Displaying items by tag: prayers

Prime minister Phuc has asked the public security and foreign ministries to investigate the trafficking of Vietnamese citizens into foreign countries after 39 people died in a refrigerated truck in Essex. Vietnam’s UK embassy and the British authorities are identifying the dead. Rural Vietnamese believe many of the dead came from their poor, rice-growing areas where families pay traffickers to take their youths abroad to work, save, repay traffickers the debt, and return home with enough money to buy land and build a home. The newly-built houses in poor districts are evidence of the money to be made, and saved, by working overseas (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-50203096) Father Anthony Dang Huu Nam believes most of the dead were from his parish. ‘The whole district is covered in sorrow,’ Nam said, as prayers rang out over the town on loudspeakers. ‘This is a catastrophe for our community.’ See https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-bodies/rural-vietnamese-mourn-loved-ones-feared-dead-in-back-of-british-truck-idUSKBN1X503U

In difficult economic and social times, we need strong and courageous international, national and local media, working to the highest ethical standards. To this end, the vision of Christians in the media is to see the media flourish as they become key influencers. Please pray for more churches to engage positively with the media, and for the life-affirming Gospel message of faith, hope and love to be reflected more and more in the UK’s national newspapers, community radios, websites, TV networks and blogs. Pray for more Christian researchers, writers and editors to step into key roles of international and national networks. May there be thriving media with Kingdom values woven into programming schedules. Ask God to give spiritual and moral strength to those striving for integrity and truth. Pray also for journalists around the world facing death and imprisonment for speaking the truth.

Bishop Graham Tomlin wrote in the Sunday Times, ‘Prayer reminds me that my opponents are people too, that they deserve respect even if I think they are profoundly wrong. We need our politicians to pray because we need them to know that they are not God, that whatever power they have is borrowed. They need to treat each other well, debate wisely and carefully, and know they are accountable not just to us and our passing fads, but to something bigger, deeper and more final - a God whose Kingdom will last long after Brexit is a footnote in the books of history.’ We can pray for all struggling to break the Brexit deadlock to find time to attend Parliament church services this term. See

The precarious situation with Iran and Hezbollah on Israel's northern border has intensified greatly recently (see ). The risk of an all-out war in that area was one reason why prime minister Netanyahu pushed for a cease-fire in the south with Hamas in Gaza. Ask God to give the Israeli air force all it needs to defend the nation. Pray that Israel may obtain accurate, actionable intelligence concerning all their enemies' plans, and that it will know how to deal with the Russian equipment in Syria (eg anti-aircraft missiles). Pray for God to infuse the IDF soldiers along the Syrian border with alertness, wisdom, and courage. Ask Him also to impart insight to all security leaders in Israel - especially Benjamin Netanyahu, who is currently both prime minister and defence minister.

Persecution is intensifying. Extreme Hindus aim to eradicate every Muslim and Christian from India by 2021. In some places, they seem to have support from the government and the police. Pastors have been killed and their own family accused of the murder, despite eyewitness reports about Hindu extremists. This is also a time of unprecedented church growth with many testimonies of miracles and amazing moves of the Holy Spirit amongst young people. The remarkable children’s prayer movement is growing. One district had no Christians 10 years ago and now has 200 churches. Persecution is more likely in traditional rural areas and in the north, but radical Hindus can - and do - arise anywhere.

Ten people were killed and fifteen injured in Toronto’s North York district on 23 April, after a white rental van deliberately drove along the pavement and into the crowds of pedestrians who were outside enjoying the warm spring weather. The rampage lasted 26 minutes before police apprehended Alek Minassian, the driver. Archbishop Colin Johnson said, ‘I weep for those who have died. I join in prayer for those who are physically injured or suffering emotionally from having witnessed such carnage, and for having lost loved ones. It is hard to comprehend such violence.’ Throughout Toronto, churches have opened their doors to offer prayer and pastoral care. Pray for those who will be suffering in the coming weeks from trauma, fear, confusion, anger and heartache.