Welsh Outpouring Update – 65 days on!
A brief report from the Victory Church website: ‘We are so excited at what God is doing. Initially, many people were reluctant to accept that God had broken through, but 65 days on, it is undeniable that God is moving sovereignly. We have now seen 642 salvations and have 15 pages of healing testimonies! Visitors have continued to pour in from across the globe and we are grateful to God for the opportunity of hosting His presence is such a way. As people have been dramatically impacted we as a church have found ourselves drawn much deeper with Him. People ask, ‘Is what’s happening a revival?’ Our response, thus far, is that what we are seeing here in Wales is an Outpouring of God's Spirit. On Wednesday night we had the privilege of baptising another thirty people all who have come to faith during the outpouring! We praise God for this, He is building His Church.’ (See also Prayer Alert 19-20&22-2013)
Praise: God for the continued blessing upon His people. (Ps.85:6)
More: http://www.victorychurch.co.uk/outpouring-update-15
Welsh Outpouring Update – 65 days on!
A brief report from the Victory Church website: ‘We are so excited at what God is doing. Initially, many people were reluctant to accept that God had broken through, but 65 days on, it is undeniable that God is moving sovereignly. We have now seen 642 salvations and have 15 pages of healing testimonies! Visitors have continued to pour in from across the globe and we are grateful to God for the opportunity of hosting His presence is such a way. As people have been dramatically impacted we as a church have found ourselves drawn much deeper with Him. People ask, ‘Is what’s happening a revival?’ Our response, thus far, is that what we are seeing here in Wales is an Outpouring of God's Spirit. On Wednesday night we had the privilege of baptising another thirty people all who have come to faith during the outpouring! We praise God for this, He is building His Church.’ (See also Prayer Alert 19-20&22-2013)
Praise: God for the continued blessing upon His people. (Ps.85:6)
More: http://www.victorychurch.co.uk/outpouring-update-15
Police in the news
On Tuesday the BBC reported - The High Court ruled that London police officers who took the personal details of a woman ‘kettled’ during a trade union rally in 2011 acted unlawfully. - Gwent's police and crime commissioner said it will be three months before he appoints a new chief constable after he told the previous top officer to retire or be removed. Also on Tuesday Kent's police chief has admitted there was a ‘distortion of activity’ by the force to achieve crime statistic targets. 25% of crimes recorded as ‘no-crimes’ were wrongly classified, among them rapes and robberies. The Guardian reported nine Essex women died despite contact with Essex police, a force that had previously been the subject of highly-critical reports. On Monday the Home Office announced undercover police are to face tighter regulation following officers having sexual relationships with their targets and adopting the identities of dead children. Also on Tuesday in West Yorkshire a corrupt detective who stole enormous amounts of seized drugs to sell them back on to the streets was jailed for 23 years.
Pray: for our police force, Lord lead them not into temptation, but deliver them from evil. Amen. (Am.5:24)
More: http://www.penarthtimes.co.uk/news/10492425._/
RC midwives to face abortion objection ruling challenge
Two Roman Catholic midwives with conscientious objections to abortion who won their case against the NHS may now face a further legal challenge. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has announced it will appeal Scotland’s supreme civil court ruling that Mary Doogan and Connie Wood would not have to delegate, supervise or support staff involved in abortions. Pro-life group the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) backed the midwives’ legal fight. SPUC’s General Secretary Paul Tully said: ‘We are disappointed, particularly for Connie and Mary, as this means prolonging this lengthy case even further’. (See Prayer Alert 18-2013)
Pray: that this challenge to the nurses' objections will be stopped and the previous result upheld. (Job.5:8)
More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/rc-midwives-to-face-abortion-objection-ruling-challenge/
'There is no Christian vision without a recovery of prayer'
The Bishop of London Dr Richard Chartres has delivered a challenging message to Christians about the need for the Church to be confident in living and speaking the gospel, and being compassionate in serving communities. He was delivering a lecture in Westminster hosted by Premier Christian Media Trust and titled 'Building Jerusalem in England's green and pleasant land'. ‘There is no Christian vision without a recovery of prayer,’ he said. ‘One of the weaknesses of the contemporary church is that it gives its members very little help in how to pray.’ In addition to the need for prayer, Dr Chartres also mentioned how ‘re-engaging with the Bible’ is also essential in creating a ‘fresh Christian vision’. ‘All renewal movements within the history of the Church have been associated with a fresh engagement with Scripture,’ he continued.
Pray: that the Church will take up the challenge and engage in prayer. (Ps.54:2)
Buckingham Palace dragged into row over gay marriage in Parliament
Buckingham Palace is being consulted over proposals to change a historic Parliamentary chapel into a multi-denominational room so that it can be used to conduct same sex marriages. MP Chris Bryant proposed that St Mary Undercroft in Westminster be turned into a ‘multi-faith’ space to allow some minority groups to perform same sex weddings in Parliament. The move would require the Church of England to break its ties with the Anglican chapel through legislation brought forward by Parliament or the Church’s General Synod. The demand has the support of John Bercow, the Speaker, putting him in opposition to the Archbishop of Canterbury who is being kept informed of the row by parliamentary officials. The Queen’s private secretary Sir Christopher Geidt is being consulted over the plans which are strongly backed by Equalities Minister. Permission from the Queen will be needed for the plans to go ahead due to her role as Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
Pray: the Queen will not be asked to take any action that would go against her coronation oath to maintain in the Church of England, the doctrine, worship, discipline, and government by law established in England. (ITim.2:1-4)
Safeguard Children
This article is not an advertisement for the Sunday Times Campaign to Safeguard Children, however the initiative needs our prayers to protect it as it gains momentum across the nation. The grim statistics of Child pornography are 36% of the internet is pornography; 1 in 4 search queries is about porn; A third of all downloads are porn; Online porn makes $3,000 a second; Latest child victim is 16 year old Charlie Booth who shot himself after receiving a police warning for sexting a girl. Following on from their Symposium last week, The Sunday Times launched a campaign to safeguard children from online pornography. This is intended to increase public pressure on the Government as it goes into talks with the search engines and Internet Service Providers (ISP's): there was a Summit hosted by the Culture Secretary Maria Miller Tuesday during the G8 summit.
Pray: that the Sunday Times campaign will achieve all it has set out to do, pray also for the Culture Secretary Rt.Hon Maria Miller as she speaks out on this issue. (Ps12:6-8)
More: http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/2013/06/19/safermedia-campaign-to-safeguard-children/
Pray for the Armed Forces
The senior chaplains in the Armed Forces, together with the Armed Forces, bishops are encouraging congregations throughout the country to remember the men and women of the Armed Forces in their prayers, particularly on the Sunday after the Armed Forces Day. This is an important development of the vision of the Military Christian Organisations to get the nation praying, individually, in organisations, fellowships and churches in intercession for our Armed Forces and in support of our Chaplains. We are asked to pray that Churches throughout the nation will include prayer for the Armed Forces on Sunday 30 June following the Armed Forces Day and that this will become set into the church calendar.
Pray: for a nation-wide focus on the Armed Forces during the week leading up to this day and that Christians throughout the country will be praying daily for them. (1Th 5:16-18)
More: http://www.afcu.org.uk/docs/prayer_sheet_2013.pdf
Increase in sexually transmitted infections in 2012
Last year saw a five per cent increase in new diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections. According to data published by Public Health England today, figures rose from 428,255 in 2011 to 448,422 in 2012. PHE said the increase was mostly due to improved data collection. However, it warned that the continuing high rates of STI in England ‘suggest too many people are still putting themselves at risk through unsafe sex’. It said this was particularly the case among young adults and men who have sex with men (MSM). With 206,912 new diagnoses last year, chlamydia remains the most common STI diagnosis. New cases of gonorrhoea rose 21% overall, from 21,024 in 2011 to 25,525 in 2012. The MSM community saw a 37% increase in gonorrhoea diagnoses. Under-25s experienced the highest rates of STI, accounting for 64% of chlamydia and 54% of genital warts diagnoses among heterosexuals in 2012.
Pray: that this growth in STI’s will be reversed. (Ps.38:3)
More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/increase.in.sexually.transmitted.infections.in.2012/32763.htm
France: Mayor faces jail for gay wedding refusal
A French mayor is facing up to five years in prison and a fine of up to £63,000 for declining to carry out a same-sex marriage. Jean-Michel Colo, a mayor in South West France, rejected a wedding application from two men and says he stands by his decision. But under French law, discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation can be punishable by up to half a decade in prison and up to a 75,000 Euro fine. He could also be removed from office, or face suspension over the move – which is being supported by his deputies. Mayor Colo said while it is up to individuals what they do in the privacy of their own homes, ‘if you ask me as the mayor to support it, then I am very uncomfortable with it’. Speaking to a French newspaper, the French Interior Minister said elected officials ‘who do not respect the laws of the republic will risk significant sanctions’. (See Prayer Alert 17-2013)
Pray: for Jean-Michel that he will be given the strength to stand by his decision and receive support for his beliefs. (Lev.20.13a)
More: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/france-mayor-faces-jail-for-gay-wedding-refusal/