Pray for justice
In a recent operation in Ghana, 24 young boys were rescued from slavery and finally set free. The boys, the youngest only 7-years-old, had been forced to work on fishing boats on Lake Volta, diving into the deep water to untangle nets for their masters. The dangerous and exhausting work was made worse by violent abuse, starvation and sleep deprivation. IJM and the Ghanaian authorities worked together to free the boys and arrest 16 suspected boat masters. The boys received urgent medical attention, with three needing to go to hospital to be treated for malaria. IJM staff are now working to settle the boys into aftercare homes and start the journey of healing. Find out more here.
- Praise God for the successful rescue of the boys and arrest of the slave owners, and pray that this would be the first of many more, with God’s favour for our investigative team as they seek to find more boys to be rescued.
- Pray for continued healing for the boys - both physically from their injuries and emotionally from the abuse they have suffered. Pray that they would know God’s love and comfort as they move into aftercare homes.
- Pray that IJM’s relationship with the Ghanaian authorities would continue to strengthen and develop, as we work together to stop child slavery in Ghana.
- Pray for our legal teams as they begin legal proceedings against the 16 suspects. Pray that God’s justice would be done and that those who freely abuse and exploit young boys would no longer be able to continue.
Source: International Justice Mission
Join the Christian Enquiry Agency prayer team
Each week the Christian Enquiry Agency (CEA) receives prayer requests from people of all ages and circumstances in life. Could you join the CEA e-mail prayer team?
CEA coordinator Peter Graystone says: ‘Some people ask us to pray in heartbreaking circumstances. Some know so little about Christianity that they barely know what to ask. Some just want to type an anonymous insult. But we have been astonished at what people who would never go through the door of a church, share of their lives from the safety of their computer.’
Enquiries and prayer requests come to the Christian Enquiry Agency mainly from people who visit the website www.christianity.org.uk - 1,000 people visit the site each week.
The Christian Enquiry Agency prayer team receives weekly emails, which pass on the prayer requests from people who visit Christianity.org.uk. (Names are disguised for privacy.) If you would like to join the Christian Enquiry Agency prayer team, please email Peter Graystone: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Find out more at www.christianenquiryagency.co.uk
Gather Festival North
Gather Festival will be holding two days of worship and prayer in rural Northumberland from 4th - 5th August. The festival is the vision of two guys in their 20's who are part of a church in Newcastle Upon Tyne, Jonny Anderson and Jonny Tuck. The Lord has placed a holy dissatisfaction in their hearts where they've been longing to experience more of God's presence in their lives and experience a personal awakening. A key scripture for them has been Ephesians 5:14, 'Awake O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."
From a place of personal conviction, they've given themselves to seek the Lord and felt a real burden to see the church awakened across the UK.
They've began hosting worship and prayer meetings once a month in Newcastle City Centre, drawing people from various churches. The festival is an outworking of these meetings; a place where people can consecrate time to come and encounter the Lord. The purpose of this festival is not to attract attendees with big name speakers/artists (not that we have anything against 'big names') - rather it's simply a gathering for people who are hungry to worship Jesus, meet Him in a place of consecrated prayer and be inspired and equipped by meeting others who are doing the same. As a result of the event, they hope to see people in the local church resourced to live lifestyles of worship and prayer on a daily basis.
The event will consist of elongated times of worship, interspersed with times of intercession and teaching. There'll be onsite refreshments, a children's work and a networking tent (for strangers to become friends and share dreams/visions of what the Lord has been saying in their context.) They'd love new kingdom relationships and ventures to spring forth from this event. You can also camp on site and enjoy worship that will be going on through the night.
They're keen to speak to anyone who feels able to offer their gifts to help make this event as fruitful as possible.
Jonny Anderson can be contacted on 07877116675 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For further details about their story/aims/location etc, please visit www.gatherfestival.co.uk
Tickets can be purchased from Eventbrite.
Catching the Bus
Trypraying season: April and May
PRISONS.
Just today I saw the first draft of a new additon to the trypraying suite of materials - a booklet for use in prisons. It is excellent and will soon be available.
HOMES.
We are developing a leaflet that can be used in every home distribution which will encourage people to request a trypraying booklet to be sent to them. It will be a great help for churches wanting to contact every home in their area.
BUSES.
We have been working with a leading advertising agency to develop an advertising campaign. The skills and time of an advertisng executive have been donated to us. This is huge gift. However trypraying is not about advertising. It's about us sharing the message of Jesus with people. Nevertheless bus advertising creates awareness, speaks to people in the public space and generates personal interest.
CHURCHES.
Currently there are five places where churches are working together in multi-church trypraying projects in their town/city. Other places are considering this (you?) If you want that for your town or city do contact us to start the ball rolling. Most churches and groups of churches will use the April/May period for activities.
MONEY.
We need some generous donations in the next 2 - 3 weeks. We have obtained an amazing deal for bus adverts: T-shaped side panels at approximately £150 per week / £550 a month. If you wish to donate click the link here: Bus ads. (Alternatively cheques can be sent to trypraying, 3 Orchardhead Loan, Edinburgh, EH16 6HW.)
FORTY.
For a useful 40-day prayer guide order copies of Catching the Wave.
FINALLY.
This comment came about the trypraying app: "Five stars. Great little app. Used it for seven days. It helped me work out a problem in my life (no job). Prayer works!"
Nice.
Source: Trypraying
Father's Love Letter
A vision to see every household in the UK receive a copy of the Father's Love Letter
The Father’s Love Letter is a collection of verses from Genesis to Revelation in the form of a letter, expressing the love of God as our Heavenly Father. At the very end of this newsletter we have transcribed a copy of this, for those of you who are unfamiliar with it.
Wendy Thomas, believes passionately in the power of this simple tract to transform lives. In 2005 in Southend-on-Sea, churches together delivered 75,000 to every home in the area, praying for every home as they delivered them. They were given an opportunity to respond and to become Christian. 300 people chose to become Christian!
Wendy believes God has spoken to her about trying to get this Father’s Love Letter delivered to every home in the UK , with churches and organisations working together.
In support of this vision, Neighbourhood Prayer Network has published 100,000 copies of this letter at a cost of 2p each plus postage (This is basically just the printing costs). To order 'The Fathers Love Letter' Click Here.
Would you consider giving these out to streets near you? Also please visit the facebook page for more information.
Source: Neighbourhood Prayer Network
The Story of The Turning
The World Prayer Centre has been journeying with The Turning since summer 2016. We provided prayer cover as this all began to develop and Jane Holloway is part of The Turning National Leadership team. We see this as a part of all that God has asking His church to get ready for in this time of unprecedented shaking – an unprecedented harvest.
Here is an update from Yinka Oyekan, leader of The Gate in Reading: ‘On the 29th of May 2016 we began what we thought would be a one-week mission at our Baptist Church ‘The Gate’ which would possibly stretch into two weeks. In the end because of the results we were witnessing on the streets we stretched out the mission for a total of four weeks. In that time, we saw over 1850 people prayed for on the streets of Reading with many first-time commitments and rededications to Christ. Quite apart from the large numbers of responses to the gospel the sheer number of people willing to let us pray for them on the streets took us by surprise.
Seven months on from The Turning outpouring that shook our church in Reading, we have been excited to see in practice that this grace can and has been released in other cities. We have gained much insight through conducting five months of mission which has culminated in seeing over 4150 people in England and at last count over 865 in Lille in France respond in prayer to an invitation to accept Christ.
In the UK leadership teams covering over 230 towns and cities have asked us to bring The Turning to their town or city. In England, we are calling the implementation of this campaign to bring The Turning to these places ‘The Big Bang’, a campaign that will be inviting cities and towns to receive the best training we can give them prior to launching a Turning Team in their city or town. We will also be launching a similar event in several other countries in Europe where we have invitations to bring The Turning’. December 2016
For more information http://theturning.eu
As this continues to develop we would invite you to pray with us for:
- Protection for Yinka, his family and all the leadership team for The Turning and at The Gate church
- Wisdom and continued grace to flow as they travel across the UK and beyond
- God’s presence to be experienced at every training session
- God’s kingdom to come and His will be done as churches get ready for this harvest
- For an awakening across the body of Christ to respond to the Father’s invitation
- For workers to go out into the harvest fields
Jane Holloway….