With the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday 8 September, we invite you to pray for The Royal Family, the Government and the Church.

As a family of nations, we have received messages of support and love from around The Commonwealth:

From our friends in the Caribbean: “May the changing and transitioning of ‘the guards’ be a smooth one to bring about God’s great purpose for your nation.”

“Condolences and love from Aotearoa New Zealand. This monarch held the Commonwealth together with a depth of love experienced by all who met her. May our God move to protect what she achieved through His leading and guiding and pass it on to our King.”

“We from the South Pacific Islands join you our Commonwealth & UK family in this great mourning (tangi) season as we all release such a beautiful beloved Queen Elizabeth II back to the King Jesus Christ. She wasn’t just an amazing beloved Queen. She was also a mother to Commonwealth, UK & Nations.”

Join us praying for:

The Royal Family and the monarchy. Pray particularly for King Charles III as he considers the impact of the death of His mother. This is a remarkable moment for His Majesty, King Charles III and as the body of Christ, let us stand together and pray that he will be open to the leading and guiding of Holy Spirit. In this time of national mourning, we pray for The Royal Family themselves. That they will be able to find space for their private mourning as each of them come to terms with the loss of the head of their family. I think we can be certain that it was the Queen’s desire for unity in her family, so may this be a time when differences are put aside and family relationships are restored.

The Government led by the newly sworn-in Prime Minister, Liz Truss. We pray for great wisdom at this time, for an understanding and an ability to do what needs to be done and as the nation mourns, that the new Government has a capacity to comprehend the depth of feeling in the nation at the same time as the need to govern with compassion. We pray great grace upon the new Cabinet.

Finally, The Church (the Bride of Christ). May She understand more of the signs of the times in which we are living, to keep vigilant in prayer as the nation mourns, the monarchy transitions and the new Government becomes established. We pray for Archbishop Justin Welby as he considers what to say and how he will conduct the state funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. We pray that in all of these circumstances God will receive the glory and the honour.

Amen

God bless you.
The World Prayer Centre Team

It was announced on 8 September that the Queen had died following a short illness, attended by all four of her children. She was Britain’s longest reigning sovereign and the world’s oldest monarch. On 6 September she had presided over the ceremonial handover of power to new prime minister Liz Truss at Balmoral, her summer residence. Her oldest son, now King Charles III, said his mother's death was a moment of ‘the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family’. Justin Welby said, ‘As we grieve together, we know that, in losing our beloved Queen, we have lost the person whose steadfast loyalty, service, and humility has helped us make sense of who we are.’

Xing Hongwei is a member of China's Early Rain Covenant Church (ERCC). He was arrested in a worship service raid on 14 August and suffered greatly whilst in detention due to his medical condition. He has been freed on bail and enjoyed a celebration meal with his family. Mr Hongwei was originally arrested after more than twenty police officers raided an ERCC church service at a tea shop. Sixty church members were locked inside the building and released only after they provided their identification. Mr Hongwei was arrested because he refused to comply with the authorities' demands. ERCC, which is heavily persecuted, announced Mr Hongwei's release in a prayer request update. His faith became firmer during his time in detention and he jokingly said that he successfully went on a diet, which he could not have achieved if outside.

The Pakistani Supreme Court has issued a highly significant and welcome ruling, which includes the declaration that the preaching of Christianity ‘is not a crime, nor can it be made into one’. The nine-page ruling is a clear and comprehensive denunciation of the way in which ‘blasphemy’ laws are misused in Pakistan. The court raises issues such as false and malicious accusations, the lack of credible evidence in many cases, and the mob violence with which an accused person is often threatened. One judge said, ‘Many a time false allegations are levelled to settle personal scores, and cases are also registered for mischievous purposes or on account of ulterior motives’.

Lord, we thank You for every miracle You have worked in our nation in past seasons: for the turnarounds, the revivals and the personal miracles of provision and healing which have transformed lives, families, and communities. In the name of Jesus we declare what we have seen in the past is only a shadow of what we will see in the days ahead. We pray for Liz Truss; may she step into Kingdom purpose, moving the very structures of the nation towards righteousness and Godliness. We pray for justice, truth, mercy and moral law to be established, and for every government action to cause the UK to be aligned to God’s values and objectives within our land. May she carry and impart God’s vision to the men and women in her Cabinet, and may every MP walk in wisdom and integrity according to Your plans. May our Christian MPs boldly step into their identity and purpose.

Current guidance states that if a case of monkeypox is known to be imported from West Africa, a region where it has been endemic for decades, then the individual must be admitted to a High Consequence Infectious Disease (HCID) hospital unit for monitoring. Recently, an individual was admitted to the HCID ward at Royal Liverpool University Hospital. Preliminary analysis revealed the type of monkeypox virus they contracted is a different strain from the one widely currently circulating in the UK with 3,279 known cases (79 were identified in the last week). Dr Sophia Maki said, ‘We are working to contact the individuals who have had close contact with the person infected with the new variant prior to confirmation of their infection. We will assess them as necessary and provide advice.’ See

A new review from the Children's Commissioner has shown that 23% of UK families are lone-parent - 10% higher than Europe’s average. The communities minister highlighted the need for better government policies that support families. The head of public policy said, ‘What is required is not just laws but wholesale culture changes. We need to value marriage (between a man and a woman) as a sacred, lifelong bond, and promote marriage as the best and most stable and successful structure for bringing up children.’ There are no policy recommendations in Part 1 of the review, but Part 2 will look at the impact of its policies on families. Sadly, for too long, the Government has done little or nothing to promote or support families. In fact, it has done the opposite, finding time in the coronavirus crisis to pass legislation for ‘no-fault divorce’. This means potentially enabling one partner to unilaterally destroy the family.

Pray for Wales

09 Sep 2022

People in Wales were among the first in the British Isles to become Christian, but today fewer than 50% of Welsh people call themselves Christian. What was once a strong Celtic Church is in significant decline. Many Welsh people are ‘Nones’ - persons with no religious affiliation. We know the Holy Spirit can soften their hearts, convict them of sin and the need for redemption and woo the seekers. Some small, evangelical Welsh churches are sharing the Gospel. May God help these churches to grow. May they answer the call of Christ to be His light in Wales. Pray for bold faith and witness by the remnant of believers among the many small dying churches. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s fire among the mostly faithless youth, igniting a new great Welsh revival. Pray for renewed energy and wisdom for those already at work among growing pockets of believers.