Prayer for medical centers dealing with flooding in Texas and Louisiana

http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/30/health/harvey-houston-hospitals/index.html

Lord, today we pray for hospitals and other medical centers weathering the floods brought by Hurricane Harvey. First, Lord, we express our gratitude for the hundreds of employees—doctors, nurses, aides, kitchen workers, and employees of all kinds—who have set aside their own needs in order to serve patients in these difficult conditions. Lord, we wholeheartedly ask your blessing on these people. Sustain them. Strengthen them. May their attitudes remain positive while their endurance is tested. May they tap into new reservoirs of inner strength. May they rely on you. Next, we pray for the patients. Lord, so many are helpless. Give them courage. Help them trust those who are trying to help them. May they rise up to the challenges they are facing to survive and thrive and heal. Lord, please bring people and donations and rescuers at the right times as needed. Regarding the rescuers, we continue to pray for both trained and unofficial rescuers, who have evacuated nursing homes, hospitals and more. Please continue to protect and strengthen them. Give them wisdom and efficiency. Finally, Heavenly Father, we celebrate how others have reached out to these medical centers with donations of time, transportation, supplies and more. Thank you for this example of goodwill. Bless those who have given—both companies and individuals. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Prayer for Houston and the surrounding area in the midst of Hurricane Harvey

https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/hurricane-harvey/hurricane-harvey-houston-hit-catastrophic-flooding-n796341
Photo credit: Mark Mulligan / Houston Chronicle via AP

Lord, today we continue to pray for for Houston, TX, and the surrounding area as the rain continues to fall and the floodwaters continue to rise. Heavenly Father, it may be counterintuitive, but we praise you in this storm, as the song says and your Word exhorts. We praise you for your power. We rejoice that emergency responders and citizens are rising to this challenge and rescuing hundreds, soon to be thousands, of their fellow citizens. We are thankful for lessons learned from previous storms that help us improve in how we handle these disasters. While we are deeply saddened by the two deaths we know of so far, we are also deeply grateful that there have not been more people lost in the midst of this devastation. Despite our praise and gratitude, we continue to implore you to be with those still in need of rescue. May they stay calm and safe; may they make wise decisions in the midst of chaos. We intercede for the rescuers. Keep your hand on them, protecting them, and blessing them with ongoing efficiency and courage. We pray for people in Texas and beyond to open their homes to those who need shelter, wallets for those who need assistance, and hearts to the situation in order to care and pray and reach out. We pray for government, community, church and family leaders to lead, act, speak and encourage well, that Texans may weather this literal and figurative storm with courage, grace, effectiveness and dignity (from within and toward others). We love you even when the world looks like it is falling apart, Lord. Please intervene in Texas today, in both little and big ways. Amen. 

Listen to the song about praising God in the storm here: http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=WDK7KLNX

Prayer for Brunei - #25 on the World Watch List for persecution

https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/brunei/

Lord, today we pray for Brunei, a nation where Christmas is illegal. We pray for Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, who is revered by his people. Please help him lead his people with great wisdom, courage, strength and integrity. May he lead Brunei toward every kind of prosperity, including the thriving of all its people. Lord, we pray for the Christians of Brunei, who comprise 16% of the population. Be with them as they must be so careful about their identity in Christ. Protect them from persecution and discrimination. Help them to be lights even when faced with dark circumstances. We also pray that they will find opportunities for fellowship, and that they will have access to your Word, despite the importation of Bibles being illegal. Finally, Lord, we pray against the implementation of Sharia law in Brunei. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. 

Prayer about children's deaths at Gorakhpur hospital

http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/16/health/india-oxygen-children-dead/index.html

Lord, today we pray for the people of Gorakhpur, India, and the surrounding area, as they mourn the deaths of 68 children at their local hospital in a matter of days. Lord, there are so many things to pray about. We ask that the truth come out about what has been happening at Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College. Were these children deprived of life-giving oxygen? Was someone’s negligence to blame? Were the deaths actually “normal”? We also pray for comfort. The death of a child is every parent’s worst nightmare. Please be with these grieving families in this dark hour. And, Lord, we pray for the families of children still receiving care at BRD, who are now concerned about their children’s safety. Give them wisdom regarding next steps, whether it is best to move their children or have them remain. Lord, please make your presence known in Gorakhpur as its people face this trial. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Prayer about Ischia's earthquake

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/08/21/1-dead-7-missing-after-earthquake-hits-italian-resort-island.html
Photo credit: Serenella Mattera/ANSA via AP

Lord, today we pray for the Italian island Ischia in the aftermath of its earthquake. Almighty God, our first concern is that the unaccounted-for be found. We pray for searchers to have great strength, endurance, insight and effectiveness as they seek out those who are missing. We pray for quality equipment to be moved and used effectively. We pray for those who may be trapped to hold onto hope and to have special resourcefulness in surviving and alerting rescuers to their presence. Lord, we pray for the family members of the one confirmed dead. Give them peace and comfort in the midst of their grieving. We are thankful civil protection crews were already on-hand to address this crisis. Please bless their efforts. Next, we pray for the makeshift emergency treatment centers. Grant them great resourcefulness and effectiveness in their treating of the injured. Finally, grant the entire island peace and togetherness, rather than fear or greed. May both the residents and visitors on Ischia seek you in the midst of this natural disaster, and may they set an example to the world in how they respond in crisis. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen. 

Prayer for Laos - #24 on the World Watch List for persecution

https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/laos/  Photo: AFP

Lord, today we pray for Laos, where people refusing to participate in Buddhist practices are considered dangerous and a threat to traditional culture. We pray for freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and freedom of the press. We pray for the truth to come out about corruption and persecution in this land. Lord, we pray for those who seek to worship you in this nation. Please provide ways for them to study your Word without being threatened. We pray for mature Christians to come alongside younger believers to help them become grounded in the faith, and to enable spiritual generations to mature and expand. We pray for clear opportunities to share you with others, so that your children may shine your light without physical and verbal abuse. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen. 

Prayer for the Palestinian Territories - #23 on the World Watch List for persecution

https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/palestinian-territories/
Photo credit: DYKT Mohigan @ Flickr

Lord, today we pray for our brothers and sisters caught in the midst of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We pray particularly for Arab Christians, whose ethnicity can alienate them from the Israeli side and whose religion leads to minority status within the Palestinian community. We are thankful for the rights afforded them by the Fatah party, and we are thankful that they are largely tolerated by Islamist Hamas. Please give them peace as they live in such a precarious situation. Watch over and protect them. We also pray for the work of Open Doors in the West Bank and Gaza. May the Bibles, literature, advocacy, safe houses and socio-economic development they provide be extremely effective and reach the right people in the right timing. May your children among these Open Doors partners and your children living in the Palestinian Territories shine brightly and joyfully for you. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen. 

Prayer for Ethiopia - #22 on the World Watch List for persecution

https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/ethiopia/

Lord, today we pray for Ethiopia, a majority-“Christian” land that shockingly deals with very high persecution. Lord, we pray for biblical reform within all churches claiming Christ in Ethiopia. May church leaders and members acknowledge and live by what your Word teaches. We pray against ecclesiastical arrogance, which causes different denominations to actually persecute their Christian brothers and sisters, portraying them as non-believers to justify their mistreatment. Lord, we also pray for the political situation in Ethiopia. We pray for the ruling party to bring back freedom of expression and assembly. Finally, we pray against the radical Islam that is spilling over from neighboring countries. May Ethiopians recognize Truth and Hope and not be caught up in inflammatory rhetoric and empty promises. We pray in Jesus’ powerful name, amen. 

Prayer for Egypt - #21 on the World Watch List for persecution

https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/egypt/

Lord, today we pray for Egypt, where Christians suffer very high persecution. First, Heavenly Father, we pray that Egyptian Christians will entrust themselves to you regardless of circumstances. Lord, we know they have experienced terrible things: unequal rights, losing their homes, church destruction, and even physical violence. We pray that they will turn their eyes and hopes toward you, as the early Church fathers did. And may they see you respond in miraculous ways, including through supernatural peace. Lord, we also pray for those who lead this nation. May they recognize the value both historical Christian communities and new converts bring to their country. May they acknowledge the beauty of justice for all and desire to be a land known for freedom and peace. Lord, change hearts dramatically among Egypt’s leaders, so your children may live, worship and thrive in Egypt. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Prayer about attack on soldiers in Paris

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-attacks-france-idUSKBN1AP0OS  AFP Photo/Thierry Chappe

Lord, today we pray for Parisian police as they search for the driver who deliberately rammed his car into soldiers at high speed. May video surveillance and eye witness reports be gathered and disseminated rapidly in order to capture the perpetrator. We pray for anyone who knows or suspects something to feel compelled to come forward with information. Father, we pray for those who were struck. First, we pray for the two who are seriously injured. May they receive excellent medical care and recover quickly. Next, we pray for all six soldiers, who were injured more than physically. These individuals who have committed to protect their nation were randomly and intentionally attacked as they went about their daily duties. Rather than feeling valued, they now have to feel alert and threatened even while quietly conducting mundane activities. May the outpouring of support they receive in the aftermath of this attack more than make up for the hurt they have sustained. And, Lord, we do pray for France as this nation has suffered the loss of 230 people to terroristic attacks in the past two years. May the leadership continue to persevere in its efforts to end terrorism in its land, and may the citizens of France act with courage and determination as they seek to move their nation forward, rather than being forced into submission by those who would unjustly dominate them. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Prayer for Kenya's Election Day

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/aug/07/kenya-braced-for-violence-as-voters-head-for-the-polls
Photograph: Baz Ratner/Reuters

Lord, today our thoughts and prayers turn again toward Kenya on its Election Day. Lord, we are very concerned. Especially after the torture and murder of election commission’s chief IT manager Chris Msando last week, we know people are anxious about fraud and violence. With the two presidential candidates neck-in-neck, tensions are running incredibly high. Lord, we pray against the tribal tension that has often led to violence in the past. We pray against election officials and/or candidates stirring up their supporters to an unreasonable and volatile frenzy. We pray that the election will go as smoothly as possible, that voter turnout would be high and calm, and that all results would be just and true. We fervently pray that people would accept the results of the election and respond in peace, despite frustration and fear. May Kenyans choose to respond only with productive actions to make their nation a better place, rather than causing any destruction in the midst of their pain. In Jesus’ powerful name we pray, amen.

Prayer for Qatar - #20 on the World Watch List for persecution

https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/qatar/

Lord, today we pray for Qatar, where Christians and non-Muslims are limited to worshiping only within their homes or other specifically designated places. Lord, we are thankful they are allowed this much. We do pray for future liberties to be granted, such as permission for Christians to share their faith, and freedom for converts to attend church. Lord, we pray for former Muslims who now follow you. They have so many obstacles in their lives, including the illegality of sharing their newfound joy and hope with their loved ones. Give them peace. May their lives shine so brightly for you that their loved ones plead for them to enlighten them with your love and good news. We also pray for Christian migrant workers in Qatar. Lord, help them make the most of every opportunity they have to share their faith. Be with believers in Qatar today, Lord. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Praise for rescue of 70 stranded hikers in Northern Ireland

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/08/02/70-hikers-including-children-army-cadets-rescued-on-northern-ireland-mountains.html

Lord, we love stories of hope and victory! Today we praise you for the successful rescue of 70 people, including young army cadets, from the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland. We are thankful for the quick decisions that enabled the rescue of the stranded hikers before inclement weather caused any more harm. We celebrate the efficiency of the helicopter crews. Lord, we pray for a full recovery from those dealing with injuries and hypothermia. May the UK Coast Guard rejoice in this accomplishment today and be blessed with further effectiveness in the future. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.