Displaying items by tag: Praise

Thursday, 10 October 2019 23:48

They were not spies

On 20 September we prayed for Jolie King, a Cambridge University honours graduate in Middle Eastern studies, and Australian Mark Firkin to be released from a Tehran prison for flying a drone near military installations. On 5 October Australia’s foreign affairs minister said, ‘It is with some enormous relief that I announce that they have been released and returned.’ He said ‘very sensitive’ negotiations with Iran over their release helped ensure they were treated appropriately while detained. Please continue to pray for British-Australian academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert, who has been in Evin prison, in solitary confinement, serving a ten-year sentence for espionage. She has no contact from family or friends.

Published in Praise Reports
Thursday, 10 October 2019 23:45

Iran: blessing Israel

The persecuted Iranian Christians belong to what is said to be the fastest-growing church network in the world. The core of their theology is that all roads lead to Jerusalem, which is why they are praying for the salvation of Israel. They feel that it has been prophesied (Jer. 30:7; Zech. 14:2) that in the days approaching Jesus’ return to Jerusalem as King, there will be trouble for the Jewish state. The Persian people (as many Iranians still prefer to be called) blessed Israel in the past. King Cyrus freed the exiles so that they could return to the Land and rebuild the Temple; Queen Esther saved her people from extermination, so that Iranian Christians might stand in the gap for the Jewish people. What Satan has meant for evil, God can turn for good.

Published in Praise Reports
Thursday, 10 October 2019 23:42

Christian forgiveness in emotional murder trial

After a long shift Amber Guyger, a tired policewoman, parked her car on the wrong floor of her apartment bock and entered Botham Jean’s apartment, where he was sitting and watching TV. Thinking he was an intruder, she shot and killed him. Guyger was white and Brandt was black. It was seen as another American racial injustice in an emotionally charged courtroom. Then Brandt’s brother removed outrage and grief when he stood up and said, ‘I don’t want you to go to jail. If you truly are sorry, I know I can speak for myself - I forgive you. I think giving your life to Christ would be the best thing that Botham would want for you. I love you as a person, and I don’t wish anything bad on you.’ Brandt then asked state district Judge for permission to hug the policewoman. The lengthy, emotional hug caused a hush in the room and went viral. Judge Kemp also gave Guyger a Bible and praised Brandt for his gesture, saying to him, ‘Thank you for the way you modelled Christ’.

Published in Praise Reports
Friday, 04 October 2019 09:56

Dramatic examples of 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.

Published in Praise Reports
Friday, 04 October 2019 09:53

Quaker Week (28 September to 6 October)

This week, Quakers are describing their personal faith journeys. 'Quaker Stories’ is the theme of this year's Quaker Week. These stories will be shared on social media, using the hashtags #QuakerWeek and #QuakerStories. Alistair Fuller, of Quakers in Britain, said, ‘They are planting seeds of renewal for the world they love. Every year, we encourage Quakers to share what their faith means to them. This year we are telling the stories of how they live out their faith in the world, and how this can challenge, inspire and transform us.’ See

Published in Praise Reports
Thursday, 26 September 2019 23:15

Hope Youth

Hope Youth (formally Hope Revolution), the youth arm of Hope Together, seeks to engage young people from across the church in mission and evangelism. Hope Youth has numerous partners including but not limited to the Church of England, Alpha, Limitless, Youth for Christ, Scripture Union, Message Trust and the Pais Movement. Collectively this group has facilitated the creation of various initiatives and resources including Mission Academy, Mission Academy Live, and Amplify, part of Advance 2020, an evangelistic movement to promote and stir up the gift of the evangelist building towards a cross-country outreach in 2020. Alongside this they are praying and planning together for what an intentional, strategic, and spirit-filled year of mission will look like in the UK in 2020, taking the gospel to the nation on an unprecedented scale. See

Published in Praise Reports
Thursday, 26 September 2019 23:13

Worship killed cancer

Evelyn had an MRI scan and was told that she had an inoperable, benign tumour on her brain. While she went through five rounds of radiation, her husband was dying and she needed to take care of him. ‘God, where are You through all of this?’ she cried. She recruited a prayer group to support her. After six months, the tumour had grown and engulfed the optic nerve. She might go blind. Instead of flagging in faith, Evelyn experienced a surge of faith. She believed God wanted her to stop asking for healing and start praising Him for healing. Evelyn requested her prayer group and family members to do likewise. They reluctantly followed orders. Nine months after her initial diagnosis, the doctor said the tumour was dead. The tumour dissolved, and her husband lived long enough to know that she was well, so she is grateful for that.

Published in Praise Reports

Yassine, a Muslim boy, had recurring dreams of a bright light and a voice saying, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life.’ He said, ‘This was not a normal dream to me because I had never heard this phrase before. I had no idea it was from the Bible.’ Several years later, when he was given a Bible and started to read it, he found the same words. So he looked for a church - a daring step in a country that is 99% Muslim. ‘I went to church and learned more about Jesus and Christianity. I soon truly knew that Jesus was the person in my dreams.’ To read his testimony of his walk towards mission work, click the ‘More’ button.

Published in Praise Reports
Friday, 20 September 2019 10:56

They looked closer and found survivors

Flying over the Bahamas, a helicopter was dropping supplies, when a passenger pointed out a destroyed village and asked if people could possibly still be alive there. They had flown over it several times and had not seen any people or movement, but on the next run they felt an urge to fly closer and land, to check out their passenger’s suspicions. Then forty people climbed out of overturned vehicles and rubble where they had been sheltering, and ran to the team, who quickly gave food, water, tents, and other supplies to these ever-so-grateful and elated survivors.

Published in Praise Reports
Friday, 20 September 2019 10:54

Drugs to devotion - life turned around

She attended church but didn’t know what it meant to seek God. She smoked weed on Friday and sang in the choir on Sunday, without thinking she did anything wrong. After graduation she went for drinks with a man and was date-raped. She reported it to the police, but was told there was not enough evidence. ‘I was depressed and drove down the road thinking, I could run into this tree and people won’t think it was suicide.’ Fortunately, she didn’t do it. A few weeks later she shared her troubles with a friend who told her that Christ could heal her heart. ‘When he talked sincerely about his life and relationship with God, I felt my eyes open, I started crying. I got it. I’d been wrong.’ She rededicated herself to Christ, and her life has turned around.

Published in Praise Reports