Kenya: Drought: Church says lessons haven’t been learned
The Anglican Church of Kenya accused the government for failing to adequately address the famine and drought gripping the country, as the government allocated $109 million to combat drought in the north. The church blamed ‘poor planning and poor priorities’ and ‘massive underinvestment’ in agriculture, research and food security. The Kenyan government has not attained the African Union recommended target of 10% of budgeted expenditure being devoted to agriculture. The Church said the crisis reflected the government's ‘consistent failure to learn’ from previous food shortages. The Church also said, ‘This famine did not come as a surprise, the drought was predicted well in advance, but timely interventions were not made either with dams to harvest water or beefing up of strategic food reserves despite previous bumper harvests.’
Pray: for God to cause the government to make successful short and long term strategies that meet the needs of all. (Pr.16:2-3)
Sudan: Kidnapped Christian girl escapes, traumatized
Sixteen-year-old Hiba Anglo recently escaped from a gang of Muslims who kidnapped her last year, but it may be a long time before she recovers from the trauma. The kidnappers beat, raped and tried to force her to convert from Christianity to Islam. ‘They did many bad things to me,’ she said, as tears streamed down her face. ‘Several times I was warned if I don’t convert to Islam I risk losing my life. The man who imprisoned me did not allow me to pray Christian prayers and insulted my family as ‘infidels’. Hiba said that she gave the impression she had converted to Islam and was left unguarded. She fled and begged a motorist to take her to her home two hours away. Her mother said when she went to the police to open a kidnap case, officers said, ‘If you want your daughter back you should become a Muslim’.
Pray: for Hiba’s complete recovery from the trauma and for God to strengthen and protect the Sudanese believers.(Is.41:10-11)
More: http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/sudan/article_115849.html
Egypt: Christians work to stop Islamic takeover
Protesters are once again in Egypt’s streets calling for change fearing the revolution that toppled President Mubarak is in danger of being taken over by Islamists. ‘It's good news to go to the streets again to protect the revolution. The Muslim Brotherhood and the military council have hijacked the revolution,’ said Magdy Khalil, spokesman for Coptic Solidarity. Khalil and other Egyptians believe the ruling military council has made a political deal with radicals, moving Egypt toward an Islamic state no different than Mubarak's corrupt regime. ‘They are looking to protect their positions, so who can accept this position? The Muslim Brotherhood, plan to control the whole of Egypt,’ Khalil explained. He says the Brotherhood is ignoring high level corruption in exchange for power and control. Egypt's parliamentary elections will be in November but some believe more time is needed to overcome the political advantage of the better organized Muslim Brotherhood.
Pray: for God to raise up and give His wisdom to an impartial and democratic political movement that moves Egypt into her inheritance in the Lord. (Jer.29:11)
More: http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2011/July/Egypts-Christians-Work-to-Stop-Islamic-Takeover/
International: Restrictions on religion Increase
Nearly a third of the world's population live in countries where restrictions on religious beliefs and practices increased between 2006 and 2009, a new report reveals. Restrictions including social hostilities and government constraint rose in 23 of the world’s 198 countries, decreased in 12 countries and remained essentially unchanged in 163 countries. China, Egypt, France, Nigeria, Russia, Thailand, Vietnam and the United Kingdom were listed as countries where the religious are finding it more difficult to practice their faith.The report, ‘Rising Restrictions on Religion’ found that Christians were being harassed in more countries than any other faith group. Government or social harassment was reported against Christians in 130 countries. The number of countries in which governments used some measure of force against religious groups or individuals rose from 46% in the period ending 2008 to 51% in the period ending 2009.
Pray: the Church would not throw away her confidence in the Lord, and would persevere in every situation. (Heb.10:32)
More: http://www.christianpost.com/news/report-restrictions-on-religion-increased-in-23-countries-53616/
Iraq & Nigeria: Blasts near Churches
On August 3rd a car bomb outside a Catholic church in Kirkuk, Iraq, left 13 wounded as police disarmed two more car bombs targeting churches in the city. Online video images of the attack against the Holy Family Church showed a wall blasted open and broken glass, rubble and dust throughout the building. The explosion occurred on the second day of the month-long Muslim fasting period of Ramadan. See:http://www.compassdirect.org/english/country/iraq/article_115875.html In Nigeria a committee was investigating how to overcome rapidly spreading Islamic violence after two weekend bomb explosions near churches in mainly Muslim areas. The blasts rocked the city of Jos on Saturday near a Baptist Church. A second bomb exploded Sunday morning near a Church of Christ in Nigeria building and an Assemblies of God sanctuary in the Kwarrarafa Area. The explosions came a week after five were killed in violence between Muslims and Christians in Jos.
Pray: for peace and protection in churches and public gathering places and for authorities to have much wisdom and watchfulness. (Ja.3:17)
More: http://www.bosnewslife.com/17791-bomb-blasts-near-nigeria-churches
USA: Religious beliefs impact levels of worry
A recently published paper by researchers at McLean Hospital presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association in Washington urged mental health professionals to integrate patients' spiritual beliefs into their treatment regimens; especially patients who are religious. Researchers found that those who believe in a benevolent God tend to worry less and be more tolerant of life's uncertainties than those who believe in an indifferent or punishing God. ‘These findings suggest that certain spiritual beliefs are tied to intolerance of uncertainty and worry for some individuals,’ and ‘existing evidence indicates that many areas of spirituality and religion are salient predictors of psychological functioning.’
Pray: for this and similar studies to initiate Christian-based counselling programmes for mental health service providers. (1Cor.2:11)
More: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-08/mh-mhs080411.php
Horn of Africa: 12 million affected by drought
12 million people across the Horn of Africa are struggling from the worst drought in decades, with two regions in famine. At emergency talks between aid chiefs, charities and ministers last Monday discussions centred around ways to step up food supplies and deliver them to the epicentre of the famine in southern Somalia, much of which is under the control of Islamist militants. UN emergency official Cristina Amaral said the fact that children are dying of hunger is ‘immoral’, she has been warning about the crisis facing the drought-stricken region since November when the rainy season failed. Now she says it's not enough for donor countries to stump up some cash for immediate food aid - there needs to be long-term investment to help farmers resist droughts and international mediation to bring peace to war-torn Somalia. See http://www.canada.com/life/Famine+Somalia+immoral+ordinator/5151657/story.html
Pray: for herders killing livestock on which their lives depend before they die of starvation and for God’s wisdom to endow the authorities making decisions in the coming weeks. (Ps.123:2)
More: http://www.canada.com/news/famine+Somalis+flee+Mogadishu+UNHCR/5159452/story.html
Ghana: Development without foreign aid
The chairman of the Church of Pentecost, Apostle Dr. Opoku Onyina has challenged Ghanaian leaders to take the nation’s destiny into their own hands rather than rely on foreign support and aid to accelerate development. The country is naturally endowed in many areas yet still depends heavily on foreign support for development 54 years after gaining independence. He was delivering a Lecture, ‘Embedding National Missionary Initiatives’ when he said Ghana will truly be independent and develop when leaders and citizens harness the resources currently available, liberate itself from the shackles of poverty and stop the blame game; while bringing about development without foreign aid. 'It is time for politicians, religious leaders and others working for the country’s advancement to take responsibility for the current challenges,' and added, ‘The Church of Pentecost is currently growing in leaps and bounds and does not rely on foreign support.’
Pray: for the Church as they encourage Ghanaians to believe in their capabilities, pray also for self-help programmes that will stand the test of time. (Ps.127:1)
North Korea: Call to end Christian persecution
An interim petition calling for religious freedom in North Korea has over 20,000 signatures from the UK. Release International presented the petition to the North Korean embassy in London last week demanding freedom of worship to Christians, who face regular harassment and imprisoned for owning a Bible. Recent reports by human rights organisations accuse North Korea of putting 180,000 people into forced labour. There are reports that Christians face torture, starvation and execution in political prison camps. Release International support North Korean Christians who have fled their country by providing safe houses, pastoral support and health care. Those who’ve escaped describe these camps as 'hell on Earth’. Some risk being shot by border guards as they try to flee the country. Signatures are still being collected and the final petition to the North Korean embassy will be presented at the end of the campaign. See www.releaseinternational.org/petition
Pray: for millions to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves and for their voices to be heard and acted upon. (Pr.31:8,9)
More: http://www.releaseinternational.org/pages/take-action/prisoners-of-faith.php
International: Pray for persecuted Christians during Ramadan
Christians face discrimination and violence in Muslim-majority countries and Open Doors USA is asking Christians in the West to pray alongside persecuted believers in predominantly Muslim countries during Ramadan. From August 1 to the end of the month Muslims will be fasting from dawn to sunset and praying. During this time Christians are especially isolated in some Muslim-dominated countries and pressure on their beliefs increases. The end of Ramadan will be followed a fortnight
later by the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Michele Miller, Director of Open Doors Prayer Ministries, said it was vital that the church pray for both Christians and Muslims during the 9/11anniversary. The worst persecutors of Christians are Iran, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Somalia. There are difficulties for Christians also in countries considered more moderate, such as Egypt, where believers have been killed in church attacks by extremists.
Pray: for millions of hearts to be changed during Ramadan and for the 9/11 anniversary to be peacefully recognised. (Is.60:3)