Paralympian raises funds for wheelchairs

British Paralympic Christian wheelchair racer, Anne Wafula Strike, is helping the charity International Nepal Fellowship (INF) to raise funds for wheelchairs for children with cerebral palsy in Nepal. Cerebral palsy is the most common cause of disability for children in Nepal. Disabled children there do not have easy access to equipment and often have to be carried around by their parents. Anne presented the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of INF to raise funds to purchase suitable wheelchairs. She said, ‘I had to wait 29 years to receive my first wheelchair’. A wheelchair can provide independence, equality and involvement in society giving people with disabilities the chance to improve their lives and the lives of others.’

Praise:

God for raising funds for and awareness of the needs of people with physical and learning disabilities. May their work reap multiplying rewards. (Ps.45:4)

Spreading the Gospel across the capital

Church leaders left Methodist Central Hall feeling energised after an evening of praise, worship and inspirational talks on sharing the life-changing message of the Gospel within their communities. Crossing London Mission 2013 (http://www.crossinglondon.co.uk) aims to equip London churches of all denominations with the skills to step out into their local areas to deliver hope to the lonely and the broken. The first meeting of the year, titled ‘Inspire’, was aimed at encouraging leaders and took place in Westminster on Saturday. ‘Crossing London is not simply an event or a series of events, it is about creating a movement,’ said Stephen Gaukroger, Executive Chair of Crossing London. ‘Our vision is to see London change, person by person, street by street, community by community.’ He continued: ‘There are issues around sexuality and morality, poverty and crime in our capital city. What’s the answer? There is no economic or political solution for this, there is only a spiritual solution.’

Praise:

God that this initiative will stir the churches into reaching out to the communities. (Ps.57:10)

Lent: Pray differently, praying great things

Praying can be frustrating. Most Christians are convinced that they should pray more than they do. But it’s hard. Some don’t pray because they don’t know what to say. It can seem that the best praying is done by super-spiritual types who have command of some sacred vocabulary. The forty days to Palm Sunday February 13 – March 24, 2013 makes an ideal time to venture into a season of sustained, hope-filled prayer. To pray differently, praying great things. Because of this sense of frustration, instead of calling people to pray more, we need to urge people to pray differently than they may have learned or experienced. How differently? In what ways should our praying be different? Waymakers is a mobilization ministry focused on seeing Christ’s glory enhanced and advanced by sensitive, persistent prayer. Their website offers new ways to pray differently, equip and encourage Christians to pursue a vision of living in a prayed-for community, and of course, a prayed-for world.

Pray:

that the Holy Spirit will teach us new ways to pray that will change the world. (Lk.11:1)

Ex Government minister sacked for opposing gay marriage

Former Government minister Tim Loughton was sacked because of his opposition to redefining marriage, according to reports. He was removed from his ministerial post in September’s Government reshuffle, and close friends say it was because of his support for keeping marriage as it is. Mr Loughton voted against the Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Bill on Tuesday night, together with over 170 other MPs. One Tory MP told the Scotsman newspaper: ‘Tim was a really good minister whose career was wrecked because of his stance on this issue on a matter of principle. It shows that, already, this bill is poisoning the party and destroying careers.’ David Cameron promised that Tory MPs would have a free vote, but behind the scenes a lot of pressure was applied to stop them breaking rank.

Pray:

for God's protection for all those who find themselves pressured or threatened in any way simply for standing up for their beliefs. (Dt.31:6)

UK sees rise in suicides

2011 saw a significant rise in the number of people in the UK taking their own life, according to new figures. According to the Office for National Statistics, some 6,045 people committed suicide in 2011, up by 437 on the previous year. An average of 11.8 people per 100,000 population ended their lives in 2011, compared to 11.1 people in 2010. Men between the ages of 30 and 44 were most likely to take their own life. Figures from the ONS reveal that the rate of suicides among men in 2011 was the highest since 2002, with 4,552 men committing suicide. The suicide rate among women was far lower, with 1,493 women killing themselves in 2011. The average number of suicides among women fell across all age categories in the last three decades. The 2010 and 2011 figures among men brought an end to more than 10 years of falling suicide rates.

Pray:

that the increasing numbers of suicides would cease and the causes be found. (Is.41:10)

Radical police integrity reforms announced

Theresa May introduced measures to root out police corruption. All officers must declare second jobs they do. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) will expand to investigate all serious complaints. Last year the IPCC investigated only 130 of the 2,100 cases referred to it, the remainder returned to individual police forces to investigate. Nearly a third of these internally-investigated complaints were found to have been mishandled at appeal. The Home Secretary will draw on the resources currently devoted to the internal professional standards departments of individual police forces to provide the increased capacity for the IPCC, and will give the IPCC powers to investigate private sector companies working for the police. Ms May also said she was prepared to consider any further legislative changes requested by the Commission.

Pray:

that all investigations into complaints against the police will be just and righteous – may there be a better atmosphere of confidence in our police. (Ps.9:16)

Million 'dementia friends' needed

Comedians Jo Brand and Meera Syal have become two of England's first 'dementia friends', in an initiative launched by the Alzheimer's Society. And the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has pledged to become one too. The scheme aims to reach one million people in England by 2015 with free information sessions exploring what it is like to live with the condition. The £2.4m project is supported by the Government and funded by the department of health and cabinet office. The Alzheimer's Society says around 800,000 people in the UK have a form of dementia. And one in three people over the age of 65 will go on to develop the condition. The organisation wants the volunteer-led sessions, taking place in workplaces and town halls across the country, to ‘change the way the nation thinks, talks and acts’.

Pray:

that this initiative would succeed in finding many hundreds to come alongside those in need. (Job.19:14)

MPs confirm public order law reform

MPs have confirmed that a controversial public order law that criminalises ‘insulting’ words or behaviour will be reformed to give greater freedom of speech. The move follows the Government giving way on the issue last month, after a vote in the House of Lords. The bid to change the law was spearheaded by Reform Section 5 – a campaign supported by The Christian Institute, the National Secular Society, the Peter Tatchell Foundation and others. Reacting to the news, Simon Calvert, the Campaign Director for Reform Section 5 (RS5), said it was ‘a great victory for free speech’. He also commented: ‘This is a fulfilment of the Home Secretary’s promise to accept the amendment, which was passed by the House of Lords in December. We can now say, officially, that Reform Section 5 has achieved its goal. The amendment cannot now be overturned, and so will become law later this year.’

Pray:

that the outworking of this bill will bring a greater freedom of speech. (1Pet.3:10)

Concern over rural affordable housing shortage

Rural areas are suffering a shortage of affordable housing, the Bishop of Bath & Wells has warned. The Right Rev Peter Price told the House of Lords this week that the shortage was affecting the well-being of rural communities. He suggested all new housing projects in rural areas be ‘mandated’ to include affordable housing. ‘The dearth of affordable social housing in rural communities impacts upon the mental, physical and spiritual health of such communities,’ he said. Responding to his comments, Baroness Hanham said most affordable housing projects in rural areas ‘tend to be small’ and only available where land or housing has been protected for rural people. ‘We know that there is shared ownership, social rent, affordable rent and intermediate rent, so there should be a reasonable spread across the country,’ she said. Christian charities have warned in the past that people in some rural communities are being priced out by second home owners.

Pray:

for the health and sustainability of rural communities pressured in many different ways including the lack of affordable housing. (Ps.84:3)

Vatican City: Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation

The Pope’s resignation letter said, ‘After examining my conscience before God, I am certain that my strengths, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry.’ His brother Georg Ratzinger said, ‘He felt he was gradually losing the abilities he had that it takes to fulfil this office properly,’ The Pope later said, ‘In today's rapid changes and amid questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strengths which in the last few months have deteriorated in me and I have had to recognise my incapacity to adequately fulfil the ministry entrusted to me.’ Meanwhile the media are asking could the next Pope be black?‘Cardinal Francis Arinze of Nigeria, Peter Turkson of Ghana and Marc Ouellet of Canada are among cardinals tipped to replace Pope Benedict XVI.

Pray:

the Pope and his team in the days leading up to and during the conclave to elect a new Pope. (Is.46:4-11b)

Radical Islam surging in Balkans

Just as al-Qaida is extending its reach through franchises from the Arabian Peninsula and across North Africa, it could soon be linked up with the growth of radical Islamists in the Balkans. In the 1990s, Sunni Muslims began to spread into Albania, Bosnia, Herzegovina and Kosovo, which once was the heart of Christian Serbia. This spread is offset by Christian majorities in Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia. The Balkans, however, have a history of Islamist concentration since the end of the Cold War. Osama bin Laden, for example, began setting up charities there as a way of funnelling money to help with the spread of Islamist militancy against the Christians. The Balkans were where Muslims retreated following the unsuccessful siege of Vienna on September 11, 1683. It was a battle of the Holy Roman Empire along with other military forces of Christian countries to counter the spread of the Ottoman Empire into Europe.

Pray:

against the spread of radical Islamism across the Balkans. (Jer.25:32)

NIGERIA: North Korean doctors and evangelists killed

Boko Haram killed three North Korean doctors in the latest attack on health workers. The deaths on Saturday night come after gunmen killed at least nine women administering polio vaccines in Kano. Some believe Boko Haram are picking soft targets in its campaign of shootings and bombings across the country. The North Korean doctors had lived in the state since 2005 as part of a medical programme. They were attacked inside their home (which had no security guards; they also travelled without police escort). When soldiers arrived at the house they found two of the men had their throats slit, the other was decapitated. Also Church of the Brethren Newsline reported 15 people killed and 8 sustaining gunshot wounds in an attack on a church at the beginning of the month. The church building and the pastor’s office were burned down, along with some houses belonging to Christians.

Pray:

against Boko Haram - whose name means ‘western education is sacrilege,’ pray for Christians working in Nigeria’s health systems, pray also for the families of the deceased. (Ps.2:1-2,12b)

North Korea: Captured defectors punishment has intensified

The number of Christians in North Korea is unknown. They either hide their faith or face terrible consequences. People have been executed for owning a Bible. Many Christians are sent to concentration camps as ‘political prisoners’ and subjected to torture, abuse, execution or simply worked to death. A reliable source reports that ‘the new young leader Kin Jong Un views the underground Christian church as a source of resistance to his untested leadership, and is repressing Christians even more severely than his father. Another source reports, ‘10% of North Korean Christians who escape to South Korea and return to China to work in Christian ministry are kidnapped from China by underground North Korean State Security and taken to North Korea, tortured for information, and killed.’

Pray:

for protection and endurance for the brave underground church living under these extreme conditions, for God to have mercy on Kim Jong Un and change his heart towards defectors in their bid for freedom of speech and beliefs. (Ps.3:8)

Azerbaijan: Christians under increasing pressure

Tough regulations have made it difficult for churches to complete necessary registration. The process is ‘mired in bureaucracy’ and applications are often refused. State opposition has become the ‘biggest obstacle’ facing churches in Azerbaijan today. Recently 30 police officers visited a pastor's home and told him it was illegal to spread the teachings of Jesus in Azerbaijan, despite religious freedom being guaranteed in the constitution. He was told he would be spared prison if he ceased working as an evangelist. The pastor refused and was jailed for 18 months - accused of keeping weapons. Another pastor explained, ‘They are afraid that if people become Christians they would prefer the interests of Russia over those of Azerbaijan.’ Head of the Baptist Union of Azerbaijan said, ‘At any moment the pastor of a church can be imprisoned.’ Despite this the church in Azerbaijan is growing with an estimated 10,000 members.

Pray:

for God to raise up people to defend the rights of believers, for Christians to come together without fear of government, police, security services or extremists. (Ps.12:5&7)

Somalia: Strictly Islamic state

Somali cities are chaotic yet functional. There’s a working public transport, brisk market business, electricity and running water - but people get shot as a normal part of daily life. No one takes notice anymore. They simply wait for the bodies to be cleared then quickly resume business. Armed violence is common; it’s used to deal with disagreements and generally ends in death. Many more deaths follow when the deceased’s fellow gang members retaliate. The hardest part to understand is the fact that ‘human life has lost its value’. It is astounding that there is a Church in Somalia - when believers embrace Christ they embrace martyrdom - prepared to pay the price for their faith. It is too dangerous for believers to meet openly in this strictly Islamic state. Al-Shabaab target converts to Christianity and eliminate them. Aid workers, Christian or otherwise, require tight security due to the risk of abduction.

Pray:

that al-Shabab’s influence will diminish, for Christian radio programmes to bring hope to isolated believers and for more tolerance towards Christians. (Ps.32:7)

America: Working against nuclear threats

Defying UN warnings, North Korea conducted its third nuclear test taking a crucial step toward its goal of building a bomb small enough to be fitted on a missile capable of striking the United States. They said the atomic test was merely its ‘first response’ to what it called UN threats, (and US trade sanctions) and said it will continue with unspecified ‘second and third measures of greater intensity’ if Washington maintains its hostility. Meanwhile, the economic battlefield between the United States and Iran continues. Behind the diplomatic contacts and the military discussions, and below the radar, there quietly operates UANI, a non-profit organization with a single aim to intensify economic sanctions on Iran until it stops its nuclear programme. Its principal method is ‘putting pressure on international companies doing business in Iran’ see. http://www.unitedagainstnucleariran.com/

Pray:

that sanctions and pressure from China would eventually cause Iran and North Korea to re-consider their stance on shutting down nuclear development programmes. (Ps.140:8)

Egypt: 'Christian Winter'

Egyptians drove President Hosni Mubarak from office during ‘Arab Spring’. Revolutionaries are back with cries of ‘Leave, leave, President Morsi.’ The economy is in tatters, 90% of the 45 million under 30 are unemployed and European powers are reluctant to provide financial aid until the social unrest abates. In the background of every public debate is religion. The US and European powers have blinded their eyes to the fundamental nature of the Middle East; pressure between the Islamic majority and the Christian minority is reaching a boiling point. Christians in particular have felt the heavy hand of Mubarak's police (or their absence) when attacked by extremists. Christians have been fired, denied education, harassed and killed on the basis of their faith, which they are required to declare on official government documents. It will be a tragedy if Egypt's Christians are forced to flee after 1,300 years of successful co-existence with their Muslim neighbours.

Pray:

for a modern, progressive Egypt. (Pr.2:10-12)

Iraq: Displaced children

Iraq is dangerous and difficult to live in - violence, poverty and insecurity have caused around two million people to flee abroad to other parts of the Middle East, and another 700,000 to move from their homes to other regions of Iraq. It is disorientating to leave your home as a child, not knowing where you are going, ending up in a new place with unfamiliar surroundings. Seeing your parents afraid and running away is a deeply unsettling experience. Displaced parents can’t find regular work - making it hard to provide the right food for their children. 9% of Iraqi children suffer from acute malnutrition. This can have a lifelong effect, as it stunts growth and damages their physical and mental development. Please pray for children to adjust to new homes easily and naturally. Pray for good facilities for refugees, with opportunities for work and the right support.

Pray:

for children to have access to nutritious food, especially those who are suffering from malnutrition. (Is.65:22-23)