According to a media release from the group, "Operation Esther" will pray for Almighty God to save those being murdered and raped by the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists.

"Prayers will be made by name for political leaders of all involved countries and the homelands of students in the circle. In addition, each week prayer will be raised up for one of the 50 countries where local governments deny religious freedom and human rights to Christians and other minority groups," said Bill Bray, spokesman for the group.

The national "Operation Esther" student prayer campaign will kick off in New York City on Tuesday, at 12 noon on September 2 at the World Trade Center 9/11 Memorial.

Bray told ASSIST News: "The Overseas Students Mission has chosen this as its national intercessory theme for the 2015 school year. The prayer effort will focus on halting the Islamic State (ISIS) persecutions in Northern Iraq and the genocide of Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)."

OSM is a national organization networking with local student groups, campus ministries and local churches who are concerned with befriending and serving nearly one million overseas student visitors in the USA. Local prayer mentors are being sought so that every one of the 3,500 schools of higher education will have a prayer circle meeting every week.

The local circles try to meet locally at 7 PM on Tuesday evenings.

Bray stated: "During the new school year beginning this month, the local Overseas Students Mission plans weekly instructed prayer for international students at local high schools, colleges and the University."

Bray said Friday praise and prayer will continue at the Christian Aid Conference Center on Ivy Road in Charlottesville, VA with live-streaming worship from the International House of Prayer (5-9 p.m.). Call 434-227-0811 for details.

He added that on Tuesday, September 2, prayer will resume in Charlottesville on a regular basis. Tuesday's guided intercession will follow the Lord's Prayer model at the Charlottesville House of Prayer "Well House Cafe" (5-7 p.m.) and at The Flats Conference Room (7-8, 8-9 p.m.) on West Main.

Bray explained: "The 'Operation Esther' 2015 prayer theme is inspired from the Biblical accounts of Queen Esther who called for prayer and fasting during her attempts to save her people from genocide during the reign of King Xerxes I of Persia in 479 BC."

He continued: "The purpose of the OSM prayer circles are largely educational. They are designed for students who have not learned to pray as Jesus taught. They are open to students of all faiths and cultures who want to practice and learn to pray. In a normal one hour session, the model prayer of Jesus, known as the Lord's Prayer, is used as an outline by a mentor or student leader in seven cycles of prayer. One of which is focused on the needs of the persecuted."

"Prayer will also be made for U.S. President Obama each week and for other leaders at the UN and in nearby countries who can most easily help stop the murder of the innocent in the MENA genocides," Bray said.

Bray went on to say that the other cycles of prayer in a normal hour of intercession include prayers for the themes of: (1) self, (2) family, (3) school, (4) leaders, (5) the nations and, (6) the church or people of God.

"Students are encouraged to praise, worship and pray according to the Word of God, applying it to circumstances in their lives," he added.

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