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 12/05/13
Democratic Republic of Congo
• Please keep close in prayer children, youth, and adults in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) whose community was attacked in early November, allegedly by M23 rebel forces. Pray for displaced families who don’t have access to medical care, food, or shelter. Pray for those whose homes were destroyed in the heavy shelling.
• Give God thanks for the recent announcement by M23 rebels that they will end their 20-month-long rebellion against the government of the DRC. Please pray this group will follow through with their commitment to disarm troops and seek a political solution to the conflict. Pray the DRC army will stop their assaults against M23 forces and negotiate a peace agreement with them.
• Pray for children recruited by both government and M23 rebel forces. Pray for boys who were hired to be porters by M23 rebels in Rwandan territory. Most ended up fighting or escorting commanders.
• Pray for peace in the eastern part of the DRC, an area that has suffered violence for the past 15 years as a multitude of armed groups compete for the region’s gold, copper, and cobalt. Pray for children who have been displaced by these years of conflict and unrest.
Syria, Afghanistan, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Yemen, Mali, Colombia, the Philippines, Burma, Iraq, and the Central African Republic
• Please pray for children who are recruited to fight in armed conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Yemen, Mali, Colombia, the Philippines, Burma, Iraq, and the Central African Republic. Pray for boys and girls who have been injured or raped in these conflicts. Pray for those who have seen family members killed or wounded.
• Keep close in prayer the children of Syria who have been recruited to fight in the country’s civil war by both government and rebel troops. Pray for those who have been tortured because of their association with opposing forces. Please pray for boys who have been sexually assaulted in order to obtain information or confessions. Pray for those who have endured the same forms of torture as adult prisoners.
• Please keep in prayer children who are recruited for combat as well as support roles in Syria’s armed opposition groups. Pray for those who transport food and water and load cartridges. Pray for children who are recruited by relatives or who join after losing all of their family members.
United States
• Please pray for parents who struggle to find appropriate child care for their children. Pray for those who feel they have no alternative but to leave their children in unsafe situations because nothing else is available. Pray for children left with daycare providers who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol; who don’t have the abilities or resources to properly care for children; or who have too many children in their facilities to provide adequate supervision.
• Keep in prayer children and families affected by powerful storms and at least 16 tornadoes that touched down in parts of Illinois, Indiana, and ten other states.
• Please pray for those in Washington, Illinois where a huge tornado destroyed hundreds of homes and flattened entire neighborhoods. The EF-4 rated tornado cut a path one eighth of a mile wide from one side of town to the other. Pray for children, youth, and adults injured by flying debris from the tornado. Give God thanks for all those who survived what seemed un-survivable…who climbed out of demolished homes with minor injuries.
• Pray for the loved ones of those killed in these powerful storms that swept across Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York.
Faces of Children
• Please keep in prayer Faces of Children intercessors Rebecca Nicholson, Jose Luis Casal and their spouses as they travel to Colombia for mission work. Pray for the other members of this mission team, as well. Pray God will bless them all with traveling mercies and keep them safe during their time in Colombia.
• Give thanks to God for the opportunity this team will have to share the ministry of Faces of Children with Presbyterian pastors from all over Columbia at a three-day pastors’ conference the team will help lead.
• 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
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