In Buenos Aires, Argentina, hospital doctors have found no explanation for the quick recovery of Martin Chain, a three-year-old boy who fell from the ninth floor when he was playing on the balcony of his apartment. The accident left the boy on the verge of death. However, he only took twenty days to recover and shows no signs of long-term complications. Florencia, his mother, said that in face of her son's serious condition they didn't stop praying. 'One day while I was singing him a song to the Virgin, he woke up.' From that moment, Martin began to recover. He first went to intermediate care, then they took him off the respirator, and finally he was discharged. The doctor said, 'There are times that for us professionals, there's nothing left but to put ourselves in God's hands. I'm Catholic, and I believe that miracles exist. Something happened there.'

In 2010, an Iraqi pastor miraculously survived a car bomb. 'Every part of my car was destroyed except for my seat. I had no scratches. The car was in flames, but I wasn't burned. I found pieces of glass in my hair and four parts of the bomb in the scarf I had around my neck. As if a scarf could stop a bomb. Nothing touched me, I lost not even a drop of blood.' The pastor knows it was God who allowed him to survive, and he believes God did so because He still had work for him to do. 'God gave me additional time. He put his stamp on my ministry, He said 'Go on.' God encouraged me that day.'Pastor Joseph now witnesses to many Muslims who are turning to Christ despite the threats they face. 'We have new blood, born-again new believers.'

What a privilege it is to be able to pray for people in our lives, especially for those who need to begin a relationship with Jesus. We have a great example in Andrew, the disciple, who brought his brother Peter to Jesus, the Messiah. Through them, many others met with Jesus and had their lives transformed.

(written by Yioula Taliadorou, JustOne)

In this season of shaking and change God is calling intercessors, waking up prayer warriors, and reminding us that the real battles and dangers we face are not flesh and blood. The challenges we see are real, but they are animated by unseen dark spiritual forces influencing society. NOW is the time for the church to have spiritual eyes opened, seeing beyond the natural; and spiritual ears opened to hear God's leading for Spirit-led prayers. NOW is the time for humble prayers of repentance on behalf of our nation, prayers that will prepare the way for God's plans of redemption, and restoration to all that has been damaged or destroyed. NOW is the time to pray for Christians in parliament, commerce and industry to have increased spiritual awareness to lead the UK in God's way forward. NOW is the time for God to empower those preserving peace and detecting crime, and jettison the atmosphere of fear off the UK.

(written by Linda Digby - Prayer Alert team)

Neither Theresa May nor Nicola Sturgeon nor Arlene Foster is superhuman. They have weaknesses, faults and failings, and don't have all the answers. As God's representatives here on earth, we have a responsibility to pray regularly for those who govern us, whether we like their politics or not, if we want to 'live peaceful and quiet lives'. A key prayer is to ask God for His wisdom to guide them in their discussions, debates and decisions. If we want a government that listens, takes good advice and makes wise decisions - pray! If we want a fair and just government - pray! If we want a government that enables the country to prosper - pray! If we want a Government (and a society) that really cares for the poor, the disadvantaged, those genuinely needing the state-provided 'safety-net' - pray! If we want our nations to be safe and secure - pray!

Economic experts warn that Scotland could be entering a recession. Scottish GDP performance lags behind the rest of Britain. Experts at the Fraser of Allander Institute say that the debate about Scotland's economy could easily be side-tracked by constitutional wrangling and discussions around the prospects for a second independence referendum. They fear politicians will use Brexit as an excuse for not undertaking an urgent and frank assessment of the best policies to support the Scottish economy. On the ecclesiastical front Scotland is becoming a post-religious society, with a clear majority of people abandoning organised faith. Six out of ten Scots identify as having no religion, while dwindling congregations and other societal factors have seen scores of church buildings disappear - many now existing only in battered photographs and distant memories. See

Border Force is a new department of the Home Office, which has replaced some of the functions of the UK Border Agency. It manages UK border controls, enforcing immigration and customs regulations. We can pray for Paul Lincoln, the newly appointed director-general, that he may turn the tide of terror away from our borders. Pray for his team to work in unity with other organisations so that nothing is missed or overlooked, and for them to be aware of every hidden strategy against our safety. Pray for the teams who register all traveller services, monitor goods entering the UK, investigate immigration crime or suspicious activities at sea, and much more. May they rise up and become all that God has created them to be, so that this nation lives in peace.

The think-tank Henry Jackson Society has reported a 'clear and growing link' between Islamist organisations preaching violence in the UK and foreign state funding. It has called for a public inquiry into extremism bankrolled by several Gulf States. Saudi Arabia and Iran are responsible for much of the foreign funding of extremism in the UK; Saudi Arabia has spent millions on exporting its conservative Wahhabi Islam to Muslim communities since the 1960s. Funding takes the form of endowments to mosques and Islamic educational institutions which host radical preachers and distribute extremist literature. Running parallel with this is the fact that the Saudis are one of the main buyers of UK-made arms, with the UK Government approving £3.5bn-worth of arms exports licences to the Gulf state recently and British ministers cultivating trading relationships as the UK looks for post-Brexit trading partners.

Christianity, no matter what form it takes, has now become unacceptable to the political and media establishments. The Bishops of Ireland call it 'a kind of persecution'. Viewed from a distance, anti-Christian activity might seem to have undergone merely an increase in intensity. But a closer inspection reveals that something more fundamental has changed. It is more subtle, taking the form of gradual exclusion of Church people or Christian activities from the public space. There is denigration of religious beliefs, practices and institutions on radio, television and on social and other media. There is often a focus on bad news about the Church, to the almost total exclusion of good news. The message is clear, in Ireland and in Britain alike: the persecution of the Christian faith has been ratcheted up a notch.

Emmanuel Macron will now have to set his mandate: give way to demonstrators, or forcefully implement his manifesto? Which is worse, a massive budget deficit or cuts in social spending? Should he give way to human rights lobbying for accommodation for Calais refugees, or be hard-headed (because housing them might just encourages more)? On these and a host of other questions, no-one knows his thinking. His rule is different from all that went before. His party didn't exist until he dreamed it up last year. Not since Charles de Gaulle, in 1958, has a head of state had such a powerful majority of men and women who depend on him. Half the new parliamentarians will need lessons (literally) in how to do their jobs as they tackle 10% unemployment - nearly 25% among under-25s; bloated public spending (56% of GDP, compared with 44% in Germany and 39% in the UK); and low economic growth.