A worldwide call to children and youth to pray and praise!

The heat of the battle is intensifying in our families, churches and nations. In these critical times of history, we believe a united call to release our children, youth and families is a key to changing nations. Therefore, we are asking pastors, leaders, educators and parents to unite, empower and release the voices of the children and youth in prayer and worship. Global Prayer and Praise is a collaborative worldwide initiative asking leaders to empower the children, youth and families of nations to raise their voices together for the release of God’s justice. Various organizations such as The International Prayer Council, Children in Prayer, YWAM, IHOPKC, 4/14 Window Movement, Global Day of Worship, Transform World, TheCall, Arise International, IHOPKC and numerous others believe this is a God movement. For 24 hours, on the weekend of April 13 – 14, 2014, there is a worldwide call for all children, youth and families to unite in prayer and worship of Jesus our Lord.

Praise:

God for this united pray and praise movement for young people. ( Mt.19:14)

Christian turns tables on hotel - wins settlement

A Christian graphic designer who sued a hotel claiming he was denied a job there because of his faith has settled out of court. Jamie Haxby claims that a manager at Prested Hall Hotel turned him down for a job because some staff who are atheists wouldn’t work with a Christian. Under the settlement, the hotel is making an undisclosed payment to Essex Air Ambulance, and Haxby has withdrawn his claim. In March last year, Haxby filed a complaint with the East London employment tribunal, saying, ‘I have been unlawfully discriminated against for reasons relating to my Christian faith.’ Hotel manager Celie Parker interviewed him for a part-time job to design promotional material. During the interview Haxby says that she noted his portfolio contained previous work he had done for churches. Haxby claims that Parker then told him other people on her team were atheists and that they could never work with a committed Christian.

Praise:

God that common sense has prevailed.(Ps.145:1)

Schools should teach religion, not just morality

The Bishop of Salisbury has called for the continued inclusion of worship and prayer in school environments. In a speech delivered to the Conference of the Association of Governing Bodies of Independent Schools on Tuesday, Bishop Nick Holtam criticised the current trend in schools towards limiting religious instruction to lessons on morality and spirituality. ‘Every school says it is committed to education of body, mind and spirit but the leadership of most schools puts all the weight of thought, time and money on mind and body,’ he said. ‘Religion and morality are not the same. The religious story is richer, deeper, divine.’ Bishop Holtam pointed out that a majority of people in the UK still believe in God, despite the popularity of new atheism, and that around the world eight in 10 people identify with a religion. ‘It is clear that in the UK and globally, religious faith remains a part of life,’ he said.

Pray:

for the trend towards marginalising Religious Education to be reversed. (Dt.11:39)

BBC 'touchy' for dropping Jesus lyric, says Dolittle

The BBC asked Eliza Doolittle, the pop star, to drop a reference to Jesus when performing a song on the radio just days after the broadcaster was embroiled in a censorship row over Islam and homosexuality, it has been reported. Doolittle, 25, was asked to re-word her love song Walking On Water for an appearance on the Radio 2 breakfast show, hosted by Chris Evans, because she refers to Jesus walking on water, according to the Mail on Sunday. Last week the BBC’s Free Speech programme was criticised after it deliberately dropped a question about being Muslim and gay at the request of the mosque where it was being filmed. Now corporation bosses are facing accusations they were oversensitive over Doolittle’s religious reference.

Pray:

for the BBC to develop policies that are not bound by political correctness to the point of absurdity. (Mt.16:23)

Charity exposes true scale of 'revenge evictions'

Tenants across England are facing ‘revenge evictions’ just for speaking up about bad conditions, a Shelter study has found. The research, commissioned by the housing and homelessness charity and British Gas, says that in the past year alone, more than 200,000 people have faced eviction because they asked their landlord to fix a problem in their home. The study also found many were too scared of eviction to complain at all – eight per cent said they’d avoided asking their landlord to repair a problem or improve conditions in case they were evicted. A Shelter investigation revealed that revenge evictions were widespread across the country. With the government considering changing the law to tackle revenge evictions, Shelter are urging people to speak up now. Campbell Robb, Shelter’s chief executive, said: ‘No-one should lose their home for asking their landlord to fix a problem, yet these shocking findings uncover the true scale of unfair evictions taking place across the country.’

Pray:

for Government action to make 'revenge evictions' a thing of the past. (Jer.26:3)

Islamic schools condemned by David Cameron receive state funding

A charity once described by David Cameron as a ‘front’ for an extremist Islamist group is receiving tens of thousands of pounds each year in state funding, research shows. The group is being given annual grants to fund places for children at nurseries it runs in London and Berkshire. The funding was criticised by campaigners who called for the Department for Education to ‘urgently’ review its ‘appropriateness’. The department said it was ‘looking into’ concerns over the Islamic Shakhsiyah Foundation, which is being awarded grants worth more than £70,000 each year to fund free school places. The funding, distributed by local authorities, is part of the Government’s ‘free early education’ scheme which provides all three and four-year-olds, and some two-year-olds, with 15 hours of free teaching each week. However, while in opposition Mr Cameron and Michael Gove, now the Education Secretary, criticised the Labour Government for funding Islamic Shakhsiyah Foundation despite its ‘extremist’ links.

Pray:

that DfE funding will be restricted to appropriate non-extremist schooling. (Ti.2:1)

Religious education 'helps communities get along'

Shortages of qualified religious education teachers could harm inter-community relations, a group of MPs and peers says. The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on RE says it can play a role in defeating religious extremism. The group says the potential for conflict in multi-faith areas is reduced if young people are given classes on different faiths. But it warns some government policies are ‘lowering the status’ of RE. The APPG says RE gives children chances to consider religious and ethical issues from alternative points of view. It concludes that RE can help pupils become ‘informed, active citizens’ by addressing contentious issues and studying why misconceptions arise about some groups. The group's chairman, Stephen Lloyd MP, said RE teaching was ‘more important than ever before’. He said religions were ‘often portrayed inaccurately’ in society at large, and teaching RE could break down the prejudice that could develop as a consequence.

Pray:

that the conclusions of the APPG will need a wider audience and provide opportunities for the Christian faith to be explained. (Ps.32:8)

Christian hoteliers to test discrimination laws

A Christian couple hope to test equality laws in Strasbourg, reports the Sunday Telegraph. Jeff and Sue Green own the 13 bedroom Highland Moors Hotel and Conference Centre in Llandrindod Wells, mid Wales. They had advertised that only married couples were allowed to take double rooms. But at the end of last year they received a letter from the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s ‘legal enforcement team’ informing them they could be guilty of discriminating against gay couples. Jeff and Sue have now changed their policy to offer twin rooms only throughout the hotel, and have slanted their business towards catering for groups who are attending local events or hiring the conference centre. However, following the refusal of British courts to uphold the religious rights of other Christian B&B owners, they now plan to launch a legal case at the European Court of Human Rights.

Pray:

that Jeff and Sue will be successful with their case at the European Court of Human Rights. (Ps.84:2)

Sweden: Won’t do abortions - can’t work as midwife

A Christian woman in Sweden has been unable to find work as a midwife since a hospital where she interned last year dismissed for refusing to help perform abortions. Hospital officials in the southern town of Eksjö had promised to extend Ellinor Grimmark’s contract until she refused to participate in abortions last summer, she said. Another hospital agreed to hire Grimmark but then reneged due to her convictions and the controversy growing over them and no other hospital would hire her in spite of a shortage of midwives in Sweden. Grimmark, a 37-year-old wife and mother who has since found work as a nurse, has filed a complaint with Sweden’s Discrimination Ombudsman (DO). Attorneys with human rights group Provita and religious liberty organization Alliance Defending Freedom are helping Grimmark in a case they hope will help establish protections for freedom of conscience in Sweden.

Pray:

that this case will be successful in establishing freedom of conscience protection in Sweden. (Nu.14:9)

Christian disability activist questions Belgian child euthanasia policy

A Christian broadcaster who actively campaigns on disability issues has challenged Belgian lawmakers to explain their decision to extend euthanasia to children, while denying minors access to alcohol, tobacco and pornography. Joni Eareckson Tada, who is quadriplegic, says, ‘How can it be right that they will allow children access to three grams of phenobarbitone to end their lives.’ Speaking during the National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, she told Christian Concern why she was strongly opposed to new legislation.

Pray:

for Joni as she challenges the Belgian authorities and raises awareness of their euthanasia policy.

INSIGHT: Central African Republic: Facts not in media

‘Not a day passes without the sound of automatic weapons and heavy artillery. Burundian peacekeeping forces have resorted to heavy artillery to dissuade and disperse crowds. The inhabitants of Batangafo were driven into the bush by the atrocities carried out by the Seleka* on the civilian population who have no international forces there to protect them.’ ‘Médecins Sans Frontières are picking up the dead bodies and the Red Cross is burying them. Families are prevented from coming near. From 12th to 14th March the Crisis Committee of the Evangelical Alliance visited Boda to encourage the Christians there who lost everything when their houses were burned and loved ones were killed by Muslims and to bring them a little practical assistance. Yet again, the reality of what we found there proved very different from what has been reported in the media.’ *Note:- Seleka are rebel militia factions that overthrew the government last year. An English translation of this visit can be read by clicking on the more button.

Pray:

for reconciliation between Christians and Muslims.Pray for the people living in fear in the CAR. Pray against this developing into a national genocide situation. Pray that the place of Christians and Christian values in CAR will remain secure

Nigeria: National conference starts in Abuja

Despite its vast resources Nigeria is among the most unequal countries in the world. Poverty in the north is in stark contrast to the developed southern states, while residents in the oil-rich south-east complain that all the wealth they generate flows up the pipeline to Abuja and Lagos.This week, one hundred years after the mainly Muslim north and largely Christian south were united, Abuja hosts a National Conference of 500 delegates representing ethnic, linguistic and religious groups to discuss Nigeria's future. The conference will last three months and division of oil money and powers will be the main issues. Some Nigerians want more powers to be delegated to the country's 36 states. Some believe President Goodluck Jonathan wants to use the conference to change the constitution.The conference comes ahead of next year’s elections and amid almost daily attacks by militants wanting Islamic law in the north. (See Article 4 below). Discussing whether the country should be divided is barred. Some say they will still raise this issue.

Pray:

that God’s purposes would be central to all discussions around economic and social situations. May every group discussion be free of hostile dialogue; may every ethnic group have a say in the nation’s future. (Ps.85:8)

Pakistan: ‘Holy shrines’ prayer walks

During March and April there will be two prayer teams in Pakistan focusing on ancient pre-Islamic religious and spiritual roots that in some instances have more to do with Hinduism/Buddhism than Islam. Pakistani people visit holy shrines because of infertility, for healings and to gain merit for salvation. There are very powerful pirs present at these places.(pir is a title for a Sufi master and is often translated into English as ‘saint’ or ‘elder.’) In the capital city of Islamabad there are pir places that politicians often frequent. In Sufism a pir's role is to guide and instruct his disciples on the Sufi path. Such pirs, have a huge influence over political leaders and the Taliban in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. Please pray for these Christian prayer teams in the coming weeks, for their safety, especially for the local believers who are especially involved in the prayer walks. We are asked to pray for wisdom, authority, clarity and spiritual understanding.

Pray:

for the Light of the Gospel to penetrate these places. Pray for Jesus encounters for the pirs. Pray for the Lord´s overshadowing presence to protect the Body of Christ in Pakistan. (Lk.10:18-19)

Nigeria: Weekend violence

More than 2,000 people in northern Nigeria risked their lives by turning out for Sunday Mass while their city was being bombed. Describing St Patrick's Cathedral, Maiduguri, as ‘packed’, Father John Bakeni, the celebrant at the Mass, said people told him afterwards that if the attacks worsened they would prefer to die in church than anywhere else. Sunday's Mass took place after Boko Haram extremists launched one of their biggest armed campaigns of recent months, firing rocket-propelled grenades and mounting a massive assault on a military barracks. Hundreds died in the attacks, which were repulsed by the Nigerian military, but there were growing concerns about the government's capacity to hold back the extremists. The priest called on the world, ‘Please pray that this violence will stop.’

Pray:

for religious freedom in Nigeria, pray protection for the church, pray the present persecution would end. (Job 34:24)

America: Sanctions and Russia’s response

On Monday Barack Obama ordered a travel ban and asset freeze on 11 officials. On Tuesday Russia's president at a joint parliamentary session delivered a clear message - after years of being cheated and dissed by the western powers, Russia is back. Putin stressed Russia was finally standing up for its rights nearly a quarter of a century after the Soviet collapse. He said he was confident the west are virtually incapable of beating back Russia's new cross-border assertiveness saying, ‘Western countries claimed Russia had broken international law by intervening in Crimea. But this was sheer hypocrisy – another glaring example of the double standards displayed by the US and others. It is good they realise international law still exists.’ Meanwhile a well-known presenter of a Russian news review programme stood in front of a backdrop image of a nuclear bomb exploding and said, ‘Russia is the only country in the world which has the capability of turning the United States into radioactive dust.’ He was not joking. See also: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26622299

Pray:

for pride and strife to be replaced by wise decisions, pray against an east/west spiral into another Cold War.(Pr.13:10)

Syria: Israeli air strikes in Golan

The Golan Heights has political and strategic significance. Israel says it has attacked a Syrian headquarters, a training facility and artillery batteries their; this was in retaliation for Syria wounding four of its troops, one of them seriously, when an explosive device was detonated as they approached the fence demarcating the demilitarised zone. Israeli military spokesman Lt Col Peter Lerner said the attack was an ‘unacceptable escalation of violence from Syria'. Syria reported one soldier killed and seven wounded at three positions outside Quneitra. Past Israeli air strikes are believed to have prevented the transfer of stockpiles of rockets from the Syrian government to Hezbollah. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country would act ‘forcefully’ to defend itself against attack.

Pray:

for the leaders of these two countries which remain technically in a state of war. (Ps.46:9-10)

Zanzibar: Autonomy movement targets Christians

A series of bomb blasts in Tanzania’s island of Zanzibar is stoking fears that an Islamist breakaway movement is increasingly targeting Christians. Since 2010, the cases have been on the increase and Christians and their leaders - many of them originally from mainland Tanzania - say they are anxious. On Feb. 24th assailants exploded a home-made bomb near the gate of St. Monica Anglican Cathedral. Bishop Michael Hafidh said he did not know who had planned and executed the attack. Meanwhile a similar explosive went off at the Mercury restaurant, a popular hangout for western tourists. A day earlier four people were injured when a bomb was thrown into the Assemblies of God Church. On Feb. 15th a home-made bomb was thrown at the door of the Adventist Church during a worship service. The police have said they are investigating and think there are people opposed to the presence of Christians in Zanzibar.

Pray:

for Christians and Muslims to share Zanzibar peacefully. Pray against religious movements clamouring for Zanzibar’s independence. (Hab.2:12-14)