Trafalgar Square Beacon Event 9 June 2019
31 May 2019
Trafalgar Square will be transformed into a joyful family festival and service. The day is packed with festivities; live performances from acts including worship leader and Grammy award winner Matt Redman and The Kingdom Choir, made famous around the world for a memorable performance of Stand By Me at the wedding of HRH Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle last May. There will be something for everyone, from uplifting live music, spoken word, dance, prayer workshops and crafts – to family fun and activities to keep the kids entertained. The Pentecost service will be between 4-6pm with praise, worship, witness, word and prayers. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby will be at this Pentecost celebration and is inviting all in London to take part of a joy filled celebration thanking God for the water of life and committing to be those through whom that water flows into a thirsty world.
D Day Prayers in Parliament Square
31 May 2019
Thursday 6 June is a significant day for our nation. This year, we mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day when allied nations came together in a tremendous act of courage, sacrifice and God’s divine intervention – that became the turning point in World War II. It is the day before Prime Minister May resigns, and we can entrust our nation to the hands of God, as we enter the next chapter of our history. Christians believe in the power that comes from heaven when we come together in prayer. We may all have different views, but we can unite in praying for God’s will. ‘Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be done’ for the UK. In a mark of solidarity between nations that characterised D-Day, the event will have minority churches lead prayers in Parliament Square, London between 7 and 8 pm on Thursday 6 June, or at other prayer events on the day across the nation.
Intercessor Focus: New leadership
31 May 2019
As Theresa May steps back from her position of Prime Minister and eleven men and women step into the ‘race’ to take her place, we can pray for a heavenly outpouring of wise strategies and an air of calmness to diffuse the current Westminster upheaval. Ask for God’s Spirit to permeate conversations and media comments with positive expectations that would replace fear, frustration and criticism. As far-right and nationalists in Italy, France, Poland and Britain gained support in Europe’s elections, there are forecasts of politics being shaken in these nations - none more so than Britain. Please pray for the people appointed to represent Britain in Europe to have extraordinary negotiating skills as they sit at a changed negotiating table, and may our next Prime Minister be heaven’s choice, serving with honesty, strength of character and a godly focus on renewal. May our leader speak and act with strategies that bless the nation.
A year after its launch the Church of England’s Alexa skill has been asked over 75,000 questions. The smart speaker skill was originally launched with prayers, explanations of Christian faith and details of where to find the nearest church for local events and services. More family prayers have also been added, and integration improved with A Church Near You, the national church finder tool, showing maps of where the nearest church is. A range of videos have now been added to bring the Christian faith to life and showcase Church social action work across the country. The highest numbers of people using the skill were in the evening. So the teams added a wider range of mealtime, evening and night prayers. The skill is average 4.2 out of five stars on the Alexa store with comments such as ‘Love it - great example to the kids on how to pray’.
British Visas for Afghan translators
31 May 2019
On 11 April you were asked to pray for Afghan translators, living in fear of retribution from the Taliban because they once served alongside British forces in wartime situations. The men and their families were promised visas for UK entry, but years later they are still in hiding in Afghanistan. You prayed for ‘the MoD to honour visa promises swiftly'. (Proverbs 3:23) On 27 May the media reported ‘the first Afghan translator arrived in the UK to start a new life with his family after years of death threats from the Taliban.’ Niz, his wife and their five children will live near Coventry, after living five years ‘in the shadows' because Niz worked as interpreter and was branded an infidel spy. Last week he became the first Afghan translator to begin a new life in Britain.
Answered prayer: clergy help Home Office
23 May 2019
In March, Prayer Alert intercessors prayed for an overhaul of the ethos of the Home Office, after Iranian Christian converts’ asylum applications had been unfairly rejected. Clergy have now been drafted in to teach religious literacy to hundreds of Home Office case workers tasked with deciding on asylum claims that involve religious conversion and persecution. The new training was developed with the support of Church House, Westminster, and other faith groups. Rev’d Mark Miller, vicar of Stockton, advised the Home Office on the training, and attended the first case workers’ meeting. He said, 'In the session, I asked staff what they thought was basic knowledge. Most of what they suggested wasn’t basic knowledge, it was “name the Ten Commandments”, rather than the significance of a faith in Jesus.’
Answered prayer: Celebration of Hope
23 May 2019
Last week you prayed for thousands of pastors and their congregations as they worshipped together in Singapore, heard inspiring teaching, and stepped out in faith for a bountiful harvest. We have heard from the organisers that there were 5,485 enquiries: 1,910 about salvation, 1,525 rededication, 1,006 interested to find out more. 170 wanted to join a church. The three-day celebration could not have happened without the 17,000 ushers, counsellors, security crew, production crew, intercessors, interpreters, and countless others. Praise God for their willing hearts and labour of love.
Outreach: Trypraying
23 May 2019
Trypraying is for the non-religious who don’t do church. Trypraying banners are appearing on buses, billboards and buildings. Some fly on a wind farm in Scotland, on the turnstiles of a railway station and one was on the route of the Tour de Yorkshire. Why? People pray when they see them, and it opens up conversations around faith. 400+ churches are currently using Trypraying across the UK and 40,000 booklets were printed and shipped to the USA, with 10,000 children's booklets and 10,000 youth booklets. A Spanish edition is coming soon. Churches are using Trypraying, as is a whole diocese in Leicestershire! Other churches are joining it with 'Thy Kingdom Come'. How does it work? Each person in a congregation thinks of and prays for a person, and then they give that person a Trypraying booklet to use and then hand on to someone else.