Christians are facing atrocities not only from the so-called Islamic State but also 45 other different terrorist groups in Syria ;some are linked with Al-Qaeda. Since 2011 it has been clear that terrorist groups have wanted to take over and create an ‘Islamic state’. Their actions affect Muslims and the infrastructure of society as well as Christians, but Christians are worst affected. Churches were not prepared to deal with persecution or oppression and did not know how to respond, but they are catching up rapidly. At least five church networks in Syria are very involved with humanitarian aid to both Christians and non-Christians in their areas. Caring for people of other faiths was not a priority before, but now social action and evangelism are going hand in hand. Most churches are now reaching out with aid and education services for the displaced, the poor and those impacted by war. Social action is becoming a priority.

On Tuesday, justice secretary Michael Gove said his Christian faith informs his prison policies, telling critics, ‘I believe in redemption’. He was rejecting criticism from Philip Davies, who sits on the justice committee. ‘It's because I’m a Conservative I believe in the rule of law as the foundation stone of our civilisation. It's because I'm a Conservative I believe that evil must be punished. But it's because I'm a Conservative and a Christian that I believe in redemption. The purpose of our prison system is to keep people safe by making people better.’ Since May he has removed the ban on prisoners receiving books and also scrapped the criminal courts charge. He has also ditched a ministry of justice contract that would have meant the UK government was involved in constructing Saudi Arabian prisons.

‘Many Beautiful Things’ is a film about Lilias Trotter, an accomplished artist who gave up her most cherished dream as one of history’s greatest female artists to pursue her life’s true calling as a missionary in Algeria. The film makes its debut on 6 February in Washington DC, USA, with theatrical screenings taking place around the country between 7 and 14 February. The film will be available for download and DVD from March. It features the voices of Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey) and John Rhys-Davies (The Lord of the Rings) and introduces viewers to an extraordinary woman of faith who caught the eye of an art critic who promised she would become the world’s greatest living painter - but only if she gave herself completely to her art. Trotter refused. She believed God was calling her down a different path, and resolved to ‘seek first the Kingdom of God’ by becoming a missionary in Algeria.

240,000 police take care of the internal security of Germany, upholding public order and playing an important role in maintaining the trust of citizens and ensuring their safety. The influx of large numbers of refugees presents a huge challenge for the police and calls for much sensitivity and intuition. They quickly come under criticism and seldom get recognition for their service. They are exposed daily to attacks and are themselves frequently victims of crime. There is an increasing lack of respect from the public. Criticising the state and complaining about officials is now perfectly acceptable in social circles. Because of the shortage of personnel the police cannot always adequately respond to demands. Consequently danger is rising in cities and crime goes unpunished with a state of lawlessness. Upholding the law is a major challenge. Every loss of control leads to public unease. Please pray for respect for the police, and for their work to be restored. (2Pe.2:9-10)

Back in July 2015 the Gatestone Institute reported that the fastest growing refugee group in Sweden is the so-called unaccompanied refugee children. The number of children seeking asylum has exploded because children are granted asylum quicker than adults, and Sweden cannot always verify the age of these ‘children’. Refugees are allowed to bring their entire family to Sweden once they get residency status - even if they claimed to be alone in the world when they arrived. This week a 'child refugee' has been arrested, accused of murdering Swedish aid worker, Alexandra Mezher, at a shelter for unaccompanied young asylum seekers. Although claiming he is only 15, he is suspected of being an adult posing as an orphan. Alexandra is said to have earlier warned that she was caring for 'big powerful guys' aged up to 24. Miss Mezher's mother said 'orphans' at the centre often lied about their age. See also:

The Atlantic storm system brought winds gusting up to 130km/h to Northern Ireland and Ireland. Ten thousand homes and businesses were left without power after being battered by heavy winds. Road travel has been affected by fallen trees and debris while there has also been disruption to air and sea routes. In Scotland Gertrude has caused similar travel disruption: one landslide led to a 154-mile diversion. The Met Office has issued amber ‘be prepared’ and yellow ‘be aware’ warnings for Scotland and large parts of the rest of the UK with more than forty flood warnings covering areas across Scotland. Seven thousand homes across the north of Scotland have lost electricity supplies. The Met Office said the amber warning for wind across Shetland will later be upgraded to red, with gusts of 100mph expected. See also:

Over 33,000 former soldiers are thought to suffer from illnesses related to their service. The illnesses come under the title of ‘Gulf War Syndrome’ and include chronic fatigue, headaches, sleep disturbances, joint pains, irritable bowel, stomach disorders, respiratory disorders and psychological problems. The British Legion said that too little was known about the condition and the Government should fund more research into it. The Ministry of Defence said it was always open to new research proposals, but the overwhelming consensus of the scientific and medical community is that the range of symptoms is too broad for this ill-health to be characterised as a syndrome in medical terms. More than 60% of the 50,000 members of the armed forces deployed in 1991 now suffer from illnesses related to the conflict. Nearly 10,000 receive a war pension, the only financial aid any ex-service personnel with an illness due to service can get.

At present there are only a handful of Pakistani lawyers in the UK, and many Pakistani Christians desperately need shelter and refuge in Britain. The suffering of Pakistan’s Christian minority is well documented, but people are not aware of the tragic way in which many of those who muster up the courage to seek refuge in the West are turned away at the door. There is a need for the Pakistani church in Britain to work in tandem with the church in Pakistan to ensure that members of their flock know in advance what support is available for them from the church and where they can turn upon arrival in a foreign and bewildering land. For many, their poor English makes receiving guidance from a British advisor a daunting challenge. Even if they are able to find a fellow Pakistani to assist them, the advisors tend to be Muslims and so the problem of distrust arises.

Last week we highlighted Trypraying’s launch of ‘forty days of prayer’ for Lent, and Parliamentary Prayer Scotland’s promotion of a forty-day prayer call prior to the Holyrood elections on 5 May. We continue, with Prayer for Scotland, to pray for David Hill and the Trypraying team as they seek to finalise all the details for Lent, the March bus adverts and the ‘Use it and Lose it’ booklet campaign. Pray for the money needed to place adverts on buses throughout Scotland: may it miraculously come in. Pray that the information meetings for leaders in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen in late January and the launch event on 10 February in Edinburgh will be successful. Pray that many in Scotland will grasp the vision for praying for their family and friends, themselves and the nation through Lent, and that many will take the Trypraying booklet and use it to share their faith.

Libraries face closure around the UK. A week of events and a nationwide celebration of libraries on 6 February is supported by campaigners and writers highlighting the importance of the public service. Bestselling author Ann Cleeves has urged people to go out and join their local library next week. She said that she wouldn’t have been a writer without a library and that lots of authors will tell you the same thing. There should be equal access to books, information and facts for everybody. Campaigners will lobby Parliament on 9 February calling for ‘a port of call’ for books, local information, human contact, internet access, newspapers and magazines; a safe and quiet environment, help with form-filling, advice, and the countless other little things that all add up to bigger things. More than 100 libraries closed last year; the public library service is in the middle of its worst-ever crisis.