Afghanistan
- Please pray for the children of Afghanistan who have become desensitized to death and destruction because they have witnessed so much. Pray for peace and healing in this country.
- Give thanks to God for the vision of Oliver Percovich, an Australian living and working in Afghanistan, who has brought the sport of skateboarding, and a sense of normalcy, to many of the children and youth of Kabul.
- Thank God for the opportunity for children from different social and ethnic backgrounds to learn this sport together. This is the first time most of the children have participated in a sport. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/26/th&emc=th
Cambodia (The Bridge of Hope, WEC Cambodia —
http://www.timpaton.info/bridge.htm)
- Give thanks to God for the ministry of Bridge of Hope that provides so many programs to help the children of the streets and slum areas in Phnom Penh. Thanks be to God that children involved with Bridge of Hope and their families have the opportunity to learn about the saving love of Jesus Christ.
- Please keep the children of Phnom Penh in prayer and especially those with whom Bridge of Hope leaders and volunteers work. Many of the children they serve live in slums and spend their time on the streets because their families are unable to afford school.
- Pray for children who spend their days working and playing in the streets.
- Pray for those who are orphaned and homeless—who make a living by collecting recyclable items or digging through rubbish dumps.
- Pray for the children of the streets who have become addicted to drugs; for those who have joined gangs; for those who have been sexually exploited; for those who lack medical care, sufficient food and clothing, and an opportunity for an education.
- Please pray that God will bless the leaders of Bridge of Hope with wisdom as they begin a ministry restructuring process. Pray that the staff will experience smooth transitions as they become involved in this more holistic ministry approach. And pray that God will also provide the staff and volunteers with the resources they require to effectively minister to at-risk children and their parents.
- Pray for the safety of Bridge of Hope staff and volunteers as they make their way on dangerous roads in Cambodia traveling by bicycles, motorbikes, buses, cars and trucks. Road deaths have more than doubled in the last five years, becoming Cambodia’s second biggest killer behind HIV/AIDS.
India- Thanks be to God for the recent Supreme Court of India ruling that orders the government of Orissa to increase security measures to protect Christians in that state. Pray that the Orissa government will comply with this order to protect Christians and seek justice for the violence against so many of them last summer.
- Please pray for the 50,000 Christians who fled their homes because of that violence—only 2,000 have returned to their villages. Please keep the children and families who were hurt or affected by that violence in prayer as they attempt to restart their lives. http://religionandpolicy.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2128&Itemid=202
United States- Please pray for families who would like to adopt children, but are unable to afford the often prohibitively high cost of private adoptions. Give thanks to God for organizations like Shaohannah’s Hope that help families interested in adopting by providing grants to those with the greatest needs. Pray that more churches will join with this organization in providing adoption assistance funds for interested families. (http://members.shaohannahshope.org/site/PageServer)
- Pray that God will comfort 9-year-old Genna and 3-year-old Andrew whose young mother died very unexpectedly. Please pray for their grandparents who are grieving deeply and now are responsible for these children, one of whom requires specialized care
Faces of Children- Please continue to pray that more churches and individuals will join with the ministry of Faces of Children in spreading awareness about children in crisis and inviting more people to pray for children at risk.
