Displaying items by tag: prayer needs

The devastation wrought by Russia’s invasion is heartbreaking, and the atrocities committed are galling. Millions of Ukrainians have been displaced. Tens of thousands have been killed. When the conflict ends, rebuilding will take years, or even decades. Even more complicated will be the healing of trauma experienced and, hopefully, an eventual reconciliation with its neighbour. Pray for the intervention of the God who makes wars cease to the ends of the earth and who breaks the bow and shatters the spear (Psalm 46:9). Pray Psalm 10:17-18 over Ukraine – that the Lord will hear the desire of the afflicted, encourage them, and listen to their cries. Pray for wisdom from above, and divine fortitude for Ukraine’s leaders and its people. Ukraine’s rich Christian heritage began in the Slavic world in Kyiv 1,000 years ago. Churches suffered greatly in the Soviet era. Next there was hostility from the Orthodox Church for other expressions of Christianity. Evangelicals have emerged from many years of persecution with larger numbers and stronger faith.

Praise God for rapid church growth, even under government restrictions and persecution. Indigenous Laotians lead almost all churches and evangelism efforts. The government recognises two Protestant groups. The largest is the Lao Evangelical Church, where most Christian growth occurs. Growth also happens through ‘underground’ house groups. Over 90% of all trained leaders left Laos in 1975, and most congregations lack a trained pastor. Pray urgently for leaders both in the recognised churches and in the house church networks. Pray that new believers will grow strong in faith and not fall away. The Church suffers through persecution, but recognises that it drives them to prayer and total dependence on God. Much of Laos remains unevangelised. The church's growth is dwarfed by remaining tasks. The Gospel has not easily crossed ethnic barriers. Buddhism and tribal religions blend together. There are 5,000 temples but only 250 church buildings.

European countries suffering under sizzling heat waves for weeks can hope for respite as ‘subtle changes in the jet stream’ are expected to start to bring temperatures down by 2 August. Until then we can continue to pray for the safety of firefighters who are running towards the flames as others are running away. Ask God to comfort those whose homes and businesses have been destroyed. Pray for help and wisdom for those who have to rebuild their livelihoods after the fires are extinguished. May God be with people mourning those killed by fire, and may He help those who continue struggling with health issues worsened by heat and smoke.

Sudanese passports are locked inside European embassies. Spain's foreign ministry urged people to obtain travel documents from the Sudanese authorities. Mohamed was waiting for his visa for a Spanish holiday when war erupted. He phoned the Spanish embassy to retrieve his passport. The receptionist asked, ‘Are you Sudanese or Spanish?' He said he was Sudanese, she immediately hung up. Mr Badawi works for a French company. His passport was at the French embassy and they refused to return it. There are many more trapped. 15.8 million people already needed humanitarian assistance before the conflict. Now the situation is dire. Water, food, fuel, and medical supplies are scarce. The UN and partners are working to reboot the humanitarian response. Also the toll on children and young people’s mental health is profound. Additionally, the cost of transportation out of the worst-hit areas has risen exponentially, leaving the most vulnerable unable to move to safer areas.

There is a shortage of skilled workers in the hotel industry, maintenance and repair, health and safety services, day care centres and schools. Nationwide there are 100,000 child care and 40,000 teacher positions vacant. There are many causes: higher birth-rate, immigration, increase in all-day care services, increasing requirements for social inclusion and language training, and inadequate preparation for the large number of workers from the 1960s baby-boom generation who will retire in the 2020s. Teachers, trainers, educators and carers, under stress due to heavy workloads, are taking time off due to illness. Germany’s education system needs a fundamental overhaul to equip children for life in the coming decades. Many of the teaching methods and educational materials are antiquated and no longer suitable to give children a healthy identity, self-confidence, assertiveness, team spirit, joy and resilience for the demands of the current world.

Immigration is a reality of national life. London has 10,000+ people of over fifty various nationalities. Many Brits struggle to welcome immigrants, who often struggle to adjust to life in the UK. Pray for society to face the challenges of many cultures living together in peace. Immigrants from Christian nations like Nigeria and Brazil bring new church life and church growth. Pray for local congregations to plant new churches, reach new peoples, and glorify Jesus as they partner with believers from many lands. Sadly, England's inner cities are becoming physical and spiritual wastelands of drugs and crime. Dying churches and empty churches have been converted to mosques, temples, or gurdwaras as white evangelicals move to the suburbs. Inner-city whites in poverty and joblessness have few prospects. Pray for God to raise an army of workers to meet the many needs of impoverished and often troubled areas.

India’s religious diversity is under threat from the spread of religious intolerance as well as government policies and laws. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh arm of the BJP promotes a Hindu nationalist agenda and is dividing communities on religious grounds, leaving the nation’s religious minorities unsettled about their future. Pray for India’s government today: transform their hearts to treat every individual and community with respect and to protect their right to freedom of religion or belief. Pray also that the appointment of India’s first president from an indigenous community, President Draupadi Murmu, will bring positive changes for all India’s indigenous communities. Heavenly Father, we pray for Your protection over all the nation’s religious minorities. We pray that those in power will respect and acknowledge the right of everyone to freedom of religion or belief. Where there is unrest, bring peace, and where there is persecution, we ask for impartiality.

Pyongyang, North Korea's capital, once called ‘Jerusalem of the East,’ can no longer claim that title as the Juche doctrine is now its religion, with the Kims as its deities. Christian church information is limited. It survives as an underground church where meetings are held in secret. If members are caught, they will go to prison or a labour camp. Intense media control means that few North Koreans have heard the name of Jesus. The government dictates people’s lifestyle through generic provisions and limiting personal differences. Much of North Korea is underdeveloped., and natural disasters and military spending have strapped the economy. In the past fifteen years, two million people have died due to food shortages. The country relies on foreign aid to feed its people. North Korea is accused of torture, slavery, public executions, forced abortions, infanticides, as well as detaining possibly as many as 200,000 political prisoners.

Fighting and shelling continues in eastern and southern Ukraine, and strikes in other areas have caused additional destruction of civilian infrastructure and a large number of civilian deaths and injuries. The civilian toll has reached 14,000 confirmed deaths since the beginning of the war. Nearly 18 million people (40% of Ukraine’s population) need humanitarian assistance, and the situation is expected to deteriorate further in the winter months. As villages and towns are being liberated from Russian occupation in Ukraine’s ongoing counteroffensive, significant needs remain - and the Ukrainian advances may halt with the arrival of winter. Many communities still lack access to clean water, electricity, and mobile phone service. Many have limited food supplies. The clean-up and rebuilding effort will take some time. Pray for: The church and ministry networks across Ukraine and neighbouring countries who are mobilising to bring food, clothing, first aid and medicine; evacuation and temporary accommodation assistance; psychological and spiritual support; rebuilding damaged properties and preparing for winter.

Military Ministries International (MMI) are in various continents including Europe. In Ukraine they have been busy serving soldiers, military widows, and military families by providing daily internet prayer and Bible study times to different groups. There are several meetings with large numbers of soldiers for evangelism. MMI received food produce at the logistics centres and then distributed it to soldiers and widows. They were able to include a large group of military widows in the UN humanitarian programme this summer. A young American volunteer was baptised recently by an MMI pastor who sends a word of encouragement from the Bible individually to a few hundred people (mostly soldiers) and coordinates the ministry of the MMI chaplains. A very great encouragement for chaplains is the international daily MMI prayer through Zoom, which has been held since the war began. MMI requests prayer for God to give strength, wisdom and unity to all the military.