May 4, 2022

Praise Reports

  • Success – Another fuel depot fire in Makiivka, east of Donetsk, Ukraine. Ukrainian forces have successfully pushed the Russian troops away from Chuhuiv & Kharkiv to Stary Saltiv. The defenders are successfully holding out in all other parts of Ukraine.
  • Mariupol – Azovstal – After allowing 156 people to evacuate and who finally made it to Zaporozhia yesterday, Again closed in on as a stone and Putin has declared that it must be completely taken! No matter the cost! This is insanity! His decision not to attempt to take Azovstol was the only decision of the war that both Girkin and all the retired generals have approved of as being militarily sound. It is a massive waste of resource and focus at a time in which Russia can’t afford it. But more than that Azovstal is a dungeon that the Ukrainian forces have spent the last 6 to 7 weeks turning into a death trap for any Russian who attempts to enter it. The loss of Russian lives will be catastrophic.
  • Sanctions – Europe – The EU proposes cutting off Sberbank and other lenders from the international SWIFT payment system, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says, under a new package of sanctions against Russia isting high-ranking military officers and other individuals who committed war crimes in Bucha along with 3 broadcasters. At the same time Slovakia. Czech and Hungary have asked for exclusions, while other member countries have said that any exclusions would defeat the purpose.
  • Truth Revealed #1 – Vatican – In March Pope Francis have a 40 minute call with Russian Patriarch Kirill during which, the patriarch spent 20 minutes simply reading prepared statements justifying Russia’s invasion. At which point Pope Francis pointed out that they are both servants of Jesus who are called to care for their flock, and that Kirill was not Putin’s altar boy
  • Truth Revealed #2 – Alexei Navalny will be transferred to a strict regime colony IK-6 in Melehovo in the Vladimir region. Information about this appeared in the social networks of the politician. “My sentence has not yet entered into force, but the prisoners from the strict regime colony Melehovo write that they are equipping a “prison within a prison” for me.” Navalny’s press secretary, Kira Yarmysh, said that although many Russian colonies torture prisoners, IK-6 is “a monstrous place, even by such insane standards.”
  • Truth Revealed #3 – Russia – Russian pop star Filipp Kirkorov has slammed the editor-in-chief of state-funded broadcaster RT for questioning the sexual orientation of his ex-wife’s (Alla Pugacheva), current husband, Maxim Galkin, who fled Russia in protest of the war in Ukraine. Observers describe the latest feud between Kirkorov and RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan as signs of cracks within the pro-Putin elite.
    Truth Revealed #4 – Hackers – The database of clients of the medical laboratory “Gemotest” is put up for sale on one of the forums on the darknet. According to the seller, the leak contains more than 30 million lines containing the following personal data: full name, date of birth, home address, phone number, email address, passport series/number. The database was unloaded no earlier than April 22, 2022 due to a vulnerability in the lab’s IT system. Later, another announcement appeared on a forum with an offer to buy the database of orders (analyzes) of Gemotest and a vulnerability for access to the database server, writes the telegram channel. This database contains 554 million orders with full name, year of birth, date and composition of the order.
  • Truth Revealed #5 – Military – Kadyrov announced via video on his Telegram channel, “The main thing is to start the second stage. And specifically to conduct a special operation not only in the territory of Luhansk and Donetsk, but throughout the territory of Ukraine. Why? Because all world states that are armed with the best weapons – so in their words – brazenly provide Ukraine. And these weapons are already being sold to local residents. This is world chaos, lawlessness. In order for this not to last, it is necessary to put an end to it, it is necessary to begin the second stage.”
  • Truth Revealed #6 – Russia – FSB officers summon family members of Russians who have left the country for questioning and persuade them to return their relatives to Russia. This is reported by the human rights project “The First Department”. Its members are aware of five such cases.
  • Truth Revealed #7 – Germany – Otto Scholz’s Continued with determination to the back Ukraine only is the last option to holding onto power for and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) had become suspicious. Especially as it was revealed in February that the godfather of the party, the former chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder, was nominated in January to join the board of Russian energy giant Gazprom while already sitting on the boards of Nord Stream AG and Rosneft, Russia’s top oil producer, Indicating deep financial ties and connections between the SDP and Putin’s.
  • Pressure – Germany – Germany’s opposition leader met Ukraine’s president in Kyiv on Tuesday and said its battle against Russian invaders was a fight on behalf of freedom everywhere, raising pressure on Chancellor Olaf Scholz to make an appearance in the Ukrainian capital.

Pray Points – Latest

  • Testing the West – Distractions – the overturning of Roe vs. Wade has kicked all coverage of a Russia and Ukraine to the back page.
  • Testing the West – multiple alternative narratives are being focus-grouped by politicians – Like assuming Russia taking half of Ukraine is a done deal. Or turning Ukraine into Cyprus – divided state with Chinese soldiers occupying
  • Russia – Default – The Russian finance ministry announced it paid nearly $650 million it owed holders of two of its dollar bonds. Two creditors told Reuters they had not yet seen the money in their accounts, but a senior U.S. government official confirmed that the payments had been made and that the source appeared to be outside the limits of the current sanctions. The Credit Derivatives Determinations Committee, representing major global banks and asset managers, met on Friday and acknowledged the reports of Russia’s payments, but nonetheless made plans for a credit default swap auction next week “solely in order to prepare for the possibility of a Failure to Pay Credit Event.” If Friday’s announced payments clear, attention will shift to two events at the end of May:
    1. Transactions between U.S. persons and Russia’s finance ministry, central bank or national wealth fund are only allowed under a temporary license issued by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) that will expire on May 25. The U.S. Treasury has not commented on whether that deadline will be extended.
    2. Russia faces coupon payments due on May 27 on a dollar bond issued in 2016 and an euro bond issued in 2021. The payment on the euro bond could be done in ruble as a last resort, but the dollar bond does not have that provision.
  • Belarus – starting emergency military exercises today, claims it does not pose a threat to its neighbors
  • Narrative – probing attacks from many directions in the media and with politicians continue as they attempt to discover a way to distract, divide or dissuade support for Ukraine and for Russia’s total expulsion from Ukraine and for Russian government to be held accountable. Continue to pray for solidarity and truth and those in occupied territories who are suffering and/or have been deported will be heard and not forgotten or abandoned.
  • Putin – Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to undergo cancer surgery and temporarily hand over power to a hardline former federal police chief, according to a new report. Putin will transfer control of Russia’s government to Nikolai Patrushev, head of the Russian federal police’s Security Council, while he is incapacitated during and after the procedure, according to a video from the mysterious Telegram channel “General SVR” on Saturday. Putin will transfer control of Russia’s government to Nikolai Patrushev, head of the Russian federal police’s Security Council, while he is incapacitated during and after the procedure, according to a video from the mysterious Telegram channel “General SVR” on Saturday. The channel — which is purportedly run by a former Russian Foreign Intelligence Service lieutenant general known by the pseudonym “Viktor Mikhailovich” — reported that Putin has been told by doctors that he must undergo an operation. The anticipated surgery and recovery are expected to incapacitate Putin for “a short time,” according to the unconfirmed report. “Putin is unlikely to agree to hand over power for a longer period of time,” the narrator of the video states, adding that the control of the country will likely be in Patrushev’s hands for no more than two to three days. “I will say that this is the worst option,” the narrator adds. “Patrushev is an outright villain. He is no better than Vladimir Putin. Moreover, he is a more cunning, and I would say, more insidious person than Vladimir Putin. If he comes to power, Russians’ problems will only multiply.” “Viktor Mikhailovich” ominously hinted that he and his allies “will make certain efforts so this does not happen, and I hope we will succeed.”
  • Social Media – Russia’s online trolling operation is becoming increasingly decentralised and is gaining “incredible traction” on TikTok with misinformation aimed at sowing doubt over events in Ukraine, a US social media researcher has warned.
  • Russian Military – Russian forces have made gains in the area of Lyman and Velyka Novosilka, but the progress is relatively slow. Ukrainian troops continue its defensive war and prepare for possible Russian offensive operation towards Kryvyi Rih and Mykolaiv as troops continue to amass in The Kherson Region.Mariupol – Pray that any evacuations actually successfully remove civilians to Ukraine and do not end in deportation. Also pray that the Ukrainian soldiers are able to be resupplied and continue to hold out.
  • Russia – Military – shelling of Kharkiv continues and intensified as well in eastern Donbas and but all is relatively quiet near Izyum and Kherson and on Zaporozhia front shelling has ceased but with no sign of the threatened ground offensive.
  • Fuel – with dangerously low availability of fuel, much of Ukraine’s economy and food supply could be affected, but also the military and humanitarian aid distribution.
  • PTSD – they are seeing that those fleeing the Russians are holding on for about 10 days and then face complete mental breakdown.
  • Russian Military – time is running out and so their attacks and tactics will become increasingly desparate as these are the true last roll of the die. Because on May 4th the financial default hits and true victory would give them means to negotiate.
  • 6 Russian Key Objectives to Pray Against
    1. Kharkiv – Destroy, Encircle, Capture
    2. Izyum – push south to encircle Donbas
    3. Slavyonsk and Kramatorsk – in the east to complete a smaller encirclement of the cities
    4. Mariupol – completely destroy all opposition and export the populations
    5. Zaporozhye – Russian troops are building up forces and building logistics a massive concerted attack
    6. Kherson – Russia is facing sabotage from the people but is still attempting to push north toward Kryvyi Rih and west toward Mykolaiv, then to Odessa and to Transnistria and eventually to Moldova.
  • Izyum/Kherson/Zaporozhye – there is much evidence that Russia is desperately attempting to catch and conscript any and all able men in the occupied regions and force them to fight for them.
  • Ukrainian Artillery – all of the defensive positions are using Soviet Era 152mm ammunition and NATO has been scrambling to provide Ukraine with all that it needs but they are running out. As the US is finally willing to send artillery (theirs is 155mm) it will still be months until it can reach the front lines and be used effectively.
  • Deportations – Russia has deported over 500,000 people from Ukraine to Russia. 134,000 of those from Mariupol alone.
  • Mercenaries – Continue to pray for all mercenaries to be neutralized in any way!
  • Logistics – Russia logistical challenges are still problematic even though the supply lines to the Donbas are shorter, and much will depend on the condition of the roads and railways.
  • Refugees – now 5.2 million have fled Ukraine. Pray for their safety, provision and care.
  • West – pray that the pressure would continue to mount on western leaders to ban oil and gas imports and to continue to increase meaningful heavy arms donations.
  • Russia – pray that the emotional need to make a huge statement and reaction to the sinking of Moskva will lead to Russia moving prematurely and without adequate preparation and coordination and thereby dooming their own assault. Or to make a move that so steels international resolve that it makes supporting Russia impossible even for China and India.
  • Belarus – Secretary of security council of Belarus warns of provocations from Ukraine to get Belarus involved in the war
  • Russian People – pray they understand the Truth and reject the lies they’ve been told and rise up
  • US – pray that Lend/Lease gets fast-tracked and raise on the House floor and approved today
  • China – has doubled down and the Russian propaganda and refused to admit the atrocities were committed by Russia or any other point

Pray Points – Continued

  • Ukraine – Almost two-thirds of Ukrainian children have fled their homes, the UN says. About 4.8 million out of 7.5 million children had to leave their homes, said Manuel Fontaine from UNICEF. He confirmed the deaths of 142 children, but added that the number is “almost certainly higher”
  • Economy – Ukraine economy to contract 45.1% this year, Russia 11.2%: World Bank
  • Rage – Pray against rage as videos have come to the four about Ukrainian soldiers summarily executing Russian soldiers. Although they can obviously feel incredibly justified, this is destructive to them and provides ammunition to Russia their attempt to create an alternative narrative in Ukraine.
  • Russian Military – Russia is sending an 8-mi long convoy of 100s of vehicles, including armored vehicles and artillery southbound through the Ukrainian town of Velykyi Burluk. The convoy is moving about 60 mi east of Ukraine’s 2nd-largest city of Kharkiv, as Russian focuses on Donbas. Russian Ministry of Defense claims destruction S-300 SAM at Chuhuiv airbase and Starobohdanovka in Mykolaiv region. Also claimed destruction of National Guard base in Zvonetske of Dnipropetrovsk region
  • TRUTH – pray that an ever-increasing steady stream of the atrocities committed by the Russians will be revealed and documented to maintain the ever-increasing pressure on political leaders and parties to act with speed, vigor and determination.
  • Russian Lies – pray that all their various alternative narratives would be revealed as rags and shadows for all to see.
  • Evacuation & Panic – Ukraine has urged civilians to leave the east of the country “while the opportunity still exists” before a massive Russian military assault that it expects in the coming days. The governors of the Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk regions were calling on people to move immediately to safer areas. “It has to be done now, because later people will be under fire and face the threat of death. There is nothing they will be able to do about it.
  • May 9 – Reports are that Putin needs the invasion successful in time for the Victory Day parades, thereby threatening great attacks over the coming month. Putin would want to have an “announceable success” by then, which could create “some tension” with Russian commanders as exhausted forces were likely to be thrown into battle fairly soon in an attempt to gain ground in Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv. This also is at the end of the 30-day default negotiation period (ending on May 5) meaning incredible pressure is on Russia to achieve victory by then.
  • Europe/US – pray they will block all gas imports and provide truly meaningful military support.
  • Oil – Pray that Europe would have the political will to do a complete embargo of Russian fossil fuels (oil, gas, coal, etc.)
  • Occupied – Many villages completely cut off from all supplies and food and water!
  • Global Food – there could be a global food crisis as Ukrainian farmers are being forced to limit what they plant due to the war. And also due to the fact that the main ways that they have a reaching global markets through the Black Sea is now blocked by Russia. Russia and Ukraine together produce 25% of all green in the world!
  • Refugees – According to Polish border guards, more than 2.4 million people have fled Ukraine to Poland . However, supplies have dropped off and now the whole regions are struggling.
  • For the Weak – Russia has flown more than 300 air sorties over Ukraine in the past 24 hours: senior U.S. defense official
  • Russian Elites – to turn on one another and on Putin
  • Russian Military – continuing to press in the north, but the real danger is that Russia seems to preparing for an all-out push in Donbas to encircle the Ukrainian army and to take the entire region and to create a united front against Ukraine.
  • Russian Soldiers – pray for their physical, emotional and spiritual well-being and for them to have the courage to face the Truth and the opportunity to receive the Gospel which is the ONLY answer to the atrocities they’ve already committed.
  • Russian Opposition – that those in the inner circle will see a way out and that Russian Opposition would be able to gather together in a meaningful way
  • The Truth – In all things that the Truth would be painfully evident and unavoidable in all public discussion
  • Ukrainian Army – Russia is attempting to encircle the Ukrainian Army in Donbas
  • Russia – for the people to wake up to the Truth and rise up
  • Putin’s Inner Circle – to fragment and turn on one another
  • Protection of the Weak
  • The West – to not grow numb to atrocities, but be compelled to action
    1. Sanctions – Loopholes would be closed and sanctions rendered effective
    2. Oil Embargo – That Europe would make the choice to stop immediately at the very least paying for gas & oil
    3. Heavy Weapons – provide planes, tanks, heavy artillery and high-altitude weapons

Prayer Strategies

  • Corruption & Domination Falls
    • Russia, Belarus & Ukraine
    • The Former Soviet Union
    • China, India, UAE & Saudi Arabia
  • Truth & Freedom prevail
  • The Gospel is spreads like wildfire
    • From Ukraine
    • To Russia
    • To the whole world

Prayer Encouragement

“Each time, before you intercede, be quiet first, and worship God in His glory. Think of what He can do, and how He delights to hear the prayers of His redeemed people. Think of your place and privilege in Christ, and expect great things!”  — Andrew Murray