Displaying items by tag: answered prayer

In order to increase the number of people praying for the nation, the Wartime Miracles leaflet has been posted to 25,000 UK churches. In an easy-to-read format, this leaflet helps Christians to intercede with a greater faith by giving examples of dramatic deliverances the Lord gave in answer to prayer during the Second World War. For example, many Christians today are not aware that the English Channel became like a millpond 24 hours after a national prayer day was held on 26 May 1940. It was this calm which enabled little boats to rescue large numbers of soldiers from the Dunkirk area.

In March Prayer-Alert intercessors prayed for an inquiry into the unfair arrest and abuse of Pastor Oluwole Ilesanmi, a street preacher. Now, supported by the Christian Legal Centre, he has been offered £2,500 in exemplary damages from the Metropolitan Police in relation to his false arrest, imprisonment and unlawful detention. Also a petition with over 38,000 signatures has now been given to the Home Secretary calling on her to investigate the guidance and training given to police officers nationwide on the freedom to preach in public. May this petition now be acted upon. See

In March, Prayer Alert intercessors prayed for an overhaul of the ethos of the Home Office, after Iranian Christian converts’ asylum applications had been unfairly rejected. Clergy have now been drafted in to teach religious literacy to hundreds of Home Office case workers tasked with deciding on asylum claims that involve religious conversion and persecution. The new training was developed with the support of Church House, Westminster, and other faith groups. Rev’d Mark Miller, vicar of Stockton, advised the Home Office on the training, and attended the first case workers’ meeting. He said, 'In the session, I asked staff what they thought was basic knowledge. Most of what they suggested wasn’t basic knowledge, it was “name the Ten Commandments”, rather than the significance of a faith in Jesus.’

Last week you prayed for thousands of pastors and their congregations as they worshipped together in Singapore, heard inspiring teaching, and stepped out in faith for a bountiful harvest. We have heard from the organisers that there were 5,485 enquiries: 1,910 about salvation, 1,525 rededication, 1,006 interested to find out more. 170 wanted to join a church. The three-day celebration could not have happened without the 17,000 ushers, counsellors, security crew, production crew, intercessors, interpreters, and countless others. Praise God for their willing hearts and labour of love.

Last week you prayed for the aged President Bouteflika to withdraw from standing in the next election, and for God to raise new leaders for the nation. On 12 March the state news agency reported that the president was withdrawing, and would not stand as a candidate in the next election. He has named the interior minister as the new prime minister, and plans to create a new government with a special body to draft a new constitution to respond to the protests. May God continue to bless Algeria with His purposes.

In July 2013 you were asked to pray for measures to be taken to end Wonga-style loans, after the Archbishop of Canterbury boldly stated he would tackle the scourge of high-cost payday lending and work towards expanding credit unions. On 30 August Wonga, the payday lender with extortionate interest rates, collapsed into administration after it was brought down by a welter of compensation claims. On 1 September the Guardian reported, ‘Credit unions on the rise’. Credit unions, not-for-profit cooperatives, are owned and controlled by their members and traditionally specialise in loans and savings for the less well-off. In a credit union, members pay in small sums to their account and can then access loans. Justin Welby’s prophetic statement that he would ‘compete’ Wonga out of existence appears to becoming a reality as loansharking is shrinking. See

A few weeks ago you were asked to pray for laws to be passed to stop companies producing online internet games that look more like gambling. Other European countries already have far stricter rules in place to protect children from racking up huge gaming bills. Belgium and the Netherlands consider some in-game spending as gambling and have made them illegal. Last December a teenager accidentally spent his mother's entire monthly wage on line because her debit card was registered to his PlayStation account. But from December, a new icon will appear on video games boxes, warning parents of the potential for extra purchases, in a bid to avoid similar instances.

Last week we prayed for God to soften President Macron’s heart and prompt him to help refugees still living rough in Calais while officials take months to process their claims. On 19 January Mr Macron and Theresa May signed a treaty designed to reduce the backlog of migrants by greater cooperation. The agreement will strengthen an accord known as Le Touquet, signed in 2003, which moved the British border to France. This will remain in force, but Macron said France will no longer be Britain’s ‘coastguard’ without concessions from the UK to help ease the crisis. Under the new, legally binding treaty, Britain will speed up ways of accepting legitimate asylum seekers currently stranded in Calais, including those seeking to re-join families in the UK and unaccompanied children.