I recently heard a conference speaker talking about contemplation and prayer. I was particularly struck by these words, ‘There is no such thing as being professionals at prayer. We are always beginners.’ Wow!
Sometimes, we might struggle to pray because there’s a temptation to focus on results rather than relationship. But when we change the language from ‘praying’ to ‘talking with Jesus’, our focus becomes more relational and two-way. It removes the temptation of having to pray out of a sense of duty or obligation.
Talking with Jesus becomes more relaxed. We ‘come as we are’ and instinctively make space to listen to what He has to say to us. It’s amazing that, when we spend time talking with Jesus, we just want to keep on talking with Him.
Through the weekly , and pattern set out in this booklet, may we embrace prayer as the ‘beginners we are’ and get talking with Jesus with fresh passion and a listening heart.
God bless you
Rev Victoria Fagg Prayer Communications Leader, MAF UKGive thanks that, in 2021, MAF was able to conduct 1,435 medevacs, enabling people in remote communities to reach hospital in time and saving many lives. In addition, MAF and Rotarians Against Malaria Australia delivered 34,250 mosquito nets to 26 remote airstrips in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Praise the Lord that the nets will save many isolated people from a disease which causes the death of hundreds of thousands of victims globally every year.
Regular MAF flier We See Hope is having a long-term impact on thousands of children’s lives who would otherwise have an uncertain future in Uganda. The NGO offers psychosocial support and vocational training, and connects young people with mentors to help them become independent. Take a moment to pause and reflect on the wider impact that poverty has on a child’s life. From that place, ask God to bless the work of We See Hope, and pray for His protection over these vulnerable children.
MAF Madagascar Pilot Patrick Keller flew 400,000 doses of life-saving vaccines for children earlier this year. Amazingly, many children will now be protected from diseases such as TB, tetanus, polio and measles. With measles cases increasing in Africa, please pray that vaccines will reach the communities that need them most.
John 3:16 reminds us that ‘God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son…’ The chances are, if you are using this prayer booklet, you already have an idea of how selfless and beautiful God’s love is. Just imagine the number of people across the nations who have yet to hear this Good News? Praise God that His love is for everyone, everywhere. Give thanks too that, through the work of MAF, many who are remote and isolated are hearing the Good News of Christ for themselves.
As God heals our hearts from past hurts, our capacity to love takes on a divine flavour, enabling us to go the extra mile to reach those in need. Why not take a notebook and write a letter to God thanking Him for the freedom He has brought into your life? Then ask Him how you can be a reflection of His love and mercy in your everyday.
The Gospel often portrays love in very practical ways, feeding the poor, comforting the afflicted, standing against injustice… Our pilots never know what each new day will bring. Whether it’s transporting food to people cut off by flooding in Suriname, airlifting victims of domestic violence in PNG, or enabling medical safari teams to examine patients in Madagascar. Give thanks that MAF models the love of Christ practically, bringing down the barriers that can prevent people receiving the Good News of Jesus. As you pray, remember the different leadership teams across the MAF family that carry strategic responsibility for our continued effectiveness throughout the nations. Pray they will have God-given insight, wisdom and courage.
The areas with the highest rates of disability, malaria, maternal mortality – and those most lacking in healthcare, education and equality – are frequently the most remote. The work of many NGOs and mission organisations is hampered by the lack of safe, reliable transport. Praise God that MAF’s flight service to hard-toreach areas is the perfect solution.
Madagascar is suffering the world’s first famine caused by global warming. Children are begging for food on the streets — others are sleeping in their cassava fields to protect their crops from hungry people. Pause for a moment to imagine being that hungry. Ask God to show you how to pray, and feel free to share your prayers with victoria.fagg@maf-uk.org Remember MAF in your prayers as we seek ways in which we can help those in desperate need of food.
In Renk County, South Sudan, MAF partner Medair’s aim is to reduce rates of morbidity and mortality through the provision of emergency nutrition services. This is made possible by MAF planes flying crucial supplies. Much of the cargo is medical but – as famine’s grip tightens – it has also included therapeutic milk to treat severe malnutrition among children. Please pray for MAF lifelines worldwide and their embodiment of the Scripture, ‘The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me”’ (Matthew 25:40).
Give thanks for an increase in flying hours in Liberia and the new shuttle flights launched between Dili and Atauro Island in Timor-Leste. Praise God that, by His grace, our flights will be a blessing to everyone who needs them. This may be a team of Bible translators – flying far above the clouds to reach isolated destinations — or disaster victims in need of food, shelter and clean water on the ground below.
However different the nations of the world may be — or whatever their differences — our common humanity unites us. As President Kennedy once said, ‘For in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air, we all cherish our children’s futures, and we are all mortal.’ Ponder this for a moment, then uphold the MAF pilots coming from various countries, speaking different languages and serving diverse communities.
In March, Jack Hemmings — one of our founders — returned to the controls of a 1947 Miles Gemini aircraft. The 101-year-old’s flight was in honour of Stuart King, another beloved MAF founder, who died in 2020. ‘It was,’ Jack said, ‘a suitable way to remember all he achieved.’ Pray that a new generation of pilots and engineers will fly for Jesus, following in Stuart’s and Jack’s pioneering footsteps.
Praise the Lord for for the reopening of the remote Vanimo airstrip and buildings in Papua New Guinea (PNG) earlier this year. Uphold our flights there as we deliver books and supplies for education projects to the children of surrounding villages. Our outreach to those communities allows us to build connections and let them know that Jesus loves them.
Pause to remember MAF Pilot Joyce Lin, who tragically died on 12 May 2020. One of our Kodiak planes is named PK-MJL in her memory and has been added to our Indonesia fleet. Please pray that Joyce’s legacy will live on through that plane as it blesses Papua’s people for many years to come.
Lift up MAF frequent flier MWH Trust Uganda, which celebrated its tenth anniversary in March. This organisation enables farmers in the north of the country to grow a wider variety of vegetables. Pray that this will help the farmers achieve financial security.
In northern Kenya, the nomadic Rendille people worship spirits and the inanimate objects around them. Give thanks that, through the love and care shown to them in the name of Jesus, there is now an openness to the Gospel. Praise Him for the MAF flights that enable missionaries to share Jesus with the Rendille.
Spend a moment praying for MAF staff who’ve begun serving in our newest programme — Guinea. As you pray, imagine what it might be like to establish a programme in a new country. Think about the language and cultural barriers that exist, and the needs for governmental permissions and licensing. Please pray that we will quickly forge strong links with those who can benefit most from our services.
We are so thankful for the partnerships we have with those bringing the Good News to the world’s remotest communities. Please pray that, no matter where people live, they will all have an opportunity to hear the amazing story of how Christ came into this world.
Praise God for the peace He has brought to areas of the world that were once torn apart by violence and death. We are so thankful for the part MAF can play in continuing this ongoing work, enabling peace and hope to be brought to countries beset by conflict.
Christ came to gather the nations into the peace of His Kingdom. Reflect for a moment on the 25 countries MAF serves, and pray their people will experience the hope and peace that has come through Jesus’ birth, death and resurrection.
Several areas in South Sudan continue to suffer from intercommunal violence. Pray specifically for Leer and Pibor — where MAF flies — and for our partnership with organisations such as Peace Canal. One of its staff recently remarked, ‘MAF works for peace, to encourage harmony. That’s why we chose MAF.’ May the peace of the Lord descend on these troubled regions.
Praise God for MAF Technologies PNG, which is crucial to the installation of solar power in the country. Give thanks that we were able to install solar panels at the Kwaplalim Clinic, a village surrounded by mountains and cut off from the nearest hospital. Because of these panels, vaccines remain safely chilled and vital surgery can now continue uninterrupted.
Consider what life is like for the Yolŋu people of the Aboriginal homelands, for whom Arnhem Land is a legally recognised reserve. Poverty, heat, humidity and huge physical distances between communities dominate every day of their lives. Ask God to bless the relationships MAF staff are building with the Yolŋu people, and that His light will shine brightly through these connections, bringing hope and stability into their lives.
According to Wordsower International Founder Kim Smith, ‘Everybody needs to know about MAF. You are given by God so His Word can spread in the hardest areas.’ Wordsower equips pastors, missionaries and teachers with the resources needed to spread the Good News throughout Liberia. Pray that many more people will experience the light that comes from knowing Jesus Christ.
Praise the Lord for MAF Technologies PNG, which uploads Christian content and other educational and helpful material on to micro-SD cards. The cards are then distributed by MAF pilots serving rural communities. Give thanks in expectation that the Gospel material will change people’s hearts and we’ll see much spiritual growth.
Give thanks for more than 400 MAF volunteers who work so hard to share the stories of our mission. Pray for the Lord’s blessing on them, and on the seeds they plant as they engage with people across the UK. Take a moment to sit with Jesus and imagine with Him the future increase in supporters, volunteers and missionaries who will take up the mantle for MAF in the years to come.
Praise God that in 2022, we were able to resume a number of in-person events, introducing people to MAF’s transformative work. Pray that future initiatives will demonstrate the importance of MAF’s ministry as our volunteers and staff reflect Jesus and bring Him into many lives.
According to MAF Partner CBM, 80% of blindness in Kenya is preventable and curable. Praise God that new funding has been found so that MAF eye safaris have been able to resume after a 12-year hiatus, enabling many more Kenyans to have their eyesight restored.
Imagine what it must be like to have your only access to health, resources and education via MAF flights limited because your local airstrip is no longer in operation. From that place, give thanks for the opportunities to reopen old airstrips in Chad, and pray for good relationships with the Timor-Leste Government as we seek to construct new airstrips in extremely isolated areas. Pray also for the construction of a new airstrip in Angola to help supply a remote health clinic and support the surrounding villages.
Last year, MAF flew census papers to remote Yolŋu communities so their needs could be fully represented in the Australian census. Please pray that centuries of prejudice and discrimination against the Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders will finally be laid to rest.
Praise God for the wonderful provision that is the MATC International flying school. Based in the Netherlands, the school equips its candidates with the high-level skills needed to be an MAF pilot. Please pray for the small team, led by Marco Koffeman – an MAF pilot for ten years – and for all the trainee pilots.
Matthew 7:7 says, ‘Ask and it will be given to you’. God often uses His people to provide for the needs of others. A small nudge, a quiet whisper, a knowing that gives us confidence to step out… Take a moment to be open to God’s prompting in how you might be faithful with what you have. We give thanks that MAF is able to plan flight operations many months in advance because of incredibly faithful supporters. Their boundless generosity provides us with the regular gifts that fuel the fleet.
Uphold Alana Sebit Owot, who uses MAF flights in South Sudan to reach remote communities. He helps his people provide for themselves by showing them how to mill their own maize. Pray that God will provide the farmers with a good harvest.
Praise God for UK staff serving worldwide. They live out their faith in practical ways and in obedience to God’s call. Thank Him for providing for their needs and for the lives being transformed through their partnership with Jesus.
The unseen but essential service of MAF aircraft maintenance engineers involves checking everything from the propellers to the smallest rivets. This painstaking and detailed work ensures our planes remain airworthy. To become an MAF engineer requires in-depth training – a professional commitment that helps drive our life-changing ministry. Please take a moment to consider if you know anyone who may be interested in applying for the MAF Engineer Training Scheme. If someone comes to mind, direct them to our website www.maf-uk.org/engineer-training
Tim and Georgie Vallance-Webb moved to Arnhem Land in 2018. Their four children have been assisting MAF’s work by selling ice lollies to raise funds to help the mothers of newborn babies in Nhulunbuy. They’ve also put together stationery and learning packs to send to schools ravaged by flooding in Queensland. Pray for all the MAF children living for Jesus wherever they find themselves.
MAF helps bring Jesus to communities where witchcraft and sorcery are commonplace. Recent flights to Chukudum, South Sudan, enabled Wycliffe Bible Translators staff to deliver training courses aimed at overcoming the fear of witchcraft and the lure of divination. Give thanks that faith in the One who overcame the darkness will rise up through this partnership.
For those of us middle-aged and above, the following quote from MAF Pilot Anton Zhang holds so much significance when we realise that the indigenous church in Australia’s Northern Territory didn’t even exist when MAF started flying there in 1973: ‘I find joy in being able to serve as a cog in the machinery of God’s work of growing the Yolŋu Church in Arnhem Land.’ Take a moment to ponder the faith required to pioneer and establish a new move of God in a foreign territory. Pray from that place.
Our MAMAFY flights around Madagascar enable local church partners to share the Gospel in remote locations. Pray that many will come to faith.
Divyan Ahimaz, Brian Baimako, Mike Brown, Jan Buchanan, LuAnne Cadd, Jenny Davies, Ping Domtta, Annelie Edsmyr, Dave Forney, David Gargule, Mandy Glass, Diana Gorter, Marijn Gound, Phil Henderson, Mark & Kelly Hewes, Patrick Keller, Sheila Kengingo, Marco Koffman, Ryan Koher, Katie Machell, Caroline Moore, Kari Peters, Rembrand Rodenburg, Lukas Schadegg, Lukas Schmid, Ryan Unger, Katherine Williams, Zoa, MAF archive