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 12/4/12

IRAQ, UNITED STATES - Pray for women widowed during decades of violence, war, and uprisings in Iraq. Approximately nine percent of Iraq’s women — about 900,000 — are widows, according to the Iraqi Ministry of Planning. Pray for those with children, and especially for widowed mothers who struggle to provide for their families. Please pray that more programs designed to help widows become economically self-sufficient will be available. Pray God will bring comfort to children who have lost their fathers to violent deaths.
A report from the New York Times
• Pray for the children and people of Iraq following the departure of American troops and almost nine years of war. Pray the multitude of issues facing this country—how to divide the country’s oil wealth, how to share power between Iraq’s three main sectarian groups (Sunnis, Shiites, and Kurds), how to establish an impartial justice system—may be resolved peacefully and justly.
Another report from the New York Times
• Give thanks to God so many American soldiers have been able to return from Iraq in time for the Christmas holidays. Pray for these service personnel as they adjust to life back in the United States with their families and friends. Please pray for God’s comforting presence for children whose fathers or mothers will never come home from war.
A report from the Washington Post
• Pray for the thousands of former and current U.S. military personnel who experience post-traumatic stress disorder, an anxiety disorder resulting from traumatic events. Many have difficulty maintaining relationships with spouses and children and often experience feelings of isolation. Pray for families who are unsure how to help these wounded loved ones who have such devastating, but invisible injuries.
A report from the Chicago Tribune
• Pray for military veterans and current service personnel who have been injured in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Pray they will receive the right treatment and medical care for their conditions.
• Give thanks to God for the work of the staff and volunteers with the Wounded Warrior Project in providing support for so many injured military men and women.
Wounded Warrior Project website

UNITED STATES - Please continue to pray that God will bring healing to 6-year-old Ty who hasn’t responded well to new chemotherapy treatments. Pray his condition improves—he has come out of the coma he was in, but now he’s unable to form words properly, is lethargic, and can’t stand up. Please keep Ty’s parents and little brother Casey in prayer, as well. Pray God will bring them all comfort, assurance, and peace during this frightening time.
• Pray for 15-year-old Ian who was diagnosed with desmoplastic small round cell tumor, an aggressive and extremely rare form of cancer. Ian is one of only 200 documented people who have been diagnosed with this rare cancer since 1989. Pray for God’s healing presence with Ian during this difficult time. Give thanks to God for Ian’s positive attitude and determination to train for cross country track again in the spring. Praise be to God for Ian’s track teammates and church family as they rally around this young man and his family, providing encouragement and support.
A report from WDAY-TV
• Please continue to keep 11-year-old Dallas in prayer as he adjusts to life in the foster home in which he was placed after his mother was arrested. Give thanks to God that he is doing very well in school now. Pray that his mother Betty* will make better choices for herself and Dallas in the future. Pray she will be able to provide more stability in Dallas’ life.
• Give God thanks that 17-year-old Thomas* is doing well in the alternative high school he attends now. Thomas was expelled from school last year for possessing a firearm — he accidentally shot a friend in the abdomen. Pray Thomas will focus on school and commit to attending regularly. Recently, he skipped school and was involved in a traffic accident that totaled a neighbor’s car. Pray for Thomas’ mother and father as they struggle to parent this young man. Thomas’ father is disabled because of a cancerous brain tumor and his mother has Crohn’s disease, an autoimmune disorder that is aggravated by stress.
Chron's Online website

FACES OF CHILDREN - Please continue to keep 26-year-old Brittany, the friend of a Faces of Children prayer partner, held close in prayer as she begins aggressive radiation treatment for cancer that has spread to her skull. Pray God’s healing power will completely cure Brittany and that this miracle will be a testimony to the people in her life of God’s mercy and love. Pray that God will wrap arms of comfort around this young woman and bring her peace
• 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.
• If you have prayer requests about children, those who care for them, those who have authority over them, or those who harm them (the really hard prayers to say sometimes), please send them to Chris Laufer, FOC Coordinator, at claufer@facesofchildren.net


* Name changed for confidentiality and/or protection.