Displaying items by tag: Praise

On 18 March 2016 Prayer Alert readers prayed for the safety of an Indian priest who had been abducted when a Catholic care home for the frail and disabled in Aden was attacked. See On 12 September India’s foreign minister released a tweet that read, ‘I am happy to say that Father Tom has been rescued’. Last December he appeared in a video, begging for his life. Pope Francis appealed for his release, but nothing seemed to happen. The video confirmed he was in very poor health. He will now go to Rome, where he will get medical treatment.

Courts on opposite sides of the USA convicted two men for sexually exploiting children thousands of miles away in the Philippines. Two young survivors flew to California to testify in one of the trials. Last weekend they were home, knowing that their voices had been heard and the men will terrify no more. The FBI shared intelligence with the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and the International Justice Mission supported the follow-up operations in the Philippines. The girls are now 10 and 13 years old. Their families supported having their daughters participate in both the local trial and the trial in California, a significant amount of time and preparation. One of the girls’ mothers explained that she was ‘willing to leave our families at home and testify abroad to fight for justice for what the men from California did to our children.’

In July many feared that Christians would not be able to return to Mosul (see ). However, they are cautiously coming back; and as they do so, so does the Mass. Father Luis Montes celebrated Mass at St George’s Monastery. The priest travelled to Mosul to record part of a documentary that seeks to show the reality of life for Christians in Iraq and Syria. ‘The experience of celebrating the Eucharist amidst so much devastation was awe-inspiring’, he said. ‘In this place, which has been attacked for being Christian, the contemplation of the mystery of the cross, which is renewed in Holy Mass, had so much power. Some priests later told the young people who accompanied me that they believed that this was the first Mass celebrated in the last three years within Mosul, which was among the areas hardest hit by IS. It’s really a gift from God.’

Nizar Shaheen, of Light for the Nations (a Christian programme aired in Muslim-dense areas), says, ‘I've seen many, many Arabic-speaking people turning to Christ, accepting Him as Lord and Saviour. It's happening all over the Arab world; in North Africa and the Gulf countries; in Europe, Canada and the United States. Everywhere, people are accepting Jesus.’ Also in the Middle East, Coptic priest Father Zakaria Botros is confronting Islam with an in-your-face style of television and internet evangelism. He reports Muslims turning to Jesus: ‘young and old, educated and not educated, males and females, even those who are fanatical.’ It is not uncommon these days to hear of Muslims encountering God as they slept. Around the world, many who have converted to Christianity say they have done so after dreaming of a person who they believe is Jesus Christ.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been rescued as devastating floods continue to ravage Texas. Many people are refusing to allow it to crush their spirits. Instead, they are courageously choosing to join relief efforts. A Houston pastor took it upon himself to check vehicles stranded on what had been Texas State Highway 288. Although it was dangerous, he waded out to vehicles looking for people trapped inside. ‘He wanted to make sure those cars were empty’, said Brian Roberson, who witnessed the pastor’s bravery. ‘It was so powerful to see first-hand.’ Another man drove his jeep around roads looking for flood victims to save. Many other stories of bravery and the undefeatable human spirit are emerging, even as the floodwaters continue to rise. Good Samaritans are offering boats, water and food to those trapped in flooded homes. See:

In July, Prayer Alert readers prayed for an end to children going hungry in school holidays - see . On 31 August the media reported that a plan to stop holiday hunger for children has been welcomed by over a hundred MPs. The School Holidays (Meals and Activities) Bill was backed by MPs John Woodcock and Tim Farron and presented to parliament. The Bishops of Durham and Liverpool also supported the bill, which would require local authorities to ensure that free meals and fun activities are provided for youngsters who would otherwise go without during the holidays. Mr Woodcock said that foodbanks have grown in recent years and hunger is a real issue in parts of our communities, often due to government cuts and benefits sanctions.

People in PNG travel many miles to study Bible history, culture, and grammar. They learn how to translate scripture into their own language so that their people can see the full, precise beauty of God’s Word. Each translator has a unique story of how God led them into this important work. Kika shared a little of her testimony: ‘I had been teaching children’s ministry for 27 years, and didn’t expect God to call me to something new. Then I dreamt that the sky opened and two people came down from heaven. I could feel the presence of God upon me, it was a very holy moment.’ The next year she joined the Bible translation team. ‘The work is hard but I am thankful to God for the opportunity to serve my people through Bible translation. I know that the Lord is with me, and I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.’

Ian Sleeper, a Christian street preacher, was arrested and held for thirteen hours in a police cell after displaying placards depicting love for Muslims and criticising the ideology of Islam. He was released on bail as the CPS could not decide whether to charge him. Strict conditions were imposed, preventing him from going into Southwark. He was on bail for six weeks before the police finally decided to take no further action. He said, ‘It is reassuring that I have not been charged for seeking to expose the truth about Islam. Truth cannot be taken for granted in our modern world, so I will be back out on the street soon.’

With the second largest landmass in the world and a very sparse population, it's easy for a Canadian prayer ministry, house of prayer or city-wide worship ministry to feel isolated. ‘Ears to Hear’ responded to this need with a network which for ten years has connected and united the senior leaders of these ministries for mutual encouragement and support. As a result, they have been able to move together when a national or regional need arises, help one another grow, and endeavour to support the emerging expressions of prayer in the nation. Their website says, ‘We’re in this for the Kingdom and for the prayer of Jesus - that they might be one - to be fulfilled in Canada.’ The network meets regularly in video conference calls, praying, discerning and learning from each other.

A tweet by Barack Obama condemning racism in the aftermath of a far-right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, has become the most liked tweet ever, with over three million people endorsing the sentiment so far. The tweet, quoting the late South African president Nelson Mandela, read, ‘No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin or his background or his religion.’ The former US president followed the tweet with more from Mandela’s autobiographical Long Walk to Freedom: ‘People learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love. For love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.’ Each has had more than a million likes, and hundreds of thousands of retweets.