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 07/03/14
Nigeria
An Islamic group called Boko Haram (which means “Western education is sinful”) has employed extreme violence in its campaign to establish an Islamic Sharia state in northeast Nigeria. They generally target Christians, but a large proportion of their victims have been Muslim. The extremist group continues its campaign of terror in the remote villages of Borno in northeast Nigeria with near daily raids, murders, and abductions. They have looted villages and burned homes and churches to the ground in their raids. Boko Haram has also attacked police and UN headquarters in the capital, and set off bombs in the central city of Jos.
In April, the group kidnapped 276 girls from a secondary school in Chibok. Boko Haram demands the release of its imprisoned militants in exchange for the girls, but the Nigerian government refuses to negotiate with them. More than 560 civilians have been killed by Boko Haram since the school girls’ abduction in April and more than 100 women and children have been taken from their villages. Thousands of people have fled the violence in the region and an estimated three million people are affected by it.
• Pray for children and families who’ve been affected by Boko Haram’s violent campaign. Pray for those who have had loved ones killed or injured in attacks by this militant group. Pray for children and families who have lost their homes. Pray God will provide for their immediate and deepest needs.
• Continue to pray for the safe release of the school girls, as well as the women and children kidnapped by Boko Haram. Pray for those who’ve been forced to convert from Christianity to Islam. Pray for God’s comfort and peace during this frightening time. Pray for the loved ones of these kidnap victims.
• Please pray for peace in Nigeria’s troubled northeast region. Pray for Nigeria’s government and military leaders during this challenging season. Pray for wisdom and courage to do the right thing for their fellow Nigerians, especially the children of this fractured country.
• Pray for Boko Haram’s leaders—that God would change the hearts of those who use violence to achieve goals.
United States, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador
The number of unaccompanied children coming to the United States from Central America continues to grow. Since last October, an estimated 52,000 unaccompanied migrant children have been detained after crossing into the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas from Mexico. Most of them are fleeing drug cartel or gang violence in Guatemala, Honduras, or El Salvador. The average age of children crossing is 14, but arrests of unaccompanied children under age 2 have been reported. This flood of migrant children has strained detention centers in Texas and forced authorities to find alternative housing for those who’ve come to the U.S. without parents or guardians.
This massive influx of children is thought to be caused by a misconception among migrants that traveling with children will allow them to enter the U.S. and that minor children won’t be deported. Coyotes (human smugglers) perpetuate this mistaken belief in order to profit from it. Unaccompanied children are held in detention facilities until they can be placed with a parent or guardian in the U.S. They are required to reappear for a deportation hearing.
• Please continue to keep in prayer unaccompanied children who are migrating or have migrated to the U.S. Pray for those who have experienced violence at home, only to go through it again during their journey north. Pray for children who have been apprehended and are now in shelters. Pray for those who are frightened and feeling alone.
• Pray for children and young people who have endured great abuse and hardship during their trips north. Pray for those who have been attacked, robbed, chased, sexually assaulted, or kidnapped and trafficked by drug cartels. Pray for those who endure hunger, thirst, illness, or exposure to extreme heat or cold. Pray for those who have witnessed brutal or traumatizing events during their long journey north.
• Please keep in prayer law enforcement officers and those who process or work with unaccompanied migrant children along the U.S./Mexico border. Pray God will grant them wisdom and compassion while working with traumatized children.
• Pray for parents who make difficult life and death decisions about their children…whether to keep their children home where they’re vulnerable to extreme violence from drug cartels and gangs or send them north on a treacherous journey where they’re vulnerable to being trafficked.
• Please pray for the leaders and people of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Pray God will bring healing to their nations. Pray for an end to poverty, gang violence, and the desperation that causes parents to send their children over a thousand miles away so they won’t be killed.
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.
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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