Monday, September 30, 2019

Prayer of celebration for woman rescued from sex trafficking by taxi driver

https://news.sky.com/story/heroic-taxi-driver-saves-pregnant-woman-from-sex-trafficker-11823531

Heavenly Father, today we celebrate Tahir Mehmood’s rescue of a woman forced into sex trafficking. We rejoice that Mehmood was attuned enough to his passenger to stop his taxi and find out what was wrong. We are thankful he had the courage and integrity to do the right thing and immediately call the police. Lord God, we ask you to richly bless him for his efforts and to protect him from any retribution. We pray that the man running the sex trafficking ring, Robert Enescu, will be promptly apprehended and jailed. Lord, we pray for this young, pregnant woman, who has undergone this ordeal. Please bring healing. Help her to return to her family soon and to be received with great love, support and encouragement. May she find employment she will enjoy and that will provide for her financial needs. Finally, Lord, we pray for ourselves, that we may be attuned to our surroundings and that we will become familiar with warning signs. May many more trafficking victims be discovered and freed. We pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Prayer for Georgia under newly appointed prime minister

https://agenda.ge/en/news/2019/2390

Dear Lord, we pray for the nation of Georgia under the new leadership of Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia. With a tumultuous summer behind Georgia and anti-government protests happening outside the parliament as Gakharia’s government was approved, Gakharia will need great wisdom and fortitude as he leads his country. Please surround him with wise, godly leaders to assist during this transition, and help them lead well up until next year’s elections. Grant Gakharia wisdom in the areas where he intends to focus: security as he addresses Russian occupation of part of the nation, and growth as he focuses on a strong partnership with the United States and a newly designated reputation as the easiest nation in Europe for doing business. Most of all, Lord, we want to see you do a great work in Georgia—among the nation’s leaders and regular citizens. May your Spirit move mightily in this land during this time of transition and into the future. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Prayer after doctor performed abortion on wrong woman in South Korea

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/24/asia/korea-wrong-abortion-intl-hnk-scli/index.html

Lord, our hearts drop as we learn of a doctor and nurse performing an abortion on the wrong patient in South Korea. While this event happened last month, word is now getting out as police investigate this incident. Heavenly Father, we are thankful the doctor and nurse acknowledged their horrible mistake. We pray for them as they come to terms with how they negatively impacted this family forever. May investigators and everyone else involved make the right decisions about consequences for these two, as well as improving practices so this never happens again. But, Lord, we think mostly of this woman, whose baby was intentionally killed and removed from her while she was under anesthesia. It is hard to imagine her recovery process. Lord God, please lavish her and the baby’s father with extra comfort as they heal physically, emotionally, spiritually, and in whatever other ways they need to heal. We pray they will have no problems conceiving again in the future when the time is right. We pray they will relinquish their lost baby to your care with eventual peace. Lord, may they draw strength and hope from you. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Prayer after earthquake in Albania

https://www.euronews.com/2019/09/21/earthquake-of-magnitude-5-6-strikes-off-coast-of-albania

Lord God, we pray for the Albanian towns of Durres and Tirana as they recover from Saturday’s earthquake. First, we rejoice that the most powerful quake in decades to hit Albania led to no loss of life. We are so thankful! Second, we pray for the injured, with estimates ranging from 30-some people to almost 70 having gotten hurt during the quake. Please help the injured recover and return to regular life as quickly as possible. Third, we pray for the emotional effects of such an event. Please help residents of these communities find peace after such a terrifying experience. May they reach out for help in this process if needed. Finally, Lord, we pray for the infrastructural recovery from the incident. We are primarily concerned for those whose homes (whether standalone or apartments) are inaccessible due to safety issues. Please provide them with shelter and help for as long as they need it. May buildings be repaired or rebuilt as needed—with as much efficiency as possible. Again, we celebrate that this earthquake did not lead to any deaths. May people all across Albania take comfort in that, as well as your promise that, “though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed” (Isaiah 54:10). In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.



Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Prayer for the blessing and protection of Rachael Denhollander, her family, and her book

https://www.courier-journal.com/in-depth/news/2019/09/04/rachael-denhollander-sacrifice-continues-after-accusing-usa-gymnastics-larry-nassar/1919109001/

Lord God, we are people who desire that our prayers and actions make a difference. We believe that you, the God of the Universe, hear and respond to our prayers. Even when the problem seems beyond conquering, we believe it is worth praying for, believing in, and moving toward victory. So today we pray for Rachael Denhollander, her family, and her recently released book, What is a Girl Worth? Lord, thank you for giving Denhollander courage and success as she shared her story of sexual abuse at the hands of Larry Nassar. Thank you that her action motivated hundreds of other survivors to share their stories, see justice unfold on their behalf, and experience a certain level of closure. We know that Nassar’s conviction was not the end of this journey. We pray that you will continue to bless and protect Denhollander and her family as she speaks out against sexual abuse and the systemic mishandling of it across the United States. We pray you will use her good work to bring about conviction and motivate change. We pray that What is a Girl Worth? will reach an audience that is yet unreached. As a result of this book, may more survivors seek help, may partners support more effectively, and may parents respond better, quicker, and with greater consequence. Lord, we pray against sexual abuse, which is a grotesque form of evil. We pray it will not be condoned, but brought into the light. We pray for both perpetrators and survivors to receive the kinds of help they need. May the current momentum of addressing sexual abuse within the United States not lessen, but may it grow and actually bring about lasting change. And may other nations follow suit. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Prayer as Air Peace evacuates Nigerians from South Africa

https://www.kanyidaily.com/2019/09/suspends-evacuation-of-nigerians-over-south-africas-restrictions.html

Lord God, we pray for Air Peace’s efforts to evacuate Nigerians from South Africa during the current crisis. We are so disturbed by the recent outbreak of attacks against foreigners in South Africa! We pray against this hateful behavior. May South African authorities get this rash of violence in hand as quickly as possible. We are thankful for those willing to do their part, including Air Peace, which offered to return any volunteer Nigerians to their home country. We are thankful that 187 citizens, including 87 children, were able to safely return to Nigeria Wednesday. Lord, we do not know the rationale behind the South African government’s suspension of further evacuation, but you do. You made our hearts, so you understand everything we do. You see both our good and bad motives and choices. We pray for the South African government to make the best possible choices for all foreigners feeling threatened in their nations right now—Nigerians and all others. Bless Air Peace’s efforts to safely bring Nigerians home. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.



Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Prayer of lament over violence against women in Brazil

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/11/americas/brazil-women-girls-domestic-violence-rape-intl-hnk/index.html

Lord God Almighty, we are stunned to hear the findings released Tuesday by non-governmental organization Brazilian Forum of Public Security. We know you see and know of these horrors for women in Brazil, but we want to acknowledge them before you. We want to pause from our somewhat secure lives and lay these facts about Brazil before you:

·        Four girls under 13 are raped every hour.
·         Every two minutes police receive a report of violence against women.
·         Femicides -- when a woman is murdered for being a woman -- increased by 4% last year on the previous year.
·         In 88% of those cases, the perpetrator was the woman's partner or former partner.
·         Over 263,000 women suffered serious injuries at the hands of their partner.
·         The country saw the largest ever number of reported rapes, and almost 54% of the victims were girls under 13 years old.
·         Each year, thousands of cases are not properly investigated.
·         In 2017, 23 shelters for victims of domestic violence were closed in Brazil due to budget cuts.

We need your help. We need your intervention. We need a change of culture in Brazil. We need domestic violence to become unacceptable. We need the president to speak words that edify, rather than denigrate, women. Heavenly Father, despite all this ugliness, this sin, this suffering, we do still declare our trust in You. We humbly ask, please do a great work in Brazil on behalf of women and girls, that their suffering may be relieved. Work through women, men, leaders, regular citizens, organizations, the government, your church—through us! We praise you as the God Who Sees. In Jesus’ name, amen.



Monday, September 9, 2019

Praise for community bringing in harvest of cancer-stricken farmer

https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/31/us/farmers-harvest-cancer-trnd/index.html

Lord, it is so good to hear good news! In fact, this feeling caused by heartwarming stories should remind us to share the ultimate Good News with others. However, at this moment, we thank you for the good deed done this summer in Ritzville, Washington, USA. We affirm Larry Yockey’s neighbors, who banded together to bring in Yockey’s harvest when Yockey’s stage 4 cancer prevented him from doing so. We celebrate the local fire department and mechanics who volunteered their time, and the other community members who brought food and drinks for the workers. What a beautiful picture of community and of your provision—when a harvest that would normally take three weeks takes only eight hours! Heavenly Father, please bless those who served in this way. May they also receive generosity and kindness when their needs overwhelm them. And may the spirit of goodwill continue in Ritzville. Lord, we also pray for Yockey as he fights the cancer. Give him strength, courage, encouragement and wisdom as he moves forward in this battle. Grant him timely access to excellent medical care, and give his doctors keen insight as they seek the best forms of treatment for Yockey. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.



Friday, September 6, 2019

Prayer about the martyrdom of Angus Abraham Fung

https://www.mnnonline.org/news/fulani-kill-bible-translator-in-cameroon/ PC:Efi Tembon via Facebook

Lord, we have been praying about Fulani herdsmen and their attacks on Christians. We have been praying about the Anglophone-Francophone conflict in Cameroon. Today we pray for one family that was forever changed by these conflicts: the family of Angus Abraham Fung. Lord God, we are absolutely heartbroken that Fulani herdsmen broke into the Fung home and hacked this Bible translator to death, as well as hacking off his wife’s arm before she managed to escape. We are deeply grateful that Fung’s wife, Eveline, survived this terrible attack. We now pray for the healing she will need on so many levels: physically, spiritually, emotionally, mentally, financially. Lord, please draw near to Eveline, and send your people to rally around her. We pray that the perpetrators will be caught, and that the truth will come out about this attack. We pray for people in positions of influence to make progress in these ongoing issues of the Fulani attacks and the Anglophone-Francophone conflicts. May the Cameroonian government and other governments that are involved press for truth, justice, and reconciliation. May they make sure Eveline is taken care of. Lord, as we think of Fung, we think of Revelation 12:11: “They triumphed over (the enemy) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.” May Fung’s testimony and sacrifice reach many. May Eveline continue the good work of sharing you with others in whatever way is best for her new circumstances. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Prayer for the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2019/09/04/Dorian-cuts-power-to-Bahamas-several-dead-62K-without-clean-water/7211567511253/?sl=7  Ramon Espinosa/AP Photo

Almighty God, we continue to pray for the Bahamas as its people focus on search, rescue and recovery after having been devastated by Hurricane Dorian. It’s hard to know where to even begin praying, but we find comfort in knowing that the very hairs of our heads are all numbered (Luke 12:7), and that you know the name of each and every star (Isaiah 40:26). With this in mind, we know you see both the big and small needs in the Bahamas. So, Lord, we begin by praying for those in imminent danger. Even this moment as we pray, please direct rescuers and resources toward the imperiled. Give those who are in danger the courage to hang on until help arrives. Draw their hearts toward you, so they may receive your peace, hope and strength. Give rescuers continued vigor, resourcefulness, wisdom, courage and protection, so they may continue with their lifesaving work. Lord, we pray for the tens of thousands of Bahamians without fresh water. Please provide for them so they may stay hydrated. May people look out for each other. We pray against desperation driving people toward greed, harm or foolishness. We pray for those without power, particularly those with acute medical needs. Please grant creativity, determination and grace to people as they figure out how to meet their needs and the needs of those around them while operating without power. We pray for the power companies as they seek to address this great need under crisis conditions. We pray your blessing on the efforts of the City of Miami, Salvation Army, Samaritan’s Purse and Bahamas Red Cross as they lead donation drives for relief efforts in the Bahamas. May people not only give generously, but also be willing to help with the work when the time and circumstances are right. Lord God, there is so much more to pray about. Please continue to bring the Bahamas to our minds in coming days, weeks and months so we will continue to pray. In Jesus’ merciful name we pray, amen.



Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Prayer about pregnant woman beaten in India



Heavenly Father, today we pray over the senseless beating of a young woman in Harsh Vihar, India, who is not only pregnant but is also deaf and mute. While the footage is disturbing to watch, we do thank you that the incident was captured on video so that the victim’s family could seek help from police. We are thankful that police were able to identify and detain suspects in the attack. Lord, we thank you that this young woman is in stable condition and we pray that you will continue to watch over her and her unborn child. May they both remain safe and in good health. We pray that the young woman feels valued and loved by you and that she is treated with dignity from this point forward. Father, we ask that the false kidnapping rumors that incited this and other similar incidents will cease. We pray that people do not blindly follow bad leadership but are instead able to use discernment and good judgment. You are the source of all wisdom and we are grateful that you share it freely with those who seek you. In Jesus’ name, amen.


Prayer contributed by regular guest prayer blogger Brandi South:


Brandi South resides in Chambersburg, PA, with her husband, their daughter, and their two rescue cats. She is employed at Shippensburg University of PA and plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree starting in the fall. Brandi is a member of Grand Point Church in Chambersburg where she enjoys serving on the First Impressions Team as a greeter. Some of her favorite scripture passages are Psalm 25 and Ephesians 2.