Displaying items by tag: United Kingdom

Boris Johnson has said, ‘The UK is at the moment of maximum risk in the coronavirus outbreak’. Speaking outside No 10 for the first time since recovering from the virus, he said we are now beginning to ‘turn the tide’ on the disease. But he refused to ‘throw away’ the public's ‘effort and sacrifice’ by relaxing the lockdown too soon. We can pray for God to continue to give him strength and stamina as he returns to work. Pray that he paces himself and has the discernment to acknowledge when to allow others to carry burdens for him. May God’s wisdom direct him in every decision and give him heaven’s strategies for the next phase. Pray also for MPs, advisors, civil servants, scientists, and economists to adopt workable policies. Let us also ask our Father in heaven to unite the members of every political party as they work towards unlocking the United Kingdom.

Now that we no longer gather physically, congregations are navigating church, prayer, house groups, worship, etc with technology, and our church leaders are coming to terms with electronic churches to manage the implications of coronavirus on their congregations and communities. Let us pray that innovative ideas will be birthed through high-tech fresh expressions of church. Pray for those ministering to the bereaved, unemployed, depressed, financially challenged, or living with addictions. The burdens of care that our pastors carry are huge and can be exhausting. May God give them strength, protection, wisdom, and discernment as they pour the fragrance of His purposes and support into challenging situations. Pray for church networking amongst those who are without the internet. Pray for foodbanks as more communities struggle financially. May our church teams have heaven's insights when new trials arise. Pray for church leaders without good internet connections or the gift of being technologically astute. God, bring help wherever it is needed.

Two major business groups have written to the governments in Dublin and Belfast to urge coordination in the recovery from coronavirus. The CBI and its Irish equivalent, Ibec, said that an economic reboot will need ‘the highest level of cooperation, coordination and joined-up thinking’. They highlighted the importance of integrated supply chains across the border and Irish Sea, stopping short of requesting a synchronised exit from the lockdown. There have been political differences at Stormont on the level to which an all-island approach should be taken to coronavirus. The two groups say that it is in everyone's interests to have experts on both sides of the border regularly communicating on their respective plans for economic revival and recovery, including all-island business and cross-border employment. They add, ‘It would be helpful and worthwhile for parallel conversations to take place between the two islands, with the North-South Ministerial Council and the British-Irish council providing appropriate formal frameworks for such discussions’.

The UK’s IJM team have seen God do amazing things as people have cried out to Him in prayer. They report, ‘Covid-19 lockdowns are inadvertently creating the conditions for disturbing increases of abuse in many of the areas where we work. While our teams are doing what they can to protect survivors and find those who are being abused, we must ask God to reach those we are unable to reach, to provide safety, remove fear and bring hope. We believe God is calling for an unprecedented move of prayer. Will you join us? For the next few weeks, we will be praying specifically for those who are #UnsafeInLockdown.’ They are asking intercessors to pray every day for issues which they will spotlight each week. To take part and pray, click the ‘More’ button.

Christians in Parliament is an all-party group which exists to support all MPs and staff in their work in the Houses of Parliament through Bible study and prayer groups, one-to-one contact and chapel services, speaker events and discussion groups examining the truth and relevance of the Christian faith to personal and political life plus policy discussions and briefings informed by the Bible and Christian theology. Through lockdown our Christians in Parliament have still been functioning with the help of technology. Their online Tuesday lunchtime services are now operating via video-conferencing. On Tuesday 5 May Sir Gary Streeter MP will be preaching on ‘How to be right with God’, from Matthew 5:6. Please pray for more members of staff to join these meetings and be inspired to walk with God through troubled times.

Christian Concern write: ‘For years, the abortion lobby has wanted to make home abortions a reality. Now that the Government has introduced them due to the coronavirus lockdown, abortion rights activists will be determined to keep DIY abortions in place long-term. On the surface, the policy makes abortions as convenient as possible - a goal of the pro-abortion lobby. Dr Gregory Gardner, supporting our High Court legal challenge of the Government's decision, says that home abortions risk real physical and psychological harm to the mother and increase the possibility of coerced abortions. Ann Widdecombe added, “This change is contrary to promises made immediately before parliament went into recess - thereby undermining its proper constitutional functions.”’ 4 May marks 52 years of abortion culture in the UK.

99-year-old Captain Tom Moore pledged to walk 100 laps of his garden just after hip surgery - and just before his 100th birthday (on 30 April) - to raise money for the NHS. He captured the hearts of the nation and raised over £28million for hospital sleep pods and ‘wobble rooms’ where staff can release emotions after a traumatic experience. Wellbeing packs for staff, described as ‘Hug Boxes’, provide mental health support for staff and volunteers involved in dealing with the pandemic. Electronic tablets will be available for patients in isolation, enabling contact with families. The money raised will go to NHS Charities Together. Later in the year Captain Tom will be awarded a Pride Of Britain Award at an awards ceremony.

Poorer school children could lose out when lessons are being taught online. Now disadvantaged teenagers will be able to borrow laptops to help them study at home while schools are closed. The Department of Education is supporting 180 free online lessons for primary and secondary pupils through to year 10 with laptops or tablets for those without access to a computer, taking the pressure off parents who have children at home.

Policing covers a vast range of issues. Often non-crime-related issues take up a considerable amount of time and resources where local needs are many and varied. Faith communities can help the police in numerous ways by engaging with and providing support to some of the most vulnerable within our communities. Within the National Policing Vision and Mission, faith communities can support them with their non-statutory requirements. The #FaithAndPoliceTogether vision is to see the police services in England and Wales work in partnership with faith groups to build safer communities and reduce demand. This will have an important role to play in bringing about community cohesion and transformation, The policing vision for 2025 stresses that the links between communities and police form the bedrock of British policing. These include parenting courses, youth services, addiction recovery services, supported housing, and much more.

Smartphones and social media have connected families who are separated in lockdown. They have also generated a blizzard of dangerous fake news. In Bradford online posts of non-white patients being left to die in hospitals are being shared thousands of times among black, Asian, and minority ethnic communities. One reason for the high number of deaths in this people group is that they often live in densely overcrowded housing. Many have diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease - all high risk factors. Dr John Wright of Bradford Royal Infirmary said, ‘I know from my work in African epidemics that where there is fear and panic, and patients become isolated from their families, it doesn't take long for rumours and fake news stories to start circulating. We have noticed that some patients are scared to be admitted, and some want to self-discharge, because they think doctors are trying to kill them.’