Prayer Alert News: UK, Europe, and Worldwide

Nigeria: many girls released

According to an ongoing headcount, 100 of the school girls abducted by militants from their boarding school in Dapchi on 19 February were ‘dropped off’ at about 7:30 am on 21 March. Their release was unconditional. ‘Dapchi is full of joy,’ said Mohammed Mdada. He said the militants apologised to some of the girls’ parents in their language, Kanuri, and shook their hands before driving off. They said that if they had known the girls were Muslim they wouldn’t have abducted them. Some reports say that Christian girls had not been released. Amnesty International said four girls are still missing. The terrorists warned the girls to stay away from school, adding that if they returned and found any girls in school they’d abduct them again and never give them back. Although parents are rejoicing, it can be seen that the girls have suffered and are in a poor state.

Praise:

God for the girls’ release, but continue to pray for the release of all the Chibok and Dapchi girls still in captivity. May they have complete mental, spiritual, and physical recovery. (Psalm 10:12)

Ireland: Pope’s visit

It has been confirmed that 81-year-old Pope Francis will visit Dublin on Saturday 25 August to take part in the Festival of Families, a faith-based cultural concert in Croke Park, and celebrate Mass in Phoenix Park the following day. Bearing in mind the current contemporary challenges that face families in both Ireland and elsewhere, the Catholic bishops said, ‘We are deeply honoured that Pope Francis will come to our country to participate in this universal church celebration of faith and joy’, adding that they look forward to hearing apostolic guidance.

Praise:

God for the frank open statements that the Pope is known for. May he clearly speak on Christian family values in a changing world culture. (Malachi 3:18)

INSIGHT: Russian corruption backstory

In the current climate of Russian conspiracy theories, press conference threats, diplomatic expulsions from countries, with tit for tat accusations and sarcasm between countries, it is difficult to know how to pray or who to pray for, when there are so many people behind the scenes holding very influential positions both at home and abroad. With this in mind, Prayer-Alert has produced an INSIGHT article giving intercessors a backstory that contains the historical roots of corruption in Russia, the names and spheres of authority of administrative individuals in Russia, and Government agencies in the United Kingdom that we can be praying for, with information based on facts not fake news. To read the article please press the ‘More’ button.

Pray:

for God to use current situations to refine international relationships His way. (Psalm 66:7)

Christianity as default gone

Europe’s march towards a post-Christian society has been starkly illustrated by research showing that a majority of young people in a dozen countries are not following any religion. A survey of 16- to 29 year-olds found that in the UK only 7% identify as Anglican and 10% as Catholic. Young Muslims, at 6% and rising, are on the brink of overtaking those who consider themselves part of the country’s established church. The UK figures were partly explained by high immigration – one in five Catholics in the UK was not born in the UK, neither were most of the Muslims. The figures were in a report, Europe’s Young Adults and Religion, by a professor of theology who said, ‘The new default setting for faith in the UK is no religion, and the few who are Christians see themselves as swimming against the tide.’

Pray:

for God to impact His church with humility and powerful prayers alongside Spirit-led teaching and mission, so that Christians in turn will impact the British population. (Psalm 14:2)

Powerful words on sex abuse by priests

The Archbishop of Canterbury, speaking to an independent enquiry, has warned that child sex abuse by priests will ‘destroy the Church’ if it continues, adding the Church of England’s current safeguarding powers to protect children ‘probably needs re-looking at’. In cutting terms Welby warned that those who didn’t protect children would ‘answer on the day of judgement’. ‘That probably doesn’t mean much to some people here’, he said. ‘But I think about that every day. Those who do children harm would do better to have a millstone put around their neck and be thrown into the sea rather than face the judgement that God will give them. The reputation of the church, the reputation of a person, the reputation of an institution, is as nothing compared to the call to obey God in Jesus Christ in the way we love and care for people. Everything that goes against that will, in the end, destroy the Church.’

Pray:

for all the Church to obey God’s call on our lives, resist temptation, be delivered from evil, and live according to Kingdom values. (Matthew 6:11-13)

Nazanin Radcliffe’s internment

23 March is day 720 of Nazanin Zaghari-Radcliffe’s confinement in Evin prison, nicknamed ‘The Iranian torture factory’. In September she was approved for early release, but Boris Johnson’s comments caused Iranian authorities to believe she was a spy and new charges were made. Her situation became political news, generating a petition of 1.5+ million signatures for her release. Mr Johnson visited Iran ‘to leave no stone unturned’, but an Ayatollah’s fiery Friday sermon described him as a ‘liar and clown’, leading to demonstrations across Iran and the UK. Inside the prison phone calls to and from Nazanin by family were banned and medical visits were cancelled. Just before Christmas, she was told she was ‘eligible for parole.’, but this came to nothing. Nazanin is a Christian suffering post-traumatic stress, being cruelly treated physically and emotionally; pray for her spirit to be strong. See also the article ‘Under Islamism’ in the World section.

Pray:

for Boris Johnson to continue to work firmly but tactfully towards establishing justice for Nazanin. (Heb.13:3)

Political correctness

Young girls are still being sacrificed on the altars of multiculturalism and political correctness. A recent Sunday Mirror story says that child grooming is still going on after all the outcry in recent years, and police are still failing to act. Authorities don’t keep details of abusers in Asian communities for fear of ‘racism’. Council staff view the abused children as ‘prostitutes’ not victims. Recently police failed to investigate a complaint five times until an MP intervened. The number of victims in Rotherham’s child sexual exploitation has recently risen to 1,510. The worst examples are of criminals being excused because of their culture; a Muslim man in Nottingham who raped an underage girl was spared prison after the judge heard that he had been taught in an Islamic faith school that women are worthless. Islamic values were used by a judge to undermine the fundamental principle of one law for all. See also

Pray:

for society to end the conspiracy of silence for the sake of political correctness. (Luke 17:1)

Prison chaplain ousted for ‘extreme’ Christian views

Paul Song, 48, was a prison chaplain but claims he was forced out of his job at Brixton prison after the new Muslim managing chaplain there accused him of holding ‘extreme’ views. He had worked at the jail since 1998; he had started running Alpha courses and the Just10 course, all with the blessing of the former senior chaplain Reverend Phillip Chadder. The demand for the courses over the years was considerable. Mohammed Yusuf Ahmed, who took over as managing chaplain in 2015, told Song he wanted to ‘change the Christian domination’ at the prison and that the courses he taught were ‘too radical’. Pastor Song, a respected AOG Pastor from South Korea, also leads the Shepherd Church in London. He is being advised by the Christian Legal Centre, which said, ‘To call this Christian who has served without a blemish for almost twenty years an extremist defies belief.’

Pray:

for agendas at the prison to be removed and for Pastor Paul to be reinstated (Luke 8:17)

Gay clergyman loses discrimination appeal

On 22 March the gay clergyman Canon Jeremy Pemberton lost his appeal against the Church of England after he claimed its attitude to same-sex marriage breached equality laws. The Court of Appeal upheld a previous ruling that he was not discriminated against when he was barred from becoming a hospital chaplain after marrying his partner. The CofE has now established that it can continue to discriminate legally against some LGBT people in relation to their employment, even when that employment is not within the boundaries of the Church’s jurisdiction.

Pray:

for all those affected by this ruling, and for the CofE to deal sensitively and consistently with the LGBT community. (Ephesians 6:18b)

Gambling Commission recommendations

The Bishop of St Albans, a leading campaigner for measures to limit the harm done by Fixed Odds Betting Terminals, has responded to the Gambling Commission recommendations. He supports reducing maximum stake on machines to £2, from the current £100 level. The Commission recommended limiting the stake to about £30, leaving it up to the Government to decide the final figure. Bishop Alan said, ‘Any stake higher than £2 does not go far enough to protect the most vulnerable, their families, and communities. Ministers must put the interests of those affected by them ahead of concerns about tax revenue or the powerful gambling lobby. We desperately need gambling regulations that are ordered, sensible, and caring for the vulnerable. I hope the Ministers will be courageous and reduce the maximum stake to £2.’

Pray:

for many in the government to adhere to his suggestions. (1 Timothy 6:10)

Kazakhstan: church prosecutions

All exercise of the right to freedom of religion or belief without state permission is banned in Kazakhstan, in defiance of the country’s international human rights commitments. There is a growing trend of banning religious communities on various grounds. For example, on 16 March a court in South Kazakhstan fined and banned for a month a Protestant church for having three not five fire detectors in a property used only for storage. The fire inspector refused to explain why the order to install the extra fire detectors was not put in writing, or why the church was punished despite having installed those extra detectors within the specified one month. Also, at the same church, police arrested a woman for ‘missionary activity’ after she helped someone download a Bible onto her phone. Religious communities face raids and fines as parliament’s lower house prepares the final text of a wide-ranging set of amendments to make the exercise of religion or belief more difficult. See also

Pray:

for God to strengthen His church as they face tyranny for their Christian beliefs. (Psalm 119:157)

Europe: control of fishing rights

On 20 March environment secretary Michael Gove told Tory MPs to ‘keep their eyes on the prize’ in the row over Brexit and fishing waters after the latest Europe Brexit meetings. Theresa May’s agreement to keep EU fishing policies during the transition period meant the UK had not got what it wanted from the negotiations. Control of fishing waters has been delayed. The next day protesters threw dead fish into the Thames outside Parliament, in solidarity with the fishing communities who expected to control UK waters the day it leaves the EU. The demonstrations were called environmental vandalism. Jacob Rees-Mogg said the proposal for Britain to remain in the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy for almost two years after March 2019, with no say over the allocation of quotas, would not command the support of the Commons, adding he was not pleased with the transition deal but he could live with it. See also

Pray:

for Europe to agree to favourable regulations and rulings for UK fishermen in future negotiations. (Pr.19:11)

Iran 1: under Islamism

An Iranian writes, ‘My generation is called the “burnt generation”. We had to endure the brutality of the Islamist theocratic regime from the cradle: this meant cruel mass executions, ruthless determination to establish power, imposing barbarous restrictive norms, brainwashing children, and indoctrinating youth with extremist ideology, promoting slogans like “Death to America”.’ The regime, fearing an uprising, sends dissidents to Evin prison, where they are at the mercy of brutal prison guards. Teachers, writers, journalists, students, lawyers, academics, Christians, and anyone perceived to speak out against the regime go to Evin without legal representation. Hygiene there is poor, summer heat reaches 45 Celsius with no air conditioning, water quality is poor, and there are meagre portions of barely edible food. Often outside world contact is forbidden. Human rights activists’ words fall on deaf ears. See also

Pray:

for God’s response to the cruelty of Evin prison to take place. (Psalm 38:22)

Iran 2: persecuted but not forsaken

Please stand in solidarity and prayer for Christians imprisoned in Iran on false political charges because of their faith. These include: Maryam – house church member, in Evin since July 2013, serving a four-year sentence. Ebrahim – house church member, in Evin since August 2013, serving a one-year sentence, followed by two years’ exile to a border town. In March 2015 he was given a further five years’ imprisonment. Behnam – house church leader, in Ghezel Hesar prison since May 2011, serving a six-year sentence. In 2014 he was given a further six years. Vruir – an ordained pastor, currently under house arrest for 3-5 years. Three of his congregation are believed to be in prison. Shahin – given 2.5 years’ sentence in July 2013. Released in December 2013 and then taken to serve his sentence in April 2014. Mohammad was imprisoned on 5 July 2014 for a six-year sentence. Massoud began his five-year sentence on 9 November 2014.

Pray:

for these and dozens of others in detention without even a court trial. (1 Corinthians 4:8-10)

Syria: another crisis developing

German Chancellor Angela Merkel addressed the Bundestag in Berlin on 21 March and condemned as ‘unacceptable’ Turkey’s military offensive in Syria’s northern town of Afrin. She criticized Russia for ‘just watching’ the continuing attacks by Syrian forces on eastern Ghouta. The previous day the UN called for full access to civilians in both places. Ankara said its military operations are defensive and criticised Berlin for not doing more to crack down on supporters of the PKK in Germany. Turkey’s response to America arming Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces in the area is to launch military operations against the Kurdish-controlled Afrin region, risking further confrontation.The lives and safety of 350,000 Afrin civilians are at risk. Pray for the families who are being charged thousands of dollars by Syrian forces for safe passage into government-held areas. See also

Pray:

for the miracle of peaceful negotiations that only God can bring about. (Proverbs 19:21)

Russian threat to global democracy

Theresa May is warning leaders of Russia’s threat to all democracies; Russia has ‘shown itself to be a strategic enemy not a strategic partner’. Mrs May believes that although the attempted assassination of the Skripals took place on UK soil, the Russian threat does not respect borders and it places all nations at risk, adding, ‘As a European democracy, the UK will stand shoulder to shoulder with the EU and Nato members to face these threats together. United, we will succeed.’ Whitehall stressed the response to the Salisbury attack was carefully calibrated to remain within the law, and the UK was not looking for huge confrontations with Russia or regime change. The US, UK, France and Germany recently signed up to a very strong and uncompromising statement, and the prime minister is now using blunt language to the world and to the rest of EU member states.

Pray:

for God to give wisdom in diplomacy and border control, and insights to those developing protection against cyber invasion, social media corruption, and financial manipulation. (Job 5:13)

South Korea: work ethos

South Korea has some of the longest working hours in the world. Government employees work approximately 2,739 hours a year, 1,000 hours more than workers in other developed countries. The Seoul metropolitan government is introducing an initiative forcing employees to leave work earlier. Computers will be powered down at 20:00 on Fridays to stop a ‘culture of working overtime’. The shutdown comes in three phases, beginning on 30 March with computers switched off by 20:00. In April employees computers will be turned off by 19:30 on the second and fourth Friday, then from May onwards all computers will power down by 19:00 every Friday. 67.1% of government workers have asked to be exempt from the forced lights-out. Numerous surveys across the nation have found that stress and long hours of modern office jobs destroy not only health but family life.

Pray:

for the dangers to physical wellbeing and mental health presented by over work to be curtailed both in South Korea and across all the developed world with similar work ethos. (Genesis 2:2b,3)

New Zealand: new Asian era?

China’s Xi Jinping is now ‘president for life’, which many believe will cause NZ prime minister Jacinda Ardern’s government to change its Asian foreign policy and identify potential new paths. President Trump has been inconsistent in Asia as he aims to meet US interests. Ardern’s government identifies nuclear disarmament and climate change as key areas for international engagement. Australia does not support nuclear disarmament in the same way NZ does, and its action on climate change domestically is comparatively modest. Maintaining the rules-based order in the region will depend on partnerships with the US, Japan‚ and (increasingly) India. Many believe established traditions will be tested, but not abandoned altogether. This dynamic is not exclusive to NZ, with the current geopolitical changes in the new era.

Pray:

for Wellington to formulate foreign policies that incorporate the traditions of past relationships with neighbours. (Psalm 112:4,5)