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Pray-------------------------------------
February 3 and 4 We support a prayer request from one of our church partners in South Sudan, the Rev. John Phillip Omot, who is the Peace and Justice Officer for the Greater Upper Nile. He asks us to pray for the Murle Anuak Peace Conference being facilitated by the council and RECONCILE. The conference is taking place in Juba, South Sudan.
Join in a weekend prayer vigil for peace in Sudan / South Sudan, as you are able, with our brothers and sisters who are in South Africa.
Prayers are always in order for the people of Sudan and South Sudan. Find resources for prayer and information about Sudan and South Sudan, here and on the Swords to Plowshares Blog: Emergency Prayer Alert - SOUTH SUDAN VIOLENCE SUMMARY: In the months since achieving independence from North Sudan on July 9, 2011, the nation of South Sudan has been the scene of deadly violence. Clashes between the Luo Nuer and Murle tribes have resulted in hundreds of deaths and thousands more have been displaced. In August 2011, just weeks after South Sudan achieved independence, the Murle tribe attacked the rival Luo Nuer. Approximately 600 Luo Nuer were killed and thousands were injured. It is also estimated that 40,000 cattle were stolen by the Murle. The Luo Nuer soon retaliated. At least 6,000 Luo Nuer fighters began marching through Jonglei state, killing people and burning homes. They burned the town of Lukangol to the ground. On December 31, 2011, they attacked the town of Pibor. Residents fled, but the Luo Nuer massacred hundreds - most of whom were women and children. Tens of thousands managed to escape. They are now homeless and without protection. President Salva Kiir has called for a restoration of peace between the Luo Nuer and the Murle. Troops have also been dispatched to the Jonglei region. However, they are expected to be "heavily outnumbered and wary of being seen as favouring one community over another." PRAY FOR:
Prayer Alert from Beverly Pegues of Window International Network. PRAYER FOR THE SUDANESE Dear Heavenly Father, Gracious King, and Lord of Lords, Holy is Your Name in all the Earth! Holy is Your Name in all the Earth! Creation sings of Your love for us! Creation brims over with Your love for us! In the deep watches of the night, when all is at rest, when darkness lays like a heavy blanket pressing down upon our chest, though we are unaware of what tomorrow may hold, morning springs forward with bright rays of bold LIGHT, and though we may not know our destination, with every fiber of our being, we know the power of Your Might! For the eyes of Your heart are ever watchful upon Your people! For the eyes of Your heart are ever vigilant for Your people! They miss nothing, they neglect nothing, they forsake nothing. Your mighty hand of compassion and mercy reaches down, all the way down from Heaven -- down, down, down, touching our hearts, wiping our tears, and turning our gaze ever upward. So that with each meager step of obedience and submission, we- Your Creation, all of humanity- would sing and brim with praise for You, our Heavenly Father! Lord, we lift the whole of Sudan and her precious people up to You! We pray that Your PEACE which surpasses all understanding would flood her lands, bringing sustenance to the already carefully planted and prayed over seeds of JUSTICE & reconciliation. Please guide her people with each step and each breath they take, filling them with Your Holy Spirit, so that the fruits of the Spirit would thrive: Love, Joy, Peace, Faithfulness, Goodness, Patience, Self-Control, Kindness, and Gentleness. Father, we especially lift up to you, those Christians who will remain in North Sudan. They need Your Protection, to experience Your Presence with them daily, to know that You will uphold them with Your Righteous Right Hand. May they also sense our prayers, as the Body of Christ, crying out to God on their behalf! And though the unbelieving world around them, in their ignorance of the LIGHT within, may state that they are all alone, let the truth of Your Holy Word, the testimonies of other believers throughout time, and their personal walk of faith, lay waste upon such lies. Provide them with the strength, courage, and love needed to be a Christian witness for You in this troubling context, to both act in love and pray earnestly for Your lost sheep. Lord, though they may be under Islamic Shari'a law, we know that You Are Above All Things. We pray that any act of submission, would be regarded as an act of submission to You, ---and You Alone. May they know that their integrity and dignity remain safely within Your Hands. We pray also that this law would not serve as a stumbling block or stronghold for our brothers and sisters in Christ, but instead would further cement their knowledge of the truth and their belief in You, taking them deeper into Your Healing Pools of Love. Father, we lift up to you the election in South Kordofan, taking place in beginning of May 2011, and ask that your hand of discernment would be upon the people there. May it be an open and honest vote, with an outcome that will not only best prepare its’ people for what lies ahead, but also, and most importantly, Glorifies Your Name. May You be in each detail of the proceedings, and in each heart of the participants, as you lead them to a future full of hard changes, but also replete with Your Blessings! We pray all these things in Jesus precious name, believing and trusting in You Lord for the answers according to Your Will. Offered by Claire Zuhosky. SAAF
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