Prayer Alert News: UK, Europe, and Worldwide May 15, 2020

The UK public is showing impressive levels of solidarity, humanity, and kindness during the coronavirus crisis, according to a new opinion poll by Amnesty International. The poll shows that huge numbers have helped a stranger, volunteered their time, reconnected with someone they’d previously lost contact with. One in five have spoken to their neighbour for the first time. Also, an estimated 30 million people have taken part in the Thursday ‘Clap for Carers’ initiative.

Praise: God for the public compassion and care being revealed in our communities. (Psalm 25:9)
More: www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/uk-1-5-speak-neighbour-first-time-uk-shows-new-levels-compassion-during-lockdown

Poverty on the Blackfeet Indian reservation is 37% compared to 15% in Montana state. Dr Mary DesRosier is on the front lines of the opioid epidemic. Her patients struggle with addiction, depression and substance abuse. Liver-related deaths and drug-use-poisoning deaths are among the top five causes of death. But her patients are living examples of their faith; facing unimaginable challenges with faith and humour. ‘It’s been the hardest job I’ve ever done, but the most rewarding,’ she said. ‘I feel like I’m ministered to by them.’ DesRosier believes that God put a love for rituals and sacredness in the hearts of the Blackfeet. ‘Christ is the fulfilment of our traditions. We have a heart for the one true God, Jesus. I can’t do anything without him. He is my springboard, walking with me every day. In difficult situations, his grace just comes in and takes over.’

Praise: God for the strong Christian witness among the Blackfeet. (Psalm 4:3)
More: www.catholicextension.org/stories/shes-first-woman-her-tribe-earn-md-see-why-native-american-doctor-went-back-her-reservation

Ahmad Quraisy (not his real name) was a commander of the feared Islamic State of Indonesia, a militant terror group. He has come a long way since he nearly blew up a Protestant church in Jakarta. Now, the 48-year-old former terrorist leads an underground movement in Indonesia converting Muslims to personal faith in Christ. His movement has grown into some 7,000 members, all of them former Muslims. They meet in house churches across the country, he revealed in an extensive interview. Leaving Islam remains a high-risk undertaking in the world’s largest Muslim nation. But, he says, ‘it was worth all the hardships we endured’. For his story, click the ‘More’ button.

Praise: God for the path He has led Ahmad on. (Psalm 119:105)
More: www.worthynews.com/47877-ex-terrorist-leads-indonesias-christian-convert-movement

The Catholic Church has said that the Government should treat the effects coronavirus has on ethnic groups as a matter of urgency. New analysis suggests that black men and women are more than four times more likely to die a coronavirus-related death than white people. Black males are 4.2 times more likely, and black women 4.3 times more likely, to die after contracting the virus. People of Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Indian, and mixed ethnicities also had an increased risk of death compared with those of white ethnicity. While public health leaders have said that they will review how different factors, such as ethnicity, obesity, and geographical location influence the effects of the virus, the church has said that more must be done.

Pray: for Public Health England and the NHS to tackle the inequalities that leave vulnerable communities paying such a high price urgently. (Psalm 49:2,3)
More: premierchristian.news/en/news/article/bishop-calls-on-government-to-tackle-disproportionate-impact-of-covid-19-on-ethnic-minorities

Statistics show that in the final two months of 2019 police dealt with 664 crimes involving machetes – an average of one every 130 minutes. Three years ago the deadly blades were used in only 100 crimes a month over the same period. Also the toll will be significantly higher because only 34 of the 43 police forces responded. Stabbing hotspots London and Greater Manchester refused to provide data. Rising numbers of criminals are using machetes as their weapons of choice to instil terror in victims and rival gang members. Offenders use them in violent rapes, robberies, and murders. The Home Office said that the Government is doing everything in its power to protect communities from the effects of knife crime, and is recruiting 20,000 more police officers over the next three years as well as ensuring that the most violent offenders spend longer behind bars.

Pray: for the police to have tougher powers to seize dangerous weapons, and for changes in laws and sentencing to remove violence from our streets. (Psalm 34:14)
More: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8302449/Machete-attack-TWO-hours-UK-thugs-new-favourite-weapon.html

Interpol has issued a red notice to Anne Sacoolas, the wife of a US diplomat, charged with killing Harry Dunn outside a US military base. She is now ‘wanted internationally’, charged with causing death by dangerous driving after her car knocked Harry off his motorbike last year. It is alleged that she was driving on the wrong side of the road. She claimed diplomatic immunity and fled to America. A Home Office extradition request was rejected by the US secretary of state, a move described by Downing Street as a ‘denial of justice’. In an escalation of the British stance, Interpol requested police forces worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest her if she crossed their borders. Pray for Mrs Sacoolas to decide to return to the UK and face the charges.

Pray: for the USA and the UK to dispense justice and bring peace of mind to the Dunns. (Proverbs 18:5)
More: www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/05/11/interpol-issues-red-notice-us-diplomats-wife-charged-killing/

Ebola caused a tremendous set-back for the New Generations ministry in Sierra Leone. They saw an average growth of 2,000 new churches annually, but in the epidemic this dropped to less than 200 annually. Fear of getting infected caused people to avoid personal contact. In disciple-making the Gospel spreads through natural social networks, by contacting people – in the same way as the virus. Church planting halted, so they decided to trust God and repurposed themselves to serve their communities, the government, the NGOs, and wherever the need was high. This made a strong and lasting impact in the predominantly Muslim communities. People who were quite closed before Ebola opened up to the Gospel because of the serving attitude of the church planters and their timely interventions. The enemy can use fear to bring the Church to a standstill, so the most important enemy to overcome is fear.

Pray: for Christians in crisis today to put foundations in place for God’s Kingdom tomorrow. (Psalm 104:31)
More: mailchi.mp/joelnews/jni-1169

In a recent tweet, Robert Jenrick, secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, said he will be meeting with religious leaders to plan the reopening of places of worship, whether for public worship or individual prayer. He said, ‘We will work together to agree how and when to do so, whilst protecting the public and controlling the virus.’ He said that private prayer could be allowed before buildings are opened up to the public. Currently places of worship in England are not expected to open before 4 July at the earliest. Bishops in Scotland have formed a Coronavirus working group to look at the best way of meeting long-term pastoral needs during the pandemic, but the Church is not expected to return to normal until 2021. They said that even when churches reopen, parish activities will still be greatly restricted. Pastoral working groups will identify and publicise advice or resources to help dioceses and parishes face fresh challenges in a safe manner.

Pray: for God to lead and guide all discussions between the Government and faith leaders concerning the reopening of churches. (Psalm 107:30)
More: premierchristian.news/en/news/article/faith-leaders-to-meet-with-uk-communities-secretary-about-reopening-of-places-of-worship

Nurse academic Irene Tuffrey-Wijne says figures about deaths from coronavirus of people with learning disabilities are needed now to help prevent unnecessary deaths. Public Health England have stated that an expert group will analyse data on the deaths from coronavirus of those with learning disabilities and autism. However, the data will not be published until 2021. Ms Tuffrey-Wijne said, ‘It’s not good enough to look at this retrospectively in 2021; it will be too late then to prevent unnecessary deaths in 2020.’ The Care Quality Commission says there has been a 175% increase in deaths of people with learning disabilities living in adult social care organisations in England, compared with the same period last year. But while elderly people are entitled to be tested for coronavirus, people with a learning disability are not. See

Pray: for the NHS, Care Quality Commission, social services and government to review their understanding of providing for vulnerable people groups. (Psalm 18:36)
More: rcni.com/learning-disability-practice/newsroom/news/covid-19-leading-nurse-demands-details-of-learning-disability-deaths-160981

A blood test to find out whether people have been infected with coronavirus in the past has been approved by Public Health England, a ‘very positive development’. The test looks for antibodies to see if a person has already had the virus and might now have some immunity. Until now, officials have said such tests are not reliable enough. The government previously spent £16m buying antibody tests which proved to be ineffective. This test is the first one to offer serious potential. Experts at Porton Down evaluated the test and found that if someone had been infected, it gave the correct result 100% of the time. And if someone had not caught coronavirus, then it gave the correct result in 99.8% of cases.

Pray: for an immeasurable flood of wisdom to direct our scientists and researchers as they investigate how far and how easily the virus spreads and how deadly it really is. (Psalm 18:2a)
More: www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52656808

Smuggling networks have been trying to take advantage of the rush to buy medical supplies – including face masks – to tackle the coronavirus epidemic. By the end of April, French police had dismantled a number of such networks, stopped scams and attempted scams to the value of over €30 million, and seized 438,000 masks. In addition, 5.7 million masks ostensibly ordered on the internet have been the subject of a scam or attempted scam. While the crisis has shown the best of ourselves and enabled exceptional acts of solidarity, it has also been an opportunity for some to try to take advantage of the situation, to exploit fear of the disease.

Pray: for continued success in blocking scams, and for abundant availability of all medical supplies. (Psalm 25:3b)
More: rt.com/newsline/488194-france-smuggling-networks-masks/

Three frontline health care workers have mysteriously fallen out of hospital windows in Russia recently, heightening public attention to the working conditions for medical staff. The incidents reflect the stress doctors are under in ill-equipped hospitals where medical workers are getting sick or dying: see Many healthcare staff are scared to complain publicly about working conditions. The UK media claimed 400,000 PPE sent from Turkey failed to meet UK safety standards, with gowns not ‘of the quality good enough for front-line staff‘. As France extends emergency measures until 24 July, passengers travelling on Eurostar from the UK will have to wear a face mask or face covering, in line with guidelines from the French and Belgian governments.

Pray: for leaders to share resources and information that will improve health and safety. (Psalm 133:1)
More: www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-52513516

Ukraine’s police demanded that the Jewish community of Kolommya provide them with a list of all members of their community and of Jewish students, with addresses and phone numbers. The demand was made to the head of the community, Jacob Zalichker, who said he would only comply when presented with a court-ordered warrant for the information. Joel Lion, Israel’s ambassador, brought the document to the attention of Ukraine’s president and two different ministries. He said, ‘I received phone calls from the highest officials of Ukraine strongly condemning this act of anti-Semitism. We will work together to improve education for the police about anti-Semitism’. Ukraine’s first Jewish president, Volodymyr Zelensky, was elected last year.

Pray: for God to protect Jewish Ukrainians, and for apt anti-Semitism teaching in the Ukraine. (Proverbs 2:8)
More: www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/jewish-community-ukraine-kolomyya-anti-semitism-police-a9510126.html

Torrential rains causing floods and landslides displaced 100,000 people and killed about 200 in Kenya. Floods destroyed 8,000 acres of crops, and the extreme rainfall will continue until the end of May. In Uganda, a river burst its banks, causing people to flee for safety. The waters of Lake Victoria have risen to unprecedented heights, forcing shoreline communities to abandon their homes. Rwanda, too, has seen houses, roads, and crops destroyed, and many killed by mudslides. At the same time, trillions of locusts have descended on the region. They can travel over 100 miles a day. There are 18 separate swarms in Kenya at present, and weather conditions are expected to favour breeding, so that a third generation could hatch in June and July. Added to these two tragedies, coronavirus is spreading among huge numbers of displaced people and closed borders are delaying delivery of pesticides to locust-affected areas.

Pray: for God to provide adequate aid to devastated areas of East Africa. (Psalm 65:11,12)
More: mailchi.mp/barnabasfund/floods-make-triple-tragedy-in-east-africa-your-gift-will-bring-hope-and-help?e=026ee53901

The Xingguang house church refused to join the government-sanctioned Three-Self Patriotic Movement. On 3 May security officers burst into a house church gathering for worship. The men who were guarding the door were pinned down, and worshippers were forcefully dragged away. Calling the meeting illegal, the officers demanded that church members stop recording with their cell phones and then confiscated them. However, a short video clip has been made available Throughout the proceedings no warrant was presented. Some Christians were injured and one was hospitalised. Six of the worshippers were detained for several hours. The authorities issued an order officially banning their church gathering. Pray that the members of this church will find ways to continue encouraging one another and grow stronger in their faith.

Pray: for President Xi and his administration to end their opposition to the Gospel. Instead, may they experience the love and saving grace of God. (Psalm 95:7)
More: www.vomcanada.com/cn-2020-05-07.htm

Canadian intercessors have invited the nations to join them in an online seven-hour prayer meeting to pray for the mobilising of the Church into the Great Commission as we emerge from the coronavirus restrictions. Numerous Canadian ministries and churches are linking arms to sponsor this full-day initiative. Prayer will be led by a wide variety of teams of senior leaders from across Canada, but every voice joining in and participating adds powerfully to the whole. This day of prayer will be on 21 May, Ascension Day, remembering when Jesus gave His disciples the Great Commission, the mandate that has burned in the heart of the Church ever since.

Pray: for this vision to be fulfilled, and for the nations to do all that Christ commanded. (Matthew 28:18-20)
More: www.thecrymovement.com/

A woman leads the fight against coronavirus in the Palestinian territories, while at the same time it has brought more violence and suffering to women. Umm Iyad travels to the northern West Bank to follow up on emergency procedures as part of the efforts to stem the outbreak of coronavirus. She has been heading the village council since 2017, and is now head of the emergency committee. She is also working on a community initiative to cultivate land and grow vegetables to achieve self-sufficiency for the villagers. However, during lockdown, statistics showed social workers across the Palestinian governorates have been dealing with increased victims of domestic violence. 40% of women have been subjected to emotional and mental abuse, and 31% to physical abuse. 60% of the victims have fled their houses, and 21% attempted suicide.

Pray: for an increase of positive social changes and solutions for domestic violence. (Psalm 10:12)
More: www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/04/palestinian-women-fight-coronavirus-domestic-violence.html

Any child sold for sex is a victim of sex trafficking. Since 2006, IJM South Asia has rescued 1000+ survivors from sex trafficking, seen over 500 criminals restrained and trained over 30,000 police, government officials, and NGOs. Sex trafficking survivors have described being beaten and forcibly injected with narcotics. This is continuing during lockdown. There is particular concern about the rise of online sexual exploitation of children during the pandemic. It is highly possible that seasoned human trafficking criminals will exploit the current situation. Please pray against this increased exploitation. Pray also for safety and security for the survivors of sex trafficking now thriving and living independently; many are now unable to work in lockdown and risk falling back into desperate poverty. Pray that IJM can maintain contact with these survivors in their network, and provide what is needed to keep them safe.

Pray: for strong media coverage on the risks of trafficking or abuse during lockdown. (Psalm 10:14)
More: mailchi.mp/2c15c6efd23d/ijm-prayer-update-pray-for-6-children-now-free-662588?e=b13bf09a3f

The Maldives is Asia’s smallest country by area and population, known for its lucrative tourism industry. Despite tourism, it is an extremely closed country which boasts of being 100 percent Islam and heavily represses Christian influence. Only a handful of secret believers live in the country, which is regarded as ‘fertile ground for recruitment’ to radical Islam. Dozens of Maldivians have joined IS. The 2019 elections had a surprising result when opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih defeated the former president Abdulla Yameen, who now faces corruption charges. The new government has begun reforms. Give praise for the shake-up in the government. Pray that this may shake up the nation’s repressive laws and human rights abuses. Conversion to Christianity results in a loss of citizenship. Churches and Christian gatherings do not officially exist, and believers live in fear of being discovered. Pray for safety and religious freedom in the Maldives.

Pray: for the new government to bring genuine change and usher in an era of greater openness. May Maldivians have opportunities to hear the Gospel. (Luke 7:22)
More: www.win1040.org/explore?country_id=148

On 11 May Wuhan reported six new coronavirus cases since lockdown was ended, raising concerns about a second wave. The people live in the same residential complex and were previously classified as asymptomatic – people testing positive for the virus and capable of infecting others while not displaying symptoms. Wuhan quickly drew up plans to test its entire population of 11 million people. All districts were told to submit details as to how testing could be done within 10 days. On 13 May China’s media reported that any major increase in numbers as a result of the new testing will raise serious questions over the accuracy and transparency of previous figures. Officials are being accused of covering up the severity of the virus in the earliest stages, and confusion over China’s national figures has been created by several shifts in diagnostic and reporting procedures.

Pray: for successful honest testing and wise decisions as infection reappears. (Psalm 2:10,11)
More: edition.cnn.com/2020/05/12/asia/wuhan-coronavirus-testing-china-intl-hnk/index.html