jaNuary to aprIl 2018 CARE Prayer Diary

1 Both lives matterPOLITICS IN BRITAINM aking a Christian difference through prayerCARE Prayer DiaryjaNuary to aprIl 2018 Persecution and FreedomDispossessed PeopleGambling IssuesRobotics and Artificial IntelligenceSpecial Needs EducationFairtrade JusticeModern SlaveryThe Gift of MotherhoodWater for LifePeacemakersEaster HopeUK Parliaments and AssembliesLife IssuesThe CARE Prayer Diary is written by Celia Bowring. Visit: to read online or sign up for the daily prayers by email. Follow: for the daily join CARE s mailing list to receive regular publications, please telephone 020 7233 0455 or visit: contribute to CARE s ongoing ministry please go to BowringThe Victoria Falls in Zambia, pictured on the cover, was known to the local Kololo pepole as Mosi-oa-Tunya The Smoke that Thunders.

2 It s a spectacular sight of awe-inspiring beauty and grandeur. It is the greatest known curtain of falling water in the world. You can see columns of spray from miles away when in the rainy season. More than five hundred million cubic meters of water per minute plummet over the edge, which is 5,604 feet wide, to cascade 354 feet aND FREEDOMJANUARY 21 27 SuN 21 MON 22 TuES 23 WED 24S aT 27 THurS 25 FrI26 Can anything ever separate us from Christ s love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? ROMANS 8:35 (NEW LIVING TRANSLATION)Dear God, we intercede for our 215 million brothers and sisters in the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, suffering because of their faith.

3 Grant them a powerful sense of Your presence and love and help them to be courageous as they face persecution. Amen. Pray that more governments and world leaders will use their influence to condemn the growing violence and harsh discrimination against Christians and those of other faiths. Remember the heads of repressive regimes, asking God to soften hearts and change for Christians in many refugee camps that are essentially controlled by militant Islamists who are threatened, driven away and even killed. Pray that the authorities will act to stop this and that Christians who are vulnerable to such violence will find refuge and hope.

4 Lord of the Church, thank You for the thousands who are forsaking extreme Islamism to follow You. Protect them and help their faith to grow as they meet secretly and access broadcasts and websites providing Bible teaching, worship and Prayer . Amen. THANKSGIVING: for organisations that support the persecuted church, such as: Barnabas Fund, China Aid, Christian Freedom International Mission, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, FRRME, Network News, Open Doors, Release International and Steadfast Global. Please pray for the many church leaders who will attend the P Word Conference in Cardiff tomorrow, co-hosted by CARE and Naked Truth. Pray that they will be equipped to help people who want to be set free from an addiction to pornography.

5 ( )HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY The power of words ( )Pray that the truth about the wicked genocides that took place under the Nazis and in Armenia, Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur will not be silenced through lies, indifference or forgetfulness that stories of courage, love, faith and hope will live on. In North Korea, if a secret church is discovered, everyone is taken to the death camps, including all relatives of the families even if they have not been involved in worship activities. One Christian found in possession of a Bible was taken to prison. A friend said of him, When he came to faith, he made the decision that one day he would die for Christ.

6 Every Christian in North Korea has made that choice. (Open Doors)4 He won t brush aside the bruised and the hurt and He won t disregard the small and insignificant, but He ll steadily and firmly set things right. He won t tire out and quit. He won t be stopped until He s finished his work to set things right on earth. ISAIAH 42:3-5 (THE MESSAGE)DISPOSSESSED PEOPLEJANUARY 28 FEBRUARY 3 The UN Refugee Agency reports in the last year the highest levels of displacement on record million people forced from home, 22 million refugees, over half of them under the age of 18, who have fled their country. Ten million stateless people have been denied a nationality and access to education, healthcare, employment and freedom of SUNDAY Time for Action!

7 Lord, please grant the will and the wisdom to those in local authorities and our national governments to understand the needs and find more effective ways to help the growing number of people who find themselves homeless. about the millions worldwide affected by leprosy and for the 200,000 new cases each year more than half of them in India. Give thanks that this disease is curable and for the extensive efforts to eliminate it altogether. Pray for the Leprosy Mission working in 30 affected countries. ( )Remember those who are helping at Night Shelters in hundreds of churches throughout the winter offering a hot meal, a bed and breakfast to homeless people.

8 Pray that many of these guests will also receive advice and support that can help them to rebuild their lives. Father, we bring before You the tragedy in Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia and many other countries where nearly 20 people each minute are forced to leave their homes because of conflict or persecution. Have mercy on them in their desperate plight and provide the food, shelter and protection they need. about the 100,000 children in the UK who run away from home every year, mostly because of abuse, neglect, sexual exploitation or unhappiness at home or in a placement. Ask God to guide them to places of safety and for them be given long-term help.

9 THANKSGIVING: for the generosity and compassion of Christians and others around the world towards those who are despairing and helpless as they face danger, poverty, homelessness, poor physical and mental health through no fault of their own. Pray that humanitarian support will reach the 430,000 Rohingya refugees who have fled violence in Myanmar into Bangladesh, which itself has scant resources, and for good communication between the Government and aid agencies helping these people whose future is fragile and 30 MON 29 WED 31 THurS 1S aT 3 FrI 2 SuN28 LORD, don t hold back your tender mercies from me .. For troubles surround me too many to count!

10 My sins pile up so high I can t see my way out. They outnumber the hairs on my head. I have lost all courage. Please, LORD, rescue me! Come quickly, LORD, and help me. PSALM 40:11-13 (NEW LIVING TRANSLATION)GAMBLING ISSuESFEBRUARY 4 10 Around 70 per cent of the UK population will gamble this year, encouraged by excessive advertising and new ways to bet, like phone apps. Developing a dependency on gambling can seriously affect individuals and those close to them. It harms mental, physical and emotional wellbeing, causes unmanageable debt, and triggers other addictions and crime. Only one in ten receive the help and treatment they need.