Indonesia (MNN) — Thousands of the world's Christian leaders are
in Indonesia this week seeking God's guidance on how to transform the nations
with Christ's message of love.
It comes at the same time as the advance of Islam in Aceh. According
to Assist News, the Acehnese went to the polls on 9 April to elect a new
governor. That winner belongs to the
Aceh party which ran on the platform of advancing a purer form of Sharia law.
Shortly thereafter, Islamists protested in an area known to be
home to the highest proportion of Christians in the Aceh districts. Mark Kordic with The Seed Company explains,
"In the Singkil district, on the southern edge of Aceh, there is concern because
a large number of believers are there. The prayer groups are multiplying, and forced
compliance with strict Sharia law is not
what was on their agenda."
A mob demanded the closure of the prayer houses and house churches on April 30. Assist News reports that the
government responded by closing down 17 houses of worship. Then, a wave of prayer warriors arrives to
participate in the World Prayer Assembly 2012, just an hour's drive south of
Jakarta.
Participating remotely in
Virginia, Kordic says, "It's no accident that the World Prayer Assembly
has been planned for four years in Jakarta. This is a nation that
has 500 prayer networks across the country, the largest Muslim nation in the world."
The threat to Christians in Aceh and other places in Indonesia did
not escape notice. In fact, they
incorporated some of the increased reports of harassment and pressure into the
five days of prayer. "The dominating theme really is love and unity. There are
talks in small groups and in the larger assembly that the kindness of God leads
others to repentance and salvation."
Church leaders from all across Asia's persecuted church
participated this week. Kordic notes, "It's
really exciting that this is the largest intercessory prayer event ever held in
history. There's recognition among the participants that
history is being made."
Kordic goes on to say that a massive prayer movement is connecting
some 500 Indonesian cities with more than five million believers. "They're
asking for God's spirit of love to be a motivator in these dark times and to
reach out to their neighbors with love so that they can see truly Jesus
touching them…. Also, [they pray for] unity: Jesus' prayer in John 17:21 that we might be
one as the Father is One."
Representatives of more than 60 countries also networked and
strategized all week on how to bring Christ's salvation and healing to the
nations. Kordic says, "The hope is that
despite threats in other countries and suppression of religious freedom,
there would be a new recognition of the need to reach out, not just within your district,
but to reach out to fellow believers so that we could pray for that hope."
So, is it a revival or an evangelistic event? Kordic says, "It's really a revival…a focus.
It's a real recognition that God could use me in His worldwide plan to 'Fill
the earth with His glory.'"
Thursday night, conference participants headed to the national stadium in Jakarta
where more than 100,000 other believers joined them for an evening of worship
and prayer for Indonesia and the world. This event was simulcast to other
public prayer gatherings in 373 cities across Indonesia.
The total number of participants in all 373 cities is expected to
reach 5 million. With that comes
opposition. "Pray that the believers
would have a real assurance of God's presence in the midst of threat. They're
in a country where it's dominated by another religion that might want to force Sharia law on them…. [Pray] that they would have the sense of God's presence."
Where does The Seed Company come in? Kordic says, "We have always believed that
intercessory prayer is the key to reaching the last 2000 people groups that
don't have one verse of the Bible in their language, to bring back to our
colleagues this recognition that the body of Christ is standing up around the
world in unity to achieve that goal of fulfilling the Great Commission."
Check our Featured Links section for details on The Seed Company's
work.
