Ukraine: dance of defiance
Dressed in the colours of Ukraine, Vladyslav Bondar, a ballet dancer, moves delicately across the stage of Rotterdam's mediaeval St Lawrence Church. He is performing with the United Ukrainian Ballet at a Salvation Army Christmas party - a setting far removed from the war in his homeland. ‘I wanted to fight for Ukraine.’ Vladyslav said after the performance, knowing it could have meant the end of his career as a professional dancer. But instead of taking up arms, he joined over 70 other Ukrainians who make up the United Ukrainian Ballet - a dance company formed directly in response to the outbreak of war. Fellow dancer Oleksii Kniazkov said, ‘Every Ukrainian has his own battlefield. And the stage is ours.’ Their dance is a dance of defiance.
World: watch and pray for 2023 elections
Proverbs 29:2 says, ‘When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.’ As 2023 unfolds forty different nations will be nominating new leaders or restoring 2022 leaders. We can pray for voters to make wise choices. Where there has been bribery and corruption previously, pray for honest and fair elections in 2023 to ensure that integrity and policymaking is for the good of all. Pray for leaders and their advisors to be level-headed as they handle the strains of public office. Ask God to raise up people who will make good and just decisions, and for Christians in leadership to bring salt and light into all they do and say. Where there is unrest, ask God to raise up peacemakers. Where there is Christian persecution, pray for freedom from coercion and harassment. For a list of countries and their election dates, go to Elections 2023.
China: prayer for Buddhists - Chinese New Year
The Chinese New Year in 2023 is celebrated on 22 January. Prayer Alert intercessors are invited to join thousands of believers from many churches and Christian ministries across the world who will be uniting online for a 24-hour prayer meeting. Your prayers will be covering key cities and regions of the Buddhist world. The time is ripe for asking the Lord of the Harvest to send forth labourers to every unreached people group in these cities and nations. It is an opportunity to unite and intercede as one, exalting Jesus Christ as King throughout the Buddhist world. Chinese New Year is a special time for families to gather together, and you are invited to pray for an hour (or more) during this 24-hour period for all the Gospel movements throughout the Buddhist world and China. See also
Thailand: Chinese congregation refugees
62 members of China's Mayflower Church fled to South Korea seeking political asylum after China’s government imposed revised regulations. Pastor Pan said, ‘Government authorities ordered my landlord to force us to leave. Police were posted right outside our residence and I was being followed.’ He said that police persecution was becoming more serious, and the space where they could live was becoming smaller. ‘Our only hope is that our family can live in a place where we can worship God and teach this to our children. For them to freely worship God their whole lives.’ After two and a half years South Korea’s government denied the Mayflower families' request for asylum, so they fled to Thailand, where they are seeking refugee status in order to apply for political asylum in the USA. They still face many challenges, including being sent back to China by Thai immigration police.
Launch of 110 Cities – 2023: 4 Global Days
21 Days of Prayer for the Buddhist World - January 2-22 2023
- Families are learning to pray together around the table for gospel movements in the least reached areas of the world.
God has been so faithful to shape and form our vision to ‘Exalt Jesus, catalyzing united prayer across nations, denominations, and generations for the fulfillment of the Great Commission.’
This last spring one of our young leaders raised up 100,000hrs of prayer with children ages 4 to 14. These children prayed for the children and families in 31 provinces of China. She gives leadership to 300 childrens’ houses of prayer (CHOP) in many nations.
INFORM – 
As these first 20yrs of global prayer ministry come to a close, I am excited about the continuing legacy of partnership, and service that IPC provides to churches and ministries around the world. Most of all we want to help people grow in their personal relationship with Jesus! Nothing can ever enrich our lives—or give more purpose to them—than drawing closer to Him. To be a friend of God is the greatest treasure and the greatest experience we can have in this life. 
For the Supremacy of Christ in all things,