Prayer Alert News: UK, Europe, and Worldwide April 03, 2020

As the impact of coronavirus increases we hear of ‘tsunami waves’ of patients filling hospitals, however there is also a ‘tsunami of prayer’ flooding the nation. Many are saying that we are probably experiencing a level of sustained prayer not seen since WW2. Our homes, home groups, prayer groups, and church congregations are meeting online to pray. There are reports coming from Scotland that home groups who used to meet weekly or fortnightly are now praying together online every evening; churches are holding online morning or evening prayer sessions, with attendance two or three times higher than their usual prayer meetings. Church leaders are experimenting with connecting in new and innovative ways to pray. Globally there is united prayer being generated across every time zone See

Praise: God for the tsunami of airborne prayers which are now fighting an airborne virus. (1 Corinthians 4:20)
More: www.24-7prayer.com/coronavirusprayer

Alfie Dean from Babbacombe wanted to do something to help others in his community during lockdown; so the 13-year-old set up a pantry outside his house to help vulnerable people who cannot get to the shops and those struggling to buy essentials. He erected two shelves at the end of his driveway and stocked them with milk, bread, tins, pasta, biscuits, etc. A sign read, ‘Babbacombe Pantry – take what you need, leave what you don’t and donate what you can’. In the first two days fifty people used the pantry. In Buckinghamshire a Network Rail bridge between junctions 16 and 17 on the M25 carries a large graffiti sign, ‘Thank you NHS’ (see). It is not clear who painted the heart-warming message.  In America hundreds of Christians surrounded a hospital and sang and prayed to raise the spirits of staff and coronavirus patients: see

Praise: God for the innovative ideas and sentiments that are being birthed in our communities. (Psalm 20:2)
More: www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-england-52020647

Billionaire Hans Rausing is donating £16.5 million towards supporting NHS staff and volunteers. £5 million will pay for packs of food and necessities to be distributed to the isolated vulnerable and the cost of travel, parking, and accommodation for volunteers. The chief executive of NHS Charities Together, said that the £5 million grant is the single biggest donation from a family or individual in their appeal. The current donation follows a £2.5 million grant by Mr Rausing last week which he pledged for bodies including the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. Over the next six months a further £9 million will be donated. Meanwhile we can pray for NHS Charities Together as they provide immediate support to the well-being of the NHS staff, who are at the forefront of this national emergency.

Pray: for God to inspire more people who are able to step out and help their neighbour. (Deuteronomy 22:4)
More: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8164985/Tetrapak-billionaire-Hans-Rausing-wife-Julia-donate-16-5million-fight-against-coronavirus.html

Coronavirus restrictions affected farmers who supply the likes of McDonalds. Half of farmers’ orders came from out-of-home eating and three meals per week per person need to shift from outside to inside the home through retail. On top of this is panic buying. Pray for the National Farmers’ Union as it works with the Government to keep UK food supplies flowing to where they are needed. Farmers also face a huge shortfall of EU seasonal workers. By the end of March 10,000 people had signed up to harvest fruit and vegetables but over 90,000 jobs need filling. Pray for an increase of ‘land army’ recruits in the coming weeks. The first crop, asparagus, needs to be harvested in April, and there will be no seasonal EU workers available. Pray for students and unemployed to make themselves available to be trained and relied on to put food on our tables, now that we are out of the EU. See also the Europe article ‘Shortage of fruit and veg’, and here

Pray: for commercial and production barriers to be overcome and the imbalance in supply of dairy, poultry, potatoes and beef to be resolved. (Proverbs 1:5)
More: www.nfuonline.com/news/coronavirus-updates-and-advice/coronavirus-news/food-service-disruption-and-the-supply-chain-view-from-the-nfu/

The crisis has prompted rural communities to link up as never before via social media and offers of help to those in self-isolation. Christians are reaching out to and praying for their neighbours. Pray that, despite our inability to meet, rural Christians will continue to be able to love their neighbours in practical ways, to shine as lights in the darkness, and share the good news of Jesus Christ. Pray especially for the rural elderly and that these and other developments will inaugurate a new coming together of rural and urban people, a new mutual understanding, and a new recognition of the importance of farming and the land. 2 Chronicles 7:13-15 sets out how God’s ancient people are to respond to adversities, including pestilence (verse 13). Pray that His people today will respond with prayer and humbling ourselves, seeking His face and turning from our wicked ways.

Pray: for God to strengthen His people living in rural communities; may they be salt and light to their neighbours. (2 Kings 2:21a)
More: www.worldprayer.org.uk/Handlers/Download.ashx?IDMF=ea701c6d-6af7-411a-9934-84d2dcf3c7c0

Despite having to cancel their annual gala and fundraising dinners, IJM were still able to meet their fundraising target – enough to fund 30 rescues! Please continue to pray for them as they adjust to a new remote working situation, and for their summer festivals team as they work out how to move forward in the light of the cancellation of New Wine – their most important connection-building opportunity of the year – and many other festivals across the UK. Pray for victims of trafficking in the UK as new social distancing laws come into force. The changes in socialising in the UK mean that there will be many people trapped in potentially dangerous situations, and fewer eyes and ears of people around to spot the signs of trafficking in the usual hotspots (nail bars, car washes, etc). As churches are also closed, a key point of contact for vulnerable and potentially trafficked people has been sealed off.

Pray: for protection, and miraculous provision of safety, for the most vulnerable at this time. (Genesis 50:21a)
More: us3.campaign-archive.com/?u=56bbfc10eaff2ae6cbe67be21&id=70bb7a092d&e=b13bf09a3f

It has taken just one week to build Britain’s first coronavirus field hospital, in London’s Dockland. It will treat up to 4,000 previously fit and healthy people struck down by coronavirus. London patients in need of intensive care but with the best chance of survival will be taken to the Nightingale hospital, which has been constructed inside the ExCel arena. For a time-lapse viewing of the conversion progress, click the ‘More’ button. Please pray for God to fill the building with His peace. May every patient referred there know His comfort, as the divine physician and healer of the sick watches over every bed. Pray for every nurse, doctor, paramedic and auxiliary to have the protection and the stamina that comes from heaven, and ask God to give wisdom and discernment to every doctor as they make life and death decisions.

Pray: for God’s love and peace to surround all the worried families of the infirm. (Numbers 6:26)
More: www.theguardian.com/society/video/2020/apr/01/nhs-nightingale-inside-londons-temporary-coronavirus-hospital-video

We are all at risk from false information. For instance, a photo was circulated of a busy mosque supposedly in lockdown, but it was taken before lockdown. Another image showed trucks said to be carrying bodies of Covid-19 victims – but this was untrue, and the picture had been taken in Italy. We can pray that the waves of fear generated by similar scams are prevented by astute reporting and investigating. More serious than false news is fraudulent information and theft when members of the public are texted and told to share their bank card details in order to receive a supposed Covid-19 relief payment from the government. Similarly-worded emails have been sent from a website named ‘uk-covid-relieve.com.’ The true government’s website has a ‘gov.uk’ URL, not a ‘.com’. The authors of the email are thieves.

Pray: for more fact-checking to be embarked on by Facebook and YouTube, and more airspace to be given to notify the public of false pictures, videos, phishing and stories. (Proverbs 12:19)
More: fullfact.org/online/coronavirus-phishing-scam/

Women immigration detainees are being sent to Yarl’s Wood detention centre despite a confirmed case of coronavirus there. Some women have underlying health conditions and sanitation is poor – only one hand sanitiser in the building and women are issued with one pair of gloves and one mask each with no instructions. ‘Women for Refugee Women’ supports women in the centre and said the decision to continue bringing in new detainees was ‘negligent’ and accused the Home Office of putting lives at risk. One woman in her 40s, who asked to remain anonymous, said detainees continued to move around the centre with no social distancing in communal areas and women had to share rooms. Detainees with health conditions are ‘terrified’ about becoming infected. Staff are not providing updated information and some women have been told there was ‘no need for concern’ the charity said. The Home Office strongly denied the claims.

Pray: for detainees to be temporarily released for as long as there are no flights out of the UK. (Job 11:18)
More: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52121224

Lockdown is the only solution to ending the pandemic, and Italy’s government has extended it beyond 3 April with no new deadline. In the south, hunger and hardship threaten to be even bigger problems than the virus, with regions beginning to feel the weight of the economic blow. Many residents are beginning to run out of food and money. An estimated 3.3 million Italians – one-third of whom are located in the south – work off-the-books for cash, making them unsure of when their next pay cheque will come. This concern has caused some southern Italians to plot raids against grocery stores, and authorities are worried the situation could become violent. Pray for the poorest southern regions – Sicily, Campania, Calabria, and Puglia – to know peace not violence as they begin to struggle for food and money. A private Facebook group, urging people to organise large raids on grocery stores and markets, is currently under investigation. One man addressing the government said, ‘You will regret this because we are going to have a revolution’. See

Pray: for vulnerable families to have government and successful police action to prevent criminal activities. (Psalm 12:7)
More: www.businessinsider.com/italians-desperate-for-cash-food-amid-coronavirus-lockdown-2020-4

Suppliers say fresh fruit and vegetables in Europe could dwindle as the coronavirus pandemic hampers the global movement of produce and people across borders. Governments are looking at ways to ease shortages, including ‘green lanes’ to allow fresh produce to move across closed EU borders. A ‘shadow army’ of European harvesters could be recruited and travel rules for migrant workers loosened. Workers are being prevented from travelling between Europe and Africa due to grounding of flights. There is also a shortage of lorry drivers. Europe’s supermarkets rely on Kenya as their major supplier of green beans and peas, but the sector’s workers have been sent home on mandatory leave because orders cannot be shipped. Shipments from South Africa are also becoming tougher, with the country beginning a 21-day lockdown. These challenges are beginning to affect the usual plentiful supplies. See also the UK article ‘Feed the nation’.

Pray: for successful operations of ‘green lanes’ for supplies to easily cross national and international borders. (Psalm 147:14, 15a)
More: www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/coronavirus-fruit-veg-produce-supply-europe-crops-harvest-migrant-workers-africa-a9428231.html

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, currently on temporary release from a five-year jail sentence, is, for the first time, under formal consideration for clemency. A decision will be made by the highest level of Iran’s multi-layered government. There is no guarantee that clemency will be granted, or that she will be allowed to return to the UK. The supreme leader will present a recommendation to the deputy prosecutor. He could either approve clemency or recommend to the supreme leader not to grant it; or it could just sit on his desk for a bit. Now is the time to pray that the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei releases a strongly worded recommendation to the prosecutor general’s office for her immediate release. Pray also that the prosecutor-general will decide that now is the time to allow Nazanin to take the steps towards freedom.

Pray: for God to be in every diplomatic communication between Iran and the United Kingdom. (Isaiah 61:1b)
More: www.theguardian.com/news/2020/mar/29/nazanin-zaghari-ratcliffe-under-consideration-for-clemency

President Bolsonaro’s coronavirus strategy of ‘putting economy first’ is putting thousands of lives at risk. He calculates that the number of deaths will be less costly than the inevitable recession caused by an economic shutdown. Brazil’s poorest communities lack refuse collection, have water shortages and open sewers, and are very densely populated. These are perfect conditions for the virus to proliferate. Bolsonaro’s televised national address, calling the virus ‘a little flu’, was condemned by business leaders and politicians. Two of his tweets were removed for ‘violating rules’ and defying international guidelines. Bombastic media appearances, dubbed ‘Brazil can’t stop’, encouraging citizens to get back to work and downplaying the virus threat, were quickly taken off air. The majority of Brazil’s elderly live with family members or someone else who is not their partner.The ‘deny’ strategy is expected to produce a situation worse than Italy in two or three weeks, and a collapsed health system.

Pray: for Bolsonaro to listen to his health minister and learn to be morally wise. (Deuteronomy 32:29)
More: www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/deny-defy-bolsonaro-approach-coronavirus-brazil-200330181645501.html

Lockdown has reduced vehicle traffic across India, leading to a drop in air pollution in over 90 cities, including Delhi. Welcoming the reduced pollution, environmentalists are now urging the government to treat it as a ‘wake-up call’ and stop its ‘obsession’ with development at the cost of the environment. Shutting down of industries, construction and traffic have contributed in improving the air quality. Rain is also helping, but the curbs on local emissions are playing a significant role in recording air quality in the range of good in 51 cities and satisfactory in 51 cities.

Pray: for a wake-up call from environmentalists to bring change so that industry is modified and traffic monitored. (Deuteronomy 11:12)
More: www.thehindu.com/news/national/coronavirus-lockdown-air-quality-improves-in-over-90-cities/article31201247.ece

As coronavirus ravages the world, many are now watching Wuhan slowly emerging from two months’ complete lockdown – the population cautiously (with masks and gloves) moving about. The world is now in an extraordinary and precarious situation, watching Wuhan for a glimpse of what might lie in store for the rest of us. Will there be a second coronavirus wave there? Almost inevitably yes, but how big a wave and are hospitals better prepared? How will the Chinese government respond to this second wave, after its mismanagement and misinformation of the first outbreak? Will they keep damaging information secret? A recent report on the number of ash urns stacked at Wuhan funeral homes put the true death toll at over 40,000, not the official 2,500. Pray for transparency in communication and sharing of strategies, in China and across the nations, in order to craft effective responses to unfamiliar challenges.

Pray: for competence in the next phase based on honest experience and heaven’s wisdom. (Job 6:24)
More: us12.campaign-archive.com/?e=2b376728db&u=7404e6dcdc8018f49c82e941d&id=1e351e0e7c

A Christian brother asks us to pray for Pakistan, where this crisis will play out very differently. Prime minister Imran Khan said he won’t be able to lock down cities fully because of the poverty. Citizens simply have to go to work each day to feed their families. Also, crowded living conditions and limited healthcare facilities will mean the virus spreads rapidly, causing enormous loss of life – many times greater than we will see in the West. However, in the middle of this awful pandemic, we may have the greatest opportunity and responsibility that the Church has ever had to share God’s love with the people of Pakistan. People who are angry, frightened, grieving and in despair have questions about life and death, why God let this happen, why prayers were not answered. This is potentially a time for the gospel like no other in history.

Pray: for God’s spirit to help the local church to rise up and bring a greater openness to the gospel. (John 8:32)
More: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcl5X-1faAs

Coronavirus could not have come at a worse time for millions of Zimbabweans struggling with a deepening economic crisis, soaring food prices, stagnant salaries, water shortages and daily power blackouts. Early on 29 March Stewart Dzivira, his wife and their two-year-old son left Glen View to travel into Harare. For days now he has been unsuccessful in trying to get maize meal, a staple that has been in short supply following devastating droughts two years ago. He was not alone: hundreds of others were queueing on the eve of the three-week lockdown to contain coronavirus. Frequent thorough hand-washing with soap and water is the basic weapon against coronavirus, but in Harare alone one million people are without running water. Electricity  is also scarce. Stewart said that without food ‘we’ll die of hunger.’

Pray: for international aid to provide water, and for the church to provide hope and salvation. (Psalm 46:2)
More: www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/die-hunger-despair-zimbabwe-lockdown-begins-200330054919081.html

By 2 April, there were 5,999 recorded coronavirus cases in Africa. 374 were in East Africa, a region already severely impacted by a plague of locusts and a food security crisis. WHO warned that Africa must ‘wake up’ and ‘prepare for the worst’ against the coronavirus pandemic. The UN has warned of an impending food crisis in East Africa, and concern is growing for Christians in affected regions, many of whom already face marginalisation and persecution for their faith. Pray for all people in East Africa as they are doubly tested by the coronavirus outbreak and the terrible locust swarms. Ask God to meet their needs and may they be comforted in the knowledge of God’s love for them. South Sudan is currently virus-free; may it remain so.

Pray: for wise management of the situation by the government and aid agencies, and for the people to be diligent. (James 1:12)
More: mailchi.mp/barnabasfund/prayer-focus-update-april-2020?e=026ee53901#country1