Dear intercessors,

We are still living through a time of great uncertainty and change. Especially now, the most important thing is to get to know God better and to seek His presence.

As you will read in the introductory section of the prayer letter:

"For nothing in this world is more precious than truly coming to know God - not merely as an idea. But as a presence. As peace. As love that remains."

The prayer letter also addresses prayer for the "Global and spiritual challenges of the Iran war" :as follows:

"While Western democracies view conflicts primarily through the lens of human life, stability, and security, Eastern governmental and military leaders with revolutionary Islamist ideologies perceive sacrifice, suffering, and destruction as integral to their historical or religious mission. According to many experts, this is precisely where the true challenge of our time lies."

"For us Christians in the Western world: pray for a growing awareness of the spiritual, global, and cultural dimensions of this conflict, and for vigilance in our prayer. (Ephesians 6:12, 14, 18)"

Thank you once again for praying with us intercessors in Germany,

Your Call of the Watchmen Team - Germany and International.

PS: Please consider using the "Sway" version (the large print, colour graphic version) of the prayer letter in your prayer groups, projected onto a wide-screen, if possible, as this can really help you to follow the prayer topics as you pray together.

Back to the Garden - Living in relationship with the Father

We live in an era full of answers, yet we are extremely disoriented. We gather knowledge, analyse, compare, optimise, and constantly search for the next insight. We want to know more, control more, grasp more. However, perhaps it is not our knowledge that changes the world. Perhaps it is our hearts.

For a person can possess infinite knowledge and yet remain inwardly empty. One can hold all the answers and still know no peace. The deepest transformations rarely begin in the mind. They begin where the heart is touched. And that is precisely where God wishes to lead us - not primarily into more information and knowledge, but into relationship.

Many people seek God’s guidance as if it were a strategy or a perfect plan. Yet His leading often unfolds quite differently than we expect. Not through pressure. Not through control. Not through constant haste to respond. But through being always close with Him. Through a peace that is almost impossible to explain. Through a gentle stirring in the heart. Through trust amidst uncertainty. Through moments when we suddenly sense: "I am not alone."

And that is precisely where God wishes to lead us.

Perhaps God is indeed closer to us than we think. Not distant, not hidden, but He is the Father who gently takes our hand and says: "Do not run away from Me. Come and walk with Me."

We often attempt to improve our circumstances, while God is at work on something deeper: on our transformation. He does not merely repair situations. He enters and moulds our hearts. For the greatest miracle is not a perfect life, but a person who has learned to love, who is able to trust, and who finds peace in God.

In the end, everything leads us back to the Garden (in Eden - Genesis 2:8) - to that place where the man and woman He had created did not analyse God, but walked with Him. To that place of intimacy, wisdom, and peace. Perhaps therein lies the deepest longing of our time: not to accumulate yet more knowledge, but to come back home again - into the heart of the Father. For nothing in this world is more precious than truly coming to know God - not merely as an idea. But as a presence. As peace. As love that remains.

Alexander Schlüter

In a place of real transformation

As we begin, let us pray for us enter into an encounter with Jesus. Can we imagine a place where we - together with intercessors from all the various regions in our land - ask Jesus: “How would You like to meet with Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the current government? What would You like to say to them?”

Can we, through prayer, open up “a place of real transformation” - an environment - where God is invited to speak through Jesus and His voice can be clearly heard? A place to encourage a clear reaction to hearing His thoughts and plans for our land?

We long for a nation that once again welcomes humility and allows itself to be guided by God with a tender, teachable heart. We bring our land before God with all that is currently going wrong - its hidden motives, potential corruption, manipulation and the denial of the truth – setting it under the light of God – into “a place of real transformation”, where we find the wisdom and guidance from God that we need.

Alexander Schlüter

The legislative initiatives of our current government

In June, the German Government will debate the "Act to Stabilise Contribution Rates in Statutory Health Insurance”, which has met with fierce criticism from health insurance funds and social welfare organisations - primarily due to reduced tax subsidies for Statutory Health Insurance. A draft bill to reform long-term care insurance - intended to prevent an increasing number of people requiring care from ending up on social assistance - has so far stalled due to irreconcilable differences within the current governing coalition. Before summer, the coalition government will announce a reform package covering pensions, income tax, the labour market, subsidies, and bureaucratic deregulation. However, the views of the CDU Party and the SPD Party regarding implementation remain far apart. The Building Modernisation Act - intended to restore freedom of choice regarding heating systems - now faces the risk of landing up before the Federal Constitutional Court for final approval.

Key reasons for necessary structural reforms include the crisis in our democratic system - which renders cuts to the welfare state unavoidable - and, on the economic front, the resulting shortage of skilled labour, excessive social security contributions and taxes, high energy prices, and excessive government regulation. The relief measures for the business sector agreed upon by the coalition partners thus far tend to merely manage the status quo rather than offering genuine future prospects. Consequently, approval ratings for the governing parties are falling, while those of the AfD Party are on the rise. But would yet another change of government truly provide solutions to the complex budgetary and crisis situation facing the country?

Prayer:

• For a national strategy that assists Germany in the necessary transformation toward resilience. (Psalm 91)
• For divine wisdom and wise counsel in the upcoming discussions regarding legislative bills. (Isaiah 11:1–5)
• That Germany’s capabilities may be strengthened and new creative forces unleashed. (Hebrews 12:11–13)

Karin Heepen

Protecting Human Dignity

In early May, a cross-party group of Members of the Government presented a renewed initiative to introduce an opt-out system for organ donation. Under this proposal, individuals would automatically be considered organ donors unless they have explicitly documented their objection. A second cross-party group has taken a stand against this infringement on fundamental rights, arguing that the right to self-determination over one’s own body does not end with death, and that organ retrieval should only be permitted on the basis of explicitly documented consent. Furthermore, recent studies lend weight to the criticism regarding the criterion of brain death—used to obtain viable organs - as well as the diagnostic methods employed to determine it. Brain-dead individuals are not dead. Even if the brain damage is likely irreversible, death is ultimately brought about by the retrieval of organs and the discontinuation of life- sustaining measures.

Under this proposal, individuals would automatically be considered organ donors unless they have explicitly documented their objection.

In late April, it came to light that Hendrik Streeck, a CDU Member of the Government, had obtained a child via a surrogate mother in the USA. By having his parenthood recognised in Germany, he effectively circumvented the country’s existing ban on commercial surrogacy. Despite this prohibition, surrogacy services are regularly advertised in Germany at so-called "fertility fairs."

In both instances, human beings are instrumentalised to serve the interests of others, and existing laws designed to protect the unique dignity of every human being are undermined. The human body is not a spare-parts warehouse, nor is organ donation merely an act of charity. In many countries, individuals fall victim to the illicit organ trade. Likewise, women are not anonymous wombs, and children are not commodities. Above all other interests, children possess the right to know their biological parents. There is no inherent "right to have a child" - just as there is no inherent right to another person's organ.

Prayer:

• Praise and thanksgiving for the uniqueness of every human being as a creature of God. (Psalm 8)
• Repentance for the materialistic devaluation and selfish exploitation of human beings. (Romans 1:18–25)
• A prayer for God’s seal upon Article 1 of the Basic Law - that the State respects and protects the inviolable dignity of the human being. (Colossians 1:9–17)

Karin Heepen

Global and spiritual challenges of the Iran war

Internationally, the conflict surrounding Iran is increasingly no longer viewed merely as a regional power struggle. Experts at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs warn, more strongly, of a global confrontation over influence, energy supplies, and ideological supremacy. China sources the majority of Iran’s oil and is now regarded as Tehran’s most important economic partner; consequently, its political leverage and influence over Iran’s strategic decision-making should not be underestimated. At the same time, global concerns - along with mounting evidence - are growing regarding Iranian terror networks, money laundering, and their digital circumvention structures. In early 2026, the EU, also, officially designated the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation.

Israel’s former security advisors emphasise that the recent military strikes were aimed primarily at delaying the Iranian nuclear program—which was on the verge of a breakthrough - thereby addressing a tangible threat not only to Israel but to the world at large. Yet, beneath this military dimension, observers perceive a far more profound challenge: that is the clash of two fundamentally divergent worldviews.

In this context, former Israeli Minister Yuval Steinitz drew a direct comparison with Hamas ideology in the wake of October 7th. While Western democracies view conflicts primarily through the lens of human life, stability, and security, Eastern governmental and military leaders with revolutionary Islamist ideologies perceive sacrifice, suffering, and destruction as integral to their historical or religious mission. According to many experts, this is precisely where the true challenge of our time lies. The West more often thinks in short-term, rational, and economic terms. Revolutionary ideologies, by contrast, think across generations, are religiously charged, and are uncompromising - possessing a readiness to sacrifice entire societies in order to achieve their goals. The conflict with Iran is, therefore, not merely (but also!) geopolitical in nature, but holds profound spiritual and cultural significance—a dimension that must not be underestimated.

Prayer:

• For courage, wisdom, clarity, and foresight for international decision-makers as they engage with authoritarian regimes and terrorist networks. (1 Timothy 2:2)
• For insight and spiritual discernment in the face of ideological and religious radicalisation. (Isaiah 5:20)
• For us Christians in the Western world: pray for a growing awareness of the spiritual, global, and cultural dimensions of this conflict, and for vigilance in our prayer. (Ephesians 6:12, 14, 18)

Tanja Frank

When men no longer know how to be men

We live in a time of great uncertainty regarding masculinity. Men today face the pressure of contradictory expectations. On one hand, the traditional ideal still persists: providing financially, remaining strong, achieving results, and being emotionally unshakable. On the other hand, the modern ideal calls for emotional openness, sensitivity, equality, and the renunciation of any form of dominant strength. Men are expected to be strong, yet gentle at the same time. Self-confident, but not "too much so”. Sensitive, but never weak. They are expected to lead without controlling, and to provide security without becoming hard. Thus, an enormous inner pressure arises between societal expectations and one's own identity.

Many men carry their struggles alone. Showing vulnerability feels risky, which is why feelings are so often hidden behind performance, humour, or withdrawal. Yet, what men truly long for is not so much admiration as trust, significance, and genuine relationships and appreciation. They are capable of dedication and devotion - provided their worth is not measured solely by their achievements. And perhaps, in the end, what women desire is not a perfect man, but rather one who is present, who listens, and who is at peace within himself.

Let us pray:

• That men may find the courage to lay aside their masks and experience healing for their inner wounds - whether stemming from a lack of love, past hurts, or difficult relationships with their fathers.
  That they may recognise that their worth does not depend on performance, possessions, status, or success.
• That men may find their way out of isolation and loneliness, and that genuine friendships may take root.
• That a new form of leadership may emerge—developed in partnership with women - characterised not by control or hardness, but by responsibility, humility, presence, and love.

Alexander Schlüter

Have blessed and sunny times of prayer,

Alexander Schlüter and Team