Pray for Turkey

July 7, 2017

Clashes in Ankara’s Yenimahalle

In the News: Late on July 2, Turkish residents and Syrian refugee residents of the neighborhood engaged in clashes leaving one person injured. Workplaces belonging to Syrian refugees and Iraqi Turkmens were damaged, Hürriyet reported.

Why is this important to the Balkans? Turkey is important to the Balkans because it occupied parts of the peninsula for centuries, therefore having an influence on the Balkan peoples.

Article: Deputy PM calls for ‘tolerance’ toward Syrian refugees amid rising tension

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak has made a call for public tolerance following clashes between different ethnic groups in Ankara’s Yenimahalle district.

“We have seen a social reaction against Syrians lately. Of course, there are some among the 3 million of them who may have committed crime. But the crime rate of Syrians is lower than that of our own citizens,” Kaynak told daily Hürriyet on July 4.

“If there are safe zones in Syria, they will go back to their own lands,” Kaynak said, adding that he recognized.

“The argument that ‘our soldiers are going to Syria and getting killed while Syrians are here safely’ is correct but insufficient. People between the ages of 20 and 45 can serve during a war but not all are warriors. In order for them to be warriors, they must be armed and educated accordingly. It is both not right and not possible for Turkey to do that alone,” he said.

“Turkey is approaching the issue solely from a humanitarian perspective. There are 1,200,000 helpless Syrian women in Turkey. We cannot ignore them,” Kaynak added. Read full article at: http://www.balkaneu.com/deputy-pm-calls-for-tolerance-toward-syrian-refugees-amid-rising-tension/

Jerry’s commentary:

I agree with this deputy. This has been my argument concerning the Syrian/Iraqi refugees; that they should be trained and equipped to go back and take their home lands back. Therefore, I believe Turkey is positioned to be the place for assembling the refugees and preparing them for invasion. The western nations (NATO) can then step up and finance this effort. Russia should also be incorporated in supporting this also.

With western nations involved in this training and equipping, Turkey would not be in sole control of the process. Each participating country should be in agreement because they are only contributing money, arms and military advisers, not men in the battle.

Now from a Kingdom perspective:

Many of the fleeing Syrians and Iraqis are Christians. Either they are from the sparsely ancestral Christian inhabitants of Syria or they are newly converted Christians. (There are untold/unpublished stories of many refugees coming to Jesus) Not only Christians but people are fleeing because of the personal danger, economic breakdown and the discontent with Islam.

This situation has opened a door for the Church to evangelize. The Church should expand resources to plant missionaries among these refugees.

Does this create a holy war? Another Christian Crusade? Not necessarily, but that is a discussion that can be explored.

Prayer Points:

1)   The Christian’s greatest weapon is prayer. Let us pray for the Lord to fight for the refugees.

2)   Pray that the conversion of Syrians and Iraqis would continue with even greater momentum.

3)   Pray that the Church would seize this opportunity to evangelize the refugees.

4)   (There are undercover Christian groups operating in Syria and Iraq to bring the gospel) Pray that these people putting lives in danger will be protected and be led by the Spirit.

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.