Prayer Alert News: UK, Europe, and Worldwide

Easter outreach

Across the nations churches proclaim the Easter message this weekend. One example is the ‘Cross His Path’ initiative which distributed 200 crosses for people to find in Sudbury and Great Cornard from 26 to 31 March. Each cross had a Bible verse on one side and on the flipside link details to the ‘Cross His Path’ Facebook page where people could log their finds, receive an Easter message, and leave their own reflections. It also gave details of local Easter services and activities, one of which is a ‘Stations of Sudbury’ walk on Easter Saturday, retelling the story of Jesus’ death through readings and prayers at a variety of locations. It will also give an opportunity to pray for the community. Praise God that the heart of the Christian message is being proclaimed across the UK in a variety of ways. Death is not the end for today’s disciples; there is more to come because of what Christ did for us.

Praise:

God for Jesus, and pray for powerful revelations of the Gospel message in all Easter outreach events. (Matthew 3:2)

Rescued from slavery in India

Impoverished families trafficked from central Indian states are forced to make thousands of clay bricks daily in appalling conditions. Victims don’t speak out due to intimidation. Officials can’t ascertain the truth. Fortunately, one 13-year-old boy told officials how he worked nine hours a day. His courage emboldened others. Teenage girls described carrying heavy stacks of bricks on their heads. A single mother shared the agony of not getting medical care for her sick child. Soon the local authorities had enough information to complete a rescue operation and bring the victims to safety. On 23 March, IJM reported, ‘nearly 150 children, women and men were rescued from bonded labour slavery in a single Indian brick kiln. Years ago, local leaders would not admit slavery still existed, let alone help families in need. Today the families are receiving medical care, food, ID cards, police protection and release certificates that break any bonds to former owners.’

Praise:

God for the bravery of the boy whose actions brought about the rescue of others. Pray for God’s continued blessing on these survivors, and for further rescues. (Exodus 15:2a)

A three-year-old examines Easter

Supermarket shelves have for weeks been full of Easter Eggs, Easter bunnies and hot cross buns, to remind us that ‘Easter is coming’. A three-year-old’s comments on Facebook remind us of how far the commercial marketing of Easter has removed us from our Christian tradition. You can watch her conversation with her daddy by clicking the ‘More’ button. A few of her comments were, ‘I don’t understand what Easter’s all about. Why do you give me chocolate at Easter, when you say it is bad for me? We learn about Easter at nursery school. Are Easter bunny and Jesus best pals? Is the Easter bunny in the Bible? Does Jesus carry a basket of eggs all the time? Does Jesus like chocolate?’

Pray:

for the Christian festival of Easter to mean more than eating chocolate again after giving it up for Lent. (Psalm 22:27)

False charges against street preacher

Pastor David Lynn leads a Toronto church and has preached on the streets for 22 years without conviction. He also heads up Christ’s Forgiveness Ministries, which has 40,000 supporters and a YouTube channel with 8.8 million views. When he preached outside Barking tube station on 20 March, he was arrested and kept in custody for over 20 hours. David began preaching at 1 pm, and at 3.30 pm a group of supporters joined him. He preached about people searching for love in the wrong places; only through a right relationship with Christ can this deep need be satisfied. A large crowd formed, and David handed the microphone to onlookers to allow them to respond to his preaching. Fortunately his preaching was videoed, so that when a lady accused him of calling her ‘perverse’ and ‘sinful’ the footage of the event did not substantiate her complaint.

Pray:

for Christ’s message to continue to be preached on our streets through wise and perceptive Christian evangelists. (Job 5:12)

CofE would be shut down if it were a school

A lawyer representing survivors of clerical sex abuse in the CofE said at a public hearing, ‘The Church of England is an inappropriate organisation to have charge or care of children and vulnerable adults, and would have been closed if it were a school.’ The inquiry used the diocese of Chichester as a case study to investigate the CofE’s failure to protect children from sex abusers. Another lawyer said, ‘Over the past three weeks I have been struck by how inappropriate the Church as an organisation is to have charge or care of children and vulnerable adults. Personally, I would not want my son to spend a moment in the company of a member of this organisation.’ The lawyers were struck by the ‘impotence’ of the Archbishop of Canterbury to hold bishops to account, calling it a deep-seated cultural and structural problem.

Pray:

for the Church to be led by God into strategies of change and delivered from evil. (Matthew 6:13)

Disturbing sculptures highlight male suicides

Suicide claims the lives of over 6,000 British men and women every year, and is the single biggest killer of men under 45. An artwork called Project 84 highlights the fact that an average 84 men in the UK take their lives every week. The sculptures, of anonymous men with hoodies tied tight around their faces, were installed on the roof of ITV’s ‘This Morning’ studio on 26 March and were created with the support of bereaved family members. They were designed to give pause for thought to those passing by on the street below. Some viewers branded the artwork ‘insensitive’ and ‘disturbing’. ITV’s backing of the artwork is designed to initiate conversations around male suicide and the need for better suicide prevention and bereavement support.

Pray:

for the Church, Social Services, NHS and government to establish a workable network of support and care for those at risk, and guidance for their families. (Job 30:27,28)

Brexit vote corruption?

Claims from a Cambridge Analytica (CA) whistle-blower that the Leave campaign won by ‘cheating’ has some people calling for a second vote and others hoping the result can be overturned by Parliament. Our electoral system is under scrutiny, as new evidence shows that both remainers and leavers appear to have done what they could financially to maximise their vote. Researchers now believe it is probable that both sides were up to similar tricks. The controversy over the Brexit vote has drawn British involvement with CA to the attention of Transparency International. If Brexit campaigns end up on the wrong side of the law, pray that they will face the subsequent consequences. But, however we reached Brexit, the referendum result has three likely guarantors: the Conservative backbench, the Labour frontbench, and public opinion. See also article 4 in the World section, about CA.

Pray:

for thoughtful examination of our electoral system for potential loopholes. (Proverbs 11:1)

Labour’s anti-Semitism problem

A demonstration in Parliament Square by two Jewish groups has drawn attention to Jeremy Corbyn’s anti-Semitism problem. Many leading British Jews have written to him complaining that Labour contains pockets of anti-Semitism that he has turned a blind eye to or dealt with inadequately. Jewish Labour MPs have been subjected to anti-Semitic rants and intimidation from supporters of the hard left. Jewish students have abandoned Labour groups, feeling threatened and vilified. The hard left is almost defined by its hostility to Israel, and in the heat of political debate ancient hatreds flame. Labour candidate Alan Bull said the Holocaust was a ‘hoax’. Corbyn called Hamas and Hezbollah ‘friends’. He is a Facebook member of Palestine Live and History of Palestine, riddled with anti-Semitism under the cloak of pro-Palestine activism. See also

Pray:

for Jeremy Corbyn to understand what anti-Semitism is and where it exists in politics. (Genesis 12:3)

Theresa May stands with persecuted Christians

On 28 March DUP MP Jim Shannon commented during PMQs on the return of many believers to the Nineveh Plains, and asked the Prime Minister to pledge her support to them. In her reply Mrs May said, ‘Easter is of course the most important time in the Christian calendar. It is a time of new life and hope. The message of the cross and the resurrection helps to support Christians around the world. We stand with those persecuted Christians. We will be looking to see what more the Government can do to support them.’

Pray:

for the Prime Minister’s comments to spur the Government on to even more support and protection for persecuted Christians abroad and the refugees entering the UK. (Psalm 85:9)

Ireland: referendum on legalising abortion

The overwhelmingly Catholic Republic of Ireland will hold a referendum on 25 May on whether or not to alter its constitution to legalise abortion. The move follows the recent Irish Senate vote in favour of holding the poll by a wide margin. Last year prime minister Leo Varadkar won leadership of the governing centre-right Fine Gael party after campaigning on same-sex marriage and liberalising abortion laws.

Pray:

for the Church to arise and scatter her enemies. (Psalm 68:1)

France: police officer dies for hostage

Lt-Col Arnaud Beltrame, a practising Catholic, was shot and stabbed after he traded places with one of the captives following a shooting spree in southern France. His brother Cedric said his actions were ‘beyond the call of duty’. France’s gendarmerie honoured its fallen comrade, saying Col Beltrame ‘gave his life for the freedom of the hostages’. His sacrifice was compared with that of St Maximilian Kolbe, who in 1941 volunteered to take the place of a fellow prisoner condemned to death at Auschwitz. Beltrame and his fiancée, Marielle, were shortly to marry.

Pray:

that all who were involved in this incident may know God’s comfort and peace. (Psalm 86:17)

Turkey: a turning point

Turkey was a secular country, but since President Erdogan’s rise to power it is returning to its Ottoman and Islamic heritage. This shift is manifesting through authoritarianism, consolidation of power, increased support of radical Islam, reintroduction of Islamic cultural practices, the threatening of long-held borders, and the dismissal of thousands of government workers, military, and journalists. But what matters most is the 99% of 80 million people who call Turkey home but have never heard the Gospel. The early Church thrived there. Much of the New Testament took place there. For a nation so hardened to the Gospel, and resenting Christianity, prayer is the only way to bring change.

Pray:

for God to make evangelism easy in the midst of persecution. (Psalm 72:17,18)

Reflection on the cross

The cross reminds us of the point in history when the world was changed. Two thousand years ago, a cross was an ancient instrument of torture and death for criminals. Christ the accused criminal king, wearing a crown of thorns, was nailed to a wooden cross. Nails that should have pierced my hands and feet held him there. A crown of pain rested on his brow, not mine. A spear that should have penetrated my side stabbed him. The cross, the misery, the mystery – all reduced in 2018 to a piece of jewellery, a t-shirt logo, or perhaps a bumper sticker on a car. Pray for a recovery of Christian faith across our nations; for faith and an unwavering belief that Christ saved us through his death and resurrection. Pray for the relevance of the cross to impact today’s culture once again.

Pray:

for a powerful move of God’s Spirit, making us look again at the cross. (Isaiah 53:5)

Nigeria: Christian girl defies Boko Haram

Last week we praised God for the release of 104 Dapchi school girls by Boko Haram. Five of the 110 girls died and were buried in the bush. What happened to the other girl? Her name is Leah Sharibu, and she defied Boko Haram by refusing to renounce her Christian faith! She is still in captivity. Her father, Nathan Sharibu, said, ‘They gave her the option of converting in order to be released, but she said she will never become a Muslim. I am very sad, but I’m also praising God because my daughter did not renounce Christ.’ Leah sent a message asking her family ‘to pray for the will of God to be done in my life’. What bravery, what faith, what a testimony to the world! One lone Christian girl among 110 defies the abominable Boko Haram. What will happen to her? President Buhari has been asked to ‘uphold the tenets and principles of the Nigerian constitution’. We must pray!

Pray:

for Leah to feel God’s comfort and protection, and for Him to destroy Boko Haram by His power. (Deuteronomy 33:27)

Global: small churches aren’t broken

The following ideas are found in the Small Church Essentials book: *The lack of a powerful worship band doesn’t mean settling for passionless worship. *Small churches thrive if they prioritise culture, relationships, and history. *If you’re doing the Great Commandment and Great Commission, you have a great church, no matter the size, denomination, or liturgy. *Small congregations may be Christianity’s most overlooked, underutilised asset; but they’re multiplying and driving global church growth. *Healthy churches continually assess and clear space in their agenda, then they are ready to add something fresh and new. *Reaching the next generation will be done through ministry from the church in the community, not just in the church.

Pray:

for the Church, across the nations, big and small, to preach God’s word faithfully, expect signs and wonders to follow, and serve a purpose beyond themselves. (2 Timothy 3:16)

Global: Cambridge Analytica

Recent revelations about Cambridge Analytica (CA) tactics to influence elections using data from Facebook accounts and its role in UK and US election votes are the tip of an iceberg. CA has been linked to elections in Czech Republic, India, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Malaysia, Nigeria, and Ukraine. This is a truly worldwide phenomenon. New technologies can be a double-edged sword. Social media has transformed how the public call out the corrupt and demand change. But what happens when the data these tools generate about their users is used as part of a murky process to influence elections? Is this corruption? The now-suspended CEO of CA has said that some emails between the company and its clients automatically self-destruct, leaving no electronic paper trail for investigators looking for election fraud allegations. Also identities of companies working on elections were hidden, presumably through shell companies. ‘No one even knew they were there,’ said another CA executive of an operation in Eastern Europe. See also

Pray:

for loopholes in countries’ election processes to be discovered and closed. (Psalm 37:10,11)

Global: Putin finally goes too far

When Britain expelled 23 Russian diplomats in response to a Russian assassination attempt on UK soil, Vladimir Putin shrugged it off, no doubt believing the cost was predictable and bearable. Then 27 countries, including the USA, joined a coordinated expulsion campaign. Putin’s calculation has always been that the West is strong but lacks unity and the will to do anything when Russia bends and breaks international rules. The 120+ expulsions will deliver a serious blow to Russia’s intelligence networks, as those expelled are probably intelligence officers working under diplomatic cover. However, they represent only a fraction of Russia’s intelligence apparatus. For instance the Czech security service believes fifty Russians in the Prague embassy are actually spies. But, mindful that their tiny embassy in Moscow can only sustain a few retaliatory expulsions, the Czechs only expelled three Russians. Boris Johnson predicts Russia will retaliate against all countries in solidarity with the UK.

Pray:

for Moscow to accept the unified international response that says they will only suffer so much provocation. Ask God to protect energy supplies and Moscow-based diplomats. (Psalm 2:1,2a, 4)

Cameroon: challenges for prayer

Mission networking in Cameroon is bearing fruit through evangelical cooperation to reach the unconverted. Please pray for three initiatives: 1) Christian Missionary Fellowship International has remarkable ministries in prayer, missions and publishing, all having a global impact. 2) Cameroon for Christ, launched in 1996, involves many denominations and churches in research and evangelism of the 2,400 villages of the north. 3) Mission BINAM targets the idol-worshippers of West Cameroon, especially the Bamiléké, and is very active in evangelism as it trains researchers for church and mission needs. Please pray also for the restless young people who are frustrated by high unemployment and cheating, bribery and favouritism in the education system. Many turn to crime and prostitution, and violent demonstrations are occurring. Cameroon has never before dealt with such disruptions. Also Christians in the north are under increasing pressure from Muslims.

Pray:

for effective Christian discipling in churches and by youth and children’s agencies like YFC (which is a major ministry among young people, especially in the south). (Proverbs 22:6)

Syria: Turkish action in Afrin

Turkey’s flag flew over Afrin while Turkish-led factions, including Salafi jihadi groups, were plundering the city. Images emerging from Afrin resembled a medieval army taking booty. Experts, observers and international anti-IS coalition officials expected Syrian Kurdish fighters to put up a stronger resistance to protect the land, believing Turkey’s victory would come at a greater cost. Since these fighters handed over Afrin without engaging in urban warfare, most people believe the Turkish intervention is a prelude to a wider offensive against other cities under the control of the Kurdish forces. On 20 March Erdogan vowed to expand Turkey’s Syria campaign to the Kurdish-held areas up to the Iraqi border. But Syria’s government heavily criticised Turkey’s ‘occupation’ of Afrin and demanded that Turkish forces withdraw.

Pray:

for Turkey’s military achievement to translate into regional dialogues not further deaths. (Psalm 72:3,4)