Pray for Greece

Week of Sept. 23-29, 2013

The Greek people and their heritage begs our respect. We have all heard ministers sharing the Word of God and say, “Now in the Greek, it means…”  I don’t know how the Gospel translates in other parts of the world but to the Western mind, the Greek language was the vehicle God used to share His truths. History shows that the Greek scholars of the Word, in the first, second and third centuries, were faithful to take the Gospel far and wide. Truly, God used the Greek language to explain to us western believers how He dealt with the Hebrew people and what Jesus taught. Although the Apostle Paul was not Greek, he had the anointing to put the Gospel into the rich and scholarly Greek language of his time.

I believe God prepared the Greek culture with their scholarly and meaningful language, to bring clarity of the Gospel to the Gentile world.

1)    Lord, I believe it was Your plan that the Greeks publish Your Word. As we pray for Greece and the Greek people, may we reach deep into God’s heart for these precious ones and show respect as He used them through history.
2)    Let us pray for the Greek people to be used greatly once again in the end time. May they see their God-given gifts as a tool to reach the world.
3)    Lord, we pray for the Greek people to come back to You. Stir up that desire to embrace the Gospel like they did in the first, second and third centuries.
4)    The Greek Orthodox Church knows this history well, how God greatly used the Greek people. May the GOC seek to translate their history into the modern world not continue to take the modern world into past history.

Acts 17:1-4 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.” 4 And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas.

IN THE NEWS: Greek Youth Unemployment Hits Record 65%
The jobless rate rose from 27 percent in April and 23.8 per cent in May last year. Young people were by far the worst affected, with unemployment among job-seekers aged 15 to 24 standing at 64.9 percent.

Greece has been depending on funds from international rescue loans since May 2010, after years of profligate spending and fiscal mismanagement left it with a massive budget deficit.

The country is currently in the sixth year of a deep recession.

5)    Let us pray for the youth of Greece. There seems to be no hope so we ask for the God of Hope to intervene.
6)    May the body of Christ in Greece catch a burden for the young adults that are suffering all around them.
7)    We pray that Christians would gain Godly strategies that will create jobs.
8)    Let us pray for the development of employment training centers in churches.

Pray for Croatia

Week of July 1-7, 2013

I had taken a month off from publishing the Prayer for the Balkans prayer directives and it is good to be back in the flow. The restoration of the Gospel in the Balkan countries is my passion and I welcome all to join this worthy cause. 

 

This Monday morning opens with Croatia being now the 28^th country to join the European Union. With 66% of Croats in favor of the move, there is much rejoicing and hope for Croatia to have a new and promising future. So far the EU has been a uniting force and not an empire that enslaves its subjects. What Charlemagne, Napoleon and Hitler tried to do militarily is being done by an economic and political entity with no face.

 

Fireworks erupted over Zagreb and Beethoven’s Ode to Joy rang out in the city’s main square at midnight, as the former Yugoslav republic hoisted EU flags and EU signs were unveiled at the country’s border posts.

 

Because of this event, I have pulled up 

 

THE TREATY ON EUROPEAN UNION

and

THE TREATY ON THE FUNCTIONING

OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

and have read at least a consolidated version of the CHARTER OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION. This part mainly lays out individual rights of citizens and inhabitants of the European Union. If you live in an EU country I would suggest you read it. It is available at www.his-cloud.com/rights.

 

I am amazed at the wording of the document and the fact that it clearly and simply qualifies things like Freedom of thought, conscience and religion, Freedom of expression and information, Freedom of assembly and of association, Cultural, religious and linguistic diversity, Family and professional life, etc. 

 

I did do a search of The Treaty and found religion was equated with sexual orientations as a right against discrimination.

 

So let us Pray:

 

1)      Lord we pray that this act of Croatia joining the European Union would be a positive step for all Croats.

2)      We know from history how many wars and injustices have occurred because of the European people groups not being able to live together. Lord, may You work through the EU to bless the people of Europe and help them live in peace.

3)      Lord, we know from Matthew 24 and Revelation 11:18 that the nations will be judged and we know from the book of Daniel that you judge empires. Let us pray for the European Union and its administrators; May they always seek to promote peace among all men.

4)      Since most border restrictions between Croatia and other EU nations will be loosened, let us pray for the free-flow of ministries across those borders so all European Christians may benefit from each other.

5)      Let us pray that the Church would be the example of unity among European people.

6)      Let us pray for investment to flow into Croatia now that they are part of the EU.

7)      Let us pray that respect of all (un-harmful) religions would now be fully honored in Croatia. Let it be decreed that no longer can a National Church influence laws and label other faith expressions as cults.

8)      Let us pray for President Ivo Josipović and the Croatian government as they take on new responsibilities and adjust to the European treaties. May the rule of law be rightly adjudicated and corruption exposed.

9)      Above all, we pray for the positioning of godly men and women in the government Croatia.