Pakistan, India
Kashmir, a disputed territory
administered by India, Pakistan and China, recently experienced some of the
heaviest rains in the region in over 50 years. More than 500 people have been
killed in the resulting flash floods and landslides on both sides of this
disputed Himalayan territory. Over three million people have been affected by
this extensive flooding. Thousands of villages have been submerged by
floodwaters, trapping people on rooftops for days. Displaced families struggle
to find fuel, food, and medicines. http://tinyurl.com/k9u6tsx
http://tinyurl.com/q4hmk7q
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Please keep the
children, youth, and adults of the Kashmir region close in prayer as they deal
with the deadly flooding and landslides. Pray for those who’ve been uprooted
from their homes and communities and for those who have lost everything.
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Pray God will
comfort those who’ve lost loved ones in this disaster. Pray for children who
have been injured by flash floods or landslides.
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Please pray for
peace and reconciliation in this disputed region. Pray authorities in both
Indian and Pakistan territories will serve their people with wisdom and
fairness during this difficult season.
Syria, Iraq
The three-year-long civil war
in Syria continues to endanger and disrupt the lives of children, not only in
that country, but also in Iraq and other neighboring countries. Human rights
groups have accused the Syrian army of committing atrocities against its
population including the use of chemical agents, barrel bombs on civilian
neighborhoods, and the torture and sexual abuse of prisoners. Rebels fighting
the Syrian government have also been accused of recruiting children to fight,
act as snipers, man checkpoints, treat the wounded on battlefields, haul
supplies to the front lines, and carry out car bombings or suicide attacks. http://tinyurl.com/oe49uqv http://tinyurl.com/lo5g8og
Militants with Islamic State
(IS), formerly the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), have taken advantage
of the chaos to expand their territory in Syria. This brutal offshoot of
al-Qaeda has taken control of large portions of Iraq and eastern Syria in a
violent campaign to restore an Islamic state in the area. They’ve been accused
of mass atrocities in Syria: recruiting children as fighters and suicide
bombers, holding public executions, carrying out beheadings, crucifixions, mass
killings, amputations, and whippings. Islamic State militants are accused of
intentionally using savagery as a tool to divide the population, to pit Shi’ite
and Sunni Muslims against one another, and restore an Islamic caliphate based
on strict, medieval Sunni Muslim precepts. http://tinyurl.com/o4fwxvw (warning: disturbing content)
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Please continue
in prayer for children and families affected by the fighting in Syria and Iraq.
Pray for those affected by Islamic State’s extremely savage form of violence.
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Pray for children
who’ve been recruited by the Syrian government, opposition forces, and those
recruited by IS. Please pray for their safe release and healing from the trauma
of violence.
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Pray for those who have been displaced from their villages because of the
conflict in Syria and Iraq.
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Pray for Iraq and
Syria’s leaders during this challenging season. Pray they will seek God’s
guidance in all of their decisions concerning the people in their respective
countries.
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Pray for peace in this region. Pray for a change of heart in those who
kill and destroy to fulfill their warped goals. Pray for those who kill and destroy in the name of their religion.
United States
Thomas* was on the Faces of
Children prayer list multiple times starting in 2010 after he accidentally shot
a friend in the abdomen. After that accident, Thomas seemed to spiral
downwards, making poor choices in life and in friends. He now has a new
girlfriend, a university nursing student, who seems to have a very positive
influence on him. *Name changed for
confidentiality and/or protection.
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Give thanks to
God that Thomas, now 19 years old, is doing well following some very challenging
years. Thanks be to God he has grown and matured and that his life choices have
also improved.
Faces of Children
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Please keep Faces
of Children intercessor Sue Stroman in prayer as she undergoes treatment for a
cyst on her spine. Pray her doctors will be able to correctly diagnose what’s
causing a disconnect between the nerves in Sue’s spine and calf muscles that
causes great pain when she walks. Pray for God’s healing touch upon Sue in this
time of uncertainty and discomfort.
