A prayer for PIMs from a PIM – Ms. Faithlyn Stephens

Holy Father God, we give You thanks for calling and choosing us to serve in the contexts where You have positioned us. We thank You for the skills and talents with which You have blessed us, and for the human and material resources which You provide for us to undertake the various tasks.

Lord, as we all traverse our respective mission courses, I pray especially for the Partners who entered/will be entering this ministry during this season of a devastating pandemic. Father, may we not be consumed by the many life changes, disruptions and uncertainties which the pandemic deposits on us moment by moment, day by day. Rather, Holy God, may we trust in the knowledge that you are the God of the universe and, hence, You have full control over the ravages of any pandemic. In the same manner that so long as Peter kept his focus on Jesus he walked solidly on the water, if we keep our focus on You we shall walk boldly through this COVID pandemic. May we seek Your divine discernment, guidance and direction as we manoeuvre making the relevant adjustments and modifications to our programmes and plans, so that the outcomes which You desire will be successfully achieved.

Dear God, help us to also exercise Your wisdom and patience to deal with and overcome all the other types of challenges which beset us in our daily work.

Almighty Father, grant us the grace and humility to remain in fervent prayer at Your throne of healing and transformation. Bless our biological families, church families, friends, colleagues and associates who intercede in prayer for us and support us in diverse ways. Strengthen the family members who serve on the mission field with us. Remove the discomfort of loneliness from the psyche of partners whose family members are not in mission with them.

Merciful God, may we feel Your presence with us always; may the Blood of Jesus protect us on this journey; may Your Holy Spirit accomplish Your purpose through us and sustain us; may we recognize and acknowledge the Guardian Angels whom You lovingly send to care for us.

O Lord, with hearts full of gratitude, we release all our anxieties to You, being confident that the mission and those to whom we minister are not ours, but Yours. In the Name of the Father, the Son

and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Ms. Faithlyn Stephens is a Partner In Mission from the United Church in Jamaica & the Cayman Islands. She serves with the Guyana Congregational Union.