There are unseen challenges that people struggle with in later life. Pray for the elderly struggling with eating and living well. May they have a network of caring friends to support them as they find they cannot do the things they used to do, due to limited mobility and shrinking finances. Pray for those impacted by the onset of dementia and trying to maintain their independence in an ever-shrinking world. Pray for the widows and widowers living alone who could be depressed, with no one to share the ups and downs of their days with. Pray for God to raise up people in different generations to come alongside the elderly people in their communities and be befrienders. Pray for anointed and caring people to help older people to understand their purpose in later life. May our aged feel that they remain purposeful in their later years.

The mother of 12-year-old Archie Battersbee is ‘devastated’ after a court ruled his life support should be removed. This was because it decided that ‘on the balance of probabilities’ Archie had died. His mother said, ‘Basing judgment on an MRI test that he is likely to be dead is not good enough.’ This is the first time someone has been declared probably dead based on an MRI test. The concept of brain death is discredited if Archie cannot be reliably diagnosed brain-dead. His mother added, ‘The hospital and judge failed to take the wishes of the family into consideration. His heart is still beating, he has gripped my hand, I know he is still in there. Archie has not been given enough time. From the beginning I have thought, “Why the rush?” Until it is God's way I won't accept he should go. I know of miracles when people have come back from being brain-dead.’

Citizens Advice is warning of different cost-of-living tactics used by scammers. Over 75% of UK adults report being targeted by scammers this year, including emails claiming to be from Ofgem asking people to enter their bank details to get the £400 energy rebate, or claiming the government is giving £200,000 at random to pensioners, disabled or on low income. The director of National Trading Standards said, ‘Criminals are exploiting people’s worries as household bills rise. Consumers are put under increasing pressure from waves of scam emails, or imposters cold calling. Legitimate organisations would never put you on the spot in this way.’ Popular scams are people saying they are from postal or courier delivery services, from the government or HMRC with rebates and refunds, online shopping, energy, medical or fake investments.

Research by the Times Education Commission condemned ‘shocking’ regional disparities in schools. One primary school reported children starting school unable to say their names; half of reception and nursery were not toilet-trained. There was also a lack of training on how to identify students with special education needs. The Association of Christian Teachers (ACT) called for the Church to play a bigger part in the education system after the report also found that parents do not believe classrooms prepare pupils for life or work and the system places too much emphasis on exams which could damage pupils' mental health. Exams have become a source of emotional stress for teachers and students: some students refuse to even open an exam paper. Christian teachers can emphasise that exams aren’t everything. They have the opportunity to say how trusting God puts worry in perspective, that God has a plan for our lives - even if we feel it all depends on one certain day and one exam.