Displaying items by tag: Praise

On 26 January 3,000 people gathered for a day of prayer for Britain in the Wembley Arena. A further 100,000+ joined from every ethnic, racial, social, cultural, and church divide around the world on YouTube, Facebook, GOD TV and Revelation TV. They asked God to change the nations’ destiny and to align the UK with God’s purposes. We can praise God, knowing that prayers and declarations bring positive changes in the land. They usher kingdom values into our politics, businesses, education, arts, media, families and the church, building a defence wall against Satan’s influence and receiving grace for a United Kingdom under God’s authority.

Rev Bob Akroyd has won the Butler Trust Award for his pastoral care work at Edinburgh prison. He was praised for the 'exceptional support' he provided 'to both prisoners and staff' and 'his outstanding pastoral care, helping families and colleagues through grief as well as in celebrations of life'. Joanne Smith, an officer at the prison, said, 'Bob makes you feel safe and encapsulated by his love and devotion to God, delivering support and guidance that I have never known anywhere or with anyone else before. He unlocks potential and transforms lives. He helps individuals to shoulder their burdens, and empowers them to move forward to a more positive future, where they can successfully tackle life and its problems head on, becoming the best and strongest version of themselves - a version which they might not have even known, or dared hope, existed, before Bob’s unwavering hand was offered in support.'

Since 2012, Israel and Germany have worked together on policies to aid the development of African countries. Germany is providing 90% of the financial support, which enables the Israelis to bring their expertise into the latest agricultural developments. Large projects, which Israel cannot carry out alone, will grow with German provision. As Israel was forced within its own land to find solutions for the lack of water in desert areas, Israelis are now blessing many countries in Africa with their knowledge, fulfilling God’s word ‘and you will be a blessing’ (Genesis 12:2).

Death row Christian Aasia Bibi will be allowed to leave Pakistan, after the country's top court upheld her acquittal on blasphemy charges. Ms Bibi, who spent eight years on death row, will now be free to join her daughters who fled to Canada and were granted asylum there. The 54-year-old was acquitted in October (eight years after she was convicted for allegedly insulting the Prophet Muhammad in a dispute with her neighbours); but she has remained under guard at a secret place since her acquittal. Prime Minister Imran Khan's government has attempted to quell anger over her exoneration by radical Islamists, who staged nationwide protests and almost brought the capital Islamabad to a standstill. More than 3,000 members of the radical Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) group were arrested on charges of terrorism after the protest, with its leader and high profile members still in prison.

A London church, run by Steve Chalke, is launching an appeal to help the homeless by providing them with Oyster travel cards to offer them some respite from the cold as temperatures worsen. He said, ‘With the cold coming in, some of them will freeze to death. In fact, I know of one man who has frozen to death on the street near here since Christmas.’ The church are encouraging people to donate £20. The first £10 will go directly toward purchasing an Oyster card with adequate credit for rides on public transport and the second to help the longer-term response to homelessness. Chalke explained, ‘They can ride on the night bus, they can sit in the warm, they can get out of the bitter cold. We are also keeping endless cases out of our A&E departments in the already stretched and strained NHS system’. The cards allow people to travel widely on London's public transport.

Justin Welby has spoken of his daily discipline of praying in tongues and seeking words of knowledge and prophecy from others, in an interview with Premier at the launch of ‘Thy Kingdom Come’, now in its fourth year. He said, ‘It’s not something to make a great song and dance about. Usually it’s extremely early in the morning and not an immensely ecstatic moment.’ Speaking in tongues, words of knowledge, and prophecy are common practices in Pentecostal and charismatic churches. ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ has united over a million Christians from more than 65 different denominations and traditions, in 114 countries, to pray for evangelisation. During prayer times many noticed that God’s Spirit came.

Recently IJM supported local officials and NGO partners in rescuing two men and nineteen boys from bonded-labour slavery at a factory near Chennai. They had been trapped there since June 2018, making fried Pani Puri snacks popular in north India. These impoverished villagers were recruited with loans of as little as £108, which they were meant to pay off with their labour. Instead, the factory owner charged them impossible interest rates and controlled their every movement so that could never repay the debt. He verbally abused them and beat them viciously if they slowed down during the 18-hour working day - ensuring they were always afraid of him. On 12 January they were successfully rescued. Although the factory owner absconded, a second accused is in custody and has been charged under India’s anti-slavery and child labour laws.

When worship programme Keep on Singing broadcast a special episode from Jordan, God used it powerfully. The programme showed a new vision of Jordanian Christian identity, and featured worship songs by a band from Karak Evangelical Church. Band member Mawiyah Halasa said they received many calls and messages telling them how large numbers of brothers and sisters who used to come to church had returned to the Lord. Whilst most Christians have relative freedom to practise their faith, converts to Christianity can face serious opposition. Pray that God will protect and bless Jordanian Christians who are under pressure because of their faith. The video has been shared hundreds of times, and viewer comments came both from locals and from those further afield.

The partial federal government shutdown is in its fourth week. When a Baptist pastor in Memphis, Donald Johnson, realised that people in his congregation would be affected by what the president was doing, he stepped in to help them weather an uncertain period of missed paychecks. Having found eight people on the church's database who were federal workers, he collected an offering and had the church's financial board match what was collected. He was able to raise $8,000, enough for $1,000 each.

Stoke City F C’s new manager, Nathan Jones, has been praised by the Bishop of Stafford: ‘It's so impressive that Nathan is able to talk openly and honestly about his faith, and it's particularly great that he has found strength from this during times of adversity’. Jones, who regularly attends church and has Christian-themed tattoos, has described how God keeps him ‘grounded’ and helps him persevere against temptation: ‘Through hard times I've always had the stability of the Lord in my life.’ Billy Vunipola, regarded as one of England's best rugby players, has spoken about how his faith is helping him get back to fitness after suffering three broken arms in just over a year. For his interview with the Daily Telegraph, see