World Cup Prayers

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The World Cup starts this Thursday with all the usual hype, and now, inevitably politics, with the host nation Russia. Football giants Italy and Holland are sadly absent, and perhaps it’s for the best, in order to avoid a Cold War side show, that the Americans also failed to make the cut this time. 
The World Cup Prayer guide is NOT about praying for the football! I gave up on that years ago as my team struggled in the lower reaches of the English football league, Heaven apparently deaf to my cries for mercy. To add insult to injury, the team dominating football at the time were nicknamed the Red Devils! 
No, enjoy the football, win, lose or draw.  World Cup Prayers will help us to pray daily for countries featured in the fixture schedule. Psalm 2 invites us to make bold requests for the nations to our God who sits enthroned above them, 'Ask of Me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.’
So each day through the tournament, I will tweet some brief information about countries featuring in one of the daily matches, using information from the supremely helpful ‘Operation World’ prayer guide. Just follow @Worldcupprayers and we will get the privilege of praying for people and places that may not often feature in our prayer requests, some in far flung  places, some nearby, all deeply loved by our Heavenly Father.
If you have children at home, you may want to use these prayers around the breakfast or dinner table. Have some fun learning and praying together with your World Cup wallchart, bible and maps open! 
You may find yourself praying at greater length in your own prayer time, or with a small group of friends. No doubt most of the nations we pray for will be represented in our increasingly diverse local churches. Why not go and encourage someone by letting them know you have been praying for their country and asking if you can pray with them.
@Worldcupprayers kicks off this Thursday with the opening fixture, Russia v Saudi Arabia. It’s not likely to be much of a football game, but it is a prayer super heavyweight fixture to start us off! Join with me by following on Twitter @Worldcupprayers
Patrick Johnstone, author of the original Operation World prayer guide, sums it up best. 'May you become an intercessor with a world vision that prays Satan-defeating, kingdom-taking, people-reaching, captive-releasing, revival-giving, Christ-glorifying prayers. Prayer not only changes people, situations and even the course of history, but also those who pray! It is dangerous for the enemy and also 'dangerous' for you.'

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