Only two weeks to go! The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) is on 16 November this year. Find out more about IDOP 2014 and your free resource pack here.
 
Whether you can get a slot in your church service, lead the whole service, or whether you're praying with your small group or children's group - we've got what you need

Your IDOP pack contains:
*    Sermon ideas
*    Small group Bible study
*    Children's activities
*    Creative prayer ideas
...and more!

Have you ordered postcards or posters? We'll be sending them to you next week, so keep an eye out for them.

Please join us, and thousands of Christians around the world, in marking the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Click here to download your pack.

If you've got any questions, do get in touch on 0845 456 5464 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Blessings
Emma

P.S. Go to www.csw.org.uk/idop to watch Kenia from Cuba explain the transforming power of prayer in her life. You could show the video in your church too, as a lead in to prayer for persecuted Christians like Kenia and her husband Omar.

Thank you so much for your prayers for 14-15th Oct. 2014 Prayer Seminar! Yes God did miracles through this Seminar. We couldn't do more good, but God has done more through the Indonesian prayer leaders.

In the first day of program, there was heavy raining in whole day and I was thinking people will not come, but God sent more than our expectation. Almost 300+ Pastors and Leaders joined in this historical Prayer Seminar. Daniel and other pastors talked through His power and God spoke through Daniel. He prophesied "Nepal Prayer Assembly" in 2017 in Nepal. Praise the Lord!

Yes God was glorified through this program. We had Nepal top leaders dinner meeting on 15th October. All the pastors and leaders were blessed by God. The Holy Spirit moved all for His Kingdom.

On 16th October Ps. Daniel, Ely, Ps. David, for people went to Lumbini and did ministry there with our Ps Sunil. And other 6 people and me went to do prayer meeting at Thankot and 10 Church people gathered and had Prayer meeting among 110 people. On 18th Ely has taught about House of Prayer to our prayer warriors among 90+ people, it was really effective.

Many blessings for all of us. May the Lord bless them abundantly!

Thank you so much for your love and prayer. All the glory to God.
Here I am sharing some pictures of Seminar, I am sure you will enjoy with these His works in Nepal.

With much love and prayer,
Govinda and Sujita
Kathmandu, Nepal

Ruth Kram, October 13, 2014
Iraq (CAM) - Editor's Note: We share this news story released by Christian Aid Mission.

Working in northern Iraq's Kurdish region day and night to help meet the needs of people displaced by the threats and violence of the terror group Islamic State (ISIS) in Mosul and other areas, members of an Iraqi ministry team recently came into contact with a colonel from the Kurdish forces battling ISIS.

The colonel was serving as a division commander of the Peshmerga, the Kurdistan Regional Government's armed forces, which have helped to slow the incursion of ISIS in its brutal push to establish a caliphate imposing a strict version of Sunni Islam. With the aid of U.S. airstrikes, the Peshmerga have also slowly retaken some territory. They are helping to secure the Kurdish capital of Erbil, where the ministry team assisted by Christian Aid Mission is supplying displaced people with food, clothing, beds, and medicine.

The colonel had a few questions for the team members: What was the reason for offering all this aid? What was the motivation, what was the source of it? "We spoke with him explicitly, explaining everything to him, saying that Christ taught us to love and express our love to the people in a practical way," said the team director, who informed the officer that all relief items had been donated or purchased locally.

The Peshmerga colonel, whose name is withheld for security reasons, was quick to respond. "You see the Arabs around you in the Gulf states, which claim to be religious Muslims, have not sent us anything but terrorists," he told the ministry team members. "But you who follow Christ send love and peace and goodness to people every day."

The conversation continued at length, the ministry team director said.
"After we had a long talk with him about Christ, he bowed and prayed, asking Christ into his life," the director said. "And he said, 'Today I am the happiest person! I've had the privilege of making this decision,' and he received a copy of the Bible."

The colonel's experience was just one of many taking place in Iraq. In cities of refuge like Erbil for people displaced from their homes in other parts of Iraq, people are turning to Christ at a stunning pace. Tent churches are springing up in the makeshift camps. Under normal circumstances, mission strategies focus on how to proclaim Christ effectively, but the challenge now is keeping pace with the number who would receive Him, the director said.

"The greatest challenge in the ministry right now is not whether these people will accept Christ or not," he said. "In all our travel to deliver the aid and preach God's Word, we did not find anyone opposed to or rejecting our message. The challenge is how and when we will reach all those people with the message of salvation in the squares, sidewalks, roads, inside the tents and out, and everywhere."

Christian Aid Mission's Middle East director said that as a result of this trend, some church leaders and workers for ministry organizations are remaining in Iraq even as the cruel practices of ISIS-beheading Iraqi children who refuse to deny Christ in Qaroqosh and Western journalists elsewhere-gain greater notoriety.

"I think of workers who stayed behind in Mosul and the surrounding areas because there are so many who are receptive to the gospel," he said. "They are willing to risk being in an area under the rule of ISIS for the privilege of more and more fruit for Christ."

Forced to trust God more than they ever have before, these Christians are growing in their relationship with God in ways they had never imagined, he said.
"I respected them before the Arab Spring because they were serving in Islamic areas, but now they are serving more and maturing even more," he said. "We need to intercede for these workers. They are all always in danger. They need God's power to show His love to the thousands of helpless people."
"God has put within the hearts of thousands of Muslims a desire to read His Word."

Let's keep praying for Syria and Iraq and that the current conflicts and suffering will bring large numbers of Muslims to Jesus Christ. Pray for the overthrow of the ISIS terrorists and that His peace to come to these troubled nations.

Video Link:  http://youtu.be/aGTUcQLPhuk

What is Testify World?

Testify World is a Global Community of Kingdom Builders Sharing the Transformational Power of Jesus Christ.

Our Mission: "Making the Invisible Kingdom VISIBLE"
Download the Testify World App:  http://get.theapp.co/c7b1

Join the Movement of "Making the Invisible Kingdom Visible"
Follow Testify World on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TestifyWorld
Testify World on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TestifyWorld
 
Subscribe to Our YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/TestifyWorld

To help you to pray effectively we have set up www.prayerforleaders.com

I would encourage you to log on to the website and check out the various information that is there.

In essence apart from praying for the G20 summit generically, we are encouraging you to pray daily for one of the leaders who is attending the summit.

So every day from the 1 October, 2014 we will be putting the bio information up of a leader who is attending and encourage you to pray for them, to bless them during the day, to write to them and let them know you are praying and then to encourage others to do so as well.  We now have two days of prayer requests up on the site.

On the right hand side of the website there is a "follow me" option.  If you click on this you will be automatically emailed when we put updates on the site. This is the easiest way to keep up to date.

This event is considered one of the largest events that Australia has ever hosted.

It is a key event where decisions concerning not only ours but the worlds economic future will be discussed.

Plus no doubt there will be other side issues being discussed particularly in relation to Russia and ISIL.

There will also be some key Christian events being planned around the G20 including a church service being held on the Sunday morning at the City Tabernacle Baptist Church and a Forum on the Thursday night.  We will be sending out more details concerning these shortly.

If you know of other Christian events being held around the G20 please let us know.

Please take a moment and check out the website and share it with others.

Wes Leake
Business Blessings
Ph: 0413388840
email:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.prayerforleaders.com

I am writing at the request of FRC President Tony Perkins, to ask you, as one of America's Prayer Movement Leaders, to urge those in your in your prayer networks to appeal to heaven on behalf of 5 pastors in Houston, Texas, who have been ordered by city officials, under threat of fines and jail, to turn over all copies of speeches, presentations, and any other communications, public or private, having to do with homosexuality, transgender identity, the Mayor of Houston, or Houston's Equal Rights Ordinance (H.E.R.O).

A coalition of over 400 area ministers is opposed the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance ("HERO" - a homosexual rights "bathroom" ordinance like others that have passed in a number of jurisdictions across America. It would allow transsexual, transgender and transvestite boys and men to use the girl's and women's bathrooms and locker rooms, etc. and vice versa.

Following a remedy provided by city and state law, the ministers organized a petition and obtained over 50,000 signatures, for the ordinance to go on the ballot for Houston voters to approve or reject in November. The pastors gathered three times the number of voter signatures required for such a referendum, but the city rejected the petition. Representatives of the coalition filed lawsuit. Then, Houston Mayor Annise Parker had the above-mentioned unconstitutional subpoenas issued.

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) lawyers are on the case, but the city has, so far, not backed down in its effort to intimidate the pastors.

Tony has conferred with subpoenaed pastors and other coalition leaders who are willing to go to jail rather than comply with the Mayor's demands.   Fox News Commentator Todd Starnes has been covering the story extensively. Except for Fox News - the national media is mostly ignoring the story. But we have gathered 40,000 online petitions during the last two days in support of the pastors and calling on the Mayor to rescind the subpoenas...

Here is Todd Starnes' Facebook post:
https://www.facebook.com/ToddStarnesFNC/posts/729131513828350

See also iStandSunday. On Nov 2nd, pastors from across the nation will travel to Houston to rally in support of the targeted Houston Pastors. That evening, we will air a nationwide Webcast to acquaint Christians nationwide with what is happening in Houston.

(Note from the IPC editor: The latest news is that the mayor backed down on demanding the subpoenaed sermons of the 5 pastors.)

Pray for the people of Houston to prevail over this "Bathroom Bill" and for the Mayor and other city officials to cease its hostility toward the churches.

Sincerely, in Christ,
Rev. Pierre Bynum Chaplain, National Prayer Director

Family Research Council 801G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-393-2100, Fax: 202-393-2134,
Direct: 202-624-3031 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,
Web: www.frc.org
www.watchmenpastors.org, www.call2fall.com

October 5, 2014 by S David Acuff

(Excerpted)

Founded by Karen Covell in 2001, the Hollywood Prayer Network began as a resource for entertainment professionals in the faith-based community; it equips creative artists and professionals to thrive personally and professionally in the arts, media, and entertainment industries.

And it just so happened they were partnering with "The National Day of Prayer" group for an event called "The Summons." For 5 days in Hollywood, strategic prayer partners from all over the US met with Hollywood Insiders to hear how God is moving in the Film and TV industry. The goal was not just to be blown away by Tinseltown stories and testimonies, but so that they could come alongside these Hollywood professionals to support them in prayer and intercession.
 
Now, there are people who pray, and then there are Prayer Warriors. Just like there are people who play paintball in the woods, and there is Seal Team 6. You must imagine that this group that gathered from across the United States was the Seal Team 6 of Intercessors. A Task Force of Prayer Ninjas headed up by Shirley Dobson.
 
Everyone was encouraged to hear that when The Hollywood Prayer Network began, they were able to find about 8 Christians around Hollywood. Today there are over 10,000. That is quite a remnant the Lord has established.

"You know it surprises me how many Christians are in the industry here," said Nathan Wisener from Colorado. "My mindset was that I didn't think there was anyone out here. You know you're always given the impression from other people that it's a very dark place. But I came here and saw some light."

Each of the Hollywood Insiders had stories about being involved in Projects that they initially wanted to run from, but told how, because they stayed, God was able to use them to change lives, redirect scripts and to be a shoulder to lean on for other crew members in crisis. Karen Covell, for instance, was mortified when she was assigned to Produce a one-hour TV story on Playboy Creator Hugh Hefner. But God had other plans.
 
It culminated with an interview in which the icon of sexual promiscuity told about being raised by harsh, distant parents who never told him they loved him. "His mother never hugged or kissed him, he said, because of her fear of germs." In the opulent Playboy Mansion, surrounded by Playboy bunnies, the interviewers brought Mr. Hefner, clad in his black pajamas, to confess that "he's still just a little boy trying to find love." They exposed his futile attempt to substitute sex for love and the pain behind the Playboy façade, the God-shaped vacuum in Mr. Hefner's heart (worldmag.com).

That interview which Hef described as "my favorite interview" opened doors for Covell to encourage him on a couple of different occasions. And baby steps like that are happening all across Los Angeles.
 
Dean Batali is a Television Writer and Executive Producer who wrote for "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "That 70s Show." He talked about being the Salt and Light described in Matthew 5:13. He explained that while Salt has healing properties, in certain instances its primary use is to slow down decay. His continued prayer is for the Lord to lead him to the projects where he can do good - and from SpongeBob to UpTV it's been a fascinating journey.
 
Os Hillman is president of Marketplace Leaders, an organization whose purpose is to help men and women discover and fulfill God's complete purposes through their work and to view their work as ministry. He explained how Christians have fled from the 7 Cultural Mountains for years: Government, Education, Media, Religion, Family, Business and Arts&Entertainment. Their absence has created a void that now requires agents of change - talented and Godly individuals to climb back up those mountains to lead and direct.

Many of the Hollywood Insiders talked about their daily struggle in the workplace to be a force for the good, the true and the beautiful. They discussed openly the resistance they received from their secular co-workers - which they fully expected - but also, surprisingly, from Christians across the country who attacked them regularly.

For example, despite the major miracle for Martha Williamson to get a show on CBS Network Television about Angels dispensing God's love and mercy in every episode - "Touched by an Angel" - she got vehement letters from Christian brothers and sisters for selling out and for "hiding" Jesus and watering down the Gospel, etc.

In fact, what many of these Hollywood Insiders had found in their time in LA as they built relationships with Studios and Networks was that so many of the "anti-christian" voices in Los Angeles were people who at one time had been chewed up and spit out by the church.
Hm. Something to reflect hard upon.

So, after each Hollywood Professional had a chance to speak, the tables were turned and the Prayer Ninjas gathered around and went to work praying for each person. "I'm a Lutheran," one Producer joked, "I don't know what to do!" and the team laughed and told her to just sit there and receive their prayers. Another script writer admitted afterward that although he has been prayed for in the past, the three times he was prayed over at The Summons was unlike anything he had experienced before. With tears in his eyes, he thanked the group for their ministry, their encouragement and their Godly insight.

While one group of Prayer Ninjas sat in on various sessions, the others were sent out on buses to key locations around Hollywood, onto Studio lots, Scientology Headquarters, etc, just to walk and pray over the workers there.

"The hurts and facades of people are exacerbated in this city," lamented Dr. Lou Shirey of Oklahoma City. "I think that's what hits me so deep. A place of just insecure people who gathered together and if they can just hear the Good News of Jesus and have the security of Christ," he paused here tearing up at the thought of it, "ah, it just hits me so."

The National Day of Prayer Task Force considers this short term mission trip a huge success. "Because what we found is that God is alive and well in this city," said John Bornschein from Colorado. "He is moving in the hearts of people. We've been in Studios where the Executives are Christians, where staff are Christians, to find out there's 10,000 believers here who need us to come alongside and affirm them; letting them know that the Saints are going to be praying for them for the work that they're doing here in the Tribe of Hollywood!"

Whew. And all of this barely even scratches the surface of what took place over the last 5 days in Hollywood, California. I came away from the event with dozens of new friends, 15 business cards and industry contacts, a to-do list as long as my arm and at least 5 Prayer Ninjas who promised to pray for me, my family and my personal Hollywood Journey.

Welcome to Hollywood.

Please thank God and continue to pray for the transformation of Hollywood, an industry that has such an enormous influence on our world, either for good or evil. Our prayers will help determine which influence that will be.

"Darkness covers the earth and gross darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you," says God to Isaiah (see Isaiah 60.2). At this season of the year followers of Christ around the world remember his birth.   He came as the Light of the world to begin to dispel the darkness.   His coming was in a blaze of heavenly light - at night - when "the glory of the Lord shone around" the shepherds.   His coming was accompanied by a "bright star in the East".Thank God for Jesus.   Thank God that His coming has made a difference.

And yet - the darkness has not been entirely dispersed.   In fact, it seems that spiritual darkness has intensified.

As we look at the world we see the acceleration of the kingdom of God in certain places, but we also see the increase of evil and the acceleration of opposition to the Gospel.   When we consider the terror and trauma being meted out on millions of innocent people in the conflicts at present occurring, or we look at the political alliances and their use of power, or the subtle ways in which ungodly policies are being imposed on nations by governments, or the corruption endemic in various economies and economic practices, or the new alliances being created as power shifts take place, we are left in no doubt that the world is going through traumatic changes.

How alert are we to these changes and the challenges they bring?

If we look at the progress of the church since its beginning, we perceive that every advance has been fiercely contested by our enemy, Satan, and all his demonic powers.  Paul, writing to the Corinthian church, shared that he had been in prison frequently, been flogged severely, faced death again and again, had been beaten and stoned, and had been shipwrecked.   He had been in constant danger, often going without sleep and food, and faced many deprivations (see 2 Corinthians 11.23-29).

Today it is no different.   There are many situations on this planet where, in the past year, believers have been driven from their homes and churches, beheaded or shot, narrowly escaped death, have had to move home frequently to avoid detection, have been imprisoned for their faith, and live in constant danger.   Consider Iraq, where ancient forms of Christianity are in danger of being wiped out, and thousands of Christians have fled for their lives.   Consider Syria, where the civil war has severely affected the church.   Consider Nigeria, where despite the growth of the church in the south, the activities of Boko Haram predominantly against the Christian population, has brought kidnappings, burning of churches and the slaughter of hundreds of followers of Christ.   Consider North Korea, where the church that experienced widespread revival a century ago is now a beleaguered minority with many thousands of Christians have lost their lives or been confined permanently to harsh concentration camps.

Whilst the gospel undoubtedly has spread (there are now more believers in Christ on the planet than ever before in history), it is true to say that collectively the body of Christ is more at risk than it has probably ever been.  

However the prevailing darkness is expressed in many other ways.   Millions are being brought into or left in modern forms of enslavement.   The grip on power globally that strong secret societies have is also a severe threat to religious liberty.   It seems that there are dangerous spiritual factors at work.   The powers behind false religions, religious fundamentalism, global terrorism, political and financial alliances and the primary sources of manipulation need to be understood and counteracted by well-targeted prayer.

In the past year or more, the IPC has begun to bring into being a global task force to focus on the dark places and dark powers.   There have been consultations with a few leaders in North America and in Europe.   The working group for Europe has met three times in the past year, and has explored some of both the historical and contemporary influences that have been at work in the Continent, that God first chose for the Gospel to spread, but which is in urgent need of re-evangelising.   A gathering in June in Macedonia sought to address some of the issues raised by the two 20th Century world wars (recalled and commemorated Continent-wide during the past year), which made Europe the most blood-stained Continent in the world.   Over 100 million people were estimated to have died in these two wars!    The Europe group, who met last month in Greece, wants to tackle in on-site prayer and through teaching some of the factors that we have been up against, and to release a spirit of hope in the Continent that things can change and that revival can again be experienced.

A day conference in South East Asia last September will, it is hoped, be followed by a consultation in South Asia in the first half of 2015.   Those we have brought together globally have experience of spiritual warfare and knowledge of principalities and powers on each of the Continents.   We are together seeking to understand better what we are up against, how the enemy has been at work throughout history, and where his power, time and attention is focussed today, and how modern forms of communication are aiding his work.   

A book, examining in more detail how our enemy Satan works in individuals, communities, nations and through Governments and other institutions of power, and how we can combat him, is being written.   The church, particularly in the West, needs to be reminded of what we are up against and how we can take our stand against the devil and his schemes.   Interestingly, leaders in Africa are well aware of the demonic powers they face.   Many have written books on the subject.   But in Westernised nations there is religious debate even about whether Satan actually exists!   Fortunately Scripture is not silent about this.   Satan is mentioned over 50 times in the New Testament.   Jesus Himself knew that his calling was to preach, heal the sick and cast out demons (see Matthew 4. 23-24).   He commissioned his disciples to do the same (see Matthew 10. 7-8).
 
We are looking for connections with practitioners, researchers, those with knowledge of how Satan has worked in different cultures, with a view to seeing more regional consultations taking place.   We are wanting to connect with people who are active in the seven pillars of society and have understanding as to what agencies Satan is using today, and has used in history.   If you are such a person, or know anyone who is, please get in touch with us, with a short bio concerning what you have been involved with, and in which country you are based.   We have a name for the group, but do not wish to release it in an open context such as this!

So, at this season of the year, our call is for more intentional prayer for more of the light of God and less of the darkness of the evil one in society around us, and in the rest of the world.

Brian Mills

IPC Senior Advisor
Email contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.