Jesus' Intercessors

Jesus' Intercessors

 May you be filled with an adoration of our King as we remember and celebrate His birth this Christmas season. May we never lose the wonder of His majesty.

Let us look at two amazing intercessors, Simeon and Anna. Did these two actually pray-in the advent of Jesus? We know that usually intercession comes before a move of God. Clearly, God had burdened these two at that time in history to be intently looking for the Messiah to come to redeem Israel. It is truly remarkable that they knew Him when they saw Him, and they accepted that He was a baby.

Luke 2: 25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.

Luke 2:36 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; 37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years,[i] who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord,[j] and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

What burden is God laying on us to pray for? We can bring forth acts of God through our intercession. First God shares His burden/heart/desire with us (looking for someone to stand in the gap) and then we fill the bowls of heaven with our prayers until He determines the time is right to answer with His plan and purposes.

We want to thank each of you for praying with us again this year. Many of you have joined us throughout the years while others have been with us since the birth of this blog/prayer letter at the beginning of 2009. We have seen some amazing answers to our prayers, while we continue to contend for others. As we walk the land and do the work of the ministry, we count it a joy to have you pray with us and for us. You are making a difference in the heavenlies over this region!
 
Prayer Points:
1)    Pray for the churches of the Balkans, they are generally small and often inward focused. Taking Jesus’ love to the world is the exception and not the norm. Pray that Balkan Christians would share their faith more often and that it comes from a heart of true love.
2)    It is said that the Christians which do not attend church here is larger than those that do. There are various reasons for this, but one of the main reasons is having been hurt by church leadership. Pray that there is a true and deep repentance in church leadership for damage done to His bride. Let us also pray that God would raise up healthy church leadership. 
3)    At the core of our ministry, IST Group, there is a culture of honor. Pray that we honor and love others well, and that we can be an example of godly leadership. Jesus washed the disciple’s feet and we desire to do the same in our life and ministry.
4)    Christmas here in the Balkans is fast becoming commercialized and the focus seems less about Jesus and family, and more about the outward expression. Christians are trying to find what is the right place in all this. Pray that believers here would not lose or neglect the true purpose of the season. May we take the time to express our affection and worship to the One who came to take away the sins of this world.


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Pray for IST Group

Pray for Intentional Strategies for Transformation

We continue to be so very grateful to the Lord for prayer warriors like you, who lift up the Balkans, the IST Group and us in your prayers! When we face challenges, we know that we do not stand alone. Thank you!
At IST we are involved with several initiatives, and of those we would like to highlight two main directions this week and ask your prayer for: The Upper Room Zagreb House Of Prayer (UR Zagreb HOP) and the Lika project.

UR Zagreb HOP 
We have been offered a new home! It is an attic much closer to the center and a much larger space! We really believe that this is God preparing to grow the UR Zagreb HOP, but we need roughly $25K for renovations.

We have two primary purposes in the HOP: First, to worship and lift up the Father, Son and Holy Spirit because the God-head is worthy and second, to pray and intercede for Croatia because God has given us the responsibility to bring forth righteousness in this land. Even as our team, faithfully comes weekly to pray and we take our place on the wall as watchman, there has been a desire to gain a deeper understanding on such things as worship and the principles of the Tabernacle or Tent of David. In order to more fully engage in the dynamics of worshiping in concert with the power of heaven, we need to put better language around this with our team. For this reason, we have decided to take the first Monday of each month and provide teaching on this, and related subjects.

This Monday Dec. 5th we will listen to Michael Mauldin of Upper Room Dallas as he taught on the Tent of David. (To see this teaching, follow the link, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ljx3smmfzyA&t=4890s&list=PL53UyyJumifTsAXMCxlxcj1njrEG3Pf9B&index=16)
 
Lika
Next Friday Dec. 9th we will meet with the three Croatian families who have a burden for this region. Lika is an unreached area that actually lies in the heart of Croatia. There are three primary purposes to this meeting: Team Building and fellowship; Spending time to hear from God and pray together; Discuss vision and the way forward.
 
Prayer Points:
1)    Pray for the UR Zagreb HOP as we continue to grow and lift up Jesus over the country. Pray for the provisions for the renovation of this new space. It will be a blessing for many years to come!
2)    Praise God with us, for the many testimonies! We are not only seeing lives changed but things are changing for the better in economics and government. (We will have specific data on this soon)
3)    Please pray that those attending the prayer sets would realize and walk in their full potential as worshipers and intercessors.
4)    As we begin this new activity of bringing teaching, pray for deeper understanding and even more hunger in individuals.
5)    Pray with us that the worshippers would not only allow the Lord to purge their lives completely in the prayer room but would be fruitful in their daily lives. Lord, teach us the benefits of walking in Your joy and letting it spill over on those we encounter.
6)    Lord, we pray that we would not be satisfied with Your goodness but we would expect Your glory.
7)    Pray for the Lika meeting. Pray that God would bind our hearts together and that the meeting is productive. May each family hear clearly what their involvement is to be in this project and to what extent.
8)    Much sacrifice is needed from each parties in order to answer the call of God. Pray for His sovereign work, clarity and a deep commitment from all.
9)    Pray that we will continue to have favor and guidance from the pastoral leaders in Croatia.

Psalm 51:7
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

2 Chronicles 34:8
In the eighteenth year of his[Josiah] reign, when he had purged the land and the temple, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the Lord his God.
Thanks for standing with IST Group as we seek to bring transformation in this land of Croatia and the Balkans.

Pray for Ljubljana, Zagreb and Belgrade

Pray for Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia

“Revival comes when the grip of darkness over peoples or territories is broken or weakened, and the Holy Spirit is allowed to gain more control, bringing a greater manifestation of God’s Kingdom and His purposes.” Pastor John Mulinde, Uganda

Last week we completed a very intentional and on sight prayer strategy for Ljubljana, Slovenia – Zagreb, Croatia – Belgrade, Serbia. Intentional Strategies for Transformation joined with a very professional team of prayer warriors under the leadership of Henning Schikora of Operation Capitals of Europe. (www.oceprayer.com) Principalities were confronted in the spirit and we know our God extended redemption into these three cities and nations.

Tuesday evening Zuzanna and I drove back into Zagreb after finishing up in Belgrade and we could sense that something had changed. This was the first time we had been involved in spiritual warfare at this level so it was a learning experience for us. It totally amazes us how God works through spiritual acts to advance His Kingdom’s influence over nations. He, the Lord, assembled sixteen people from seven nations to break bondages, set up spiritual boundaries and bless the local believers.
 
Prayer Points: 

1.    Slovenia, is a country with a split identity. For centuries, it has been torn between East and West. A pastor in Ljubljana told us that even now the people have a hard time of thinking of themselves as a nation. It is not that they are fighting against each other but rather there is just no sense of unity and no strong identity. Slovenia is also a leading country in suicides.
   a.    In this age of God bringing forth nations, let us pray for Slovenia to find a common bond. May that bonding be a work of the Holy Spirit.
   b.    First, we ask for a unity of the churches. May the spiritual leaders of Slovenia find common ground and walk in unity.
   c.    We pray for a healthy nationalism for Slovenia that has an influence for good on its European neighbors.
   d.    Slovenia has a strong calling in the area of the arts, yet the enemy has taken their gift. May godly artists arise in Slovenia and take back this sphere of influence. Lord, humble and guide the leadership of Slovenia in all spheres of society.
 
2.    Croatia is such a diverse and beautiful country. The Croatian people corporately don’t know what they have. Pray that Croatians would realize God’s desire to form into a country that blesses many.
   a.    It is obvious that the blessings for Croatia are held back because of injustice in its established institutions. Lord, we pray for exposure that results in legal and moral justice.
   b.    Those that have the privilege to travel to Croatia will see the great natural treasures. Every summer, millions of foreigners, especially Europeans, come to vacation in Croatia. This is why the atmosphere of the country is important. In order for Croatia to be a blessing to Europe and the world, the people must have a welcoming attitude. Pray that Croatians will learn to “Bless the Guest”.
   c.     In Croatia, there is a heavy influence from the Roman Catholic Church. This is a religious spirit that brings bondage. As the Bible says, where there is darkness the light shines brighter. We have seen a move toward unity among the evangelicals and a surging forth of Catholic Charismatics. Lord, we pray for both of these movements to gain moral ground and shine like a city on a hill.
 
3.    Question; Can anyone tame Serbia? Answer; Yes, the Lord can. Serbia is a country of warriors; It is just built into their nature. Look at their history, they have survived the greatest of tragedies.
   a.    Just think of what could be possible for Serbia if their warrior spirit could be turned against Satan. We have heard a prophetic message more than once, “That when Belgrade burns for Jesus, the whole of the Balkans will be blessed.” We cry out: Lord, let it be, in our lifetime!
   b.    Belgrade has been a fort, village, city and metroplex for about 2,000 years. It sits at the place where the Sava river merges with the mighty Danube river. It has been leveled to the ground in various wars 45 times. This city has never obtained the glory it should have. Let us pray for a spiritual transformation in Belgrade that brings the glory of God.
   c.     What would it be like if Serbia stood up to show forth God’s glory? According to some, Serbia is further along spiritually than Slovenia or Croatia. There is a HOPE in Serbia that is waiting to be unleashed. Let us pray for the release of this hope.
   d.    There is a unity stirring among the evangelicals in Serbia that is healthy. The pastors and church leaders are grasping the revelation that there is strength in unity.

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

Pray for IST Group 11-11-16

Pray for Intentional Strategies for Transformation

The IST Group is privileged to organize the following prayer initiatives for Ljubljana, Slovenia; Zagreb, Croatia and Belgrade, Serbia. An organization based out of France, Operation Capitals of Europe, has a vision to pray in every European capital city. This is a powerful act of petitioning the Lord on behalf of these leading cities and it resembles the IST vison of a foundation of prayer and bringing transformation to the region.

We are growing! IST is currently planning and developing the action plan for 2017 which includes growth in both: human and real estate recourses. This will bring with it new opportunities for ministry and the furtherance of the Kingdom.
 
Prayer Points:
1)    Thank you Lord for this strategic plan for prayer. Pray for our protection as we stand shoulder to shoulder against the enemy in these three countries.
2)    During the breakup of Yugoslavia 25 years ago two of these countries, Croatia and Serbia fought bitterly over many issues. Pray that we may have the breaker anointing to break through the remaining bondages of bitterness.
3)    Looking at the statistics for Slovenia in Operation World, we find these two alarming numbers: 40% claim to be non-religious and since the year 2000 there has been a 0.2% deterioration in the number of evangelical believers. Lord Jesus, please show us how to pray for a reversal of these numbers.
4)    Both Croatia and Serbia do show positive signs of forward movement in the past 15 years. There is still much growth to be had here in the area of unity among the Body of Christ. A real revelation and a joy of giving is not yet flowing. Pray that a culture of honor would increase among brothers and sisters in Christ. Pray that Christians would learn the joy of giving.
5)    Please pray for these 10 days of spiritual warfare in these countries. (Nov. 11-20, 2016) Pray that we will be directed from Heaven in our intercession, petitions and declarations over Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia.
6)    Keep the IST leadership in prayer as many plans must be finalized and decisions made on details to execute the growth which God is entrusting us with.
7)    Growth in human recourses is exciting but a big responsibility at the same time. As the Lord joins others with IST in various capacities, pray that we would operate in much wisdom and servant leadership.
8)    IST has been offered an incredible opportunity to occupy a specious attic space for the future home of the Upper Room Zagreb. This is a very exciting opportunity and we believe a timely blessing as well. The attic needs renovation however, and IST is believing for the $25K to pay for materials needed. We have a team in the US ready to come and complete the labor free of charge. Please pray with us for the $25K.
9)    Continue to pray protection over us as we unfold and execute His strategies. We have had an influx of testimonies of what God is doing in the lives of those attending the prayer sets. May God continue to show up in a big way and may there be a hedge of protection around the IST team.

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

Pray for Montenegro

Pray for Montenegro

Total Evangelicals in the country: 286 people est.; 0.0005% of population – 

Montenegro is among the least evangelized countries on the world. There are only three churches and some small home groups. There are Orthodox and Catholic churches but the people are far from being spiritually taught and delivered from the power of sin.

Here is an amazing fact; There are more tourist visiting the Montenegrin coast each year than there are Montenegrins in the country. Population: 650,000 est. (CIA Factbook) As the Adriatic Coast becomes Europe’s number one vacation spot, Montenegro has a lot to gain.

Montenegro also has a strong relationship with Russia. Many of the tourist each year are Russians. Increasingly, Russian entrepreneurs are investing in Montenegro.

Prayer Points:
1)    Lord, we know it is in Your heart to reach the Montenegrin people. You desire to be lifted-up in Montenegro. Lord, show us how to pray and send help.
2)    Let us pray for intercessors and prayer-walkers to be burdened for the many Montenegrins that do not know Jesus. May they pray through to the point of dominion over the enemies’ territorial bondages. Lord, let the enemies’ days be numbered; we demand he release the people.
3)    Let us pray for laborers to be raised up to go to Montenegro. Holy Spirit, send out a Montenegrin Call and draw Christians to give their lives for this dry land.
4)    Lord, we ask for church planters to get a burden for the towns and villages of Montenegro. Lord, send Your “gatherers”.
5)    Let us pray for the few churches and the small home groups. Lord, let grace be their portion at this time, release hope and expectation in their midst.
6)    What if, Orthodox and Catholic priest started having dreams and visions of the Word replacing icons and statues. Let us honor the painter and sculpture for their skilled representation of the Gospel, but it is the Word that can set Montenegrins free.
7)    Pray for the establishing of an evangelical school in Montenegro that has a branch for training Russian Bible students. (I had this picture of students coming from Russia to a Holy Spirit school in Montenegro)
8)    May the Montenegrin believers seek His face and receive the spirit of boldness in order to reach the locals as well as vacationing tourists.

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

Pray for Zagreb, CROATIA

Pray for Zagreb

Having lived in Zagreb for nearly three years, we have seen a city that looks good on the outside, but if you take a closer look at its inhabitants, they carry an underlying pain.

There are the elderly, who dig through the trash, hoping to find bottles to be redeemed for a voucher. Second, the middle aged generation that hustles from place to place with very little hope of enjoying their dreams. This group actually has this sadness on their face that will break your heart. Now the youth are really interesting; they try their best to stay upbeat enjoying their electronic toys, but underneath there is hopelessness. As for so many the only hope they see for their future is outside of Croatia as unemployment among young adults remains around 48%.

Of course we know that the solution is transformation through the presence of Jesus because when he shows up everything begins to change. Zagreb has seen some small, isolated revivals in the past, but nothing that could be measured as having impacted the culture.

There is hope! I (Jerry) attended a meeting of local pastors a few weeks ago. This meeting was organized by an international evangelical group that is seeking to unify pastors and churches to arise to the challenge of evangelizing their country. I was amazed at how many pastors were present. We had round-table discussions to isolate the hindrances of evangelism in Croatia and how to take steps to overcome those hindrances. There seemed to be a critical honesty there of what hasn’t worked, a desire to implement new ideas and most of all a brotherly love for one another.

George Otis, Jr, whom has studied spiritual revivals, outpourings and transformation, says that there are two elements that are first steps to spiritual renewal, first is desperate prayer and the second is unity of pastors (spiritual leaders). At this meeting, there was a hope of unity. At the Upper Room Zagreb, we consistently pray and foster unity and it is one of the core values of IST, so naturally we are very encouraged to see signs of forward movement.
 
Prayer Points:
1)    Let us pray for the city of Zagreb, asking the Lord for mercy to come for people who have not yet sought Him or don’t know where to find Him.
2)    Pray that there is relief for the many hurting and struggling in Zagreb and in Croatia. May the presence of God fall upon us as a blanket, transforming and bringing hope.
3)    The real hope of any culture is the Church of Jesus Christ. Let us pray for the church in Zagreb. This movement toward unity is a real positive sign.
4)    The above mentioned meeting is an initiative of the Lausanne Movement  https://www.lausanne.org. Pray that the spirit of love for one another grows and a desire to see this city and country evangelized catches on fire. May this take root and not be just another event in the minds of the spiritual leaders.
5)    Pray for desperate prayer to break out in Zagreb. We are seeing 10-13 Christians each week sacrifice their time to come to the Upper Room Zagreb House of Prayer to lift up Jesus and pray for this city and country. Pray that the Lord would take our bowls of prayer and pour them back on the city and country as blessings. May His presence overflow from the Upper Room into the streets of Zagreb!

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

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.