Friday Focus: Remembrance Day
10 Nov 2017
11 November will be the 99th anniversary of the ending of WW1. We remember all those who gave their lives not only in two world wars but also in the many conflicts since. Should we not also pray for those who still serve our country today in the armed forces and for those veterans whose lives bear the scars of their service?
(Val Hall, Armed Forces Christian Union)
Praying for our Government
10 Nov 2017
Theresa May has called for a ‘new culture of respect’. In this challenging time for our Parliament, we can intercede for all our leaders to begin to demonstrate the Kingdom values of respect, moral uprightness, financial integrity, truthfulness and wisdom. We can cry out for a fresh move of God’s Holy Spirit to touch minds and hearts so that the guilty are convicted and repent, victims see justice, and all corruption and scandals are removed to make way for a new Kingdom culture to be established at the centre of political life. Pray that God will cause the Prime Minister’s spoken words to become a self-fulfilling prophecy: ‘a place in which everyone can feel confident that they are working in a safe and secure environment, where complaints can be brought forward without prejudice and victims know that these complaints will be investigated properly’.
Foreign secretary’s blunder
10 Nov 2017
Evin is a brutal and infamous prison. Dorothy Parvaz, who was held there in 2011, said detainees face daily cross-examinations, with constantly changing conditions in attempts to trick prisoners to admit to alleged crimes in a psychological battle. In May 2016 we reported on a campaign to free Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a Christian British charity worker held in Evin prison. A petition was given to David Cameron to act on her behalf for early release. But she was given a five-year sentence for ‘attempting to topple the government’. Now, foreign secretary Boris Johnson has told the House of Commons that she was ‘teaching Iranians journalism’. It was an incorrect statement which could cause Iran to double her five-year sentence. Nazanin suffers depression from being separated from her husband and three-year-old daughter. Boris’s latest blunder has provoked an online petition accusing him of being unfit for the job, lacking attention to detail, a threat to British people, and damaging overseas relations. It calls for his resignation.
Fixed odds betting terminals
10 Nov 2017
Churches and faith groups have urged the Government to be strong on reforms to fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs). While they welcomed its recent announcement of a consultation on proposed changes to gaming machines, they warned that the range of options for a maximum stake for FOBTs was too wide. They believe that if the maximum stake is radically reduced, from the current £100 maximum to £2, this will help to reduce the potentially enormous financial loss some people experience, and therefore the consequences - which include debt, depression and crime. They urged the Government to view gambling addiction as a public health issue, stating, ‘The Department of Health must engage with gambling addiction strategically, at the levels of prevention and also treatment for individuals.’
One month, one church, one prayer
10 Nov 2017
This month Christian organisations are seeking to encourage the Church to pray for fellow believers who suffer because of their faith. Around the world, Christians risk harassment, discrimination, imprisonment and even death simply for trying to live out their faith or worship together. This has become such a significant issue that Release International, Open Doors, Christian Solidarity Worldwide and the Evangelical Alliance have joined together to form the Religious Liberty Commission. The RLC focuses on encouraging Christians to pray for brothers and sisters across the globe who suffer and are persecuted because of their faith. While it enables the member organisations to speak as one voice for persecuted Christians, it does not claim to be the only voice and action group for them, and very much welcomes the fact that others are also doing excellent work in this area (see the next article).
Safe Haven
10 Nov 2017
Safe Haven gives refuge to those who face the threat of violence for freely choosing to leave Islam and follow Jesus. It does this mainly by connecting victims with those who can provide a safe place, a secure and loving home away from the hostility. It acts as a go-between, bringing together those in need with those offering help. The plan is to create a national network of safe houses for Christians who have converted from a Muslim background. It is looking for people to help or people who can provide accommodation. Anonymity is vital in these kinds of situations, and Safe Haven maintains strict confidentiality in all its dealings with both victims and those offering help.
Intercessor Focus - Brexit
10 Nov 2017
At the time of writing, ambassadors from the 27 other EU member states have been discussing how to negotiate the transition that will start when Britain parts with Brussels in 17 months’ time. Insiders say the opinion is that London will fail to meet the EU conditions for opening further talks on 14 December, with Germany and France insisting Theresa May must first agree in principle to pay a multi-billion-euro exit bill to Brussels. We can pray for clarity in all decision-making, and for Godly decisions which will turn the situation around. We pray for those who work in government, finance and the law to work towards practical solutions according to God’s instructions ‘to acknowledge bills that need payment, to fulfil all financial commitments and use honest scales and weights’ (Proverbs 16:11).
(Linda Digby, Prayer Alert)
In Britain, we see chaos and confusion surrounding government. It is not just in Westminster; Brussels has many political, legal, commercial and ideological ‘unknowns’. Throughout Europe there are signs of growing discontent and dissatisfaction with policies and attitudes that have been followed by traditional leaders for decades. In Catalonia, independence protesters brought areas to a standstill as they objected to the incarceration of former nationalist ministers and vice-president Oriol Junqueras. Young people are rising up to challenge traditional authority. France, Austria, Italy and the Czech Republic have all voted for young leaders. Austria voted in October for 31-year-old right-wing Sebastian Kurz, who is talking to the far-right Freedom Party about forming a government. 30% of the Czech Republic voted for anti-establishment leader Andrej Babis, and Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party won 94 seats in the Bundestag.