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 12/18/12

AFGHANISTAN - Please keep the children of Afghanistan’s government-run orphanages held close in prayer. Pray for children who have had their food, clothing, and bedding stolen by those hired to care for them.
• Pray that the directors and staff of these orphanages will have a change of heart towards the orphans in their care. Pray they will value children over money, political ties, or ingrained corruption.
• Give thanks to God for the work of the new director at the National Directorate of Orphanages in Afghanistan and his indignation at the suffering so many of these vulnerable children endure. Pray that God will provide this director, an orphan himself, with the resources and tools needed to protect all children in government-run orphanages.
A report from the New York Times

BULLYING - Please pray for children who are bullied…who are intentionally tormented in physical, verbal, or psychological ways. Pray for their physical and emotional health—bullying can affect children’s sense of self-worth and future relationships. Pray that children who experience bullying will find a trusted adult in whom to confide.
• Please pray for girls and boys who experience sexual harassment — who have been subjected to unwelcome comments or jokes; inappropriate touching or sexual intimidation; harassment through texts, emails, social networking sites; or have had sexual rumors, innuendos, or photos spread about them.
A report from the New York Times
• Pray for children who are marginalized by or considered unimportant because of their different learning styles; the shape, size, or color of their bodies; their lack of athletic skill or intellectual ability; their disability or illness; or their lack of wealth.
A report from the Daily Mail
• Pray for children who desperately want to fit in, but are ostracized—given the cold shoulder—by their peers. Pray for God’s comfort and encouragement. Pray that a network of support will surround these children.
• Please pray that adults who are made aware of bullying will respond to the situation and not ignore it. Pray for school administrators and teachers who deal with bullying situations…that God will give them wisdom and courage to handle the challenges of bullied children and child bullies.
Bullying page on Kids Health website
• Pray for children who use violence, name-calling, threats, or other physical tactics to get what they want from their victims. Pray for children who bully by shunning others or spreading rumors about them.
• Give God thanks for programs like Rachel’s Challenge that exist to help students make a positive difference in their world. Praise God that so many students have embraced this program and that bullying and violent behavior on many school campuses has been replaced with kind and compassionate behavior, enabling students to learn in a safer and more respectful environment.
Rachel's Challenge website

UNITED STATES - Give God thanks and praise for the “One More Home” initiative to develop 200 more foster homes during the next two years in the Permian Basin (17 West Texas counties make up this area). More than half of the children picked up by Child and Family Protective Services in the Permian Basin are sent out of the region because there aren’t enough foster homes.
A report from the Midland Reporter-Telegram
One More Home website
• Thanks be to God for the 14 churches involved in this initiative and pray that more will recognize the desperate need for foster homes in the area and become involved with the project.
• Pray for children who are removed by CPS and placed in foster care outside their community. Pray for those who lose their families, friends, homes, and communities when they are removed. Parental visitation, when allowed, is more difficult when children are placed in a different county from their home county. Pray for children who are moved often or must stay long periods in emergency shelters because of the lack of foster homes.

FACES OF CHILDREN - Give thanks to God for the life of Jane Riddle, a Faces of Children intercessor in Washington, who died January 6, 2012. Please keep Jane’s family and friends held close in prayer as they celebrate the life of this amazing woman of prayer.
• Give thanks to God for the opportunity to share the ministry of Faces of Children with members of Westlake Hills Presbyterian Church in Austin, Texas last week. And thanks be to God for the new prayer partners from Westlake Hills 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.

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