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 11/21/13
Mauritania
• Please pray for the estimated 150,000 children and people of Mauritania who are held captive in a centuries-old, traditionally-accepted practice of chattel slavery, where adult slaves and their children are the property of their masters. Mauritania takes the dubious honor of first place in a new slavery index that ranks countries according to the occurrence of slavery, child marriage, and trafficking.
• Pray this culturally-embedded tradition of using, buying, selling, renting out, and giving slaves away as gifts will cease. Pray the laws abolishing slavery and trafficking will be upheld and enforced. Pray for freedom and justice for all children and adults enslaved in this country.
• Please keep in prayer those who work to abolish slavery in Mauritania. Pray for their safety as many human rights defenders and their supporters have been arrested by police.
• Keep in prayer 18-year-old Noura Mint Aheimed who escaped from slavery after suffering 14 years of exploitation, maltreatment, and lack education allegedly at the hands of her masters. Pray for justice for this brave young woman who has become a symbol for the anti-slavery movement in Mauritania.
Philippines
• Keep close in prayer the children and people of the Philippines as they cope with the devastation wrought by Typhoon Haiyan on November 8, 2013. Pray for the estimated 9.5 million people affected by this super-typhoon that hit the central part of the Philippines. Haiyan was one of the most powerful typhoons in recorded history.
• Pray for the estimated 660,000 people who have been displaced and lack access to food, clean water, or medical care. Pray humanitarian aid will reach everyone in great need, especially the most vulnerable. Pray for the 2.5 million people in need of food because of this disaster.
• Pray for those in remote areas who’ve been affected by Typhoon Haiyan. Please pray for survivors in communities like Tacloban (the coastal capital of Leyte province) where 10,000 are feared dead; Guiuan a city of 40,000 people that was almost totally devastated; Basey (a seaside town in Samar province) where 2,000 people are missing; and for survivors in the hundreds of other towns and villages that were in Haiyan’s path.
•Please pray communications, highways, airports, power lines, and other infrastructure can be repaired or restored quickly to allow aid to reach devastated communities. Pray for the safe transport of supplies and personnel in areas where looters have attacked trucks of food and relief supplies. Pray the supplies reach everyone in need and aren’t siphoned off by corrupt officials.
•Give thanks to God for the international support flowing into the Philippines from more than 20 other countries.
•Pray for children and families grieving the loss of loved ones, friends, homes, and communities. Whole towns have been reduced to rubble by Haiyan’s high winds, drenching rains, and massive storm surges. Please pray God’s peace will sustain those who are grieving and heal the visible and invisible wounds from this trauma.
United States
• Please keep close in prayer a 13-year-old girl who was sexually assaulted by Gary*, an 18-year-old young man with the emotional maturity of a much younger boy. Pray for her physical and emotional healing. Pray for her parents as they try to help their daughter and protect her from any further abuse.
• Pray God will guide Gary as he deals with the consequences of his actions. He was arrested for having sex with this 13-year-old girl and will now carry the “registered sex offender” status with him for the rest of his life. Pray for Gary’s adoptive parents who are beside themselves with grief and disappointment.
* Name changed for confidentiality and/or protection.
Faces of Children
• Keep Faces of Children prayer partner Karen Lang close in prayer as she recovers from dental surgery to remove an infection. Please pray for healing and comfort for this faithful intercessor.
• Give thanks to God for Sandy’s successful foot surgery. Pray this wife of Faces of Children intercessor Jim Alsup will experience God’s healing touch as she recovers from a difficult surgery. Pray for her healing and comfort, as well.
• 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
No comments:
Post a Comment