Big Prayers
During a conference in August 2023, Apostle John Alley prayed this prayer for New Life.
Part of the words include this:
I ask O Lord that you would you give them authority to rule the nations with a rod of iron as you speak of. Lord grant power to Keith and his people to overcome and to sit with you on your throne and to rule nations. That is, I ask O Lord that you would give them the ability, give them the insight, give them the grace by which they can pray prayers to touch anything in the world, shift anything in the world, heal anything in the world in the world, break the power of any wickedness in the world.
As a result, we are believing that God is calling us to pray for big issues in Australia and the world.
We will start with two points of prayer. This page will be updated from time to time with developments relating to these issues and any other issues that we feel the Lord is asking us to take on board.
1. Coburg Baptist Church
Coburg is an inner suburb of Melbourne (about 8 lm north of the CBD). Coburg Baptist Church was established around 1890. It thrived for many years, but with the post-war demographic changes, it has been declining for several decades.
One of the deacons, Marc Hudson, has been trying to encourage the church to comce under John Alley’s headship and to seek deeper community.
Other members and the pastor, Paul Reissen, are not seeing the same vision.
Pray for:
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Marc to be a gentle servant and not to put people off by pursuing his vision too assertively.
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Pastor David to be led by the Holy Spirit in all things.
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The church to nor be fragmented as it works out where God is leading them.
UPDATE 22/11/23
I have been told that a new couple has started attending the church, and they are committed to participating. He is favourable to the apostolic message.
2. Ukraine
From Wikipedia:
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which borders it to the east and northeast. It also borders Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; and Romania and Moldova to the southwest; with a coastline along the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov to the south and southeast. Kyiv is the nation's capital and largest city, followed by Kharkiv, Dnipro and Odesa. Ukraine's official language is Ukrainian; Russian is also widely spoken, especially in the east and south.
During the Middle Ages, Ukraine was the site of early Slavic expansion and the area later became a key centre of East Slavic culture under the state of Kievan Rus', which emerged in the 9th century. The state eventually disintegrated into rival regional powers and was ultimately destroyed by the Mongol invasions of the 13th century. The area was then contested, divided, and ruled by a variety of external powers for the next 600 years, including the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Austrian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Tsardom of Russia. The Cossack Hetmanate emerged in central Ukraine in the 17th century, but was partitioned between Russia and Poland, and ultimately absorbed by the Russian Empire. Ukrainian nationalism developed, and following the Russian Revolution in 1917, the short-lived Ukrainian People's Republic was formed. The Bolsheviks consolidated control over much of the former empire and established the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, which became a constituent republic of the Soviet Union when it was formed in 1922. In the early 1930s, millions of Ukrainians died in the Holodomor, a human-made famine. The German occupation during World War II in Ukraine was devastating: 7 million Ukrainian civilians were killed, including the majority of Ukrainian Jews.
Ukraine gained independence in 1991 as the Soviet Union dissolved, and declared itself neutral. A new constitution was adopted in 1996. A series of mass demonstrations, known as the Euromaidan, led to the establishment of a new government in 2014 after a revolution. Russia then unilaterally annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula; and pro-Russian unrest culminated in a war in the Donbas between Russian-backed separatists and government forces in eastern Ukraine. Since the outbreak of war with Russia, Ukraine has continued to seek closer ties with the United States, European Union, and NATO Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Ukraine is a unitary state with a semi-presidential system. A developing country, it is the poorest country in Europe by nominal GDP per capita and corruption remains a significant issue. However, due to its extensive fertile land, pre-war Ukraine was one of the largest grain exporters in the world. It is a founding member of the United Nations, as well as a member of the Council of Europe, the World Trade Organization, and the OSCE. It is in the process of joining the European Union and has submitted an application for NATO membership.
The war with Russia has had severe ramifications for the people of Ukraine and for the world. Ukraine is a massive exporter of various food products including wheat.
In recent months, Ukraine has been making slow progress in repelling Russian forces. This map from the BBC shows the current state of Russian control in Ukraine as at 24/8/23
We need to pray for:
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peace and an end to all fighting
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withdrawal of Russian fighters
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reconstruction
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political freedom and an end to all corruption in both Ukraine and Russian-backed
UPDATE 26/9/23
From the BBC:
Ukraine claims Sevastopol strike hit navy commanders
Ukraine says Friday's missile strike on the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea fleet in Crimea was timed to coincide with a meeting of naval officials.
In a short statement, the Ukrainian military claimed the strike had caused deaths and injuries but did not provide more details.
On Friday Moscow said one serviceman was missing after the attack.
The fleet, based in the port city of Sevastopol, is seen as the best of Russia's navy.
A Ukrainian military source told the BBC that Friday's attack was carried out using Storm Shadow missiles, which are supplied by Britain and France.
The Ukrainian military statement on Saturday asserted that it had left "dozens of dead and wounded occupiers, including the top management of the fleet".
Kyiv's intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, claimed that two Russian commanders were badly injured in the missile strike.
The BBC is unable to independently verify many of the battlefield claims made by either side.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Western powers were "de facto fighting against us, using the hands and bodies of Ukrainians".
He was speaking to journalists after delivering a speech at the UN General Assembly in New York, where he denounced the West as "a real empire of lies" unable to negotiate with the rest of the world.
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, triggering international condemnation. Moscow had illegally annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula in 2014.
The Sevastopol area came under renewed attack on Saturday. The city's Russian-installed governor, Mikhail Razvozhaev, said debris from a missile shot down by air defences had fallen near a pier.
He also told residents he was ordering an inspection of bomb shelters following some complaints they were hard to access or in poor condition.
"We earnestly ask everyone: stop sowing panic and pleasing our enemies with this - panic is their main goal," he wrote on Telegram.
Kyiv's forces have recently been launching near-daily strikes against Russian forces based in Crimea.
Last week, Ukraine's navy claimed to have knocked out an S-400 air defence missile battery covering the peninsula, degrading Russia's ability to defend against fresh attacks.
A day earlier, a large Russian landing ship and submarine were damaged in an attack which Ukraine said also made use of Storm Shadow missiles.
The attacks on Crimea are strategically and symbolically important.
As well as being a platform from which to attack Ukraine, the Black Sea fleet is a major symbol of Russia's centuries-old military presence in the region.
It was based in Crimea under a leasing deal even before Russia's 2014 annexation of the peninsula.
UPDATE 4/9/23
From the BBC
Ukraine War: Counter-offensive troops punch through Russia line, generals claim
Since June, Kyiv's territorial gains have been very small - but is Ukraine finally at a turning point?
"Yes, it's true," says Yuriy Sak, an advisor to Ukraine's defence minister, when asked if the breach had happened.
"Little by little, I think we're gaining momentum," he said.
"We are now between the first and second defensive lines," one of Ukraine's top generals in the south, Brig Gen Oleksandr Tarnavskiy told Britain's Observer newspaper.
His words echoed those of the White House spokesman John Kirby, who on Friday told reporters in Washington that Ukrainian forces had "achieved some success against that second line."
The focus of Ukraine's counter-offensive effort in recent weeks has been an expanding bridgehead around the tiny village of Robotyne, some 56km (35 miles) south-east of the city of Zaporizhzhia.
Ukrainian forces raised the country's blue and yellow flag over the village more than a week ago, and are now trying to widen the gap to allow larger infantry and armoured units to pass through without coming under Russian fire.
If that can be achieved, there is a chance Ukraine's offensive can gain momentum as it approaches second and third defensive lines, which may not be quite as robust as the first.
Fighting has been reported east of Robotyne, on the edge of the larger village of Verbove, but like everything so far, it's slow, painstaking work.
A glance at the map shows a mass of overlapping, complex Russian defensive lines, complete with minefields, tank traps and trenches. Some of them converge at Verbove.
Without air cover and in the face of sometimes withering Russian artillery fire, small Ukrainian units have been clearing a way through these hazards, preparing the ground for a larger assault.
"When these openings appear, of course, it makes it easier for our forces to advance," Mr Sak said.
UPDATE 6/9/23
On 29 August, Ukraine launched a drone attack on a Russian airbase in Pskov, over 400 miles from the Ukrainian border. Several enormous (and enormously expensive) transport planes were significantly damaged.
Just a year ago, such an attack beyond Ukraine’s borders would have been almost unthinkable. But no more. In recent weeks, Ukraine has stepped up its use of drones to strike targets inside Russia. Its recent attacks on military bases were preceded by drone attacks earlier in August on Moscow’s business district and on Russian ships.
For much of the war, Ukraine had restricted hostilities to Ukrainian territory. The only exceptions to this strategy were the strikes on key logistics routes, such as last October’s attack on the Kerch bridge, which connects mainland Ukraine to Crimea. Even then, it should be remembered that Ukraine sees the bridge as well within its own territory.
Part of the reason for restricting attacks on Russia to Ukrainian territory was a desire to avoid escalation – a concern voiced particularly strongly by the US, Ukraine’s biggest backer. So what do the recent drone attacks within Russian territory tell us about the course of the war?
Most obviously, they reveal the extent to which drones, even if they have not rewritten the rules of warfare, have changed how wars are fought. Last winter, the main concern for Ukraine was countering swarms of Iranian-made drones, which alongside cruise missiles were being used to attack key energy infrastructure and plunge households into sub-zero temperatures. Now, Russia faces a similar aerial bombardment from Ukraine.
Both Ukraine and now Russia have struggled to counter the attacks from drones. They are small, which makes them difficult to detect. And they’re cheap, which means they are more expensive to shoot down than to launch. According to many reports, Ukraine has been especially adept at deploying drones on the battlefield. Now it seems to be turning its attention further afield. New innovations – including making drones out of cardboard, rendering them even harder to detect – are already having an effect.
UPDATE 17/10/23
Ukraine war: Russia attacks Avdiivka stronghold in eastern Ukraine
Russian troops have launched a major offensive on the town of Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine. Three battalions involving some 2,000 troops, dozens of armoured vehicles as well as jets have been reportedly involved in what is described as the largest-scale attack in this area.
The General Staff of Ukraine says they have managed to repel dozens of attacks in Avdiivka and nearby areas since Tuesday.
"They launched their offensive on a wide front," Serhiy Tsekhovsky, an officer from the 59th brigade, told the BBC.
"Since the beginning of the invasion, we haven't dealt with such an intensive attack [in the area near Avdiivka]. They are using multiple rocket launchers, artillery, tanks and infantry - all at the same time."
Avdiivka is described as a gateway to the city of Donetsk, the capital of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region.
Although Russia and its proxy forces have occupied Donetsk city since 2014, they have been unable to use its resources as a key military communications hub because it is too close to the front line. By capturing Avdiivka, the occupying force could push the front line away.
But Avdiivka is important not just because of its strategic role. This town has been right on the front line since Moscow annexed Crimea nine years ago and the conflict in eastern Ukraine began.
As a result, the town of Avdiivka has turned into a symbol of Ukrainian resistance and resilience.
Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has shared photos of Avdiivka on social media saying: "We are holding our ground. It is Ukrainian courage and unity that will determine how this war will end."
Military positions and residential areas of Avdiivka have been relentlessly pummelled for the last three days.
"On average, there are 50-60 instances of intense shelling with artillery and rockets targeting the town," says Vitaliy Barabash, the head of Avdiivka's military administration. "As for military positions, they get hit at least 500-600 times a day."
Apartment blocks, office buildings and a hospital have been damaged, he complains.
"The firing doesn't stop," he adds. "There were about 20 air strikes yesterday during the day time. At night, 12 KAB-500 bombs were dropped on the town." The BBC cannot verify his comments.
Some 1,600 residents remain in Avdiivka. Most of them moved into basements long ago, but they don't always provide good protection.
According to Mr Barabash, as a result of the latest attacks, one person was killed and at least two more are feared dead under the rubble.
Russian attempts to move forward appear to be aimed at seizing the villages of Berdyche and Stepove to the north of Avdiivka and the villages of Tonenke and Severne to the south.
UPDATE: 8/11/23
Ukraine war: Kyiv hit by biggest drone attack since war began
Russia has launched its biggest drone attack on Kyiv since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine began last year, the city's mayor has said.
Residents were woken by explosions before dawn on Saturday, and for more than six hours, the booms of Kyiv's air defences echoed through the city.
There was wave after wave of attacks from the north and east.
Officials said more than 75 Iranian-made Shahed drones were fired at the capital - all but one were shot down.
With Russia's dwindling missile stocks, Shahed drones are seen as a cheap alternative. They are slower than ballistic missiles and have a distinctive wingspan.
It was a night where the whines of their engines blended with the booms of the city's air defences.
As ever, even if a missile or drone is intercepted, the falling debris can be lethal too.
There have been no reported deaths from this attack, but at least five people were injured, including an 11-year-old child, Kyiv's mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said.
A kindergarten was among the buildings damaged.
For several quiet weeks, Moscow had been suspected of stockpiling missiles. That abruptly ended this morning.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the strikes an act of "wilful terror" and said that his country will "continue to work to unite the world in defence against Russian terror".
He is trying to secure continued Western support as well as negotiate Ukraine's path to being a possible member of the European Union.
President Zelensky also noted that the attack came on the same day that Ukraine commemorates the 1932-1933 Holodomor famine - brought on by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin - which killed several million Ukrainians.
As winter continues to bite, it had been feared that Russia would resume its tactic of targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure. With 16,000 homes being left without power in the central Kyiv region, this appears to be the case.
However, if the aim of Moscow's strategy last year was to deprive Ukrainians of much-needed power and water, it ultimately failed as authorities learnt to quickly repair damaged pipes and powerlines.
Ukraine's air defences also kept improving.
That's not to say strikes like this are not felt.
They still kill, destroy homes, spread fear and disrupt lives.
UPDATE: 3/1/24
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged deadly attacks over the past few days.
Ukraine shelled the Russia-held Ukrainian cities of Donetsk on New Year's Eve, according Moscow-installed officials, which killed at least four people and wounded 13.
And on Saturday, Ukrainian forces launched a series of strikes on targets in south-west Russia, including the strike on Belgorod which Mr Putin termed a "terrorist attack".
Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Monday that the death toll had risen to 25 following the death of a young child who was seriously injured in the attack.
"Today, a 4-year-old girl died in a regional children's hospital. She was in a highly serious condition with combined injuries to the chest and internal organs," Mr Gladkov wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
The girl's death brought the number of child victims of the attack to five, the governor said. He added that 109 people were wounded in the air raid, with 45 currently in hospital.
