Friday, July 31, 2020

Prayer for sniffer dog coronavirus detection programs

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-chile-dogs/dont-sweat-it-chilean-dogs-sniff-out-coronavirus-in-early-stages-idUSKCN24W30A  PC: Marcelo Hernandez / Getty Images

Lord God, we are excited about the progress being made in training sniffer dogs to detect early-stage coronavirus in people’s sweat. We pray for the programs in Chile and the UK to move forward with success and efficiency. We pray for wisdom and insight for those who are training the dogs and creating the programs. We ask that it will soon be clear whether this program is truly effective and worth expanding. On a broader level, we pray for continued creativity for researchers, scientists and others, as we seek solutions in this battle against Covid-19. May we use the gifts you’ve given us to protect each other from this harmful disease. We particularly pray for the quick development of a safe and effective vaccine. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

 

 


Monday, July 27, 2020

Prayer about search for Dylan Esaú Gómez Pérez

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/mexican-tourist-city-scandal-widens-over-abducted-children-forced-labor-n1234697
PC: Fernando Llano / AP

Lord God, we pray about the search for Dylan Esaú Gómez Pérez, taking place in Mexico’s southern Chiapas state. Our hearts go out to Juana Pérez, who was selling produce in a market when her two-year-old son was snatched by older children involved with trafficking. Lord, we are thankful for the video evidence that has been uncovered and the other captive children who were discovered in the search for Dylan. We pray that the video will be distributed widely, so that someone will recognize the traffickers and report them to the authorities. We pray for the freed children, that their families will be located, and that they can begin the long recovery from their trauma. Lord, please keep your hand on Dylan. Protect him from lasting harm. May someone around him recognize him and get help. May his captor(s) feel a deep inner conviction that what they are doing is wrong and release Dylan. Please give Juana and her daughter peace as they await word on Dylan and as they steadfastly advocate for him to the authorities. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.



Tuesday, July 21, 2020

Prayer for immigrant workers who collect the coronavirus dead in Peru

https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/20/americas/peru-venezuela-covid-19-bodies-intl/index.html

Heavenly Father, today we pray for Néstor Vargas, Luis José Cerpa, and their colaborers, who collect the bodies of those who die from Covid-19 in Peru. Lord, bless these workers in their determination to provide for their families, taking these jobs that native Peruvians reject, risking their own health and safety. We plead protection for them. We pray that their exhaustion will not dull their sensitivity to precautions. We pray that they will always have the appropriate PPE and the strength they need to make it through another day. We pray that they will not bring home the virus to their families. Lord, we thank you that they embrace the benefits that do come: not only provision for their families, but gratitude for life and health. May they set an example for others in these areas, as well as their hard work and their desire to provide dignity to the dead and to their loved ones. May they draw close to you as they work in these risky jobs. We pray for Peru, particularly the nation’s poor, as they battle this virus. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Friday, July 10, 2020

Prayer about the death of Seoul mayor Park Won-soon

https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/09/asia/seoul-mayor-missing-intl/index.html PC: Reuters

Lord God, we pray for the residents of Seoul and citizens of South Korea as they grieve the death of mayor Park Won-soon. Having deployed hundreds of searchers, it was a sad ending to find Park’s body on Bukak mountain. We are at least thankful for closure, as well as for the major mark he made on his community and country. Now his loved ones and nation grieve not only the loss of this person, but this loss of a champion on whom they pinned even their presidential hopes. We pray for a respectful period of mourning and for the city and nation to move forward in healthy timing. Lord, we do not know much about the sexual misconduct claim recently filed against him that will now amount to nothing, due to current laws. We pray for peace and closure for all involved with that. If this is something that needs further investigation, we ask you to make a way for that. Again, Lord, we pray for Seoul and for greater South Korea during this time of mourning and confusion. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Thursday, July 9, 2020

Prayer about Senegal's Freedom and Human Dignity Square

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/moved-george-floyd-s-death-senegal-slave-island-renames-europe-n1233146
PC: Zohra Bensemra / Reuters

Lord, we are touched by the renaming of a major square on Senegal’s Goree Island to Freedom and Human Dignity Square. We pray that all who visit and hear of this place will be reminded of the dignity borne by each human being, and that they will work toward freedom for the oppressed. This renaming is, indeed, poignant on an island that once served as a waystation for the Transatlantic slave trade. May we not forget that people are still enslaved around our world today: some literally and some by systems of oppression. Show us what we can do to make a difference. We ask in Jesus’ name, amen.

Tuesday, July 7, 2020

Prayer about Dutch torture chamber situation

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53325388?intlink_from_url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world&link_location=live-reporting-story PC: POLITIE.NL

Lord God, we are absolutely shocked by the torture chambers discovered in the Netherlands. To know that people intentionally created these places for the purpose of torturing fellow human beings is mind-boggling. We pray against this evil; we pray for your Light to gain access to these networks. We thank and praise you that these were discovered and many of the criminals apprehended before the converted chambers were put to use. We celebrate the Franco-Dutch operation that infiltrated the EncroChat encrypted phone system and led to the arrest of more than 800 people across Europe. Bless investigators with further success and the police with further arrests. May the potential victims who are now in hiding receive the help they need and eventually be able to return to normal lives. Heal their hearts, minds, bodies and souls. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Saturday, July 4, 2020

Prayer about massive, deadly landslide in Myanmar

https://www.npr.org/2020/07/02/886963705/landslide-at-myanmar-jade-mine-kills-at-least-162

Merciful Father, hundreds of families in Myanmar are grieving the loss of loved ones after Thursday’s colossal landslide at a jade mine in Kachin state. At least 162 people died the horrible death of being smothered by mud. Fifty-four have been taken to hospitals for their injuries. Lord, all survivors and witnesses have a lot to process, having experienced something so traumatic. Please grant them peace as they come to terms with their inability to help during this rapid, massive catastrophe. Be with those who grieve the deaths of loved ones. Grant them supernatural grace as they attempt to sleep at night; keep them from the images that so often plague those who mourn terrible deaths of loved ones. May all involved successfully seek you for comfort and hope. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.



Friday, July 3, 2020

Prayer about fatal accident and Pakistan's railway system

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-53278578   PC: AFP

Heavenly Father, we grieve Friday’s tragic railway accident in northeastern Pakistan, and we pray for the injured and mourning. With 21 people from one vehicle killed and 10 recovering from injuries, this was quite an accident! We do give thanks that no one from the train itself was injured. Lord we pray for the overall railway system in Pakistan, as they reckon with more than 100 railway-related incidents in 2019 alone--including one involving 70 fatalities. Lord, we thank you for promising wisdom to those who ask (James 1:5). May those who lead this part of the infrastructure ask for wisdom in order to soberly analyze and improve the system. If they need motivation, may others provide that catalyst. We pray for fresh ideas in how to improve safety for those who travel on or near railways in Pakistan. We humbly pray, amen.