Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Their mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, they 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 ... Wednesday
Hi Friends,
We will be meeting this Wednesday at 11:00 a.m., in the gym conference room at First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. I hope you can join us!
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
The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.
a stronghold in times of trouble.
Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.
Psalm 9:9-10
Dear Intercessors,
The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed... even the forgotten and left-behind children in Myanmar. The Lord is a stronghold in times of trouble... even as the ground gives way in mudslides. The Lord doesn't forsake those who seek him... even little girls married-to-soon to abusive men who lock them away and treat them as objects.
Can I be honest and say that even typing that out feels a little preposterous and un-accepting of reality. Sort of like I've put my fingers in my ears and started shouting, "I can't hear you!" in the face of news I don't want to get. Do the forgotten children in Myanmar know that the Lord is a refuge? Do children who lost their homes, pets, and maybe even parents in the California mudslides this week trust that the Lord is a stronghold when the ground is quite literally giving way? Do little sub-Saharan African girls trust that God hasn't forsaken them even when it seems everyone else has? Most certainly, some do not.
And we know that children continue to die daily of starvation and lack of medicine. Children loose everything in natural disasters. Little girls loose their innocence at the hands of older men. And yet... And yet...
We trust that God is still a refuge. Still a stronghold. Still refuses to ever forsake His children. Even when circumstances don't make sense and we can't see the light of day, He is there. Let's cling stubbornly to the truth of His goodness and presence in this broken and fallen world.
This week, I'd like to invite you to join me in praying for the following matters:
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| AP Photo by Dar Yasin |
"Tens of thousands of Rohingya children have been left "trapped and almost forgotten" in remote, squalid camps and isolated villages in Myanmar's Rakhine state, the UN has said. Stringent restrictions on the movement of Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine, which have worsened amid the increased violence over the past 15 months, have left an estimated 60,000 children stranded, in need of aid, and suffering from "high levels of toxic fear", said Unicef, the UN children's agency. The UN's top human rights official has described Myanmar's treatment of its Rohingya population as a 'textbook example of ethnic cleansing.'" Read more here ...
The situation in Myanmar and neighboring Bangladesh only seems to grow more and more desperate for the Rohingya people, especially children. Please pray for children struggling under "toxic fear," deplorable living conditions, and hunger and disease.
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| Reuters Photo by Pius Sawa |
"In western Uganda's Kyangwali refugee settlement, Tamari Mutesi teaches tailoring to young women who do not go to school. The initiative she works with aims to combat violence against young single mothers and other refugee girls, including those mistreated by their husbands, by helping them gain economic independence." ... "According to UNESCO, many African girls only receive five years of schooling, while 9 million girls between the ages of six and 11 will never go to school at all in sub-Saharan Africa." Read more here ...
Praise God for these efforts to empower girls to protect them from abuse and violence. Please pray for the 9 million girls who remain uneducated in sub-Saharan Africa... education and safety go hand-in-hand, so when girls are deprived of an education they also are often deprived of safety. Pray for God's protection and for more opportunities to arise.
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| SBCFD Photo by Mike Eliason |
"For children in southern California, the last few weeks have been a traumatic mix of raging wildfires and harrowing mudslides. As of Thursday, Jan 11, afternoon, "at least 17 people are dead, another eight are missing and over two dozen are injured in California from weather-related incidents, according to Santa Barbara County officials. The southern part of the state has been drenched with heavy rain just weeks after several fires scorched the area. Flash flooding, debris flow and mudslides are punishing the communities hit hard by the Thomas and La Tuna fires, prompting "dozens and dozens" of rescues on the ground, a spokesperson from the Santa Barbara County Fire Department told ABC News." Read more here ...
Please pray for children who have lost their homes and family members to the natural disasters of the last few weeks. Like any natural disaster, the impact of the residual fear and trauma caused be these events can be life-long and life-altering. Please pray for healthy coping methods and strong community and national support.
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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