Faces of Children: Prayer Requests

Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).

Prayer Concerns for the week of 08/12/09

Brazil (ESTHERS Children - www.estherschildren.org/)
• Thanks be to God for the ministry of ESTHERS Children in Recife, Brazil and their work with at-risk children. Praise God for rescuing many of the girls that the staff and volunteers have worked with a second time. And thank God for the amazing work God is doing in these girls lives, both spiritually and academically.
• Please pray for God's hand of protection over all of the girls in ESTHERS Children's care and with whom they work. Pray that they resist the temptation to fall back into the lives they left behind.
• Pray that God will give Nivaldo and Kathyrna grace, peace and strength to care for 16 girls now. Pray they will feel God's presence with them each and every day as they take on this huge task.
• Pray for Anna as she begins her work with ESTHERS Children. And pray for the team of volunteers God is bringing together to serve alongside the full time staff.
• Please pray for the leaders of this ministry as they reorganize their project plan with the dream of helping more girls in the future. Pray that God will provide this ministry with all of the resources needed to help these children.

Ghana
• Please pray for 11-year-old Simon and other children who make a meager living mining scrap metal from mountains of hazardous electronic waste-often from computers and video game consoles discarded in the U.S. and Europe and dumped in Ghana. Pray for their health and safety and for the opportunity to attend school. Pray for an end to the cycle of poverty that traps children in dangerous forms of labor like scrap mining.
A report from the Washington Post

North Korea, United States
• Give thanks to God for the release and return of two U.S. journalists held in North Korea for five months. Thanks be to God they were reunited with their families and that 4-year-old Hana has her mother home again.
A report from the BBC
• Pray for those still imprisoned and tortured- including children-in North Korean work camps.
A report from the Washington Post

Pakistan
• Pray for Christian families in Pakistan who've had their homes burned down by radical Islamic fanatics. Pray for relatives and friends whose family members were burned alive in the latest attack.
• Please pray for consistent and complete police/government protection of minority groups in Pakistan.
• Pray for the militant Islamic groups who threaten Christian minorities with false allegations of desecrating the Koran and then using the blasphemy law against them. Pray that this law will be repealed.
• Please pray that through education, the people of Pakistan can develop interfaith harmony and a peaceful society.
A report from alertnet.org
A report from the Washington Post
• Pray for girls/staff of the Presbyterian Education Board Schools.
• Pray for the staff of the Center for Legal Aid and Assistance Settlement (CLAAS) as they reach out to and help the victims of this religious persecution. (Jubilee Campaign)

United States
• Pray that 8-year-old David* will be returned to the safety and protection of his aunt, with whom he has lived for several years. David, a special needs child, was staying with his aunt because of his mother's mental health and addiction issues. Recently, David's mother took him away from his aunt and threatened to leave the state. Pray for his safety and well-being. Pray for David's aunt and for his mother.
*Name changed for confidentiality
• Pray that 9-year-old Addison, who had surgery to reattach a finger cut off in an accident, will heal completely. Pray that she will know God's comforting presence throughout her time of recovery.
• Please keep 2-year-old Jack in prayer as he recovers from a third heart surgery. Pray that his oxygen levels will increase and that he will be able to overcome the numerous physical and medical problems with which he is faced. Pray that God will bless Jack with healing and strength. Pray that God will sustain and encourage his parents throughout this trying time.

Faces of Children
• Please continue to pray that more churches and individuals will join with the ministry of Faces of Children in spreading awareness about children in crisis and inviting more people to pray for children at risk.