A prayer report looking at the opportunities and challenges of vaccinations, Covid-19 Hot Spots and some suggested Prayer Pointers with links to resources:

As of 17 March 2021, the total global figure for people infected by Covid-19 stood at 120.7 million according to Johns Hopkins University. In addition to this, the recorded number who have died totalled 2,671,764.  From a peak of worldwide daily cases in early January, numbers have declined steadily and new infections have returned to levels seen in late October.

Covid-19 hot spots

Here are those countries / regions which are currently showing high levels of infection.

The US continues to be the country with the highest number of confirmed cases and deaths related to Covid-19 with figures at around 29,549,008 and 536,914 respectively. Thankfully the daily infection rate has fallen dramatically from a 7 day rolling average high point of nearly 250,000 cases in early January to 56,649 cases mid-March (John Hopkins).

Brazil has seen a steady increase in cases over recent weeks as it struggles to cope with more contagious variants.  Total cases have exceeded 11.6 million with 282,400 deaths.  Worryingly, the 7 day average of new cases continues to rise and currently stands at 66,849 compared to 51,000 at the start of February.

A growing number of European countries are seeing rises in cases as they struggle to vaccinate their populations at a fast enough rate to reduce the impact of new waves.  In particular Poland, Italy and the Czech Republic have seen case numbers start to rise.

India is the second worst-hit country in the world by the pandemic after the United States but has seen a sharp decline in cases since September.  The overall case count now stands at 11,409,831 cases, and 158,865 deaths. Although nowhere near the September peak of an average of over 93,000 new cases each day, there has been a concerning increase in cases in the last 4 weeks to with a current 7 day average of 25,325 new cases each day.

New waves and Variants

New variants of COVID 19 continue to be monitored and reported upon, and President Biden has emphasised the risk they pose in reversing the decline in cases that has recently been seen.  The variant that emerged in the UK has been seen as a significant factor in the rapid increase in cases the country experienced over Christmas.  The variant that emerged in South Africa forced the government to alter its vaccine strategy after initial data showed one vaccine had only 10% efficacy in preventing mild or moderate infections by the new variant dominant in the country.  Along with the variant first seen in travellers from Brazil, there remains great uncertainty as to these variants’ transmissibility and resistance to vaccines.  Thankfully there is no data yet showing them to cause more serious illness.  There remain concerns that variants of the virus will disrupt vaccination programmes and lead to increased cases and the re-imposition of restrictions

Vaccines

The vaccination programme remains the most likely vehicle for ending the pandemic.  Last month we highlighted the disparity between rich western countries and the rest of the world, put sharply into focus by the political turmoil in the European Union.  A month on although there have been some positive changes, the underlying issues remain.   As of mid-March, 390.3 million doses of various vaccines have been administered worldwide, an increase of 306 million in 7 weeks. Vaccines have now been administered in approximately 130 countries.  Equally, midway through February, The United Nations highlighted the fact that 130 countries had not administered a single vaccine dose.

There is no doubt that vaccinations have become deeply politicised in recent weeks.   The Argentinian Bishop, Oscar Vicente Ojea spoke out against the “politicisation” of the Covid-19 vaccine after Argentina’s health minister resigned amid accusations that he gave vaccines out as political favours. In Europe, already delayed vaccination drives are being hindered by a negative perception of the AstraZeneca vaccine created by leading politicians, most notably President Macron of France.  In addition to this, the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine has been restricted by some countries over fears relating to blood clots, although the World Health Organisation and other major regulators continue to support its use.  This is a deeply challenging time for all of our leaders and we must continue to pray for them, noting that the vaccines themselves emerged out of cooperation rather than conflict.

The recent virtual G7 summit allowed world leaders a new opportunity to provide impetus to the COVAX initiative to provide vaccines for poorer nations.  Specifically,

• New funding from the European Union, Germany and the United States will allow COVAX, the international COVID-19 vaccine mechanism, to secure more doses and further diversify its vaccine portfolio, advancing its goal to roll out at least 1.3 billion vaccine doses in world’s poorest economies in the next few months.
• Doses for COVAX to support vital humanitarian work in places where populations face emergencies were promised.
• The UK and France announced commitments to share vaccine doses with lower-income economies, joining a number of other countries expressing the same goal, to further accelerate a coordinated international response and help put an end to the pandemic globally.

David Malpass, the Head of the World Bank, has highlighted that further support for developing countries in terms of delivery systems and supply will need to be in place to allow equity of access to vaccines.

In terms of approved vaccines, the RAPS website provides a good overview of the current situation.  The approval by US authorities of the Janssen Biotech vaccine now means that there are 12 vaccines with some form of regulatory approval, of which 7 are being used widely across the world.  This is unprecedented and something we should all give thanks for, not least when considering the partnership work between scientists, public and private organisations, which is a source of great optimism. 

The approval of the Jannsen Biotech vaccine is a positive development as it only requires one shot and is based on traditional vaccine technology.  It has shown 85% efficacy against serious illness in trials.

There remain challenges in terms of take-up of the vaccine.  In the UK, The Queen used a video call to challenge people to see taking the vaccine as supporting others, not just themselves.  At the same time, some countries, such as Tanzania and Madagascar, have issued statements saying they do not have plans to vaccinate their populations against COVID-19.  With fears that a significant number of unvaccinated people may lead to viral mutations and prolong the crisis, set against the ethics and legality of forcing individuals to be vaccinated, we must pray for grace and love in these sensitive yet vital conversations.

Let’s Pray… Let us continue to declare that the novel coronavirus is defeated by the blood of Jesus.

We pray for divine intervention and for God's name to be glorified even as each nation and government tries its best to flatten the curve, prevent and lessen the impact of second and third spikes, manage the wave of new variants and finally arrest this epidemic.

We pray that individuals, leaders and nations focus on the needs of others rather than themselves, and that cooperation and compassion lie at the heart of the world’s response to the crisis.

We release wisdom, skill, and integrity upon our leaders, particularly as they grapple with the complexities, challenges and many voices that seek to influence them

We pray that leaders and nations will see their moral duty to the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people and back this up with action not just words.

We pray for protection, wisdom and strength, for those working to bring treatment and comfort to the sick and their families.

We pray for individuals struggling to decide whether to receive the vaccine.  We ask that their fears be settled and that the information they receive be truthful and honest.

We pray release and healing from mental illnesses as a result of the lock-downs.

We pray special grace and help for the vulnerable and lesser-developed nations.

We pray for refugees and displaced peoples. We pray against domestic violence and other crimes that have become rampant during lockdowns.

We pray for a safe, effective, and affordable vaccine to be released soonest and the continued development of a range of vaccines to supply the whole world

We continue to release faith, hope, and love over the peoples of the world. May the Church seize this opportune time to manifest Jesus our Lord and Savior to those who are seeking answers and peace.

The military rulers in Myanmar have resorted to brutal suppression after appearing to severely underestimate public hostility towards their takeover.

At first, sheets of paper featuring the face of Min Aung Hlaing were fixed on to the streets with sticky tape, ready to be stamped on by angry protesters in Myanmar’s main city, Yangon. Troops promptly removed the pages, only for resourceful demonstrators to return with stencils to paint the junta leader’s image on to the concrete.

The protest tactic offered some protection against charging soldiers, who were apparently forbidden from treading on an image of their commander-in-chief. It was also a chance for the public to express their deep disdain for the man who stole their democracy.

The decision by Min Aung Hlaing to seize power on 1 February brought an abrupt end to Myanmar’s transition, after decades of military rule, to a more democratic system, and prompted fury across the country. It also presented the military with one of the biggest challenges in its 80-year history, as protesters poured on to the streets of cities, towns and villages while vast numbers went on strike, bringing trade, banks and transport systems to a standstill.

“It was a massive strategic miscalculation on their part,” said Richard Horsey, an independent political analyst, who added that the military appeared to have severely underestimated the level of public opposition. “But I think they still believe they can win this.”

Faced with opposition across society, the military has been unleashing a campaign of terror and chaos. Protesters are being detained, brutally beaten and, increasingly, shot dead. After dark, trucks of troops swarm through residential areas, firing indiscriminately and setting off stun grenades. Every night homes are raided, with officers going door to door arresting protesters and anyone deemed to be sheltering them. About 1,800 people have been taken, although this is probably an underestimate.

“The level of violence and intimidation that they’re having to mete out is creating a wellspring of hatred and opposition that is unifying much of the country,” added Horsey. “They will be able to deploy the violence that’s necessary to impose their will, but then what?”  The military will be left presiding over a country with deep, multiple crises, he added, with far less domestic or international support.

More at: The Guardian    Reuters     

Video Briefing: Watch Dr Jason Hubbard’s prayer briefing video on Myanmar

There are reports of 'anti-China' riots as Beijing is being accused of thinly-veiled support for the Junta. China has significant interests in the country including a proposed hydropower dam to generate electricity for China and a part-built natural gas pipeline to give them access to the Indian Ocean.

More at: https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2021/03/10/will-myanmars-coup-help-china-influence-asean/

Pray for the violence and extra-judicial killings of peaceful protestors to stop.
Pray that the international diplomacy and sanctions along with the strong will of the people of Burma will bring the Junta to stand down and free the democratically elected leaders.
Pray that Beijing does not take advantage of this instability.
Pray in more depth using these resources: Prayer Guide  |  Operation World  |  Joshua Project  |  Open Doors

While Communist China moves aggressively to spread its influence throughout the Pacific region and around the world, the government is expanding a crackdown against people of faith at home.

In its effort to assure that all its citizens comply with the edicts and beliefs of the state, the Chinese Communist Party is targeting Christians for persecution and ethnic Muslims for genocide.

On February 1, 2021, China's Public Security Bureau (PSB) police stormed onto the property of a government-sanctioned church in China's Wenzhou City. Their mission? Toppling a cross from the roof of a church building for a second time. They had removed the cross seven years earlier, but church members replaced it.

Bob Fu is the Founder and Director of China Aid, a Midland, Texas-based group that helps China's persecuted Christians.  "In that city alone we have documented over 1,600 churches where their crosses were being burnt, destroyed, and destructed. And many pastors you know were even detained, imprisoned," he said.  China's Christians say it is the worst persecution against them since Chairman Mao Zedong.   "To use ambassador Sam Brownback's word, 'it's a war against the faith,'" Fu explained. "I think it's a war against the independent faith."

And it's no longer limited to certain regions of China. VOM Radio Host Todd Nettleton says this massive wave of Christian persecution is widespread and it's coming from the national government.

"What we say in 2021 is that everywhere in China there is intense persecution of Christians. There are intense efforts to control the church, to bring the church under Communist Party control," he explained.

The crackdown is affecting every Christian in China said Nettleton - Protestants, Catholics, government registered churches, and unregistered house churches.  And Fu said the CCP has a new excuse for targeting Christians. "Now under this pretext of Covid-19 coronavirus, the Chinese Communist Party has intensified its persecution by banning all the church activities – even those worship services, prayer meetings in believer's own homes with their own family members." 

Meanwhile, despite the suffering, Bob Fu is expressing optimism about the country's spiritual future. He says when the CCP seized government control in 1947, only about one million people in China claimed to be Christian. But today – after 70-years of unrelenting persecution – their numbers have grown to as many as 130-million.

Fu sees a glimmer of hope in the suffering.  "So, I think at the end of the day maybe we should call President Xi Jin Ping as God's you know, faithful servant to revive His church."

Coverage by Gary Lane / CBN

MORE: https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2021/february/unrelenting-china-expands-crackdown-against-christians-muslims

Pray for our dear brothers and sisters in the persecuted Church in China, for divine strength and resolve as they continue to minister and pastor their congregations.
Pray for those in authority in China (1 Tim 2:2) that they will find the true and living God.
Pray for those who are suffering for their faith, that you will pour out your grace into their lives and their hearts.

Pray for the continued success of the many networks who are working to equip and encourage believers in China.

More prayers:

Operation World  |  Joshua Project  | PrayerCast Video

Hundreds executed, thousands homeless - the human cost of fighting in Tigray

The breadth and depth of human suffering in the Ethiopian region of Tigray is perfectly clear to humanitarian workers, human rights groups and the international diplomatic community.

After four months of warfare between Ethiopia's national defence force and fighters from the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), observers are collecting a worrying selection of data.

More than 500,000 Tigrayans have lost their homes. Almost 60,000 have sought refugee status in neighbouring Sudan. Two refugee camps in Tigray have been obliterated by military force. Nearly 70% of 106 health facilities have been looted. Only 13% are functioning normally.

Allegations and stories about atrocities and human rights abuses have also surfaced, despite a government-imposed communications blackout.

Amnesty International has issued a report about the deaths of hundreds of people in the ancient Tigrayan city of Axum. Drawing on testimony from refugees in Sudan - and evidence given by phone in Ethiopia - the human rights group says Eritrean troops, who are allied with Ethiopian government forces, "carried out systematic house-to-house searches, extra judicially executing men and boys".

Read this shocking report from Sky News as they visit some of the villages and communities affected by the war and meet some of the people and hear their stories.

Responding to the Sky News report, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he was "deeply concerned" and highlighted his trip to both Ethiopia and Sudan earlier this year.

"I think there's a number of things we need to do," Mr Raab said.  "First of all, as I made it clear to the Ethiopian government when I was there, we need to see unfettered access for humanitarian purposes into Tigray so we get some proper facts we can verify, but also so we can support the vulnerable. "There's a risk of famine as well as the human rights abuses your correspondent was looking into.

Citing evidence of serious human rights violations in Tigray, the UN Human Rights Commissioner, Michelle Bachelet - and organisations like Amnesty International - have called for an immediate and independent investigation.

If the truth is not revealed, thousands more will lose their lives.

More: https://news.sky.com/story/ethiopia-hundreds-executed-thousands-homeless-the-human-cost-of-fighting-in-tigray-12247307

Pray: for doors to open so that the necessary humanitarian assistance will be made accessible for the millions of people whose lives have been impacted – the victims, the refugees, the bereaved.
Pray: for an end to the hostilities and for a path to peace to be brokered in what is a complex and deep-rooted situation.
Pray: for those who have committed war crimes to be brought to justice.
Pray: for peaceful and safe elections to take place.

More: PrayerCast  |  Operation World  |  Joshua Project   

Hundreds of thousands have fled their homes as a conflict involving an Islamic State-linked group continues to grow dramatically.

Children as young as 11 are being beheaded in Mozambique, Save the Children has said, in the latest country to be affected by an Islamist insurgency.

The UK-based charity said it had spoken to families who have described "horrifying scenes" of murder, including mothers whose young sons were killed.

Thousands are dead and many magnitudes more have been forced from their homes, as a result of dramatically escalating fighting that has been linked to Islamic State (IS).

In one case, a woman hid with three children as her other 12-year-old was murdered nearby, Save the Children said.  The 28-year-old, who the charity calls Elsa, is quoted as saying: "We tried to escape to the woods, but they took my eldest son and beheaded him.  "We couldn't do anything because we would be killed too." 

The Biden administration declared Mozambique's Islamist group a foreign terrorist organisation last week, in part because of its links to IS.  The US said the group reportedly pledged allegiance to IS as long ago as 2018.

The first attack in Mozambique claimed by IS was in Cabo Delgado in June 2019.  The region, in the country's far north, has been plagued by insurgency since 2017. Throughout 2020, the insurgents repeatedly engaged the military to capture and hold key towns.

While beheadings have always been a hallmark of the attacks, the brutality and mass killings have worsened, with the murder of around 52 people at once in the village of Xitaxi in April last year among them.  So far, almost 2,700 people on all sides have died in the violence, according to consultancy Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED).  Nearly 670,000 people have been displaced, according to Save the Children.

The US embassy in Mozambique said on Monday that American special forces will train Mozambican marines and provide medical and communications equipment to help Mozambique defeat the insurgency.  It comes just a few months after the US military said all its troops had been pulled out of Somalia, further north in east Africa, where the government has been fighting al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militants.

Amnesty International said earlier in March that all sides in the Mozambique conflict were committing war crimes, with government forces also responsible for abuses against civilians - a charge the government has denied.

The insurgency comes in the wake of a COVID pandemic that has hit the country hard and a devastating cyclone, in 2019, that rendered tens of thousands homeless.

Reporter: Philip Whiteside

More: https://news.sky.com/story/children-as-young-as-11-being-beheaded-amid-islamist-insurgency-in-mozambique-12247985

Pray: for the government of Mozambique, with the help of international partners, to restore security so that the huge numbers of displaced people can return to their homes in safety.

Pray: for the lives scarred by these horrendous attacks, for healing of memories and minds.

Pray: for the bereaved – that God will comfort them in their sorrow.
More Prayers:  PrayerCast  |  Operation World  |  Joshua Project  

Sri Lanka’s government should immediately withdraw an order that allows two-years of detention without trial for causing “religious, racial, or communal disharmony,” Human Rights Watch said today. The Prevention of Terrorism (De-radicalization from holding violent extremist religious ideology) Regulations No. 01 of 2021, issued on March 9, 2021, expands the draconian and abusive Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

The regulation will allow the government of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to more easily target religious and racial minorities, in violation of their basic rights. The United Nations Human Rights Council is considering a resolution to strengthen monitoring and promote accountability for human rights violations in Sri Lanka, after the UN high commissioner on human rights identified “clear early warning signs … of future violations.”

“The Sri Lankan government has added a new weapon to its arsenal of abusive laws, putting religious and racial minorities at greater risk of torture and prolonged detention without trial,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Instead of addressing the UN’s concerns by repealing the notorious Prevention of Terrorism Act, the Rajapaksa administration is embracing it with a vengeance.”

The regulation broadly allows the authorities to detain and “rehabilitate” anyone who “by words either spoken or intended to be read or by signs or by visible representations” causes the commission of violence or “religious, racial or communal disharmony or feelings of ill will or hostility between different communities or racial or religious groups.”  Instead of being tried, the suspect faces detention in a “reintegration center” for up to one year. The defense minister, currently President Rajapaksa, is empowered to extend the detention for a second year.

Sri Lanka’s relatively small Christian community has also been targeted. “You can’t even write anything on Facebook,” a Christian activist told Human Rights Watch. “Anything could happen. We don’t feel safe to express ourselves. They could lock you up under any pretext.”

The United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva is considering a resolution that would strengthen monitoring of Sri Lanka’s deteriorating human rights situation and create a mechanism to collect and analyze evidence of violations for use in future prosecutions. Several senior members of the current government are implicated in alleged war crimes and other grave abuses during Sri Lanka’s civil war.

Source: https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/03/16/sri-lanka-religious-disharmony-order-threatens-minorities

More: Read Stephen Kinnocks speech in the UK House of Commons, March 20^th 2021 which raises a number of concerns surrounding the Sri Lanka government’s law-making and alleged ‘militarisation of the government’:
https://www.ukpol.co.uk/stephen-kinnock-2021-speech-on-sri-lanka/

Pray: that the Sri Lankan government will revoke this regulation and preserve and respect the rights of its people to practice their religion freely.

Pray: for those who seek to broker reconciliation of the ‘wounds’ from civil war and ethnic & cultural differences.
Pray: for the Church in Sri Lanka, that it will continue to grow and flourish despite the persecution.

Open Doors - Easter Prayers for the persecuted church.  These are pertinent, just 2 years on from the 2019 church and hotel attacks: http://media.opendoorsuk.org/document/pdf/Easter-Prayers.pdf?_ga=2.241067648.2088753248.1586161764-492872149.1560337581

More Prayer:   Operation World  |  Joshua Project  | PrayerCast Video | Gospel for Asia

Learn more about the Muslim world, the month of Ramadan, and how you can pray.

Join the Movement

30 Days of Prayer begins April 13th, 2021.

Join together with thousands of others to pray for Muslims around the world! Buy a prayer guide, tell your friends, and help bring 30 Days to more churches, small groups and families.

Order PDFs and Printed Books in 40+ languages / nations and kids version at:

https://www.pray30days.org/

The is a one-week, online course, run by All Nations focused on training for intercessory prayer for the nations, with teaching and facilitation by prayer leaders from different countries.

Do you want to grow in your prayer life and learn to partner with God in what He is doing in the nations through prayer?  Would you like to be better equipped to respond to world events, and engage in intercessory prayer to see God's Kingdom established “on earth as it is in heaven”?  Come be part of an online learning community for a week, as we engage in God’s heart for the world through intercessory prayer!

Course Delivery:

This course is run via Zoom where participants will learn through online lectures, breakout group discussions, and corporate worship and intercession times. Hours of engagement include a two and a half session in the mornings (9:30am - 12 noon, UK Time), followed by another hour and a half session in the afternoons (2:30pm - 4pm, UK Time) from Monday through to the Friday.  On Saturday, 24th April, there is the “Prayer Ignite” seminar for the month of April that has been integrated into this week-long course.

Topics covered for the week include:

The Character and Ways of God in Intercession

Listening to God in Corporate Intercession

Engaging in Prayer for our Covid-Plagued World

Biblical Worldview in Prayer & Missions

Worship, Prayer & Missions in the Global South

Prayer Ignite:  History Belongs to the Intercessors

More info and sign up at: https://www.allnations.ac.uk/courses/short-courses/prayer-nations-course

Kinyarwanda Version

We brought breaking news a few days ago of the military coup in Myanmar. The situation there is extremely serious.

The brief history is.... independence from the British rule - 4 January 1948 First military coup - 2 March 1962 Second military coup - 8 September 1988 Third military coup - 1 February 2021

On February 1, 2021 the Myanmar military detained Aung San Suu Kyi and other government leaders in a coup. They announced that they will take control for at least one year. The internet was shut down, but it appears to be partially back online. Day to day life is a challenge as soldiers are out on the streets and banks are closed. People are angry, sad and fearful of the uncertainty of what comes next.

Let's pray in unity across the world for the situation:

• Pray that this action will be something that can be turned for good, and prayer that this is a step towards the breakdown of the military’s power, which has now overtly exposed itself as the real power in Burma. Before this, the Burma military made a pretense of Aung Sang Suu Kyi and the National League of Democracy and other groups having some control; but in reality, the military held the true power behind the scenes. This coup has revealed that.
• Pray for the hearts of those who staged the coup, that they would see the love of Jesus and that there are other ways to serve and lead, and that God would have mercy on them.
• Pray that those detained would be released and that attacks against the ethnic minorities/tribal groups would stop.
• Pray that negotiations currently taking place between the military and government bring a peaceful resolution to the situation.
• Pray that there will be no violence or killing.
• For peoples’ daily needs, particularly the poor, as banks, markets, and services have been disrupted. Rice, the staple food, has increased in price, as have other day-to-day needs.
• Please pray for health services in Myanmar. All the doctors, nurses, and health workers are not going to the hospitals and clinics, saying they do not want to work under the dictatorship.
• Pray for people who are currently sick, especially those with Covid. This walkout significantly affects their care.
• Pray for the many small businesses whose operations are interrupted. Countless families depend on these kinds of business for their daily income, and they usually rely on this daily income to afford their daily food.
• Pray for the education system: right now, all the universities and colleges have come out as opposed to the military dictatorship. The Ministry of Education and student organizations are planning walkouts. In the long term, pray that the levels and quality of education would be upgraded to be of a standard equal to neighboring countries.
• Pray that UN sanctions will not harm the innocent civilian population. May this be a punishment felt by the military leaders and have an impact on their policies. Pray that any UN actions will be effective in bringing positive change.
• Pray for Aung San Suu Kyi’s protection: that they will not torture, harm, or poison her (we are afraid that this is a possibility, according to previous history such as the 1988 military coup).

For the longer term, remember to pray for God’s eternal purposes to prevail:

1. Pray for foreign and domestic missionaries in Myanmar
2. Pray for different NGO groups in Myanmar
3. Pray for Churches in Myanmar
4. Pray that Churches could be united to fight against the spiritual darkness to establish the Kingdom of God
5. Pray for Church Planting Movements to accelerate in Myanmar
6. Pray for the evangelization of the Unreached People Groups of Myanmar
7. Pray that a great revival would take place in the heart of Myanmar