The Maute group, an Islamic extremist group linked to IS, captured nine Christians, tied their hands together and shot them dead in Marawi city, according to the Mail Online. Images circulated online show the Christians lying dead face-down in the grass. Reports say villagers are too afraid to move the bodies because terrorists are still in the area. News of the murders comes just days after the same group captured a Catholic priest, Father Teresito Suganob, the church’s secretary, two working students, and a number of parishioners. The militants are holding their hostages at an undisclosed location. They also set fire to the cathedral in Marawi. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines urged the government to make the safety of the hostages top priority.

Monday’s devastating attack in Manchester can cause us to think that there is nothing good in the world. It can feel paralysing not to be able to do anything, but it is good for the soul to hear of small kindnesses. In between spreading fake news, social media has been filled with examples of helpers supporting the emergency services, and their community. Here are some examples:. #RoomForManchester saw people and hotels offering up their spare beds. #Anybody stuck in Manchester tonight I have a spare room and I just made some really nice soup. #I live 5 mins from the Manchester Arena. I have sofa bed, food/drink and phone chargers if anyone needs any help. Cabbies offered their services free to get people back to where they needed to be; some even drove from Liverpool to help. People queued to donate blood, or brewed tea for the police and emergency services still on call.

Last Monday In Rome, thousands of Italians marched against abortion and euthanasia at their annual March for Life. Participants included Cardinal Raymond Burke, Bishop Athanasius Schneider of Kazakhstan, and Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, former Apostolic Nuncio to the USA. The march is ‘taking on a life of its own,’ said a commentator. There were various groups of priests, Franciscan friars, youth groups, families, a group of bagpipers from Tradition, Family, Property, the Italian branch of Rachel's Vineyard, and many other Christian organisations. The march ended with a rally at which abortion survivor Gianna Jessen urged pro-lifers to be ‘unashamed of Jesus’.

A declaration posted on Passion for the Nation states, ‘In the Name of Jesus, we release hope, healing and comfort to all those affected by Monday's terrorist attack: victims, families, young people and all the emergency services. We come into agreement with God’s word in Job 22:28, ‘You shall declare a thing and it shall be established’. As Your Ekklesia, we stand and declare over our nation that ‘God’s plans are for good and not for evil’. In the Name of Jesus, we enforce God’s original plans for peace, mercy and hope over and against every plan and purpose of Satan to bring death or destruction and we declare this nation will be a place of safety. We declare that You, Lord God, are the one in whom we put our trust. We declare to every enemy cell, group, network and structure that exists within our communities, regions and nation – your relationships will falter, arguments and disagreements will increase and funding structures, recruitment structures and internet connections will dissolve.’

Prayer happens when we have a challenge we can’t meet by our own resources. As none of us has the resources to bring someone to faith in Jesus Christ, we have to ask the Holy Spirit for help. Thy Kingdom Come is an invitation to do just that - so that through our witness others can come to know Jesus Christ.

(written by the Thy Kingdom Come team)

The UK terror threat is at its highest level of ‘critical’ after the Manchester bombing. There are fears that more attacks may be imminent. IS praised the Manchester bomber, and promised ‘more severe attacks on the worshippers of the Cross and their allies’. Pray for secular and Christian event organisers as they work with police and paramilitaries reviewing security ahead of the summer season of celebrations. Pray for the stalls of exhibitors to hold no secret devices, and for tent event activities and outdoor celebrations to be unhindered - for example at the ten-day Hay Festival, from 25 May to 4 June, which draws crowds of thousands. See

Every election is important, and many believe this next government will be strategic in this season of praying and working towards a harvest. Across the UK we are seeing significant numbers of people becoming Christians, more unity between churches and organisations, and people of other faiths having visions of Jesus. But there is growing uncertainty, with more mental health issues, homelessness, poverty, addiction, and broken families. Elections are contested spiritually. Satan will be resisting God’s sovereign purpose. It is time to pray that our extraordinary, merciful Father will touch our nations. Paul reminds us that it is God’s plan to have the right people in authority to enable people to be saved (1Timothy 2:1-4). With this in mind the World Prayer Centre has put together a document with prayer points for each day from 25 May to 12 June. To access this resource click the ‘More’ link.

One in eight young people seeking asylum in the UK are from the impoverished Balkan state of Albania. There is little to do in Skenderbeu, a remote town in the mountains where jobs are few and poverty rife. Edison sees only one way out: ‘I want to go to England for a better life. I’ll do any work. My brother and my friends have already gone. I’m jealous. This is my dream.’ His brother left the town four years ago, one of hundreds of boys from this region - some as young as thirteen - whose families pay thousands of pounds to people-smugglers to take them to Britain. Every family seems to have at least one relative in London, many of whom end up working illegally on building sites or in car washes. The little town survives on money sent from Britain. Officials estimate youth unemployment in Albania could be as high at 80%.

The main parties have published their policies. But how many voters will read the manifestos? Prophecy Today has highlighted things that reveal the spirit behind their promises. Two of the social issues cropping up across all three are extending sex education to all children and promoting LGBT+ lifestyles. The Conservatives ‘will introduce comprehensive relationships and sex education in all primary and secondary schools’. Labour will ‘make age-appropriate sex and relationship education a compulsory part of the curriculum, and ensure all teachers receive ongoing training on how to address relationships and sex education that is LGBT inclusive.’ The Liberal Democrats will ‘include teaching about sexual consent, LGBT+ relationships, and issues surrounding explicit images and content’. For further insights into how the parties will tackle hate crime, strengthen equalities laws, and promote humanist values, click the ‘More’ button.

The latest Office for National Statistics report shows increases in high-harm / small-volume violent crime. On the day it was released, a Londoner received critical stab wounds to his head while trying to stop a robbery. Londoners fear that they are in the midst of a crime wave. ‘The demographic of hospital patients is changing from a night-time activity involving drugs and a dark alley to attacks in broad daylight. It’s no longer unusual to go to stabbings of schoolchildren outside their schools in daylight hours,’ said an Air Ambulance medical director. Scotland Yard has set up a specialist task force to combat the problem, with community leaders claiming that some children as young as six are carrying knives. So far this year, thirty people have been stabbed to death in London, a rise of almost a third. 300 knives were seized in seven days by officers across the capital. See