In Maidstone, Kent, a quarterly prayer walk takes place in the town centre where believers from across the town gather to pray over the community. When not prayer walking, many of the group meet weekly at the start of each week to listen to the Lord speak as He puts issues on their hearts and then pray with watchfulness and thankfulness.
During the town-centre prayer walks, we noticed the prevalence of betting shops in Maidstone, which led us to pray for those addicted to gambling in the community.
Christians in Maidstone pray regularly through the town centre (this photo from 2014)
Then just two weeks ago when UK Sports Minister Tracy Crouch resigned in protest at the government’s delaying of a new law to curb the lure of fixed odds betting terminals, it was clear that a battle over the effects of gambling is taking place at a national level too.
So we have been praying for our town and the nation, for the effects of all kinds of addiction including gabling. I believe that this battle is not merely over the physical presence of gambling facilities, it is a battle in the heavenly realm for lives, communities and the nation.
We have much to be thankful for as we see the Lord at work! Prayer changes things, and today we learned that the government has brought forward the implementation of the new law to April 2019.
During Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Theresa May said: “I recognise the strength of feeling on this issue. I know gambling addiction can devastate lives.”