These are crucial days, and God is stirring His church. As previously reported (see ), the Pray for Scotland network has introduced a 24-hour prayer rota for churches to sign up and commit to pray for unity on 30 November (St Andrew’s Day). Across the nation, spontaneous days of prayer have been happening recently. No one knows what the Brexit outcome will be - but we know the One who has the answer! This is not a time to wait until the storm blows over. It is a time to battle for our nation - on our knees,crying out for His forgiveness and mercy and calling forth a fresh move of His Spirit to revive His Church and transform our communities.

The results of a survey of evangelical Christians by Ligonier Ministries show that the ongoing gospel ministry of local churches across Britain is absolutely vital. When asked whether the resurrection of Jesus actually occurred, one-third replied, ‘I don’t know.’ Even worse, 37% of those surveyed didn’t know whether God counts a person as righteous because of their own works or because of faith in Jesus Christ alone. Sinclair Ferguson, a Ligonier teaching fellow and associate preacher at St Peter’s Dundee, commented: ‘The results of this new survey show conclusively what we have sensed for years: the biblical teaching that once shaped British life now lies largely forgotten, ignored, or demeaned. Very few of our neighbours have ever heard about who Jesus Christ really is, and what he accomplished on the cross. This is surely a time to take every opportunity to share the gospel as the power of God for salvation.’ However, doubts have been expressed about the validity of this survey, given that it was based on a sample of only 132 people.

MPs are saying ‘women and girls across the UK face ‘relentless’ harassment on the streets, and not enough is being done to stop it.’ The members of the Women and Equalities Committee found it had become ‘normalised’ for girls growing up to experience harassment. They are calling for the government to tackle it. Harassment - from being shouted at and cat-called through to sexual assaults - is happening on transport, in bars and clubs, on online spaces, at universities, in parks, on the streets, and even on school buses. One 12-year-old on her school bus experienced boys pushing her off her seat, spitting at her, and calling her a slut. Pray for schools, youth clubs, and all meeting places for young people to re-educate boys about ‘how to treat girls’, so that acceptable behaviour is learned and practised as they mature.

Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman on death row in Pakistan, has urged Christians in the UK to pray for her. The message was conveyed by her husband Ashiq, who has travelled to the UK to highlight her plight. He said to Premier, ‘She told me that the community must remember her in their prayers because this is an international country. I need international pressure for the release of Aasia Bibi.’ He said her incarceration since 2009 has spelt nine years of suffering for the whole family. He added, ‘She always has said that Jesus is her life and she is living in the name of Jesus, and trusting that he will help her.’ For further information about Aasia’s case, see

The scramble to build new homes in England is producing large housing estates which are being built next to bypasses and link roads. There are no shops, no pub, no doctor, no school, no church, and no jobs; they are too far out of town to walk or cycle, and they lack good local buses. Car travel is the only option. Researchers from a new green group, Transport for New Homes, backed by the RAC Foundation, visited over twenty new housing estates across England and said, ‘We were appalled to find so many new housing developments built around the car, with residents driving for almost every journey. Those cars head for towns and cities clogging up existing roads. Commuter times get longer and longer. Car-based living of this kind is not good for our health or quality of life.’ Also in some estates there is nowhere to park in front of houses, so owners have to park on pavements.

Wages are rising and unemployment rates are at their lowest for more than 40 years, so these should be boom times for young people. However, rising rents, bills and living expenses mean that one in five aged 25-34 will spend over 60% of their pay on payday. A further 3% find themselves in the red. Meanwhile, house prices in England have risen by 173% over the last 20 years, and around a quarter of 20-34-year-olds still live with their parents - with slim chances of owning a home any time soon. Those living in rented accommodation find high rents eating up income, making it impossible to save for a deposit on a home. Pray for Philip Hammond as he prepares next week’s budget. May the undetonated timebomb of Brexit have no adverse influence on his proposals, and may they give opportunities for economic growth and prosperity for young and old alike in the nation’s future.

Karen Bradley, the Northern Ireland secretary, was challenged by British and Irish parliamentarians on the potential for violence if Brexit allowed any physical infrastructure to return to the Irish border. Senator Frank Feighan said that the people of Ireland would tear it down with their own hands, adding, ‘That’s what’s coming from the people on the ground, not from me’. In December 2017, both sides agreed to a ‘backstop’ position to avoid a hard border if a wider trade deal failed to be struck. Negotiators are now unable to translate this backstop decision into a legally binding commitment. Ms Bradley also expressed the opinion that if there were a second referendum, the vote to Leave would be even stronger.

Poland's electoral officials have reported that a pro-European Union opposition party has defeated the ruling conservatives in local elections in Warsaw. The 21 October national elections were a popularity test for the conservatives, whose policies have drawn street protests and prompted clashes with EU leaders. The regional elections decide the makeup of local governments and regional parliaments, including several mayoral races. These elections possibly foreshadow legislative and European elections in 2019.

NATO has launched its biggest military exercises since the end of the Cold War, amid rising tensions with Russia. About 50,000 soldiers from 31 countries are taking part in a mock battle in Norway, against an invading force named Trident Juncture 18. The battle is scheduled to run until 7 November. NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said the drills would send a clear message to ‘any potential adversary’. Washington is contributing the biggest contingent of troops to the exercises, which are taking place just weeks after Russia staged its own largest-ever military drills.

Huge monsoon floods have left hundreds dead and millions displaced in the southern state of Kerala. In the turmoil following a disaster of this magnitude, millions of people have lost everything and are now vulnerable to human trafficking unless they can be protected. Soon after the massive floods began, International Justice Mission started working with the Kerala chief minister’s office and senior law enforcement officials on a robust, six-month anti-trafficking project to help local officials protect the most vulnerable. They initiated a top-down human trafficking intervention called Surakshita Keralam (Safe Kerala), and have now trained over 650 local government officials on how to spot signs of human trafficking and assist families in need. The next phase will be to monitor local officials’ efforts to do assessments of flood-affected communities, find those at risk, and develop plans for their long-term protection. Pray for God to bring success to all aspects of these rehabilitation initiatives.