India / Pakistan: Cyclone Biparjoy
16 Jun 2023
Gale force winds and heavy rains are lashing coastal areas of north-west India and southern Pakistan as Cyclone Biparjoy (which means ‘disaster’ in Bengali) makes landfall to destroy homes and crops in its path. By 15 June over 170,000 people had been evacuated in India and 81,000 in Pakistan, with storm surges of 10 to 13 feet expected from Karachi to Gujarat. Pray for the Indian and Pakistan armed forces and coastguards to have clear uninterrupted communication between ships, helicopters, and aircraft as they are called in to rescue and implement relief operations. Pray for people to avoid travelling. Pray for the thousands in relief camps to have all the aid and provisions needed. 81,000 people from the south-eastern coast have benefited from the setting up ofup 75 relief camps at schools. Pray for the safety of those living in low-lying areas along the coasts and for them to have the wisdom to know if or when they need to evacuate.
Haiti: fuel, floods, fighting and prayer
16 Jun 2023
Haiti fuel tanks are mostly dry as all Haiti’s fuel is imported. When their president was assassinated the government was left with no elected leaders. Violent gangs run Port-au-Prince and control major ports where fuel enters. One gallon of black market gas costs nearly £24. Inflation is rife. The earthquake on 6 June caused flooding that displaced 13,000 Haitians and killed fifty. Many organisations use generators to operate because no electricity is available; but some hospitals and schools are closing down because they have neither fuel nor generators. One impactful radio outreach is a live midday Christian prayer programme where Haitians can call or message prayer requests. They’re praying for Haiti. A ministry leader said, ‘I’ve seen people pray for their country before, but I’ve never seen people pray like Haitians do. They’re looking to God to meet daily needs, provide comfort, heal, and intervene in Haiti to do what only He can do.’
Saudi Arabia: pray for Muslims
16 Jun 2023
Hajj, the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, will take place between 26 June and 1 July. Millions from across the world will embark on this strenuous journey, believing that by doing so their sins are forgiven, their soul cleansed, and they will go to heaven when they die. (Ephesians 2:8-9) Pray that the spiritual focus of Hajj will cause many to consider what they believe and join the millions of Muslims who have met Jesus in dreams and visions in their search for salvation. See On day two they will stand or sit from noon to sunset, invoking Allah for mercy and seeking forgiveness for sins. Pray for them to experience the true forgiveness that is available through Christ alone. On day three they will throw stones at a wall (representing Satan) to overcome evil. May they realise it is only through faith in Christ that they can overcome the evil one.
North Korea: starving to death
16 Jun 2023
Food is so scarce in North Korea that people starve to death. In 2020 the government tightened control over people’s lives and sealed its borders. The BBC secretly interviewed three North Koreans who said they were afraid they will either starve to death or be executed for flouting the rules. It is extremely rare to hear from North Koreans: they face starvation, brutal crackdowns and no chance to escape. A devastating tragedy is unfolding. In the 1990s North Korea experienced a devastating famine which killed about three million people. Recent rumours of starvation prompt fears of being on the brink of another catastrophe. A construction worker said five people in his village had already died from starvation. ‘I was afraid of dying from Covid, but now I worry about starving to death’. he said. Kim Jong Un prioritised his nuclear weapons programme in 2022; it cost more than the amount needed to make up for the annual grain shortfall.
Australia: resurgence in far-right activity
16 Jun 2023
Australia has banned Nazi symbols nationally, in an effort to crack down on far-right groups. The ban includes the trade and public display of flags, armbands, T-shirts, and insignia, and the publication of symbols online promoting Nazi ideology. Public displays of swastikas or SS symbols is punishable by up to a year in prison. The new laws do not cover the Nazi salute. Nazi symbols are already banned in many states, but now they are not allowed anywhere due to a resurgence in far-right activity. At a Melbourne rally recently a group of neo-Nazis performed Nazi salutes on the steps of the Victorian parliament. This triggered a political backlash calling for greater efforts to tackle displays of Nazi regalia. ‘There is no place in Australia for symbols that glorify the horrors of the Holocaust. We will no longer allow people to profit from the display and sale of items which celebrate the Nazis’, said the attorney general.
Global: El Niño and climate change
16 Jun 2023
El Niño is associated with record breaking temperatures globally. Whether this will happen in 2023 or 2024 is not yet certain. The EU's Climate Change Service believes 2023 is more likely. 2022 was Europe's second warmest year and hottest summer ever: this year is predicted to be hotter. The effects of El Niño, which take months to be felt, may mean that 2024 breaks temperature records. Extreme weather is making coffee cost more and taste worse; we need to be prepared. See Pray for Europe’s climate adaptation conference in Dublin from 19 to 21 June, where 500 policy makers will hear from Europe’s leading climate researchers. Pray for God to work in this event to cause individuals to devise workable solutions in their particular area of expertise.
Seeds of prayer bearing fruit
09 Jun 2023
Several of Jesus' parables liken the preaching of the Gospel to the scattering of seeds, which sprout and bear fruit in due time. Our May online gatherings showed how the word of God has been scattered throughout our countryside and that shoots are sprouting up in all sorts of places. Believers are building relationships and communities centred around the good news of Jesus Christ. People of all ages are asking questions, seeking a deeper and truer meaning to life. Christians have been prepared over time, often unbeknown to them, for the people and places to which the Lord has sent them. These may be a pub, a lunch for older residents, an after-school club, a quiet garden, a bible reading group or a new church thriving in a barn through the hospitality of a farmer.
Take back the rainbow
09 Jun 2023
The rainbow is a symbol for the LGBT community. A former transgender is on a mission to take it back to a Christian symbol. Nichol Collins was a lesbian and drug dealer called Esco in clubs and streets and was known for partying and violence. But now she is a Christian who stands up for God and her faith. ‘I was attacked from behind by a man with a hammer, and glory to God, I miraculously suffered no injury. I tell people God literally used that to knock some sense into me. It took me seven months to come out of men's clothes. I didn't jump into dresses right away, I was bald, I felt ugly, but as I submitted myself to God, he began to beautify me with salvation.’ Collins now uses inspirational rainbows and Bible quotes designs in her Christian clothing line called Globeshakers as a reminder of God's word.