

6)    We see the president’s visit to an Evangelical Church as a positive step on many levels. Let us pray that this would result in more Christians praying for the president and his administration and that the government would be more attentive to the needs of Evangelicals.

Pray for Bulgaria

Week of Dec. 22-28, 2014

Merry Christmas from Praying For the Balkans and European Initiative; May your celebration of the Baby Jesus be full of Joy.

I know we have covered this in prayer before, but it stays on the front of my heart. The Syrian refugees in Bulgaria need help. They need financial help, they need direction for their future and they need empathy. Most of all they need friends that love Jesus and love them.

I visited one of these camps in October and I saw many empty faces. They have seen crisis, they have run from crisis and they are still in crisis. Notice the word crisis has ISIS in it. They had to flee because the Islamic State in Syria was forcing their culture to change through an aggressive civil war.

I visited one of the refugee camps in October and the Commissar of the camp gave me, a friend Wesley Roberts and two Bulgarian pastors a tour. We saw the cramped living conditions and received a list of items they need.

As a watchman in the Balkans, I see this unfortunate situation as an opportunity to reach lost souls and welcome newcomers to a, supposedly, Christian land.

Prayer Points:
1)    Please pray for the Christian and Muslim refugees in Bulgaria.
2)    The Syrian Christians need to know that the Western Christians welcome them as brothers and sisters that had to flee persecution. Thank You, Lord, that they are now physically safe.
3)    There are Bulgarians that begrudge these refugees being in their country. Let us pray for the Bulgarian Christians; may they open their arms and lead the way to meeting the spiritual needs.
4)    I really feel that the Muslims in these camps are confused and dissatisfied with the Islamic religion. Let us ask the Lord for ministers that are sensitive to the Muslim culture and know how to walk these people through to the loving Savior.
5)    As intercessors, let us stand in the gab for the Muslim refugees. Our God loves to take impossible situations and show His glory through redemption. Satan has banished these people but Jesus has a redemptive plan.
6)    Let us pray for a man of God, who is greatly anointed, to be raised up to lead in this effort. A man or woman that has the burden for these people and has a plan from heaven.
7)    There is a need for teachers to go in and continue the children’s education. Lord, raise up Christian teachers.
8)    Pray for the children. May they be healthy physically and not develop deep bitterness emotionally.
9)    What struck me most of all in this camp I visited was the lack of joy. I pray that the joy of the Lord would reach these refugees.

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

Pray for Bosnia Herzegovina

Week of Dec. 15-21, 2014

>We thank you for also Praying for European Initiative needs listed in the left column<

In the NEWS: Statement at the Conclusion of an IMF Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina
Press Release December 12, 2014

The economic recovery appears to be more resilient than previously thought to the impact of the natural disaster that hit Bosnia and Herzegovina last May. Industrial production and exports have picked up and tax revenues have continued to recover. …growth is expected to reach close to 1 percent this year…
The financial sector remains well capitalized and stable at the aggregate level, having withstood the impact the impact of the floods well.

The mission discussed progress in implementing policies agreed under the SBA that are aimed at containing current government spending, including the costs of privileged pensions; improving tax compliance and fighting tax fraud; strengthening financial sector stability and enhancing banking supervision.

1)    Thank you Jesus for the projected 1% economic growth in Bosnia Herzegovina. It is good to see some positive movement in this poverty stricken country.
2)    The BiH government and business sectors are mainly in the hand of men and women that do not fear God. Even so, Lord, we ask that You guide their decisions.
3)    Let us pray that 2015 will be a year of much more growth. Lord, we ask for those that carry an economic understanding and anointing to be positioned to function in Bosnia Herzegovina. Lord place Your people in those positions of leadership.
4)    Let us pray for continued capitalization in BiH; a capitalization driven by ethical standards and wisdom in the market place. We pray that the economic mountain of Bosnia Herzegovina would be grounded in just rewards for ethical business practices.

Spiritual good news from Operation World:
Evangelical believers have increased significantly but still represent only a miniscule proportion of the population. From three congregations in 1991, there are now about 35. Only evangelicals are effectively bridging the ethnic fault lines. Baptists and Pentecostals predominate, but several other smaller churches are also at work. Baptists run a seminary in Sarajevo, and both Pentecostals and Baptists have Bible schools. An Evangelical Alliance has been founded for Bosnia. Pray for believers and their witness in this divided land. Bosnia is not a spiritually receptive place; pray that many hearts might open to the gospel.

The unreached: Bosniak Muslims are possibly the least evangelized people in Europe. Islamic mission activities may cause them to be even harder to reach. [Out of 2 million ethnic Muslims, only 500 are believed to be Christian] http://www.operationworld.org/bosn

5)    Let us raise up intercession for these nominal Muslims living in Bosnia. (Nominal, meaning not fully committed to Islam)

James 5:7
Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.

6)    Holy Spirit, we ask that the land would be spiritually plowed and made ready for the latter rain.
7)    Lord we ask for an “expectant” patience. We wait on You, Lord, with an expectancy of great blessing coming to the Muslims of Bosnia Herzegovina.  Lord, we know You love them and desire they come to know You.
8)    Let us arise and rebuke the enemy as he tries to teach radical Islam in Bosnia. There are reports of some villages and Muslim communities instituting Sharia law. (See Wikipedia for more understanding of Sharia law, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharia) Let us pray for confusion, division and opposition in Muslim communities where Sharia law is trying to be instituted.
9)    Let us pray that the Muslim communities of Bosnia Herzegovina will be set free from the demonic bondage of Islam.
10)    Lord, empower and encourage the missionaries and pastors in Bosnia Herzegovina. May they see physical evidence of You moving in the land. May they prepare themselves to pick the fruit and harvest the field of souls.

Personal Note: Muslim is a cultural, ethnic term; Islam is a religion

2 Corinthians 9:10
Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness,

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

Pray for Albania

Week of Dec. 8-14, 2014

We appreciate you also Praying for European Initiative Needs found in the left collumn.

I am so thankful for my dear intercessor brother, Dag Rane Schjelderup. Dag has ministered in Albania for many years. He sent the follow letter containing his spiritual and sociological update on Albania for us to pray into. With Zuzanna and I presently hosting a team from Charis Bible College in Colorado, little time was available to seek the Lord for Albania. So let us be thankful that there is a man on the ground in Albania that hears from God and supplied the follow insights.

Be Blessed Jerry!

A MOVEMENT OF PRAYER, REPENTANCE, HOLINESS AND CHANGE

On November 29, the Albanian National Liberation Day (from German troops in 1944), the leaders of the evangelical churches (Ev Alliance) in the country had announced and organized a "Day Joel" (Joel 2:12-17), of Prayer and Fasting for the Chruch and the country. Not only the Germans left Albania, but Communism took over in 1944. As the Israelis were 70 years in Babylon, the Albanians were 70 years under Communism. "Democracy" came in 1990. But the "new" leaders were former communists, and the dictatorial and communist way of thinking and dealings among politicians were dominant till now.

Before Nov 29th this year, likely many hundreds, possibly thousands of believers took part in a 3 weeks of fasting according to Daniel, to repemnt and prepare for the "Day of Joel".

Our local church in Fushe-Kruje and other places where we work, experienced great changes in peoples' and families' lives those days. Root issues that had been hidden "forever" were revealed and dealt with. Many experienced deep deliverance.

On the 29th, about 2000 believers gathered for a 4 1/2 hour prayer meeting, unprecedented in our modern history., repenting of national former and today's issues. Many again experienced a powerful touch and change from God.

But the changes for better in the Church and this nation has just begun. We are already planning for more prayer until and on the next Nov 29th in 2015:

1.     Pray that the move of prayer, repentance and holiness will go on and grow.

2.     Pray that more believers and churches will be a part of this move of the Holy Spirit.

THE NEW ALBANIAN PRIME MINISTER EDI RAMA HAD "RILINDJE" (REBIRTH) AS HIS SLOGAN BEFORE ELECTED. For sure many changes has happened. He has appointed the first ever evangelical Christian as one of his ministers. And he has got evangelical believers as close counsellors, even Rama himself calls himself a humanist. He does not walk around with a train of body-guards, like former leaders used to appear. He has taken tough decisions on school reforms, closing down more than a dozen of badly run private universities. The traffic police are enforcing laws, fines have increased, and the way people drive has improved a lot just in a few months' time. With these radical reforms, he has got many enemies.

3.     Pray for salvation, wisdom and protection for Prime Minister Edi Rama.

4.     Pray for the believers in the government to stay free of corruption and compromise with any evil.

5.     Pray for the "Rilindje" to proceed in God's way for Albania and the Albanians.

CORRUPTION, UNEMPLOYMENT AND PRIVATE DEBTS

As one of the most corrupt nations in Europe, a financial analyst found that about 2/3 of the finances [are] circulated in the hidden/dark/illegal ways. That means that far less is left for righteous wages, taxes etc. A normal manual worker, the lucky one to have a job, does so without social insurance, on 1000 leke (7 €) [$9.50] a day, which is hardly enough to sustain a family of 5 or more with the most basic food, or even to pay for electric power, rent of house etc. A major bank did a research last year, finding that about 1/3 of families are indebted to banks mainly for borrowing money to buy food, even many lie to get loans, telling they will start a business etc. 2/3 of the population is indebted to the local grocery store, not being able to pay for daily bread.

6.     Pray for corruption to come to an end Albania.

7.     Pray that wages and employment levels will rise and become righteous.

Dag  
     

Also I would ask that we pray for Dag. May he continue to be close to the Lord’s heart, knowing the times and the seasons the Lord has ordained.

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

Pray for Turkey

Week of Dec. 1-7, 2014

A message from Jerry and Zuzanna :

We are so grateful to each of you as you join us in standing in the gap for the Balkan nations week after week, for 6 years now. This prayer blog has evolved through the years and it is evolving still. We now have a new section in the left column for European Initiative Balkans prayer needs called“Ministry Needs, Plans & Prayer” which will give each of you an opportunity to pray specifically for our ministry as European Initiative’s Balkans Base Leaders. In this region called the Balkans, one becomes very acutely aware of ones dependence on prayer. We believe our effectiveness hinges on the prayers of intercessors like you. We will share upcoming events and various needs. Thank you for taking the time to pray over our needs in addition to the country we feature each week.

I received the following letter and prayer request from a native brother in Turkey:

Dear Brothers and Sisters

I greet you in the name of the Lord.

During these last months in the Black Sea region and particularly in the regions where we are serving, many people inquiring about Christianity are inviting us to discuss and many are those who accept the Lord Christ. This is something I had not seen so far and I believe that the Lord is increasing the seeds of your prayers. May His name be exalted. Particularly young people are coming to our church and are telling us that are disillusioned with Islam, when seeing members of the terrorist organization so called Islamic State shouting “Allah’u Akbar” (God is great) and decapitating innocent people. We pray that they accept the voice of the Lord who is knocking at their hearts’ door.

To our house church in the city of Amasya we appointed as minister our brother Ali H. who is a native of this city, praying for the growth and the strengthening of this congregation. We are also praying for a meeting place in the city of Ordu. I am glad to say that the hearts of the people in Ordu are very open to the Gospel and if we reach a sizeable congregation, we may be able to ask the city authorities for the granting to us and the restoration of one of the old churches that there are in that city, which is now used either as a theater or a wedding reception hall. We ask you to start praying for this endeavor.

Once again during the Christmas season we shall be inviting people to our church celebrations through adds on the radio, newspapers and billboards. To those coming we shall be donating New Testaments and DVDs and we are praying for the Lord’s provision for the related costs and the salvation of many lost souls.

There are millions of refugees at present in Turkey and their number is increasing, especially those fleeing from the terrorist organization Islamic State, as in the case of the city of Kobani (Kobani is a city of Syria bordering with Turkey and its inhabitants fleeing from the massacre of the terrorists are seeking refuge in Turkey). In the city where I was born, Gaziantep, there are hundreds of thousands of refugees from Syria and many more are expected. May the Lord show His mercy to all of those in their terrible plight. May we Christians show them the mercy of God. The pressing needs are for tents, blankets, foodstuff and baby diapers. Please pray for the meeting of these needs. Many thousands are also coming to our city Samsun, to the extent that the city center is full of people speaking Arabic and Farsi (Persian). Many come to our church for help and we are trying to help them by your prayers and contributions.

Your brother in the Lord,
Orhan

Prayer Points:
1)    Let us thank the Lord for raising up Pastor Orhan, a native Turk. Lord, we ask that You protect him and his family, give them wisdom and understanding for this time of spiritual visitation in their land.
2)    Let us pray for this area of northern Turkey and ask for continual waves of the Spirit. (Although this is not part of the Balkans we pray for Turkey because of the past and present influence it has had on the Balkans)
3)    Pastor Orhan talks of the increase in people in his area seeking the Lord. Holy Spirit, it is exciting to see You stirring hearts to seek the living God. May mercy and truth convict many to turn to Jesus.
4)    Let us pray for the Christmas outreach effort through adds on the radio, newspapers and billboards. May God’s houses be full of those seeking salvation for their lives.
5)    Lord, we ask that You open up a place of worship for the people of Ordu, Turkey.
6)    We know that God always takes Satan’s plans and turns them against him. We are starting to see a reverse reaction in the Muslim world against the Islamic State, a radical offensive in Iraq and Syria. Let us pray for Christians to be there for those that are doubting Islam.

Isaiah 59:19
So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun; When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.

7)    At this time it is estimated that 0.008% of the Turkish population is evangelical. Let us pray that this percentage will grow in our generation.

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