HEAL OUR LAND

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 7 : 1

Did you know in the UK 100,000 children a year run away from broken homes? We have the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe. Over the last 35 years an average of one abortion every three minutes has been carried out legally, 80% funded by the NHS. 36% of conceptions outside marriage end in abortion. Every year 140,000 people attempt suicide and 4,000 children every day call Childline. One third of all children live in poverty, growing up in families that do not have sufficient income to make sure that their needs are met. 60 million acts of crime happen each year.

Did you know there are 5 million people who regularly use cannabis, 3.4 million ecstasy and 2 million who use amphetamines and cocaine each year? British Telecom blocks 20,000 attempts a day of people trying to watch pornographic acts with children on the internet. Sex scenes on British television have increased 300% in the last five years. There are 27 nationally accessible pornographic TV channels. At peak times eight out of ten admissions to Admissions to Accident and Emergency are a result of drinking, costing £12 billion a year.

Did you know 380,000 people are living on the street? If brought together these people would number more than the population of Cardiff. 24 million anti-depressant prescription items are issued each year. And by the way, our society is a trillion pounds in debt. All the above are verifiable statistics. The better question to ask may be not did you know but do you care? If we do nothing – no social action, no lobbying, no prayer – just imagine where our society will be in 25 years time?

God gave this promise many centuries ago for those times when there is a state of national emergency, ”If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land”

2 Chronicles 7 : 14

Mick Reynolds