Advent 2016
The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, is providing a daily online reflection throughout Advent. The Archbishop said, ‘I love Advent, it’s a wonderful season of watching and waiting.’ Across the country denominations and organisations like Bible Lands, Salvation Army, Embrace and many more provide carol services, carol sheets, tips for organising community carol services or outreach nativity services, all-age church resources, and prayer booklets. They also offer many creative ideas for talks, schools resources, and Christian craft activities. Please pray for all the variety of Christmas outreach events organised for 2016. Also, remember those who find Christmas a difficult and challenging season, and those spending Christmas at home alone, or worse still on the streets and without a home. Pray for organisations like Shelter, Alabare, Crisis at Christmas, and churches supporting and helping vulnerable people at this time of year. See also:-http://www.alabare.co.uk/
Middle East: Christian broadcasting
Christian TV broadcaster SAT-7 broadcasts in the Middle East and North Africa and has just announced record viewership numbers of 21.5 million for its Arabic-language channels. Its audience has increased by 76% in the past five years. This remarkable growth is very encouraging, especially at a time when you would expect people to be preoccupied with hard-news channels due to the ongoing turmoil in the region. ‘One explanation for the growth might be that many people are deeply distressed by the situation in the Middle East: they have lost trust and hope in both their religious and political leadership, and they are looking for divine help and guidance. Many are emotionally tired and are searching for something to lift their spirits; some positive news; something that can encourage them. The messages of faith and hope that we broadcast are very attractive to many,’ says Dr Terence Ascott, founder and CEO of SAT-7.
Middle East: moves of the Spirit
Intercessors have been fervently praying for the Muslim world, and God is answering. Bibles for Mideast were miraculously protected when Muslim terrorists interrupted a mass baptism for fifty new Christians. A large dust storm quickly moved in, blocked the militants and drove them away, saving the believers. 10,000 Muslims across the Near East study the Bible together each week, according to Cry Out ministry. Prayer movements are sweeping across the region. Churches are going through renewals as they reach out to migrating Middle East and North African refugees. In Kurdish Iraq, the first Christian church in 1400 years has opened. In Iran, Syria, Jordan, Iraq and Afghanistan, many are coming to Christ. 500 churches are planned to open next year in Jordan, Syria, Iraq and Egypt. In the Middle East people look for churches and Christians after having a vision of Jesus.
Protection for our nation
At this busy season, we ask you to pray for PROTECTION particularly over the peak train journeys, Churches, motorways, airports and aircrafts, cruise liners and ferries, tunnels and sporting stadiums.
Declaration for the protection of our nations
We declare God’s plans are for good and not for evil, so in the Name of Jesus, we enforce God’s original plans for peace, mercy and hope over and against every plan and purpose of Satan to bring death or destruction and we declare this nation will be a place of safety.
We declare You are the one in whom we put our trust. Psalm 20: 7 “some trust in chariots and some in horses; but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.“ We speak Your protection over our land. In the Name of Jesus, we speak safety into airports, shopping centres, railway stations and every place where people gather. We speak Your divine wisdom and revelation to every member of our security forces and police force.
In this season of pressure, we bless their homes and families in the Name of Jesus with joy, health and peace.
We are looking to continue to mobilise effective informed united prayer across our nations by praying for God’s wisdom, revelation, insight and protection for:
1) Government and World Leaders.
2) Emergency Services
3) Armed forces
4) Intelligence Services
5) Media and communications
6) ISIS and others who may wish to cause danger.
7) Angelic protection for our gates, airports, ferries and ports, tunnels including the Euro tunnel, rail networks and stations, shopping centres, schools, colleges, football stadiums and other vulnerable places where many people gather together.
8) Closing of spiritual gates to violence and premature death.
9) An unprecedented move of God across our communities and nations.
Why?
1) To provide mercy and protection to reduce the danger to life and limb from attacks for our communities and nations.
2) To release a clear trumpet call to those in the valley of decision.
3) To reduce fear and hopelessness - The aim of terror is to bring fear, confusion, hatred – we stand against that in the name of Jesus because his perfect love casts out fear.
4) To bring any plots into the light before they are actioned.
5) To see the Church arise and stand united around Jesus love.
Who can pray?
1) Churches, Groups and individuals – anyone, anywhere general prayer.
How can we pray?
1) This is bigger than one network so we need to stand united to release a clear sound across all of the networks and denominations.
2) Use social media – Twitter, Facebook eg 3 simple prayer points:
a. Lord have mercy across the UK today.
b. Fill us with your love and protect us.
c. May Jesus be revealed across this land.
3) Train and equip people to pray effectively.
4) Provide prayer resources with regular updates as circumstances demand.
6) Coastlands and Gateways
7) Encourage faith and not fear by declaring Jesus victory.
Here are some scriptures you can use:
“Stand therefore...praying at all times in the spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keeping alert with perseverance.” Ephesians 6
“He neither slumbers nor sleeps ....my help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth.” He is the Lord of Hosts
“He is the head of all rule and authority” Colossians 2.16
“He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” 1 John 4:4
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.” Luke 4:18
Habakkuk 3:2 “Oh Lord. Revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.”
Jeremiah 29:7 “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper."
2 Timothy 2:1-2 “I urge, then, first of all that requests, prayer, intersession and thanksgiving be made FOR everyone FOR kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
Psalm 18:2-3 “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.”
Isaiah 53:5 “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us PEACE was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. “
Source: Coastlands & Gateways
