As of 4^th November, the total global figure for people infected by Covid-19 stood at 248.2 million according to Johns Hopkins University. In addition to this, the recorded number who have died totalled 5,023,246.  There are signs of a small upward trend in cases since a low point mid-October.  

49.9% of the world population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. 7.15 billion doses have been administered globally, and 27.19 million are now administered each day.  Only 3.9% of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose. 

Data on a county by country level can be found here.  

Countries continue to encourage uptake in vaccination as the most useful way to prevent hospitalisation and death.  Studies show that the incidence of COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and death is higher among people who are unvaccinated compared to people who are fully vaccinated. A new COVID Data Tracker page shows that in August 2021, people who were unvaccinated were 11 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than people who were fully vaccinated

Debates continue about the merits and morality of child vaccinations, particularly given the lack of vaccinations to vulnerable individuals in low-income countries.  

Pray: For divine intervention and for God's name to be glorified even as each nation and government tries its best to vaccinate, prevent or control the emergence of new waves of infection and finally arrest this epidemic. 

Pray: That individuals, leaders and nations focus on the needs of others rather than themselves, and that co-operation and compassion lie at the heart of the world’s response to the crisis. 

Pray: For wisdom and support for parents as decisions over vaccination for children as young as 5 now need to be made in some countries.

Pray: We continue to release faith, hope, and love over the peoples of the world. May the Church seize this opportune time to manifest Jesus our Lord and Saviour to those who are seeking answers and purpose.

Afghanistan is on the brink of a starvation crisis, with more than half its population — some 22.8 million people — projected to face acute food insecurity this winter, according to a report co-led by the United Nations’ World Food Program and Food and Agriculture Organization.

Nearly 19 million Afghans, or 45 percent of the population, are experiencing “high levels of food insecurity,” according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report. That number is expected to jump to 22.8 million between November and March unless immediate action is taken.

“Children are a particular concern because they’re affected at the time but we also know the consequences of hunger on a child can affect them the rest of their lives,”.

Afghanistan’s economy has declined sharply in recent months, in large part because of the evaporation of international aid when the Taliban returned to power in August. Banks have run out of cash. Remittances from Afghans abroad have declined because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The problems began before the Taliban takeover. Some 665,000 people were internally displaced because of conflict between January and September, the United Nations found.

Also, an acute drought that started in late 2020 led to reduced snow in the mountains, hurting farmers who depend on snowmelt for their crops and livestock. About 70 percent of the population lives in rural areas.

Swedish and Pakistani ministers warned that Afghanistan will shortly collapse into chaos unless the international community acts rapidly. Afghanistan plunged into crisis after the hardline Islamist Taliban movement drove out the Western-backed government in August triggering the abrupt end of billions of dollars in assistance to its aid-dependent economy.

"The country is on the brink of collapse and that collapse is coming faster than we thought," Swedish development minister Per Olsson Fridh told Reuters in Dubai.

He said economic freefall could provide an environment for terrorist groups to thrive, but that Sweden would not channel money through the Taliban, instead boosting its humanitarian contributions through Afghan civil society groups.

Many countries and multilateral institutions have halted development assistance but increased humanitarian aid since August, reluctant to legitimize the new Taliban rulers.

More: Washington Post, CNN

Pray: giving thanks that larger numbers of endangered Christians and their families are getting out again after a multi-day hiatus when it was impossible to get them through the border to safety. Let’s continue to pray that all who need to get out would be able to do so; and that effective means would be found to resettle them in surrounding nations.
Pray: that this will be an opportunity to bring in a great harvest for the Kingdom now that they are out of the oppressive conditions inside Afghanistan and can freely hear about and follow Jesus! Let’s pray to the Lord of the harvest to send workers into this harvest. (Matthew 9:37-38)

Pray: that those leaders of the Taliban who are murderous and with ill intent would be removed from power in the new regime so women’s rights will be respected and international aid organizations can come back into the country to help in the developing humanitarian crisis.

Praise: God for reports of hundreds of lives committed to Jesus across this nation each month since August, despite the calamitous and uncertain situation.

Pray: That in this time of desperate need, the people of Afghanistan will know the love of God (Romans 8:35)

Pray: For wisdom of governments in how best to provide humanitarian aid without legitimising the Taliban so that the needy will be supported.

Pray: For those who are displaced, homeless and hungry. That they will find shelter in the short term and be able to build lives and livelihoods in the longer term.

Sudan’s military seized power Monday 25^th October, dissolving the transitional government hours after troops arrested the acting prime minister and other officials. Thousands of people flooded into the streets to protest the coup that threatens the country’s shaky progress toward democracy.

The takeover comes more than two years after protesters forced the ouster of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir and just weeks before the military was expected to hand the leadership of the council that runs the African country over to civilians.

After the early morning arrests of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and other officials, thousands poured into the streets of the capital, Khartoum, and its twin city of Omdurman. Footage shared online appeared to show protesters blocking streets and setting fire to tires as security forces used tear gas to disperse them.

The U.S., Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Britain issued a joint statement in support of “a democratic and peaceful” Sudan, where the civilian government was ousted on October 25 in a military coup.

“We endorse the international community’s serious concern with the situation in Sudan. We call for the full and immediate restoration of its civilian-led transitional government and institutions,” said the statement from “QUAD for Sudan” released by the U.S. State Department.

The countries called for the lifting of a state of emergency and “an effective dialogue between all parties” to help “ensure that the peace and security for the people of Sudan is a top priority.”

However, it is as if two years has disappeared in a flash. Two years of working to bring Sudan in from the cold after almost three decades of isolation. Two years of trying to establish a civilian government. Two years of mourning those who had died in Sudan’s revolution to oust Omar al-Bashir. And two years of tentative hope that perhaps these deaths had not been in vain. In the end, all that mattered was that it was two years during which the military grew tired of partnering with civilians in a transitional power-sharing agreement. Last week, the army seized power in a coup that erased everything the Sudanese people had gained since Bashir’s military government was toppled in 2019.

More:  VoA, NBC, Guardian

Pray: For God’s wisdom amongst the rulers of Sudan, that they may return to peaceful ways. (Romans 13:1-7)

Pray: For the international community’s attempts to resolve the situation peacefully and in support of the people of Sudan, that they may positively influence the situation.

Pray: That the people of Sudan will know hope in this time of uncertainty, that they will cling on to the vision for a peaceful and democratic Sudan.

The U.S. State Department released a statement condemning the "gross violations of human rights" after Burmese security forces fired heavy artillery into a town in the predominantly Christian Chin state, setting at least 100 homes and two churches on fire.

The attack was in retaliation after a Chin militia shot and killed a Burmese soldier who was breaking into houses and looting properties, according to a report.

The Southeast Asian country’s military, locally known as Tatmadaw, started attacking Friday morning after the militia, Chinland Defense Force, killed a Tatmadaw soldier while he was looting properties.

The presence of the Buddhist nationalist military makes civilians and militias in conflict-ridden states nervous. The military has been accused of vandalizing places of worship and civilians’ homes, raping girls and women, abducting civilians to be used for forced labor and shooting civilians to death.

ICC quoted the India-based Chin Human Rights Organization as saying that several religious buildings, including Church on the Rock, Presbyterian Church, and a building attached to the Thantlang Baptist Church, the largest congregation in town, have also caught fire.

“The first rockets to be fired into the town landed at the entrances to the Thantlang Baptist Church,” ICC said.

Other Christian communities in Chin state had also been targeted since the military coup in February. “Now that the military has started a real operation in Chin state, we can expect a lot of such abuses and acts, and we urge the international community to keep a close eye on this.”

Last month, a beloved youth pastor, Cung Biak Hum of Thantlang Centennial Baptist Church, was shot dead as he tried to help one of his congregants save their burning home after it was set ablaze by the military during an attack on civilians in Chin state.

Information on his Facebook page showed that he was married with two sons and was pursuing a master's of divinity degree at MIT Yangon.

United Nations Special Rapporteur on Myanmar, Tom Andrews, highlighted the pastor’s murder in a tweet at the time, calling on the international community to “pay closer attention” to the “living hell” civilians have been experiencing there since a Feb. 1 coup brought back full military rule following years of quasi-democracy.

More:  Christian Post

Some Good News from Myanmar…

Amidst the often shocking bad news, it is encouraging to hear of many young people coming to Christ across Myanmar at this time. We are receiving reports that there has been an amazing response to the Gospel through social media programming with many tens of thousands of Burmese youth responding in recent days and wanting to know more about how to know and follow Jesus.

75,000 in four days last week were asking for help, so that it has become overwhelming to the small local ministry team to cope.

Please give thanks and pray for effective means to follow up with these masses of inquirers and to answer their questions wisely and effectively, possibly through online classes that give some basic teaching and can provide resources for them to download and use.

Pray for Burmese-speaking ministry leaders (both local and abroad) to jump into this amazing potential harvest as the nation is being shaken through civil war conditions since the February military coup.

Pray: For the safety of the Christian community in Myanmar (Psalm 91:1-16), that they may know the

peace of God in their lives as they face dangers each and every day; that they will know the presence

and protection of the Holy Spirit surrounding them.

Pray: For the families of those who have lost loved ones during these times of crisis. May they be comforted and provided for, especially the widows and children who have nowhere to turn.

Pray: For those afflicted by COVID in Myanmar.  We pray for communities ravaged by this virus, that they may find help, support and care amidst the terror and suffering.

The Ohio Senate overwhelmingly approved legislation on Wednesday to stop infanticide by ensuring that babies who survive abortions receive basic medical care. The State Senate Bill 157 passed in a 25-6 vote and now heads to the state House for consideration.

The pro-life bill would create penalties for abortionists who fail to preserve the health or life of a child who survives an abortion. It also would require abortionists to report to the Ohio Department of Health when a baby is born alive in a botched abortion.

“The bill acknowledges the simple fact that regardless of the circumstances surrounding his or her birth, every child deserves our compassion and care,” said Sen. Terry Johnson, R-McDermott, a physician and the lead sponsor of the legislation.

Babies do survive abortions, though no one is sure exactly how many. In America, most states do not keep track of abortion survivors, but a few do.

Between 2016 and 2018, three states reported 40 babies were born alive after botched abortions. According to the state health data, 11 babies were born alive in Minnesota, 10 in Arizona and 19 in Florida. Texas reported six babies were born alive in botched abortions in 2019. In Michigan, state health reports from 2008 through 2013 indicate that 11 babies were born alive after abortions.

Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control, as well as the personal testimonies of nurses and abortion survivors themselves, also provide evidence that babies survive abortions. According to the CDC, at least 143 babies were born alive after botched abortions between 2003 and 2014 in the U.S., though there likely are more.

A recent analysis by the Charlotte Lozier Institute found that protections for babies who survive abortions are inconsistent across the United States, with fewer than half of states maintaining sufficient protections. (Excerpt from Life News)

The Wisconsin legislature is expected to pass four pro-life bills Wednesday to educate and empower parents while protecting their unborn babies from being killed in abortions.

The Republican-led state Assembly is expected to approve the bills after the state Senate passed them by a strong majority last week. The legislation soon will head to Gov. Tony Evers’ desk. A pro-abortion Democrat, Evers is expected to veto the legislation.

All four bills would provide life-saving information and support to protect unborn babies from abortion. Prior to the vote, Republican lawmakers said the measures should not be controversial and they should have bipartisan support. 

More: IFA

Pray: Creator God, we praise You that all human life is made in Your image, precious in Your sight. Please would you help us to speak up for the voiceless. Amen. (Psalm 139:14)

Pray: For the wisdom of legislators, that they will be touched by compassion and know God’s love for all life, that they will be brave to speak out and assert the rights of those who cannot be heard.

Pray: For mothers – to recognize and love their unborn children from the moment of conception; to have courage to face any challenges associated with their pregnancies; to turn to God for help; to overcome the temptation of abortion; that they will receive the support they need.

Pray: For fathers – that they will commit themselves to raising their children and caring for the mothers.

As Christians in Lebanon face increasingly dire situations, Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignatius Joseph III Younan warned that the minority community could soon be non-existent in the country. Following the August 2020 Beirut port blast, demonstrations regarding legal proceedings, corruption, weak public infrastructure and the ongoing pandemic have launched Lebanon into an economic crisis.

More than 50% of the population is living below the poverty line. The Syriac Patriarch shared his concerns, “We are very, very scared that if this crisis continues it will be the end of Christians in Lebanon and the whole of the Middle East in a few years. Normally when Christians leave, as happened in Iraq, Syria, and Turkey, they don’t return. They ask, ‘Why should we return when we can’t guarantee our children a decent life or religious freedom?’”

In mid-October, demonstrations demanding the removal of a judge from the ongoing Beirut blast investigation left seven people dead. Shiite movements Amal and Hezbollah organized the protests and later accused the Christian group Lebanese Forces of firing at protestors.

The LF leader, Samir Geagea, denied responsibility for the deaths, saying that residents of Beirut’s Christian neighborhood of Ain Al-Remmaneh had “defended” themselves against “Hezbollah militiamen who tried to enter their homes.” Geagea has been summoned for questioning by Lebanese courts over the incident.

More:  Persecution.org

Pray: For Christians to commit to staying in the land of Lebanon in order to spread the gospel to their neighbours. (Mark 16:15-16)

Pray: For the preservation of religious freedom so that the people of Lebanon will be confident to: “Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted'” - (Isaiah 12:4).

In a pre-recorded address, Haiti’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry has condemned the recent uptick in gang violence and kidnappings in the country, reassuring Haitians that the nation is not running out of fuel, despite severe shortages.

Henry’s speech was the first time the prime minister acknowledged these issues in public since the kidnapping of 17 members of a United States-based missionary group on October 16. The 16 Americans, one Canadian and their Haitian driver were abducted amid a spike in gang-related kidnappings that police are struggling to control.

“If they do not stop their wrongdoing, the law will apply to them,” Henry said in his message. “The only option for bandits and all their sponsors is imprisonment or death if they do not want to change professions.”

The leader of the 400 Mawozo gang that kidnapped the missionaries, including five children, has said he would kill them if his demands are not met. Haitian officials have said the gang is seeking $1m per person, but that it was not clear if that included the children, the youngest of whom is eight months old.

Christian Aid Ministries, which had organised a trip to Haiti for the group of missionaries, in a statement published on Thursday said they hoped the hostages would be released soon, despite the worsening political situation in the country.

“Haiti is in a state of anarchy with no active government,” according to the statement. “Gangs are in charge of many areas and [are] controlling the fuel and goods at the seaports.”

Henry’s speech also came days after a widespread strike led schools, businesses and public transport to shut down in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and beyond to protest against the lack of fuel and the country’s worsening economic and security situation. Gangs have been blamed for blocking gas distribution terminals, with at least one gang leader saying he would lift the blockade if Henry stepped down.

More: aljazeera

Pray: Father God, We lift up our missionaries overseas. Lord, you have called them away from their homeland to follow You for Your purpose in their lives and to the lives of those they come into contact with - just as Hebrews 11:8 reminds us of Abraham going by obedience, not knowing what he would find in the journey ahead. Overseas missionaries, much like Abraham, have awoken to the call in their own hearts to venture beyond what they have known to follow in obedience to share with others about You, Lord.

Father, we pray protection over them. We pray for safety and favor as they take every step-in obedience into these lands. We pray that the hearts they come into contact with would be open and willing to hear and receive the beautiful and life-altering truth of Your Son, Jesus Christ. We pray for open doors and victory in Your Name so that more of Your children would come to the table of the Lord. May doors that have been long since closed to visitors swing wide open by Divine influence in order that Your call to all of Your followers may be carried out by Your Holy plan. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The eyes, and prayers of the world have no doubt been on the COP26 summit in Glasgow this last few weeks.  It officially closes on Friday 12^th November.

For those who have somehow missed it… The COP26 Summit (the twenty-sixth Conference of Parties) convenes the world to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement (2015) and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

As we are going to press, there are a number of online prayer gatherings and campaigns taking place coordinated by our friends at the World Prayer Centre UK, YWAM, A Rocha International, Climate Intercessors, CCOP and Tear Fund.    Click the links to find a wealth of information, prayer points and follow-up suggestions.

Ben Richards from YWAM is a climate scientist and has produced this helpful prayer briefing video: How should we be thinking about climate and COP26.  

YWAM COP26 – A helpful exploration of how God cares for his creation and our mandate to care about it.

As the summit comes to a close, we are encouraged to continue to pray firstly that the commitments being made will be sufficient to achieve the necessary targets and secondly, for the various follow-through actions and financial contributions that have been pledged by the participating nations, to be delivered.   COP26 is scheduled to finish on Friday 12^th November, but it would not be a surprise if there is an over-run while last minute negotiations and signups are added to each aspect of the outcome agreements.

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.”  (Psalm 100:4)

Pray: let us continue to raise a canopy of praise over this conference and over Glasgow - anytime, anywhere, with friends or on your own, lifting the name of Jesus high and proclaiming His Lordship.

Pray: for every leader to hear that ‘inner voice’.

Pray: that confusion, miscommunication, misunderstanding, disruption, violence and every other evil intent would be shut out; that peace, joy, clarity of communication, that the establishment of justice and righteousness as seen in Isaiah 9:7 would be welcomed and released.

Pray: for God’s favour on the Christian advisers to leaders, that their voice would be heard above all the clamour.

Pray: for all the gospel sharing in word and action across Glasgow will bring much fruit.

Pray: God, The Planet and Me – 31 Creational blessings starting with the Creational events in Genesis 1 and moves into climate change related topics:  imagine, pray your own prayer, blessing & declaration with links to more information and doing our bit.

Pray: A useful 10 point prayer guide pdf download prepared by Climate Intercessors.

More at:  BBC COP26 FEED  |  Climate Stewards  |  Creation Care  

‘UNITED, SIMPLE, POWERFUL’  |  1st Friday – GO PRAY

Join us 3rd December at 6am (Pacific) as we unite in a simple but powerful prayer time on this first Friday of the month.

We want to pray in unity with many believers, prayer networks and church denominations worldwide, for revival and for the harvest according to Luke 10:2-3.

Each month, we are inviting people with insight on the topics we are praying for - to guide us.

The format will be informal. We meet with simplicity and humbleness of heart as we wait on the Lord and pray in unity.

JOIN US ONLINE: FRIDAY DECEMBER 3RD at 6AM PACIFIC TIME

When we will focus on:

• PRAYERS FOR THE HARVEST
• DISCIPLE KEYS – PRAYERS FOR CHURCH PLANTING MOVEMENTS
• DISCIPLE KEYS – PRAYERS FOR UNREACHED PEOPLES 
• PRAYERS FOR LAST QUARTER EVANGELISM: AFRICA
• CHRISTMAS OUTREACHES

With prayer guidelines from Candy Marballi from The Prayer Covenant who is directing the Africa LQE and other friends from across the continents.

More Info and Link to Join us at https://www.gopray.world/