We need to continue to engage in specific ways with the threat of global terrorism that has captured international news in Paris, San Bernardino and other places. During a monthly prayer call last month with some knowledgeable friends, the following prayer concerns were raised:

1. Pakistan

The military is doing a lot to take out the take out the terrorists along the border.  But if peace is really to come the terrorist groups in the middle of the country are going to have to be taken down.  They are the ones who supply suicide bombers, etc. to those along the border. Please pray for the overthrow of the following terrorist organizations operating in Pakistan and threatening neighboring nations like Afghanistan and the rest of our world from there: 

• LEJ They are daily killing lots of military forces and elite troops within Pakistan. 

• MQM used to be the biggest terror group in Karachi and Sindh.  They were put down but now they have made a comeback and just won the elections in the southern part of the country.  

• Jamat-Islam whose goal is to take over the Pakistan government and America.   They are growing rapidly and are creating trouble throughout the country and now throughout the world.  For example, the wife in the San Bernardino attack had met with them this year.  It is likely that the husband as well met with them. This group seems to be tied to the Lal Musjad (the Red Mosque).

There are some good things happening in the country we can rejoice in.  In Karachi, one woman is teaching a prayer course. There are some children's prayer groups meeting faithfully. In some other places, local believers have now started and are running prayer groups and children's prayer groups. We need someone in the country who will encourage people in prayer and bring this all together with strong, sensitive servant leadership.

Please pray for the Pakistan authorities and military to effectively go after the terrorist organizations operating within the country and destroy them completely. The military has been quite successful in going after them along the border with Afghanistan but now need to get those who are the real source for all the suicide bombers and funding. Pray that these organizations and their leaders will be thrown into confusion and will fight each other. Pray also that the funding from Saudi Arabia and Qatar as well as from local heroin production will be cut off.

Give thanks for the raising up of additional prayer groups and efforts and pray for the raising up of strong, united leadership within the country.

2. Afghanistan

As we have prayed this year for this embattled nation, we have seen the Lord answer and raise up a strong prayer effort from within the nation by expats and locals, praise God. There is also a powerful move of the Spirit happening in the mountains with one people group. Pray that this will spread across the nation! 

The new Taliban leader was most likely killed and others of their leaders have been taken out as all of us have prayed over the last few months. We pray that they may repent and come to know and serve the Lord, but if they just want to continue destroying the nation and its people, they need to be removed from the earth. Please pray accordingly. 

Pray that the Taliban will continue to fight among themselves and against the ISIS movement that has entered Afghanistan as well. That the Afghan government and military will be effective in overcoming and destroying both of these terrorist movements. Also, that their support and funding from Pakistan and the Middle East will be cut off.

Pray too for the protection and strengthening of the believers and for a powerful prayer and worship movement within the country to cover the land and be used of God to change the spiritual atmosphere.

3. ISIS and the global terror threat

ISIS and its network is spreading rapidly in Europe after the Paris massacre and through the continuing refugee flow into that continent. One German colleague reported that there are an estimated 11,000 potential terrorists in Paris alone and about 2000 in the UK; however they are setting up operations in virtually all the nations of the region. Quite a few Syrians who are coming as refugees are among them.

The FBI here in the USA is actively investigating suspected ISIS operatives in all 50 states and feels overstretched. The couple in San Bernardino were not even one of those being watched.

Pray for the authorities in Europe and the USA to realize that they are engaged in a conflict with the ideology of radical Islam, to throw out political correctness and go after those who are controlled by this ideology, arresting them and foiling any planned terrorist attacks. Pray that the misguided idea that Islam is a peaceful religion will now be discarded and that government officials will understand that this is the kind of Islam that Mohammed himself practiced- violent jihad and widespread murder of those considered to be “infidels”.

Pray that the coalition of nations will soon put boots on the ground, even in many thousands, in a strong, effective collaboration to overcome ISIS in Iraq and Syria and to restore those nations and their territories to peace and good governance.