Displaying items by tag: elections

The Christian Democratic Union (CDU), a centre-right party, has elected Armin Laschet, the pragmatic governor of Germany's most populous state, as its new leader - sending a signal of continuity before the 26 September election. The vote is not the final word on who will be the centre-right candidate for Chancellor, but Laschet will either run himself or will have a big say in who does. He is viewed as more in line with Merkel's pragmatic centrism, and spoke of the value of continuity and moderation. ‘We must speak clearly but not polarise. We must be able to integrate, hold society together.’ The decision ends an 11-month leadership limbo in the CDU. Angela Merkel, who has been Chancellor since 2005, is not seeking a fifth term.

At least twelve well-known political opposition figures, veterans, and lawmaker activists have been barred from running in the legislative council elections; the government warned that more hopefuls, including further lawmakers, could still be banned. Hong Kong's pastors are in the spiritual trenches of this growing fight. More than one million Christians are choosing between the ‘blue’ pro-government camp and the ‘yellow’ opposition. Most young churchgoers support the pro-democracy protests. Pray for God to protect and show the pastors His way forward, as they lead the church through the current struggles. Pray for young protesters facing moral dilemmas: ‘As a Christian, violence is wrong, so can I throw bricks? An oppressive government is also wrong, shall I break laws to protest against injustice?’

On 2 March Israel held its third election in a year. Already huge Likud roadside billboards bearing the faces of Blue and White and the Arab Joint List leaders have been erected, stating, ‘Yes to a Jewish and democratic state, no to supporters of terror.’ Israel’s elections are not over. The party headed by Benjamin Netanyahu continues its campaign against the formation of a minority government by Blue and White with the support of the Joint List. Foreign minister Katz called members of the Joint List ‘terrorists in suits’. 64% of Arab voters support the Joint List joining the government, but the right-wing/ultra-Orthodox and many of the general public, including Blue and White voters, don’t. Knesset members are receiving constant curses and insults by those against such cooperation. Is Israel prepared for real cooperation between Jews and Arabs at the highest level?

Recently, a group of key Central Asian pastors and leaders gathered for 3 days of fasting and prayer. Out of this meeting our vision to raise up strong, unified, consistent prayer for this region of the world was re-ignited.

In partnership with Central Asian Consultation, we are launching "Silk Road Prayer". We will be sending out regular prayer updates with specific information on how to pray for current needs in the region. We will also be using Social Media to quickly spread information necessary for focused prayer. Within Central Asia, we will be working with pastors and prayer leaders to mobilize more united prayer!

Thank you for joining with us in this effort to see God move in a new and unprecedented way all along the ancient Silk Road!

"...The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]." James 5:16 AMPC

Eunice Danielson

Silk Road Prayer Coordinator

Current Prayer Needs:

• Pray for believers and churches that are facing persecution across the region; pray for His great strength to stand strong
• Pray for justice in a court case against a leading church in Kazakhstan
• God is answering prayer for the church in Uzbekistan! The government now seems willing to grant registration to churches which in the past were unable to register. Pray for every church that is submitting applications to be granted registration so that they can meet freely without fear of persecution
• Pray for the church in Turkmenistan to have favor with the government, pray that they also will be granted registration and freedom to meet
• Pray for safe and fair elections to be held in Afghanistan this weekend
• Pray especially for the Uighur (and other Muslim minority) people of NW China. Over 1 Million (possibly up to 3 Million) are being imprisoned and tortured in "Re-education Camps". This includes many of our Christian brothers and sisters. Pray for God to use this horrible situation to draw many to Himself.

A briefing on the forthcoming Latin American elections by Yanira Gonzalez - IPC's Regional Representative and Leadership Team member

We really need God’s intervention in the next presidential elections in Latin America. We are facing the DECEPTION of the enemy that makes us pray for our nations not according to God’s perfect will, but according to the manipulation of the media, our bias and agendas.

Please pray for gubernatorial elections that will affect 3 strategic countries:

• Argentina general election - 27 October 2019
• Bolivia general election - 20 October 2019
• Uruguaya general election - 27 October 2019

Like the rest of the Continent, Latin America 2019 presidential elections presents two visions: Conservatism or progressivism & socialism; biblical faithfulness or political correctness. We definitely need to 'Watch and pray'!

The Bible, in Timothy 2:2 commands us "to pray for those who govern and for all authorities." An act of reflection and responsibility. This role has changed in the last 20 years in Latin America, where Christians have formed and strengthened political movements capable of obtaining legislative seats, influencing presidential elections and transferring the debate from ideas to beliefs.  Four of the last election campaigns in the region have been under the influence of Christian parties. The candidates supported by these parties won the first round in Brazil (Jair Bolsonaro), Colombia (Iván Duque) and Mexico (Andrés Manuel López Obrador).

Prayer points in regards to the presidential elections of these 3 countries & Latin America:

1. That our nations in Latin America would turn back to God. May God help us. We need him desperately to renew our hope and restore our land. We need his forgiveness and healing. May His Spirit sweep across our nations and draw many out of darkness. May believers everywhere draw close to Him and seek his face like never before. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord…” Ps. 33:12
2. That Latin America would be faithful in praying for leaders and those in authority, knowing that their decisions directly affect us too. May God give them wisdom and courage as they lead our nations. May He give them a desire to listen for his voice and follow his ways. May God in His mercy, appoint principled, godly men and women into positions of authority in our nations. “When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” Prov. 29:2
3. That Latin America would recognize God’s Sovereignty over all. His word reminds us that He is the One who ultimately has the power to position all those in leadership, and to remove them. It is “God who changes the times and seasons; He sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.” Dan. 2:21 “But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.” Ps. 33:11
4. That Latin America would recognize the real battle is not fought against what is seen, but what is unseen. The real enemy is not a person or political party, but is Satan himself, and his dark forces that oppose God and fight against Truth. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Eph. 6:12 “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.” 2 Cor. 10:4
5. That Latin America would not succumb to worry, fear, or defeat. That we wouldn’t grow so weary that we just give up, and tune out...God is the One who sets free and has the power to restore our nations.
   
   "They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord."  Ps. 112:7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:6-7

6. That Latin America would pray for those in authority who are unjustly attacked and accused. That God’s protection would cover His people, that He would surround them with favor as a shield. “No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn…” Is. 54:17
7. That Latin America’s hope would remain in the Lord. That we would recognize His great Power. That we would trust Him and believe that He is Able, and nothing is impossible with Him. “Look at the nations and watch-- and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.” Hab. 1:5

Yanira Gonzalez - IPC Latin America Representative / Leadership Team

More at: www.clamor.global

Following April’s elections Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a governing coalition, the first such failure in Israeli history. Snap elections will now be held on 17 September. The polls predict another election result that would make it impossible to form a government. Pray for a breakthrough, asking God to bring about His government for Israel. Claim the words of Isaiah 1:26 for these elections. Let the voters have Your mind, particularly as they weigh up Netanyahu’s plan to annexe 600 square miles of Palestinian territory. May the results bring a government through which You can be glorified, and may every stumbling stone to prevent a godly government be removed. The autumn feasts of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Succoth begin soon. Pray for Jews to be reconnected to their biblical roots and see the King of Israel, their Messiah and Lord.

Please Pray with us for the 2019 Federal Elections in Canada:

1) Media - We are seeing an obvious manipulation of Canadians opinion in most of our mainstream national news forums. Global warming is being almost endlessly platformed and one news commentator stated that if you were interested in our environment and the future of our children, then there is only one party that you can vote for. (Liberal Party).

It is also what we are seeing that is not being reported. For example, we are not hearing of the huge protests and lawsuits being raised by many of our First Nations People regarding their desire to see pipelines built across our nation.

In addition, our current government has recently given over 600 million to news agencies that they deem to be good for our nation. This obvious ‘by-off’ by our government needs to be countered by righteousness.

2) Freedom of Speech / Religion - Three of the four main political parties have policy so that you cannot even run for those parties if you hold to a Pro-life viewpoint. This needs to be challenged in our Supreme Court as anti-democratic.

We are also seeing huge increases in those who want to be euthanized in Canada and many of our physicians and other medical personnel are being denied their freedom of conscience who would choose to not be implicitly involved.

3) Life - Canada is only one of three countries in the world with no law concerning abortion, (China, North Korea). In a recent Parliamentary meeting, one Member of Parliament stood announcing that Canada stands for abortion at any time in pregnancy and for any reason. (We are praying that the enemy has over-played his hand!).

4) Voter Turnout - Typically, there has not been a great difference between the percentage of Christians who vote and non-Christians. We are praying for effective national communication that will help pastors and other leaders to clearly see the crisis we are in. That boldness will replace fear and unrighteous issues will be addressed from our pulpits across Canada. Pray that Christians will be encouraged to register their voice in our nation by voting. What would happen if 100% of Christians voted?

5) Our God-Given Destiny - For Canada to arise and shine to fulfil her calling of Healing to the Nations, for Righteous Government to come forward in this season. (Recently submitted by the Canberra House of Prayer for Canada).

6) A Right Perspective Regarding Government - Please pray that Canadian Christians would not put all their focus on government as the only way we can positively change our nation. When we make all our problems political, we are saying therefore, that all our answers can only be political. This raises government to a place they were never meant to be. Jesus is the right solution, and he will be seen in us as we rightly minister to those around us, changing culture to eventually change government. Yes, prayer and righteous action are needed for our government, but let’s not make government something it was never intended to be.

Pray that Canadian Christians will develop a God-given compassion for those who are lost in our nation and are doing what they believe to be right in their own eyes.

Prepared by a National Prayer Leader in Canada
More info:www.nationatprayer.ca, www.transformationcanada.ca/prayer-for-election/, and www.canadainprayer.com/prayer-for-canada

Our IPC Colleague and Exec Member, Onassis Jeevaraj has prepared an INDIA - Prayer Focus guide.  The four-page PDF booklet provides an up to date overview of some of the key issues and challenges that India is facing, along with Prayer Pointers and links to more information and resources.

Topics covered include - Elections, Persecution, Lynching, The Economy, Hindu Ideologies, Natural Disasters, Children and Women, and the Church

It will be a valuable tool for guiding individual, small group or corporate prayers.

Download the INDIA - Prayer Focus HERE

In September 2018, some evangelical leaders in British Columbia unveiled a statement on sexuality and gender identity after 21 days of fasting and prayer. ‘We believe this to be a historic moment both here in BC and Canada,’ said a pastor, in a video of the event. Supporters included Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson, a People’s Party of Canada candidate who has been outspoken against sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) education in schools. The statement says, ‘We are hereby revealing, for the first time, the West Coast Christian accord, which in 14 articles provides a Biblical statement on the supremacy of Christ, the authority of scripture, salvation, marriage, sexual orientation, and gender identity.’ That document now forms the basis of the growing One Accord movement, which seeks to encourage Christians across Canada to vote in the upcoming election (on 21 October) for candidates who they think will protect their Christian beliefs.

Big Win for Hindu Nationalists

Narendra Modi was recently sworn in for a second term as India’s Prime Minister. His party, the BJP, won a resounding victory in parliamentary elections.

As Indian pundits – a word that is, by the way, of Indian origin – will tell you, if Modi and the BJP were the obvious winners, their political rivals, the Congress Party, were the big losers. But there’s another potential loser in these elections, one that should especially concern American Christians, and that’s Indian Christians.

To understand why, you need to understand Hindutva, which is the BJP’s governing ideology. It literally means “Hinduness,” and defines what it means to be an Indian in religious—to be specific, Hindu—terms. Hindutva regards Christianity and Islam as foreign religions, and therefore any Indian who claims to be a Christian or a Muslim is less than truly Indian. According to this ideology, Hinduism is central to what it means to be an Indian.

While most of the world mistakenly sees India as a land of Gandhi, gurus, and nonviolence, there’s nothing peaceful or tolerant about Hindutva. For instance, the man who assassinated Gandhi was an adherent of Hindutva who felt Gandhi had betrayed the Hindu community.

In the run-up to the election, one BJP candidate called Gandhi’s assassin “a patriot.” Though Modi denounced the comments, they are consistent with the principles of Hindutva. More concerning are the many examples of Hindutva-inspired persecution of Christians in India, especially in the five years since the BJP first came to power.

In the weeks before the election, there were reports of “food deprivation, beatings, and jail” directed at Christian converts in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand.

As Open Doors put it, “because radical Hindu nationalists view followers of Jesus as alien to the nation, all Christians in India are suffering persecution. Driven by a desire to cleanse their country from Islam and Christianity, nationalists do not shy away from using extensive violence to achieve their goals.”

Part of their campaign to cleanse India of Christians involves anti-conversion laws. At least six Indian states effectively prohibit conversions to Christianity. I say “effectively,” because Hindu nationalists there have found a way around the freedom of religion guaranteed in the Indian constitution. Any conversion that results from “force, allurement or fraudulent means” is illegal. Given the vagueness of these terms, Indian law empowers ideologically-driven local officials to view all conversions as guilty until proven innocent.

For all these reasons and more, India currently ranks tenth on Open Doors World Watch List—which is eleven spots higher than when the BJP first assumed power.

All of this may come as a surprise given what we often hear or read about India in mainstream media outlets. For example, a recent discussion of the Indian election on a New York Times podcast explained the threat to Indian Muslims, but made no mention of the persecution of Indian Christians.

To be fair, India does have the second-largest Muslim population in the world, and the most visible religious conflict there falls along Hindu-Muslim lines. Still, there are more than 30 million Christians in India, and there’s some reason to believe that this number may be significantly understated. Muslims aren’t the only targets of Hindu extremism. Indian Christians are rightly concerned about what Modi’s triumph means for them.

We should be concerned as well. After all, contrary to Hindutva ideology, Christianity is no European import. It existed in India before Paul reached Rome. Some churches in southern India even worship in an offshoot of Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke.

We must pray for our Indian brethren, asking God to preserve the faith in a subcontinent where it is every bit as native as that which seeks to drive it out.

Reported by JOHN STONESTREET WITH ROBERTO RIVERA

More at: http://www.breakpoint.org/