Prayer for the Salvation Army’s efforts

http://cw33.com/2014/12/23/where-does-your-red-kettle-donation-go/

Lord, thank you for the work of the Salvation Army around the world. Before human trafficking became a well-discussed topic, you were already using the Salvation Army to help victims for more than 100 years. Thank you for their work with not only human trafficking victims, but their social work, disaster response, addiction dependency programs, sports ministry and so much more. Please bless these ministry efforts! At this time of year we particularly ask you to bless the bell ringers around the world as they help raise funds for the poor in their communities. Motivate us to give generously to brighten the Christmas season for those in need. And may the Gospel be spread through the Salvation Army’s massive, worldwide ministry. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Prayer for Operation Christmas Child deliveries

Volunteers praying together as shoeboxes are sent on their way.

Lord, as Operation Christmas Child boxes are delivered around the world, we ask your richest blessing on the entire process. Please protect and guide those traveling to deliver the boxes, and may your love emanate through them. May each box provide joy to its recipient. May children’s longings be fulfilled as they receive items even “better” than they imagined. May some children even receive the items they dreamed they would never have, yet always wanted. Please use this joyful experience to reach deep places in these children’s hearts, so they will sense your love and care for them and be drawn to know you more, including through “The Greatest Journey” discipleship course. May thousands of children come to know you through the program this year, and please bless the givers who reached out to children in this way. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen. 

Prayer for people in hospitals at Christmastime

Today, Lord, we pray for people facing the prospect of spending Christmas in the hospital. We pray for parents watching their children slowly slip away (and vice versa), despite Christmas pictures taped to the wall and carols playing in the background. We pray for friends and strangers alike to remember the single people and families confined to hospital beds and facing hospital menus instead of family feasts. Send angels to administer comfort. Send disciples clothed in hospital garb to share words of peace. Fill these patients and their loved ones with the HOPE found in the Christ child. In Jesus' name, Amen. 

Prayer in the aftermath of Afghanistan and Pakistan’s earthquake

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34636269

Lord, today we pray for Afghanistan and Pakistan as they deal with the aftermath of Monday’s earthquake. Most of all, they grieve hundreds of lost lives, including 12 school girls crushed as they tried to evacuate their school building. They have homes and buildings to rebuild, messes to clean up, rescue efforts underway. Give them strength and hope in the midst of these monumental tasks. Send help their way. Be among them. Lord, we know this earth tends toward decay. We long for the day when it will be made new. In the meantime, we think of promises like Isaiah 54:10: “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.” Despite this recent disaster, may the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan experience this divine love and peace. We pray in Jesus’ name, amen. 

Prayer surrounding the San Bernardino aftermath

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-san-bernardino-shooting-live-updates-htmlstory.html

Lord, our concern for the situation in San Bernardino, California, continues. We grieve the loss of life and the many injured. We are saddened that a misdirected religious conviction would compel a man to kill his own coworkers. We are disturbed to see a marriage focused on violence and destruction. In the midst of this, we praise you for your goodness even as we struggle with the senseless act of violence. We ask for truth to be revealed. We pray that neither the desire for political correctness nor the fear of the unknown would corrupt people’s judgment, emotions and words. We ask for physical, mental, emotional and spiritual healing for those involved in the shooting—the wounded, first responders, investigators and more. Please glorify yourself in this painful situation. In Jesus’ powerful name, we pray, amen. 

Prayer for Nigeria's fight against Boko Haram

http://abcnews.go.com/International/kidnapped-chibok-school-girls-now-fighting-boko-haram/story?id=33776437

Lord, today we pray for Nigeria's fight against Boko Haram. Thank you that their intelligence agency recently apprehended nine of these extremists. May they celebrate this accomplishment and use it as further motivation in the fight against terror. Lord, we do pray against the work of Boko Haram. Their evil beliefs and actions are atrocious and grievous. We pray for the thousands of girls and women who have been kidnapped by, raped and forcibly married to Boko Haram fighters. Please protect their minds, so they do not assimilate into Boko Haram’s violent culture. Please minimize the damage to their bodies and souls. Please bring them to safety soon. May their government not give up hope and continue to rescue as many as possible. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen. 

Prayer for Food for the Hungry and Renovare staff

https://fh.org/about

Heavenly Father, today we pray for the 2000+ Food for the Hungry staff members who are working strategically to end poverty. Thank you for their tireless ministry to the poorest of the poor. Bless their efforts to provide food, but also to empower the impoverished to develop their own food and resources. Bless their efforts to give those in need dignity and a sense of who they can be in Christ. Lord, we also thank you for the ministry of Renovare, which is providing spiritual formation resources for the FH staff. May the encouragement, development and resources they provide better equip FH staff as they continually live and serve in sad, hard situations. May both FH and Renovare staff members develop rich inner lives, sustained by your Spirit through your Word and prayer. May they be spiritually fruitful and multiply. We ask these things in Jesus’ name, amen.