Lent is a season that invites honesty — especially about our limits.
As we continue praying for strength this season, we are reminded that God often works most powerfully when we feel weakest.
This week, our Director of Advocacy, Robert Clarke, leads us in prayer from 2 Corinthians 12:9. He talks about our client, Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, who recently returned to court in Birmingham, England, following two prior arrests.
Once again, she faces criminal charges — for nothing more than praying silently. This comes even after she won her previous case and received compensation from the police for her unjust treatment.
On the day, Isabel stated: “Three years ago, I was vindicated in Birmingham Magistrates’ Court after being charged for silently praying on a public street. Yet sadly, that wasn’t the end of things. I found myself in the same court today, charged again for my silent prayers.
“My behaviour hasn’t changed in that time. I’ve simply stood inside an abortion ‘buffer zone’, on a public street, and silently prayed, meaning my thoughts were turned towards God.
“I’ve not held any posters, offered any leaflets, spoken with anyone or spoken out loud at all. I’ve not interacted with anyone in any way. Yet I’m being treated like a criminal. This is viewpoint discrimination. Standing is not a crime, silence is not a crime, thinking is not a crime.”
Isabel’s trial is expected to take place from 6 to 9 October. ADF International is supporting her legal defence.
Her case highlights the alarming consequences of so-called “buffer zone” laws — one of the most concerning frontiers of censorship in the modern West. These laws broadly prohibit “influence,” and police are interpreting them in ways that punish innocent people for their thoughts.
Please continue to pray for those we defend.
If you feel called to support our work again, please do. We receive no public funding and never charge our clients for legal support. Everything we receive comes from the generosity of people like you. | 
