Displaying items by tag: United Kingdom

These are crucial days, and God is stirring His church. As previously reported (see ), the Pray for Scotland network has introduced a 24-hour prayer rota for churches to sign up and commit to pray for unity on 30 November (St Andrew’s Day). Across the nation, spontaneous days of prayer have been happening recently. No one knows what the Brexit outcome will be - but we know the One who has the answer! This is not a time to wait until the storm blows over. It is a time to battle for our nation - on our knees,crying out for His forgiveness and mercy and calling forth a fresh move of His Spirit to revive His Church and transform our communities.

The results of a survey of evangelical Christians by Ligonier Ministries show that the ongoing gospel ministry of local churches across Britain is absolutely vital. When asked whether the resurrection of Jesus actually occurred, one-third replied, ‘I don’t know.’ Even worse, 37% of those surveyed didn’t know whether God counts a person as righteous because of their own works or because of faith in Jesus Christ alone. Sinclair Ferguson, a Ligonier teaching fellow and associate preacher at St Peter’s Dundee, commented: ‘The results of this new survey show conclusively what we have sensed for years: the biblical teaching that once shaped British life now lies largely forgotten, ignored, or demeaned. Very few of our neighbours have ever heard about who Jesus Christ really is, and what he accomplished on the cross. This is surely a time to take every opportunity to share the gospel as the power of God for salvation.’ However, doubts have been expressed about the validity of this survey, given that it was based on a sample of only 132 people.

MPs are saying ‘women and girls across the UK face ‘relentless’ harassment on the streets, and not enough is being done to stop it.’ The members of the Women and Equalities Committee found it had become ‘normalised’ for girls growing up to experience harassment. They are calling for the government to tackle it. Harassment - from being shouted at and cat-called through to sexual assaults - is happening on transport, in bars and clubs, on online spaces, at universities, in parks, on the streets, and even on school buses. One 12-year-old on her school bus experienced boys pushing her off her seat, spitting at her, and calling her a slut. Pray for schools, youth clubs, and all meeting places for young people to re-educate boys about ‘how to treat girls’, so that acceptable behaviour is learned and practised as they mature.

Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman on death row in Pakistan, has urged Christians in the UK to pray for her. The message was conveyed by her husband Ashiq, who has travelled to the UK to highlight her plight. He said to Premier, ‘She told me that the community must remember her in their prayers because this is an international country. I need international pressure for the release of Aasia Bibi.’ He said her incarceration since 2009 has spelt nine years of suffering for the whole family. He added, ‘She always has said that Jesus is her life and she is living in the name of Jesus, and trusting that he will help her.’ For further information about Aasia’s case, see

The scramble to build new homes in England is producing large housing estates which are being built next to bypasses and link roads. There are no shops, no pub, no doctor, no school, no church, and no jobs; they are too far out of town to walk or cycle, and they lack good local buses. Car travel is the only option. Researchers from a new green group, Transport for New Homes, backed by the RAC Foundation, visited over twenty new housing estates across England and said, ‘We were appalled to find so many new housing developments built around the car, with residents driving for almost every journey. Those cars head for towns and cities clogging up existing roads. Commuter times get longer and longer. Car-based living of this kind is not good for our health or quality of life.’ Also in some estates there is nowhere to park in front of houses, so owners have to park on pavements.

Wages are rising and unemployment rates are at their lowest for more than 40 years, so these should be boom times for young people. However, rising rents, bills and living expenses mean that one in five aged 25-34 will spend over 60% of their pay on payday. A further 3% find themselves in the red. Meanwhile, house prices in England have risen by 173% over the last 20 years, and around a quarter of 20-34-year-olds still live with their parents - with slim chances of owning a home any time soon. Those living in rented accommodation find high rents eating up income, making it impossible to save for a deposit on a home. Pray for Philip Hammond as he prepares next week’s budget. May the undetonated timebomb of Brexit have no adverse influence on his proposals, and may they give opportunities for economic growth and prosperity for young and old alike in the nation’s future.

The Brexit divisions appear to be reshaping UK politics. In this time of turmoil we can pray for every ungodly plan or schedule to be completely broken. Ask God to inspire Theresa May, the Cabinet, and the advisers and technocrats working behind the scenes to embark onto the track and the timing that God purposes for the UK’s future relations with Europe, Ireland and the wider world. May every unnecessary burden currently being carried by those responsible for the nation’s future wellbeing be replaced with workable strategies. Rumbling on, the domestic front around Universal Credit is providing a fresh headache for Mrs May. Pray that this unpopular welfare policy will not distract her from a clear Brexit process. As the bloc’s leaders walk away from seeming deadlock, key mediators and advisers are working behind the scenes. Pray for God to give them the solutions that will not put Northern Ireland’s peace process and the Good Friday Agreement at risk. (Linda Digby - Prayer Alert team)

‘Open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.’ Recently 100 evangelists and leaders gathered at Lambeth Palace to launch Advance 2020. 100 budding evangelists (ages 11-18) are to be trained by a wide range of ministries and denominations to prepare for 2020 and a ‘reaping year’. As the country goes through what will surely be two difficult years politically, they want to be ready to offer the hope only Jesus can give through a new generation of gifted evangelists. From 30 November to 2 December, a new Youth Evangelism event will begin to train young evangelists; all attendees will be given a free ticket to the National Youth Evangelism Conference (see ). Here they will be further equipped and empowered to be God's youth leaders in evangelism with and to young people.

Disturbing cases of bullying and sexual harassment have ‘long been tolerated and concealed’ in the House of Commons, according to a report by Dame Laura Cox QC, who said there was a culture of ‘deference, subservience, acquiescence and silence’. She said the procedures for protecting staff were inadequate, and that ‘broad cultural change’ was needed. The inquiry was commissioned following a BBC investigation earlier this year. Dame Laura described the House of Commons as a ‘stark reminder of how bad things used to be. No workplace is immune, but the culture in which it has been able to take hold in the House of Commons and the ineffective mechanisms for dealing with it make this a particularly serious case.’ Now that the nature and extent of the problem is exposed we can pray that all alleged sexual harassment by members of parliament is fairly dealt with according to new policies, procedures and personnel.

Fracking for shale gas has begun for the first time in the UK since it was linked with earthquakes in 2011. Energy firm Cuadrilla confirmed that the controversial process had started at its site in Lancashire after a legal challenge failed. Cuadrilla insisted the process was safe and would be of ‘enormous’ benefit, leading to tens of thousands of jobs if successful. After at least three months fracking two horizontal wells, they will then test to see if the gas flow is commercially viable. If it is, up to 20 wells could be built. Protesters call it a toxic industry and an environmental disaster. Cat Smith, Labour MP for Lancaster and Fleetwood, tweeted, ‘Future generations will look back at this and wonder why we didn't heed climate change warnings’. Many believe the process of hydraulic fracturing of the earth’s crust in the UK is taking an enormous risk of triggering earthquakes.