Worldwide Prayer Meeting

Jun 18, 2024 | by Lt. Colonel Allen Satterlee

Prayer Focus - Indonesia Territory

Mount Bromo volcano (Gunung Bromo)in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, East Java, Indonesia

Thanks for stopping by for this week’s Worldwide Prayer meeting. Once again you have the opportunity to let your heart, mind and spirit travel beyond your zip code to another place where fellow believers face some of the same challenges as you. But then, they also face some that you will never know. We gather with them this day before the Father’s throne and pray for each other. It is part of the glory of God’s Kingdom.

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for what today has already brought and for what it will bring. I lift my brothers and sisters across the world. For some of them, this day is coming to a close, while for others it hasn’t even begun. I can’t imagine how many prayers have already been brought to You, how many You have wondrously answered, how many more You are going to use to show Yourself mighty. In my day, I haven’t tried to count the number of times I have offered a quick prayer or a more concentrated prayer to You and if I do that, how many more of Your children do that tens of millions of times throughout the day? Thank You that you don’t lose track of us with all those voices coming at You. Please hear mine now as I thank You for hearing my whispers, and sometimes my groans. I love You, precious Lord. I don’t say that enough but hear me say it now. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Background of the

Indonesia Territory

              Indonesia is composed of over 17,500 islands, 6000 of which are occupied. It includes many volcanoes and diverse wildlife like the kimono dragon.

            Colonized by the Portuguese and then by the Dutch, it was occupied by the Japanese during the Second World War. During the Japanese occupation, much was done to encourage independence so that when the Dutch wanted to assert colonial control after the war, they found that Indonesia was well on its way to asserting its independence. For twenty years Sukarno led the nation until he was deposed by General Suharto, whose leadership brought a period of great economic growth and development. The Asian economic crisis in 1997, among other factors, led to Suharto’s being replaced by an elected government that has succeeded in bringing about peaceful transition and overall sustained and encouraging economic growth even through other challenges.

            The economy is based on natural gas, forest products, agriculture and textiles. Indonesia is blessed with large reserves of many minerals and has a booming service industry. The only things complicating its growth are political and religious instability and corruption. Even with the prosperity Indonesia enjoys, in parts of the country, there are still tens of millions who live below the poverty line.

            Monotheism and communal peace are the bases for the stated government ideology of Pancasila. Only six religions are officially recognized: Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Catholicism and Protestantism. Islam’s strength – Indonesia is the most populous Muslim nation in the world – means that it is given preferential treatment and as such, particularly targets Christianity in limiting its activity and targeting it for persecution.

            We praise God because Christianity has enjoyed steady, healthy growth for the last 50 years. This has been particularly so among those who have followed animist religions but also among those who have followed other religions as well. The spread of Bahasa Indonesia as the one national language has aided the communication of the gospel. Also, the openness of moderate Muslims who have been repelled by extremist Islamists, has made Christianity more attractive.

The Salvation Army: Work commenced in Java in 1894. Operations were extended to Ambon, Bali, East Kalimantan, Sulawesi (Center, North and South), Sumatra (North and South), Nias and East Nusa, Tenggara, and Papua. A network of educational, medical and social services began.

Facts, Stats and Leadership of the

Indonesia Territory

• Total population to fish and disciple: 279,798,049
• 803 officers, 26 auxiliary-captains, 82 cadets, 1,552 employees
• 123 retired officers
• 302 corps, 124 outposts
• 48,536 senior soldiers
• 14,546 adherents
• 8,634 junior soldiers

Leadership

Commissioner Yusak Tampai - Territorial Commander

Commissioner Widiawati Tampai - Territorial President of Women's Ministries

Lieut-Colonel Hosea Makagiantang - Chief Secretary

Lieut-Colonel Liliana Makagiantang - Territorial Secretary of Women's Ministries

Prayer Requests for the

Indonesia Territory

We praise and thank God:

• For the answered prayers for our territory in the past year, in which we successfully held the Territory Youth Conference. There were young people who were called to be an officer. And there are currently 90 cadets being trained and educated at the Training College Jakarta.

• We thank the Lord that last year our Territory successfully conducted the Brengle Course for Women Local Officers for a total of 90 people, and they became prayer groups for the Territory, meeting monthly for Bible study and prayer fellowship.

• Give thanks for the visit of General Lyndon Buckingham and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham, World President of Women’s Ministries, who visited Indonesia (May 27-June 3, 2024) and led ordination and commissioning services for the officers Defenders of Justice session, officers councils, and public services in the cities of Jakarta and Palu, and the 130^th anniversary of The Salvation Army in Indonesia.

Prayer requests:

• The official inauguration of the President and Vice President of Indonesia in October 2024, praying that transition of state leadership is peaceful.

• The new officers who will have their first appointments in July 2024 to continue to be motivated in their ministry.

• Praying for Health Ministries, that the six hospitals and clinics remain stable, despite the complication of regulations.

• Women's Seminar and Rallies in May, August, September 2024 in 3 divisions, that this event would empower women in their leadership and family.

• Territorial strategies to achieve Vision 2021 - 2025 carrying the theme "Consecrated for Mission Beyond Borders" so that many disciples are involved in the mission to spread the gospel.

• Pray for the governance system process in the Territory to be implemented successfully.

• Pray for a better and more appropriate strategy for the children’s homes in our territory and the opening of new eventide homes.

• Praying for the movement and spiritual growth of our youth today, that the youth leader’s forum in each division to serve relevantly their generation.

USA Southern Territory

Prayer Requests

• The family of Lt. Colonel Myrna Ritson, mother of Major Karen Craddock, who was recently Promoted to Glory
• The family of Betsy Carver, sister of Major Fred Carver, who was recently Promoted to Glory
• Major Roland Cox, Assistant Territorial Finance Secretary, Finance
• Women’s Organizations
• Ken Jay-Lynch, Conference Center Coordinator, Conference Services
• Michelle Ambrose, In-house Advisor for Compliance, Legal
• Mark Jeffrey, Territorial Boys & Girls Club Director, Youth
• Major Anita Caldwell, Director of Curriculum, EBC
• Cadet Chelsea Carter
• Captain Andrea Israel, Divisional Candidates’ Secretary, Florida Division
• Lt. Colonel David Davis, National Social Services Liaison and Special Representative to Capitol Hill, NHQ
• Lt. Colonels Kent & Melody Davis, officers, soldiers, employees and volunteers of the Florida Division
• Summer camps
• Anonymous prayer request for the sick and downtrodden, asking that God would touch their minds, bodies and souls.

  Something to Consider

          It is to be feared that thousands are looking to Him (Christ) to save them from the consequences of sin – that is, Hell, who continue to commit sins; they utterly misunderstand the aim and work of the Christ of God. They do not see that He came not merely to bring men to Heaven, but to bring them back into harmony with his Father; they look upon the atonement as a sort of makeshift plan by which they are to enter Heaven, leaving their characters unchanged on earth. They forget that sin is the primal evil. If there were no sin there need be no Hell. God only proposes to save people from the consequences of sin by saving them from the sin itself; and this is the great distinguishing work of Christ – to save His people from their sins!

            Men have made up their minds that they can possess and enjoy all they can get of this world in common with their fellow men, and yet get to Heaven at last. They have made up their minds that it is all nonsense about following the Christ, becoming a laughing stock to the world, which He made Himself every day he lived, and setting themselves to live a holy life, which He said if they did not they were none of His; all this they have abandoned as an impossibility, and yet, not content without a religion, and finding it impossible to look into the future without a hope of some sort, they have manufactured a Christ to meet their views, and spun endless theories to match the state of their hearts. The worst of all, however, is that a great many of the teachers of Christianity have adopted these theories and spend their whole lives in misrepresenting the Christ of the gospel.

• - Catherine Booth

From Through the Year with Catherine Booth

Edited by Stephen J. Poxon

Benediction

Dear God, allow me this day to extend the grace to others that I want them to extend to me, to be as forgiving of their faults as I want them to be forgiving of mine, to share as I wish them to share with me and to glorify You as You would have me to do. Amen.