Worldwide Prayer Meeting

Feb 12, 2025 | by Lt. Colonel Allen Satterlee

Prayer Focus - Sri Lanka Territory

Elephants in Sri Lanka

When Jesus was facing His crucifixion and resurrection, He gathered with His disciples for one final meal. Although they obviously did not understand what was going on, He knew He had to say some things to them that they would need to remember. Among the words of comfort, Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). We all need that reassurance from time to time. Maybe you need it today. May the peace of Christ settle softly on your heart in this moment.

Prayer

Dear Lord, Thank You for the promise that You will be with me and that Your peace is something that I can claim. A lot of times I’m okay but there are other times when I’m not. Sometimes I know what’s bothering me but other times I’m not sure what it is. There are times I would just like to take the next flight out of town to somewhere else and not tell anyone where I went. But I can’t do that. So I ask for that peace You promise to keep me in the place where I am, in the circumstances I am facing, through the problems that won’t go away anytime soon. I need Your hug in my soul. In Jesus’ name. Amen.   

Background of the

Sri Lanka Territory

Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon, is an ancient land that was at various times colonized by the Portuguese, Dutch and British. It finally gained its full independence in 1948 as a parliamentary democracy but faced an immediate crisis with separatists in the north and east who wanted a separate Tamil state. That eventually led to a long and bloody civil war that lasted off and on from 1983 until 2009 when it was crushed by the Sri Lankan forces. There are still lingering resentments and longstanding grievances.

Sri Lanka is rich in resources but the civil war and then the devastating tsunami in 2004 wreaked havoc. Since then, the economy has shown encouraging progress based on the textile, tea and tourism industries.

Hundreds of thousands of people were displaced by the civil war and the tsunami. There have also been problems with drug addiction, child malnutrition, child prostitution – including sex tourism.

Buddhism is the official state religion although freedom is assured by law. Nonetheless, sporadic violence has broken out against Christians led by Buddhist extremists. Despite this, evangelical Christianity is growing steadily, if cautiously. The Christian church has been overly dependent on funding from outside sources which has hampered its growth.

The Salvation Army: The work began on January 26, 1883, under the leadership of Captain William Gladwin.

In January, The Salvation Army’s world leaders, General Lyndon Buckingham and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham celebrated a congress where over 1500 delegates gathered in Colombo. Meetings were conducted with the prime minister, government leaders, diplomats and church leaders as well as commissioning, officers councils, rallies, public meetings and visits to Salvation Army centers and visits to tsunami commemorations.

Facts, Stats and Leadership of

the Sri Lanka Territory

• Total population to fish and disciple: 23,103,565
• 78 officers, 1 cadet, 97 employees
• 53 retired officers
• 44 corps, 21 societies and outposts
• 4,667 senior soldiers
• 1,040 adherents
• 1,218 junior soldiers

Leadership

Colonel Nihal Hettiarachchi - Territorial Commander

Colonel Rohini Hettiarachchi - Territorial President of Women's Ministries

Lt. Colonel Imran Sabir - Chief Secretary

Lt. Colonel Nighat Imran - Territorial Secretary for Women's Ministries

Prayer Requests for

the Sri Lanka Territory

New Applicants for College
Please pray for the 11 applicants who are preparing for the 2026 training session.

Children and Youth Activities
Pray for all children and youth activities in the territory, especially Sunday School programs and this year’s Vacation Bible School (VBS) in all the corps.
 

Extension Ministry Work
Out of the 8 extension mission points established last year, 2 have been upgraded to corps status. Let us thank God for this victory and pray for a bold spirit to continue sharing the love of Christ in these areas.
 

Officers’ Well-Being
Pray for the spiritual, mental, and physical health of all officers.
 

Economic and Social Well-Being
Pray for the country’s economic and social stability, and for the new government, that they may lead the nation toward a better life for its citizens.
 

           South Asia College for Officers (February)
           Pray for the South Asia College for Officers hosted by our territory in February. May the delegates return to their respective missions with a renewed spirit and boldness to bring more people to Christ.

USA Southern Territory

Prayer Requests

• The family of Major Stanley F. Strissel, grandfather of Major Sarah Nelson, who was recently Promoted to Glory
• Major Raymond Cooper, Territorial Mission, Evangelism and Cultural Ministries Secretary
• Human Resources
• Angela Jones, Support Center Supervisor, CRD Interchange
• Allison Hogue, Digital Media Developer, Communications
• Stacy Freeman, Accounts Receivable Manager, Finance
• Captain Jordan Hinson, Director of Mission & Ministry, Evangeline Booth College
• Cadet Chelsea Carter
• Captain Jervonne Hinson, Divisional Candidates’ Secretary, Kentucky/Tennessee Division
• Commissioner Merle Heatwole, National Commander Designate, NHQ
• Majors Zachary & Shelley Bell, officers, cadets, and employees at the Evangeline Booth College
• Holiness meetings
• IHQ has asked that we pray for the restructuring of the Rwanda & Burundi Territory. It will now be two separate commands: the Rwanda Territory and the new Burundi Region.

Something to Consider

Capture the Thoughts

Steve Goodell

“Take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5)

            Research studies have shown that the human brain produces thousands of thoughts daily, many of which are negative and repetitive. I can certainly attest to that number myself, and at times, I struggle with what I call “runaway thoughts.” For example, if I have a task to complete or a certain conversation that needs to take place, my mind will play out different scenarios around their respective outcomes. These are mostly worst-case scenarios, and in my head, I want to prepare myself for any negative results or feedback.

            My mind will also replay past events in my life where I imagine how they may’ve turned out had I said something different or acted in another way. I’ve worked in many sales and marketing jobs over the years and have not always had the nicest managers and co-workers. There were things said to me that I felt were demeaning and downright rude, and a lot of times I’ve contemplated how I could’ve responded to these remarks in ways that made them look foolish.

            But, as I grow in my Christian faith, the biggest initiator for sending negative thoughts into my head is Satan himself. I have found that as I desire to serve the Lord more, he amps up his attacks on me. He’ll throw me lies and fears that say I’m a horrible husband, I’m going to get fired from my job, or I’m not cut out for ministry. My wife and I have a wonderful marriage, and he also tries to get me to look at an attractive person who walks by. Amanda and I are ministers together, and the enemy will try anything to separate us. Why does he do this so much? Because he knows that we are a threat to him. We go out and preach the love and truth of Jesus Christ, and Satan is desperate to disrupt it.

            I’ve come to realize that all these runaway thoughts and lies and fears from the enemy are not real. Too many times, they have held me down and exhausted me mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. How I have found victory is by capturing them as they occur. With the help of the Holy Spirit, I can identify the negative thoughts that are not from God, and will pray, “Jesus, this is NOT coming from you!” When these thoughts are persistent and feel overwhelming, I pray for the Lord to be close to me. I realize that I am powerless over these thoughts and will get on my knees and cry out to the Lord to remove them. I am consistent and repetitive with these prayers and eventually find myself at peace and free from the destructive thoughts. I also lean on Scripture for encouragement and strength during these times with such verses as, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

            My wife and I minister to people who are recovering from drug and alcohol addictions. Unfortunately, this is an area where Satan is very active in the battle of the mind, and many times he wins over the vulnerable. We have seen many people relapse because they have become susceptible to his lies through such words as “Just this once won’t hurt!” This is heartbreaking, and it seems impossible to beat Satan’s flaming arrows. However, the apostle James wrote, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you” (James 4:7-8).

When we have the Lord close to us, the enemy loses, and we have been blessed to see people beat their addictions with the help of capturing negative thoughts.  

            God places His Holy Spirit inside us when we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, and even though the enemy rules this world, he doesn’t have to rule over us because, as the Apostle John wrote, “greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). Capturing bad thoughts and surrendering them to God will not only drive the enemy away, but we can also have peace, strength, and a sense of freedom in our lives. Through Christ’s love, we can have the courage to move forward and become the best versions of ourselves.

Prayer

Father God, we come to You when we’re tired and weary from our bad thoughts. You renew our strength and give us perseverance and wisdom from our trials. Please help us capture negative thoughts and hand them over to You so that we can move forward in victory. Jesus, it’s in Your holy name we pray this. Amen. 

(Used by permission.)