Worldwide Prayer Meeting

Aug 14, 2024 | by Lt. Colonel Allen Satterlee

The Gates of the City of Chisinau, Moldova

Prayer Focus -

Eastern Europe Territory

This I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is Your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for Him.”

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him,
to the one who seeks Him;
it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.

Lamentations 3:21-26

Prayer

Dear God, there are days when it seems that chaos is all around me. At home, getting kids ready for school, the traffic, things at work, my health, and I admit that there are times I dread turning on the news. Even the weather is a mess. There are too many people in my life who seem to create messes wherever they are and draw other people into them, including me. And okay, I admit it. Sometimes I am the one creating the chaos when I’m just not in the mood, when I’m on edge. Dear Lord, I need Your peace. Help me to find in You this day a place of shelter, some quiet. Still my heart and my mind that sometimes won’t shut off. Remind me that You mean to keep me in all these things, that You intend me to be a conqueror in all these things, that I am Your child in all these things. Hold me when I am barely holding on, because I feel hopeless otherwise. I am going to trust You, dear Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Background of the

Eastern Europe Territory

               Five countries comprise the Eastern Europe Territory: Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, Romania and Ukraine. Although they are each distinct nations, they have several things in common.

            When the Second World War ended, all were left devastated as a result. All were under the dominance of the Soviet Union with communist governments that actively suppressed freedoms and persecuted Christianity. When the Soviet Union dissolved, tensions remained and in the case of Ukraine, erupted into a prolonged and costly war in terms of human cost and destruction for both sides. The war has resulted in sustained tensions, refugee issues and uncertainty regarding the future for the entire region.

            All five nations have been historically Christian, with Georgia being the second oldest Christian nation in the world. The Orthodox Church has defined Christianity for this region, although there have been varying expressions of it within the region. Especially during communist rule, many thousands of Orthodox priests and leaders were martyred. As a result, they tend to be resentful of other Christian groups that now want to move into the areas, even though the governments are allowing more religious freedom.

           All five nations also share rich farmland and mineral deposits and continue to develop their infrastructure, manufacturing and service sectors. Again, the war in the Ukraine continues to be a major disruption.

           The Salvation Army: Salvation Army activities were officially commenced in Eastern Europe in 1991, overseen by the Norway, Iceland and Faeroes Territory with the arrival of Lt. Colonels John and Bjorg Bjartveit. It became a distinct command in November 1992. Under the leadership of Commissioner Reinder Schurink, the work was extended to Ukraine (1993), Georgia (1993) and Moldova (1994). The Army began work in Romania in 1999. On June 1, 2001, the command was designated the Eastern Europe Command. It was elevated to territory status on March 1, 2005.

            In 2015 a significant change was made when Georgia, Moldova, Romania and Ukraine formed the new Eastern Europe Territory, establishing territorial headquarters in Chisinau, the capital city of the Republic of Moldova. On March 9, 2021, the work was officially commenced in Bulgaria.

Facts, Stats and Leadership of the

Eastern Europe Territory

• Total population to fish and disciple: 72,881,618
• 85 officers, 5 cadets, 45 employees
• 7 retired officers
• 37 corps, 2 outposts
• 1,198 senior soldiers
• 779 adherents
• 302 junior soldiers

Leadership

Colonel Richard Borrett - Territorial Commander

Colonel Ann Borrett - Territorial President of Women's Ministries/Spiritual Life Development

Lt. Colonel João Paulo Ramos - Chief Secretary

Lt. Colonel Karin Ramos - Territorial Secretary for Women's Ministries/Secretary for Personnel

Prayer Requests for the

Eastern Europe Territory

Praising God for:

• The recent Leadership School facilitated for the second year by the training principal and candidates’ secretary. We praise God that He is stirring people to explore spiritual leadership within their own corps and within the territory.
   
• We thank God for the 8 Cadets who are preparing to enter the Keepers of the Covenant session in September. 
   
• We praise God for the many commitments made at the recent 30^th Anniversary celebrations in Moldova. God is continuing to bless our ministry in Moldova.
   
• We thank God for His continued protection and sustaining grace over our officers in Ukraine. They continue to serve enthusiastically in difficult circumstances.

Prayer Requests:

• Pray for the training principal - Major Adrian Roman, the IFOT tutors, the cadets and the cadets’ training officers as they prepare for the commencing of the Keepers of the Covenant session in September.
   
• Pray for the results of the summer camps that happened throughout the territory, that the young people and children will be sustained in their saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
   
• Pray for the Romania Division as they continue to celebrate 25 years of service. We thank God for their faithfulness. Pray especially for the celebrations planned at the end of August. May this time be uplifting and a turning point for the ministry in Romania.

• Pray for the war in Ukraine to cease. Too many lives have been lost on both sides! Pray that we will make wise choices when peace comes so that The Salvation Army will be well placed to help support families build their lives back together once again.

USA Southern Territory

Prayer Requests

• The family of Lt. Colonel Mary Lee Goodier, who was recently Promoted to Glory
• The family of Major David Varney, who was recently Promoted to Glory
• Major Lynda Thornhill, Territorial Mission, Evangelism & Cultural Ministries Secretary, Program
• Finance Department
• Anthony Jones, Operations Technical Analyst, Donor Management
• Sheri Clark, Project Manager, IT
• Katherine Guevara, Administrative Assistant, HR
• Christopher Corbitt, Music & Gospel Arts Director, Evangeline Booth College
• Cadet Lorine Desardouin
• Captain Elyse Doborwicz, Divisional Candidates’ Secretary, Arkansas & Oklahoma Division
• Commissioner Kenneth Hodder, National Commander, NHQ
• Majors Zachary & Shelley Bell, officers, cadets and employees of the Evangeline Booth College
• Anti-human Trafficking Programs
• Anonymous request that God would guide the presidential election so that the right person will be selected and the country would go in the right direction; prayer for those who are fearful in their walk in righteousness, fearing to leave their sins behind and that they will have strength for their journey of faith
• Anonymous request for those who attended Bible Conference last week that God give them strength to keep on working from the blessing they received; prayer for the younger generation to learn to love each other and live in harmony and releasing all the gun violence in their lives.

Something to Consider

^“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13).

            John Wesley once pointed out that to bear with each other is to withstand a person’s present shortcomings, whereas to forgive is to have mercy for something that has happened in the past. Forgiving is for grievances – that is to say, offenses committed. But bearing with a person is just understanding and loving them for who they are and where they are in their journey as a Christian.

            We must remember that those who have unusual personalities (in our opinion, perhaps) were created according to God’s design. He likes them that way! The onus is upon us to embrace them for themselves, trying to view them through God’s eyes. Of course, some people are not just quirky; they are difficult. Though God doesn’t want anyone to act in a purposely contrary way, He does expect us to tolerate such people and treat them with respect. The truth is that everyone wants to be accepted and loved, and some of the oddest behavior is really just an awkward attempt to win favor.

            We also bear with other Christians by helping them in their spiritual progress. Our role may well be to assist and even admonish, but never to judge or belittle others for their sins or their immaturity. I have seen Christians look down their noses at a brother or sister for a certain sin, when they had only recently rid themselves of that sin. (I might say they replaced it wit arrogance!) While we most certainly want to help others move into holier living, we dare not sit in the judgment seat. As Jesus said, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged” (Matthew 7:1). We should also note that not everyone is in the right position to speak admonishment into another person’s life. Jesus taught us not to address the speck in a brother’s eye if we have a plank in our own (see Matthew 7:3-5).

            We are not only told to forgive whatever it is another person has done to us, but we are also told, “Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (emphasis mine). How and why did Christ forgive you? He forgave you fully. He forgave you because He loved you and wanted a relationship with you. It is inconsistent with Scripture to say that we should forgive others for our own sake, because it is the only way that we ourselves heal. That does not resemble the forgiveness of Christ. The only self-interest Christ had in forgiving us was restoring us to relationship with Himself, because He loved and desired us.

            Conventional wisdom says, “Sam will feel healed if Sam forgives Jane,” Sometimes it even goes a step further: “Once Sam has healed himself by forgiving Jane, he can move on with his life, distancing himself permanently from Jane.” If that even qualifies as forgiveness, it is certainly incomplete. God’s wisdom says, “Sam must forgive Jane so that Jane is released from guilt. The two must continue on in a harmonious relationship, which is a gain for both.” This task is harder.

            One caveat must be given. God does not expect any of His children to remain in an ongoing, harmful relationship. God loves us and expects us to respect ourselves rather than plant ourselves right in the middle of something dangerous or toxic. In such a case, grant a genuine, loving forgiveness. Don’t just forgive so that you feel better; forgive that person so that he or she is free from past guilt. In other words, if your husband beats you, forgive what he has done – even if he doesn’t ask for it. Look at him through the eyes of Christ and find compassion, and honestly forgive his past. But if he is not going to stop beating you, get away. Don’t stand in his path, giving him opportunity to do more damage to your body and his own soul.

-Major Amy Reardon

From Identity Revealed: A Devotional Study in Colossians

Benediction

Dear God, let me be as forgiving toward others as You have been toward me. Let me be a vessel of Your grace as Your representative today. Amen.