Displaying items by tag: Election

As Papua New Guinea’s official election campaign period started, violence dominated the news. Three people were killed and more injured, following fights between supporters of two candidates. Shops, schools and businesses are shut in Kimbe. Things are very tense. The electoral commission needs another $US25 million for polling officials' allowances. The People's National Congress Party is confident it will win in two months’ time. A Christian in PNG writes, ‘Please stand with us in prayer for our elections. We are praying that no unrighteous leader will rise up again to lead our nation, and for God to intervene and establish a Kingdom-model nation.’ See also and

Satan has regular tactics. They have recurred across the ages. He loves to conceal himself. Therefore in our personal lives or national situation we could fail to spot him at work. We need to ask a simple question: is this situation creating fear, unbelief or uncertainty? Nationally, as the General Election approaches, there is a fear factor. We saw it dominating the arguments in the Referendum. We need to ask, ‘Is this the normal political hurly-burly or something more sinister?’ We can take a stance in our prayers and say ‘Lord, we stand against the spirit of fear, intimidation and manipulation’. We also see it in the fear of terrorist attacks. Terrorists create fear; we can pray for agents of fear to be brought into the light. Pray for God to enable the police and intelligence forces. Pray against the enemy’s lies and manipulation, particularly where potential terrorists are concerned.

Britain’s national newspapers are full of opinions, reports and analysis. The Daily Mail has an air of menace, the Sun and Telegraph proclaim Tory triumph, the Times and Guardian see bids for political strength. Some fear another general election will create instability in the country. Many voters already have ‘election fatigue’. Sources say Theresa May's manifesto will draw on inspiration from Thatcher's in 1979 - it will be short and 'tell a story'; Jeremy Corbyn said he will not play by the election rules, Nigel Farage is considering another bid to become an MP, and 750,000 people who turned 18 since the last election are now able to vote. Much prayer is needed for all who are canvassing to be men and women of wisdom and truth, for the voting public to hear the voices of wisdom above the clamour of half-truths and for the outcome on 8 June to be in line with God’s will for a United Kingdom.

If elected, Marine Le Pen will suspend all legal immigration to France. Polls suggest she is neck and neck with Emmanuel Macron, ahead of Sunday's first round of voting. However, in a world of alternative facts shared by the Russian-state-funded news operation Sputnik, François Fillon is leading in the polls. A very loud voice comes from farmers protesting about the difficulties of the agricultural industry. 600 committed suicide last year, but little has been done to address French farming’s deepest crisis since World War II. The hidden tragedy is European, and across Europe farmers have been protesting on the streets at ever-increasing intervals to highlight poor market returns for their produce. A fortnight ago members of the agriculture committee of the European Parliament held a minute's silence for those farmers who had committed suicide as a result of the ongoing crisis in agricultural markets. French farmers will be voting for Marine Le Pen. See

Ecuadorians have suffered from poverty and the instability of political turmoil for a long time. Even now, the people are waiting anxiously to see who will win the presidential run-off on 2 April. Many have searched for hope and stability in something greater than politics.As a result, many have turned to Jesus for answers. Once home to the smallest percentage of evangelicals in Latin America, Ecuador now boasts over 1.2 million believers! This growth has been miraculous - particularly among groups like the Quichua and the Waorani. But even amidst these miraculous movements, the Church battles division and widespread false teachings, and the nation continues to suffer from political instability, corruption, and poverty. Ecuador stands at a pivotal moment, both politically and spiritually. Prayer can change the outcome.

Geert Wilders’ Party for Freedom (PVV) is set to win the largest number of seats in the Dutch election. The current global wave of anti-establishment sentiment, and the migrant crisis has boosted support for PVV. The election is less than a month away, and Wilders is recorded as saying, ‘All Christians should vote for my party because we are against Muslims and for Israel.’ But many believe that his populist policies generate fear and hate. A study in 2016, Saving the People, says that populists hijack religion for their cause. They see two groups of ‘enemies of the people’- the ‘elites’ and the dangerous ‘others’ who threaten the wellbeing of the people. Pray for voters to be discerning, see the bigger picture, ask what the fruit of populist policies will be, and to view everything through the lens of the radical politics of God’s kingdom. See also

The Northern Ireland Assembly election took place yesterday, and counting the votes has begun. At the time of going to press, the two dominant parties of unionism and nationalism, the DUP and Sinn Féin, expected to retain their seats. The election was triggered by the collapse of the Assembly's power-sharing agreement, following Sinn Féin's refusal to replace Martin McGuinness as leader and deputy First Minister. We can pray that whoever sits in positions of influence after the election will be filled with God’s anointing and will speak according to God’s plans and purposes that rise above and beyond man’s wisdom. Lord, Your gospel is a Gospel of reconciliation; we pray for Your people to walk more under the Headship of Jesus, and in the unity that comes through Kingdom purpose. May they lead the way so that all communities divided through religion, culture, social status and political opinion will be healed.

On 2 March, Northern Ireland will vote for a new Assembly amid much uncertainty. DUP leader Arlene Foster faces criticism for an energy scheme that wasted hundreds of millions of public money. Sinn Fein faces a generation change as Martin McGuinness steps down, and the finance minister describes the Brexit votes as having a calamitous effect on the economy. Some say Brexit could scupper the peace deal. Pray for God’s hand on this election: for truth, integrity, and peace. Scotland voted 62% to remain, believing the single market is vital to jobs and economy. The SNP are deciding whether to call another referendum - their conference is in late March.The UK will trigger Article 50 in mid-March. Pray for the relations between London and Scotland to improve, for leaders to have wisdom and integrity.

During the election campaign for a new Northern Ireland assembly, Sinn Féin has renewed its commitment to same-sex marriage. Promising to work to legislate for marriage equality, party members Gerry Kelly, Caral Ni Chuilin and Megan Fearon said there is a growing demand for a change in the law. Sinn Féin and other parties have previously tried to force through new laws to lift the ban on gay marriage in the Stormont assembly, but these moves have been blocked by opposition mainly from the Democratic Unionist Party. Ms Fearon, an assembly candidate for Newry and Armagh, said she has friends in Dundalk who can marry the person they love, but those who live just a few miles north of the Irish border cannot. She added: ‘So we are pledging to work actively for equality as we have always done. We want all parties who say they are progressive to state clearly what they will do for the LGBT community.’ In 2015 the assembly voted narrowly in favour of gay marriage equality, but the DUP vetoed any change in the law. Northern Ireland remains the only part of the UK where gay couples cannot get married legally.

On Wednesday Somalia's presidential elections took place, with over twenty candidates to choose from. In a surprise result, former prime minister Hassan Sheikh Mohamud decisively defeated the incumbent president. It is the first time since the 1991 overthrow of President Said Barre that a new leader has been chosen inside the country; the UN sees this as a sign of improving security. The election, in Mogadishu airport (considered the safest place in the city), went ahead under close security against the militant group al-Shabaab, which had recently carried out several attacks in the capital. Mr Mohamud is a professor and activist who has worked for several peace and development organisations including Unicef. It remains to be seen if his election will make any difference for the small, secret community of Somali Christians. They face extreme persecution from their communities and tribes. If their faith is discovered, followers of Christ could be murdered on the spot. Al-Shabaab has stated publicly that it 'wants Somalia free of all Christians'. According to Open Doors, the country is tdhe second-most dangerous in the world for Christians. See: