CHRISISPRAYER was a year-long global prayer initiative in 2015-2016.
Believers all across the world joined together in committing to pray every day for one year over a situation in the Middle East regarding ISIS and those impacted by its activity. Watch our videos below.
Invitational Video
Originally posted on July 22, 2015
Originally posted on July 22, 2015
Read our article here, published by Red Letter Christians on August 28th, 2015:
https://www.redletterchristians.org/living-like-god-is-powerful/
Month 1: September Video
Originally posted August 28, 2015
Jesus in a Dream: September Mid-Month Update
Originally posted September 9, 2015
Hey Friends,
This is an article that came up on my newsfeed back in June, about two weeks after I decided to start ChrisisPrayer and Paul (my husband) and I had started praying for ISIS members to turn to Christ. I wish there was more information in this article, but I found it encouraging nonetheless. I hope you do, too.
The link is below, but I included the portion that was particularly encouraging to me.
Onward!
Elsbeth
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/isis.militant.coverts.to.christianity.after.meeting.jesus.in.a.deam/55408.htm
ISIS militant converts to Christianity after meeting Jesus in a dream
An Islamic State (ISIS) militant converted to Christianity after meeting Jesus in dream, according to a Youth With A Mission (YWAM) missionary in the Middle East.
Speaking on The Voice of the Martyrs Radio Network, Gina Fadely, the former director of the organization's Frontier Missions, said that one of YWAM's workers was introduced to an ISIS fighter who had killed a number of Christians. He even admitted to having enjoyed doing so, until he met Jesus in a dream.
"He [the jihadist] told this YWAM leader that he had begun having dreams of this man in white who came to him and said, 'You are killing my people.' And he started to feel really sick and uneasy about what he was doing," Fadely said.
She added that the militant was given a Bible by a Christian man who was about to be killed, which he took and read. "In another dream, Jesus asked him to follow him and he was now asking to become a follower of Christ and to be discipled," Fadely said. "So who knows, perhaps this man will be like Saul in the Bible, who persecuted Christians and then turned from that persecution of the early church to become the Apostle Paul who led it.
"God can turn it around."
Kevin Sutter, current president of YWAM Frontier Missions, said there was a lesson to be learnt in not assuming that ISIS militants are "out of reach of God's grace and out of reach of God's spirit".
He said a colleague in the Middle East told him "he has never seen spiritual hunger among Muslim people like he's seeing now."
"This is unprecedented, this has never happened in history," Sutter added. "He said there are gospel programmes going out in Arabic throughout the region, radio and TV and there is a huge response.
"Many people are now following Jesus but they keep it quiet. They haven't gone public about it. They even have church in their own home, they're watching, they'll serve Communion to one another as they're watching TV."
Bibles Left Behind: September Mid-Month Update #2
Originally posted September 22nd, 2015
Happy Fall!
I hope you all have been as blessed as I have so far throughout this month of prayer for the leaders and members of ISIS.
A few weeks ago, I was reading a newsletter from Voice of the Martyrs and came upon an article about Christians who were fleeing their homes because of ISIS. One of the men they interviewed mentioned that many Christians have to leave everything behind, even their Bibles. One of Voice of the Martyr’s ministries is to provide new Bibles to those who have fled. This led me to think about all those Bibles that are sitting around, within the reach of ISIS members. Perhaps we could pray throughout the next few weeks that when members of ISIS come across these abandoned Bibles, they will pick them up and read them.
Continue on!
Elsbeth
Month 2: October
Originally posted September 29, 2015
Originally posted September 9, 2015
Hey Friends,
This is an article that came up on my newsfeed back in June, about two weeks after I decided to start ChrisisPrayer and Paul (my husband) and I had started praying for ISIS members to turn to Christ. I wish there was more information in this article, but I found it encouraging nonetheless. I hope you do, too.
The link is below, but I included the portion that was particularly encouraging to me.
Onward!
Elsbeth
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/isis.militant.coverts.to.christianity.after.meeting.jesus.in.a.deam/55408.htm
ISIS militant converts to Christianity after meeting Jesus in a dream
An Islamic State (ISIS) militant converted to Christianity after meeting Jesus in dream, according to a Youth With A Mission (YWAM) missionary in the Middle East.
Speaking on The Voice of the Martyrs Radio Network, Gina Fadely, the former director of the organization's Frontier Missions, said that one of YWAM's workers was introduced to an ISIS fighter who had killed a number of Christians. He even admitted to having enjoyed doing so, until he met Jesus in a dream.
"He [the jihadist] told this YWAM leader that he had begun having dreams of this man in white who came to him and said, 'You are killing my people.' And he started to feel really sick and uneasy about what he was doing," Fadely said.
She added that the militant was given a Bible by a Christian man who was about to be killed, which he took and read. "In another dream, Jesus asked him to follow him and he was now asking to become a follower of Christ and to be discipled," Fadely said. "So who knows, perhaps this man will be like Saul in the Bible, who persecuted Christians and then turned from that persecution of the early church to become the Apostle Paul who led it.
"God can turn it around."
Kevin Sutter, current president of YWAM Frontier Missions, said there was a lesson to be learnt in not assuming that ISIS militants are "out of reach of God's grace and out of reach of God's spirit".
He said a colleague in the Middle East told him "he has never seen spiritual hunger among Muslim people like he's seeing now."
"This is unprecedented, this has never happened in history," Sutter added. "He said there are gospel programmes going out in Arabic throughout the region, radio and TV and there is a huge response.
"Many people are now following Jesus but they keep it quiet. They haven't gone public about it. They even have church in their own home, they're watching, they'll serve Communion to one another as they're watching TV."
Bibles Left Behind: September Mid-Month Update #2
Originally posted September 22nd, 2015
Happy Fall!
I hope you all have been as blessed as I have so far throughout this month of prayer for the leaders and members of ISIS.
A few weeks ago, I was reading a newsletter from Voice of the Martyrs and came upon an article about Christians who were fleeing their homes because of ISIS. One of the men they interviewed mentioned that many Christians have to leave everything behind, even their Bibles. One of Voice of the Martyr’s ministries is to provide new Bibles to those who have fled. This led me to think about all those Bibles that are sitting around, within the reach of ISIS members. Perhaps we could pray throughout the next few weeks that when members of ISIS come across these abandoned Bibles, they will pick them up and read them.
Continue on!
Elsbeth
Month 2: October
Originally posted September 29, 2015
Hostages: October Mid-Month Update
Originally posted October 12th, 2015
Hey all,
In February in north-east Syria, ISIS took hostage 253 Christian captives. They killed three of them recently and are asking for ransom money, threatening to kill the rest.
We will spend time praying for Christian men and women who are experiencing this violence and suffering, but right now – our main focus is still on ISIS and its members and leadership. It is my hope that there may be some form of meaningful interaction between these Christians and the people who have captured them. Let’s pray that those in ISIS who are directly involved with these Christians will see Jesus in them and be amazed by his grace, strength, and peace.
Faint not, friends.
Elsbeth
Month 3: November
Originally posted on October 29, 2015
Originally posted October 12th, 2015
Hey all,
In February in north-east Syria, ISIS took hostage 253 Christian captives. They killed three of them recently and are asking for ransom money, threatening to kill the rest.
We will spend time praying for Christian men and women who are experiencing this violence and suffering, but right now – our main focus is still on ISIS and its members and leadership. It is my hope that there may be some form of meaningful interaction between these Christians and the people who have captured them. Let’s pray that those in ISIS who are directly involved with these Christians will see Jesus in them and be amazed by his grace, strength, and peace.
Faint not, friends.
Elsbeth
Month 3: November
Originally posted on October 29, 2015
Second Century Sanctus: November Mid-Month Update
Originally posted November 12th, 2015
Hi Friends! In the year 177 AD, there was a persecution of Christians in the city of Lyons in Gaul. There were 48 martyrs during this persecution, in which Christians were tortured and killed in an effort to get them to renounce their faith. Sanctus was a deacon in the church at Lyons. This is a part of the story of Santus’ martyrdom. It’s quite brutal, but it has inspired me to pray more fervently for the Christians living under ISIS rule…
“’I am a Christian.’ [Sanctus] confessed this instead of name and city and race and everything besides, and the people heard from him no other word. There arose therefore on the part of the governor and his tormentors a great desire to conquer him; but having nothing more that they could do to him, they finally fastened red-hot brazen plates to the most tender parts of his body.
And these indeed were burned, but he continued unbending and unyielding, firm in his confession, and refreshed and strengthened by the heavenly fountain of the water of life, flowing from the bowels of Christ. And his body was a witness of his sufferings, being one complete wound and bruise, drawn out of shape, and altogether unlike human form. Christ, suffering in him, manifested his glory, delivering him from his adversary, and making him an example for the others, showing that nothing is fearful where the love of the Father is, and nothing painful where there is the glory of Christ. For when the wicked men tortured him a second time after some days, supposing that with his body swollen and inflamed to such a degree that he could not bear the touch of a hand, if they should again apply the same instruments, they would overcome him, or at least by his death under his sufferings others would be made afraid, not only did not this occur, but, contrary to all human expectation, his body arose and stood erect in the midst of the subsequent torments, and resumed its original appearance and the use of its limbs, so that, through the grace of Christ, these second sufferings became to him, not torture, but healing.”
How remarkable is the power and mercy of Sanctus’ God?! Our God! Let’s pray this strength and perseverance over God’s people in Iraq and Syria.
Onward!
Elsbeth
No Fear: November Mid-Month Update #2
Originally posted November 19th, 2015
I hope November finds you all well.
As things are heating up and becoming increasingly controversial and fearful regarding ISIS, my prayer for each of you is that you will remain grounded in the power of prayer and the promises of God’s word.
Deuteronomy 20:3-4 says “He (the priest) shall say to them (the Israelites), ‘Hear, O Israel, you are approaching the battle against your enemies today. Do not be fainthearted. Do not be afraid, or panic, or tremble before them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’”
Let’s continue to pray for courage and hope and the absence of fear for those Christians who remain in Syria and Iraq. And maybe, also, for ourselves.
Love and hope,
Elsbeth
Month 4: December
Originally posted on November 30, 2015
Originally posted November 12th, 2015
Hi Friends! In the year 177 AD, there was a persecution of Christians in the city of Lyons in Gaul. There were 48 martyrs during this persecution, in which Christians were tortured and killed in an effort to get them to renounce their faith. Sanctus was a deacon in the church at Lyons. This is a part of the story of Santus’ martyrdom. It’s quite brutal, but it has inspired me to pray more fervently for the Christians living under ISIS rule…
“’I am a Christian.’ [Sanctus] confessed this instead of name and city and race and everything besides, and the people heard from him no other word. There arose therefore on the part of the governor and his tormentors a great desire to conquer him; but having nothing more that they could do to him, they finally fastened red-hot brazen plates to the most tender parts of his body.
And these indeed were burned, but he continued unbending and unyielding, firm in his confession, and refreshed and strengthened by the heavenly fountain of the water of life, flowing from the bowels of Christ. And his body was a witness of his sufferings, being one complete wound and bruise, drawn out of shape, and altogether unlike human form. Christ, suffering in him, manifested his glory, delivering him from his adversary, and making him an example for the others, showing that nothing is fearful where the love of the Father is, and nothing painful where there is the glory of Christ. For when the wicked men tortured him a second time after some days, supposing that with his body swollen and inflamed to such a degree that he could not bear the touch of a hand, if they should again apply the same instruments, they would overcome him, or at least by his death under his sufferings others would be made afraid, not only did not this occur, but, contrary to all human expectation, his body arose and stood erect in the midst of the subsequent torments, and resumed its original appearance and the use of its limbs, so that, through the grace of Christ, these second sufferings became to him, not torture, but healing.”
How remarkable is the power and mercy of Sanctus’ God?! Our God! Let’s pray this strength and perseverance over God’s people in Iraq and Syria.
Onward!
Elsbeth
No Fear: November Mid-Month Update #2
Originally posted November 19th, 2015
I hope November finds you all well.
As things are heating up and becoming increasingly controversial and fearful regarding ISIS, my prayer for each of you is that you will remain grounded in the power of prayer and the promises of God’s word.
Deuteronomy 20:3-4 says “He (the priest) shall say to them (the Israelites), ‘Hear, O Israel, you are approaching the battle against your enemies today. Do not be fainthearted. Do not be afraid, or panic, or tremble before them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’”
Let’s continue to pray for courage and hope and the absence of fear for those Christians who remain in Syria and Iraq. And maybe, also, for ourselves.
Love and hope,
Elsbeth
Month 4: December
Originally posted on November 30, 2015
Forgiveness: December Mid-Month Update
Originally posted December 18th, 2015
Hey all,
It’s becoming easier for me to forget our prayer for ISIS each day as life is getting a little more hectic during the holiday season. Let’s not lose site of our commitment to pray!
This link leads to ABC news where there is a very short (55 second) video that I’d like you to watch. Or you can read about it below:
http://abcnews.go.com/International/young-iraqi-christian-refugee-forgives-isis-displacing-family/story?id=35764582
‘A young Iraqi Christian girl, whose family has been living in a refugee camp after fleeing ISIS threats, says she forgives the terrorist group and shared her hope for the future.
“Yes I forgive them,” Myriam told ABC News “20/20” co-anchor Elizabeth Vargas, adding that “as Jesus said ‘forgive each other, love each other the way I love you,’ that is what we need to learn. Forgiveness.”
Just 10 years old, Myriam is among the thousands of Iraqi Christians who have fled their homes because of ISIS terror threats. She has been living with her family in a refugee camp after they lost their home in Qarakosh, Iraq.
“My hopes for life are for there to be no wars,” she told “20/20.” “With no wars there will be love.”
The little girl first gained international attention when a video of her comments about forgiving ISIS went viral in March. During an interview with the Arabic language TV network SAT-7, the reporter asked how she felt about ISIS, and Myriam said she would only ask God to forgive them.
Even now, after losing her home and being displaced for months, Myriam spoke of love.
“I’m going to love my sister, I’m going to love whoever is in front of me,” she told “20/20.” “When there is no love, there is no justice and justice is what satisfies.”’
Have a wonderful Christmas, but please do not forget to keep these men and women on your hearts and in your prayers!
Love,
Elsbeth
Month 5: January
Originally posted on December 31, 2015
Escaping ISIS: January Mid-Month Update
Originally posted January 5th, 2016
Hi Guys!
This is a video (from July 2015) about some of the Yasidi people who have been captured by ISIS. It’s about 55 minutes long, so I know some of you may not get the chance to watch it. I would not recommend watching it for the first time when there are kids around.
Whether or not you get to see it, there is a Yasidi lawyer named Khalil Dakhi who is running a small rescue mission to get these women and girls out. It’s very slow and very dangerous. Please keep him and his men in prayer.
The video shows some men, boys, and whole families being rescued through Khalil’s operation. Most of the information I’ve read has only talked about ISIS desiring female slaves. I did hear that they also sometimes capture young boys, in order to train them up, but I don’t know yet why they would take whole families. I’ll let you know as I learn more about that.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/escaping-isis/
Continue on!
Elsbeth
Christians in Syria: January Mid-Month Update #2
Originally posted January 18th, 2016
Hi Praying Friends,
As we continue to pray for Yazidi women and girls held by ISIS, I wanted to share this update on one of our previous topics. We spent November praying for Christians remaining in Syria and Iraq. I’m typing out portions of an article by Voice of the Martyrs. It’s written by a pastor in Syria. There is both sorrow and praise in it, so please read to the end.
“Whatever evil things you can imagine are nothing compared to what is really happening in Syria: the destruction, the killing, the kidnappings. The extremists kidnapped one of my relatives; they cut off his head and they started to play soccer with his head. They take the children and put many of them in the oven to kill them. They kidnap the women and rape them and leave them naked in the streets. When they take any woman, they declare, ‘Allahu akbar’ [God is great]. Maybe 10 men take turns on one woman and rape her. They do that until the woman dies. They do this everywhere, especially to Christians….One day, the terrorists announced on Facebook that they wanted to attack our city. They said about 30,000 of them were ready to attack as soon as they finished Friday prayers at 1p.m. It was a very terrible day, but a few believers in the church were praying and fasting. We woke up very early and spent all the day until noon fasting and praying. It was a sunny day, the first week of June. At 1 p.m., thousands of them entered the mosque to start to pray. Suddenly the weather changed from sunny to cloudy, in one minute. They finished praying at 1:15 p.m. They went out into the street shouting, and started walking toward the city. Then it started raining – not just raining, but hailing huge hailstones. It was the first time that had happened in Syria in many years. After 15 minutes, no one was left in the streets. All of them ran away. Even the secular Syrian media took a picture of the hail and showed it on the evening news, saying ‘God fought with us.’ Many Christians in Syria right now are choosing to stay on the frontlines, and it’s difficult. You can stand beside us by battling through prayer.”
Let us not forget the urgency with which we pray!
My original thought was that these topics would not be accumulative throughout this year – that we would move from one to the next. But the previous months’ prayers are still echoing in my mind and I am eager to continue to update you on them. I hope this won’t be too much for you as we charge forward into our year of prayer.
In Christ!
Elsbeth
Prayer... January Mid-Month Update #3
Originally posted January 28th, 2016
Hello Praying Friends,
I’ve gotten to speak with several of you recently about what a heavy weight it is to carry the knowledge of so much suffering and violence. At times it feels like we only have two choices – to either push the heartbreak aside and distance our hearts from it or to be so overcome by the grief that it is difficult to carry on with our own daily tasks. We feel guilty about living a normal life when others are fighting just to hold on to theirs or even wishing theirs would end.
But I am afraid that we are missing the point. There is VALUE in empathy. There is VALUE in simple, authentic grief. And most of all, there is value in PRAYER.
Richard Foster wrote: “Intercessory Prayer is a priestly ministry, and one of the most challenging teachings in the New Testament is the universal priesthood of all Christians. As priests, appointed and anointed by God, we have the honor of going before the Most High on behalf of others. This is not optional; it is a sacred obligation – and a precious privilege – of all who take up the yoke of Christ.”
I do believe that the suffering of the world should impact our lives in mighty ways. It should affect the way we spend time, the relationships we develop, the things we spend money on. I pray that the suffering we are praying over will touch each of our lives in practical and radical ways. But God is NOT calling us all to drop everything and run into the midst of this suffering. There is important work to do here! Fervent, authentic prayer is often more powerful than any other support we can bring.
We must also recognize that in hearing these stories, by listening attentively and compassionately -- we are in turn shaped by them. The thousands of Yazidi women trapped in sexual slavery change our hearts right where we sit. The men and women watching their children die in a scalding oven press us forward to live with urgency in our very own homes. Those whose loved ones have lost their lives at the hands of hateful, sinful men inspire us to love more fully the people we interact with each day and to interrupt the injustice that runs rampant in our own communities. We must find a balance between responding to these stories in grief and prayer, while also allowing them to propel us into carrying out the tasks God has put before us with greater compassion and love. This is not the time for us to get stuck in the mire of guilt and despair. We must listen, we must grieve, we must pray, then we must LIVE.
Do not forget the power of prayer! Do not forget to gives thanks for the way God is using others to sharpen your faith. Listen for the manner in which God is calling you to respond, and let go of the idea that his calling for you in this is not enough.
In prayer we proceed!
Elsbeth
Month 6: February
Originally posted on January 29, 2016
Exodus 14:13-14 And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today...The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”
This Week: February Mid-Month Update
Originally posted on February 8th, 2016
Hello Friends!
Psalm 23:4 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
Let’s lift all of the children impacted by ISIS up to God this week and ask that He provide comfort for them in the midst of great evil - in the midst of a far more real shadow of death than many of us have ever experienced.
In Love,
Elsbeth
God's People at Work!: February Mid-Month Update #2
Originally posted on February 11th, 2016
Hello Prayer Warriors!
I am not sending this to try to get you to contribute or in a push to fundraise in any way. I only wanted to share it so that you could see what great work God is doing in the midst of all this pain and suffering we are praying for. This project of Voice of the Martyrs' relates to a few people groups we have already been praying for: Refugees, Christians living in Iraq and Syria, and Yazidi (also spelled Yezidi) women!
Let’s not falter in our commitment to pray! God is at work!
Elsbeth
From: "The Voice of the Martyrs"
Subject: Help Christians Provide Food and Employment to ISIS Victims
Date: February 11, 2016 at 5:03:11 AM EST
The Voice of the Martyrs USA
You can help Iraqi Christians reach their neighbors in refugee camps.
VOM has worked closely with church leaders throughout Iraq for many years, and recently we met a group of Christians in northern Iraq who are prepared to share the gospel through a new and innovative outreach.
In partnership with a local church, the believers have established a bakery to support thousands of displaced refugee families. With VOM’s help, the bakery will be able to sell its products at very affordable prices. The Christians operating the bakery also plan to hire 10 Yezidi women who were severely persecuted at the hands of ISIS.
The budget to establish the bakery and help it become self-sufficient for the remainder of 2016 is $120,000, and The Voice of the Martyrs invites you to become a part of this unique outreach.
Our Iraqi brothers and sisters understand the challenges of sharing Jesus’ love among the refugees. They will bless the refugees with food for their bodies, while also sharing about the Bread of Life — Jesus Christ.
This email was sent by The Voice of the Martyrs(www.persecution.com)
Feasting with the Lord: February Mid-Month Update #3
Originally posted on February 15, 2016
Hi Friends,
This week, let’s pray this verse over children being impacted by ISIS:
Psalm 23:5 “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”
One of my best friends is currently battling terminal cancer. The other day, she was sharing with me that she’d heard a sermon discussing this verse. She had the image of herself sitting down to a feast and dining with the Lord, while her cancer continued to stand there, looming over her. But still, she could enjoy God’s presence and experience bountiful blessings, despite the fact that her cancer was still there.
This is what I want our prayer to be this week for these children. That even though ISIS looms overhead, threatening them and everything they know and love, that they will be able to feast on the overflowing comfort of Christ and experience the blessing of the presence of the LORD.
Onward!
Goodness and Love: February Mid-Month Update #4
Originally posted on February 22, 2016
Happy Almost End of February!
Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”
This last week of February, let’s intercede on behalf of these children, that they might come to know God’s love. That in every circumstance, His goodness would shine through. And that they might come to believe in the name of Jesus.
There is hope in Christ Jesus — let us not forget!
Love,
Elsbeth
Month 7: March
Originally posted on March 1, 2016
Exodus 14:13-14 And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today...The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”
Originally posted on February 8th, 2016
Hello Friends!
Psalm 23:4 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
Let’s lift all of the children impacted by ISIS up to God this week and ask that He provide comfort for them in the midst of great evil - in the midst of a far more real shadow of death than many of us have ever experienced.
In Love,
Elsbeth
God's People at Work!: February Mid-Month Update #2
Originally posted on February 11th, 2016
Hello Prayer Warriors!
I am not sending this to try to get you to contribute or in a push to fundraise in any way. I only wanted to share it so that you could see what great work God is doing in the midst of all this pain and suffering we are praying for. This project of Voice of the Martyrs' relates to a few people groups we have already been praying for: Refugees, Christians living in Iraq and Syria, and Yazidi (also spelled Yezidi) women!
Let’s not falter in our commitment to pray! God is at work!
Elsbeth
From: "The Voice of the Martyrs"
Subject: Help Christians Provide Food and Employment to ISIS Victims
Date: February 11, 2016 at 5:03:11 AM EST
The Voice of the Martyrs USA
You can help Iraqi Christians reach their neighbors in refugee camps.
VOM has worked closely with church leaders throughout Iraq for many years, and recently we met a group of Christians in northern Iraq who are prepared to share the gospel through a new and innovative outreach.
In partnership with a local church, the believers have established a bakery to support thousands of displaced refugee families. With VOM’s help, the bakery will be able to sell its products at very affordable prices. The Christians operating the bakery also plan to hire 10 Yezidi women who were severely persecuted at the hands of ISIS.
The budget to establish the bakery and help it become self-sufficient for the remainder of 2016 is $120,000, and The Voice of the Martyrs invites you to become a part of this unique outreach.
Our Iraqi brothers and sisters understand the challenges of sharing Jesus’ love among the refugees. They will bless the refugees with food for their bodies, while also sharing about the Bread of Life — Jesus Christ.
This email was sent by The Voice of the Martyrs(www.persecution.com)
Feasting with the Lord: February Mid-Month Update #3
Originally posted on February 15, 2016
Hi Friends,
This week, let’s pray this verse over children being impacted by ISIS:
Psalm 23:5 “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”
One of my best friends is currently battling terminal cancer. The other day, she was sharing with me that she’d heard a sermon discussing this verse. She had the image of herself sitting down to a feast and dining with the Lord, while her cancer continued to stand there, looming over her. But still, she could enjoy God’s presence and experience bountiful blessings, despite the fact that her cancer was still there.
This is what I want our prayer to be this week for these children. That even though ISIS looms overhead, threatening them and everything they know and love, that they will be able to feast on the overflowing comfort of Christ and experience the blessing of the presence of the LORD.
Onward!
Goodness and Love: February Mid-Month Update #4
Originally posted on February 22, 2016
Happy Almost End of February!
Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”
This last week of February, let’s intercede on behalf of these children, that they might come to know God’s love. That in every circumstance, His goodness would shine through. And that they might come to believe in the name of Jesus.
There is hope in Christ Jesus — let us not forget!
Love,
Elsbeth
Month 7: March
Originally posted on March 1, 2016
Exodus 14:13-14 And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today...The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”
Month 8: April
Originally posted on March 31, 2016
Hey Friends!
Here is our new prayer topic video for April. I know it’s been a while since you’ve gotten any updates from me. I am excited to share more throughout this coming month about how God is answering our prayers. If you are having trouble remembering each day — do something to help yourself out. Put a note on your mirror or in your car, or set an alarm in your phone. Let’s take seriously the responsibility we have to pray for our world! :-)
Growing German Church
Originally posted on April 6, 2016
Hello Pray-ers!
This is an article about the growth of the Christian church in Germany. It does not specifically mention ISIS, but as I was reading several other articles about this church and this topic, it became clear that the influx of Muslim refugees into this region is certainly related to our topic.
The particular church mentioned here has increased its membership from 150 to over 600 –most of those converts being converting Muslims!
http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2015/11/09/454670739/for-some-muslim-asylum-seekers-in-germany-christianity-beckons
Let us not lose hope!
Elsbeth
A Few Stories...
Originally posted on April 19, 2016
Hi All!
I was going to try to summarize this recent article in a Voice of the Martyrs magazine, but it was really interesting to me, so I’m just sending the majority of it word for word.
As the self-proclaimed Islamic State (ISIS) continues to advance across Iraq and Syria, it not only persecutes Christians but also pushes Muslims toward Christ.
Its efforts to create a “pure” Islamic nation are causing a growing number of Muslims to examine their faith more closely and more critically. “There are a lot of people turning from Islam,” said “Ibrahim Al-Jamil,” a pastor in northern Iraq. “Jesus has a big net and ISIS is pushing people toward this net. What we are seeing now is like the tip of the iceberg.”
Ibrahim said he also sees evidence on social media and elsewhere on the Internet that Muslims are leaving Islam. He said they are repulsed by what ISIS is doing and increasingly disagree with Islam’s teachings.
“ISIS is making people, especially Muslims, think about their faith and question the faith they were born in and don’t understand,” he said. “They were reading the Quran, but there is a veil. So now when they are reading the Quran they have better understanding and they are questioning if this is the true faith and if Allah…is ordering people to kill each other.”
When they first leave Islam, Ibrahim said, many people initially claim no religion. They have been taught that Christianity is a false religion, and Judaism isn’t an option because Jews have long been viewed as the enemy.
“That is why if they didn’t see a dream or vision, they don’t come to Christianity,” Ibrahim added. “When they see a dream or vision, the first thing after Islam is Christianity because the vision and dream is about Jesus saving them or telling them something.”
Ibrahim estimates that about 80 percent of the Christian converts he has met came to Christ after having a dream about Jesus. “Muslims strongly believe in dreams and visions,” he said. “And when we pray for Muslims, the Lord is going to use the way that they are believing strongly, which is dreams and visions. Because a lot of people and a lot of churches are praying for Muslims, specifically, that is why they see dreams and visions.”
“A friend told me, ‘When I wake up, I don’t pray for Muslims. I say “Lord, everyone whose name is Mohammed, please come to him.’ So he is going to be praying for 20 percent of the Muslims. Now we pray for every covered lady, ‘Please, Lord, show yourself to her.’ So we are praying for 40 percent of the Muslims.”
Ibrahim regularly hears former Muslims share their conversion story when they first visit his church.
“One guy came to me and said, ‘I want to become a Christian.’ I said, ‘Why?’ He said, ‘Because I was in the river and no one could help me, but I saw a face full of light come to me and I was reaching my hand to Him and He took me out of the river.’ I asked him, ‘Who was this man?’ He said, “Jesus.” I said, “How did you know Him?’ He said, “I just know Him.’
Another man who responded to a dream is now leading Muslims to Christ and helping believers grow in their faith.
“This guy saw all the prophets coming in his dream,” Ibrahim said. “All the prophets, one after one, starting from Moses. At the end he saw Jesus coming, the last one, and he said, ‘I waited for Muhammed to come, because…he is the last one, and nobody showed up.’ When I asked, ‘Where is the last one?’ they said, ‘Jesus is the last one.’ So he became a Christian and now he is a pastor.”
Onward!
Elsbeth
Caring for Yazidis
Originally posted on April 25, 2016
Hi Friends!
One of our praying team sent me this link recently. At the bottom of this page (ignore the request for donation, should you choose…or don’t ignore it…no pressure here either way), there is a four minute video that I’m encouraging you to watch. It’s an encouraging update about some work being done to care for Yazidis who have been affected by ISIS.
http://www.samaritanspurse.org/disaster/refugee-relief/?utm_source=RefugeeEmail2&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=m_YREF-16E2&utm_content=video#video-player
It’s exciting to see God’s people working to care for these needs!
Peace!
Elsbeth
Shrinking!
Originally posted on April 20, 2016
Hey Guys!
I just couldn’t wait a week to share this update! Yesterday I was listening to a Diane Rehms Show on National Public Radio from March 30th of this year. She was interviewing a few different people about ISIS. Some of it was way over my head, but there was one quote from a guy named Fawaz Gerges from the London School of Economics and the author of a book called “ISIS: A History.” I understand it is just one man’s opinion, but here is most of it:
“In Iraq, we estimate that the so-called Islamic State has lost between 40%-50% of the territories that it controlled in 2014… We estimate it has lost about 20-25% in Syria…In the next 5 or 6 months in Syria, you are going to see the territories controlled by the Islamic State shrinking….More important than the territories, Diane -- the so-called Islamic State is bleeding, is squeezed, is on the retreat. It not only has lost quite a big chunk of its territory, it has lost more than 15,000 skilled fighters. Its ability to recruit fighters has been reduced dramatically in the last 6 or 7 months….The narrative, which is much more important, I would argue than the physical fight, of ISIS that it’s invincible and undefeatable, standing tall, winning…a major nail has been hammered into this particular narrative…I don’t think we have witnessed the beginning of the end of ISIS but we might be seeing quite a major retreat -- a major, basically a regression, in the forces of ISIS in the next few months.”
There is a mixed feeling for me in this, as the loss of 15,000 skilled fighters means not only the defection and conversion we have been praying for, but also much death. Still, I am incredibly encouraged – that there is a weakening in ISIS’ power in Iraq and Syria and therefore, in its ability to create suffering in our world.
Praise the Lord!
Elsbeth
Month 9: May
Originally posted on April 29, 2016
Originally posted on April 6, 2016
Hello Pray-ers!
This is an article about the growth of the Christian church in Germany. It does not specifically mention ISIS, but as I was reading several other articles about this church and this topic, it became clear that the influx of Muslim refugees into this region is certainly related to our topic.
The particular church mentioned here has increased its membership from 150 to over 600 –most of those converts being converting Muslims!
http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2015/11/09/454670739/for-some-muslim-asylum-seekers-in-germany-christianity-beckons
Let us not lose hope!
Elsbeth
A Few Stories...
Originally posted on April 19, 2016
Hi All!
I was going to try to summarize this recent article in a Voice of the Martyrs magazine, but it was really interesting to me, so I’m just sending the majority of it word for word.
As the self-proclaimed Islamic State (ISIS) continues to advance across Iraq and Syria, it not only persecutes Christians but also pushes Muslims toward Christ.
Its efforts to create a “pure” Islamic nation are causing a growing number of Muslims to examine their faith more closely and more critically. “There are a lot of people turning from Islam,” said “Ibrahim Al-Jamil,” a pastor in northern Iraq. “Jesus has a big net and ISIS is pushing people toward this net. What we are seeing now is like the tip of the iceberg.”
Ibrahim said he also sees evidence on social media and elsewhere on the Internet that Muslims are leaving Islam. He said they are repulsed by what ISIS is doing and increasingly disagree with Islam’s teachings.
“ISIS is making people, especially Muslims, think about their faith and question the faith they were born in and don’t understand,” he said. “They were reading the Quran, but there is a veil. So now when they are reading the Quran they have better understanding and they are questioning if this is the true faith and if Allah…is ordering people to kill each other.”
When they first leave Islam, Ibrahim said, many people initially claim no religion. They have been taught that Christianity is a false religion, and Judaism isn’t an option because Jews have long been viewed as the enemy.
“That is why if they didn’t see a dream or vision, they don’t come to Christianity,” Ibrahim added. “When they see a dream or vision, the first thing after Islam is Christianity because the vision and dream is about Jesus saving them or telling them something.”
Ibrahim estimates that about 80 percent of the Christian converts he has met came to Christ after having a dream about Jesus. “Muslims strongly believe in dreams and visions,” he said. “And when we pray for Muslims, the Lord is going to use the way that they are believing strongly, which is dreams and visions. Because a lot of people and a lot of churches are praying for Muslims, specifically, that is why they see dreams and visions.”
“A friend told me, ‘When I wake up, I don’t pray for Muslims. I say “Lord, everyone whose name is Mohammed, please come to him.’ So he is going to be praying for 20 percent of the Muslims. Now we pray for every covered lady, ‘Please, Lord, show yourself to her.’ So we are praying for 40 percent of the Muslims.”
Ibrahim regularly hears former Muslims share their conversion story when they first visit his church.
“One guy came to me and said, ‘I want to become a Christian.’ I said, ‘Why?’ He said, ‘Because I was in the river and no one could help me, but I saw a face full of light come to me and I was reaching my hand to Him and He took me out of the river.’ I asked him, ‘Who was this man?’ He said, “Jesus.” I said, “How did you know Him?’ He said, “I just know Him.’
Another man who responded to a dream is now leading Muslims to Christ and helping believers grow in their faith.
“This guy saw all the prophets coming in his dream,” Ibrahim said. “All the prophets, one after one, starting from Moses. At the end he saw Jesus coming, the last one, and he said, ‘I waited for Muhammed to come, because…he is the last one, and nobody showed up.’ When I asked, ‘Where is the last one?’ they said, ‘Jesus is the last one.’ So he became a Christian and now he is a pastor.”
Onward!
Elsbeth
Caring for Yazidis
Originally posted on April 25, 2016
Hi Friends!
One of our praying team sent me this link recently. At the bottom of this page (ignore the request for donation, should you choose…or don’t ignore it…no pressure here either way), there is a four minute video that I’m encouraging you to watch. It’s an encouraging update about some work being done to care for Yazidis who have been affected by ISIS.
http://www.samaritanspurse.org/disaster/refugee-relief/?utm_source=RefugeeEmail2&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=m_YREF-16E2&utm_content=video#video-player
It’s exciting to see God’s people working to care for these needs!
Peace!
Elsbeth
Shrinking!
Originally posted on April 20, 2016
Hey Guys!
I just couldn’t wait a week to share this update! Yesterday I was listening to a Diane Rehms Show on National Public Radio from March 30th of this year. She was interviewing a few different people about ISIS. Some of it was way over my head, but there was one quote from a guy named Fawaz Gerges from the London School of Economics and the author of a book called “ISIS: A History.” I understand it is just one man’s opinion, but here is most of it:
“In Iraq, we estimate that the so-called Islamic State has lost between 40%-50% of the territories that it controlled in 2014… We estimate it has lost about 20-25% in Syria…In the next 5 or 6 months in Syria, you are going to see the territories controlled by the Islamic State shrinking….More important than the territories, Diane -- the so-called Islamic State is bleeding, is squeezed, is on the retreat. It not only has lost quite a big chunk of its territory, it has lost more than 15,000 skilled fighters. Its ability to recruit fighters has been reduced dramatically in the last 6 or 7 months….The narrative, which is much more important, I would argue than the physical fight, of ISIS that it’s invincible and undefeatable, standing tall, winning…a major nail has been hammered into this particular narrative…I don’t think we have witnessed the beginning of the end of ISIS but we might be seeing quite a major retreat -- a major, basically a regression, in the forces of ISIS in the next few months.”
There is a mixed feeling for me in this, as the loss of 15,000 skilled fighters means not only the defection and conversion we have been praying for, but also much death. Still, I am incredibly encouraged – that there is a weakening in ISIS’ power in Iraq and Syria and therefore, in its ability to create suffering in our world.
Praise the Lord!
Elsbeth
Month 9: May
Originally posted on April 29, 2016
Month 10: June
Originally posted on May 31, 2016
Call to Jihad
Originally posted on May 26, 2016
Hi Comrades,
In the most recent issue of ISIS’ recruitment magazine Dabiq (Issue #14, April 2016), ISIS encourages any “true” Muslim who is unable to leave the West and join ISIS in the Middle East to “wage jihad by himself with the resources available to him (knives, guns, explosives, etc.) to kill the crusaders (Christians) and other disbelievers and apostates, including the imams of kufr, to make an example of them, as all of them are valid – rather, obligatory – targets according to the Shari’ah.”
There are four Muslim leaders or imams in the West whose names are on a hit list in the magazine. These are Muslims who have vocally opposed the theology and the actions of ISIS.
Let’s pray that those who are vulnerable to becoming involved with ISIS – not just in the Middle East but in the West as well – are able to resist this call to violence. That they, like the apostle Paul, might be stopped on the road leading to the destruction of the Church by a vision of Christ and changed eternally by His great grace!
Peace,
Elsbeth
Songs
Originally posted on June 18, 2016
Hi Praying Friends,
There is so much to grieve in our current world, especially in regards to the pain that ISIS is causing. As we continue to lift up those who are grieving losses, I wanted to share this quote I came across in a Voice of the Martyrs magazine: “Birds sing, not because they have an answer, but because they have a song.”
Sometimes when I witness suffering, I find myself looking for answers. Sometimes answers emerge and other times they do not. Let’s pray that the men, women, and children affected by ISIS hear and learn to sing a song of God’s comfort and peace regardless of whether or not they find answers.
Lots of love,
Elsbeth
Month 11: July
Originally posted on June 29, 2016
Originally posted on May 26, 2016
Hi Comrades,
In the most recent issue of ISIS’ recruitment magazine Dabiq (Issue #14, April 2016), ISIS encourages any “true” Muslim who is unable to leave the West and join ISIS in the Middle East to “wage jihad by himself with the resources available to him (knives, guns, explosives, etc.) to kill the crusaders (Christians) and other disbelievers and apostates, including the imams of kufr, to make an example of them, as all of them are valid – rather, obligatory – targets according to the Shari’ah.”
There are four Muslim leaders or imams in the West whose names are on a hit list in the magazine. These are Muslims who have vocally opposed the theology and the actions of ISIS.
Let’s pray that those who are vulnerable to becoming involved with ISIS – not just in the Middle East but in the West as well – are able to resist this call to violence. That they, like the apostle Paul, might be stopped on the road leading to the destruction of the Church by a vision of Christ and changed eternally by His great grace!
Peace,
Elsbeth
Songs
Originally posted on June 18, 2016
Hi Praying Friends,
There is so much to grieve in our current world, especially in regards to the pain that ISIS is causing. As we continue to lift up those who are grieving losses, I wanted to share this quote I came across in a Voice of the Martyrs magazine: “Birds sing, not because they have an answer, but because they have a song.”
Sometimes when I witness suffering, I find myself looking for answers. Sometimes answers emerge and other times they do not. Let’s pray that the men, women, and children affected by ISIS hear and learn to sing a song of God’s comfort and peace regardless of whether or not they find answers.
Lots of love,
Elsbeth
Month 11: July
Originally posted on June 29, 2016
Baptisms in Finland
Originally posted on July 17, 2016
Hello Fellow Prayer Warriors!
This is an article that I just stumbled upon regarding refugees in Finland. It’s neat to see so many of our topics combined, including this month's as we can pray for these pastors in Finland and other countries who are discipling Muslim refugee converts to Christianity.
“Some Muslim refugees finding their way to Finland are finding the Way instead.
Praise God for His work among Muslim immigrants in Finland! In the past 10 months, one Lutheran pastor in Helsinki has baptized 18 new believers, all converts from Islam.
The pastor, who speaks Arabic as his mother tongue, requires the converts to complete a 45-hour long seminar before being baptized. He is teaching 5 converts now, but says, “Even 40 to 70 baptisms would be possible, but I can’t teach them all by myself, because it takes time. I would need more people to teach them.”
The converts he has baptized so far are all from Iraq. Another pastor said that those coming are tired of the violence in Islam and are attracted by the love and grace in Christ’s message.
A Christian newspaper in Finland documented 235 baptisms of converts from Islam since the autumn of 2015. Finland accepted nearly 30,000 refugees last year, and many of the converts are asylum seekers.
It is possible that some are only outwardly accepting Christianity in order to boost their chances of permanent asylum. However, many of these converts are being disowned by their Muslim families after being baptized.
We praise God for this harvest and pray He will raise up workers to disciple these new believers!”
(http://smyrnaministries.org/muslim-refugees-turning-christ/)
Let’s continue in prayer with faith and hope in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ!
Love,
Elsbeth
Month 12: August
Originally posted on July 31, 2016
Hi All!
This is our last prayer topic video! Here’s the link below. My church has been sitting in Ephesians 6 lately and it’s been incredible to me — seeing the relevance of that passage in our world as we pray. Check out the video for details…
Originally posted on July 17, 2016
Hello Fellow Prayer Warriors!
This is an article that I just stumbled upon regarding refugees in Finland. It’s neat to see so many of our topics combined, including this month's as we can pray for these pastors in Finland and other countries who are discipling Muslim refugee converts to Christianity.
“Some Muslim refugees finding their way to Finland are finding the Way instead.
Praise God for His work among Muslim immigrants in Finland! In the past 10 months, one Lutheran pastor in Helsinki has baptized 18 new believers, all converts from Islam.
The pastor, who speaks Arabic as his mother tongue, requires the converts to complete a 45-hour long seminar before being baptized. He is teaching 5 converts now, but says, “Even 40 to 70 baptisms would be possible, but I can’t teach them all by myself, because it takes time. I would need more people to teach them.”
The converts he has baptized so far are all from Iraq. Another pastor said that those coming are tired of the violence in Islam and are attracted by the love and grace in Christ’s message.
A Christian newspaper in Finland documented 235 baptisms of converts from Islam since the autumn of 2015. Finland accepted nearly 30,000 refugees last year, and many of the converts are asylum seekers.
It is possible that some are only outwardly accepting Christianity in order to boost their chances of permanent asylum. However, many of these converts are being disowned by their Muslim families after being baptized.
We praise God for this harvest and pray He will raise up workers to disciple these new believers!”
(http://smyrnaministries.org/muslim-refugees-turning-christ/)
Let’s continue in prayer with faith and hope in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ!
Love,
Elsbeth
Month 12: August
Originally posted on July 31, 2016
Hi All!
This is our last prayer topic video! Here’s the link below. My church has been sitting in Ephesians 6 lately and it’s been incredible to me — seeing the relevance of that passage in our world as we pray. Check out the video for details…
New Method
Originally posted on August 9, 2016
Hello Friends,
In a recent email from World Help, it was mentioned that there was only one ISIS-held stronghold left in Iraq – the city of Mosul. I was amazed and excited that this might be true and sent my research assistant (a.k.a my husband, Paul) on a hunt for facts.
It turns out that this is true – ISIS is rapidly losing ground in both Iraq and Syria! But this isn’t necessarily all good news.
A New York Times article explained that as ISIS looses ground as a conventional army, it “reverts to its guerilla roots” by using terrorist attacks. Just last month, there was a suicide bombing in Baghdad. 330 people were killed in this attack. We’ve seen these types of attacks a lot recently throughout the world.
I am not intending to discourage you — there is praise in the fact that ISIS has hit a wall in their desired method of power and control. But we must press forward in urgent prayer as ISIS puts its energies into this alternative method of spreading violence, pain, and fear on a global level.
We need to remember that God is not surprised by their change in tactics. May the prayers of His people erect a wall that will stop ISIS from using this type of warfare as well!
Peace!
Elsbeth
Final Video
Originally posted on August 30, 2016
I can’t believe it! I am so thankful to have spent this last year in prayer with you. Here is the final video for this ChrisisPrayer journey that we have been on together.