On Praying for ISIS
This letter which contains much wisdom from J. John, a British evangelilst, was forwarded by Leighton Ford to a friend of ours
"My son asked me last week, 'How should we pray for ISIS?'A good question and one that needed pondering for a few days! It is hard not to feel very strongly about the rise of ISIS in the Middle East and the brutal and very public barbarities it has carried out. This all raises many questions for the Christian. How should we respond? And what should we pray: 'Lord, destroy them!' or 'Lord, forgive them!'?
There is no doubt that some sort of intelligent military action is necessary. This is a merciless organisation whose destruction of Christian and other communities in the Middle East tells us that it cannot be allowed to continue. Yet there are real dangers for us all here. The first danger is that we adopt an arrogant self-righteousness. The meteoric rise of ISIS - or whatever it calls itself now - is actually no unexpected wonder. It draws its support from a widespread dislike and contempt for the unjust and corrupt political systems that have long dominated the region. Yet these are regimes that, despite knowing fully what they did, the West was very happy to support as long as they supplied us with oil, bought our goods and didn't oppress our people. So in our praying we must admit at least some responsibility for the present state of affairs.
A second danger lies in having a coldness of heart. In our praying and our actions we must be concerned for the many in the region, of every religion and of none, whose lives have been turned into tragedies by current events. We need to pray, 'God have mercy!', but as we do so let us also be prepared to be the answer to that prayer.
The third danger is quite simply that of hating those who fight for ISIS. Let me suggest three reasons why this is wrong. The first is that we believe in a God who judges. We know that at the end of time the Lord will call all men and women to account before him for what we have done. Knowing that our enemies face such a prospect should transform any temptation to hate them into compassion.
The second reason why hatred should be avoided is that we who are Christians are under orders not to hate but to bless. In the Bible we read this: 'Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing' (1 Peter 3:9). There is a profound psychological logic here. Hatred only breeds more hatred in response; in contrast, grace and forgiveness can end it. Let's have the courage to pray that these people might encounter the true and living God and abandon their evil deeds.
The third reason why I believe hatred must be shunned is not primarily theological but actually tactical. Something that the media has largely failed to understand is that the public and deliberately shocking nature of such acts as the beheadings of journalists and aid workers is a deliberate strategy to make us hate the perpetrators. Their goal is to create a situation in which Islam and the West find themselves in a bitter and bloody war. They want us to hate them, and I suggest that we are wise not to fall into that trap. Indeed, the greatest of all dangers is that the Christian Church so demonises the forces of radical Islam that our religion of grace and love is extinguished under the weight of wrath. Under such circumstances the Church would cease to be the Church. In a bitterly ironic triumph of evil we would have simply become the mirror image of our enemies.
These are perilous days, but God is great and prayer can achieve what armies cannot. Let us pray and if, as we do, fine phrases fail us, we can always pray those simple wise old words, 'Lord, let your Kingdom come and your will be done."
Prayer Initiative In Iraq
During the first two weeks of September, one of our colleagues whose name is Sam (last name not included for security reasons) was able to facilitate two prayer seminars for Iraqi believers in Erbil, Kurdistan and in Baghdad. Here is his account of what happened and some continuing prayer concerns:
"It has not been easy for the believers to raise up in faith to pray for their nation. One night a believer - lady and her family were robbed at gun-point through 8 gunmen, during those days of prayer. This really discouraged believers again, after the major bomb-blast I mentioned before, the evening before I arrived. Anyway, I kept encouraging them, challenging the inner - circle of the church to increase their prayer - commitment and taught them with plenty of testimonies, how prayer changes cities & nations.
We finished well with several active prayer-times, standing in cross - formation, facing in the directions of IS etc. and once for the young generation & their future. Prayed against evil and corrupt & wicked politicians to be removed, for God to tear down the wicked high places and for the march of death by Shias to stop etc.
In the final meeting, I challenged them on bringing a real expression of their faith into society by worship, intercession, prayer-walking and blessing the nation and the majority people. We finished with a ministry time for many, many individuals, where God touched some people very deeply and they couldn't stand anymore. One lady was shaking for hours through the power of God.
Praise God for these things:
- France has started their air campaign in Iraq against IS. Note from editor: 5 Arab nations have also joined with about 60 nations willing to assist now.
- Kurdish forces have advanced against IS in Northern Iraq and Syria.
- Believers in Baghdad have started praying for their neighborhoods and see positive changes.
- One lady doctor is committed to lay her hands on the hearts of her patients while doing check - ups and praying for them, blessing Muslims etc.
Please keep praying for the following for Iraq (and Syria). Here are some requests from Sam with some addtions from the editor:
- Iraqi believers to take responsibility for their nation in prayer and to receive a fresh boldness instead of fear (many struggle with depression, fear, hopelessness).
- Church leaders to get a strong burden & love for their country and lead the believers into prayer instead of leaving (quite a number of churches are already been closed down).
- The international alliance of nations against IS to effectively fight IS and to continue a successful campaign against the terrorists. Formation of an international expeditionary force to be rapidly deployed wherever radical Islam and terrorists operate.
- The government in Baghdad to be strengthened and the old revengeful politicians to be stopped since they cause havoc through sponsoring bomb-blasts and killings. Pray for Prime Minister Haider to be strong, honest, non-sectarian. He recently received prayer by a friend in Baghdad. So did some Peshmerga military leaders for their actions against IS in the north. May many political leaders in the nation come to know and pray to the Lord for the healing and transformation of their nation!
- For peace for Iraq, development, foreign investment, rebuilding of the infrastructure etc.
- That all places that have been conquered by IS / ISIS / ISIL / Al Qaida will be taken back by the Iraqi & Kurdish forces.
- For Christians in Iraq and Syria and other places affected to faithfully persevere; for their protection, provision for their basic needs and that they will boldly proclaim Jesus
- For the influence of the demonic forces and evil alliances to be broken and destroyed.
- For extremists/jihadists to meet Jesus Christ as their Saviour and as the Prince of Peace. (Percentage wise more radical/jihadist Muslims are coming to the Lord than any other group amongst Muslims.) Remember the man Saul a radical Jew who became Paul the greatest missionary of all time.
ISIS Organizing to Attack Active Duty US Military and their Families
Concerned governmental sources have called for prayer over information they just received that ISIS sleeper cells in the United States are organizing in a coordinated effort to attack active US military and their families.
A confidential government source called BridgeBuilders' President Hal Sacks on Saturday night with the news and plea for prayer.
He told Sacks, "We were briefed last night by the Air Force that 3 or 4 days ago ISIS put out a call to all of the "sleepers" or underground ISIS members in the United States to start an organized attack against the active duty military and their families."
As Christians we must take this threat seriously! God can thwart this and any terrorist threat against our nation if we will fervently call upon Him (2 Chron. 7:14).
PRAY:
- Pray for President Obama like never before!! He is president during one of the most dangerous times for America and the world and needs our fervent prayers every day.
- Pray for wisdom and strategy for the US Congress, Homeland Security, and the US Military
- Pray for the Exposure of ISIS plots
- Pray protection over our US Military personnel and their families.
- Pray for the protection of US Military bases.
BridgeBuilders International Leadership Network, Phoenix, AZ.
Remember to pray for the yearly Hajj: 2-4 October 2014.
We encourage you to ask people to pray also for the yearly Hajj - 2-4 October 2014. Between 2-3 million Muslims will visit Mecca during this time. The following two links will give you some information on the Hajj and how to pray about it.
National Prayer Assembly : Seeking the Face of God for America
Oct.ober 29 - 30, 2014 Washington, D.C.
The National Prayer Committee, Mission America, Intercessors for America, Jesus Alliance, IHOP and International Prayer Council are cooperating to call together people with a heart to pray for an all-out time of prayer for the nation just before the congressional elections. We sense that the country is at a crucial point in its history with many dangers and threats from without and within that need to be confronted through getting on the Lord's wavelength with others from across America. As one theologian put it, "History belongs to the intercessors, who believe the future into being!"
Calling for a Gideon's Army of Prayer Warriors for such a time as this!
Are you sensing a call of God to a time of intense intercession for the United States? At this time of growing crisis in which our nation seems to be have lost its direction morally, spiritually, politically and economically, a number of Christian leaders have heard that call and are inviting you to Washington DC, October 29-30 for a National Prayer Assembly. Scheduled just one week before our national elections, it comes at a crucial time in our nation's life. It is not a time for politicking or posturing, but for passionate prayer for a fresh move of God for the transformation of our nation. Our prayer focus is on repentance, reconciliation, and revival in the spirit of God's great promise for national restoration in 2 Chronicles 7:14.
This gathering is being sponsored by America's National Prayer Committee, The International Prayer Council, IHOP, Mission America Coalition, Intercessors for America, and Jesus Alliance.
The venue will be the Sheraton Pentagon City in Arlington, Virginia near Reagan National Airport. A registration fee of $55 helps us secure the gorgeous meeting room overlooking all of D.C. and provides coffee, tea, and water for the two days of praying together. The hotel is located close to the Metro and allows us easy access to visit significant sites in the City for onsite intercession. The registration site is: www.nationalprayercommittee.com Additional details can be found there, including information on reserving your rooms at the hotel. If you would like to stay at the Sheraton, the hotel number for reservations is: 1 800 325 3535. There are less expensive hotels a few minutes away in Alexandria.
