Pray for Ceasefire in Syria

Despite announcements suggesting that a temporary ceasefire in Syria is closer than ever, a series of blasts have hit near a Shia shrine in Syria’s capital Damascus, and, just a few hours earlier, a twin bombing in the central city of Homs killed dozens of people.

State television on Sunday said “three terrorist attacks” near the Sayyida Zeinab shrine, located in a southern suburb of Damascus, had left at least 83 people dead, including several schoolchildren.

The attack was claimed by the ISIL, which has seized territory in Syria and Iraq.

Meanwhile, the car-bomb attacks in Homs happened near the entrance to the city’s al-Arman neighbourhood, with officials saying that at least 62 people were killed and 110 more were wounded.

Homs is largely under government control and has regularly been targeted in bomb attacks.

The attacks in Syria came on the same day the US secretary of state said a “provisional agreement” had been reached on a ceasefire to end the ongoing war.

Over the weekend, a number of Syrian opposition groups declared that they would agree to the “possibility” of a temporary truce if President Bashar al-Assad’s government forces and its allies would respect a ceasefire, lift the sieges around a number of towns and cities, and allow aid deliveries across the country.

The declaration came as fighting continued on the ground, despite a Friday deadline for cessation of hostilities.

• Pray for the ongoing negotiations for a cease-fire in Syria. Pray for all sides of the conflict to be willing to bring an end to the fighting, and for wisdom and success for those negotiating peace.
• Pray for Syria, as many forces are battling for control. Pray especially that ISIL will not gain any more land in Syria or Iraq.
• Pray for those grieving the loss of family, friends and their homes and livelihoods in the latest violence, Pray that they will come to find comfort in the loving arms of Jesus Christ.
• Pray for a move of the Holy Spirit across this troubles land … for peace, healing, restoration and for many to come to know the truth of the Gospel of Jesus.

Psalm 46 vs 9: “He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.”

Source: http://www.aljazeera.com/news