Today – Monday 11 Oct – we pray for Afghanistan!

If you have already been praying, let me share with you what is changing on the ground…

“We thought our area . . . was going to explode on election day,” Resnick said. “And it didn’t.”

Yet, although he does not have charts or graphs to prove it, Resnick, 27, insists that he also sees what the military calls changed “atmospherics”: busy stores and streets, tea served to U.S. soldiers. These are glimmers of what commanders say could amount to longer-term success. “You can’t really measure energy, but you can feel it,” said Chris Harich, a U.S. State Department representative based at the center. – From Kandahar, a different view of war

If you are praying, always keep in mind that we are praying for real people. Real living bleeding people who actually want to live in peace, but they have become stuck under the power of sin and death. We Christians are the only people, the only followers of the only religion, who not only claim to be able to solve sin and death… but we are also ABLE to SHOW that we can solve the problem of sin and death through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.

And just look at the compassion being extended

He was briefed by Afghan and US generals on the operation, then addressed hundreds of local elders.

“Once again, and from Arghandab, I call on the Taliban to stop fighting, to stop killing their brothers and elders,” Karzai told the crowd.

Karzai said young men who fell in with the Taliban should be nurtured by their families and brought back into the fold, rather than disowned.

“Taliban are the sons of this land. When children go astray, no one throws their children away but instead tries to take care of them, treat them and bring them to the right path,” he said. – Karzai appeals to Taliban in Kandahar heartland – By Nasrat Shoib (AFP) – 9 Oct 2010

This is momentous. Peace is coming to a land which has only known war for hundreds and thousands of years. Where there was no hope, now, through faith in the all-sufficient sacrifice of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour… there is peace. The impossible is becoming possible, because of the cross of Jesus Christ.

Never forget these three scriptures showing clearly that God reconciled the WHOLE WORLD to Himself, not just believers:

1. The next day John saw Jesus coming to him and said, Look! There is the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world! – John 1:29
2. And He [that same Jesus Himself] is the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our sins, and not for ours alone but also for [the sins of] the whole world. – 1 John 2:2
3. that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. – 2Co 5:19

And look at these scriptures as well, just to confirm that Jesus Christ died for sinners, enemies and ungodly people:

1. While we were yet in weakness [powerless to help ourselves], at the fitting time Christ died for (in behalf of) the ungodly. – Rom 5:6
2. while we were still sinners, Christ died for us – Rom 5:8
3. while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more [certain]; now that we are reconciled, that we shall be saved through His resurrection life – Rom 5:10

It is my ferverent hope that this country and it’s inhabitants will come to know Jesus Christ personally and seek more than just this release, but they will seek His blessing and protection.

As the bible says “we urge you to be reconciled to God!” through Jesus Christ.

• As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. – 2 Corinthians 6:1
• We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. – 2 Corinthians 5:20

So let us prepare ourselves to pray today, always bearing in mind that God loves all people and Jesus Christ died for all people. His death was truly a free gift!

Pray for this region

I’m asking you to focus your prayers on the southern region today.

I’m asking you to declare the truth of what Jesus Christ has done, not only for believers, but for the whole world.

Print off the 35 prayer scriptures:

Key prayer scriptures (v3!) – “He is the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.” – Rom 4:17

And then print off the following map of the areas of violence and target each of the most violent areas near the bottom, in the most highly affected area. (For more information on this map, read: Finding a baseline for our prayers in Afghanistan and here as well)

46,568 violent events by geography

It’s up to you how many prayers you say over each of these small areas. I speak many/all of the scriptures over each one of these areas – one by one.

But it also depends on how tired I feel… we are after all fighting a spiritual battle as we do this. So we need to be realistic about that.

Let’s just recap the key issues in spiritual warfare.

• Firstly, Jesus Christ has done it all. We simply add our amen.
• Secondly, it is our faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ which overcomes the evil of this world.
• Thirdly, we do not war against flesh and blood, we war against spiritual forces, which are empowered by sin and death. Their power is death… and death get’s it’s power from sin. Jesus Christ resolved sin… ergo… death is destroyed and the spiritual powers are destroyed and the work of the devil is destroyed.

And Jesus Christ gave YOU the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven right here in these words that He spoke…

Mat 16:19 I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of heaven;

and whatever you bind (declare to be improper and unlawful) on earth must be what is already bound in Heaven;

and whatever you loose (declare lawful) on earth must be what is already loosed in heaven

Jesus Christ already resolved the problem, and you loose that on Earth. Jesus Christ has already released these people in Heaven, and you are permitted to release them here… by declaring it lawful.

What a priviledge we are given, to be a part of someone else’s freedom. And if it’s on your heart to pray these prayers, you should seriously consider becoming a missionary to this region, and go there and share the gospel, to a people who have been in bondage for thousands of years. What a priviledge!  🙂

Permit me to remind you of one more scripture…

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. – 1 John 3:8

God bless you as you pray today.

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This is a part of a series…

• Afghanistan’s second biggest insurgent group will agree to a ceasefire if… 17 Nov 2010
• Some good news and thanks for Afghanistan prayers 16 Nov2010
• Today – Monday 11 Oct – we pray for Afghanistan! 10 Nov 2010
• Ok, one more time – let’s pray for Afghanistan 9 Nov 2010
• Let’s pray again for Afghanistan 1 Nov 2010
• Lifting up the shield of faith in Afghanistan, Iraq, DRC 29 Oct 2010
• “Almost a miracle” Afghanistan poll 20 Oct 2010
• Prayer updates – bits and pieces 18 Oct 2010
• Afghan elections tomorrow (saturday) – pls pray 17 Oct 2010
• Pls pray for Afghanistan now – 4 days to elections 15 Oct 2010
• Prayer on monday for Afghanistan 7 Oct 2010
• What we are (and ARE NOT) doing as we pray for Afghanistan 15 Oct 2010
• Getting ready to pray – print off the Afghan areas and the prayers 3 Oct 2010
• Finding a baseline for our prayers – in Afghanistan 3 Oct 2010
• Walking the talk – let’s pray for Afghanistan! 3 Oct 2010 (first in series, oldest post)

Would you like to intercede for peace in your country or in the world? All you need to do is get a map of the area you want to pray for and get this list of scriptures (or download the MS Word version) and speak each scripture out over the area you are praying for. It’s as easy as that.