Pray for IST Group

Pray for Intentional Strategies for Transformation

We are so very grateful for each of you who so faithfully pray with us each week for this region and specifically for IST .

God has planted us in Croatia to raise up a ministry that is based and perpetuated out of prayer, thus IST Group was born with a vision to pioneer and resource redemptive transformation in Southeastern Europe. This vison begun to take shape through several values: Establishing a house of prayer, sustainable development among the underutilized, empowering the next generation of leaders, fostering unity in the body of Christ and discipleship. We believe this could be a model that would eventually be replicated across Southeast Europe.

One year ago, we clearly heard the Lord saying for us to spend 12 months focusing most of our efforts on prayer. We spend a year concentrating on raising up a house of prayer (HOP), hosting and teaching at prayer events, and Zuzanna completed a prayer walk through a strategic region of Croatia. As we approach the 1 year anniversary of our HOP, we are so in awe of what the Lord has done! This HOP, which we named Upper Room Zagreb (UR Zagreb), is going strong. Every week people are giving testimony of their lives being changed as they spend time in the presence of the Lord.

Our hearts continue to burn for redemptive transformation of lives, communities, cities and the nations of this region. While maintaining the UR Zagreb HOP, simultaneously the Lord is now directing our attention on an impoverished, war torn area of Croatia that has no evangelical churches or known believers. The Lika area is in the heart of Croatia; 5,000 Sq. Km or 2,000 Sq. miles, about the size of the state of Delaware. Throughout the past several months, the Lord brought us in contact with three families who have a very strong burden for Lika. Our approach will be a centralized farm that will serve as a base for establishing Upper Room Lika first as a house of prayer, which we believe will eventually become a church community. The Lord has given us further vision for this undertaking which we will share at a later time.
 
Prayer Points:
1)    The vision is broad and it is tailored specifically for this region. We are convinced that God has not forgotten the suffering of the Balkan people. Pray for us, that we will stay the course and execute His plan with excellence.
Habakkuk 2:2 Then the Lord answered me and said: “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it.
2)    Thank you so much for praying with us this past year to see the house of prayer established. Now please join us in praying for the Lika project.
3)    Pray that the Lord would join to us financial partners to help carry the load. The need has been identified and the Lord is ready to assemble a team.
4)    Zuzanna is now in the US casting the vision. Pray for open doors.
5)    The people in Croatia are suffering physically and spiritually. Pray that we as IST Group would be always listening for the Lord’s next step.
6)    We are ready to run. Ephesians 6:15  And having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Zuzanna will be in the Dallas/Fort Worth area off and on until Oct. 22nd. If you are in the area, call or text her @ 940.218.7093 and schedule a meeting so you can hear what God is doing. I know Zuzanna would love to hear form you.

Pray for Croatia 9-20-16

Over the past month we have been asking you to pray for the September 11th election in Croatia. This was the second election this year trying to get a working government. Even after this election no one party has a majority which means that unless the ministers swallow their pride and work together, there will be no reform. Unless there is reform the economy will remain a yoke that chokes progress.
 
Implications
A HDZ-led coalition under Mr. Plenković will hope to foster greater stability after the turbulence of the previous administration. The Croatian economy is among the weakest in the EU and relies hugely on the tourism industry of Croatia’s Adriatic coastline in particular. Overall unemployment has reached 13% and public debt has reached 85% of GDP, while the investment climate remains poor, as Croatia emerges from a six year recession. Political deadlock has prevented the enactment of key reforms over the past few years, while allocation of available EU funds since accession has also been problematic. Mending relations with its Balkan neighbors, in particular Serbia, will also be important in the next administration. (Sorry, no link is available for this article)

Croatia Soon to Become Poorest and Most Backward EU Nation
Croatia is in danger of becoming the poorest and most backward EU nation. This is seen in the data on purchasing power of citizens, showing Croatia is the only country that went backwards since 2008, while holding the second to last place in the EU, Večernji List reported on July 4, 2016.
http://www.total-croatia-news.com/item/12844-croatia-soon-to-become-poorest-and-most-backward-eu-nation
 
Prayer Points:
1)    Let us first of all, stand for the purposes of God in Croatia. We say YES to Gods destiny and no to the plans of the enemy to make Croatia the most Backward nation in the EU.
2)    Pray for a shift in the economic climate of Croatia.
3)    May there be a release of investments toward growth in Croatia. Having spent some time traveling last month through Croatia, I find a beautiful land that needs to be developed. May there be favorable laws passed in order to support the farmers of this land.
4)    Pray for this new government to come together in the spirit of wisdom and co-operation. Pray that the ministers would react in favor of the people.
5)    Pray for pro-business reforms that can stimulate the economy.
6)    Pray for Croatia’s relations with Serbia. After nearly 25 years, there are still charged exchanges of words and sadly sometimes these exchanges are infused instead of defused. Pray they would find workable solutions to their disagreements. Pray for healing to flow and wash over the land.
7)    Of course the overarching need in Croatia is revival in the churches and reformation in the culture. We pray for Holy Spirit to move across the land and soften hearts.
8)    Pray God would raise up the burning ones in this nation who would be so on fire for more of Him, that they would overflow and impact their community for Jesus.
Please leave a Comment or Reaction so we will know you prayed.

Pray for Zagreb, Croatia 9-12-16

We heard a speaker say the other day, “When Jesus met people He didn’t try to save them but He just loved them”. This is a liberating paradigm shift! To love with no agenda! Expecting nothing in return, but letting Holy Spirit draw those we love in the process. Jesus is the “living water” and He made people actually thirsty for the Kingdom. This is what Zagreb needs! More Christians loving their neighbors with no agenda, loving well. Of course Jesus died on the cross to save us but He built His Kingdom by loving people as He still does today.


At the Upper Room HOP we often pray for the churches of Zagreb and their pastors. Mid-summer 2015 the Lord spoke to us at IST about many transitions and shifting that would take place in the coming 12 months in several of the churches here in the city. As we birth the Upper Room Zagreb 11 months ago, we prayed a lot into this and for God to bless, give grace and guide the transitions. We have seen this very thing happen, he is truly creating new “wine skins”. There really are very few evangelical Christians in Zagreb. Among a population of 1 million, there are perhaps 2,000, of which about 40% are disenfranchised and do not attend any church. This is due to past church splits, personal disagreements, offences and just the spirit of division overall.

This past Sunday were Parliamentary elections here in Croatia, and Zagreb being the capital city, bares a large amount of the stress associated with elections. Hopelessness and voter apathy is wide spread in this city.

Prayer Points:
1)    Let us pray for Christians in Zagreb to “love well”. Jesus’ compassion needs to be released in Zagreb. 2 Corinthians 5:19-20 (NKJV)
2)    We pray for a refreshing wind of His Spirit to blow across this city, that believers would have renewed passion for others.
3)     We lift up the churches who have, and others that are still, in the midst of transition. For some, this means physical relocation, or adjusting to new leadership, for others restructuring, and yet others several of the above. Grace, grace and more grace! May the enemy have no open doors in the midst of the change.
4)    Pray that as the new wine skin develops, disenfranchised believers would be brought back into the fold and be reunited with the Body of Christ in Zagreb.
5)    Pray for a radical new mindset regarding evangelism. May selfless love prevail. May the Bride of Christ in Zagreb walk in such humility, honor and freedom, that they will be like rain on a dry and parched land.
6)    Let us pray for the municipal officials that administer the daily workings of the city. May they be friendly and accommodating to Christian groups that plan events in city spaces so that the gospel can be freely proclaimed.
7)    Pray for hope to be reawakened in citizens. May believers recognize the times they are living in and the opportunity they have been presented, to let His light shine in this city.
8)    Let us pray for Zagreb as a city. Cities have strong character and themes. Pray that the Holy Spirit would hover over the city to insure peace.

Please leave a Comment or Reaction so we will know you Prayed.

Pray for IST Group 9-6-16

The Lika Project

In preparation for the next IST project, Zuzanna just completed a prayer-walk across Croatia. The primary purpose of this walk was to release God’s blessing and transformative power, invite His glory and presence to this land. A part of this walk was to target specifically the Lika area of Croatia. The 305 km or about 200 mile walk which Zuzanna completed is quite a feat, and her blistered and aching feet tell the real story.

Lika is an area totaling 5,000 sq km or 2,000 sq miles in the heart of Croatia. The population of Lika is about 50,000 with no evangelical community of any kind. Lika experienced a major displacement of its population in the 1991-95 war that broke up the former Yugoslavia. During the war between Serbian and Croatian ethnic groups many Serbs left due to the fighting. The war ended 23 years ago, yet many of those who remained in these areas, to this day live in homes damaged by bombs and shelling. There are believed to be over 46,000 land mines still unaccounted for today in Croatia, and a large portion are in Lika. Restoration is slow and spotty. Jobs are scarce and hopelessness is rampant. We believe that a cry for justice was heard during this prayer walk. There are many villages and small towns which resemble places frozen in time, but there are three main cities in Lika which we are initially focusing on: Gospić, Otočac and Gračac.

God is connecting the dots! As we have formed an advisory team specifically for the Lika Project, we are encouraged at the level of interest by key leaders. We also see that God has already been preparing key individuals and He is very rapidly connecting us with them.

The Upper Room HOP
The house of prayer is going exceptionally well. We continue to meet five days a week praying and inviting His presence to invade earth. We had a testimony time the other day and we realized God is working in all the ones attending. One lady’s business is showing increase and another man has picked up a guitar after many years of resenting it. And there are others.
 
Prayer Points:
1)    Please pray for us at IST Group. May we be faithful to plow, sow and reap the field we are planted in.
2)    May Zuzanna's steps across Croatia be a declaration to the enemy that transformation is on the way!
3)    Pray for Lika:
  a.    Socioeconomic development is needed almost form the ground up.
  b.    Pray that new laws would be passed giving incentives for industry to return to Lika
  c.    Pray that agriculture would return. Pr 13:23 says “There is much food in the fallow ground of the poor and because of a lack of justice there is waist.” Lika is beautiful and full of natural recourses. Let’s cry out for justice in this land!
  d.    Pray for our growing Lika team to know how to love well. In order to feed the spiritual needs of the people, we must know how to be the hands and feet of Jesus in Lika.
  e.    Pray for Jesus to be lifted up so the people can see the power of His resurrection.
  f.    Pray for IST Group and our efforts in the Lika Project. May we hear His heart and move to His heartbeat which will unlock His strategies for this largely unreached region. 
4)    Pray for Upper Room Zagreb house of prayer. May God continue to bring those that want to go deeper with Him.

Please leave a Comment or Reaction so we will know you Prayed.

Pray for Macedonia 8-23-16

Pray for Macedonia

At least 21 people have died in floods that hit the Macedonian capital, Skopje, following torrential rain. - Aug. 7. 2016

The victims' bodies were found on Sunday morning after the storm passed. Several people are still missing.

Some of the victims drowned in their cars. Parts of the city's ring road were swept away in the floods, dragging cars into nearby fields.

Three-and-a-half inches (93mm) of rain fell in Skopje in the storm - more than the average for the whole of August.

The water level reached as high as five feet (1.5 meters) in some of the affected areas, reports said.
"Everything was a mess. Televisions, the fridge, the sofa, everything was floating... it was a nightmare," said Baze Spriovski, a 43-year-old from Singelic in the outskirts of Skopje. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-37002364 
 
Short History of Macedonian Origins

Macedonians are a people group that have come together over many centuries. The assimilation of peoples have been; in the ancient time there was the Thracian people and then the Illyrians, In the late 6th century BC, the Achaemenid Persians stayed awhile put they retreated as the Greeks became stronger, then in the 4th century B.C. Phillip II begin to establish what could be considered the first Macedonians and gave them a country. Phillip’s son Alexandra the Great built a fighting force and conquered half the known world. From the fall of Alexandra until 1991 (approximately 2100 years) the Macedonian people were subjects of multiple empires that tried to control the Balkan land mass; Romans, Greeks, Serbians, Bulgarians and Albanians. By majority Macedonians are predominately Slavs due to the Slavic invasion of the Balkans in the 6th thru 8th century.  

The question begs to be asked, why would God establish Macedonia as a nation after 2000+ years of occupation? Is there a seed that was dormant for all that time and now is springing forth? Although the Macedonian people have intermarried with many nationalities, they draw upon the days of Alexandra the Great as their inspiration for the future.

In addition, 33% of  the Macedonian population is ethnically Albanian. The Macedonians and Albanians do not assimilate well and so there is constant friction between the two groups.

Prayer Points:
1)    Pray for the Macedonian people to recover from the unexpected flooding. May God help them in the process to see His mighty hand.
2)    Please pray for the Christians in Macedonia to rise up and be helpful to their neighbors regardless of nationality.
3)    We are often reminded of Israel and how that after 2000 years they became a nation again. In a way this is also true with Macedonia. Pray that Macedonians would recognize that they have destiny as a nation.
4)    Pray for the spheres of influence in Macedonia; family, religion, education, business, government, media and arts/entertainment. Ask the Lord to prepare people that honor Him to take leading positions in those areas.
5)    This past spring, we spent some days in Macedonia visiting churches and also the House of Prayer. Let us pray for the Macedonian Christians as they live for Him in a culture where few know of His love.
6)    Let us thank the Lord for the House of Prayer in the capital of Skopje. May those brothers and sisters move into a realm of total victory as they lift up Jesus over the nation.
7)    Let us believe for an out-pouring of God’s mercy upon Macedonia. Lord come and purify Your children so You can flow through them to show Your love.
8)    May the Christians go the extra mile to reach out to their Albanian neighbors. Macedonians and Albanians can live in peace when Jesus is their peace maker.

Please leave a Comment or Reaction so we will know you prayed.

Pray for Croatia 8-15-16

Today, Aug. 15,2016 is Assumption of Mary Day. This is the belief that Mary, mother of Jesus, was assumed (ascended) into heaven and did not die a natural death. It is celebrated in Croatia as one of the main holidays of the year. We as evangelical Christians believe this is not biblical, furthermore we believe this to be a curse upon the nation of Croatia, and all of Catholicism. You can read the following Catholic apologetics which attempts to explain this belief, yet it falls short.

The Assumption
The doctrine of the Assumption says that at the end of her life on earth Mary was assumed, body and soul, into heaven, just as Enoch, Elijah, and perhaps others had been before her. It’s also necessary to keep in mind what the Assumption is not. Some people think Catholics believe Mary "ascended" into heaven. That’s not correct. Christ, by his own power, ascended into heaven. Mary was assumed or taken up into heaven by God. She didn’t do it under her own power.
 
The Church has never formally defined whether she died or not, and the integrity of the doctrine of the Assumption would not be impaired if she did not in fact die, but the almost universal consensus is that she did die. Pope Pius XII, in Munificentissimus Deus (1950), defined that Mary, "after the completion of her earthly life" (note the silence regarding her death), "was assumed body and soul into the glory of heaven."  http://www.catholic.com/tracts/immaculate-conception-and-assumption

After talking to a leader of one of the churches here in Croatia, we understand in part the obsession with Mary worship. This brother shared that Croatians are very attached and admire their mothers, the matriarch of their families. Therefore, this strong affiliation with Mary is a psychological connection that somewhat translates to them spiritually. Another Croatian Christian explained how that Croatian Catholics pray to Mary because Jesus is the “suffering one” carrying the burdens of the world, therefore they feel it is best instead to pray to His mother, who can convey the heartfelt concern of redemption. Have you ever noticed that in many cathedrals Mary will be portrayed above Jesus? This is especially true in Croatia. When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to announce the immaculate conception of Jesus, he did say, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” (Luke 1:28) Yes she should have a special place in our heart, but Mary was a human being, a sinner. She should never be placed above the Lord Jesus Christ. The roots of this heresy go very deep in Croatia. This belief has pulled a thick veil over the eyes of many. Mary worship is an intricate part of the chains that bind many Croatians. We encounter born again Catholics and it is wonderful to see them love Jesus! Usually they face a long and hard process to walk away from Mary worship. This truly is a spiritual battle!

Prayer Points:
1)    Thank the Lord for Croatian mothers. They have to be very courageous to have withstood the turbulent history of Croatia. Pray that they will be honored appropriately.
2)    Let us pray with deep conviction against the cures of Mary worship that dominates Croatia.
3)    Young Croatians are turning away from the Catholic church by the droves. This can present a challenge, because they associate the Catholic church with all Christian churches. Let us pray into this trend, in that their empty hearts will actually be filled by the Holy Spirit.
4)    There is a strong movement of Charismatic Catholics in Croatia. Please pray that they would be so drawn close to Jesus that Mary worship would be revealed for what it is, and fade from their experiences.
5)    With Croatia being 90%+ culturally Catholic, evangelization of the country is very slow. Pray for God’s strategies, wisdom, boldness and passion to reach Croatia.
6)    Pray for evangelicals in Croatia, that they would not despise their Catholic neighbors but love them and reach out to them with Jesus’ love.
7)    We should pray for the Charismatic Catholics. May the Lord move in a mighty way to rescue them from the empty rituals of the church.

> Please leave a Comment or Reaction so we will know you Prayed.

Pray for Zagreb Croatia - 8-8-2016

Pray for Zagreb

"Old Zagreb" was originally made up of two settlements, Gradec (also known as Gornji Grad) and Kaptol. The two settlements were situated on two neighboring hills, separated by a creek.

The existence of Kaptol, the settlement on the east slope, was confirmed in 1094 when King Ladislaus founded the Zagreb diocese. The bishop, his residence and the Cathedral had their seat in the southeast part of the Kaptol hill. Kaptol Street ran from the south to the north across the Kaptol terrace with canons' residences arranged in rows alongside. As the Latin word for a group or body of canons is "capitulum" (kaptol), so Kaptol got its name. The canons also ruled this settlement.

NOTE: Originally, a canon was cleric living with others in a clergy house or, later, in one of the houses within the precinct of or close to the cathedral and conducting its life according to the orders or rules of the Catholic church.

In 1242 Gradec received a charter of great privileges from the Hungarian King Bela IV to organize a city of artisans and merchants. Gradec, had their own autonomy, judiciary, privileges in crafts and trade, plus the right to organize fairs. They could travel to markets without paying custom duties and Gradec citizens were encouraged to build city walls for defense. 

As these two areas of Zagreb developed over the centuries they had deep differences due to their inception; Kaptol, being clerical as church ministers and Gradec, being the merchant class which held as their main concern trade and commerce. Over the years there were many skirmishes between the two.

The spiritually alert in Zagreb recognize that this division in the early days of the city has the effect of a “spirit of division” that effects the city and even the country. Not only is there strong division in the political life of Zagreb but the churches are effected also. There have been many church splits and the churches have a history of discord amongst each other.

We do have hope! Throughout the course of several years, we have seen forward movement and some signs of healing. In the Upper Room HOP, where we pray for the country, we often pray for the churches to reject this “spirit of division” and come together in unity so they may fight the real enemy, Satan and his tactics. The creek has long since, been paved over and now only the keen observer can see a difference in the two areas of the city.

On another note: Today is a special day! On August 8th 2008 Jerry, started systematically praying for the Balkan countries, increasingly known today as Southeastern Europe. We carried an intercessory burden for this region for many years but on that date, eight years ago, Jerry heard the Lord say: make it systematic and develop a pattern of prayer. In 2009 the blog was created and intercessors begun to join in prayer and those interested in the spiritual condition of Southeastern Europe. This is likely how you landed on this mailing list. The blog became a catalyst to focused prayer on the spiritual, political and socioeconomic problems of Southeastern Europe.

 To check out the archives of previous blogs, open the following: www.freebalkans.blogspot.com and www.istprayer.blogspot.com. Please note the name change from Freebalkans to ISTprayer in September of 2015 to align with Intentional Strategies for Transformation, our new ministry name.
 
Prayer Points:
1)    Let us focus our prayers on the spirit of division in Zagreb. It seems that the secular in Zagreb for the most part have passed on, no longer being concerned about the divisions of the past. Unfortunately, it still effects the government and the evangelical churches.
2)    The evangelical churches need to resolve these divisions in order to present the true message of Jesus Christ to the lost. Pray that Christians would have a revelation of Christ love as described in Matt 22:36-39.
3)    Christians should be an influence on merchants and encourage good business practices. Let us pray for Christian businessmen/women and the godly influence they can have on the business climate of Zagreb and beyond.
4)     Pray for Zagreb which is a city of influence. As the capital of Croatia, it is the largest in the nation, with a population of 1 million, and it is located in the center of the country.
5)    As the capital city, it is important that Zagreb has a healthy Christian expression and influence on the country. Pray for an evangelical explosion in Zagreb that will develop a Christian hub in order to affect the rest of the country. May there be a day when Zagreb churches are sending out evangelist throughout Croatia.

Thank the Lord for how we saw His love of Southeastern Europe for the past eight years. Many, many thanks to each of you who have lifted up petitions in prayer for this region. There is a reward waiting for you! Today, Southeastern Europe remains the lest evangelized part of the world, with only about 0.5% evangelical believers, but off in the distance we see a small cloud, the size of a hand! Come and pour out Your Glory, Lord!

Please leave a Comment or Reaction so we will know you Prayed.