Malala's bravery: ‘Taliban will not silence me’
Marking her 16th birthday, Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teen who was shot by members of the Taliban last year and survived, addressed the United Nations on Friday. She told a UN Youth Assembly, ‘They thought that the bullet would silence us, but they failed.’ Malala, a student in Pakistan who had been known for speaking out for children and women's educational rights, was shot in the head by a Taliban member while she was in a vehicle on her way to school. Amazingly, after extensive surgery in the UK, she recovered; this was Malala's first public speech since the attack. The courageous young woman presented UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon with a petition signed by 3 million people, calling for support from the UN for educational rights of children around the world.
Praise: God for the living testimony of this young lady; may she be an example to many. (Ph.3:17)
4,000 receive Christ at outreach in Venezuela
Three weeks of worldwide evangelistic outreach culminated this past Saturday at Juventud Libre, a lively, open-air festival in Barquisimeto, Venezuela. An estimated 45,000 people converged at the city’s bicentennial fairgrounds, forming a crowd so large that it swelled into nearby streets. Approximately 4,000 response cards were received, each representing an individual who made a decision to either follow Jesus Christ or to reconcile their relationship with Him. Cards are being sorted and distributed to local churches, in order to connect new believers with a local congregation to begin the follow-up and discipleship process. The theme for the festival, which was largely aimed at the younger generation, was ‘Venezuela abre tu corazón a la esperanza’ (Venezuela, open your heart to hope). The theme reflected festival organizer Gabriel Blanco’s desire to see the generation transformed by entering into a relationship with Jesus Christ, living a life influenced by biblical morals, and discovering hope in the midst of uncertain circumstances.
Praise: God for the wonderful response to this outreach. Pray for the local church as it takes up their responses to follow Jesus. (Ro.8:31)
More: http://blog.godreports.com/2013/07/4000-receive-christ-at-outreach-in-venezuela/#more-3798
4,000 receive Christ at outreach in Venezuela
Three weeks of worldwide evangelistic outreach culminated this past Saturday at Juventud Libre, a lively, open-air festival in Barquisimeto, Venezuela. An estimated 45,000 people converged at the city’s bicentennial fairgrounds, forming a crowd so large that it swelled into nearby streets. Approximately 4,000 response cards were received, each representing an individual who made a decision to either follow Jesus Christ or to reconcile their relationship with Him. Cards are being sorted and distributed to local churches, in order to connect new believers with a local congregation to begin the follow-up and discipleship process. The theme for the festival, which was largely aimed at the younger generation, was ‘Venezuela abre tu corazón a la esperanza’ (Venezuela, open your heart to hope). The theme reflected festival organizer Gabriel Blanco’s desire to see the generation transformed by entering into a relationship with Jesus Christ, living a life influenced by biblical morals, and discovering hope in the midst of uncertain circumstances.
Praise: God for the wonderful response to this outreach. Pray for the local church as it takes up their responses to follow Jesus. (Ro.8:31)
More: http://blog.godreports.com/2013/07/4000-receive-christ-at-outreach-in-venezuela/#more-3798
Prayer for ethics, corruption and justice
‘Ethics and Corruption’ is one of the Social Justice Issues of our time. Intercessory prayer is our responsibility to stand in the gap on behalf of the poor, the broken, the hopeless and the lost and to pray for God’s mercy to restore and transform, to make right what is wrong. The Bible is clear that God desires Christians to live just and ethical lives in every sphere of society – that includes our Church life, our business live, and our social and political life. As Christians we have a responsibility to live ethically in our personal lives, to encourage others to conduct themselves in a just and ethical manner in their sphere of influence, and to pray that God’s Kingdom, which is just, merciful, and gracious, is established in the world. Our prayer life should be the source from which we draw strength from God’s Spirit to do what is right in our homes, our community.
Pray: that as the people of God we pray that the Holy Spirit will anoint our prayers. (Micah 6:8)
More: http://www.worldea.org/prayer/2794/prayer-for-ethics-corruption-and-justice
End of the road for pathway of death
The Liverpool Care Pathway is to be abolished following a Government-commissioned review which heard that hospital staff wrongly interpreted its guidance for care of the dying, leading to stories of patients who were drugged and deprived of fluids in their last weeks of life. An independent committee has recommended its closure. The Government has ordered hospitals to carry out immediate reviews of their practices and announced that the Liverpool Care Pathway will be phased out. Its defenders say the LCP offers people a peaceful, pain-free death. But it is only pain-free because of the sedation. Dehydration and starvation are normally painful. The critics accuse doctors of using the LCP to hasten death and free up beds. Although the Pathway was supposed to be used only in cases where recovery was not possible, elderly patients suffering from non-terminal illnesses have found themselves at risk from doctors illegally practising euthanasia.
Pray: that this answer to our prayers will lead to a transformation in health recovery for those in need. (Ph.3:21)
More: http://www.christianvoice.org.uk/index.php/2013jul15lcp/
Hospital trusts rapped over major failures
11 hospital trusts are being placed in special measures because of major failings, the Government has announced. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the trusts, among 14 investigated for high death rates, had problems so entrenched that tough action was needed. He cited examples of staffing problems, poor care and weak leadership as he announced the move in Parliament. The other three trusts investigated were also told to make improvements following the review. But the Health Secretary said investigators had confidence the leadership at those trusts was capable of making the changes needed. As part of the process of special measures for the other 11, teams of external experts will be sent into the organisations to work with the senior management team. Regular updates on their progress will also be given, while unsafe practices have been stopped immediately. For example, two operating theatres have been closed at one site because of inadequate maintenance records.
Pray: for those charged with the task of achieving improvements to the NHS. (Ps.8:4)
More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-23315869for-justice-and-peace
European churches continue working for justice and peace
At its 14th Assembly, the Conference of European Churches (CEC) was praised by Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC) for its contributions to European church unity and its ‘prevailing vision for justice and peace’ in the region and beyond. ‘The European churches must together seek and ask for new expressions of solidarity, fellowship and love in a Europe experiencing growing economic disparities, rapidly growing secularization, new challenges between peoples on the move, and a much-changed landscape of different faith communities,’ he added. Tveit mentioned other assemblies held this year by regional ecumenical organizations in the Pacific, Latin America and Africa. ‘These assemblies should strengthen us in our joint pilgrimage, which has unity, justice and peace as its goal, making us ready and able to go to the places and the people where we are most needed,’ he said.
Pray: for the church assemblies to take up the challenge of bringing justice and peace. (Ps.140:12)
More: http://www.oikoumene.org/en/press-centre/news/european-churches-urged-to-continue-working-
European churches continue working for justice and peace
At its 14th Assembly, the Conference of European Churches (CEC) was praised by Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC) for its contributions to European church unity and its ‘prevailing vision for justice and peace’ in the region and beyond. ‘The European churches must together seek and ask for new expressions of solidarity, fellowship and love in a Europe experiencing growing economic disparities, rapidly growing secularization, new challenges between peoples on the move, and a much-changed landscape of different faith communities,’ he added. Tveit mentioned other assemblies held this year by regional ecumenical organizations in the Pacific, Latin America and Africa. ‘These assemblies should strengthen us in our joint pilgrimage, which has unity, justice and peace as its goal, making us ready and able to go to the places and the people where we are most needed,’ he said.
Pray: for the church assemblies to take up the challenge of bringing justice and peace. (Ps.140:12)
More: http://www.oikoumene.org/en/press-centre/news/european-churches-urged-to-continue-working-
Norwegian neo-Nazi arrested in France over 'terror plot'
A neo-Nazi linked to Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik was arrested in southwestern France on Tuesday after investigators decided he might stage a large ‘terrorist act’ almost two years to the day that Breivik killed 77 people in Oslo. Kristian Vikernes, who is a well-known black metal musician in Norway, where he goes by the name of ‘Varg’, received a copy of a manifesto from Breivik before the far-right militant staged a brutal massacre on July 22, 2011. According to French Interior Minister Manuel Valls, 40-year-old Vikernes could have been preparing a ‘major terrorist act’. ‘Having received the manifesto before [Breivik] committed his crimes and having been sentenced in Norway in the past for murder, this individual, who was close to a neo-Nazi movement, was likely to prepare a large terrorist act,’ Valls said in a statement.
Pray: for justice and clarity to the authorities as they investigate and that the truth will be revealed. (Act.20:30)
NIGERIA: Insecurity
Security of citizens is one of the most important roles of government; unfortunately many issues are threatening the security of Nigerians and other nationalities living in the nation. Armed robbery, religious violence, intertribal crises, bad roads causing accidents, Fulani herdsmen destroying peoples' farms and attacking the farmers, carelessness in the aviation industry resulting in air-crashes, sales of false drugs, etc. All these problems of insecurity make Nigeria look hopeless like the dry bones of Ezekiel 37:1-4 but the Lord breathed life to the dry bones and they became a great army and were brought out from the graves to their own land. Ask God to open the grave of all areas of life in Nigeria and bring the country out of corruption, occultism, bloodshed, violence, Boko Haram killings, injustice and witchcraft. Pray and prophecy to the dry bones of authority in Nigeria that Nigeria will live and prosper once again.
Pray: for God to bring about peace, unity and love to manifest amongst all people of various religious backgrounds and tribes in Nigeria. (Ps. 72:6,7)
More: http://www.pray4nigeria.org/images/resources/Prayer-Guide.pdf