We are pleased to bring you this July 2021 edition of IPC Connections.  

Our Editorial article this month is an astounding report from the Passover to Pentecost Group!  These partnered events, missions and media projects have collectively seen 20 million new Jesus followers added to the Church since last year.  This 2021 Review details massive numbers coming to faith in Jesus Christ, Gospel movements emerging in the nations, and disciple-making churches being planted in unreached areas.   Let’s be in prayer for these huge numbers of people of all ages coming to faith, that they will grow into spiritual fullness in Christ. (Col 2:6-7)

Read about the 1 Million Hours of Prayer for Japan and the Olympic Games initiative that we are jointly launching with JiSP (Japan International Sports Partnership), in our second editorial article.  Sign up for the Prayer Guide.

We would welcome you to join us for the launch of the 1^st FRIDAY GO PRAY online prayer event on Friday 6^th August at 6AM Pacific time during which we will be Praying for the continued spiritual harvest AND for Japan and the missional opportunities that the Olympic Games present. 

We are not spotlighting a team member this month to make space for the Editorial article.  We would however covet your prayers for the whole team right now.  The IPC Leadership Team and Board’s representation spans the continents. They are each involved in a local church as well as ministering nationally and internationally.  Please pray for strength, good health, equipping and protection for them and their loved ones, as they continue to serve, often at personal cost, during these challenging times.

Thank you for continuing to partner with us in mobilising and informing united prayer across nations, denominations, movements, and generations for the fulfilment of the Great Commission.

May we express grateful thanks to Andy Page and the IPC Editorial Team who put this email together each month.

Every blessing,

Jason Hubbard - Director
International Prayer Connect

Please use this link if you would like to sow into IPC’s ministry with a donation

Disclaimer… The views and opinions expressed in IPC Connections and the articles on our website are those of individuals and our partner organisations. They do not necessarily represent the policies or views of IPC or its individual leaders.
We aim to respect the diversity within the prayer movement and yet embrace our unified calling to mobilise prayer for the nations. (2 Chron 7:14)   If you wish to discuss the appropriateness of any articles, please contact us.

Our Editorial Article this month is an extremely encouraging review from the Passover to Pentecost Group - a number of Christian prayer and missions networks who have come together in John 17 Unity to co-ordinate their events and initiatives with a common goal - contending for revival!

Read the FULL REPORT  |  Download PDF

It’s our desire to see a massive full-scale revival and awakening erupt in the nations of the earth! We have been asking for another historic move of the Holy Spirit, a Gospel Explosion to sweep across the globe and awaken a generation to wholehearted love for Jesus!

“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Hab. 2:14).

Despite the challenges that we are all facing with the pandemic, we are seeing massive numbers of people coming to faith in Jesus Christ, gospel movements emerging in the nations, and disciple making churches being planted in unreached areas. Since launching this collaborative effort in 2020 of prayer, mission, and church leaders partnering together, we have seen 20 million new Jesus followers added to the church!

Our theme for 2021 has been ‘Hope of the Coming Harvest.’ As you read through these first-hand reports, you will be encouraged to see evidence of this global harvest emerging in the nations. This year we estimate approximately 70 million believers were mobilized in united prayer partnering together with 50 million believers sharing their faith from Passover through to Pentecost!

It has been astounding to watch so many come together in an expression of John 17 ‘oneness’ across nations, denominations, and generations for the fulfilment of the Great Commission. Only Jesus gets the credit. He is the One who is leading the global prayer and mission’s movements. May the Lord continue to knit our hearts together as ‘family’ growing in love for one another, centered on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and grounded on the authority of God’s word! May we continue to see a global Christ-awakening in the nations of the earth, as prayer is prioritized, believers are mobilized, unity is maximized, and communities are gospelized.

It’s all about a Christ-awakening, where the Spirit of God uses the Word of God to re-awaken God’s people back to God’s Son for all that He is! We want to enter into the power and pleasure of being obsessed with the magnificence of Jesus. He is the dominating personality in this age and in the age to come!

God is truly bringing us into a ‘decade of harvest.’ One of the goals that we launched in 2020 was to see 100 million in united prayer for a ‘billion soul harvest.’ During the month of May this year millions were praying and sharing their faith around the world in partnership with the Go Movement.

Thank you to all those who have served, prayed, worshipped, and collaborated in these various Spirit-led, Christ-exalting, prayer and evangelism initiatives!

WHAT AN AMAZING SEASON FROM PASSOVER TO PENTECOST 2021!

“May the Lamb who was slain receive the due rewards for His suffering.”

Read the FULL REPORT  |  Download PDF

Jason Hubbard & Andy Page - International Prayer Connect
Graham Power & Anja Letsatsi - Global Voice of Prayer,
together with the global prayer & mission networks

INTRODUCTION

Our Editorial article this month is an extremely encouraging report from the Passover to Pentecost Group - a number of Christian prayer and missions networks who have come together in John 17 Unity to co-ordinate their events and initiatives with a common goal - contending for revival!

Download PDF of this Review

It’s our desire to see a massive full-scale revival and awakening erupt in the nations of the earth! We have been asking for another historic move of the Holy Spirit, a Gospel Explosion to sweep across the globe and awaken a generation to wholehearted love for Jesus!

“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Hab. 2:14).

Despite the challenges that we are all facing with the pandemic, we are seeing massive numbers of people coming to faith in Jesus Christ, gospel movements emerging in the nations, and disciplemaking churches being planted in unreached areas. Since launching this collaborative effort in 2020 of prayer, mission, and church leaders partnering together, we have seen 20 million new Jesus followers added to the church!

Our theme for 2021 has been ‘Hope for the Coming Harvest.’ As you read through these firsthand reports, you will be encouraged to see evidence of this global harvest emerging in the nations. This year we estimate approximately 70 million believers were mobilized in united prayer partneringtogether with 50 million believers sharing their faith from Passover through Pentecost!

It has been astounding to watch so many come together in an expression of John 17 ‘oneness’ across nations, denominations, and generations for the fulfillment of the Great Commission. Only Jesus gets the credit. He is the One who is leading the global prayer and mission’s movements. May the Lord continue to knit our hearts together as ‘family’ growing in love for one another, centered on the gospel of Jesus Christ, and grounded on the authority of God’s word! May we continue to see a global Christ-awakening in the nations of the earth, as prayer is prioritized, believers are mobilized, unity is maximized, and communities are gospelized.

It’s all about a Christ-awakening, where the Spirit of God uses the Word of God to reawaken God’s people back to God’s Son for all that He is! We want to enter into the power and pleasure of being obsessed with the magnificence of Jesus. He is the dominating personality in this age and in the age to come!

God is truly bringing us into a ‘decade of harvest.’ One of the goals that we launched in 2020 was to see 100 million in united prayer for a ‘billion soul harvest.’ During the month of May this year millions were praying and sharing their faith around the world in partnership with the Go Movement. Thank you to all those who have served, prayed, worshipped, and collaborated in these various Spirit-led, Christ-exalting, prayer and evangelism initiatives!

WHAT AN AMAZING SEASON FROM PASSOVER TO PENTECOST 2021!

“May the Lamb who was slain receive the due rewards for His suffering.”

Jason Hubbard & Andy Page - International Prayer Connect
Graham Power & Anja Letsatsi - Global Voice of Prayer, together with the global prayer & mission networks

April 2nd 2021
GOOD FRIDAY WORLDWIDE BROADCAST

April 14th – May 23rd 2021
YESHUA FAST

Like the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness for the 40 day fast (the biblical era shifting fast) that inaugurated the first great Jewish harvest of souls, there was a sense that this 40 day Jesus (Yeshua) Fast April 14th – May 23rd (Pentecost Sunday) was a tipping point for a new day of salvation for Israel and harvest in the earth.

The Yeshua Fast was hosted by Lou Engle Ministries.

10,000 plus prayer warriors from across the globe were a part of these 40 days of prayer fasting for Israel and the Great Harvest.
The Israel Virtual House of Prayer was also birthed during this time as thousands logged on for 24/7 prayer for Israel.

Contact:
LOU ENGLE | Lou Engle Ministries
www.thejesusfast.global | www.israelvhop.com

May 17th 2021
SHAVUOT GATHERING

During the Shavuot Gathering, thousands around the globe had the privilege of standing with and hearing from our family in India and the Middle East. The enemy has brought turmoil to these regions, but the Lord will bring beauty out of ashes. Where the world is seeing destruction, we declare resurrection. Where the spirit of death has been prevalent, we speak abundant life. During our time together we felt the Lord release an atomic bomb of love over us. This love is washing, healing, and transforming our nations through the release of His Spirit and the power of His Kingdom.

In light of the conflict happening in the Middle East, we choose to rise up and speak from a higher Kingdom perspective. Ishmael came out of the womb of Hagar the Egyptian. Egypt, as the mother of the descendants of Ishmael and all who identify with his spirit, holds the authority to call home her descendants. The orphan spirit that has long plagued the Arabs must be broken. It is time for the restoration of the house of Abraham. During this gathering, a deep longing was released from the heart of Egypt to call home the sons of Ishmael. There is no other hope except through love, forgiveness, and reconciliation.

During the Shavuot Gathering, a pure sound was released to call forth blessing over the children, the orphans, and all those who were suffering in India. Devastated by the recent wave of the pandemic, we stand with our family in India in unrelenting prayer. We lift up the name of Yeshua and intercede for the healing and revival of this beautiful nation. The heart of the family is that none will be left behind. We ache with India, may her pain become our pain.

Contact:
RACHEL DEMIAN | Watchmen for the Nations
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | www.watchmen.org

May 13th – 22nd 2021
10 DAYS PENTECOST

During the 10 Days leading up to Pentecost (May 13-23), 10 Days partnered with the Global Family 24/7 Prayer Room to host increased 24/7 prayer via Zoom. Four daily teachings were hosted as part of prayer time as a way to encourage and build up the intercessors with anointed leaders from all 6 continents. Many of these teachings were very anointed and impactful, and the cumulative effect was very powerful. Various in person 10 Days Pentecost gatherings took off in various locations including Colorado, Dallas, and especially in Pakistan where 15 locations joined in separate from the Zoom. We were amazed as God multiplied prayers during this time, no doubt much beyond what we can currently see.

Testimony from Indian Pastors on 10 Days Pentecost:

“During the 2 hours we prayed with great intensity for India - as India was going through great despair with Covid - and in the church there was great sadness and mourning for many Pastors who lost their lives due to Covid. But the Indian pastors and church leaders who join said that in this adversity, God has encouraged the church in building the spiritual strength of Pastors and prayer warriors, there has been much prayer and fasting during the Pentecost period, much united prayer on Zoom. Church leaders put aside their differences to join together in prayer - for God’s hand to move in India and prayed in unity for Salvation for India. And God has answered their prayers - there has of recent been a substantial reduction in Covid numbers, and they are working together in a unity which they did not have before. They are also joining together to reach out to their communities and offering food and help to the community. And the Zoom prayers of Pastors and leaders joining together from different cities in India is continuing. Last 2 weeks when they have joined for prayer it has been so uplifting to hear their faith filled prayers of thanksgiving as they are praying with hope for God to open hearts and minds in India.”

Contact:
JONATHAN FRIZ | 10 Days
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 10Days.net

May 22nd 2021
MARCH FOR JESUS

The March for Jesus is a procession of praise through the streets of the city, celebrating the Lordship of Jesus Christ and culminating in a grand worship event in which Christians publicly proclaim the Glory, the Majesty and the Supremacy of the Savior. It’s all about Jesus ... and nothing else.

The theme for March for Jesus 2021 was “Worthy Is the Lamb” drawn from Revelation 5:12. There was a sense that the church in specific and the nation of USA in a larger context is in desperate need of recognizing the healing and forgiving power of Jesus Christ. When John the Baptist saw the Messiah approaching the Jordan River to be baptized, he shouted “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). One day the elders and the angels will shout in agreement with John as in heaven Christ is heralded as the Worthy Lamb. In May 2021, we experienced an aspect of this during the March for Jesus.

While most States in the USA still comply with the tail-end of Covid restrictions, 38 cities in 20 States Marched for Jesus in their communities as a united expression of worship.

Contact:
GARY FROST | The March for Jesus
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.themarchforjesus.org

May 23rd 2021
PENTECOST GLOBAL BROADCAST & GLOBAL DAY OF PRAYER

“I was so aware of Holy Spirit’s presence from the beginning of this. I continued interceding almost the entire time and we continued praying afterwards… The diversity of colors, cultures, languages, ages was the Kingdom and was powerful. We have to show this to the world because that is what the Kingdom of God looks like. When all of the languages and ethnicities hear and see their heart language being spoken, Holy Spirit shows up…” Stephen Goode, YWAM Asia

In addition, many exciting reports were received concerning Global Day of Prayer events being hosted in different parts of the world, including the Philippines, Australia, Brazil, Germany, USA, Namibia and many other parts of Africa.

In Brazil, it was reported that around 140 denominations and mission agencies participated in Global Day of Prayer 2021, with 240 hours of non-stop prayer. On the last day they had a whole day meeting online with well-known Brazilian leaders sharing and praying, and reaching not only Brazil but many African Portuguese speaking countries and Portugal – truly dynamic!

Contact:
ANJA LETSATSI | Global Voice of Prayer
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.globalvoiceofprayer.com

PRAYER COVENANT AFRICA – GO MONTH REPORT

May 30th – August 28th 2021
90 DAYS OF HOPE & GLOBAL DAY OF HOPE

It’s time to Release the Sound of Hope! From 30 May – 28 August this year we are turning our prayers into action as believers around the world hit the streets to share the Good News and serve their communities in creative ways.

Through the process of Pray Care Share we aim to inspire Hope and empower not only ourselves but the lives we intend to touch during this time.

The Global Day of Hope on August 28th 2021 will be a worldwide celebration of HOPE with a dynamic 2 hour broadcast featuring key leaders, music, powerful testimonies and more across regions and time zones.

1. Pray - for your friends, family, community, nation, and the world to know the hope of Jesus.
2. Care - for the people in your community who are lonely or in need to give them hope.
3. Share - your hope story and the good news that Jesus saves with one person everyday.

Contact:
PAT STEELE | Hope Movement
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.globaldayofhope.com

Christians in Japan are asking the world for one million hours of prayer for their nation throughout the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.  International Prayer Connect are partnering with them to get this message out and are inviting you to please pray about how you might be able to take part – by pledging at least one hour.

The Japan international Sports Partnership (JiSP) is calling on churches, individuals and families across the world to unite in prayer for Japan as their country takes centre stage from Friday 23rd of July.

Pastor Keishi Ikeda who leads JiSP in this movement is driven by a vision to see the Japanese Church grow to 10 million people by 2024.  “Imagine ten million Christians in Japan...This would change Japan. And not just Japan, we could send teams from Japan into other countries that many can’t get into as our passport is powerful. This is a wave; we need to ride it,” said Ikeda.

The current reality is that the Japanese people are the world’s second largest un-reached people group. Church attendance hovers around 4 in 1000 - with only one being male. Nothing short of a miracle will awaken Japan. We serve the God who has promised miracles. We believe an awakening is coming.

Edwin Orr the great scholar on revivals said, “Whenever there is an awakening there is evidence of three things. People coming together “in one accord,” people hearing the Good News in their own “heart language” and a deep, ongoing passion and commitment to prayer. 

As Japan steps into the spotlight these Olympic Games, Christians in Japan are calling on their global brothers and sisters to sign up for at least one hour of prayer.

The Olympics and Paralympics will run for 30 days. If 3,000 Churches globally committed 10 people from their church to pray one hour over these 30 days, we would achieve 900,000 hours – very close to our goal!

Japanese Christians like Pastor Keishi are willing to do anything to see their land coming alive spiritually with 10 million believers by 2024. It is not just about hosting an Olympic Games.

Pastor Keishi said, “We had hoped to reach a million people during our Olympic outreach. With Covid that has not been possible. Can we turn that dream into a million hours of prayers from both the Japanese Church and from across the world?   What a gift to Japan from the global Church - a million hours of prayer for God’s Glory to fall upon our land..”

More info and Sign Up to pray on the website at: https://www.japan1million.com/  

Each of the 30 days of the Games you will receive email prayer points focusing on Japan, the Olympics and Paralympics.

A July prayer report looking at the opportunities and challenges of vaccinations, Covid-19 Hot Spots and some suggested Prayer Pointers with links to resources:

As of 6^th July, the total global figure for people infected by Covid-19 stood at 184.3 million according to Johns Hopkins University. In addition to this, the recorded number who have died totalled 3,986,701.  After peaking in late April, cases declined throughout May and have remained steady in recent weeks

Covid-19 hot spots

Here are those countries / regions which are currently showing high levels of infection.

Brazil, India and Colombia currently have the highest case rates on a weekly basis, however these are declining relative to previous weeks.  Indonesia has seen a 35% increase in cases over the last week.  Other countries showing particular spikes include Spain, Myanmar and Russia whilst Africa recorded its record number of cases over the past week. There were 36,000 new infections reported per day, driven by a surge in South Africa.

Indonesia is suffering a serious rise in cases, its medical infrastructure is struggling to cope and is teetering on the brink of collapse as jammed hospitals turned away patients, forcing desperate families to hunt for oxygen tanks to treat the sick and dying at home.  CNN reports that more than 60 people died in a hospital last weekend (3/4 July) after oxygen supplies nearly ran out, as the country battles a severe wave of covid-19 that authorities say is driven by the more infectious Delta variant.  The world's fourth most populous nation is facing one of Asia's worst outbreaks, with a record high of 27,913 new cases reported on Saturday 3^rd July. The islands of Bali and Java -- which includes the capital Jakarta -- went under emergency lockdown Saturday to curb the spread of the resurgent virus.  In a statement, the Sardjito hospital on Java said 63 patients died between Saturday and early Sunday after it nearly exhausted its oxygen supplies. The hospital said it had sought more oxygen for days before the incident, but virus patients streaming in since Friday had pushed it beyond its capacity, consuming oxygen faster than expected. 

The devastating wave of infections that recently overwhelmed India has passed however the full impact and devastation caused by this is still only now emerging. India remains the second worst-hit country in the world by the pandemic after the United States. The overall case count officially now stands at 30,619,932 cases, and 403,310 deaths although many fear it may be 5 or 6 times higher than this. Doctors have demanded additional protection after being subject to violence and assaults by frustrated and angry families whilst a lack of access to online learning, particularly for poorer girls, has led to research suggesting millions of girls could drop out of secondary school as a result of the pandemic. 

Brazil continues to see great suffering in 2021.  Thankfully, cases have decreased more rapidly over the last 2 weeks, although they still remain above levels seen last September. In total, Brazil has seen 18.79 million cases and 525,112 deaths.  

Although there has been a slight improvement in recent days, as the pandemic recedes in much of the world, according to the World Health Organisation, Latin America has become the driver of global infections. Mid June, the region recorded nearly half of the world’s 10 200 daily covid-19 deaths.  In Bolivia, Chile, and Uruguay, coronavirus cases are surging and hospitals are filling with younger patients aged 25-40 years old, said Carissa Etienne, director of WHO’s Latin American office, the Pan American Health organisation (PAHO).  Bolivia, Colombia, and Paraguay all recently saw record covid-19 fatalities in the last fortnight. Venezuela reported 1300 new covid-19 infections and 18 deaths on 1 July. Hospital data show that the actual figures are at least four times higher than those published by the authoritarian government, say public health experts and doctors.

New waves and Variants

It seems that new variants are emerging monthly, each presenting new and concerning challenges. Last month much of the focus was on the Delta variant which now appears to be the dominant worldwide strain. Four major Australian cities went into a four-day "circuit-breaker" lockdown this week to try and stop it from spreading. Australia's Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, announced looser vaccination policies to try to get more people immunized before the variant could spread. Ireland delayed plans to resume indoor service in bars and restaurants and US officials urged Americans to get vaccinated to stop its spread. The World Health Organization says the Delta variant, also known as B.1.617.2, has spread to at least 85 countries since it was first identified in India last fall. At least half of the United States is seeing a rise in COVID-19 cases as the highly transmissible Indian 'Delta' variant continues to spread, according to a new analysis of Johns Hopkins University data.

It is feared that the delta variant is responsible for much of the new, third wave affecting Africa, but the picture is unclear in a number of countries as testing – let alone genomic sequencing – is sparse.  Dr Ayoade Alakija, co-chair of the African Union’s Africa Vaccine Delivery Alliance, has said “We are in acute emergency mode – we need to prepare oxygen, field hospitals, health workers, declare humanitarian emergencies in countries where the systems are overwhelmed, and have surge capacity people coming in if needs be,” she said.  She said that the pandemic in Africa was “silent”, with people suffering or dying at home . “In India we had the burning funeral pyres that the whole world looked at in horror,” she said. “This is like watching bodies slide under water, a silent mass drowning where people are reaching their hands up for help but no-one is watching and nobody can see.”

The latest variant to be highlighted by the World Health Organization, named Lambda, has now been found in at least 27 different countries. It is especially widespread across South America, having first appeared in Peru in August last year, and is accounting for more and more cases in these countries.

Having found its way to Europe, where there is already an ongoing battle against the Delta variant, due to lack of study it is still unclear how major a cause of concern it might be. It is not yet listed as a ‘variant of concern’, rather a ‘variant of interest’ by the WHO, meaning it has been identified as causing transmission or detected in multiple countries.

Some scientists fear that the Lamda variant that is ravaging Peru may be resistant to vaccines however there is no definitive data to support this yet.

This New York Times article provides a useful and detailed analysis of the nature and scientific understanding of variants.

Vaccines

“The global failure to share vaccines equitably is fueling a two-track pandemic that is now taking its toll on some of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO). 

The emergence of variants has shone new light on the vaccination programmes as it is clear that without vaccination, the chain of transmission, hospitalisation and death will not be broken.  Whilst many poor nations are crying out for vaccinations for the most vulnerable, some rich nations have begun vaccinating teenagers where the risk is very small.

African countries are also suffering from a crippling shortage of Covid vaccines. Only 15 million people, just 1.2 percent of the entire African population are fully vaccinated, according to the WHO.

The African Union special envoy tasked with leading efforts to procure Covid-19 vaccines for the continent has blasted Europe on Thursday, saying that “not one dose, not one vial, has left a European factory for Africa”. Strive Masiyiwa took aim at the global scheme COVAX which was run by various organisations such as WHO and UN that was meant to distribute vaccines to low- and middle-income countries.

Masiyiwa said COVAX had promised to deliver 700 million vaccine doses to Africa by December. But at mid-year, Africa has received just 65 million doses overall. Less than 50 million doses via COVAX have arrived.

Moreover, even those Africans who have been fully vaccinated may not be able to travel freely in a post-pandemic world. European Union has recently imposed restrictions on people vaccinated with Covishield, the Indian-produced version of the EU-accepted AstraZeneca vaccine. Dr Ayoade Alakija is the co-chair of the African Union’s Africa Vaccine Delivery Alliance told BBC that if the decision is confirmed, that would amount to what she calls “vaccine-apartheid”.  “What it feels like there is a two-tier vaccine system in this new world… where we are living in one world, the pandemic is almost over, in another world the pandemic is quite frankly beginning.”

Latin America and the Caribbean continue to be hit by increasing numbers of Covid-19 infections and deaths, highlighting the stark global inequalities in access to vaccines, officials from the World Health Organization warned.

At a time “when we are seeing some reprieve from the virus in countries in the Northern Hemisphere,” Carissa Etienne, the director of the W.H.O.’s Pan American Health Organization, said at a news conference that for most countries in the Southern Hemisphere, “the end remains a distant future.”

Only one person in 10 has been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean, she added, calling it an “unacceptable situation.”

“Access to Covid-19 vaccines shouldn’t be a privilege for a few but a right we all share,” Dr. Etienne said.

Current figures show that 3.25 vaccination does have been administered, 895 million people are fully vaccinated, representing 11.5% of the world population.

Let’s Pray… Let us continue to declare that the novel coronavirus is defeated by the blood of Jesus.

We pray for divine intervention and for God's name to be glorified even as each nation and government tries its best to prevent or control the emergence of new waves of infection and finally arrest this epidemic.

We pray that individuals, leaders and nations focus on the needs of others rather than themselves, and that cooperation and compassion lie at the heart of the world’s response to the crisis.

We pray for our scientists.  In particular we pray for those assessing and communicating risks associated with vaccines, that they be filled with wisdom and understanding. We pray too for those investigating, sequencing and analysing new variants.

We pray especially for the nation of Indonesia.  We stand with our brothers and sisters who are living amidst this uncertainty.  We pray in particular for those providing medical support in the most difficult of times. 

We release wisdom, skill, and integrity upon our leaders, particularly as they grapple with the complexities, challenges and many voices that seek to influence them.

We pray that leaders and nations will see their moral duty to the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people and back this up with action not just words.

We pray for protection, wisdom and strength, for those working to bring treatment and comfort to the sick and their families.

We pray for individuals struggling to decide whether to receive the vaccine.  We ask that their fears be settled and that the information they receive be truthful and honest.

We pray special grace and help for the vulnerable and lesser-developed nations.

We pray for a safe, effective, and affordable vaccine to be released soonest and the continued development of a range of vaccines to supply the whole world

We continue to release faith, hope, and love over the peoples of the world. May the Church seize this opportune time to manifest Jesus our Lord and Savior to those who are seeking answers and peace.

Religious minorities in India are facing “systematic persecution” at the hands of Hindu nationalists, which is condoned by the authorities, the police, and the media, new research suggests.

The report Destructive Lies: Disinformation, speech that incites violence and discrimination against religious communities in India, by the Christian charity Open Doors, based on research compiled by a team from the London School of Economics (LSE), says that Christian and Muslim minorities are facing an “existential threat” from mobs of Hindu nationalists known as Hindutva.

Hindutva is an ideology that disregards Indian Christians and Muslims (and other religious minorities) as true Indians because they have allegiances that lie outside India and asserts the country should be purified of their presence. This is leading to a systemic, and often carefully orchestrated, targeting of Christians and other religious minorities.

Researchers from the LSE - who have not been named for safety reasons - said that “state actors” were complicit in the attacks, as well as media, and senior religious leaders, who offered tacit approval for the violence. Social media are also frequently being used to stir up attacks on minorities, with impunity.

One researcher said: “The extent to which . . . state actors are complicit in the violence is shocking; it was there even at the ground level. The bureaucrats, the police, the lower court judges, all of them are . . . openly colluding to harass these minorities. And politicians, top religious leaders, and powerful media owners [are giving] very overt signals that this [behaviour] is desirable.”

Christian communities are now living in an “atmosphere of deep trauma, fear and anxiety”, the report says.

“Apart from regular spectacular incidents of mob lynching, even daily life for many religious minority groups is now marked by fear and a sense of abandonment from their fellow beings as well as from the government, and indeed their own religious institutions,” researchers said.

The report featured 8 case studies and determined 4 headline findings:

1. Persecution pervades everyday life
The research found that ‘an atmosphere of deep trauma, fear and anxiety pervades the Christian communities that we visited in rural areas, as well as many of the Christian and Muslim communities in medium-sized towns and villages and on the outskirts of larger cities’.

2. Covid-19 has made persecution even worse
Not only have Christians been deliberately overlooked in the distribution of Covid-19 government aid, they have also been the subject of disinformation relating to the pandemic. These lies have spread across mainstream and social media platforms and apps.

3. State officials are increasingly hostile
Some Indian states have anti-conversion laws. These are frequently used to target Christians for ‘forced conversions’ and reflect how hard-line Hindu influences in the political sphere translates to regressive laws.

4. Attacks are shared as warnings on social media
One of the first things extremists will do before attacking Christians and other religious minorities is snatch their phones. This is to prevent them documenting the incident. But the perpetrators themselves will record the attack and post it on social media.

Sources / More: OpenDoors UK, The Church Times

Pray:

Pray with us that the UK Parliament will respond to this report and use their influence to improve the lives of Christians in India.
Pray with us that each recommendation in the report will be fulfilled.
Pray with us that the lives of Christians in India will be changed (2 Timothy 3:11–12)

Chinese American Pastor Bob Fu of the group China Aid, which provides legal aid to Christians in the People's Republic, recently tweeted, "New Cultural Revolution" starts in #CCPChina this notice to students in a 1st Grade class demanding all parents and teachers to hunt all "religious books, antagonistic books & overseas books including books & videos that are copied/duplicated & translated". Everyone is mandated!"

CBN News says this is not only just another effort by the Chinese Communist Party to indoctrinate students, but it's also trying to prevent disruptions for the 2022 Winter Olympics which will be held in Beijing next February. 
  
"We've got an Olympics coming up and the Chinese communist government does not want any disruptions for the Olympics," Lane said during an interview. "They really fear there could be protests, a pro-democracy movement going, and so forth, leading up to the Olympics and during the Olympics."

"So this sends a message to the parents. 'Look, no outside influence. We don't want any collusion with foreigners here,' because they know that foreigners are pro-democracy," Lane explained. "And so they are indoctrinating students, but they are also targeting not only the youth of China, but also sending a message to the adults."

Alongside this, on June 29, Bitter Winter (A magazine on religious liberty and human rights) published an article revealing that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) unveiled a "Christianity Loves the Party" Exhibition in Shanghai, claiming that “the Chinese Communist Party has been inextricably linked to Christianity from the day of its birth.” Even though the CCP "arrested, tortured, and killed countless believers" during its century reign, authorities expect religions to express enthusiasm and celebrate the 100th anniversary of CCP.

The exhibition tells the story of Christians who helped the first Communists, with some becoming members of the CCP. However, what the exhibition does not tell is that many of these Christians were later expelled from the Party and even executed, while the CCP clarified that only atheists can become Party members.

In this year, the 100^th anniversary of the founding of the CCP, the government has ordered local officials and police officers to strengthen their persecution against all dissident groups, in particular Christian religious movements.

Sources / More: CBN News, Bitter Winter, China Aid

Pray:

Pray with us for the safety of Christians living in China (1 Samuel 2:9)
Pray with us for courage, perseverance and hope for the Church in China.
Pray with us that international political leadership will continue to challenge human rights abuses in China.

Canada is a nation enduring significant pain and grief following the recent discovery of the unmarked graves of indigenous children in a number of sites, including Kamloops.  The Kamloops Indian Residential school was one of the largest in Canada and operated from the late 19th century to the late 1970s. It was opened and run by the Catholic Church until the federal government took it over in the late 1960s. It closed permanently about a decade later and now houses a museum and a community facility with both cultural and memorial events.  In 2015 Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission released a report detailing the damaging legacy of the country's residential school system. Thousands of mostly indigenous children were separated from their families and forced to attend residential schools.

The report detailed decades of physical, sexual and emotional abuse suffered by children in government and church run institutions.  As was documented by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, many of the children in residential schools did not receive adequate medical care with some dying prematurely of diseases like tuberculous.

The commission estimates that more than 4,000 children died while at residential schools over a period of several decades, but the final commission report acknowledges it was impossible to know the true number.

Watchmen for the Nations, a family of believers who long to see Canada become a dwelling place for the Lord, state:

“Canada is positioned in a crucial moment. From her foundations, the Lord has laid ancient paths for her people to walk in as one family consisting of different colors, tribes, and tongues. He is revealing the breaches in the walls of Canada that need to be addressed and acknowledged. We ask for wisdom on how to rebuild. Amidst the brokenness, God is healing the land of Canada that she might walk in the fullness of her calling to be a leaf of healing to the nations.

Together, we stand in one heart with Canada as she returns to these ancient paths. We lay hold of God's promises and proclaim His faithfulness and purposes over the First Nations family in the land. We believe the Lord will raise a standard from the heart of this nation for His pleasure and glory.”

Sources/ More: Watchmen for the Nations, CNN

Pray:

Pray for the overwhelming healing love of God to flood the nation of Canada (2 Chronicles 7:14)
Pray with us that for wisdom in political leadership, bringing society together to rebuild the nation
Pray with us that for an end to violence and attacks associated with these terrible events

With each passing day, the boundary between Hong Kong and the rest of China fades faster.

The Chinese Communist Party is remaking this city, permeating its once vibrant, irreverent character with ever more overt signs of its authoritarian will. The very texture of daily life is under assault as Beijing moulds Hong Kong into something more familiar, more docile.

Residents now swarm police hotlines with reports about disloyal neighbours or colleagues. Teachers have been told to imbue students with patriotic fervour through 48-volume book sets called “My Home Is in China.” Public libraries have removed dozens of books from circulation, including one about the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela.

Under Xi Jinping, China’s leader, the Communist Party has grown tired of Hong Kong’s duelling identities. To the party, they made the city unpredictable, even bringing it to the edge of rebellion in 2019, when anti-government protests erupted.

Now, armed with the expansive national security law it imposed on the city one year ago, Beijing is pushing to turn Hong Kong into another of its mainland megacities: economic engines where dissent is immediately smothered.

The Hong Kong government has issued hundreds of pages of new curriculum guidelines designed to instil “affection for the Chinese people.” Geography classes must affirm China’s control over disputed areas of the South China Sea. Students as young as 6 will learn the offenses under the security law.

All of this has led to a wave of emigration. Many Hong Kongers have applied for immigration visas to the United Kingdom through their British National Overseas (BNO) status. According to a report by the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford in May, 34,000 Hong Kongers have applied to live in the UK in the first three months of 2021, whilst The Times reports that 100,000 people have left in the last 12 months.  This is particularly true of families with children who believe that the ‘old’ Hong Kong is now lost.

At the same time, at least three major US tech companies, Facebook, Twitter and Alphabet’s Google, have threatened to leave Hong Kong in protest at planned changes to data-protection laws as the pro-Chinese government cracks down on dissent.

The Asia Internet Coalition (AIC), an industry body backed by the US tech firms, warned Hong Kong’s personal data privacy commissioner that proposed amendments to privacy laws may force its members to stop investing there.

Sources: The Times, Irish Times, New York Times

Pray:

Pray with us for the safety of those who stand against China’s authoritarian rule of Hong Kong
Pray with us for wisdom as families and individuals determine whether to stay of leave
Pray with us for the Church in Hong Kong to remain strong in the face of suppression (Acts 20:28-30)

As of 7^th July, the total number of confirmed deaths due to the collapse of the Florida apartment block stands at 36, while 109 residents are still missing.  Emergency teams are increasingly pessimistic of finding any more survivors among the rubble and say they have detected no signs of life since the immediate aftermath.

Nearly 2 weeks after the collapse, the search continues but with few positive signs.  The building’s collapse occurred at about 1:20 a.m. on June 24 while almost all of the residents were sleeping. The structural failure initially began in the pool deck and garage areas, which engineers believe triggered the collapse of the midsection of the tower and then the front part facing the ocean. Fifty-five of the 136 condo units were destroyed.

Particular help has come from local synagogues given the apartment block, Champlain Tower South Condo, was in the area of Surfside, which has a tight knit Jewish community.

Many members are affected by the disaster: at least 34 of the missing are Jewish, one local synagogue told journalists.  Synagogues in the neighbourhood have been collecting money and providing food for rescue workers and survivors. One synagogue raised more than $100,000 in just a few hours.

Pope Francis sent a message to the Archbishop of Miami, the Most Revd Thomas Wenski, on Saturday, and offered “heartfelt prayer that Almighty God will grant eternal peace to those who have died, comfort to those who mourn their loss, and strength to all those affected by this immense tragedy”.

The cause of the collapse is not clear, although an engineer’s report from 2018, revealed on Saturday, referred to “a major error” in the original design of the 12-storey sea-front Champlain Towers. It said that the fault prevented water from draining away from the base of the building.

The Bishop of Southeast Florida, the Rt Revd Peter Eaton, said that prayers were said in the diocese on Sunday. “We pray for the dead and the grieving, the injured, and those still unaccounted for, and their family and friends who are waiting anxiously for news of them. We also pray for those who are now homeless, and who have lost everything.”

He asked Episcopalians: “Please remember in your prayers, as well, those who are working around the clock to search for survivors, to recover the dead, and to account for the missing.”

Sources / More: The Church Times, MSN News

Pray:

Pray with us for grieving families and individuals, that they may be comforted by the overwhelming peace of God. (Psalm 34:18)
Pray for the search and rescue teams, that they may be sustained in hope and strength even as they grow wearier and more despondent.
Pray with us for the local Church, that they will know how best to reach out in love and support to those affected.