It is estimated that between 50,000 and 70,000 Christians are imprisoned in horrific labour camps in North Korea. Hea Woo was held in one such camp. When she arrived, she saw a sign there saying, ‘Do not try to escape, you will be killed’. She said they mercilessly kicked her and beat her. ‘Death was a part of our daily life. The bodies were usually burned and the guards scattered the ashes on the path we walked down every day. I always thought, one day the other prisoners will be walking over me. God helped me to survive. He gave me a desire to evangelise among the other prisoners! He showed me whom I should approach. God used me to lead five people to faith. We met secretly, often in the toilet, because it was so disgusting that the guards never went there. I taught them Bible verses and songs. We sang noiselessly.’

49% of Jordanian mothers do not want to give birth again, according to a survey of 19,000+ households. The study results were shared on Facebook, generating mixed reactions. While some raised concern on feminist issues, most comments took a financial turn. More than often, men and women agreed that ‘the challenging financial situation’ is enough of a reason to stop them from having more than two children. Pray for these mothers to find the means to provide for their children (Mark 7:27). We can praise God for parents who have the heart to protect and keep them safe. Pray also that all children will receive help and assistance for their education.

The Festival of Life, a bi-annual event at the ExCeL exhibition centre, follows a vision given to Pastor Adeboye to organise a Holy Ghost all-night miracle service. The format has been repeated in many different countries, gathering Christians together for a night of fellowship, praise and prayers. An estimated 40,000 attended this year - the largest gathering of believers in the UK. The festival brings together people of diverse backgrounds, nationalities and denominations.

Finding Biblical figures and saints is the challenge posed to users of a new Catholic mobile game which echoes the Pokémon Go app. Rather than pursuing Japanese monsters, players seek out Biblical characters and recruit them to join their own 'evangelisation team' - if they correctly answer Bible-based questions. The game, which is free to download for smartphone users, incorporates augmented reality and geo-location technology, allowing users to progress through the game as they walk about in real life. It was developed ahead of a visit by Pope Francis to Panama next year for World Youth Day.

A Syrian SAT-7 team recently found churches full of displaced people learning about Jesus for the first time. Almost a thousand children, including hundreds from non-Christian backgrounds, gathered in Tartus, Bloudan, and As-Suwayda to see ‘Family of Jesus’, a children’s show of music, teaching biblical values and prayer. In Bloudan 200 children were so excited and happy to see the team they didn’t want to leave, but church leaders made them go straight after the service for their safety. The congregation in As-Suwayda was almost entirely Druze people, most of the Christians having fled Syria. In Tartus the team sang, prayed and filmed with 300 Alawite children, hungry for the word of God. The churches are crowded with new believers.

These are crucial days, and God is stirring His church. As previously reported (see ), the Pray for Scotland network has introduced a 24-hour prayer rota for churches to sign up and commit to pray for unity on 30 November (St Andrew’s Day). Across the nation, spontaneous days of prayer have been happening recently. No one knows what the Brexit outcome will be - but we know the One who has the answer! This is not a time to wait until the storm blows over. It is a time to battle for our nation - on our knees,crying out for His forgiveness and mercy and calling forth a fresh move of His Spirit to revive His Church and transform our communities.

The results of a survey of evangelical Christians by Ligonier Ministries show that the ongoing gospel ministry of local churches across Britain is absolutely vital. When asked whether the resurrection of Jesus actually occurred, one-third replied, ‘I don’t know.’ Even worse, 37% of those surveyed didn’t know whether God counts a person as righteous because of their own works or because of faith in Jesus Christ alone. Sinclair Ferguson, a Ligonier teaching fellow and associate preacher at St Peter’s Dundee, commented: ‘The results of this new survey show conclusively what we have sensed for years: the biblical teaching that once shaped British life now lies largely forgotten, ignored, or demeaned. Very few of our neighbours have ever heard about who Jesus Christ really is, and what he accomplished on the cross. This is surely a time to take every opportunity to share the gospel as the power of God for salvation.’ However, doubts have been expressed about the validity of this survey, given that it was based on a sample of only 132 people.

MPs are saying ‘women and girls across the UK face ‘relentless’ harassment on the streets, and not enough is being done to stop it.’ The members of the Women and Equalities Committee found it had become ‘normalised’ for girls growing up to experience harassment. They are calling for the government to tackle it. Harassment - from being shouted at and cat-called through to sexual assaults - is happening on transport, in bars and clubs, on online spaces, at universities, in parks, on the streets, and even on school buses. One 12-year-old on her school bus experienced boys pushing her off her seat, spitting at her, and calling her a slut. Pray for schools, youth clubs, and all meeting places for young people to re-educate boys about ‘how to treat girls’, so that acceptable behaviour is learned and practised as they mature.

Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman on death row in Pakistan, has urged Christians in the UK to pray for her. The message was conveyed by her husband Ashiq, who has travelled to the UK to highlight her plight. He said to Premier, ‘She told me that the community must remember her in their prayers because this is an international country. I need international pressure for the release of Aasia Bibi.’ He said her incarceration since 2009 has spelt nine years of suffering for the whole family. He added, ‘She always has said that Jesus is her life and she is living in the name of Jesus, and trusting that he will help her.’ For further information about Aasia’s case, see

The scramble to build new homes in England is producing large housing estates which are being built next to bypasses and link roads. There are no shops, no pub, no doctor, no school, no church, and no jobs; they are too far out of town to walk or cycle, and they lack good local buses. Car travel is the only option. Researchers from a new green group, Transport for New Homes, backed by the RAC Foundation, visited over twenty new housing estates across England and said, ‘We were appalled to find so many new housing developments built around the car, with residents driving for almost every journey. Those cars head for towns and cities clogging up existing roads. Commuter times get longer and longer. Car-based living of this kind is not good for our health or quality of life.’ Also in some estates there is nowhere to park in front of houses, so owners have to park on pavements.