Hancock: marital unfaithfulness worse than hypocrisy?
“In our latest prayer morning, we cried to God for a change in our nation’s attitude to marital faithfulness in light of Matt Hancock’s affair,” said Ashley Thompson, 32, who with Josh MacDonald recently succeeded Dave Borlase as co-director of Intercessors for Britain. “We recognised that although he was wrong to break his own Covid rules, many people thought this was worse than breaking his marriage vows.”
Ashley added: “In our latest prayer morning over Zoom, we prayed for Cornerstone (the UK’s only evangelical adoption and fostering agency) ahead of their court appeal, where they would be fighting for the right to recruit Christian carers based on sexual orientation. We later cried to God for a change in our nation’s attitude to marital faithfulness in light of Matt Hancock’s affair, recognising that although he was wrong to break his own Covid rules, many people thought this was worse than breaking his marriage vows. Finally, we prayed that recent scrutiny and pressure on Stonewall would continue so that its powerful and wide-reaching influence would be ended, and we asked God to make Heidi Crowter’s upcoming court case successful as she prepared to challenge abortion discrimination for babies with Downs Syndrome.”
IFB exists to inspire and inform prayer for the UK and the Church. Ashley and Josh have succeeded previous director Dave Borlase, who has become pastor of Halford House, Richmond, the congregation founded by the late Lance Lambert.
Ashley said: “We want to continue Dave’s great work in highlighting the key issues facing the nation at this time, and calling people together to cry to God for mercy on our land.”
IFB will continue to hold prayer events around the country and on Zoom. www.intercessorsforbritain.co.uk
Pro-lifers redouble efforts after clinic closure
Brighton’s 40 Days for Life prayer group recently celebrated the closure of a BPAS clinic on 30 June (see HEART June/July). But the following day, Marie Stopes International opened a clinic elsewhere in the town, so a prayer vigil will take place opposite the new facility from 22 September to 31 October.
The campaign’s international director, Robert Colquhoun, told the volunteers: “God is faithful. Every single hour of prayer here has had a powerful effect.”
Local leader Sheridan Lynch added: “We know that it is only by God’s hand that the [BPAS] clinic is closed. We pray that God will continue to use us to save lives of children in our community.”
In 2020, abortions in England and Wales hit a record high, with 210,860 terminations being performed, according to the Department for Health and Social Care. This includes DIY home abortions, which have already resulted in the deaths of two mothers; the government is considering making this emergency provision permanent.
“Over 17,000 babies have been saved from abortion worldwide thanks to the efforts of 40 Days for Life.”
To get involved, visit www.40daysforlife.com/brighton, or contact Sheridan Lynch: brighton40daysforlife@btinternet.com or 07803 047402. There will also be a national March for Life on 4 September 2021.
Children’s health
According to NHS research, one in six children aged five to 16 had a mental health problem in 2020 – up from one in nine three years earlier. And the charity Mind reports that three quarters of 13 to 24-year-olds with an existing mental health say they deteriorated during lockdown.
Pray that all our young people are refreshed over the summer.
Children’s long-term survival
The JCVI has determined that children with learning and physical disabilities will be encouraged to get innoculated with Pfizer’s new mRNA technology investigative use drugs, (welcomed by the Down’s Syndrome Association) but have deemed the risks to healthy children do not outweigh the benefits.
While Youtube has now banned content that fights for children not to have the Covid jab, America’s Frontline Doctors have launched cases against mandated ‘innoculation’ which has not been tested for long and has already seen young people injured, disabled or dead. They say that America’s children should not be used as guinea pigs. (childrenshealthdefense.org)
Afghan women in danger
While the West applauded the courage of Malala Yousafzai, the girl who was shot in the head by the Taliban for daring to try to attend school, NATO troops have left Afghanistan after almost 20 years. Jihad Watch reported that Afghanis fear that their daughters will become sex slaves after the Taliban issued a demand for women aged under 45 to marry their jihadi fighters. Pray for their safety.