Testimonies from the Welsh Outpouring

If you are a reader of Prayer Alert I'm sure that you have heard about what's going on in Cwmbran, Wales. See Prayer Alert 19-20-22&25. Let me encourage you to watch this video on the’ More’ link of testimony to the amazing things that God is doing.

Praise:

God for His continued blessing on the people in south Wales and long may it continue, (Ps.85:6)

Brazil: 2 Million Christians shut down Sao Paulo during 'March For Jesus'

Two million Christians from all over Brazil trekked the streets of Sao Paulo over the weekend to join in on the country's largest religious gathering, ‘March for Jesus.’ The annual event, organized by Pastor Estevam Hernandes of Renascer em Cristo, or Reborn in Christ Church, and other Pentecostal churches, included speeches and prayers from pastors, political figures, and entertainment from various Brazilian gospel artists. ‘After so many years, the event continues to have an impact,’ Pastor Estevam Hernandes told Brazilian press outlets, adding that the success of the event was due to years of ‘work and prayer.’ This year's theme was ‘New Time,’ which describes the nation's hope for change as it faces its worst social turmoil in over 20 years with Brazilians taking to the streets to demand the government find solutions to provide citizens with a better quality of life.

Praise:

God for this powerful alternative to protest marches. (Ps.88:2)

Church of England 'has 20 years to reassert its position as national Church'

The Bishop of Sheffield has told the Church of England the next five years must see a deeper and more sustained engagement with its current primary goals of contributing to the common good, growing the Church, and re-imagining ministry. The goals were the subject of a report, Challenges for the Quinquennium, considered by the Church of England General Synod meeting in York last Saturday. Bishop Steven Croft told Synod members the Church of England needed a ‘more outward focus’ that implied action as well as reflection. He welcomed the rise in the number of younger vocations to ordained ministry. However, he said there needed to be more diverse vocations and more from different ethnic backgrounds. The bishop admitted the area of growing the Church and of making disciples was the "most challenging" out of the three goals. ‘We urgently need to deepen that conversation about the challenge of passing on the Christian faith in our own Church.’

Pray:

for the Church to boldly preach God’s word without compromise in every situation and demonstrate His power in all that is done in His name (Ro.8:28)

Police facing 'serious drag' on morale

A string of scandals and budget cuts have left police morale and public confidence at an ‘all time low’, says the Police Minister. Damien Green said recent allegations involving the improper behaviour of the police have had a ‘really serious drag’ on serving officers as well as harming public confidence in them. Speaking to Sky News, the minister said that despite complaints by the Police Federation that cuts are harming frontline officers, crime is falling. Sir Peter Fahy, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, added: ‘I talk to my officers and they’ll say absolutely, morale is low. Yet what I see, day in day out, is officers going to extraordinary lengths, working ridiculous hours, taking personal risks to try and serve the public.’ Home Secretary Theresa May, said: ‘The vast majority of police officers are out there and they are working with integrity and honesty, and doing the job that the public wants them to do.’

Pray:

for all serving police officers as they undertake increasingly demanding work. (2Ti.2:15)

New Vice-President urges Methodists to fight poverty

The newly inaugurated Vice-President of the Methodist Conference, Dr Daleep Mukarji, called on the Methodist people to ‘speak out, take sides,’ and ‘stand up for justice’ in his inaugural address to the Methodist Conference last Saturday. Urging Methodists to become ‘agents of change’, Dr Mukarji said that the UK had not seen higher levels of poverty and inequality since World War Two. One out of five people in the UK lives in relative poverty including around 3.5 million children who are more likely to live in a low income household than the population as a whole.‘Working with others (see Prayer Alert 1913-2313), people of faith or no faith, we need to work for justice, inclusion and development that benefits the poor and marginalised here in the UK and across the world,’ he said. ‘This requires that we be prepared for the education, organisation and equipping of our members so that we build the necessary energy and commitment to see changes in our society.’

Pray:

for us all to become agents for change and those in authority to make the necessary changes nationally and work to overcome poverty. (1Jn.3:17)

Child abuse apology from Church of England

The Church of England's parliamentary body has apologised to victims of sexual abuse at the hands of Anglican clergy, noting its failure to prevent it and respond effectively. The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby, said addressing the issue had been ‘absolutely agonising’. Speaking in a meeting of the General Synod in York on Sunday, the Archbishop admitted some victims had been ‘badly treated’ by the Church of England. ‘We cannot in 20 years be finding ourselves having this same debate and saying 'Well we didn't quite understand then',’ he said. ‘There has to be a complete change of culture and behaviour. We are not doing all this, seeking to say how devastatingly, appallingly, atrociously sorry we are for the great failures there have been for our own sakes, for our own flourishing, for the protection of the Church.'We are doing it because we are called to live in the justice of God and we will each answer to Him in our failings in this. Accountability is one we must take with the utmost seriousness.The Archbishop stressed however that the Church of England was still only at the beginning of a lengthy and costly process to change the culture within the Church.

Pray:

that with the increasing cost of education, students will find other means to fund their courses. (2Pe.3:9)

Fears more students being lured into prostitution

A support group for people in the sex industry fears the high cost of further education will tempt more students into pole dancing, escort work and prostitution to make ends meet. The warning comes from Beyond the Streets, formerly the National Christian Alliance on Prostitution, after research by the University of Kingston found that in 2010, a quarter of students knew someone who had worked in the sex industry to fund their studies, a staggering increase on 1990 when the figure was just 3%. In a separate study by the University of Leeds, a quarter of lap dancers were found to have a degree and a third of the women interviewed were doing lap dancing work to fund training in other professions. ‘It may look like easy money to the desperate eye, but what it really is, let's not be fooled, is luring students into prostitution,’ the group said.

Pray:

that with the increasing cost of education pray that the financial pressures will not attract students into prostitution. (Mt.26:41)

Street preacher arrested for ‘homophobic’ language

The Christian Legal Centre is supporting a man who was arrested on Monday (1st July) for using ‘homophobic’ speech whilst preaching on a London high street. Tony Miano was preaching from 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 on sexual immorality and the need to abstain from it. Mr Miano was arrested and taken to the local police station where he was photographed, fingerprinted and had a DNA sample taken. Mr Miano commented: ‘It surprised me that here in the country that produced the Magna Carta that an otherwise law abiding person could lose his freedom because one person was offended by the content of my speech.’ Although a US citizen, he plans to send a letter to every member of both Houses of Parliament, expressing his concerns about diminishing free speech in the UK and his fears that the proposed legislation redefining marriage will lead to an increasing number of cases like his.

Pray:

that those who preach God’s Word will be protected. (Ps.5:11)

British military restructuring

Several military barracks are to close and more than 30,000 soldiers relocated to new bases across the UK as part of a restructuring of the army. The moves are part of the wholesale re-organisation and shrinking of the army as almost 16,000 soldiers return from Germany over the next six years and thousands more are pulled out of Afghanistan by the end of 2014. The army will restructure around seven regional hubs in the UK.

Pray:

for wisdom for those involved in the shaping of Britain's armed forces over the coming decades. Pray for those civilian as well as military staff affected in these changes; some facing relocation of job, home and schools and others redundancy. (Pro.3:13)

Belarus: Praying in homeless shelter a crime

A young Catholic layman, who turned his home in a western Belarus village into a shelter for homeless people with a prayer room, is being accused of leading an unregistered religious organisation, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. Aleksei Shchedrov - who says he has helped about 100 local people since December 2011 - is being investigated on criminal charges under Article 193-1, and faces a maximum possible sentence of two years' imprisonment. Shchedrov denies the authorities' accusation of founding an unregistered religious organisation. ‘I am a Christian and I started to help those who are in need,’ he insisted to Forum 18 on 24 June from the village of Aleksandrovka, Grodno [Hrodna] Region. ‘I give them food, a bed, a bath and clothes and I pray together with them. But this is no religious organisation, just charity.’ Local police launched the criminal investigation against the 28-year-old Shchedrov following raids on the shelter in February and April.

Pray:

for Shchedrov that the authorities will release him and allow him to continue to care for those in need. (Rom.12:13)

Germany: Heavy metal evangelism

Watchman Team international Europe have forwarded the following prayer request, ‘We would like to mention two ‘Heavy Metal’ music festivals this summer in Germany. ‘Wacken Open Air’ takes place from July 28th to August 4th in the small town of Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein (northern Germany) with an estimated 75,000 visitors from all over the world, and ‘Summerbreeze’ takes place in Dinkelsbuehl in Franken (southern Germany) from August 15th to 17th with about 30,000 visitors. Please pray for the Spirit’s protection and power for the Christians who will be witnessing at these events – that many young people will be drawn out of darkness into the light. Extra copies of the ‘Metal-Bible’ are being printed for distribution to visitors who are drawn to hear the gospel message.

Pray:

that God will powerfully anoint all who are called to share the gospel at these events. Pray for successful printing and timely delivery of all evangelistic material. (Ps.134:3)

NIGERIA: School massacre

Secondary schools have been ordered to close across Nigeria's north-eastern state of Yobe after a massacre in which Boko Haram Islamist extremists torched Mamudo Boarding school killing 22 students. ‘Boko Haram’ translates as ‘Western education is forbidden’ and dozens of schools have been burned in attacks by them since 2010. Eyewitnesses said some victims were burned alive while others were shot as they fled. An Associated Press reporter found chaotic hospital scenes where traumatised parents struggled to identify their children among the charred bodies and gunshot victims. Survivors said suspected militants arrived with containers full of fuel and set fire to the school. Yobe Governor Ibrahim Gaidam condemned the ‘cold-blooded murder’ and ordered secondary schools to be closed until September to allow state and federal government officials plus community leaders to work towards guaranteeing school safety. He also asked the government to remove mobile phone signal blocks across the state as the lack of mobile communications prevents patriotic citizens from reporting suspicious movements in their neighbourhoods.

Pray:

for God to comfort those who mourn and to bless those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness.(Mat.5:3-10)

Global: Ramadan July 10 – August 7

The word Islam means ‘submission to the will of Allah’. Allah is the God of Islam. Members of Islam are called Muslims meaning ‘those who submit’. The purpose of the Ramadan season is to take Muslims away from their normal lifestyle and make them re-examine their life in the context of a higher ideal. For example, experiencing hunger makes you more aware of the poor. During Ramadan Muslims around the world face towards Mecca, the holiest city in Islam to pray five times a day. Today, and throughout Ramadan during your time of prayer, ask that God's spirit would descend upon all these people. During this season of Ramadan as Muslims seek the truth pray that they will know the True God. Pray also for Christians living in Saudi Arabia and other closed countries to embody the essence of God in their speech, actions and thoughts, allowing Him to be revealed to all. For a Ramadan prayer calendar go to: http://www.prayirannow.com/calendar/ramadan.html

Pray:

that seekers will be found by the Alpha and the Omega of faith. (Rev.1:8a)

Egypt: Morsi supporters attack Christians

Twelve hours after the military expelled Mohamed Morsi and his cabinet from office reports from scattered locations across Egypt of attacks against Christians by Morsi supporters began. Angry over what they saw as a coup hard-line Muslims attacked Christian homes, business and church buildings as part of nationwide protests culminating in a ‘Friday of rage.’ On Friday afternoon the national police notified church leaders to be on the lookout for license plate numbers of several cars that informants said terrorists had packed with explosives and were heading toward churches in Cairo and the surrounding area looking for targets. Christians across the country are uncertain about their future. Is the past week’s violence the start of a civil war in which they would be targeted as the Christians in Syria are targeted? Meanwhile the leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Britain announced three days of prayer for Egypt's minority Coptic Christians. See http://www.bosnewslife.com/29427-egypt-christians-pray-after -massacre-amid-concerns-over-nations-future

Pray:

for protection for those caught up in the confusion and violence in Egypt, pray that the turmoil would be short-lived and a workable government and constitution be agreed upon quickly. May this be a real moment of opportunity for Christians to share the gospel of peace with those around them. (Ps.4:6-8)

Lebanon: Car bomb inflames tensions

A car bomb injuring 53 people exploded Wednesday in Beirut, at a Lebanese stronghold for the Shia militant group Hezbollah. It’s feared several were killed. No group has claimed responsibility. Lebanon’s neighbouring Syrian rebels threatened to target Hezbollah because they sent troops to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The area of the blast is a commercial and residential site swelling with people. SAT-7 ARABIC is a Christian satellite television ministry to the Middle East and North Africa that attracts 8.5 million teens and adults with a Christian worldview. Their studios in Lebanon posted on their Facebook page, ‘Please join us in praying for those affected by today's car bombing near Beirut. SAT-7 staff members are safe and the studio is secure.’ The car bombing smoke had barely cleared before nearly 100 angry Hezbollah supporters flooded the area shouting, ‘The Shiite blood is boiling.’ Lebanon’s Sunni Muslims mostly support the Syrian rebels while Shia Muslims in Lebanon back Assad.

Pray:

against escalating tensions between the Sunni and Shia and for Christian ministries as they seeks to communicate the peace and truth of Jesus Christ amid turmoil. (Ps.20:1)

Syria: Fighting overspills

On Tuesday explosions rocked the centre of Damascus and a car bomb went off in the Shi'ite quarter of Beirut. – see item 4 above. These events served as a reminder that Syria continues to bleed and the repercussions of the horrendous civil war are still being felt by neighbours. In the south of the Golan Heights near where Israel, Jordan and Syria meet, sits a UN outpost deserted by international observers months ago when the fighting between the Syrian army and extremist Sunni rebels escalated. The observers fled and the outpost is now held by a small group of armed Sunni extremists. From the Israeli side of the border you can easily spot them. When they're not fighting Assad's forces they spend their time in the small swimming pool abandoned by the UN soldiers. Some Israelis fear that sooner or later they might seek some other pastime on the western side of the fence and Syria’s internal violence will be reflected in tensions with Israel as Syria’s war overspills onto neighbouring borders.

Pray:

that in the midst of turmoil and change - God’s purposes will be achieved in the Middle East. (Mat.16:18) Pray that Believers will know the reality of His peace. (Ps.29)

Zimbabwe: Churches asked to pray for Zimbabwe

Tensions are rising as Zimbabwe nears its election (due on 31 July). Previous elections led to the economy collapsing, critical food shortages and violence. As July 31st approaches many fear the same may happen . There is conflict between the two leading parties the election date and political change might shake the country. Churches have been asked to pray for Zimbabwe, that peace and stability will be found in Zimbabwe and there would be no violence. The coalition government has brought some hope and the economy has slightly recovered, but there’s a widening gap between the rich and poor. The country is unstable. Churches have been asked to pray that Zimbabwe will reach a point where people are safe and not living in poverty. Evangelical Alliance Viva's patron Rev Stephen Gaukroger said, ‘We are calling on UK churches to make Zimbabwe a focus for prayer at this crucial time.’

Pray:

against violence and fear and for peace and stability. Pray that the children can grow up knowing they have a future and a hope. (Ps.9:3-4)

Pakistan: Attacks on Christian minority groups

Suspected Islamic militants attacked The Assembly of God (AoG) Pentecostal church in the Swati gate area of Peshwar north western Pakistan early on Friday amid heightened tensions over minorities in the region. Christians said the two attackers tried to enter the building where pastors gathered for a refresher training course. They were stopped by a police guard who was shot three times and died at the scene. They then took his gun, fired at the AoG church building and fled. Christians said the attack followed threats against the AoG prompting local authorities to send two police officers to the church for security. But there was only one on duty during Friday's attack. He’s the latest casualty in an on-going ‘war against terror’ in the province where over 22,000 people have been killed in the past five years. Islamic militants, who rights activists claim have links to government officials, often described Christianity as a ‘Western religion’ and accused Christians of having ties to ‘Western occupiers.’

Pray:

against a culture of state sponsored Islam and social and legal repression of Christianity. Pray also that God will protect and sustain Christians. (Ps.140:4-7-8)