An “invitation only” gathering of ministry leaders from the nations of the Middle East will be held in Larnaca, Cyprus, October 1-4, 2013, to pray about the ongoing conflict in the region. The gathering is sponsored by the International Prayer Council and World Prayer Assembly, and will include prayer leaders of other nations who will support the gathering. According to the website (middleeastprayerassembly.org), sponsors believe that “from times of the Bible till now, God has used the united prayer of His people to change the history of nations. He has delegated immense authority to believers to make a difference. “The current status of conflict, war and suffering in the Middle East region is not God’s purpose, but the result of human and demonically inspired antagonisms that pit nations, ethnic, and religious groups against one another for the misery and destruction of all. The Lord wants His peace, healing, love, justice and goodness to cover the region. Our united prayers, supported by many others around the world, will facilitate a new day for this important area of our world.” Each national group will present the current situation and needs in their nation (political, economic, cultural, and spiritual), then the leaders will go to the Lord together for in-depth sessions of prayer, listening, and interceding. Some objectives of the gathering include building stronger, deeper relationships among ministry leaders from all three Christian traditions (Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant) for greater cooperation in prayer and action, as well as enlisting the support of the international prayer movement. The sponsors of the gathering believe there is a calling for Christian leaders “to meet under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and to pray with unity, faith, and authority He has given us for the healing and transformation of the nations of the Middle East.” (C) 2013 Prayer Connect magazine.