Seeking God together in difficult days
Like so many of us at this time I have been asking the Lord, "Why are these horrific violent, deadly and disastrous things happening in our nation?"
I believe the Lord has shown us that a door has been opened through the recent two elections and Brexit referendum where sadly many Christians were dictating how people should vote. There have been so many people who have verbally attacked others who have different opinions. This has opened a door for a political spirit to come into our nations which brings division, disunity and so much wickedness. Let me be clear this is not saying people should not be involved in politics but that we are to be led by God and not a wrong spirit.
Kris Valotten recently said, "The Signs of a Political Spirit"
1) The political spirit always needs an enemy! This spirit is more concerned with winning an election than with solving a problem.
2) The political spirit demonizes anyone who doesn’t agree with them. In other words, we don’t just see them as wrong on an issue, we view them as evil.
3) The political spirit imprisons our minds and reduces us to partisan opinions. This spirit separates people into two categories; winners and losers. In this environment, straw polls replace practical wisdom and success is measured in media bits rather than real solutions.
4) True governance is displaced by political polarization in which, people are expected to support a party rather than legitimate answers. This political spirit replaces national patriotism with loyalty to a party. This attitude creates a culture where we don’t have permission to think for ourselves but it’s “decision by affiliation.”
We need to repent where we have done that, where we have grumbled about our government and not prayed for them. We need to make a decision to seek God for the best for our nations at this difficult time.
1 Timothy 2:1 is a clear mandate to us, "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."
Wherever we are let us choose to pray FOR the government the electorate chose to hear God for the strategies to take us forward.
We need to pray for the media and those who have agendas to disrupt and increase the chaos. Please pray this week as the Queen's Speech takes place on Wednesday to signal the start of the Parliamentary year. There are many aiming to cause trouble and there are many hurting angry people who can be easily mobilised without realising they are being manipulated.
Let us pray that God will refresh Prime Minister Theresa May, those in government, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, the Police, Fire Service, Ambulance Services and Health Services who must all be completely overwhelmed and exhausted by all that has happened.
Please pray for your community and let us join together to pray for London at this vulnerable time. Pray that every plan and scheme of the enemy will be exposed and stopped in it's tracks before it comes to fruition.
Let us turn our eyes upon Jesus, the HOPE of the world and watch to see what He is doing in our nations at this time.
Jeremiah 29:7 "Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper."
God bless you mightily as you stand before God for our nations.
Source: Coastlands & Gateways
Praising God with 60,000 live worshippers
So far, more than 60,000 people worldwide have watched a one-hour Instagram live video that begins daily at midnight for people to praise God, tagged as the #HallelujahChallenge. Nigerian gospel artist Nathaniel Bassey began hosting the session on 1 June to just over a thousand people, urging Christians to join him in worship for a month. Helped by the promotion of numerous popular Nigerian artists, Bassey (who describes himself on his Twitter page as an ‘authentic Jesus lover’) tweeted, ‘It is a revival and a revolution. JESUS is in charge!’ It is thought to be the most widely-circulated praise and worship movement on social media. Bassey said, ‘The Challenge is a mandate from God, and I am just a vessel. Beyond all the miracles and testimonies, God is doing something eternal - something that will outlive generations.’
Harvest America 2017
Harvest America 2017 was an evangelistic event broadcast live on the Internet with updates posted on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. This event, similar to a Billy Graham crusade, used the latest media platforms to give a very straightforward presentation of the gospel. At 5 pm on 11 June Pastor Greg Laurie delivered a gospel message via live satellite from the University of Phoenix Stadium in Arizona. Artists joining him for the free one-day event included ‘The Voice’ sensation Brennley Brown, ‘American Idol’ winner Jordin Sparks and CCM artists NEEDTOBREATHE, MercyMe, Trip Lee and Phil Wickham. There were 38,000 in the stadium, and 2,904 made decisions for Christ. Also, people across the country invited friends into their homes to watch it and then prayed with them. Last year it live-streamed to over 7,200 locations and drew 357,000 participants, with 25,000 people coming to faith.
Friday Focus: pray for five people we meet
The believers in Acts 12 prayed ‘earnestly’ for Peter who was in prison, but when they heard he’d miraculously escaped, they responded, ‘You’re out of your mind’! Let’s pray for opportunities to share Jesus with the people we’ll meet today and in our daily lives.
(written by Lucy Olofinjana, Evangelical Alliance)
Fire at London tower block
Rescuers do not expect further survivors in the block of flats engulfed by fire on 14-15 June. At the time of writing 17 are confirmed dead, and there are ‘unknown numbers’ of people in the smouldering ruins of Grenfell Tower, Kensington. Pray for the friends and relatives desperately seeking news of the missing. Thirty people remain in hospital; pray for God to be with the nurses, doctors, clinicians and families of the patients. Tributes are being paid to the bravery of the emergency services and members of the public who assisted. Pray for those suffering from trauma to receive appropriate care - particularly those who had to watch while others burned in the inferno. There has been an overwhelmingly generous response to the tragedy - see It is too early to speculate what caused the fire or contributed to its spread, but health, safety and fire prevention concerns had been raised by residents. Pray for the forthcoming investigations.
Lord, have mercy on London
The fire that tore through Grenfell Tower brings us to our knees, as we cry out to the Lord. People in London and across the nation are deeply saddened by this tragedy. Our hearts go out to all who have lost family, friends, homes and belongings, and to those who have been injured, both physically and psychologically. We lift them up before the Lord in prayer. We praise God for our emergency services and their selfless response to the situation, and continue to pray as they look after the injured and homeless. London City Mission is working with the Message Trust at Latymer Community Church, and its missionaries are praying and giving comfort to those who have lost so much and providing essential toiletries, clothes and food. Please pray for wisdom for those on the ground who are coordinating response efforts and support.
PM meets five Northern Ireland parties
On 15 June the five main Stormont parties (DUP, Sinn Féin, UUP, Alliance and SDLP) met individually with Theresa May. These talks are attempting to restore devolution at Stormont before the 29 June deadline. There is little time left to reach a deal, as local parties attempt to take control of their future. Sinn Féin MP Elisha McCallion is concerned about the Government's neutrality, saying Mrs May and DUP leader Arlene Foster are ‘two sides of the same coin’. Mrs May had previously talked with the DUP about its support for her minority government. In a Government reshuffle, Damian Green has become the first secretary of state, and is expected to play a crucial role in the Brexit negotiations. He favours a soft Brexit, as does Mrs Foster. See also the Europe article on German media, and
After the election: it’s time to pray
On 12 June Peter Horrobin of Ellel said that the UK has emerged from its most extraordinary election in living memory, at the same time as terrorist attacks on Manchester and London took lives in the name of Allah and scarred the lives of many hundreds caught up in the events. As media and politicians discuss the past few weeks, it is time for God’s people to pray for their nation and seek His face afresh for how to respond in the face of chaos, fear and spiritual darkness. It is time to make a stand against moral confusion and false religion. It is time to pray earnestly for our Christians in parliament: Tim Farron has stepped down as Lib Dem leader, after repeated questions over his faith. It is time to pray for Christian voices to command the respect of our leaders in commerce and industry, as investigations begin into the Grenfell Tower fire.
Scotland: pray blessing and healing
The Pray for Scotland newsletter reminds us to focus on seeking God’s perspective on what is happening to and within the UK, ignoring media chatter, and to ‘be still’ and hear from the One who holds the destiny and future of nations in His hands. We must keep praying for God to bless our Government as it enters the uncharted waters of Brexit. Pray for a time of calm reflection, and above all pray for God to heal the divisions there undoubtedly are in Scotland and throughout the UK. Psalm 60:2 reads, ‘You have shaken the land and torn it open; mend its fractures, for it is quaking’. So we need to pray that Father God will indeed ‘seal the cracks’ in whatever way he chooses to make that happen. Some politicians may have to change their attitudes to one of greater co-operation for the good of the nation - whatever it takes.
Queen's Speech on 21 June
Theresa May is pressing ahead with holding a Queen’s Speech to set out her plans for government, while negotiations continue with the Democratic Unionist Party about the nature of its support for her minority government. A senior Conservative source said that there was broad agreement with the DUP on the principles of the Queen's speech, but there is as yet no formal ‘confidence and supply’ deal which would tie the DUP into backing the government on key pieces of legislation. The four areas of agreement are strengthening the union; combating terrorism; delivering Brexit; and delivering prosperity across the whole country. However, some aspects of the Conservative manifesto, including scrapping free school lunches, expanding grammar schools, and means-testing winter fuel allowance for pensioners appear unlikely to be included.