Prayer Alert News: UK, Europe, and Worldwide

Prayer Alert readers were recently asked to pray against a back door to assisted suicide and euthanasia being opened in the United Kingdom. After a three-day debate, the parliament of Guernsey voted by 24 to 14 to reject the private member’s bill for assisted suicide made by the chief minister, Gavin St Pier. He released a statement expressing his regret that the measure had not passed.

Praise: God that suicide tourism to Guernsey is not going to be an option. (Psalm.16:11)
More: www.bioedge.org/bioethics/guernsey-rejects-assisted-suicide/12700

Bishop Michael Curry’s sermon at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex created a huge media reaction. Many UK newspapers quoted it on their front pages. The Sunday Times said that no one delivers a church sermon quite like a fire-breathing American revivalist preacher, while the Sunday Telegraph said that his sermon was ‘sure to wake royal wedding guests up. It was quite a gear change.’ Sky News described him as ‘the unexpected star of the wedding’. Thousands of people from across the nations are tweeting about his sermon on love: ‘Love, the love that comes from God in Christ, is the only way.’ If people were stunned by the presentation, the message of Christ’s love and God’s love for His creation got through to millions.

Praise: God for a sermon that will be remembered, repeated and go down in history. (1 Corinthians 13:1)
More: www.anglicannews.org/news/2018/05/worlds-media-applauds-presiding-bishop-michael-currys-royal-wedding-sermon.aspx

Communities in Kampala are protecting widows and orphans from having their land stolen from them. Last year, International Justice Mission organised community dialogues about women’s and children’s property rights, to build the understanding that women and girls are also legally able to inherit land. One of the leaders of these discussions said that in his community a man died leaving behind a wife. Her neighbours who had participated in the discussions carried the man’s casket at the funeral and wore t-shirts which read ‘Stop Land Grabbing,’ sending the message to the community that no one should touch the widow’s land. In the past, after a death, a widow and her children were forced off their land. Now they have justice.

Praise: God for the protection and justice that widows and orphans now get. (Proverbs 28:5)
More: http://view.s7.exacttarget.com/

We need to see change in the United Kingdom. It is time to turn to Jesus. It is time for His Kingdom to come, and His will to be done here. You are invited to join thousands of Christians praying, worshipping and declaring for God’s Kingdom to come in our families, churches and communities, praying for an unprecedented turning to God in our nation. This is the eleventh Trumpet Call that the World Prayer Centre has held in Birmingham. Speakers include R T Kendall, Malcolm Duncan and Yinka Oyekan.

Pray: for more people to catch the vision, pray and experience God moving powerfully. (Psalm 47:5)
More: www.worldprayer.org.uk/events-calendar/prayer-gatherings/trumpet-call-2018

Investors, including the Church of England, are demanding that big oil companies take more concrete action to curb global warming. This week the Church Commissioners, who are Shell shareholders, said they would like to see ‘targets that are firmer, creating the necessary internal and external accountabilities, providing a clear impetus for action. Having a target provides us with the clarity we need to have an informed discussion with Shell’s board members about your response to the transition to a low carbon economy.’ They added, ‘We recognise that companies have been reluctant to set targets, expressing concern that they might constrain their ability to act and to take advantage of opportunities as they emerge. We do not agree with this argument.’ Last year Shell set a climate ambition, but did not state specific targets. See also

Pray: for companies and investors to understand and agree the science and economics of low carbon. (Psalm 24:1)
More: www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/news/letter-chair-royal-dutch-shell-ahead-agm-22-may?utm_campaign=1efa6e732c-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_04_30&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Daily%20Media%20Digest&utm_term=0_296e14724b-1efa6e732c-248606341

Human trafficking and modern slavery are amongst the most widespread crimes in the world, affecting millions daily. These crimes happen in every corner of the world and can include any person, regardless of age, socio-economic background or location. As a result, each case can look very different. The following are some of the most commonly reported forms of human trafficking and modern slavery: sexual exploitation, labour exploitation, domestic servitude, forced marriage, forced criminality, child soldiers and organ harvesting. The first step in stopping trafficking is to recognise it. Pray for more understanding of what to look out for in communities and at workplaces. Pray for teachers, social workers, medical practitioners, and other parents to recognise child neglect, emotional abuse, physical and sexual abuse, and forced marriage. Also see the next article.

Pray: for more people with concerns around possible slavery to speak up. (Luke 4:18)
More: www.stopthetraffik.org/about-human-trafficking/types-of-exploitation/

A Birmingham woman was jailed for four and a half years for duping her daughter into travelling to Pakistan and forcing her to marry a man sixteen years her senior. The judge told the mother, ‘You cruelly deceived her. She was frightened, alone, held against her will, being forced into a marriage she dreaded. You must have known her state of mind. Yet for your own purposes, you drove the marriage through.’ It is the first time a victim has given evidence against her family in a trial for this type of offence, and the first conviction for forced marriage in England. The NSPCC hope the sentence will show that young victims can come forward and be supported when they bravely report abuse suffered at the hands of their families. They reported 205 counselling sessions for children concerned about a forced marriage in 2016/2017, and Childline recorded 6,099 visits to its forced marriage online page during the same period.

Pray: for the secretive and isolating nature of forced marriage to be exposed and eradicated. (Isaiah 56:1)
More: www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/may/23/birmingham-woman-jailed-duping-daughter-forced-marriage

11-year-old Adam has weakened muscles, speech impediments and autism, and is a full-time wheelchair user. Adam wants to go out with friends, but this depends on whether he has access to a suitable toilet and changing room. Standard disabled toilets are small and do not provide the changing benches or hoists to meet his special needs. He and his family risk health and safety by changing him on a toilet floor and manual lifting. Adam represents thousands of people with special needs who are not having these needs met, and is taking a theme park to court for not providing ‘reasonable’ disabled facilities. He wants the term ‘reasonable’ to include the space and equipment needed for a disabled person’s personal care. It is now expected that everyone has a right to live in the community and access all its facilities. Government policy promotes ‘community participation’ and ‘active citizenship,’ but for some disabled people the lack of a fully accessible toilet is denying them this right. See:

Pray: for this case to bring changes to current provisions for those with profound disabilities. (Psalm 10:12)
More: www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-44210683

Research for the charity Scope reported that one in eight people hardly ever or never thinks of disabled people as the same as everyone else. Three comments from disabled people: ‘I’ve experienced loneliness as an adult, been excluded from social situations or activities due to my condition, and people make assumptions about what I am able to do or not do.’ ‘I’ve had people getting off the bus because they didn’t want to share one with a cripple.’ ‘People used to see me as “one of them” but now, because I’m disabled, they see me differently.’ Scope’s CEO said that we need to increase understanding of disabled people’s lives and step up our efforts to combat negative attitudes and misperceptions that hold them back in all areas of life, from work and leisure activities to shopping on the high street. Currently a million ‘disabled’ people who are ‘able’ are excluded from the workplace.

Pray: for the Government to tackle discrimination and negative attitudes towards disability (Psalm 10:14)
More: www.scope.org.uk/Scope/media/Documents/Publication%20Directory/Disability-Perception-Gap-report-FINAL.pdf?ext=.pdf

From 4 August to 11 November 2018 there will be a hundred days of prayer for peace, marking the centenary of the end of World War 1. Some 65 million men were mobilised across Europe during this war. On 11 November, people will remember them, but also will pray and work for peace. On 4 August 1918, George V called for 100 days of prayer across the country. This year, throughout those 100 days, there will be prayers and actions for peace. People can sign up to take part and spend just a few minutes of their day, adding their prayers to those of tens of thousands more throughout the season of prayers for peace.  The period will culminate in Peace Parties on 11 November in communities across the nation. For details of the many organisations providing resources needed to stage a local event, click the ‘More’ button.

Pray: for wide publicity and action; may this prayer event bring change. (Job 3:13)
More: www.hopetogether.org.uk/Groups/256563/Remembrance.aspx

Belarus has accused the UK embassy in Minsk of ‘creating problems’ by flying a rainbow flag for International Day Against Homophobia. The embassy said the banner directed attention to the discrimination that LGBT people encounter constantly. But the interior ministry said the majority of Belarusians ‘support traditional family values’, and ‘such statements are a challenge to these values’. Alexander Lukashenko, who has led Belarus for nearly a quarter-century, believes it is ‘better to be a dictator than gay’. Orthodox Christianity is Belarus’s major religion, with significant Roman Catholic, Protestant and Jewish communities. Homosexuality is not illegal but it is considered taboo: Belarus passed legislation in 2016 banning information that ‘discredits the institution of the family and marriage’.

Pray: for fellowship not friction between those following traditional values and LGBT peoples. (Isaiah 1:9)
More: www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/05/22/belarus-calls-lgbt-relationships-fake-row-uk-embassy-rainbow/

Far-right Sweden Democrats (SD) have seen growing support in polls as campaign discourse focuses on refugees and migrants. With national elections due in September, migration policy is shaping up to be a core campaign issue for parties across the political spectrum. Linda Snecker, for the Left Party, believes the increasing focus on migration is changing the political landscape. While 27,000 people applied for asylum in 2017, immigration minister Helene Fritzon said the country should only grant asylum each year to 14,000 -15,000 applicants. SD claim their party does not oppose immigration, but argue that it ‘must be kept at such a level that it does not pose a threat to national identity or the welfare and security of Sweden’. Many SD members share, spread and sympathise with news and propaganda sites connected to white nationalism.

Pray: for Sweden to resist moving from immigration-friendly policies. (Exodus 23:9a)
More: www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/05/migration-play-key-role-upcoming-swedish-elections-180522152743819.html

President Trump cited ‘tremendous anger and open hostility’ from North Korea as reasons for cancelling a landmark meeting with Kim Jong-un on 12 June in Singapore. In a letter to Kim he said, ‘It is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting. The world and North Korea have lost a tremendous opportunity for lasting peace and great prosperity and wealth. This missed opportunity is truly a sad moment in history.’ His announcement came two days after he hosted South Korean president Moon Jae-in in Washington for talks widely seen as a salvage effort to ensure the summit went ahead. A statement from Pyongyang referred to vice-president Mike Pence as a ‘political dummy’, and said it is just as ready to meet in a nuclear confrontation as at the negotiating table with the United States.

Pray: for a rescheduled meeting in the not-too-distant future. (Psalm 34:13-15)
More: www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/05/trump-pulls-summit-north-korea-kim-jong-180524134740695.html

Three world leaders outlined their opinions on Iran. The US secretary of state threatened to impose ‘the strongest sanctions in history’ if Iran doesn’t meet a list of demands, including abandoning involvement in Syria, Yemen, Lebanon and Afghanistan. President Putin said Iran and Hezbollah should leave Syria when the civil war ends; and Israel’s Netanyahu lauded Donald Trump for putting pressure on Iran to stop its intervention in Syria and end its uranium enrichment. An Iranian spokesman told Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV, ‘No one will extract us from Syria. We will remain and keep supporting Syria so long as it needs our help. No one can force Iran to do anything’. Meanwhile please continue to pray for Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a Christian, serving a five-year sentence allegedly for spying and now having new charges made against her. See

Pray: for Iranians to turn to God as they face austerity from financial and oil sanctions. (Isaiah 35:3)
More: https://worldisraelnews.com/us-threatens-strongest-sanctions-in-history-against-iran/

Hamas said fifty of the people killed by Israeli forces on Gaza’s border recently were its fighters and named them online, including photographs and details of their ranks within the group. Yet the IDF’s response to the clashes was condemned worldwide. See If this was the first time the media caused Israel’s self-defence actions to kill civilians, they could be excused, but this is something that Hamas repeatedly does. Fathi Hamad of the Palestinian Legislative Council said, ‘For the Palestinian people, death has become an industry in which women stand out, and all the people who live in this land. Older people excel in this, as do mujahedeen and children. This is why we have made human shields for women, children, the elderly and mujahedeen, to challenge the Zionist bombing machine. It’s like telling the Zionist enemy, “We want death as much as you do life”.’

Pray: for an end to biased media coverage that encourages Hamas to send women and children to the front line. (Psalm 45:4)
More: www.gatestoneinstitute.org/12316/hamas-violence-media

Kidnappers have started contacting families for ransom after scores of people were kidnapped in northern Nigeria, in an outbreak of crime unconnected to Boko Haram. Criminal gangs raid villages and steal cattle in bloody attacks. Earlier this month, 71 died after a bloody clash between armed bandits and militiamen. The kidnappers took advantage of a security lull on the road as a result of local elections taking place. Kidnappings for ransom often happen. A Syrian construction worker was kidnapped in Sokoto. Police dispatched to rescue him were ambushed by the kidnappers, and three were killed in the fight. Nigeria is battling an array of security threats across the country, from Boko Haram jihadists, oil militants, nomadic Fulani tribesmen, and criminal gangs kidnapping for profit. Churches are desecrated, Christians slaughtered, and women, girls and young men are kidnapped or forced into suicide missions.

Pray: for President Muhammadu Buhari and his resources to curb violence. (Isaiah 45:5)
More: www.vanguardngr.com/2018/05/birnin-gwari-kidnap-kidnappers-started-contacting-families-ransom/

In a worsening economic crisis Venezuelans re-elected president Maduro, causing an international backlash to the ‘landslide vote’ marred by opposition boycotts and vote-rigging claims. Fourteen countries, including Argentina, Brazil and Canada have recalled their ambassadors from Caracas in protest. Leaked data from two Caracas hospitals show major shortages of food and essential supplies causing more underweight babies being born and an increase of babies and new mothers dying. Venezuela is the most corrupt country in Latin America. A recent investigation by Transparency International showed that the government had signed contracts worth at least US$30 billion with Odebrecht, the Brazilian construction giant at the heart of an enormous bribery scandal in Latin America and elsewhere. Donald Trump called for new elections to ‘end the repression’ of Venezuelans. See

Pray: for international leaders to curb Venezuela’s corruption. (Jeremiah 7:5,6a)
More: www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-44204632

The persecution against Christians is worse today than in any period of history, said a report by Aid to the Church in Need. The great rabbi of France, Haim Korsia, made an urgent request to Europe and the rest of the West to defend the non-Muslims of the Middle East, whom he compared to the victims of the Holocaust. A new human rights report has revealed that Iraqi minorities such as Christians, Yazidis and the Chabaqui people are victims of a ‘slow-motion genocide’ that is destroying their ancestral communities to the point of disappearance. 81% of Iraq’s Christians have disappeared. For the Sabians, the devout community of San Juan Bautista, the number is even worse: 94%. As for the Yazidis, 18% have died or left the country. Another human rights organisation, Hammurabi, reports that there were 600,000 Christians in Baghdad, but there are only 150,000 now.

Pray: for regimes and human rights groups to end Iraq’s discrimination of minorities. (Proverbs 21:15)
More: http://es.gatestoneinstitute.org/12357/irak-cristianos-desaparecido

Many Argentines blame the IMF for the country’s 2001 financial meltdown, punctuated by a sovereign bond default and steep currency devaluation, which tossed millions of middle-class Argentines into poverty. Now left-leaning activists have taken to the streets to protest the IMF negotiations taking place in Washington while President Macri is trying to convince average Argentines that his policies will attract the investment needed to establish sustainable economic growth. In Buenos Aires, teachers have been staging protests because life is unbearable as the value of the peso continues to decline by a further 30%, sparking even more inflation. They are demanding pay rises, and say they have been living below the poverty line. To watch a video of thousands of people taking to the streets almost every day go to:

Pray: for God to inspire Argentina’s government, commerce and industry in all decisions. (Psalm 85:8)
More: www.reuters.com/article/argentina-rates/update-2-argentina-keeps-hawkish-inflation-stance-policy-rate-unchanged-idUSL2N1ST1XY