Prayer Diary (April-June) 2023

I AM…

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand — Isaiah 41:10 (NLT)

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!

In Bible times, names were important and had meaning. There are many examples in the text where God even changed the name of someone to signify their new identity. Abram, for example, became Abraham, which means ‘father of many’.

God Himself has many names too.

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.

God had recognised the distress of His people. He appeared to Moses with a plan and a promise to rescue them. Interestingly, His choice of name could have been El Gibhor, meaning ‘Mighty God’, or El Roi, ‘the strong One who sees’.

But instead, He presents as ‘I AM’ — 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.

Our senses are a great way to ground ourselves in God. When we focus on what we can hear or see, taste, touch or smell — we automatically become present.

It gives a practical application to the invitation ‘Be still and know that I AM God’ (Psalm 46:10) — an invitation into the here and now. It’s an invitation to connect your whole self with the One who knows you by name and calls you His own.

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 praying

Rev Victoria Fagg Prayer Communications Leader, MAF UK

SATURDAY 1 Father God, we praise You for Your presence and the goodness that surrounds us in our everyday lives. Help us, as part of the MAF family, to become more in tune with Your Spirit. Help those we serve to recognise You personally. We live our lives as an offering to You. Help us to make each day count, and may all who encounter You be transformed.

I AM THE GATE

Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures

— John 10:9 (NLT)

SUNDAY 2 Praise 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 (PNG) team who flew him to hospital. The emergency flight saved him a two-day journey overland which he probably wouldn’t have survived.

MONDAY 3 Decades of experience in dozens of countries has taught MAF and its partners that the door to the soul can often be eased open by helping to meet people’s physical needs. Please pray for the flights that help to establish or improve medical and educational facilities for isolated people. The communities based in remote and difficult-to-access areas often see this as evidence of a God who loves and wants to redeem them.

TUESDAY 4 Dr Diana Zwijnenburg co-ordinated Nepao's recovery effort — reminding the staff that critical patients must, wherever possible, be continuously supervised. Pray

for the many health facilities supported by MAF flights where there are insufficient personnel to provide a full service for those in their care.

WEDNESDAY 5 Take time to marvel at how faith in Christ provides a gateway through which men, women and children can cast off their old lives and head towards His light. Share in Jesus’ joy at the thought of the souls that will be saved, and keep praying for MAF’s part in the countless spiritual transformations to come.

THURSDAY 6 The staff at Kompiam Hospital prayed for a miracle and — in spite of minimal medical supplies and a broken X-ray machine — Nepao survived. Pray for the doctors and nurses in PNG who combine faith with professionalism to provide a gateway to good healthcare for their patients.

FRIDAY 7 On Good Friday, we remember that Christ’s loving sacrifice purchased eternal life for all those who believe in

The prayer points on these pages relate to a story featured in Flying for Life, pages 6-8.

(We hope this will help inform your prayers for MAF and those we serve.)

Him. Pray that, through MAF, our Christian passengers will continue to help people find the gateway to heaven.

SATURDAY 8 'Thanks to MAF airlifting me and the work of hospital staff, I’m finally leaving this place. May God bless their hands.’ Pray that Nepao's words continue to be echoed by those who feel Jesus’ hand on their lives when ill health or sudden injury begins to shake the foundation of their existence.

MAIN An aerial view of Kompiam Hospital

ABOVE Dr Diana Zwijnenburg during a clinic patrol to Malaumanda

Mandy Glass

Diana Zwijnenburg

I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE

SUNDAY 9 Praise God this Easter Sunday for Jesus’ resurrection and the gift of salvation. Today, lift up those who are yet to give their hearts to the Lord, and give Him thanks for making a way for us to have a living relationship with Him.

MONDAY 10 ‘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.

TUESDAY 11 Praise the Lord that, following an urgent medevac to fly a man struggling to breathe from Kisoro to Kampala, MAF Uganda staff were relieved to learn that the patient has recovered well. The journey would have taken 12 hours by road — a trip it’s unlikely Joseph would have survived

WEDNESDAY 12 In Tanzania, our regular safari flights enable hundreds of mothers and their babies to receive essential vaccinations and health checks. Pray that the children and their mothers will stay healthy and be free from any life-threatening illnesses. May they also experience life in all its fullness.

ABOVE A child receiving their polio vaccination in Tanzania

BELOW The team from CURE International, Missions of Hope International and MAF Kenya at Lodwar during a recent outreach

THURSDAY 13 Pray for our partnership with CURE International’s hospitals in Kenya. By working together, MAF and CURE can bring medical help to people coping with illness and disability in remote communities, ensuring that no one is left behind. Pray for the work of the pilots, doctors and others who make CURE’s medical outreaches possible.

FRIDAY 14 ‘He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds’ (Psalm 147:3). Give thanks for MAF flights that bring medical help and Gospel hope to people living in hard-to-reach areas. Pray that our pilots remain able to respond to emergencies quickly and safely.

SATURDAY 15 Give thanks that MAF flights bring hundreds of tonnes of medical freight to isolated areas each year, with the kind of medicines, vaccines and medical equipment we use every day in the UK.

Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die’ — John 11:25 (NIV)

ABOVE Vaccines and medical supplies delivered to remote communities around Bosavi and Mount Tawa, PNG

Eivind Lindtjørn

Acadius Akungwi

Mandy Glass

I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep — John 10:11 (NKJV)

SUNDAY 16 A shepherd fulfils many different roles: protector, provider, healer. Today, let’s praise God for the beautiful tenderness of Jesus’ words which refer to us as His flock — His pride and joy. The Creator of the universe, all-powerful and all-knowing, knows us by name. Hallelujah!

MONDAY 17 The shepherd protects the whole flock, as well as individual sheep. Because MAF aircraft help people escape violence and conflict, our little planes provide a safe lifeline for vulnerable people and NGO staff. Pray for MAF personnel working in places beset by insecurity and fear, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), South Sudan and Haiti.

MAIN

LEFT MAF's Cessna 208B aircraft at sunrise in the DRC

RIGHT The HUB in Uganda helps support farmers

TUESDAY 18 A shepherd feeds the flock — leading them to fresh pastures when necessary. 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 advised about 5,000 registered farmers. Our flights cut the journey times of founders Hans and Jeannette Joosse from 8 hours to just 70 minutes

WEDNESDAY 19 For nearly four years, MAF and PNG Sustainable Development Program — like a shepherd tending the flock — have delivered an innovative primary healthcare service to remote communities, prioritising maternal and child health, vaccinations, water, sanitation, hygiene, outpatient clinics, and training for health workers, leaders, communities and schools. Praise Him for our partnership’s positive impact

THURSDAY 20 Jesus said, 'The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep' (John 10:11, ESV). Help us, as followers of Christ, to lay aside our own preferences and desires, dying to sin and selfishness. Pray that MAF staff with leadership responsibilities will eagerly serve the sheep of His pasture and be godly examples to the flock entrusted to them as they follow the Chief Shepherd faithfully (1 Peter 5:2-4).

FRIDAY 21 Like a good shepherd, the Lord goes before us and comes alongside us in times of difficulty. Pray for Christians who are persecuted or held captive throughout the world, including those in the nations MAF serves. May they experience His tender love and be protected from the thieves, robbers and wolves of John 10:1-12

SATURDAY 22 ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want’ (Psalm 23:1). Pray for South Sudan where thousands lost their crops and were forced from their homes because of flooding. With crops ruined and access to food even harder than usual, may those affected by the floods be led to green pastures and obtain all the still, clean water they need.

The devastation of the flooding in South Sudan, seen from the air in November 2022

Stephen Hale

MWH (the HUB)

I AM THE VINE

SUNDAY 23 Praise God that MAF South Sudan was able to recover its aircraft which had been grounded in Arilo due to a propeller strike. By the grace of God, it was recovered just in time before its airworthiness certificate 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.

MONDAY 24 Give thanks for physiotherapist Ruan Swart, who uses MAF each week in Arnhem Land, Australia. Not only does he support the physical needs of people living with disabilities but, as a member of Christ’s body, he also helps them with their mental health by taking them fishing and telling them about Jesus.

TUESDAY 25 MAF frequent flyer e3 Partners shares the Gospel in South Sudan and makes disciples. Staff say that it’s particularly difficult for Toposa men to give their lives to Christ due to difficulties caused by those who still follow traditional beliefs. Pray for a change of heart among Toposa men so many will have the courage to follow Jesus.

WEDNESDAY 26 Last year, MAF Arnhem Land enabled 20 people to attend a rally organised by Yolŋu Christians. Without our plane, it wouldn’t have been possible for them to get there. Pray that everyone who attended the event will continue to receive spiritual sustenance from Jesus, growing in grace and remaining strong.

THURSDAY 27 In 2022, MAF Papua flew delegates to several church meetings. Pray for the leadership of the churches in Papua, that they will remain rooted in Christ and honour God in every decision they make.

FRIDAY 28 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.

SATURDAY 29 Regular MAF flyer Elisha Moita has retired from his role in the Lutheran Church of Tanzania. He hopes that he'll have more time to focus on evangelism. Give thanks for his passion to share Jesus with the Maasai, asking Him to bless Elisha’s work with much fruit.

TOP Physiotherapist Ruan Swart

MIDDLE A church meeting at Emdomen, Papua

BOTTOM In July 2022, Yolŋu Christians gathered at a rally at Dhipirri, Arnhem Land

I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you stay joined to me, and I stay joined to you, then you will produce lots of fruit. But you cannot do anything without me — John 15:5 (CEV)

Mike Brown

Jaco Loenen

Stephanie Gidney

WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?

SUNDAY 30 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.

MONDAY 1 Faithful men and women are working hard to translate the Bible into indigenous languages in Arnhem Land. Pray they bring God glory in all they do, and that their translation work will enable people to see that Jesus is far more than just a carpenter, rabbi, teacher, healer, miracle worker or good man.

TUESDAY 2 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.

WEDNESDAY 3 Give thanks for the way staff from MAF Technologies PNG gave a widow an audio Bible after her husband died. ‘It reminded me,’ Salome said, ‘that the Lord Jesus is my life and my everything.’ Pray for everyone who receives God’s Word, in whatever format.

THURSDAY 4 Uphold the five MAF families studying Indonesian in Salatiga, Java. May they stay close to the Lord, prioritising language learning, Bible study and prayer as they seek to accurately share and show Jesus to others

FRIDAY 5 Pray for MAF Suriname as it supports Weejo Bible School, which trains church leaders and provides spiritual discipleship. May the students’ awareness of who Jesus is and what He has done for them inform their preaching, teaching and outreach.

SATURDAY 6 Who do you say Jesus is? Lord? Saviour? King? Judge? Healer? Redeemer? Provider? Which of these aspects means most to you, and what else would you like Jesus to be to you? Consider making a list, then pray that those who don’t yet know Him will soon come to see Him as Lord and Saviour

ABOVE A translation of the Bible in the Yolŋu Matha tongue

BELOW Salome receives an audio Bible from a member of MAF Technologies PNG

BOTTOM An aerial view of Kuebunyane airstrip, Lesotho

Then Jesus asked, ‘But who do you say I am?’ ‘You are the Messiah!’ Peter replied — Mark 8:29 (CEV)

Anton Zhang

Grant Strugnell

Nicholas Jowapo

MADAGASCAR

SUNDAY 7 Praise God for being with our pilots, passengers and planes in Madagascar for more than three decades. His faithfulness makes it possible for us to do what we do, and the fruit of His Spirit can be seen in the thousands of lives physically and spiritually transformed by His love.

MONDAY 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 cyclones, floods and droughts are commonplace.

TUESDAY 9 The catastrophic effects of the country’s 2020 drought led to a famine that continues to dominate people’s existence. Pray for the men, women and children we serve who cry out for bread and water.

WEDNESDAY 10 Madagascar gained full independence from France in 1960. Contemplate the glacial pace of change for a population longing to see the dreams of their forebears come true in this lifetime, then pray that God will grant their legitimate wishes.

THURSDAY 11 The Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar (FJKM) flies regularly with MAF to fulfil its mission of distributing Bibles to thousands of isolated people so they can read Scripture in their own language. Pray without ceasing for the continuous delivery of God’s glorious Word to remote communities that eagerly await its arrival.

FRIDAY 12 'Even on a good day,’ says Bible translator and former hospital worker Debbie Simpson, ‘it takes at least 24 hours to get from the capital Antananarivo to Mandritsara by bush taxi.’ Please pray that our aircraft will always be there to save precious time for our passengers and, as a result, improve even more lives.

SATURDAY 13 Give thanks for the Malagasy Lutheran Church, a bright light of evangelism and development since 1950. Pray for everyone there who cherishes the safety and speed that only our aircraft can provide on this, the world’s fourth largest island.

TOP RIGHT Medical equipment and supplies are protected from the rain

ABOVE Bible translator Debbie Simpson (left), with Catherine Grierson, visiting Madagascar as a volunteer radiologist

RIGHT Two-year-old Rafale is given an infusion

BELOW Ampasinambo, Madagascar

The prayer points on these pages relate to a story featured in Flying for Life, pages 10-12.

(We hope this will help inform your prayers for MAF and those we serve.)

And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age — Matthew 28:20 (NIV)

Patrick Keller

SUNDAY 14 Praise God that tiny coastal villages such as Ampasinambo are no longer completely isolated. Give thanks too for the airstrip we opened in 2009 which is now used for medical safaris and medevacs

MONDAY 15 Pray for MAF partner HoverAid. The organisation sends medical equipment and teams of professionals to those in dire need of healthcare. The valued MAF passengers volunteer their time as well as their expertise for the good of people who may never be able to receive treatment in a hospital.

TUESDAY 16 ‘Since July last year, the villagers have begun to suffer the consequences of Cyclone Batsirai,’ says HoverAid Project Co-ordinator Maholinirinaharijaona Sidonie Tatiana. Please pray for the men, women and children in remote communities who don’t have any rice because all their fields were destroyed by this latest natural disaster.

WEDNESDAY 17 In the relative calm and security of our lives, let’s thank our Lord Jesus Christ that He is always there for those of us who believe in Him. Ponder too how His grace has moved inexorably over the island of Madagascar, turning darkness to light during 34 years of MAF’s programme there

THURSDAY 18 Pray for the full recovery of Lambert, who was suffering greatly before surgeons and nurses reached him by MAF aircraft and drained seven pints of fluid from his abdomen. Praise the Lord that Lambert received the medical attention he needed before it was too late.

FRIDAY 19 Two-year-old Rafale was severely malnourished when her mother and grandmother brought her to the visiting medical team flown by MAF. Now that Rafale’s condition has improved, please pray that she will never again experience the life-threatening effects of starvation.

SATURDAY 20 The MAF Madagascar team thanks you for the prayer support which has sustained their mission for such a long, hard and fruitful period of time. Pray that the people in this programme will be strengthened by the power of the Spirit to carry on reaching the thousands who, without MAF, wouldn't receive help, hope and healing.

Patrick Keller

Patrick Keller

Patrick Keller

I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE

Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst’

— John 6:35 (ESV)

SUNDAY 21 Praise God for a new partnership between MAF PNG, Bread for the World, and the Tribal Foundation. MAF is working with them to deliver a new community training programme seeking to prevent gender-based violence. Pray that those affected by violence will find healing, dignity and their true value in Christ.

MONDAY 22 Flooding during Suriname’s rainy season is always a problem, but last year’s unprecedented rainfall caused more devastation than ever before. MAF delivered about 30 sacks of food to villages cut off by the flooding. Uphold those still affected, and pray for protection now the rainy season has begun.

TUESDAY 23 Late last year, MAF Papua flew 600 metres of water pipes to Dagai. Give thanks that we’re able to help fly supplies to remote communities worldwide, enabling people to access fresh water. May those who receive this physical blessing also hunger and thirst for righteousness.

WEDNESDAY 24 Praise God for Genesis Waters which, thanks to MAF, distributed 100 water filtration kits in the DRC. The kits, which enable 100 households to access clean water, can be mounted on buckets to provide a simple filtration system. Pray that the grateful recipients will encounter Jesus, the living water (John 7:37-38) and bread of life.

THURSDAY 25 In Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus teaches us how to pray, saying, ‘Give us this day our daily bread’. Although for many of us food is readily accessible in the UK, put yourself in the shoes of someone for whom Matthew 6:9 is a desperate prayer. Give thanks that we have a God who cares about our physical and spiritual needs.

FRIDAY 26 Ethnologue estimates that there are about 7,151 living languages in the world! Uphold all the Bible translators who fly with MAF and work tirelessly so people can be fed spiritually by reading God’s Word in their own language.

SATURDAY 27

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 missionaries in Foya will provide unreached communities with spiritual nourishment.

TOP Dagai in Papua receives delivery of water pipes

LEFT 200 people watched a video about gender-based violence

RIGHT A village hit by flooding in Suriname

MAF Liberia

Alex Ludvicek

Landen Kelly

MAF Suriname

BE STILL, AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD

SUNDAY 28 Praise God for Pentecost and give thanks for the gift of the Holy Spirit! In Acts 1, Jesus told the disciples to remain in Jerusalem to receive the Spirit. There was nothing they could do but be still and wait. We may find this difficult, but it’s often when we’re still that we meet powerfully with God.

MONDAY 29 Although our pilots are busy flying, they sometimes find themselves having to wait, with poor weather conditions, local bureaucracy or operational delays sometimes leading to periods of inactivity. Pray they will use such times wisely to pray, listen and rest.

TUESDAY 30 Being still is something we rarely embrace in the 21st century. Even when we’re forced into physical inertia, phones, TV and 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 we serve will have their needs met and receive His peace.

WEDNESDAY 31 MAF staff not only meet the physical needs of remote communities by providing life-saving resources, they also show concern for people’s spiritual requirements. Uphold our national and international staff as they seek to share Christ with others.

THURSDAY 1 There are different ways to ‘know’ God. 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.

FRIDAY 2 Daily prayer lies at the heart of our programmes, enabling our staff to still themselves before the Lord. Prayer needs are presented and words of Scripture shared. Pray that, as our national and international staff unite, their prayer times will provide refreshment, a renewed vision and strength for each day.

SATURDAY 3 Luke 10:38-42 recounts the story of Mary and Martha. When our staff are busily meeting people’s seemingly endless needs, we may wonder if there is more we can do to help share the load. But we can be like Mary, sitting at Jesus’ feet and upholding them in prayer. Visit www.maf-uk.org/staff to guide your prayers for individuals and families you may never meet, but who you can partner with in prayer.

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth — Psalm 46:10 (NIV)

TOP Be still before the Lord and praise Him for the beauty in His creation

MIDDLE A Chadian believer with a copy of a Chadian Arabic Bible

BOTTOM Staff in PNG take time to pause to unite in prayer and worship

Landen Kelly

SIL/ABT

Grant Strugnell

I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE

SUNDAY 4 Praise God for the relationships we have with isolated communities. Our staff have a friendship and trust that helps encourage people in their faith and outreach.

MONDAY 5 Please pray for the people of Biaidi in PNG. Their community is extremely remote and relies on the radio MAF helped install to receive both physical and spiritual support.

TUESDAY 6 There is often stigma surrounding disabilities in many of the communities we serve where there are beliefs that any form of incapacity means a family has been cursed. Because of this, medical help is rarely sought. Give thanks for 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

WEDNESDAY 7 Please uphold the work of MAF Technologies PNG, which makes Christian resources available digitally such as the Jesus film, Gospel music and audio Bibles. Give thanks that people can receive the truth Jesus brings in their own language in a variety of ways.

THURSDAY 8 Pray for the continued safety and upkeep of the Meserani airstrip in Tanzania. We built the remote runway three years ago, and it has played a vital role in enabling us to reach several hundred more Maasai people with God’s Word.

FRIDAY 9 Pray for our partner Wycliffe Bible Translators in South Sudan as their staff share the Gospel and help free people in difficultto-reach communities from the fear of living with witchcraft.

SATURDAY 10 Today, think about the various people groups of South America. Pray for them in their walk with the Lord and give thanks for the missionaries like Nate Saint and Jim Elliot who, decades ago, made those initial life-changing contacts.

Jesus answered, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. The only way to the Father is through me’ — John 14:6 (NCV)

MAIN Biadi, Milne Bay Province, PNG ABOVE A delivery of Tennet Bibles in South Sudan

LEFT MAF PNG pilots (taken November 2022)

Dom Sant

SIL

Lukas Schadegg

SUNDAY 11 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.’

MONDAY 12 Please uphold our pilots today as they pray before each flight and serve as a witness to those around them pointing the way to Christ. Ask the Lord to keep them and their families safe.

TUESDAY 13 Jesus, Scripture tells us, is the way, the truth and the life. Although others claim they have the truth, Jesus remains the only way to the Father. Today, let’s ponder this great truth for ourselves, and pray that the churches our staff are there to serve will be filled with people walking in His way, accepting His truth, following Christ closely, and living godly lives.

WEDNESDAY 14 Pray for Patrick and Olivia Keller in Madagascar. Their passion for bringing people out of darkness into God’s light led them, and their church, to train missionaries in the Malagasy language so they can better share the Good News with the people they meet.

THURSDAY 15 Suicide rates among indigenous communities in Arnhem Land can be high. Please pray that those suffering from poor mental health will experience God’s peace, discover Jesus for themselves, and live joyful lives as children of light (Ephesians 5:8).

FRIDAY 16 Last year, we flew Sudan Evangelical Mission in South Sudan. Pray for all those working to strengthen the Church and spread the Gospel. May they experience God’s blessing and enable many to experience His truth and life.

SATURDAY 17 Please pray for the people of Haiti. This tumultuous nation has experienced great physical and spiritual devastation in recent years. Pray for an end to its travails, and that an outpouring of the Holy Spirit will bring hearts out of the darkness.

ABOVE Môle Saint-Nicolas, Haiti LEFT Patrick Keller, MAF Madagascar's Country Director

Andrew Sutton

Irina Randriamandrato

I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

SUNDAY 18 On this Father's Day, let's praise God for His parenting of us and for the MAF men responsible for children and young adults, or who mentor others. May they be godly beacons to those around them.

MONDAY 19 John 1:9 describes Jesus as ‘the true light that gives light to everyone.’ Pray that church missionaries from CECA 20 sharing the Gospel with the largely unreached Barambu and Kango people in the DRC will impact many. Our planes lighten their load by flying them quickly and safely to remote regions.

TUESDAY 20 Uphold our partnership with the Miyalk Domestic and Family Violence Shelter in Arnhem Land, where many Yolŋu women have found refuge from the darkness of domestic abuse.

WEDNESDAY 21 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it’ (John 1:5). Pray for our staff as they attempt to shine God’s light on Haiti, a nation wracked by food, fuel, water and electricity shortages, political instability, criminal activity and — more recently — cholera.

THURSDAY 22 Uphold MAF

Guinea’s new Country Director Lisa Blomberg and her family as they settle into the programme. Pray that God will light Lisa's path every step of the way as she works hard to establish operations in our newest programme.

FRIDAY 23 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

SATURDAY 24 With the departure of Mike and Jenni Bottrell, we no longer have a presence in Nepal. Give thanks for the people MAF served for seven years and the relationships we built. Pray that, whenever programmes close or MAF staff return home, the light of Christ will continue to shine on those who remain

MAIN An aerial view of the outskirts of Guinea's capital, Conakry ABOVE Rubbish lines the streets in Haiti

BELOW Children can play safely at Miyalk Domestic and Family Violence Shelter in Arnhem Land

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, ‘I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life’

— John 8:12 (NLT)

Eric Fagerland

Dave Forney

Crisis Accommodation Gove

I AM HAS SENT ME TO YOU

SUNDAY 25 Praise God for our wonderful supporters who make MAF’s vision to see isolated people changed by the love of Christ possible. We believe that God has sent them to us, just as He provides us with personnel to serve in Africa and the Asia-Pacific region.

MONDAY 26 How can people hear unless someone preaches, and how can someone preach unless they are sent? (Romans 10:14-15.) Pray for our 500+ volunteers who represent MAF in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. They are key in presenting the life-saving work of MAF to the next generation of potential supporters and missionary staff, providing MAF with people who will pray, go and give!

TUESDAY 27 Please uphold our staff who continually go the extra mile to represent MAF’s work throughout the UK. Please pray specifically for our youth team who seek to inspire young people about our work. To learn more about MAF Youth, visit www.maf-uk.org/youth

WEDNESDAY 28 We have a critical need for licensed aircraft maintenance engineers to maintain our existing services and allow for expansion, so we can meet the growing needs. Pray that the Lord will call more workers into service with MAF, and that they will go wherever He sends them.

THURSDAY 29 Please pray for our new engineering and pilot trainees who began service with MAF in January — Joshua White, Luke Morris, Chris Watkins, William Parkinson and Tim Dingwall. May they all experience the joy of knowing that it is God who sends our staff overseas to bring Him glory.

FRIDAY 30 Pray for Mark and Steph Draper and Ben and Esther Brown as they settle into their new roles overseas. Mark is now serving as Aircraft Maintenance Engineer in Uganda, while Ben has taken up the role of Deputy Country Director and Operations Manager in our Arnhem Land programme.

ABOVE An aerial view of Milingimbi, Arnhem Land

BELOW Up in the clouds, taken during a shuttle flight between Monrovia and Harper, Liberia

BOTTOM Aircraft Maintenance Engineer John Hermanus at work in our Mareeba hangar, Australia

God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And He said, ‘Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you’ — Exodus 3:14 (ESV)

Sean Atkins

Paula Alderblad

Stephanie Gidney

On the second Friday of each month, a prayer devotional drops into the inbox of many MAF supporters.

We are so thankful to each and every person who prays for MAF. This resource is something we create to give back, in the hope that you feel inspired and perhaps even challenged a little in your daily walk with the Lord. It’s less a request for prayer and more a thought to read and reflect on.

If you would like to receive the prayer devotion each month, scan the QR code or visit www.maf-uk.org/devotions