Psalm 18:29

With your help I can advance against a troop[e]; with my God I can scale a wall.

Isaiah 40:31

but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

1. The Caucasus region remains a centre of unresolved tensions - with its ethnic and religious diversity, history of war and repression, and its position, straddling the oil-rich but politically sensitive region, where many major powers (Russia, Turkey, Iran, the West) have conflicting areas of concern. In all likelihood, decades of unrest lie ahead. Its peoples represent one of the most difficult challenges for evangelization, with many ethnic groups still unreached. Pray for God to somehow break through these seemingly unscalable barriers to the Gospel.

2. Russia has re-asserted its power in recent years with growing confidence. It has reeled back into its sphere of influence several of the regions and countries that appeared to be drifting away, and has acted with its old ruthlessness toward restive and problematic peoples and nations. Despite declining populations and unresolved tensions, Russia remains a huge player in both the European and the global scenes. Pray for a government that is effective and uncorrupted, bringing economic betterment for its entire population and allowing greater human rights and freedoms.

3. Freedom of public religious expression continues to erode, largely due to insistent secularism. It is acceptable to have religious faith - as long as it remains a thoroughly private affair that is not inflicted upon the secular public. This manifests itself through prevalent secular values, which regard Christian absolutes with intolerance. Pray that Christians will remain courageous and will have renewed strength to continually shine their light into this darkness.