Praying AoG Church reports signs, wonders and miracles

It's not a big church. It's not a new church. It's not a really old church, either. But Agape Assembly of God (AoG) in Waterloo, Indiana, USA, has become a praying church - with signs and wonders following. A hospital stay spurred Pastor Tom Neddersen to lead the small church of 40 members into spiritual battle through prayer and fasting. ‘Back in August, the church started praying for the sick and our nation,’ Neddersen says. ‘I had just come out of the hospital and decided that I was sick and tired of being sick and tired.’ Neddersen contacted a local AoG evangelist, Tyron Moore, to come and help him to pray over the church. He also called the church to prayer and fasting starting Sept 1 to Jan 1. Since Sept 1, the power of the Holy Spirit has been more than evident. ‘I know the Holy Spirit is moving on our church, but more important I believe this is a start to a healing in our nation and the Church,’ Neddersen says.

Praise:

God for these blessings and pray for the healing of the nation and the Church in churches large or small. (Ps.21:6)

Gospel spreads like wildfire in Nepal

According to Kelsey Wales, a Missions Coach with The Evangelical Alliance Mission (TEAM), the spiritual harvest in Nepal is abundant. ‘The church is growing - very fast,’ she said. ‘It's one of the fastest-growing churches in the world right now, which is really exciting.’ On a recent ‘vision trip’ to Nepal, Kelsey and several other TEAM members witnessed God working in the country. While God used TEAM's traditional approaches of church planting and women's ministries to bring Nepalese to faith, newer methods are breaking spiritual barriers, too. Kelsey said medical care is opening doors for the Gospel in western Nepal, an area notoriously resistant to Christianity. ‘Often by bringing medical aid into a completely un-reached area, they're able to share the Gospel and witness to those people groups who have yet to even hear of the Gospel,’ Wales explained.

Praise:

God that the Church in Nepal is experiencing remarkable growth. (Ph.1:6)

Barclays & Coutts tell Stonewall to drop 'Bigot' award

Barclays and Coutts have announced that they will withdraw their support for Stonewall's Awards event unless the homosexual campaign group drops the 'Bigot of the Year' category. Coutts and Co stated: ‘We have advised Stonewall that we will be withdrawing our support of the awards unless they remove this category.’ Barclays' Head of Global Diversity and Inclusion stated: ‘Barclays does not support that award category either financially or in principle and have informed Stonewall that should they decide to continue with this category Barclays will not support this event in the future.’ However, according to a newspaper report today (Wed), h ttp://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/30/stonewall-bigot-a ward-banks-sponsorship?newsfeed=true Stonewall has indicated that it will not scrap the Award, even if that means losing sponsorship for the event. We give thanks to God for the many taking action by contacting these banks leading to these developments. Meanwhile, we still don't know where PwC and Google, two other big-name supporters of the event, stand on the issue.

Pray:

that following the actions by the banks other sponsors will take a stand on this issue. (Pr.12:7)

Girls of 13 given birth control jab at school

Schoolgirls as young as 13 are being given contraceptive injections and implants during lunch-breaks without their parents’ knowledge. School nurses have given implants or jabs to girls aged between 13 and 16 more than 900 times in the past two years, a survey by The Daily Telegraph has found. On more than 20 occasions this has been given to girls aged 13. A further 7,400 girls aged 15 and under have been given contraceptive injections or implants at family planning clinics. Under the patient confidentiality rules, nurses are banned from seeking the permission of parents beforehand, or even informing them afterwards, without the pupil’s permission. Dr Peter Saunders, Chief Executive of the Christian Medical Fellowship, said sex under the age of 16 is illegal and ‘to facilitate such behaviour behind parents’ backs is unprofessional, irresponsible and morally wrong’. Earlier this year, parents in Southampton were furious after discovering that implants were being offered to their daughters.

Pray:

for parents to be allowed to fulfil their responsibilities to give moral guidance to their daughters and not have them covertly removed by government agencies. (Gal.5:19)

Cameron’s EU budget veto is a powerful tool for change

A motion will be debated on Wednesday 7th November in the British Parliament calling for a cut in the EU budget. The EU’s next long-term budget running between 2014 and 2020, will be discussed at an PEU summit on 22 and 23 November. David Cameron wants a ‘real terms freeze’ (based on the cash that was paid out from the 2011 EU budget). Wednesday’s Parliamentary debate is not binding, but if Labour MPs side with Tory backbenchers it could be embarrassing for the Government. The discussion is generally confused. The Times reported Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls and Shadow Foreign Secretary Douglas Alexander, stating ‘Labour would argue against any proposed increase in EU spending and instead support a budget cut. We believe these goals are difficult but achievable with the right approach from the UK.’ (see http://openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/ )

Pray:

for the UK and other countries, with rebate or budget corrections due to expire in 2013, to experience a just and honest resolution to their disputes. (Pr.3:9-10)

Value people more than money and materials - Bishop urges

The Bishop of Hereford has asked people to think about who and what they value most in the light of recent headlines. Responding to the abduction of April Jones and reports of abuse by Jimmy Saville, Bishop Anthony Priddis said the terrible headlines underlined the need for people to love and care for each other, particularly the young. ‘So often we can give the impression that money, material things or fame come first, rather than people,’ he said. ‘Few of us really believe that, but we can easily live as though that appears to be the case.’ He urged people to put others first and do everything they can to let them know how valued and loved they are. ‘This is the responsibility and joy for all of us as parents and grandparents, but needs us also to care for those not just in our own families but among our friends and wider community,’ the Bishop said.

Pray:

for the Bishop’s words to be heeded and that we will all practice such values more openly in our daily lives. (Mt.6:19)

Christians join in anti-austerity protests

A network of Christians working against government cuts have urged ministers to not ‘punish the poor for the sins of the rich’. Christianity Uncut http://christianityuncut.wordpress.com/ marched with thousands of people of many religions or none in London, Belfast and Glasgow on Sunday for ‘A Future That Works’. The group said that many churches are witnessing the effects of growing poverty, unemployment and homelessness in their own communities. They urge Christians to be at the forefront of campaigns looking for alternatives, such as a crackdown on corporate tax dodging, the cancellation of the Trident nuclear weapons system and a cap on private sector rents. Sally Rush, from Milton Keynes, joined the march in London and said: ‘As a Christian, as well as part of the wider society, I believe I have a responsibility to campaign against the causes of poverty as well as working to minimise the effects’

Pray:

that as Christians we make it our responsibility to stand up for our Christian principles and ideals. (Ro.8:38a)

Scots Council removes prayer from agenda after threatsof legal action

Highland Council has removed prayer from its formal meeting agenda after secularists threatened legal action. The decades-old tradition will now be held prior to the formal meeting, in a move criticised by one Councillor as a ‘manifestation of political correctness’. The National Secular Society (NSS) wrote to the Council in the summer calling for the saying of prayers to be dropped or face legal action. A note was then written to all 80 Councillors in the Highlands stating that, ‘Time for Prayer and Reflection will be undertaken at 10.30am in the chamber in future for those who wish to attend. This will be preceded by the bell to signal commencement. A second bell will ring to inform Councillors the meeting is about to start, five minutes later than normal, at 10.35am’. But Inverness Councillor Roddy Balfour criticised the move although he said the authority’s hand had been forced. (See Prayer Alert 28-2012)

Pray:

that despite the move by the Highland Council these developments will be reversed in answer to our prayers. (Ps.119:169-170)

NHS kills 130,000 elderly patients every year

Assisted suicide is illegal in the UK, but on the 10th anniversary of the first British citizen visiting Dignitas a senior NHS consultant claimed doctors are prematurely ending the lives of thousands of elderly patients because they are difficult to manage or to free up beds. Professor Patrick Pullicino said hospitals use a controversial ‘death pathway’ (equivalent to euthanasia) when there was no clear evidence for initiating a method of care designed for use when death is imminent. ‘Far too often elderly patients who could live longer are placed on the pathway and it had now become an assisted death pathway rather than a care pathway.’ The professor revealed he had personally intervened to take a patient off the pathway to be successfully treated and then live a further 14 months.

Pray:

that this issue will continue to be highlighted in the media until action is taken to implement more appropriate techniques of care for those terminally ill in NHS hospitals. (Mat.25:36)

Germany: Euro-gathering

Last weekend 300 people from 23 nations gathered on the banks of the river Maine in Frankfurt, Germany for Euro-gathering. In amongst the exciting times of prayer, worship and community were sessions of amazing teaching from members of the 24-7 family from around the world. The title of the prayer gathering this year was Aufstehen: (German Vb) Auf+ste.hen. To stand up. To rise (arise). To get up. Ian Nicholson the European Director of 24-7 Prayer said, ‘Our confidence is not in banks, governments or the job market but in the Father who shaped Europe; what He did in the past He can do again. We are a people of faith and hope. 'May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Ro.15:13) There was a sense of ' Hope is on the rise! Stand up and fix your eyes on Him. The vision is Jesus!’

Pray:

for more European countries to experience God’s power as the Holy Spirit flows through God’s people interceding. (2 Ch.7:14)

French National Assembly votes for full funding of abortion

Even as the nation’s Social Security budget is being ground down, the French National Assembly has voted to offer full taxpayer-funding for abortion and contraception, reports LifeSiteNews.com. As of 2013, public coverage of abortion expenses will be pushed up from 70 per-cent for chemical abortions or 80 per-cent for surgical abortions to a full 100 percent, within the limit fixed annually by the public health insurance system. In the same session, the Assembly voted to make contraception 100 per-cent free to all girls aged between 15 and 18. This includes all forms of contraception that are eligible for Social Security coverage: most hormonal pills, patches, implants, intra-uterine devices, and vaginal rings.

Pray:

for the National Assembly to look very carefully at its decisions over abortion and consider how it can lead to promiscuity. (Ps.130:1-4)

Hurricane Sandy

Hurricane Sandy has caused fatalities and left New York and other cities in the US East coast battered. But the storm also caused considerable damage and killed 69 people in Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic and Jamaica en route to the US. Images of the damage caused in these countries can be viewed and prayed over at http://www.firstpost.com/world/hurricane-sandy-images-not-ju st-nyc-the-caribbean-also-suffered-509596.html Also, the Lagos state government has raised concerns over the imminent ripple effect of Hurricane Sandy saying, ‘experience has shown that whenever hurricanes, cyclones or other natural disasters occurred on the American shore the ripple effects were always felt in Lagos and around the West Coast of Africa. Our main concern is Lagos; it is a warning, but not meant to create panic.’ http://www.channelstv.com/home/2012/10/30/ripples-of-hurrica ne-sandy-may-hit-lagos-commissioner/ On the Eastern seaboard more than 7.4 million are without power as Barack Obama declared a 'major disaster' in New York and Long Island, freeing up federal funds to help with the recovery.

Pray:

that the federal aid will be swiftly and appropriately allocated to the areas most needy. Pray also for those still in the path of the storm in both the USA and Canada to know God’s provision. (Ps.104:30)

USA: Christian relief organizations ready

Several Christian disaster relief organizations, including those focused on providing emotional support to victims are ready to enter damaged areas of north-eastern United States in Hurricane Sandy’s wake. ‘Three mobile office units leave Charlotte on Thursday morning heading into the devastation’ stated the Billy Graham Rapid Response team ‘We will have teams on the ground within 24 hours of the hurricane's passing. Please pray for safety in travel for the chaplain coordinators who are driving the mobile units, and the volunteer chaplains coming from around the country.’ In terms of food and shelter relief - some Christian organizations such as the Salvation Army were already in place. They maintain a fleet of disaster vehicles and supply warehouses across the nation to enable speedy mobilization. There are more than 300 emergency response vehicles in the eastern and southern US alone and nearly 600 units nationwide.

Pray:

for those bringing a ministry of presence and prayer and as they share God's love, comfort, and hope with those affected by disaster. (Ps.60:2-5)

Syria: Situation update

The body of Rev Fadi Jamil Haddad, a Greek Orthodox priest of St Elias Church Damascus was found shot in the head after being kidnapped by an ‘unidentified armed group’ last Friday. The crime was blamed on ‘terrorists.’ The priest was abducted while seeking the release of another person who had been kidnapped. Many Syrians have complained of a breakdown in law and order and a spike in kidnapping for ransom and other crimes as security deteriorates.Criminals are taking advantage of the nation’s security void. On Tuesday an Air Force general was assassinated in Damascus. Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague has called on the fractured Syrian opposition to do more to unite, saying he was hopeful that a meeting of opposition groups in Doha next week would thrash out a deal for a transitional government. See: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/middle-east-live/2012/oct/30 /syria-conflict-after-failed-ceasefire-live#block-508feb6695 cb49410b863b62)

Pray:

for a workable diplomatic process to include Russia, China and Syrians regardless of religion, traditions or cultural standing. (Ps.72:11-14)

Afghanistan: Prayer request from believers

It has been reported that Al-Qaeda is attempting a comeback in the mountainous eastern region of the land. Although considerably weakened, the group has maintained some influence in the region and is recruiting young men, raising money, and providing military expertise to the insurgents in the region. Please pray that the terrorist groups will not be able to gain more strength and that their influence will be further weakened. Pray that the local people will resist the terrorists groups and that God will protect the people from the violence. A roadside bomb planted by the insurgents in the north ripped through a minibus carrying people to a wedding killing 19 people and injuring 18 others. The target was military but as is so often the case innocent civilians were the ones killed and injured. Please pray that these roadside bombs would be found and disarmed before they can harm anyone and that those defusing them are protected as they work.That those who plant these bombs will be discovered and stopped.

Pray:

for those who lost loved ones in bomb incidents, for the healing of those injured in body mind and spirit by the fighting and for the Prince of Peace to bring His provision to the land. (Ps.85:12-13)

Iran: Pastor and wife convicted

Earlier this year we prayed following a December 23rd raid on a church. Pastor Farhad, his wife Shahnaz and two other church members, Davoud and Naser, were detained in the raid then released on bail. Sadly, on 15th October the Pastor and his wife were tried and convicted of ‘converting to Christianity, inviting Muslims to convert and propagating against the Islamic regime through promoting Evangelical Christianity.’ They were given suspended sentences of one year’s imprisonment and the confiscation of all their Christian materials. There have been increased pressures on officially recognised churches in several cities during 2012, with several being forced to suspend Friday Farsi-language services. Earlier this month Grand Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani gave warnings concerning the growth of the house church movement in south-west Iran. Iranian Christians request our prayers for them to know the presence and peace of Jesus, and the Spirit’s guidance as to whether to appeal.

Pray:

against further backlash towards house fellowships in Iran and for believers to have God’s wisdom and guidance concerning their meeting together for worship. (Ps.118:5-7)

Nigeria: 20 villagers murdered

Gunmen have killed 20 people, including a traditional leader, in an attack on a village in northern Nigeria's Zamfara state. Their motive was robbery and the thieves fled after raiding houses for cash and other valuables. The village chief appealed to the attackers to stop shooting but they turned their weapons on him instead. The Nigerian Tribune newspaper reports that the gang - armed with AK-47 rifles - came to Kaboro on horses and motorcycles and their attack lasted for about two hours. Militant Islamist group Boko Haram has previously carried out a number of attacks in northern Nigeria, but there has been no suggestion that this was connected to them. Some communities have formed vigilante groups to fight the robbers.

Pray:

against Nigeria’s growing reputation for 'one of the highest crime rates in Africa'. May God remove Nigeria’s notoriety for gun-related violence, kidnapping and robbery. (Ps.118:16-18 & Ps.13)

Egypt: Muslims attack Christians

Muslim Salafis assaulted Christians after last Sunday's mass, angry that Christians from neighbouring villages come to the village of Tala, el Fashn to worship. Eyewitnesses reported that as believers left the church a huge mob of mostly young Salafi Muslims waited for them armed with batons. The assault led to five Copts being hospitalized with broken limbs and two cars which transported the congregation from the other villages being torched. The pastor phoned the police for help but they only appeared hours later - after the head of the Egyptian Union of Human Rights Organization had complained to the ministry of interior against the police; saying that no police forces appeared in the village. He gave the names of six perpetrators, also asking whether the police were afraid to arrest them.

Pray:

for reconciliation between Muslims and Christians in the areas across Egypt where hostility is erupting. (Ps.16:1)