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).Invitation to Prayer, TODAY
Hi Friends,
Thank you for joining me in prayer for the children of the world. If you can, we'd love to have you pray together with us this Wednesday - TODAY - at 11:30 a.m., in the gym conference room at First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas, followed by lunch together.
Also, Faces of Children is now on Facebook ! I invite you to like our page so that you can see regular stories, prayer needs, and updates from partner ministries.
All the best,
Carrie
Dear Intercessors,
Continuing the theme of school for one week more, I wanted to invite us to pray about the following needs that impact children and education:
LOUISIANA // "Twenty-two districts across a vast swath of southern Louisiana were forced to close last week by a historic flood, delaying or interrupting the start of the school year for tens of thousands of children. Although some districts remain closed indefinitely - and the superintendent of one hard-hit district is living in an emergency shelter - the majority plan to welcome students back within the next two weeks, according to John White, the Louisiana state superintendent. But school leaders are far more worried about making sure they have enough teachers than they are about the physical condition of classrooms, White said. "There is the facility and capacity in the region to serve all students," he said. "The greater challenge is displacement, especially of teachers." He estimated that 4,000 teachers and other staff members who are critical to the schools' operation - including bus drivers, cafeteria workers, paraprofessionals and janitors - have been displaced by the flood."
• Read the rest of the Washington Post report ...
Father, as the children affected by floods go back to school, we ask that you help meet their schools' needs for resources, supplies, and facilities. Most of all, please enable the teachers and other professionals to be able to return to work. And as the children begin to process the experience they've just lived through -- scary rains, flooding, and the loss of their sense of security as many of them have lost everything -- please help the grown-ups in their lives to be a strong support and encouragement as they begin the journey to recovery.
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| Mountain Child Photo |
• Watch the video ...
Father, as Nepal continues to rebuild, please empower and encourage those individuals who are serving you by helping others rebuild their lives. Protect the pilots of MAF and the relief workers from Mountain Child. Sustain the local staff who have seen an endless stream of overwhelming needs for the last few years. And for those children whose lives are still in shambles, we pray for your protection to rest on them and for each of their needs to be met.
EUROPE // Children who escape Syria and survive the journey to safety may be considered the lucky ones. According to the UNHCR, almost a third of refugees and migrants crossing the Mediterranean to Europe are children, many traveling alone. But just reaching Europe's shores does not mean they can begin to rebuild normal lives. As the Deputy Europe Director of Amnesty International said in her recent OpEd piece for CNN, "Some of the children we've met have spent so long out of school that they have forgotten how to read and write. One 16-year-old boy from Syria who has been in a camp on the Greek mainland told us: 'We have been here for 423 days with no hope, no education, no schools. I need the chance to complete my studies.' These children need safety, special care, education, and a roof over their head. They need governments to allow and facilitate family reunification. They need countries to follow through on their promises to relocate and resettle families like Ahmed's."
• Read the rest of this CNN op-ed ...
Father, thank you that you know each of these precious children by name. You know the number of hairs on their heads, and you know the horrors they have seen. We know you are weeping over the brutality and trauma they have experienced in their short lives. God, we humbly ask for a miracle of justice and peace to spread in Syria and throughout that part of the world. We thank you for the people you have placed in the middle of the conflict, waging peace in the face of brutal war. We ask that you empower and strengthen them in their fight. For European nations facing an influx of migrants, we pray that they are able to rise up and meet this need with compassion and mercy, enabling these victims to begin rebuilding their lives in safety.
Praying with you,
Carrie
Carrie J. McKean
Faces of Children Director
First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas
(432) 684-7821 x153
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 info@facesofchildren.net
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