Regiments of Seabirds

The Virtual Prayer Room

Knowing via Facebook that our church in Coleraine was having a day of prayer this Good Friday, we signed up for an hour each in the early morning, knowing that it would not be possible for us to actually be there in the prayer room in 1st Coleraine Presbyterian. My own “prayer room” ended up being a magnificent cathedral - overhead a vaulted ceiling of blues and greys and scurrying clouds - underfoot a sandy cove and the before me the roaring foaming Atlantic, and regiments of seabirds, hundreds of them, all standing in their ranks on the beach facing out to the wind. And, instead of a stained glass window, I had for vision a sudden glimpse of a near perfect rainbow through the skiffs of rain that soaked me - a myriad glistening drops each one perfectly reflecting a spectrum of radiant light - God you are amazing!

And so to the prayers, gathered up in time and space before the throne of God together with the prayers of whoever it was happened to be in the Prayer Room in Coleraine at that particular time of the morning

• First of all - wonder at the wisdom and mystery of God that would turn the gruesome spectacle of the cross into the most amazing triumph of good over evil
• Secondly - confession that HIS disfigurement, of which Isaiah spoke - "his form was marred beyond human likeness" (Isa 52:14) - was brought about because of MY sin and shame.
• Thirdly - in thinking about our community here and our church there, that as we each express the life of Jesus within us, the rejection which He suffered and that is ours also, we would reveal the inner attractiveness of His spirit.
• Fourthly - that God would awaken people both here and there to spiritual realities, empowering them and enabling them by His spirit to walk as Jesus did.
• Fifthly - that the leadership in 1st Coleraine, Peter Fleming, the elders, leaders of youth, of Alpha etc and the leadership of our Church plant here in Parque das Nações, Lisbon, would equally experience God's grace and power as you, Lord, continue to grow Your church.

Prayer Walk (Revised Edition)

With the recent visit of a group of friends from Bangor who came as a Prayer team to pray with and for us here in the Park of the Nations, we decided to update a Prayer Walk round the Park which we had devised about two years ago. In updating it, it was especially encouraging to notice that in three specific areas God has moved in answer to prayer.

• Church has moved out from our apartment and is now using the Auditorium of the Vasco da Gama School.
• We now have a positive ongoing relationship with the school administration and teachers, and a more public profile.
• At least one parent from our "Lusitos" kids' activity has moved closer into a personal relationship with Jesus as a result of what we do.

Here, let me see, If I can reproduce an summary of the Prayer Walk within the confines of this blog, but if you want we can email you a copy.

1. Praceta “Terreiro dos Corvos”

We begin the walk here, where every Saturday morning, weather permitting, we hold “Lusitos”, just next to the Kids Klub. This is a childrens activity with crafts and colouring for 3-8 year olds and their parents. Surrounded on three sides by apartment blocks and with 3 coffee shops, there’s always a buzz about this large open space. Pray for the light of the Gospel to shine, for good long term relationships with parents, and for opportunities to share with them what Jesus can do for them.

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him 2 Cor 2:14

2. Riverside Walk.

Cut across from here to the riverside from here and you will have a clear view of the bridge, and up to the left, sports fields, tennis courts and a skateboard park

Please pray here for our impact as a community into all the leisure and sports activities for which this area is famous. Pray for creative ways of engaging with teenagers and young people. Turn right and follow the path of the river downstream

He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness, and transferred into the kingdom of His son Col 1:13

3. Torre Vasco da Gama – You will now be heading in the direction of this tall Tower with the Portuguese flag on top, and the still-to-be-completed five star hotel at its base. The path takes you past some of the most desirable residences in the Lisbon metropolitan area. Ask God to help you identify and pray against the spiritual strongholds in Parque das Nações that keep people from recognising and worshipping our Father God. For example

• Stronghold - materialism and affluence

• Stronghold - superstition and interest in the occult

• Stronghold - pride and self-sufficiency

• Stronghold - pessimism and negativity

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds 2 Cor 10:4

4. Campus de Justica

Leaving the river and the Tower behind, a short distance brings you to a busy roundabout, overshadowed by several skyscraper office blocks whihc house Lisbon's law courts, magistrates and tribunals, (recently been relocated here from the city centre). Take time to pray for the country, for the political leadership at this time of crisi and for the justice system, that God's righteousness would be upheld

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land “ Chron 7:14

5. Escola Vasco da Gama - Walking back along the tree lined avenue, turn first right to walk by the school, which will be on your left, where we now hold church every Sunday evening.

Please pray

for God’s presence to be with us each Sunday evening

• for the growth of our community, and people finding Jesus here
• for our relationship with the school authorities
• for our public witness to Christ in this place
• for continual provision for the financial needs of the church

estonteado (es-ton-te-ado)

Last week’s Portuguese new word for us. It means ‘amazed’ or stronger than that, ‘astonished’, or maybe even stronger. We hadn't learnt it before. So it was our Friday night prayer meeting and we were just sharing personal stories from the week, and it just seemed that, one after another, we kept using that word. Pedro started it off -

Pedro : I’m just astonished since the summer team were with us in July, how God has made such good opportunities with some of the young guys we met in the Park - Tiago, for example....”

Maria : “I managed to speak to me sister this week ... we haven’t spoken in 8 and a half years --- It was astonishing ... God is good”

Raquel :”.. since I’ve started coming to this fellowship, I’ve just been astonished at what God has done for me. This week, I just can’t keep up with him ... an apartment to live in ... fully furnished ... a project to get involved in ...”

Marcus : "I’m astonished this week by what God has done in my life. The interview with ECM went well...I feel God is directing my life for the future...”

Anna : "..we were astonished by our visit to Liliane and Armando this week ... to see such joy that God has brought into that home. It was Armando’s birthday the day we visited .. Armando said it was the best birthday he could have had, to have two people drive out from Lisbon to do a Bible study with him. We feel humbled...”

Peter : “You know what was astonishing for me this week. I discovered money in the Bank I didn’t know we had. I was just checking to see there was enough to cover the rent, and .... someone had mysteriously transferred money into our account... astonishing!

Sometimes God likes to surprise us with his love and care. With all this praise and thanksgiving, we’d also like you to pray for :

Marcus : He has been accepted as a new missionary from Brazil and will be working with us, particularly in the area of sports evangelism. Pray for us as we help with his orientation to life in ECM, and also that God would help him develop his financial support base in Brazil

Raquel : She’s from Macau, where she successfully set up a Language Centre business with her sister, and is interested in helping us with our Business Project here. Pray as we talk and plan with her, that the Lord would guide us with the resources we need to get the Project of the ground.

Liliane and Armando : and their four children - new Christians who are so keen to grow and read the Bible with us. pray for them and for others who are on the road to faith in Christ.

We serve an astonishing God, and it’s good to be able to share these good things with you, in the midst of all the pressures that we face

Another Weekend with the Enemy

This is a continuation of the diary I began to translate last week for your intercession. Again, the situation is very real, although some names have been changed. Apologies if the idiom is not always clear. Peter

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Friday

Prezados Amigos;

After all what we already did and after all the declarations of faith that the family already professed, including John. After having left the idolatry, the alcohol, the tobacco and I have no idea what more vices, the devils continue to trouble John has one or two times a day. Yesterday, in our despair, we prayed specifically for discernment, and the Lord answered. We felt either

That something impure is still in the house;

That the connection to the catholic church and the all superstitions connected with it has not been fully broken;

That we need to pray specifically for the persons engaging in the “macumba” (voodoo)against the family.

Today, after midday prayer time and John was still troubled, we decided to confront the family about the possibility that there ir still "impurity" at the home. Two things were revealed: there were still idolatry images inside a bag on top of a piece of furniture, and unsuitable movies in a room.

It turned out, the mother has been afraid of the moment the “saint’s statue” was to be brought to her house, because when that happened, she knew that if she refused, and because of her link with us, she would be considered by her community to have

"changed her religion". We realize that she is not sure of the implications of breaking with that.

Yet one more confirmation that God is doing great things through your prayer in the life of this family. Therefore we thank you.

In Christ

Vitor

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Saturday

Prezados amigos;

Satan does not give up. Today, after the midday prayer time, I called John’s brother to speak with him on the problem of pornography in the house and we had a very good conversation. Meanwhile something dramatic happened. John became possessed the minute we left the house and the first thing he did was to hide the mobile phones. So the next few hours, till John’s brother returned, the mother faced alone the fury of the enemy, unable to ask help. According to her words, the enemy laughed in her face saying that now it had to be with him, no use trying to call her "little friends". When we reached the house it was in chaos. Glasses broken, tables turned. The whole house literally turned upside down.

In the night John’s father arrived home drunk and John was under attack again. However by the midnight prayer everything was calm and we prayed without interference of the enemy.

Thank you for your companionship.

In Christ

Vitor

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Sunday

This is a special request of prayer for Bia. Tomorrow (Monday) she will be alone to pray for John. I will be in Lisbon, and our other colleagues in Porto. Please ask for special protection God for her.

In Christ

Vitor Biscaia

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Monday

Prezados amigos;

Thank you so much for praying for Bia. The evil manifestations took place one or two times and the Lord gave victory without great struggles. We want to thank all those who have been sending words of encouragement and some verses to us on the subject. Today the John’s prayer touched me in the afternoon. Bia had already heard a similar prayer at midday. John prayed that God was transforming him and was helping him to change, and asked that the Lord would prevent the evil spirits from taking over his body as he was so tired of it all.

It hurts us to hear John praying so. Please ask the Lord for complete deliverance. It is confusion to us that John has already declared faith in Jesus has in his heart and has asked the lord to "wash him with his precious blood" . We know that some doubts still persist in heart of the parents, in spite of their prayers every night with us. Certainly the Lord has a purpose in everything this, but we ask the Lord to have compassion on us

In Christ

Vitor Biscaia

Mora, Portugal

Diary of a Deliverance

The following is translated from the Portuguese and describes a situation in an ECM church plant in Mora, Portugal, which our colleagues Vitor and Bia Biscaia have been facing since June. While we praise God for the way is so evidently working we would request that you seriously consider praying along with us, not just for this young boy, but for the whole town of Mora, that we might see a wonderful turning to God. (some names changed for reasons of confidentiality)

Please pray for

Vitor & Bia Biscaia, missionaries with ECM in the town of Mora and the authors of this diary

The family of Dona Olivia - a woman who has come to faith in Christ, but still struggles to let go of the superstitions of her Roman Catholic background. She is employed in the Parochial office of the Roman Catholic Church in Mora. Her husband is unemployed and has a problem with alcohol and a strong temper.

Her son, John - 12 years old, the subject of this diary - has been struggling under demonic attacks since May. They also have another older son, who also drinks heavily, but has recently shown an openness to the Lord

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Tuesday 27th July

Prezados amigos; (Dear friends)

It’s time we sent a letter to all friends giving you an account of our ministry and all that God has been doing for us. After 10 years of ministry here in this small rural town Mora, (popn 4000) we have seen very little fruit for our labour, and only in this last year, have we seen some clear conversions, and Dona Antonia has started coming to our meetings, and this confirmed her faith in Jesus.

Since the end of May we have been helping a family here in Mora whose 12 year old son, has been suffering from demonic possession. As a result the family has come to our meetings on three occasions, during which time John remained under the oppression of the evil spirit and two or three of us had to remain in a separate place praying for him, while the service was going on

After an extremely intense spiritual struggle in the last week of May and the first of June ( a struggle we already shared with some of you also), things began to get better and Joao passed an entire week without any problems. The occasions of demonic oppression reduced to one or two times a week, and with our prayers the situation quickly came to an end.

However from last Wednesday (July 22nd) till now the situation deteriorated suddenly with demonic attacks happening several times a day. It has continued like this till today. In the last two days we have been praying desperately for spiritual discernment to understand why. If before, we found it hard to understand why the attacks persisted, now we are more confused why they had suddenly increased.

The Lord answered our prayers, as today we came to now that 17 people in a district of Setubal (a city south of Lisbon) had been involved in occult practices focussed around a photograph of John. As we have been previously in Brazil, these things were not new to us. The surprise for us was that this was happening here in our own town and with Portuguese, as the spirits being invoked were from the occult practice of “Macumba” (which is common in Brazil, but not so much here)

Today the evil spirit which has been afflicting John added to the blasphemies it usually utters, the challenge to have a greater power than us (because of the number of people who had agreed together to invoke this curse on John) The spirit departed from the boy (because “greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4)), but we feel a great need to reinforce our prayers, crying out for a total and definitive liberation in the life of Joao, who after all, at only 12 years, is still a child.

Thank you for praying for us. We hope we can give you more information about how this whole situation developed.

Em Cristo

Família Biscaia

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| Victor Manuel Ramos Biscaia

| Rua Nova, 10

| 7490-250 MORA

| Portugal

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Wednesday 28th July

Olá amados;

Thank you for praying for us. It is well needed because the struggle continues. As promised here is some more information of what has happened to date. Please continue to pray.

After yesterday’s email, we have had yet two more occasions fighting and praying for the deliverance of John. Around 7pm we were called to the house, because John was again possessed. At 8pm we called our colleagues Eduardo and Yvonne and continued to pray, expelling the demons, and conversing with the family up to 9:30pm which was the time we had planned for a Bible study on deliverance that we have been doing with them.

We brought John, (still under the demonic influence) to our house (they are neighbours of ours, living about 50 metres from our home), and my wife Bia along with Eduardo and Yvonne continue praying for Joao in the office, while I did the Bible study with the parents and the brother. The study went well. The time of prayer however was a great struggle and left Eduardo and Yvonne exhausted. We concluded the time with prayer together and John was back to his normal self

About midnight (a short time after having left our house) John became possessed again and the struggle continued to 1:30am. Afterward we remained conversing with his mother up to 2:30. We had the distinct impression that in some place there were people invoking the evil spirits on John. One of the spirits manifested itself speaking in a Brazilian tongue, and in one of the moments Joao saw a word sritten o the ceiling, the name of one of the prinicipal goddesses of Macumba (John did not know this name and asked us if we knew what it could be)

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Thursday 29th July

Prezados amigos;

Today, a little while ago, John’s mother called us again, and we went to confront the enemy. Please continue to pray. The Lord has given us victory in every battle, but the war continues. Recently we have started a pattern of praying for John at the following three times of the day, anticipating the work of the evil one and crying out for delvierance in the life of John and the rest of his family.

12:30 às 13:30;

18:00 às 19:00

23:30 às 0:30.

During these times we will be going to their house to pray and we would ask all of you to help us during these periods. Last night John was spared from any attack. Today after 1:30 pm we have had to struggle to expel evil spirits. Please continue praying for total deliverance.

The pressure on us is very great. Some relatives, an aunt and a grandparent, are accusing the family, and more specifically the mother Olivia for not consulting “virtuosos” (the portuguese word for mediums). The aunt insists that it is the mother who needs to be helped, and that we are a stumbling block.

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Friday 30th July

Yesterday at the after lunch time of prayer John began again to manifest the evil spirits, but was calmed down by the time we got to the house. The rest of the afternoon went well and we prayed in peace, without any struggle.

After that John went with his mother and Bia, my wife, to a Bible Camp run by a neighbouring Church. At the time for the meeting, he once again exhibited signs of a demonic attack and could not go into the meeting room. Bia joined together with a believer and a deacon of the Church in intercession on his behalf and in casting out the evil spirit. he was able then to stay in the meeting to the end.

Both yesterday in the nighttime prayer of the night, and today at lunchtime, we have been able to pray in peace without any manifestation of the enemy. For this reason of we give glory to God. Rejoice with us and stand firm in your intercession for us, because the war continues and we have other battles ahead, as other relatives of John are still tied to the occult and need release.

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Monday 3rd August

Yesterday we had a very significant time of worship with the presence of 4 families of home church (Igreja Ponte de Sor) who are experienced in this ministry of deliverance. After worship we prayed for each member of John’s family, one by one. Firstly, we prayed for John, and glory to God, no evil spirit manifested itself. Later, at their home, , in the night prayer, each family member prayed, John, his brother and his parents. The father prayed for the first time ever. it was beautiful to see this. One of the things we have praying lately for this family has been that the father would become a true father and priest for his family. His attitude in prayer shows us that he is beginning to take this seriously.

Today also at midday, everything has gone well. We have been able to pray again without interference. We are encouraged in our hearts and believe that god has done something significant through last nights prayer time. We had a time of sharing and the testimony of the other believers really touched the hearts of Olivia and her family.

Vitor

Praying across the Time Zones

GMT -8:00 Judith is visiting friends in California during November while she waits on God for His next plan for her life. God has been amazingly good in providing her with work, friends, a church and a place to live in Brussels during the six years since she graduated from St Andrews. Now she senses change and needs prayer as she says goodbye to that life and looks forwad to something new.

GMT 0:00 Peter and Anna in Lisbon, Portugal continue to be amazed by God's grace at work, enjoy His presence daily, and are overwhelmed by His goodness. Pray that many friends and neighbours might come to share in their amazement.

GMT +5:30 Sharon and Rohit are exploring different options for future work while they continue to live in Bangalore close by Rohit's parents. Depending on which options open up, life might take them to Delhi or Mumbai, or outside of India. Pray for guidance and direction.

GMT +10:00 Colin is thoroughly enjoying life on the farm in New South Wales! The total change from academic work of University life has been good for him, and he will stay in Australia up to December. Pray that he will continue to be a help and encouragement to those he is working with.

DECEMBER the time zones come together for us in India where the whole family will be together for Christmas first in Bangalore, and then for one week in Goa. We are constantly amazed by God's goodness to us as a family, and that even though life is taking us in very different directions we are still very close, and richly enjoy times like this spent together.

A Summer Prayer Schedule

It might help you as you think about us and our work here

• When you’re driving in the car!
  Please pray for Peter as he has been asked to take over the field leadership of ECM Portugal from Fabiano from September. The decision is yet to be ratified by Mission leadership, but please pray for his preparation for this.
• When you’re with your family.
  Please pray for marriages, that God may use us to help, strengthen, uphold and support marriages of people we know.
• When you’re in Church
  Pray that God would continue to lead and guide our fellowship, especially that we would be led on the best route to find a neutral place to meet.
• When you are at your desk at work
  Pray for a champion, someone with a business mindset and clear vision, (whether Portuguese or from overseas), whom God would raise up to take the business ideas we have been developing and run with them.
• When you’re out relaxing at the beach.
  Pray for refreshing times for ourselves after a busy few months. We are taking a week near the Alentejo coast in south west Portugal and then hope to have time with family in August.
• When you’re playing on a team
  Please pray for our team as Pedro and Junia, a young Portuguese couple move from Porto at the end of August to join us for 2 years. Pray that they will quickly find accommodation and settle in