Displaying items by tag: Hope for the Countryside

Bovine TB is a long-running and deep-seated issue which continues to impact deeply both livestock and the livelihoods, health and wellbeing of farmers. In 2018, despite sustained testing, in Wales alone over 11,000 animals were compulsorily slaughtered and the movement of a thousand herds was restricted. Opposing views over the role of wildlife in spreading bovine TB have prompted deep divisions since the mid-70s. A recent government review made several new recommendations, including those designed to give greater responsibility for disease control to farmers and vets. They have also begun working with environmentalists to develop new approaches to disease control. As the Government considers the review’s recommendations, pray for wisdom and open-mindedness so that effective and widely-supported control strategies can be developed.

Christians throughout the countryside will be celebrating the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus this Easter. Pray that the God of hope will fill them with all joy and peace as they delight in Him, so that they may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Pray also that many people will be drawn into the celebration through various services and activities held across this special time, and that they too might come to know the hope of the good news about Christ (Luke 9:6). As Brexit grinds on, rural affairs are not high on the political agenda; nevertheless they continue to present deep-seated policy challenges, prompting recent calls for a new post-Brexit comprehensive rural strategy to address issues such as infrastructure, labour shortage, housing and health care. Pray for wisdom for those in government and NGOs who are shaping policies and programmes for rural renewal.

A new partnership has recently been established between Top Barn Trust, Agricultural Christian Fellowship, Village Hope, and World Prayer Centre. They have started to offer a monthly prayer sheet, ‘Seeds of Prayer’, to mobilise more prayer for our rural communities, encourage those living and working in Britain’s countryside, and inform those in more urban settings. For inspiration to aid your prayers for the rural life of our nations, farming, the land in all its complexities, and mission in the hard-to-reach places, click the ‘More’ button. See also this week’s article on Rural Mission Sunday.