‘If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?’ (Psalm 11:3) Beneath the turmoil and conflict in nation and church is a crumbling of the biblical foundations that have supported both through many centuries. As we teeter on the edge of an abyss, pray that believers will be able to see beyond the news and understand the time from the Lord’s perspective. Pray that He will call out a faithful remnant characterised by radical discipleship, loving fellowship, and humble service. Pray for rural believers to understand their calling to light beacons of prayer and make places of sanctuary. Britain’s green and pleasant land has a dark side which is getting darker. While overall crime rates are falling, drug crime is increasing in small towns and villages. According to NFU Mutual, rural crime hit a seven-year high in 2018, with farmers bearing the brunt. Pray to the Father to deliver us from evil, and for His peace to reign in the countryside.

1 October was ‘The International Day of Older Persons’, a day to remind people to stand against ageism and promote a society hospitable to all ages. Older people play a significant role in society as leaders, caretakers and custodians of tradition. They are also vulnerable, with many falling into poverty, becoming disabled, or facing discrimination. As health care improves, the number of older people is growing. Their needs are also growing, as are their contributions to the world. Louise Morse from Pilgrim’s Friends Society says that ageism is also a problem within churches where there is a pastor for younger people, a youth worker, but nothing to make reality of the ideas of older people. ‘If you think about it, God takes the whole of our lives to hone in us the attributes that older people have.’

A BBC teaching video states that there are 100, if not more, gender identities as well as male and female. Among the ‘trusted adult’ speakers is transgender activist Leo Lardie, and the 9- to 11- year- olds appear uncomfortable as she talks about her genitals. She says that people who criticise transgenderism ‘don’t know any better yet’. A gay head teacher tells the youngsters they should not just accept differences between people but ‘celebrate them’. Finally, the children are threatened into conforming by being told that ‘people can go to prison if it is shown they’re disrespecting or being hateful to people because of a difference that person perceives’. Coalition for Marriage said, ‘These claims are nonsensical. The video series is supposed to help teachers deal with sensitive subjects in age-appropriate and honest ways. It does neither.’ Meanwhile a Christian mother is mobilising parents against LGBT lessons.

A study by religious education teachers has reported more schools failing to meet UK legal requirements around religious education provision. 40% of community schools without a religious character failed to meet requirements to provide RE, up from 34% last year. 50% of academy schools with a religious character skipped RE provision for ages 14 to 16. UK state schools are required to provide RE lessons to everyone, regardless of whether they have chosen the subject for GCSE. However, 64% of age 14-15 and 59% of age 13-14 had received no RE at Key Stage 4. Many schools were getting away with making no RE provision because of ‘failing’ accountability structures. In some schools where RE was provided, parents took steps to remove their children from the lessons. 80% of schools did not plan to make GCSE RE short course entries in the 2018/19 academic year.

In an attempt to be more 'inclusive', North Somerset Council voted last week to abolish its Christian prayers before council meetings, also rejecting a proposal to replace them with a period of ‘reflection’. Christian Legal Centre's Michael Phillips commented ahead of the vote, ‘If we remove every last vestige of Christianity, we are really left with nothing. When we turn our backs on what is good, we are left in a complete and utter mess.’

For years Albania was closed to the gospel. Many see concentrated prayer and intercession as major reasons why it is now open for ministry and scripture translation is being undertaken. There are three complete translations of the Bible in Albanian; one literal, one paraphrased, and one Catholic. The NT has been retranslated into modern Albanian, and a new OT translation is under way. Pray for accuracy, timely completion, and widespread use of the Scriptures. Religious literature from many faiths flooded the country after Communism fell. Christian books are now published there, but there are very few Christian bookstores. Pray for the impact of useful Christian books and literature, and outlets for their circulation.

13,000 people are crammed into a facility designed for 3,000. The UN has called for migrants to be transferred immediately from the squalid Moria camp on Lesbos to the mainland after a fire killed a mother and child. Lesbos lies in sight of Turkey’s coastline. As quickly as people are transferred to Greece’s mainland, more asylum-seekers arrive from Turkey. On 29 September a blaze consumed shipping containers where families are housed. A woman and child died in the fire, and 17 people were hurt. Clashes erupted between migrants and police, who fired tear gas to control the chaos. Humanitarian organisations condemn the conditions at the camp, where many are sleeping in tents in olive groves. Pray for the police and authorities to respect and care for migrants who have covered dangerous terrain to get as far as Greece, and then been made to live in conditions described as ‘critical’.

A prayer walk along the former east-west border is being undertaken by German intercessors, from 3 October to 9 November, with the slogan ‘From a lifeless divide to a new lifeline’. The walk will take place along two routes, one from the north and one from the south, to a central meeting point. Its aim is to thank God for freedom and unity, and to pray for further reconciliation and understanding between former East and West Germany.

Sudan’s dominant religion is Islam, and it ranks 6th in the persecution table. Almost 50% of the population live below the poverty line. President al-Bashir was forced to step down after thirty years in power marked by oppression, genocide, and human rights abuses. The military now rule the country, and sharia law throughout the country allows stoning and amputations as punishments. Bashir’s military was responsible for bombing Christian civilians in the Nuba mountains. Christians are often subject to brutal treatment from the surrounding culture and from authorities; conversion from Islam to Christianity is punishable by death. Church buildings are regularly attacked and burned. The Christian community in Sudan is waiting and watching the uncertain future under military law. Pray for God to work in the hearts of Sudanese leaders, convicting them to seek justice and peace through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The ancient Silk Road connected east and southeast Asia with Iran, the Arabian Peninsula, East Africa, and Southern Europe. Recently, after Central Asian pastors and leaders fasted and prayed for three days, a vision to raise up strong, unified, consistent prayer for this region of the world was ignited. With Central Asian Consultation, they are launching ‘Silk Road Prayer’, sending out regular prayer updates with specific information on how to pray for current needs in the region, and using social media to spread information for focused prayer. Intercessors everywhere are invited to join them in this effort to see God move in a new and unprecedented way along the ancient Silk Road. May believers and churches facing persecution across the region have His great strength to stand strong. Current needs are for churches in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to have registration to meet freely without persecution and a Kazakh church to have justice in a court case.