Behind the facade of a ‘tropical paradise’ are tragic realities: the highest divorce rate in the world, rising crime, widespread child abuse, pervasive drug use and over 200 young people joining IS.  All citizens are required to be Muslim. There are no churches, and there is no official access to God’s Word.  The Gospel of Luke and Acts are currently available in Dhivehi, but are not permitted to enter the country. No mission work or Christian literature has ever been legally allowed within the islands. Widespread traditional beliefs in spirits combined with Islam leave many almost entirely untouched by the Gospel, trapped in fear and without access to Jesus. Pray for miraculous opportunities for Maldivians to hear the Gospel, and that the government's attempts to silence it may instead raise up a Maldivian church.

A Catholic school district in Ontario has cancelled a gender identity play, ‘Boys, Girls and Other Mythological Creatures’ aimed at children aged 5 to 10. The play was booked for five elementary schools, but school officials raised concerns and cancelled the showings. The artistic director said the cancellations were based on misinformation, intolerance, transphobia, homophobia and misogyny. The play centres on an eight-year-old boy, Simon, who believes he’s a girl named Simone. Pope Francis expressed outrage, saying, ‘Today children - children! - are taught in school that everyone can choose his or her sex.  And this is terrible!’ See also Prayer Alert British Isles article 7.

An executive order by President Trump last week fell short of what many had hoped for and drew widespread criticism. ‘The executive order on the whole looks to accomplish very little of substance, against the backdrop of a lot of show,’ said a professor of law and religion. Trump supporters argued that it was a first step in a multistep process that will lead to accomplishing all religious freedom objectives. Trump did nothing to address conflicts between gay rights advocates and Christian bakers or photographers who do not want to provide services for same-sex weddings.

A prayer leader writes: ‘Many were praying for safety and no attacks during the Easter days. NL was a medical student who got involved with Daesh in Hyderabad and married a terrorist. Three days before Easter they went to Lahore, intending to bomb a big church, but a relative informed the police, saying she was acting strangely. The police followed this lead, and there was a shootout with the couple. The husband was killed, but NL was taken alive. The church was safe. Also on a more spiritual theme, at the medical school in Hyderabad one girl who had attended our prayer seminars decided to start a 24/7 prayer group in Hyderabad with medical students attending. It has become so strong that women from the outside asked to join, and it now has 150+ members.’

United Christian Broadcasting (UCB) Prayerline is a confidential service available to anyone, whoever they are and whatever their background. Christian volunteers take phone calls and pray with the callers over issues they are facing. Premier Christian Radio also have a telephone lifeline; trained volunteers create a confidential, anonymous place for people to talk about and pray into whatever they wish, without judgment or rejection. They could be worried about losing jobs, young people who do not know what to do next, people needing prayer for healing, those with money worries or family worries, or those who want to know more about what God can do in their lives. These are not counselling or advice services; it’s all about prayer and asking God for help. See also

Pastor Paul, director of Bibles for Mideast, writes: ‘My risen Lord Jesus Christ has saved my life once again, and I praise and thank God for His unspeakable grace! Certainly, I am not worthy of it. The Assembly of Loving God Church of Bibles for Mideast started praying and fasting from 13 March to 2 April. As that period ended, over three thousand former Muslims were baptised in our churches in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. The Lord enabled me to baptise many people during this time. Then three weeks later, when I was changing after an early-morning baptism, militants began stoning our group. Although we were injured, God protected us from much worse.’

After Jesus’ ascension the apostles returned to Jerusalem to pray, and ten days later at Pentecost the Holy Spirit was released and the church was born. ‘Thy Kingdom Come 2017’ invites Christians to make a lasting difference in our nations and in our world by responding to Jesus’ call to find a deep unity of purpose in prayer.

(written by Jane Holloway, World Prayer Centre; Thy Kingdom Come)

The main political parties have published their manifestos, and leaders have taken to the airwaves to define their ideas and criticise those of their opponents. There is a degree of common ground between Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat proposals on health. With the population living longer and more people living with long-term conditions, more seamless care will become a central challenge in the next parliament. Funding for social care for the elderly and vulnerable has been cut by 16 % recently. Although the Care Act brings clarity and consistency to social care entitlements, it will not end social care rationing. All three manifestos promote the importance of joined-up care, particularly for the elderly and chronically ill. We can praise God that this need is recognised, and pray that positive pledges will be implemented now that all parties have got the message that the NHS needs additional funding to survive.

Rev Gavin Ashenden, one of 33 chaplains to the Queen, had become involved in a controversy because he openly criticised the reading of the Qu’ran in an Epiphany church service in which Muslims took part. During the service, which celebrated the wise men’s visit to Bethlehem and their acknowledgment of Jesus being God in human form, passages from the Qu’ran were read in Arabic stating that Jesus was not the Son of God. Rev Ashenden said he needed to resign from his post to avoid any misunderstanding that his statements were said on behalf of the Queen. He added, ‘I think it a higher and more compelling duty to speak out on behalf of the faith than to retain a public honour which precludes me doing so at this time.’

Global Mapping International (GMI) will close on 30 June - three decades after it began as a two-year global mapping project. ‘We thought we’d get it done in two years,’ GMI president and CEO Jon Hirst said. ‘Then we realised that the nature of gathering information for the Great Commission was never-ending. That led to us becoming an independent research organisation supporting the global Church.’ Its publication Operation World and other resources have helped foreign missionaries become more effective, with custom maps, infographics, etc. Hirst said that a changing approach to mission and funding structure has forced GMI to close. The need for independent mission research hasn’t disappeared, and he hopes a new group will step forward to take it up. He said, ‘God blesses causes and people, He doesn’t bless organisations. The structures of the 20th century won’t always be able to withstand the changes of the 21st.’ Before closing, GMI will give away all its research.