Prayer for Kabul after explosion

https://www.buzzfeed.com/rosebuchanan/dozens-died-and-hundreds-more-were-wounded-in-huge-blast-in?utm_term=.ji8ej1VO1#.kfGV3AxgA     Photo credit: Omar Sobhani/Reuters

Lord, today we are devastated by the atrocious terrorist attack that took place this morning in Kabul, Afghanistan. At least 90 people dead and hundreds more injured… Lord, please bring deep consolation and peace into this reeling city. Send your Holy Spirit to bring comfort into hearts overwhelmed by grief and minds paralyzed by shock and fear. Lord, be with the volunteers and emergency responders who are still removing and identifying bodies. Give them strength, courage, resolve, and efficiency. Protect their minds and hearts from trauma and their bodies from injury. We pray for hospital workers of all kinds as they attempt to do as much good as possible in the midst of absolutely overwhelmed facilities. Send qualified volunteers and blood donors to help. We pray for government and law enforcement officials to quickly ascertain how this large of an explosive device could have made it into what is supposedly the safest part of the city. May they uncover the truth and bring the perpetrators to justice. Finally, we pray for the wounded—those directly impacted physically, mentally and emotionally. Guide them to the assistance they need. Motivate special care, generosity and compassion as people serve and reach out to these hurting hundreds. May your light shine in this dark place, bringing hope despite the pain. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Prayer for Manchester's continued healing as the city moves forward

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/05/30/manchester-victoria-rail-station-reopens-after-suicide-blast.html
Photo credit: Getty Images

Lord, today we pray for Manchester as the city attempts to return to a semblance of normalcy. With the Victoria railway station reopened today, people will attempt to continue life as usual, over a week after the tragic terrorist attack that killed 22 precious individuals. Thank you for the powerful time of paying tribute last night, with hundreds contemplating the loss of life in this place. Lord, we do not want to forget what happened at Manchester Arena. We want to remember those whose lives were cut short, and we want this act of hatred and violence to motivate us toward personal peace and kindness. May our hearts not become bitter or callous, but may our resolve to make a positive difference in the world grow ever stronger. We also ask your blessing on British officials and Manchester police as they continue to unravel the puzzle of how this attack was able to succeed. Finally, we continue to pray for those traumatized by the May 22 attack. Please bring healing into their lives on every level. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Prayer for Eritrea - #10 on the World Watch List for persecution

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

Lord, today we pray for Eritrea, where the authoritarian regime attempts to control all religious institutions. Lord, we pray for President Isaias Afwerki and his government, that they would seek the best of the nation and not feel unnecessarily threatened by free speech or freedom of religion. May they lead their country with wisdom, grace and generosity. Lord, we also pray for the Eritrean Orthodox Church (EOC). May your Spirit sweep through this denomination and bring revival. We pray for EOC leaders to allow their congregants to follow you in other churches if needed, including evangelical or Pentecostal ones. May these denominations recognize the value in working together in a nation where Christians suffer, rather than persecuting their brothers and sisters who worship in different ways. Now, Lord, we pray about the dramatic mistreatment Christians often face in Eritrea. We grieve the ten-year imprisonment of the EOC's Patriarch. We mourn the deaths of those Christians who died after being locked in shipping containers. Lord, may the world's awareness of these disgraces compel the government and other leaders to allow Eritreans to worship you freely. In the midst of all of this, give your children hope, and grant them effectiveness in sharing that hope with others each day. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Prayer for Yemen - #9 on the World Watch List for persecution

These nuns were shot at the home for senior adults where they serve.
https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/

Lord, today we pray for Yemen in the midst of its war, humanitarian crisis, and food instability. Lord, the needs in this suffering nation are great. Please motivate organizations and nations to provide humanitarian assistance in the most effective means possible. Lord, we also pray for the believers there, who often live in intense fear due to threats from Islamic extremist groups. Give them peace. Protect them. Give them vivid eternal perspective. Lord, we pray for them as they are most at risk of not receiving food due to prejudice against them. Go before them, giving them favor in the eyes of those who distribute food, so that they will receive their share. Lord, we are thrilled that Christianity continues to grow—even at a record pace—despite the persecution and suffering of believers. We know your light shines brightly in the darkness. Continue to glorify yourself in Yemen. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Prayer about flash flooding in Kenya

http://view.compassion-intl.com/?s=5f4f71b60b6d23ed790f9d6f528bca523e9a8bdc96aec74c65cba6a9369ad61fa025c80438f1c413a31a3fb0aec25993eb5ac6747214df9592fe5127ca791a22d40b8c8b746dc21bcf2e8f25b31d694b
Photo credit: MARTIN FUNDI

Lord, today we pray for Kenya, where the people have experienced the double-edged sword of drought paired with flash flooding. What an ironic trial, Lord, to need rain so desperately, but then to receive it too quickly for the land to absorb it! Please lift Kenyans’ spirits, Lord, as they face this irony. Help them focus on the positive in the midst of the challenges. On a very practical level, Lord, we are asking for Kenyans’ safety and provision. Please guide people in making wise choices as they face the flash floods. May they not risk their well-being for possessions or take unnecessary risks. We pray for those whose homes have been lost or damaged, that you would provide safe shelter and the means to find a new home when the time is right. We ask blessing for those who are hosting the displaced. Give them your peace, and may everyone get along in close quarters under sometimes intense emotions. And, Lord, may Kenyans rebuild and return to regular life quickly and effectively. Above all, of course, glorify yourself in the midst of this situation. May your children be among the very best in reaching out to those in need. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Prayer for Iran - #8 on the World Watch List for persecution

https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/iran/
Photo credit: AP Images/Mehr News Agency, Mohammad Hadi Khosravi

Lord, today we pray for Iran and the several types of Christian groups who face persecution there. First, Lord, we pray for the historically Christian Armenian and Assyrian Christians. We are thankful they are protected by law, but grieved they are treated as second class citizens. May their identity as your treasured children far outweigh any second-class treatment they receive as they go about their daily lives. Next, we pray for communities comprised of Asian and Western Christian expatriates. Please protect them and their churches. May the government feel no desire to interfere with these non-citizens as they seek to follow Jesus in Iran. Third, we pray for Protestant Christian communities that attempt to share you with their Muslim friends and coworkers. Please bless them for their courage, Lord. They know they risk their safety and well-being, but their desire to share the hope of eternity with others compels them. May people come to you through them. Please protect them from the perils of persecution. Fourth, Heavenly Father, we pray for the largest segment of the Christian population in Iran: those who have turned away from Islam to follow you. Lord, you see the severe mistreatment and abuse they experience. You see what is taken from them, including family, other loved ones, and sometimes their very lives. Please protect them, shore up their courage, and give them supernatural strength to endure and radiate your light even in their darkest hours. Finally, Lord, we pray for a fundamental shift in Iranians' outlook. May they observe and believe that Christianity is not a threat, but rather a great benefit to their land. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Prayer for Iraq - #7 on the World Watch List for persecution

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

Heavenly Father, today we pray for Iraqi Christians. The world has watched as hundreds of thousands of Iraqi Christians have fled their homes or died for their faith over the past decade. A nation where Christians have lived for thousands of years is wiping out its Christian population, in large part due to ISIS and other Islamic oppressors. Lord, just thinking about ISIS deflates our spirits. What an evil, destructive organization! Lord, impede them on every side. We specifically ask that their work in Iraq weaken and fade away. Please take radical measures to remove the blinders from members’ eyes, so they realize that they are not experiencing power, but embodying evil and leaving marks on history that will bring great shame forever. Convict them to cease their wicked ways. And, Lord, please sustain your remnant in Iraq. Be their shield and rear guard. Feed them from your Word AND make sure they get enough food. May they build lives through which they can serve and love and represent you well, despite the persecution they face. In Jesus’ merciful name we pray, amen.