COP26 - promises and refusals
The Earth is sending a message to COP26. Delegates must commit to zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. China, the world's largest emitter, committed to achieve this by 2060 and India, the third largest emitter, by 2070. Ask God to convict delegates of greed and pride. May they re-assess all commitments and actions according to Micah 6:8 and act justly, love mercy and walk humbly under God’s authority. The Least Developed Countries group said, ‘Raising global ambition and increasing climate finance is paramount to our survival’. Pray that after COP26 the actions of powerful nations will reaffirm their positive pledges. In recent years more than two out of three deaths in the least developed countries were caused by droughts, wildfires, and floods. Pray that this crisis is treated like a crisis, and in the midst of the many voices clamouring to be heard important issues will be understood and positively acted on by decision-makers.
UK reviews how to tackle modern slavery
The UK’s work to tackle modern slavery in developing countries has had limited long-term impact. Its strategy did not build on existing international efforts and experience, and failed to adequately involve survivors - though the Government played a prominent role in raising the profile of the issue globally. Consequently the Government is now reviewing its strategy, to shape how the UK tackles modern slavery in years to come. Civil society organisations were consulted on the development of this strategy. Parliament scrutinised the situation at a hearing on 14 April. Now there are follow-up discussions on government responses to various recommendations. Please pray that key points on access to justice will form part of the Government’s strategy. This process is a key link in the accountability chain, providing Parliament and the public with an account of how well government departments have responded to reviews.
Turning hearts of fathers and children
Malachi 4:6 says, ‘He will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers’. We pray for this to happen in these days. May fathers and mothers rediscover their roles and lead their families with God’s wisdom, love, peace and righteous values. We pray that parents will raise their children with loving discipline and counsel that reflect Christian values. Father in heaven please help the fathers in this nation to re-discover the power of strong love, the kindness of Godly discipline and the blessing of patient encouragement, raising a generation of children fully equipped for their future. We cry out for the children across this nation to experience Godly discipline from fathers balanced with the nurture of mothers. Father, please heal the hearts of parents where regret and failure have caused them to feel guilty, and will you help those living in poverty, particularly single parent families.
Covid: hard months to come
England's deputy chief medical officer, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, predicted that there are hard months to come in the winter because Covid levels are running very high. Too many people believed the pandemic was now over, and winter could ‘potentially be problematic’. He also said there were signs that infections were starting to ‘penetrate’ older age groups, and how Christmas is affected would depend on a whole range of behaviours. We can pray for the nation to recognise that caution is still needed around the elderly, and face coverings should continue to be worn in appropriate places along with social distancing. Meanwhile the joint committee on vaccination and immunisation, which provides advice to the Government, said that while the infection rate is high, the current case numbers are not ‘out of control’ although we are at a ‘relatively important crux point’. The total of UK infections recorded on 3 November was 41,299, higher than most of Europe.
Northern Ireland: DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson
After Arlene Foster stood down from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), her replacement only lasted three weeks. Then Sir Jeffrey Donaldson took over the leadership at a significant moment for NI, as it has come to terms with the effects of Covid and battled the repercussions of Brexit. There have been significant changes on things like abortion and same sex marriage. Although the Church spoke out against changing legislation, Donaldson is concerned over the diminishing church voice. He said that church leaders now find it difficult to speak out in public to give a faith-based perspective on social issues and are not being salt and light in our society. He also believes prayer is the most important thing that the church has available to it: ‘I often encourage Christians to intercede and to give prayerful support to those of us who are involved as Christians in the political process’.
Opposition to Tories’ attempt to change the standards system
Sir Keir Starmer accused Tories of ‘wallowing in sleaze’ after they voted to protect the Conservative MP Owen Paterson from suspension over lobbying claims. Starmer said the Labour party would not have anything to do with a complete and utter sham process and will boycott the commission set up to overhaul the parliamentary sleaze system. Boris Johnson initially threw his weight behind an amendment tabled by Andrea Leadsom which will halt Paterson’s punishment until a new cross-party committee, chaired by John Whittingdale, has examined the standards system. But now, the level of cross-part opposition has forced Boris Johnson to withdraw this plan, and Owen Paterson has resigned as an MP.
Germany: Ahr valley region reconstruction
The flood disaster in the Ahr valley was three months ago. Much has been achieved but reconstruction will take a long time. Many houses had to be demolished and over thirty may not be rebuilt. Houses that could remain standing have been completely cleared and left empty to dry out. Large parts of the natural gas network were destroyed, and many oil heating systems in the affected houses no longer work. The government is working flat out to find solutions to the problems and to be prepared for the upcoming winter - including providing mobile gas supply systems and oil tanks, the use of mini-power plants and the purchase of a Tiny House for residents who need accommodation for the winter due to a lack of heating. The electrical power supply has not yet been completely restored and there is a lack of craftsmen and building materials for the renovation and reconstruction work. See
Italy: G20 - climate and Covid
When the G20 leaders met in Rome last weekend, at their first face to face meeting since the pandemic started, climate change and Covid were on the agenda. The talks come amid increasingly dire warnings for the future if urgent action is not taken to cut emissions. The G20 group of countries and the EU account for 80% of the world's carbon dioxide emissions. According to Reuters, a draft communiqué outlined a promise from the G20 to work towards limiting the rise in temperatures to 1.5C, saying it ‘will require meaningful and effective actions by all countries’. Covid vaccine equality is also on many leaders' minds. Italy’s prime minister said that just 3% of the six billion Covid vaccines administered worldwide had gone to the poorest countries, which was ‘morally unacceptable’. He called fellow leaders to do ‘all we can’ to vaccinate 70% of the world's population by the middle of 2022.
Global: persecuted children and single parents
Millions of children around the world face violence, discrimination, or bereavement because they or their parents are Christians. This has a huge impact on their faith and self-esteem. Pray for all who invest in these children through Christian education, trauma care and schooling, to ensure a better future for them and the long-term survival of the church. Pray for single parents in Africa, especially mothers whose husbands have been killed for their faith. Ask God to provide for their practical needs and pray that they will lean on the Lord to help them raise godly children. Christian children in North Africa can find it extremely hard to embrace the faith of their parents as they grow up in an Islamic society. Pray for more Bible education classes to be provided for parents so that they are equipped to bring up their children ‘in the training and instruction of the Lord’ (Ephesians 6:4).
Canada: First Nation people and human rights
Prime minister Justin Trudeau came into office promising to strengthen and restore ties with native communities and recently told reporters, ‘We are committed to compensating indigenous people who were harmed as children in child and family services’. Yet his government says it will appeal against a court order to pay billions of dollars to compensate indigenous children who went through the child welfare system. Last month, a tribunal upheld a 2016 ruling that the government underfunded First Nations services compared with those for non-indigenous children, and ordered $40,000 (£23,340) payouts to each child who was in the on-reserve welfare system after 2006. The case has been a source of tension between tribes and the government. The government has said it is not opposed to compensation, but that it had issues over the order's jurisdiction and how the money was to be divided.