Displaying items by tag: United Kingdom

Christian Voice says, ‘Who can doubt that there is something deeply wrong with the United Kingdom today? Everyone seems to be looking out for themselves, people have to be paid to care, few appear to have any honour or respect - from the top to the bottom. The Christian faith itself is under attack from the media and homosexual activists. Secularism is destroying our land, Christianity has been pushed to the margins, and Islam is waiting to fill the vacuum. The judgement of God is falling on us. How did it come to this? We must pray for our Government as never before, and pray that God will raise up men like John Knox and John Wesley to call the nation to repentance. We need to pray for our nation and its people, out of our love for our Saviour and the victims of injustice. But our prayer needs to be more than just: “Lord, do something!” It needs to be: “Lord, what can I do?”’

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have named their baby son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. The name Archie does not have any British royal connotations, but the name means ‘genuine’, ‘bold’, or ‘brave’. Harrison is also a totally new name for the royal family: it was originally used as a surname meaning ‘son of Harry’. As the first-born son of a duke, Archie could have assumed the title of Earl of Dumbarton, but he will instead simply be known as Master Archie.

Christians across Northern Ireland have the opportunity to bring relatives, friends, neighbours and colleagues to hear the good news of Jesus Christ proclaimed by evangelist J John in CS Lewis Square, Belfast. The square features seven bronze sculptures from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, including the great lion, Aslan. As J John preaches the gospel in this unique setting, organisers and supporting churches will be praying that many come to know the true and living Christ. The last evangelistic event in Belfast was in 1923. At that time 2,000 dock workers marched straight from work, still wearing their dungarees, to go and hear evangelist WP Nicholson preach. Such was the power of his preaching that a shed named the ‘Nicholson shed’ was erected in the shipyard, to house the stolen tools that newly-converted workers returned.

As we pray for the UK - nations are shaking - the referendum challenges - what will our nation look like in future years? Change can bring opportunity, and God hears our prayers. This is the time to knock on heaven’s door for His kingdom to come on earth. Last year was the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta. It was not immediately successful, but it did shape our nation for the following centuries. This is the 801st anniversary, the beginning of a new season. In 2016 young people across the United Kingdom declared a spiritual Magna Carta to shape and establish the government and fabric of our nation for this generation and those to come. Prayer Alert intercessors are invited to take time to read and declare this ‘spiritual Magna Carta’ by clicking the ‘More’ link.

Farmers are no strangers to challenge, but today’s pressures are many and varied. Added to concerns over Brexit are increased rural crime (animals worth over £2.5 million were stolen last year), prospects of drought, and questions about the food we eat and how it is produced - all against a backdrop of planned fundamental change in government support to the agricultural industry. Pray for farmers as they feel the stress of meeting these pressures day by day, and for those who offer support when a helping hand is needed. Village halls are the heart of many rural communities. They can provide alternative venues for church services and outreach. The Government recently announced a £3 million scheme to regenerate village halls. Give thanks for this and pray that Christian groups and churches will find ways to share in taking up this opportunity to strengthen community life and advance God’s kingdom in rural areas.

Pervasive persecution of Christians, sometimes amounting to genocide, is ongoing in the Middle East, according to a report commissioned by the British foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt. ‘The report finds an ‘inconvenient truth’; 80% of persecuted religious believers are Christians. Some of the report’s findings will make difficult reading for Middle East leaders who are accused of tolerating or instigating persecution. The Turkish AK party is highlighted for denigrating Christians. Hunt, an Anglican, has made the issue of Christian persecution one of the major themes of his foreign secretaryship. ‘I think we have shied away from talking about Christian persecution because we are a Christian country and we have a colonial past, so sometimes there’s a nervousness there. But we have to recognise that Christians are the most persecuted religious group.’ The interim report sets out the scale of the persecution. A final report in the summer will state how the Foreign Office can raise awareness of the issue.

The Christians in Parliament team write, ‘Our programme of chapel services started with an Easter service looking at the Hope of the Resurrection, and will continue weekly for the rest of the term. Please pray that parliamentarians and staff will be strengthened and encouraged to fix their eyes on Jesus and live out their faith in Parliament. Please pray for new attendees to come, and for the speakers as they prepare. We are looking forward to the 2019 national Parliamentary prayer breakfast. The Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, will be speaking on ‘building unity in a world of difference’. The breakfast will be chaired by Baroness Sherlock, and prayers will be said by members of both houses. Pray for increased numbers of MPs and peers attending, particularly those who have not been before, and for strengthened relationships between church leaders and MPs.

Stressed civil servants are encouraged to talk to counsellors about the pressures they are under. Some believe that quite a few MPs may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder as they cope with coffins dumped at their constituency surgeries, smashed windows, death threats, round-the-clock negative social media, and endless cancelled plans, putting their relationships and health under huge strain. Brexit anxiety is having a detrimental effect on people's mental health. See and

13-year-old Nadia Sparkes is called ‘Trash Girl’ for encouraging her peers to clean up their environment. Upset by street litter, she began picking up items and binning them at home; collecting 3,000+ litres of litter. However, school bullies called her ‘Trash Girl’, threatened her with a knife, and chased and punched her. Once she sat in class covered in orange juice that had been thrown in her face. Unafraid, she used the ‘Trash Girl’ name in a positive campaign to encourage others to take action on litter through an online community group that was celebrated by Greenpeace, WWF and Keep Britain Tidy, with online followers of 4,000+. Local artists depicted her as a superhero character, which is being shared in schools to educate students on litter prevention, but Nadia was not championed at her own school and had to leave. However, this term she had a ‘brilliant’ first day at her new school.

Blood transfusions in the 1970s and 80s infected 4,800 patients with hepatitis C or HIV. As a public inquiry into the contaminated blood scandal begins this week, the victims and families of the 2,000 who died want justice and the Government held to account. The stigma attached to HIV meant that victims received hate mail and death threats, and the scandal was hushed up. This inquiry will finally give people the opportunity to tell their stories as evidence is heard. One victim said, ‘They will be horrified to hear what happened’. The UK relied on blood products from America manufactured from blood from thousands of paid high-risk donors (prisoners and drug addicts). Campaigners say there is evidence that the health service knew the blood was contaminated but carried on giving it, and there have been allegations of a government cover-up.