Displaying items by tag: prayer

New South Wales declared a week-long state of emergency in response to escalating bushfires. Ask God to give strength and wisdom to Australian military aircraft and vessels and to US and Canadian ‘specialist aviation resources’; may there be clear, unconfused communication between different agencies fighting fires and saving lives. Ask God to bless those providing humanitarian assistance, upholding them in all they do. Pray for wisdom and sensitivity to those carrying out evacuations of whole communities in the coming days. May God protect the thousands of volunteers deployed to help struggling emergency services. May He comfort those who once lived in the 1,200+ destroyed homes. Thousands are fleeing a vast ‘tourist leave zone’ in the largest relocation ever. May calm minds replace panic and fear. Pray for cut-off towns where supplies are running low and people are living in fear of flames spreading across their communities. May God bring wind direction changes and rain to take the worst of the fires away from towns and farms.

Yemen has suffered a three-year civil war. Over 10,000 people have died, and three million have been displaced. Many are starving or on the verge of having nothing to eat. Malnutrition and infant mortality are becoming normal. Pray that ships, aeroplanes and trucks will be given permission to bring the abundance of food and supplies that are needed. Pray that those who seek to exploit others due to high prices will be led by God to put aside greed and help the many who are battling poverty. Pray that those who are fighting one another will put aside their differences and go to the negotiating table to work together for peace. Roads, houses, schools, factories, oil fields, and hospitals are destroyed. Pray that peace will come so that rebuilding can begin.

Since the protest movement began in October, 400+ have died, twelve of them security personnel. Over 17,000 people have been injured. ‘The situation is a disaster, with weapons in every corner’, said the Chaldean archbishop of Basra. ‘As a church, we are close to young people in the streets, providing them with food and shelter.’ But violence has forced his diocese to suspend all such pastoral activities. The Chaldean church called for three days of prayer and fasting, and out of respect for the dead and in solidarity with all the injured, Patriarch Louis Raphael Sako cancelled all public and church-based celebrations of Christmas. As the Church in Iraq trades tree decorations and holiday receptions for prayers of intercession, let us pray for the current government’s corrupt structure to end and for the protesters to achieve the dissolution of parliament and widespread reforms. May hope and prosperity enter Iraq in 2020, and may Iranian ballistic missiles and US troops and defence systems leave. See

23 people died following cartel gun battles in a town near the US border. Mexico’s murder rate is up 2% this year, but God’s Spirit is moving. Recent evangelistic meetings in Sonora attracted 1,500+ people, 100 became Christians, and 75,000+ Spanish Bibles and Christian resources were distributed. As a leader walked to his car after an event, a man approached him saying, ‘I was behind the stage drinking Heinekens, and I heard you talking at the evangelistic meeting. I spent 10 years in Pelican Bay because I killed two people. I don’t know why I do bad when I want to do right.’ The man sobbed and was given a comforting embrace. ‘Then I led him in the plan of salvation. He gave his life to the Lord Jesus Christ. We gave him a free Bible and got him introduced to a local pastor.’

From 1 to 12 December, Prayer Watch invites you to join thousands ‘decreeing God’s righteous government and governance in our land’. All those involved in this initiative believe that this is God’s appointed time for us to decree that His government is established in our nation. It is not by chance that our election date is 12/12. 12 is the Biblical number of authority and divine government. 12 tribes of Israel. 12 Apostles of Jesus. The response in prayer is 12 days of 12 decrees at 12 noon to establish God’s government in our nation through prayer. It is time for the British Isles to pray together like never before, as we arrive at our significant spiritual ‘open door’ of opportunity as a nation. For the daily decrees, click the ‘More’ button.

Father, thank You for all you have done for us throughout this year. Even when things don’t go our way, may we still rejoice in Your faithfulness and provision in our lives. We pray that You will build our government and watch over the UK. ‘Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labour in vain; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.’ (Psalm 127:1) Lord, we ask You to build our nation according to Your template and guard us from evil. Father, thank You for being our defender and ever-present help in our times of need. We ask You to protect Your children involved in election campaigning in the coming week, keeping them safe from those who would wish to harm them. ‘Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures for ever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and for evermore.’ (Psalm 125:1)

Christians will soon celebrate Christmas, BUT hundreds of millions of people have not yet heard of Christ. The great revivals and mission advances throughout church history followed the pattern of prayer preceding evangelism. Now, tens of thousands of churches with hundreds of mission organisations and prayer movements are joining forces for an epic prayer and mission initiative, unlike anything the world has known, called GO 2020. The goal is to reach one billion unreached people with Christ’s Good News. By May 2020, GO 2020 aims to have mobilised 100 million Christians to pray that unreached people groups, at home and abroad, will come to know the Lord, as mission agencies preach and teach. No one organisation can accomplish such a feat, but many can flow together like tributaries into one unstoppable river. To get involved, go to

Anti-Israel protesters in London have been screaming death threats at Jews in Arabic, and anti-Semitic activity is said to be active in the Labour Party. Jeremy Corbyn is being challenged in his own Islington North constituency by Yosef David, an Orthodox Jew, standing for the Brexit Party. Yosef works for a large Jewish charity and acknowledges that toppling Corbyn would be a miracle, but he is ‘highlighting the impact of the Labour anti-Semitism epidemic on the community. On 26 November Ephraim Mirvis, Britain’s most senior Jewish leader, accused Corbyn of allowing anti-Semitism to take root in the party, while Justin Welby agreed that British Jews felt much insecurity and fear, and added regretfully that the Church of England has had its own history of antisemitism. On the same day, hundreds of Christians aligned to Operation Breakthrough, Worldwide Mission Fellowship, and Prayer Warriors International spent time in prayer and repentance, focussing on the UK’s attitude towards Israel.

Lord, we pray for peace in this election season. We pray for peace between divided communities and within families; we pray for peace between political opponents. We pray that You will be our refuge and our strength, our mighty fortress in times of need. Lord, keep our focus on you, and as we hear and think about politics we would seek to serve and worship you. ‘I lift my eyes to you, to you who sit enthroned in heaven’ (Psalm 123:1). We pray for political journalists who are reporting on the election and Brexit, that they will work with integrity and maintain professionalism; and for young people under the age of 18, who cannot vote, still to be engaged in politics and voice their concerns.

This week has seen examples of political trickery, lies, exaggerations - we thank God for bad practice being exposed. Pray for God’s hand of protection over all who are standing to be elected; some have had horrible threats made against them and their families. The lead up to this general election and the current whirlwind of campaigning feels like being in the middle of a storm. Pray continually for honesty and integrity to be threaded through every wave of political debate and discussion. A lot rides on the outcome, both in terms of the UK’s place in Europe, and potentially Scotland’s place in the UK. Deep emotions are associated with all of this, and it is not surprising that many people are anxious. Pray for unity in the church, families, and friendship groups. In a time of enormous division let us be peacemakers, let us disagree gracefully, and choose our words carefully. May believers rest in the peace of Jesus throughout this election campaign, and may that be a witness to others.