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Global Day of Prayer 2007 - Skopje
This week I had the rather weird experience of being invited to a cross-church pastors meeting to talk about 24-7 prayer. In my previous life I was well used to presenting ideas to senior directors and stiff looking men in drab suits, I think I was rather good at it, I usually managed to get a laugh or 2 and everyone thanked me at the end which is usually a good sign. However I must say I have really enjoyed not doing it. There’s far too much of ‘I hope they like me’ or trying to work out how to add in a joke without offending ,generally its self promotion and I have worked very hard at self denial (I’m not good at it but I do try hard!)
So Wednesday morning I put a shirt on for the first time in a year (except for one wedding), its not that I was super paranoid but thought the shirt would balance out the piercings and the rest of my general scruffyness. The meeting kicked off early (pre coffee early), it was like going to one of those pastors breakfast meetings but without the breakfast.
We worshipped a bit and I got a loose translation of the Global Day of Prayer plan from Alpin. Alpins translation especially before coffee contains lots of ‘blah, blah, blah’ but nether the less I was getting pretty excited by the passion flowing from these leaders and their honest desire and commitment to see the prayers released here in Macedonia. As clips were shown of stadium sized prayer meetings in places like Pakistan, Hong Kong and South Africa it dawned on me that the church here is a persecuted church, they have to battle their way forward, every step is a fight. A fight against the Orthodox, against superstition and tradition against ignorance and the remnants of a communist state. Seriously! There are churches here that have been forced to shut down because the local town thought they were sacrificing children. In the south a friend told me how a member of the church had suffered when she came to Christ, the ladies husband died and she was refused permission by the local leaders to bury the body (this was a muslim area) becoming desperate she went to the Orthodox church who also refused. Finally she went back to the muslim leaders and was eventually allowed to bury her husband just outside the graveyard. The lady was eventually driven from the village after her windows were broken.
I couldn’t believe how open these protestant church leaders were to the idea of 24-7 prayer. I remember coming back years ago from the Cultural Shift gig and having to let the other Kings Arms leaders know I’d just signed up our tiny church up to a week of unbroken prayer (gulp). And yet these guys were all up for it! One pastor shared a vision he’d had years ago for a non-stop prayer room for Skopje, which amazingly affirms a vision Dejan shared with Glasnost a few weeks ago!
The end result of the meeting is that we have a heap of churches (6 or so?) committing to pray together for 10 days non-stop, stage a big prayer meeting at the end of the time and then get out and work together to bless the community. Oh and it looks like Alpin managed to convince a nice American to sponsor the translation of Red Moon Rising into Macedonian.
Cool huh?
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Pastor Saleem Raza
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(25.5.08 13:50)
THE GLOBAL DAY OF PRAYER {RAIWIND PAKISTAN}
REPORT OF PRAYER MEETING
We thank the Holy Spirit who empowered and guided us towards praying on the Global day of prayer that we joined the believers on the earth. Our meeting was successfully held today. It proved blessed and Pastors, Evangelists and leaders attended our church.
By the Grace of our Lord w e prayed for the unity of our country and committed to be unite in Christ and grow together with a new aim in life. All the leaders of church unitedly prayed and promised to serve the Lord peacefully.
They all repented and assured of help one another in all ways. In this way the environment will be better for the service in the Lord.
Prayer for unity and prosperity of Pakistan was the main point of this day. These were the Beautiful words that we pray God to open the windows of the heaven for Pakistan.
On the day of PENTECOST ,the Holy Spirit richly blessed the people.
May the Lord bless you all in all ways. We shall continue to support you through prayer.
In His Service,
PASTOR SALEEM RAZA
Coordinator,The Global Day Of Prayer,
Raiwind , Pakistan.
P.O.Box # 14003 Raiwind 55150
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