Hour of Revival

Revival Prayer Bulletin 310 (Apr – May ’12)

admin — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 11:40:13 +0000

For those interested, here is the International Daily Prayer Bulletin Apr/May 2012

Revival Prayer Bulletin 310 (Feb – Mar ’12)

admin — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 11:37:02 +0000

For those interested, here is the International Daily Prayer Bulletin Feb/Mar 2012

Imprisoned Iranian’s Stand for Christ | 310 | Report 31

admin — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 14:36:23 +0000

Iranian Christian Shahla Rahmati, the director of “a successful electronics company”, has been released on December 20th following 287 days behind bars in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison where her health deteriorated as her blood pressure dropped to very low levels following alleged mistreatment. She had been sentenced to at least two and a half years on charges such as “membership of an illegal group.” In a statement, released by Elam Ministries, her family said they “thank all Christians for their faithful intercession for her release” but concerns remained over two other Christian women – Maryam Jalili and Mitra Zahmati.

Source: Worthy News

BIBLE STUDY: Psalm 147:10-20

PRAISE: God for Shahla’s release. Pray for the Iranian Church, especially those still in prison.

Rwandans Find Peace in the Gospel | 310 | Report 30

admin — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 15:34:17 +0000

Before the genocide, Rwanda was considered the most Roman Catholic country in Africa, with a population of 8 million, according to Anne Kubai, former head of religious studies at the Kigali Institute of Education. In the 18 years since the genocide, Rwanda has seen the most significant rise in Protestant faith in Africa, according to a new Pew Foundation report. Andrew Rusatsi, a seminary professor in Nyakibanda, Rwanda, said many Rwandans felt betrayed by the Catholic Church’s involvement. “They embraced other churches - Protestant, Pentecostal, and Restoration churches, which have been proliferating like mushrooms.” Recovery from trauma is a central feature of these new fellowships.

Source:Christianity Today

BIBLE STUDY: Psalm 147:1-9

PRAISE: God that many Rwandans have found peace and love through fellowship in the Gospel.

Bible is Norway’s 2011 Best Seller | 310 | Report 29

admin — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 15:31:54 +0000

The first Norwegian translation of the Bible for 30 years has topped the country’s book charts almost every week between its publication in October and the end of the year, selling almost 80,000 copies so far and hugely exceeding expectations. Its launch in the autumn saw Harry Potter-style overnight queues, with bookshops selling out on the first day as Norwegians rushed to get their hands on the new edition. “We only printed 25,000 to start with and thought it would last six to nine months, but it was launched mid-October and by the end of the year it had sold 79,000 copies – it’s just incredible,” said Stine Smemo Strachan, who worked on the project for the Norwegian Bible Society.

Source:The Guardian

BIBLE STUDY: John 5:24-30

PRAISE: God that there is still hunger for His Word. Pray that it’s truths may spread in Norway.

“At Times of Crisis, Revival is Near” | 310 | Report 28

admin — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 15:02:14 +0000

“Undoubtedly, this is a time of ‘crisis’ for Europe – both within the church and outside it – but as Europe’s history has often shown, at times of crisis, ‘revival is very near.’” These were the words of Niek Tramper, General Secretary of the European Evangelical Alliance, speaking to young Christians at Mission Net on December 29th, 2011.

On the one hand some European churches appear to be in almost terminal decline, whereas others are seeing extraordinary growth. He highlights the spread of churches established by
immigrants from former mission fields (especially Africa), and also the church planting movement, and signs of new growth in established churches.

“But,” he continued, “real, genuine love … love cannot be replaced with activities. You share the love of Christ in your day to day living… Faith is not about convictions or feelings, but we have to live it and be sure about it, not hesitating with this truth about what God has done.”

Source: Christian Today

BIBLE STUDY: John 5:16-23

PRAISE: God that He intervenes when we have nothing more to rely on. Pray for revival in Europe.

An Appeal for Full Time Missionaries | 310 | Report 27

admin — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 14:58:13 +0000

George Verwer’s heartfelt appeal to young Christians from the four corners of Europe on January 1st was “go”. The OM founder was addressing thousands of European Christians on the final night of the Mission-Net Congress in Erfurt, Germany.

“If people like you don’t go, who will?” he said, dressed in his trademark ‘world map’ jacket. In an impassioned plea with the participants, Verwer said he was praying to God every day for
workers to go out to the world’s “forgotten places”. “The word of God is clear,” he said. “Don’t be hearers of the word, be doers.”

Verwer said the estimated two billion unreached people of the world would never be reached without Christians who dedicate themselves to mission full-time. Those unable to do so, he said, should get hold of a copy of Operation World and start praying regularly for the nations.

“We need Christians in every area of society but if we are serious about global missions, we need to include mission work as a legitimate career for this generation,” he said. “I appeal to you to
go into short-term missions this year or in the next two years, or at least start moving in faith towards long-term mission work.”

Around 2,500 young Christians from 40 nations in Europe attended the weeklong Congress in Erfurt, the city where Martin Luther spent 10 years. Mission Net is held every two years and is an initiative of the European Evangelical Mission Association and the European Evangelical Alliance.

Source: Christian Today

BIBLE STUDY: John 5:1-15

PRAY: To the Lord of the harvest that He may send labourers into the harvest. Pray for our needy world!

Young People Finding Christ in Europe | 310 | Report 26

admin — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 14:56:43 +0000

Europe may have the reputation as the only continent where the church is in decline, but young people are turning the tide of unbelief by planting new faith communities. This grassroots movement has a current annual growth of 22% and many people are coming to Christ from a secular background.

Source: Joel News International

BIBLE STUDY: John 5:1-14

PRAISE: God that there is hunger amongst young people. Pray for revival throughout Europe.

Spain: God Goes Beyond Expectation | 310 | Report 25

admin — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 14:13:22 +0000

Believers in Spain are seeing God move beyond their expectations through Mi Esperanza (My Hope). Over the past few months, about 8,500 individuals from 1,100 churches were trained to be Mateos (Matthews) – people who would invite friends to watch a Gospel television programme with them in their home or church. But even though they were committed to the project, many Mateos had difficulty believing that Mi Esperanza – which has seen astounding results in Latin America, Asia and Africa – could actually be effective in Spain, where only about 1 percent of the population is Evangelical. “They have heard … what God is doing everywhere – but they felt like He
hasn’t done anything in Spain,” said Mi Esperanza country director Maximo Carrero.

But on Friday 16th December, in Madrid, the local Mi Esperanza staff began to hear reports from the previous night’s broadcast. “We had 11 churches reporting 225 conversions,” Carrero said.
“They couldn’t believe it. They were crying, because they had thought, ‘That doesn’t happen here.’” One of the showings in Madrid Thursday night occurred at a packed Filadelfia Evangelical Church, in the neighborhood of Orcasur. Many church members brought friends who did not yet know Jesus.

Just a few days before Mi Esperanza, Aaron Heredia had invited lifelong friend Adrian to attend the programme. Adrian was not interested. Then, on Thursday, they ran into each other at the gym, and Aaron tried once more. Adrian agreed to come, and the two sat together in the balcony watching the programme. At the end of the programme, senior pastor Enrique Blanco invited people to come forward and commit their lives to Jesus Christ. Adrian was among them, though it took him a while to come. “At first, I didn’t want to go forward,” he said later. “I was kind of shy, and I felt like something was holding me back. But the pastor said to let your heart guide you, so I
went up and got right with God.”

Source: Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

BIBLE STUDY: John 4:43-54

PRAISE: God that the light of the Gospel has shone into Spanish hearts. Pray for a great encouragement of the Church in Spain.

Christ on the “Railroad of Death” | 310 | Report 23 & 24

admin — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 14:06:37 +0000

In 1949, thousands of Russian political prisoners were ordered to a Siberian labour camp to build a railway. Many died trying to finish the rail line. Today, Pastor Anatoly Marichev is honouring their memory by starting a house of worship, Good News Church, on the very spot that housed many of the prisoners. Among the political captives was Marichev’s grandfather. “My grandfather was labelled an enemy of the state and sentenced to 10 years in a labour camp in Salekhard,” Marichev said. Located approximately 1,200 miles northeast of Moscow, Salekhard is on the Artic circle. Temperatures often plummet to minus 60 degrees.

The city served as the ideal place to stash away Stalin’s political enemies. Salekhard has blizzard-like conditions during the winter - and millions of mosquitoes, gnats, and parasites during the
summer. Construction on the railway eventually stopped in 1953 after Stalin’s death. But the damage was already done. Marichev’s grandfather died, along with tens of thousands of other prisoners. Historical records show Christians were also killed in the Salekhard gulags. “We have eyewitness accounts of secret prayer gatherings,” Marichev said. “These prisoners prayed that
one day the Gospel would reach the peoples of this land,” he said.

“Today, we are seeing the fruits of their prayers.” The fruit is the Good News Church, a thriving evangelical congregation that has risen in the heart of the Siberian Tundra led by Marichev. “People are turning to the Lord all over this region,” he said. “Families are being healed, people delivered from alcohol and drugs. To have a house of worship, in this location is not just symbolic – but also strategic,” Marichev noted. In partnership with the Association for Spiritual Renewal, which focuses on bringing the Gospel to the former Soviet Union, Pastor Marichev uses his church to train the next generation of Christian leaders.

When Marichev is not busy leading his flock, he can be found driving across the frozen Russian tundra to reach nomadic villages with the Gospel. “It took us four hours today to travel less than 60 kilometres on the frozen river,” he said. “But it was worth it. These tribes were once forgotten. Not anymore.” Members of his church take regular trips to deliver food, clothes, and medical supplies to the area.

Meanwhile in Salekhard, home to an estimated 40,000 people, Marichev is extending the church’s influence to minister to orphans, the homeless, and those living with HIV/AIDS. Marichev said. “I believe that God’s Kingdom will reach the far corners of this difficult land for which our grandfathers shed their blood and prayed a long time ago for.”

Source: CBN News

BIBLE STUDY: Mark 13:9-13

Report 23 – PRAISE: God that the martyr’s prayers have been heard and the Gospel reaches the whole land.
Report 24 – PRAY: That pastor Marichev and his team may have the resources to spread the Gospel