The Bible has been translated into more languages than any other book, yet the history of Bible translations is contentious and bloody. Many translators were burned at the stake. Today Islam is spreading, and in some countries Bibles are a rare commodity. Please pray for people groups without a Bible in their mother tongue. Pray for organisations like the Bible Society, Wycliffe, and many others translating and distributing God's Word. May the translators have Holy Spirit discernment to accurately depict the original text into the various cultures and dialects. Pray for those publishing scriptures in print, audio, visual, braille, technical devices and various advanced layouts. May the distribution avenues they use be unobstructed. Pray also for God's protection for Christians being persecuted for living by God’s word in hostile dangerous environments. May all believers have safe spaces in which to study, grow in their faith, and share God's teaching.

A shopper grumbled while returning a loaf of bread to a rack - the price had jumped by a third. Nearby a half-mile queue of cars waited at an empty petrol station hoping for a delivery. Zimbabwe has an economic crisis. Basic goods prices rise weekly as the value of the Zimbabwean dollar tumbles. Inflation was 785.6% in April, and poverty is deepening. UN aid agencies reported that 7.7 million people, half of the population, require food assistance. A loaf of bread went up 36% last month, and last week a 22-pound sack of cornmeal jumped 30%. Fuel soared by 152% recently; a similar rise in 2019 sparked national demonstrations and deaths. ‘Things cannot continue this way. These people should just admit they have failed,’ said a Harare resident, referring to President Mnangagwa’s government which took power pledging to revive the economy. Pray for food aid to reach the hungry.

China has passed a controversial national security legislation for Hong Kong that will cover acts of ‘secession, subversion, terrorism and interference by foreign powers in the territory's internal affairs’ while allowing mainland China’s intelligence agencies to establish themselves there. Critics say this will outlaw dissent and destroy the autonomy and freedoms promised in the Sino-GB agreement when Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997. The draft of the law was announced on the anniversary of this event, symbolically implying that China is in charge and its leaders will do whatever they deem necessary to protect Hong Kong. On 1 July police fired water cannon and tear gas while arresting 300+ people protesting in defiance of the sweeping legislation, and a ‘dissident’ was arrested at the airport before boarding a plane to the UK. Amnesty International warned, ‘China's aim is to govern Hong Kong through fear from this point forward’. 

During the last 25 years thousands of new followers of Christ have been born among peoples who were historically starved of the gospel. These mass turnings to Christ are happening among Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist peoples through natural networks of family, household, and friendship. The gospel is introduced through a person with an abundance of natural links in the community, often called a ‘person of peace’. Discipleship is learnt in groups meeting to discuss the scriptures and seeking to obey Christ. Each person is taught to reproduce the discipleship process in their own networks. Living out the Kingdom by serving others is seen as important in glorifying God and in reducing hostility to the message. Praise God that many thousands of people are meeting Christ in Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist communities. Pray for church-planting initiatives around the world to be channels of grace.

A Venezuelan activist has warned Americans that torching and toppling historical statues could be dangerous. She noted that destructive behaviour toward significant figures such as George Washington, Christopher Columbus, and Abraham Lincoln, is an effort to destroy a national identity. When she was a teenager in Venezuela statues came down because Chavez didn't want Venezuela’s history displayed. Then he changed the street names, school curriculum and some movies couldn't be shown on TV. Meanwhile, the USA’s top infectious disease expert warned, ‘Over recent days we've seen a pandemic spike well beyond the worst previous ones. We’ve got to get that under control or we risk an even greater outbreak.’

Oil pollution accumulates in the air, in the soil, and in people’s bodies. When it reaches a certain level, it causes illness or death. The Kurds of northeast Syria were valiant against IS, but today they face a potentially even more deadly scourge, putting the lives of four million local residents at risk. Syria’s contested crude oil is leaking from dilapidated pipelines and contaminating rivers and streams. When the rivers flood, as they did in April, they spread their poison over agricultural crops, just as thousands of rudimentary refineries belch their own toxic fumes into the air. Sporadic protests have resulted in makeshift refineries being shut down, only for them to pop up elsewhere. Locals in affected areas say that many dangerous illnesses caused by the pollution are multiplying. Residents requested anonymity, fearing retribution from authorities - a telling sign of how caustic the danger is.

Hundreds of thousands of protesters brought sweeping change to their government in 2018 blaring the music of Hachalu Hundessa, a popular activist singing for the liberation and empowerment of the largest ethnic group - the Oromo. Now 34-year old Hundessa has been gunned down in Addis Ababa, causing massive new protests. By 2 July over 80 were dead. The internet has been cut nationwide. The prime minister, praising the singer, called for calm. Authorities say suspects are in custody, but beyond that little is known about what happened. In a deeply fragmented nation of 105 million people, coronavirus has forced the postponement of August’s national elections. Ethiopians, already in heightened social tension and economic uncertainty, now have to wait until next year to express their grievances and preferences through normal political channels.

‘As soon as the outbreak of the virus was announced, we stopped all our face-to-face meetings,’ says a secret Iranian believer. ‘In this time of crisis, we have had more than ten hours of prayer meetings every day. We created a special prayer schedule that we call “Frontline”, where prayer members can virtually walk in and out to come to pray together.’ Open Doors partners gave them online resources. But their situation is dire. Inflation is so high that people cannot afford to buy meat, poultry, or fruit. In these dark times for the country, the underground church is shining brightly. They share their food and sanitary items with their communities. Church members feel blessed to be able to do this work: ‘The distribution was a fabulous and unbelievable experience. People were astonished when we gave them the food - praising God with thanksgiving psalms, crying, hugging, and shouting.’

Deshu writes, ‘I was born and raised in a Hindu family, all totally involved in idol worship. I suffered greatly from demonic attacks. I tried all kinds of medical treatments and made lots of sacrifices to our idols, but none of it helped. My neighbours who are followers of Jesus began to share with me and encourage me. I visited when a group gathered in their home to worship Jesus. They were all wonderful people and they prayed for my healing. The Lord answered their prayers and I was miraculously delivered from the demonic attacks. He became so real to me. I have placed my faith in Christ alone and have been baptised. I am so thankful to the Lord for His healing power and salvation. Please pray for me as I desire to see others find eternal freedom in Jesus.’

Ruth Coghill, facing an unexpected pregnancy in her 40s, was offered an abortion by her doctor. ‘He let my husband and me know that it was now our choice whether we wanted to abort our baby. When I went home, I could not get that out of my mind. It was just not in my frame of reference. We had three beautiful children, and I had never been asked that. Was it just because of my age? What was this all about? Then I began to wonder; what would I have done if Bob hadn't been with me? What if I hadn't had somebody who loved me who was going to help me raise this child? All of these questions started coming to my mind. But I let it go, and our beautiful boy was born.’ Ruth chose life.