Manchester - The terrorists will never win
23 May 2017
Monday night a suicide bomber killed 22 people, including children, and injured another 59 in an explosion that targeted fans leaving a pop concert in the Manchester Arena. By Tuesday lunch time a large cordon was still in place around the area. Pray for the police carrying out forensic work to have the support they need to perfectly complete their task. Ask God to heal and bring comfort to the young people and their parents whose bodies and emotions have been damaged by a bomb of nuts and bolts and a terrifying experience. Lord, we ask for healing, comfort and strength to every person injured and the relatives of all those killed. Father we ask you to provide a powerful spiritual hedge around our nation and the key targets for terrorists within our borders. We ask for you to give incredible wisdom to Cobra, Police and government at this time. Ask God to strengthen doctors and nurses saving lives and caring for the wounded. Pray for the friends and relatives experiencing unimaginable worry over people who are missing and not yet identified. And Lord God we your watchmen stand at the gates of cities, towns and all high profile locations and raise our voices for protection in the Name of Jesus Christ. We declare protection over shopping malls and transport systems in the Name of Jesus.
Pray in a time of vulnerability
23 May 2017
As many of us have woken today hoping the news from Manchester last night was just a horrible nightmare, we ask you to share and mobilise so that we can respond prayerfully and effectively.
First and foremost please remember Manchester in your prayers:
For those who are now fighting for their lives and for those who are caring for them.
For the families, friends and colleagues of the 22 who have died (we understand many of them are children).
For those shocked and traumatised.
For the Paramedics and those at the hospitals who have to respond to this emergency.
For the Chief Constable Ian Hopkins and GMP Police as they gather evidence and deal with the public.
For the staff of the Manchester Arena who will be traumatised and deeply affected.
For Andy Burnham and the officials of Manchester as they respond.
For COBRA and the government as they meet this morning.
PRAY FOR THE UK DURING THIS TIME OF VULNERABILITY:
That the Lord will expose all future evil agendas before they are actioned.
For those involved in terrorist activities to be caught ASAP.
For governments and security forces to liaise and share important security information.
God's love will draw all people to salvation.
PRAY AT HOME, IN YOUR CHURCH OR IN GROUPS
A number of national Prayer Ministries have joined together to call the nations to prayer. We suggest you may like to pray every day, covering the issues that are locally, nationally and internationally relevant. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you as to what to pray for and how to pray. Keep an eye on the news and respond in prayer.
What?
We are looking to mobilise effective informed united prayer across our nations by praying for God’s wisdom, revelation, insight and protection for:
1. Government and World Leaders.
2. Police and Emergency Services
3. Armed forces
4. Intelligence Services
5. Media and communications
6. ISIS and others who may wish to cause danger.
7. Angelic protection.
8. An unprecedented move of God across our communities and nations.
9. Vulnerable areas - tunnels, stadiums, airports, the Euro tunnel, theatres, schools, colleges and shopping areas etc. Anywhere that large numbers of people gather.
Why?
1. To provide mercy and protection to reduce the danger to life and limb from attacks for our communities and nations.
2. To release a clear trumpet call to those in the valley of decision.
3. To reduce fear and hopelessness - The aim of terror is to bring fear, confusion, hatred – we stand against that in the name of Jesus because his perfect love casts out fear.
4. To bring any plots into the light before they are actioned.
5. To see the Church arise and stand united around Jesus love.
Download the UK prayer protection strategy
Source: Coastlands & Gateways
The owner of a Christian T-shirt designer and printer business recently won an appeal case after he objected to printing a pro-LGBT message on an order of T-shirts. Blaine Adamson, managing owner of Hands On Originals, said he and his staff never refuse to do business with someone based on their personal beliefs, but he felt compelled in 2012 to decline to print a message for a gay pride event because it went against his convictions. The Gay and Lesbian Services Organisation promoting the event then filed a discrimination lawsuit against Adamson and his company. The legal action that followed went on for five years. During that time Adamson and his staff remained committed to trusting that God would honour their decision to stand by their convictions. Adamson’s lawyer said after the victorious court case that the law can't force people to express a message in conflict with their deepest convictions.
Ashers Baking Company, a Christian bakery in Belfast which was sued by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland and found guilty of discrimination by refusing to bake a cake supporting same-sex marriage, has reported record profits. These topped £1.5 million last year, an annual increase of more than £170,000. In 2014, the McArthur family who own and run Ashers turned down the cake order because they said the slogan on the cake conflicted with their Christian belief that marriage is between a man and a woman. The Equality Commission sued them, and the bakery lost the legal fight a year later. According to the Christian Institute, which is backing the company, the McArthur family is in the process of appealing to the UK Supreme Court.
Friday Focus: being an effective witness
19 May 2017
We’re constantly witnessing to hundreds of things as important to us (iPhones, Ford cars, Levi’s, etc). How much more, though, do we witness to Jesus as the heart of all we are? The question isn’t ‘Shall we witness?’, but ‘are we going to be good witnesses?’. If Jesus rose from the dead, every part of our lives should be different!
(written by Barry Hill, Rector of Market Harborough)
Thy Kingdom Come - ten days of prayer
19 May 2017
From 25 May to 4 June individuals and churches around the nation will join in a global ‘wave of prayer’ for the ten days leading up to Pentecost. There is a rich variety of activities taking place, and it is exciting to see many ways in which we can engage with God in praying for our communities and nations. Below are some of the events for which we can intercede in advance:- Ask God that many will attend city-wide praise/prayer events, and that events being held in public locations will draw many shoppers into the God-filled space. Pray for prayer breakfasts to be filled with spiritual tastes of Kingdom. Pray that the 24/7 prayer chains organised by church communities will have all slots filled, creating a mighty canopy of prayer over their communities. May those setting up prayer rooms be blessed with God-inspired fresh ideas that draw people closer to Him.
Election and Thy Kingdom Come
19 May 2017
There are three weeks to go to the election: campaigning, slogans, soundbites, personal attacks, and sensational headlines rather than policies and manifesto commitments. However, Hebrews 12:1b-2a says, ‘Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.’ We need to persevere in prayer for our communities, for our nations, for those who seek election as MPs, and for the new UK Government - especially at this crucial time in our history. When the dates for ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ 2017 were announced, nobody knew there would be an election a few days after Pentecost. Many churches will be praying in a more focussed way just before the election. This would not have happened if this call to prayer had not been issued.
Bringing the good news of Jesus to the election
19 May 2017
There are certain critical issues that quickly reveal whether a society recognises or rejects the reality that we are made in God’s image and pursue God’s values. It is vital that Christians speak out on them, even if others want to bury them. Politicians may want to tell us that the big issue in this election is the economy, the NHS, or immigration. They are not unimportant but none is the most fundamental. In fact, some of the challenges we face in those areas are simply symptoms of a deeper problem. The biggest issue isn't Brexit. It's a moral, relational and spiritual challenge; freedom, family, life and Christianity. Pray for the result of this election to cause our nations to turn and walk the ancient paths of our Christian heritage. Pray for a new confidence in the value and relevance of Christianity in our culture.