Worldwide Prayer Meeting

Mar 26, 2024 | by Lt. Colonel Allen Satterlee

Stockholm

Prayer Focus -

Sweden & Latvia Territory

Hallelujah! He is Risen! This Worldwide Prayer meeting comes out the day before Good Friday, a sad day as we think of the Lord’s suffering because of our sin. But we know that His death is swallowed up in His victory over sin and the grave by His resurrection the on Easter Sunday. When He suffered, bled, and died, was buried and then the stone rolled away, it all began for us. That we can call upon His name, that forgiveness of sin is ours, that we can be born again into new life is only possible because of what we celebrate this weekend. We have every reason to shout “Hallellujah!”

Prayer

O Mighty God, as we approach Good Friday and then Easter Sunday, impress upon our hearts in a fresh way the wonder of what You have done. Help us to see what the Roman soldier did when he said, “Surely, this must be the Son of God.” Help us to feel what the thief on the cross realized through his agony when he whispered, “Lord, remember me when You enter Your kingdom.” Let us know the thrill of the women who arrived at the tomb to find it empty and then hear that great announcement, “He is not here. He has risen.” Let our hearts burn as theirs did for the two as they walked with You on the road to Emmaus. Give us the assurance of faith that Thomas had when You challenged him to place his hand in Your side and he said, “My Lord and my God.” Let me imagine myself in front of a tomb that all the world thought would forever be sealed but You threw open for all peoples in all places to witness that it was now empty. Fill my heart with You, O Resurrected Christ! And let me go tell the world what I have seen so that they too, can find You as the Lord who came to rescue them. I pray this in Your mighty name, O conquering Christ. Amen.

Background of the

Sweden & Latvia Territory

             Latvia: Emerging after many years under Soviet rule, Latvia has worked hard to establish a free market economy. It has one of the largest trade deficits in Europe but is improving overall. There are many social problems that have come along with prosperity including alcohol abuse, drugs, a growing sex trade, a high abortion rate and the world’s fourth highest suicide rate as well as government corruption.

            When the Soviets withdrew and Latvia gained its independence in 1991, there was a wave of religious revival, but this has largely waned into indifference. Although 60% claim to be Christian, only a small minority actively practice their faith. It is encouraging to note that there has been unity among the churches on a wide range of issues and efforts made to reach young people for Christ.

            Sweden: Sweden has a highly diverse and well developed economy based on export industries and information technology. It has one of the most comprehensive social welfare systems found anywhere supported by high taxation but furnishes one of best standards of living in the world.

            An historically strong Christian nation, Sweden has complete freedom of religion. The Church of Sweden, which is Lutheran, was the state church until 2000, and still has a great deal of influence, although this is decreasing. Sweden has had a history of wonderful revivals and a rich Protestant tradition as well as a deep historical commitment to world missions, but this has declined sharply in the latter half of the twentieth century and twenty-first century. Secularism and moral decline, liberal theology and practice, especially in the Lutheran Church, have eroded the Christian message and its impact. Materialism, sensual living and individualism are more important to the majority of Swedes, with only 23% now believing in a personal God. Expressions of personal faith and biblical values are frowned upon and actively discouraged in public discourse. Sweden is in sore need of a movement of the Holy Spirit and national repentance. We thank God for those who have remained faithful and have continued to shine brightly with their witness.

            The Salvation Army: Commissioner Hanna Ouchterlony, having attended a meeting led by Bramwell Booth while visiting Sweden, offered herself and began the work of the Army in Stockholm on December 28, 1882. In 1890 the first women’s home was opened as well as a men’s shelter. Work in Latvia was reestablished in Latvia on November 18, 1990. On November 15, 1994, the territory was renamed the Sweden and Latvia Territory.

Facts, Stats and Leadership of the Sweden & Latvia Territory

• Total population to fish and disciple: 12,434,715
• 135 officers, 5 auxiliary-captains, 12 cadets, 935 employees
• 154 retired officers
• 82 corps, 39 societies and outposts
• 2,992 senior soldiers
• 1,367 adherents
• 175 junior soldiers

Leadership

Territorial Commander – Colonel Bo Jeppsson

Chief Secretary – Lt. Colonel Robert Tuftström

Territorial President of Women’s Ministries – Colonel Christina Jeppsson

Prayer Requests for the

Sweden & Latvia Territory

• We pray for the salvation of people! Multitudes of men and women need to have their lives transformed by meeting with Jesus Christ.

• We pray for an increasing growth in Christlikeness among our Salvationists.

• In our desperate need of Candidates, we pray that women and men would heed God's calling for officership.

• Pray that the planned transferring of officers would lead officers and members into a greater expectation of God. Officers moving into new appointments has rarely taken place in Latvia.

• Pray for the strategy and planning for a corps planting in 2025 in Latvia

USA Southern Territory

Prayer Requests

• The family of Mr. Inacio Roseno de Sousa, father of Captain Israel Roseno, who was recently promoted to Glory
• Victims and the emergency response for the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore
• Lt. Colonel Karol Seiler
• Investments Department
• Lynn Bagley, Administrative Supervisor, Finance
• Mark McAfee, Human Resources Director, ARC Command
• Eric Rader, E-Commerce Director, ARC Command
• Major Carey Richmond, Director of Personnel/Health & Wellness Director, EBC
• Cadet Jason Houser
• Captain Lorraina Crawford, Divisional Candidates’ Secretary, Potomac Division
• Lt. Colonel Susan Ellis, National Program and Special Projects Officer, NHQ
• Majors Anthony & Elizabeth Juliana, officers, cadets and employees of the Evangeline Booth College
• After school programs
• Prayer is requested for single parents as they cope with their challenges, that through it all they would be centered on God so they will not go wrong; pray for those in the workplaces around the world, that we would treat each other with respect and work in harmony

Something to Consider

The ground began to shake,
The stone was rolled away,
His perfect love could not be overcome.
Now death where is your sting?
Our resurrected King has rendered you defeated!

Forever, He is glorified!
Forever, He is lifted high!
Forever, He is risen!
He is alive!
He is alive!

A sick world seemed only to grow sicker. Even a cursory reading of the Old Testament reveals that with all the advantages that God had heaped on the children of Israel were soon voided by the actions of His people.

The beautiful Garden of Eden was abandoned because of our first parents’ sin. The verdant earth was washed away in a massive flood because it had become so wretched. Even in the family, betrayal and deception were hallmarks of the ones who were the ancestors of Christ. The miraculous deliverance of the Jewish nation from the clutches of their Egyptian captors was too soon negated by the idolatry of a people bent on seeking a way around the one true God.

King Saul was brought down by hatred and paranoia. David’s sweet songs were augmented by songs of lament as he cheated with another man’s wife and his own son sought to kill him. Solomon’s wisdom and wealth did not prevent him from being a spiritual pauper at the end of his life. On and on it goes.

The prophets warned that God would walk away from the people who professed to worship Him. He told them to keep their meaningless sacrifices (Malachi 1:6-14), that because of their sinfulness He would divorce them (Jeremiah 3:8). At least there were still a few faithful in Israel. The witness the prophets is that the nations in Israel’s world were even more worthy of condemnation.

God was not taken by surprise. He knew what sin would do and where it led. His plan before the world was even formed (1 Peter 1:18-21) was that Jesus would come, live among us as one of us. His unique nature of being fully God and fully man meant that He was something more than sin could tolerate. The sad story leading up to Easter is that in the end He was abandoned by those who professed to follow Him, largely forgotten by those He had healed, railroaded in a ridiculously rigged court, and sentenced to die with the apathetic acquiescence of the Roman government.

Why did God allow it?

There was no way to without going through. The salvation of humanity was dependent upon entering in the worst of it, bearing its venom and loathing and wretchedness and filth and desolation. The world was worse than a lake of sewage, or a stadium full of rotting corpses. Here He had to come. Here He had to stand. Here He had to walk. Here He had to die. Here He had to triumph.

Where did that triumph come? Locked away in a lifeless body and encased in a stone-cold tomb, it seemed that any light that He might have had was forever extinguished. Darkness smothered light; death snuffed out life.

So, it seemed.

But the day of Resurrection arrived. The annihilation of hope was reversed as life stabbed death to death. The realms of Heaven and soon the footsteps of men carried the news that this long, cold, horrid night of despair ended. It ended right now. Jesus could not be contained by a grave, could not be chained by death, His feet halted by some puny stone.

What was it like for Jesus? To know that what the divine Trinity had intended, had worked toward, had sacrificed for was in that moment of human history the eternal truth of the ages. Did Jesus run out of the grave? Did He leap and shout the moment His lungs filled with air again, His abused body surging with holy life? When He was ready to share this good news, He didn’t even bother to use the door when He showed Himself to the disciples. (John 20:19,20) “’O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?^’ For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:55-57).

That scene is re-created each time a heart opens itself to receive Christ as Savior. The joy of the lost coming home causes all Heaven to erupt in celebration (Luke 15:7). If you have received Him as your Lord, your decision brought the party on. If you have not, receive the One who longs to receive you. The moment of your rebirth will not only set you on a new life, but you will be able to join the song of Heaven’s rejoicing.

Benediction​​​​​​​

May the light of Christ’s Resurrection shine upon your soul with His eternal salvation and enlighten your path through every minute of every hour of every day for the rest of your life as you life your life in the victory that is the heritage of all who are in Christ. Amen.