Editorial – South Asia Prayer Consultation – Brother Onassis Jeevaraj
A SUMMARY REPORT ON THE SOUTH ASIA PRAYER CONSULTATION 2022 - Chennai, India which was the founding gathering of the new South Asia Prayer Council.
The Purpose...
The South Asia Prayer Council Prayer Consultation was an initiative by international Prayer Connect which was held in Chennai from 18th to 21st July-22.
This prayer consultation was the response to the global and regional challenges which are constantly leaving people and the countries in a fragmented state. In addition to this each one of the nations in South Asia is going through extreme challenges to preach the Gospel.
South Asia prayer Council decided to call upon the key leaders from each of the countries to represent their nations and engage in this powerful prayer movement in order to demolish the strongholds, break all barriers and pave the way for the Gospel.
Main Focus of this Consultation...
To build up and mobilize a strong Canopy of Prayer in the South Asia region.
To raise prayers / Prayer Walks in 22 Major unreached cities in the region.
To mobilize every believer in South Asia to Pray for the unbelievers.
To release every believer to share the Gospel with their friends and in their sphere of influence.
Theme Verse:
“Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach.” Isaiah 58:12
Key Words Emphasised:
Collaboration | Engaging | Partnering | Intercession |
Empowering | Building | Responsibility | Praying
Keynote Speakers
- Dr Jason Hubbard - Director of International Prayer Connect (IPC)
- Rev David Mohan - Senior Pastor and Founder of the New Life Assembly of God, Chennai, India
- Brother Brian Alarid - CEO of America Prays and the Chairman of Pray for All
- Brother Dean Briggs - Author, teacher, speaker, dreamer and consultant.
- Brother Onassis Jeevaraj - Founder and Director of Nehemiah Mission, Executive Team Member of International Prayer Connect & National Director for GO Movement .
- Brother Werner Nachtigal - Founder and Director of GO Movement, based in Berlin, Germany. He is an evangelist with a calling to mobilize and equip every believer to witness and reach the world together
- Pastor Michael D - Senior Pastor of a large Pentecostal network of Churches
- Rev Simon Ponniah - One of the renowned mission leader in the country in India. He has a wealth of knowledge on raising missionaries to the unreached, unengaged people groups in the nation.
- Brother David Raj - Founder & Principal Consultant in SHEFA ministries. He develops ministry Blueprint and strategy documents for Churches and Christian Organisation. His vision is to see every believer is transformed to be a powerful active disciple.
The total number of Churches overseen by the total number of participants is 25,313.
The denominations that represented in the conference are Assemblies of God, Charismatic, Independent, Evangelical, Full Gospel, Four Square and Pentecostal.
Main line churches included Church of North India, Methodist, Baptist, and Roman Catholic.
Participant Commitment Overview
GOAL 1: To mobilize every believer in South Asia to pray and share with 5 unbelievers
A total of 275,867 has been committed as target to mobilize believers.
A total of 1,389,746 unbelievers will be reached
GOAL 2: To build up and mobilize a strong canopy of prayer in South Asia Region
Analysis – To start and strengthen 892 prayer cells
GOAL 3: To raise prayer/prayer walks in major unreached cities in the country
48% committed to raise prayer or prayer walks monthly
20% committed to raise prayer or prayer walks quarterly
27% committed to raise prayer or prayer walks weekly
5% said annually or did not respond.
The target set of people to join prayer walks is 11,185.
GOAL 4: Prayer will result in active Gospel teams in each Church resulting in Church growth
Out of the 100 respondents
49% committed to sending gospel teams on a weekly basis
41% on a monthly basis
6% on a daily basis and
4% did not respond
The target of gospel teams is 46,242. These teams will aim at adding 12,027 new converts into the Church through their efforts.
Delegate Feedback & Testimonials
‘Really a very purposeful and right on spot Council. Finishing the Great commission with prayer and evangelism.’
‘The SAPC 2022 meeting was a great encouragement and the message strengthened us when we were down in spirit’
‘The testimonies that were shared motivated us to do more without fear’
‘The acoustic way of the word "BLESS" deeply touched us and is very clear to remember and apply in day-to-day life’
‘We are already doing some of the things God told us to but we were unsure and questioning ourselves if it was correct. and in the SAPC 2022 prayer meeting, we got confirmations and were more strengthened in spirit’
‘During time of SAPC conference in Channai, God refresh my Soul, Mind, Body and My Vision’
‘I am so blessed to be part of SAPC, it was an enriching experience for me’
‘I preached and taught a lot about prayer but I myself had a tough time to spend time in prayer, this meeting really gave me a fresh burden to pray for others more than to self’
‘If God wills, I had a great desire to host such prayer conference in my nation’
‘Thank so much you Brother Onassis and team especially Leslie, and all who have worked very hard to make this Prayer Movement A Success’
‘Everything was well organised,? well co-ordinated and especially food management. Thank God for such a wonderful team plan out’
‘The value of persistent prayer is not that God will hear us, but that we will finally hear God’
Looking Forward…
In addition to the project goals listed above, the delegates made firm commitments to collaborate and to build on the special unity and shared vision that was birthed during this inaugural gathering. We will update you further in future bulletins!
More info, reports, presentations, videos and regional prayer guides are available on the SAPC website
Brother Onassis Jeevaraj - South Asia Director
International Prayer Connect
Also:
Founder and Director of Nehemiah Mission
National Director for GO Movement
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Covid Pandemic Report - August 2022
As of 18th August, the total global figure for people infected by Covid-19 stood at 594 million according to Johns Hopkins University. In addition to this, the recorded number who have died totalled 6,446,679.
67.4% of the world population has received at least one dose of a vaccine and 12.47 billion doses have been administered globally. Only 20.3% of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose.
The following table charts the worldwide 7-day average of cases over the course of the pandemic.
Data on a county by country level can be found here.
The head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) remains concerned about what it sees as continuing unacceptably high numbers of deaths from COVID. While many governments of wealthier countries have all but abandoned coronavirus restrictions following successful vaccine rollouts, the organisation's director-general emphasised that the pandemic is "nowhere near over" and that ongoing measures should still be considered.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said sub-variants of Omicron continue to drive new waves of cases, hospitalisations and deaths around the world. Amid increasing COVID transmission and rising hospitalisations, Dr Tedros urged governments to "deploy tried and tested measures like masking, improved ventilation and test and treat protocols". "I am concerned that cases of COVID-19 continue to rise - putting further pressure on stretched health systems and health workers," he said. "I am also concerned about the increasing trend of deaths."
Among the variants and subvariants being tracked by the WHO is BA.2.75 - nicknamed the centaurus - which was first discovered in India in May. Additionally, 2 further offshoots of Omicron – BA. 4 and BA.5, are considered to be fuelling a global surge in cases — 30% over the past fortnight, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
There is an acceptance that the virus is spreading again — evolving, escaping immunity, and driving an uptick in cases and hospitalisations. This is a clear sign that the pandemic is far from over.
Pray:
For divine intervention and for God's name to be glorified even as each nation and government tries its best to vaccinate, prevent or control the emergence of new waves of infection.
For wisdom in government as leaders determine their ongoing responses to COVID, balancing a desire for normality with a need for appropriate protection.
That individuals, leaders and nations continue to focus on the needs of others rather than themselves, and that co-operation and compassion lie at the heart of the world’s response to the crisis.
We continue to release faith, hope, and love over the peoples of the world. May the Church seize this opportune time to manifest Jesus our Lord and Saviour to those who are seeking answers and purpose.
Ukraine War Update
It has been 175 days since Russia launched an invasion on Ukraine back in February.
On Thursday (18 August), the UN human rights office said that more than 5,500 civilians have been killed so far in the conflict. More detailed figures can be found here.
When Vladimir Putin re-focused his war in Ukraine on the country's east, he did so bruised by the failures of his initial lunge towards Kyiv and desperate for a face-saving success.
After a slow and bloody march through Luhansk was finalized with the capture of the city of Lysychansk, the Russian President might consider himself halfway there. But the war has arrived at another crossroads and fighters on both sides are steeling themselves for a third act of fighting that could tip the balance of the conflict.
"It's a very attritional struggle," said Justin Bronk, a senior research fellow for Airpower and Technology at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), describing the tone of the war after four months of fighting in Donbas. It's a struggle between two armies, both of whom have taken huge losses and are very close to exhaustion."
The recent provision of longer-range weapons by the US and UK seems to have changed the course of the war in Ukraine’s favour. Over recent days, there have been missile strikes on bases, bridges and key Russian infrastructure in Kherson Oblast, Zaporizhzhya Oblast and Crimea, which historically would have been untouchable. This has hampered Russian supply routes and created a growing risk that their troops in the Kherson area could be trapped.
There has been a mass exodus of Russian families and personnel from Crimea who had thought that it was safe. Russian military leaders are reported to have relocated on the East side of the Dnipro River following the taking out of bridges.
However, there has been some positive news regarding blocked grain exports from Ukraine, bringing a hopeful end to the standoff that had exposed millions to the risk of starvation.
Turkey, brokered a deal, mid-July that included joint controls for checking grains in ports and Turkey ensuring the safety of Black Sea export routes for Ukrainian grain. Turkey also set up a coordination centre with Ukraine, Russia and the United Nations for grain exports.
Several ships have now left Ukraine, the most recent destined for Ethiopia.
Twenty million tonnes of grain are stuck in the country, as a result of the blockade imposed by Russia on Ukrainian ports. If the deal holds, Ukraine expects to export up to three million tonnes of grain per month.
Ukrainian authorities say there are good signs that the grain exports are safe, and have urged companies to return to the country's ports. The hope is that the exports will help ease the global food crisis while bringing in much needed foreign currency.
Pray:
God of all peoples and nations,
Who created all things alive and breathing,
United and whole,
Show us the way of peace that is your overwhelming presence.
We hold before you the peoples of Ukraine and Russia,
Every child and every adult.
We long for the time
When weapons of war are beaten into ploughshares
When nations no longer lift up sword against nation.
We cry out to you for peace;
Protect those who only desire and deserve to live in security and safety
Comfort those who fear for their lives and the lives of their loved ones
Be with those who are bereaved.
Change the hearts of those set on violence and aggression
And fill leaders with the wisdom that leads to peace.
Kindle again in us a love of our neighbour,
And a passion for justice to prevail and a renewed recognition that we all play a part in peace.
Creator of all hear our prayer
And bring us peace. Make us whole.
Amen.
Sri Lanka: State of emergency, IMF Talks
Sri Lanka, located just off the coast of southern India, has been rocked by ongoing protests for months over its worst financial crisis in seven decades. It has been plunged into chaos as its president has fled, appointing the prime minister as interim leader as questions swirl about the country's future.
Embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa left Maldives on a flight to Singapore on Thursday 14th July. Sri Lanka’s ruling party has asked the new president, Ranil Wickremesinghe to provide security and other assistance to enable him to return to the country in the next week.
Ranil Wickremesinghe has restarted bailout talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He has called on legislators to form an all-party government to resolve the country’s worst economic crisis in 70 years. The talks with the IMF aim to secure a four-year bailout programme that could provide up to $3bn. He told parliament the negotiations were progressing but did not provide a timeline for when a deal would be finalised.
The country's foreign exchange reserves have plummeted to record lows, with dollars running out to pay for essential imports including food, medicine and fuel -- leaving millions unable to feed their families, fuel their cars or access basic medicine. Frequent and largely peaceful protests have been held since March, with rising public anger over food costs, electricity cuts, and the government's handling of the crisis. The crisis has been years in the making, said experts, who point to a series of government decisions that compounded external shocks.
Over the past decade, the Sri Lankan government has borrowed vast sums of money from foreign lenders to fund public services, which coincided with a series of blows to the Sri Lankan economy, from both natural disasters like monsoons and man-made catastrophes, including a government ban on chemical fertilizers that decimated farmers' harvests.
Facing a massive deficit, Rajapaksa slashed taxes in a doomed attempt to stimulate the economy. But the move backfired, instead hitting government revenue. The country lost access to overseas markets and imports of fuel and other essentials saw prices soar.
Topping all that, the government in March floated the Sri Lankan rupee -- meaning its price was determined based on the demand and supply of foreign exchange markets. However, the plunging of the rupee against the US dollar only made things worse for ordinary Sri Lankans.
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has kept its key rates steady, a widely anticipated move as it awaits the effect of past hikes to trickle through the economy while a fall in global commodity prices is also expected to soothe domestic inflation.
The Standing Lending Facility rate stayed at 15.5 percent on Thursday 18th August, while the Standing Deposit Facility Rate remained at 14.5 percent.
The United Nations and several prominent international human rights organisations have condemned the repeated use of emergency regulations against peaceful protesters by the Sri Lanka government. They have urged the newly appointed Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe to end the crackdown against the months-long protests.
More: Al Jazeera, CNN, The Guardian
Pray:
For political stability that allows for effective government on behalf of the people of Sri Lanka
For those who are suffering most from the economic collapse of the rupee and the series of disasters and man-made catastrophes
That Sri Lanka be restored to the prosperity and security of former years.
