Have you ever considered the significance of your name? Perhaps your parents told you why they chose it, or you’ve looked up its meaning. My name apparently has Latin origins and means ‘woman of victory’ — I can live with that!
Within the Bible, we see names attributed to God that illustrate His multifaceted character. It is said that the most significant one can be found in Exodus 3, when Moses questions how to identify God to the people of Israel. ‘I AM WHO I AM’ is His response — a phrase that expresses His self-existence, self-sufficiency and eternal presence.
In a time where instability abounds, the significance of God being present with us in the here and now is life-giving. Too often, we have a tendency to get stuck in the past and get depressed, or dwell in what might be, and get anxious. Practising life in the here and now enables us not only to catch our breath, but to connect with the great I AM afresh.
It is here that the simple joys of life — times of heartfelt worship, a chorus of birdsong, the wind dancing in the trees, the rhythm of a ticking clock, a laughing child or the stillness of rain — enable us to reconnect with creation and wonder.
My prayer for you is this; may the One who was and is and is to come, become refreshingly real to you. May His goodness and presence be fragrantly tangible as you practise being in the here and now — one prayer, one moment, and one day at a time.
Thank you for joining us to , and
Rev Victoria Fagg Prayer Communications Leader, MAF UKPraise God this Palm Sunday for the life of Nepao, a man whose house collapsed on him. Give thanks for the quick response of our Papua New Guinea team who flew him to hospital. The emergency flight saved him a two-day journey overland which he probably wouldn’t have survived. Staff at Kompiam Hospital prayed for a miracle and Nepao survived! Pray for the doctors and nurses in PNG who combine faith with professionalism to provide good healthcare for their patients with minimal resources.
In Tanzania, our regular safari flights enable hundreds of mothers and their babies to receive essential vaccinations and health checks. Today, reflect on how your prayers and gifts mean that MAF remains central to the lives of young families who will stay healthy and be free from any life-threatening illnesses because of our aircraft.
As it says in Psalm 147:3, ‘He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds.’ Please pray for the thousands of MAF flights, planned and emergency, that bring professionals to people living in hard-to-reach areas — or transport them rapidly to hospitals. Pray also that our pilots remain able to continue responding quickly and safely to accidents in remote communities where MAF is truly a lifeline.
Praise God that Jesus Christ loved the world so much He sacrificed Himself on the cross. On Good Friday, we remember the truth at the heart of our mission — that His body and blood purchased eternal life for all those who believe in Him. We ask you to pray fervently with us that, through MAF, our Christian passengers will continue to help people find the gateway to heaven opened by our Lord.
Take time to marvel at how that Christian faith — small as a mustard seed, yet able to move mountains — paves a straight and true path towards the light for men, women and children who have cast off their old lives. Share in Jesus’ joy at the thought of all the many souls that will be saved, and keep praying for MAF’s part in the countless spiritual transformations to come.
Praise God this Easter Sunday for Jesus’ resurrection and the gift of salvation to all who turn to Him. Lift up those who are yet to give their hearts to the Lord, pray for Jesus to reveal His glory to them, and give thanks that He made a way for us to have a living and eternal relationship with Him.
While the word ‘poverty’ tends to conjure images of material hardship, many people have poor lives due to how they are treated and not because of how few possessions they have. Praise God then for a new partnership between MAF PNG, Bread for the World, and the Tribal Foundation. Together, we are working to deliver a new community training programme seeking to prevent gender-based violence. Pray for the programme’s success and the ongoing battle with this insidious evil.
Suicide rates among the remote indigenous communities of Arnhem Land can be extremely high. Please pray that those suffering from spiritual darkness caused by poor mental health will experience God’s peace, discover Jesus for themselves and live joyful lives as ‘children of light’ (Ephesians 5:8).
Please pray for the people of Madagascar who live in poverty despite the country’s wealth of natural resources and unique ecological beauty. Keep them in your hearts and minds as they seek to keep body and soul together in a land where natural disasters are commonplace. The catastrophic effects of the country’s 2020 drought led to a famine that continues to destroy lives. Pray for the men, women and children who cry out for bread and water.
Give thanks and praise for the words of Psalm 23:1, ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want’. Pray for South Sudan where many thousands of people lost their crops and were forced from their homes because of flooding. With agriculture in ruins and food in shorter supply than usual, may those currently living in the misery of food insecurity be led to green pastures and obtain all the still, clean water they so desperately need.
Today, let’s praise God for the beautiful tenderness of Jesus’ words in Luke 12:32 which refer to us as His ‘flock’. Like every good shepherd, He knows us by name and steers our lives whether we work for MAF, support its mission, fly in its planes or are the ultimate beneficiaries of the countless flights that have taken off since the very first, 75 years ago!
A shepherd feeds the flock, leading them to fresh pastures when necessary, and through the delivery of food, seeds, tools and livestock, MAF enables communities to support themselves. Pray for the HUB agricultural project in northern Uganda where, for the last 10 years, 5 shops have sold agricultural products and given practical advice to 5,000 farmers. Our flights cut the journey times of project founders Hans and Jeannette Joosse from 8 hours to just 70 minutes!
Praise God that the people who originally rejected the Gospel in Kuebunyane, Lesotho, now recognise Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Uphold the home Bible study groups in Tlhanyaku and give thanks for the Lesotho Flying Pastors volunteer team which, helped by our aircraft, supported a pastor in Matebeng and carried out house-to-house evangelism in the area.
Pause for a moment to remember the simple fact that planes sometimes break down!
Give thanks to God that MAF South Sudan was able to recover one of its aircraft which had been grounded in Arilo due to a propeller strike. By His grace, it was recovered just before its Certificate of Airworthiness ran out. Hallelujah! Just as a vine supports its branches, so our aircraft maintenance engineers support the pilots and planes that make our work possible.
‘The crowd was cheering when they saw the plane.’ Give thanks that, through MAF, the remote community of Dusin in PNG can receive essential supplies and life-giving medicine for the new Nazarene Health Services centre which will serve this isolated area for many years to come. Pray that the MAF family can continue to be part of joyful celebrations such as these where our mission brings the help, hope and healing needed
Praise God for the work of Pastor Santino. He accompanies one of our medical safari flights in South Sudan, offering spiritual counselling and Bible teaching to those who attend our evangelistic clinics. Santino helps people who’ve accepted God’s Word but still feel confused about the witchcraft that’s so prevalent in their tribal culture. He tells people, ‘Just as you don’t serve two chiefs, you cannot serve two spiritual masters.’
Regular MAF flyer Elisha Moita has retired from his role in the Lutheran Church of Tanzania and hopes that he will have more time to focus on evangelism. Reflect on how the Gospel has spread far and wide throughout Elisha’s homeland because he was able to fly with MAF for four decades! Give thanks for his passion to share Jesus with the Maasai and ask God to bless all his future work with much fruit.
There is often stigma surrounding disabilities in many of the communities we serve, linked to beliefs that any form of incapacity means their family has been cursed. Because of this, medical help is rarely sought. MAF partner CURE International in Uganda, which provides physical aid, treats people with dignity and encourages families to do the same. Pray that any shame felt by those living with a disability is taken away.
Praise the Lord that the power of aviation enables us to save lives by saving time. Following a call to MAF Uganda about a man who was struggling to breathe, we flew an urgent medevac from Kisoro to Kampala. Our staff were relieved to learn that the patient — called Joseph — was slowly but surely recovering. The journey would have taken 12 hours by road and, as is so often the case, that is a trip it’s unlikely Joseph would have survived. Please pray that God will bless the work of these life-saving medevac flights.
God’s earth is bountiful but consider the imbalance of food and the speed required to transport it those in need. MAF Liberia flew two coolers of fresh fish for missionaries living inland to keep in their freezer. Pray that, as the fish provide nourishment for their bodies, so the believers in Foya will provide unreached communities with spiritual nourishment.
Pray for MAF partner HoverAid and for the vital services they provide for isolated people. The organisation sends medical equipment and teams of professionals to those in dire need of healthcare. These MAF passengers volunteer their time as well as their expertise for the good of people who may never receive treatment in a hospital, and who rely on the speed of our aircraft to maintain healthy lives.
MAF Arnhem Land enabled 20 people to attend a spiritual rally organised by Christians from the Yolŋu nation. Without our service in northern Australia, it would not have been possible for them to attend and hear the Gospel. Pray that everyone who was present at the rally will continue to receive spiritual sustenance from Jesus, growing in grace, remaining strong and discovering the amazing beauty of His blessings.
After flying a team from Youth With a Mission in South Sudan last year, staff told us how they had prayed for a witchdoctor who was suffering a miscarriage and couldn’t stop bleeding. When her bleeding stopped, she became a Christian! Consider who in your life needs to experience God’s healing and pray that they too will be grafted into God’s vine.
In 2022, pilots from MAF Papua flew delegates to several church meetings around the country. Pray for the leadership of the churches in Papua, that they will remain rooted in Christ and honour God in every decision they make. Please pray also for the thousands of churches served by the MAF fleet — worldwide evangelism would have moved at a far slower pace had it not been for the vision of our airmen founders.
Give thanks and praise for the way staff from MAF Technologies PNG gave a widow an audio Bible after her husband died. ‘It reminded me that the Lord Jesus is my life and my everything,’ Salome said when she received the tiny electronic device. Please pray for everyone who receives God’s Word that, regardless of the format, it will speak to their hearts and turn their lives to worshipping our Lord Jesus Christ.
Consider the unsung heroes of evangelism — the faithful men and women working hard to translate the Bible into indigenous languages in Arnhem Land, northern Australia. Think of the patience and dedication they show in ensuring accuracy with every one of the holy words they translate. Pray that they will bring God glory in all they do, and that their work will enable people to see that Jesus is far more than just a carpenter, rabbi, teacher, healer, miracle worker or good man.
Pray for MAF Suriname and its aerial support for Weejo Bible School, which trains church leaders and provides them with spiritual discipleship. Ask God to bless all the school’s students — may their awareness of who Jesus is and what He has done for them inform their preaching, teaching and outreach as they spread the Gospel far and wide.
Praise God for the life-saving work of our partner Genesis Waters!
Thanks to MAF aircraft, 100 water filtration kits have been distributed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These kits can be mounted on buckets to provide a simple filtration system for men, women and children, giving them constant access to safe, clean water. Pray too that the grateful recipients will encounter Jesus Christ, the living water of John 7:37-38.
Take a moment to reflect on the problems caused by the destructive power of water and the lasting damage it causes around the world. During Suriname’s wet season unprecedented rainfall caused more devastation than ever before. MAF delivered 30 sacks of food to villages cut off by the terrible flooding. Please uphold the communities still recovering from the devastation and pray for protection throughout future periods of torrential rain.
Late last year, MAF Papua aircraft flew more than 1,500 feet of water pipes to Dagai. Pray that we will continue to receive the prayerful and financial support needed to help fly essential supplies to thousands of remote communities worldwide, enabling people to drink fresh water. May those who receive this immense physical blessing also hunger and thirst for righteousness.
There are different ways to ‘know’ God and, therefore, to find his perfect peace. Some experience His presence and hear His voice in nature, others through singing praise or silent meditation. The Word of God, read prayerfully and allowed to settle into hearts that are still, provides another way. Praise God that MAF Chad enables linguists from Wycliffe Bible Translators to give people the Gospel in a form they can understand.
Being still is something we rarely embrace in the 21st century. Even when we are forced into physical inertia, phones, TV and a wide variety of other distractions consume our attention. In many of the places MAF works, the need to find the next meal, collect water or care for the sick often prevents people focusing on God. Pray that those the men, women and children we serve will have their needs met and receive His peace, in spite of the severe pressure on their lives.
There is a saying that it is better to light a candle than curse the darkness. Pray for reconciliation and restoration in Myanmar as the nation grapples with unrest and armed conflict. Pray too for all those who, across the world, use our aircraft to bring unity and peace to warring factions.
Praise God for the countless times the worldwide MAF fleet have made it possible for men, women and children to escape violence and conflict. Our little, light aircraft are a safe and secure lifeline for vulnerable people and NGO staff. Pray for MAF staff working in places beset by insecurity and fear such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Haiti. Ask for His protection to cover them at all times.
Pause this week to remember that the Creator of the Universe, all-knowing and allpowerful, goes before us and comes alongside us in times of difficulty. Pray for the many Christians who are persecuted or held captive throughout the world, including those in the nations that MAF serves. May those men, women and children know His tender love and be protected from the ‘thieves, robbers and wolves’ of John 10:1-12.
In John 1:9, our Lord Jesus Christ is described as ‘the true light that gives light to everyone’. Pray that church missionaries from CECA 20 sharing the Gospel with largely unreached Barambu and Kango people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo will have a dazzling impact on many lives. Please pray for the light of Christ’s protection to go ahead of them on pathways to areas of the world that are notoriously dangerous.
Give thanks to God for physiotherapist Ruan Swart, who flies with MAF each week in Arnhem Land, northern Australia. Not only does he support the physical needs of people with disabilities living in remote communities but — as a member of Christ’s body — he also helps them with their mental health. By taking them on fishing trips and telling them about Jesus, Ruan can bear witness to the transforming power of God’s love to some of the world’s most isolated people.
Remember that God’s provision for MAF includes the hundreds of staff members He calls to serve the mission. Last year, we appointed new Country Directors in Arnhem Land, Chad, South Sudan, Guinea, Liberia and Kenya. Pray for these men and women as they get to grips with their new roles. May they have a clear vision of who Jesus is, experience His leading and reflect Him in all they do as they take daily responsibility for the flights in their respective countries.
Pray for our partnership with CURE International which provides hospitals in Kenya. By working together, MAF and CURE bring medical help to people coping with accident, illness and disability in remote communities, ensuring that no one is left behind. Please pray for the work of the pilots, doctors and many other staff who make it possible for CURE’s medical outreach programmes to continue.
Stewart Ayling, Jean Bizimana, Mike Brown, LuAnne Cadd, CURE International, Jenny Davies, Annelie Edsmyr, Eric Fagerland, Genesis Waters, Stephanie Gidney, Mandy Glass, Stephen Hale, Brent Halvorsen, Phil Henderson, Mark & Kelly Hewes, Wim Hobo, HoverAid, Thorkild Jørgensen, Nicholas Jowapo, Raymond Mussa Kasoga, Patrick Keller, Jaco Loenen, Alex Ludvicek, Louise Macdonald, MAF Suriname, MWH, Samuel Pagel, Scott Petersen, Duku Richard, Dom Sant, SIL, Grant Strugnell, Anton Zhang
