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 07/21/10

India (Dalit Freedom Network – www.dalitnetwork.org)
• Give thanks to God for the work of the Dalit Freedom Network (DFN) in helping victims of trafficking and raising awareness about this issue. Please continue to pray for the safety of the staff who work with these young victims. Pray for those who have been trafficked and exploited…for healing and hope for a brighter future.
• Pray that God will provide the resources needed to purchase land and build more schools as there are so many families wanting their children to be educated through the Dalit Education Centers.
• Thanks be to God for these schools and their staff. Pray that God will protect and provide for the directors who run them.

Thailand Garden of Hope – www.thegardenofhope.org)
• Continue to keep the staff and 30 children at Garden of Hope Children’s Drop-in Center lifted in prayer as they go through a period of transition. Give God thanks that this ministry, in the heart of a red-light (brothel) district, is doing so well in keeping children safe and in teaching them how to stay safe.
• Thanks be to God that Gee Gee *, a 10-year-old girl whose mother gave her to a 65-year-old American man, was rescued because she remembered the preventative training she received at the drop-in center and was able to call the Thai hotline number. Gee Gee was removed from her home and is now in a safe location.
• Pray that the children who come to the center will be protected from sexual exploitation, child labor, poverty, and discrimination. Pray for the emotional, physical, and spiritual healing of those who’ve already suffered this abuse.

United States
• Please keep the children and people of the Gulf Coast communities held close in prayer as they deal with the effects of the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

° Pray for those families who are adversely impacted by the spill.

° Pray for those who have lost businesses and livelihoods: oil workers, fishing folks, restaurant and tourism staff, rig suppliers, and many more.

° Pray for those who are afraid and angry about the situation and take it out on their children.

° Pray for those involved in the cleanup and in stopping the oil flow.

° Pray for the healing and restoration of damaged lives and damaged ecosystems.

° Please pray that the hurting children and people of this area will not be forgotten or abandoned.
• Give thanks to God for the C2BU (Courage to be You - www.c2bu.org) benefit concert recently held at Valley Springs Presbyterian Church in Roseville, California. Funds from this concert will benefit Courage House, a safe home for children rescued out of commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) in northern California.
° Please pray that this event will raise awareness about trafficking and CSE and that it will inspire many people to become involved in helping stop this horrible form of child abuse.
° Pray that God will provide the resources needed to open and staff Courage House.
Please pray for the children who will come to this safe place … for their healing and restoration.
• Please continue to keep the boys and staff at the Ron Burton Training Village (www.ronburtontrainingvillage.com) in prayer as the summer camp program comes to an end.
° Give God thanks that it has been such a successful and fruitful session for the 100 boys.
° Pray that these boys will be able to take what they have learned and experienced back into their daily lives at home, in their neighborhoods, and at school. Pray for their continued growth into respectful and respected young men of God.
° Please keep in prayer two boys, Steve * and Dave *, who had to leave the camp because of behavioral problems. Pray that they will benefit from the time they did spend at the camp, will find the help they need, and will learn to make better choices.

Faces of Children
• Give thanks to God for the opportunity to share the ministry of Faces of Children with the congregation of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Lubbock, Texas last week. And thanks be to God for the many new prayer partners from Covenant who committed to pray for children through 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.

* Name changed for confidentiality and/or protection.