Prayer Diary Summer 16

PRAYER DIARY . 1 SUMMER ’16

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‘HE WILL MAKE YOUR PATHS STRAIGHT’ Proverbs 3:6

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CHAD CRISIS

LIVE YOUR PASSION

THANK YOU!

Prayer for hungry families

Lifting up the Rio Olympics

Your prayers for Tearfund teams

2 . PRAYER DIARY

WELCOME UNITY IN DIVERSITY

‘My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.’ John 17:20–21 Out of a total population of 160.4 million people, there are 1.2 million Christians in Bangladesh. Although it’s only 0.75 per cent of the total population, that’s still a huge number of people from a diverse range of denominations and churches.

Churches and Christians are sometimes criticised (often unfairly) for their disunity – despite the desire of Jesus for all believers to ‘be one’. So I found it a great encouragement to hear the story of one of Tearfund’s partners in Bangladesh, the Salvation Army, who held a 24-hour ‘boundless prayer’ service in its offices in the Khulna Division.

The theme for the prayer service was ‘Unity in diversity’, taking inspiration from and reflecting on Jesus’ prayer for all believers in John 17. People from 15 churches, representing eight denominations, joined in the prayer vigil.

‘Many people who took part, including church leaders, told us that they have never experienced this kind of day-night prayer for unity among many denominations in Bangladesh,’ says Sunil Boiragee, Disaster Risk Reduction Project Manager for the Salvation Army.

Praise God that, thanks to its success, the Salvation Army has set up an Inter-Church Forum to discuss and implement disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation programmes through the churches and denominations that took part in the day of prayer.

Let’s echo Jesus’ prayer for the church, and pray for church unity in Bangladesh and in the more than 50 countries where Tearfund works. By ‘being one’, we can be more effective in the work we do, and prompt many more to believe.

Editor

Peter Shaw twitter @TearTimes | email praying@tearfund.org Photo: Ralph Hodgson/Tearfund

PRAYER DIARY . 3

CONTENTS 04 Emergency in Ethiopia Lifting up a country in crisis 05 Seeking peace for Burundi Praying for an end to conflict 06 Willing to work Giving thanks for livelihoods 07 One body Thank you for encouraging prayers 08 Reality, lament and hope Praying through the Psalms 09 Going the distance Lifting up Tearfund travellers 10 Starving for change Praying for South Sudan hunger crisis 11 Looking to the mountains Prayer focus on displaced Yazidis 12 Miracle working in Malawi Giving thanks for Esther ten years on 13 Light and life in Kenya Praising God for transformation 14 Live your passion Lifting up the Olympics in Brazil 15 Offering our lives Loving our global neighbours 16 Purpose and power in Pakistan Prayer for this complex country 17 A disaster for children Lifting up trafficked children 18 Whoever has ears Prayer for Chad’s hunger crisis 20 Spirit in motion Prayer for people with disabilities 21 Our voices heard Lifting up gender violence survivors 22 Small group prayer Lament for our broken world

LIKE COLD WATER TO A WEARY SOUL IS GOOD NEWS FROM A DISTANT LAND PROVERBS 25:25

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Cover image: Children from Heaven Homes orphanage, Sierra Leone Photo: Layton Thompson/Tearfund

Photo: Clare Kendall/Tearfund

4 . PRAYER DIARY

EMERGENCY IN ETHIOPIA: 29 MAY – 4 JUNE Since June 2015, Ethiopia has faced the worst drought in 50 years. Erratic rains and the El Niño weather effect have resulted in two failed harvests.

This is worse than in 1984, with the rainfall deficit 50 per cent below average. Less conflict and displacement, and early warning systems and preparedness mean that the country is in a better place to respond, but the scale of need is still huge.

SUNDAY 29 MAY As of December 2015, 10.2 million people needed food assistance, which has risen to 15 million. Ethiopia is now the country with the largest number of people requiring food assistance in the world. Pray for God’s provision at this time. As Psalm 146:7 says, ‘He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry.’

MONDAY 30 MAY The effects of El Niño and climate change have caused unpredictability in rain patterns in Ethiopia. This impacts the 80 per cent of the population employed in agriculture. In some areas 75 per cent of the main food production season was lost and more than 1 million of the livestock have died. Pray that the rains return to regular patterns and are sufficient for agriculturalists and pastoralists alike.

WEDNESDAY 1 JUNE Praise God that the Ethiopian government is better prepared than in previous years. Pray that help meets the most vulnerable: women and children. Pray for the 435,000 children who in 2016 are expected to be in need of treatment for severely acute malnutrition. Pray also for the children who are becoming increasingly vulnerable to child marriage – in a country where one in five girls are married before the age of 15.

THURSDAY 2 JUNE Tearfund works through six partners, and supports a network of self-help groups with nearly 300,000 members across the country. Praise God for the increased resilience these groups have created. Continue to pray for them as they face such a large environmental shock, which is too great for many to withstand.

FRIDAY 3 JUNE Thank God for the emergency food distribution to 68,145 people for one month and for the seed distribution to 2,000 households by Tearfund in February 2016. Pray as we continue to respond, through the self-help groups, to meet people’s needs.

SATURDAY 4 JUNE In Matthew 25:37 Jesus says, ‘Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ’” May we consider when this applies to us and pray for a generous heart.

‘HE UPHOLDS THE CAUSE OF THE OPPRESSED AND GIVES FOOD TO THE HUNGRY’

TUESDAY 31 MAY Food shortages are not the only problem in Ethiopia, as the erratic rains mean there is little water for human consumption.

The Awash, one of Ethiopia’s major rivers, has dried up.

There have also been outbreaks of diseases, related to poor hygiene. Pray that the people will find streams of God’s living water as well as physical water in this challenging time.

Photo: Tadesse Dadi/Tearfund

Ethiopia is facing the worst drought in 50 years

Following Jesus where the need is greatest

PRAYER DIARY . 5

SEEKING PEACE FOR BURUNDI: 5 – 11 JUNE

Isidore, aged 60, with his son who is severely malnourished in Muheka village, Burundi

SUNDAY 5 JUNE Nkurunziza was first elected to power in 2005 and again in 2010. Pray that a democratic and peaceful solution will be found to the leadership question, and the current President will make the right decisions to benefit the people of Burundi. We pray that meaningful dialogue will take place to move towards lasting peace and good leadership.

MONDAY 6 JUNE Pray for an end to the violence, killing and fear.

Pray particularly for peaceful nights, when shooting and grenades are fired, that the international community will decide on measures to protect the population, and that the Burundian Government will agree to these.

TUESDAY 7 JUNE Chronic economic insecurity is affecting everyone. Young people face unemployment after school or university. This makes them more susceptible to being involved in disruption. Any economic sanctions would also have a severe impact on the poorest in Burundi and Photo: Will Baxter/Tearfund

Since April 2015, Burundi has descended into crisis. The controversial decision of Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza to run for a third term in office – which local and international opposition believe violated the Arusha Peace Accords – has caused demonstrations and anger.

After he won the election in July 2015, all perceived opposition has been dealt with heavy handedly. In this complex political situation, hundreds of deaths and disappearances have convulsed Burundi. More than 200,000 people have fled for safety in neighbouring countries.

would impact directly on issues such as health, education and women’s empowerment. Pray for peace so the country can recover economically.

WEDNESDAY 8 JUNE Praise God that our partners and the local church have been able to respond inside Burundi, despite the deteriorating humanitarian situation. Pray that they will continue to have the courage and means to help people displaced from their homes. Pray for unity of purpose and for them to be the voice of peace and security in this situation.

‘SINCE APRIL 2015, BURUNDI HAS DESCENDED INTO CRISIS’ THURSDAY 9 JUNE More than 200,000 Burundians fled the country earlier in 2015 to neighbouring Tanzania, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Pray

for provision for those in the camps in DRC and Tanzania, who face poor conditions, and for those who are not in camps.

Pray that they will be able to return home safely before their reintegration becomes a real challenge.

FRIDAY 10 JUNE There is a need for inclusive dialogue, including government, opposition, civil society and community leaders which can bring about peace. Ask that the desire for peace would overcome fear, and for restored openness and trust. Pray for freedom of press and freedom of speech – that media outlets can re-open and journalists allowed to work.

SATURDAY 11 JUNE ‘When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.’

Nehemiah 1:4 God, please remember the people of Burundi and be gracious to them. May you, Father, bring all the violence to an end. Amen.

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Noy from Laos can support her family thanks to tailoring training from a Tearfund partner

SUNDAY 12 JUNE Najla’s life changed thanks to a Tearfund livelihoods project in northern Afghanistan. Her husband struggles to find work, so Najla has to support their five children. A loan from her self-help group enabled Najla to expand her pickle-making business. She used to sell only to neighbours: now she supplies shops. Ask God to bless Najla’s business so it thrives.

MONDAY 13 JUNE Ronald, his wife and two children live in Punta Barra, a fishing village in the Philippines, which was hit by typhoon Haiyan in November 2013.

‘People’s huts were floating away,’ says Ronald. Tearfund identified the family as among the most needy in the village, and built them a new home.

Praise God that this meant Ronald could continue fishing to feed his family.

TUESDAY 14 JUNE Kampong Phnum Church in Cambodia, which is connected to Tearfund partner World Renew, invited Kim Chantha to join its agriculture programme.

Kim’s husband left to find work in Thailand but never came back.

She has struggled to provide for her two children. As well as being encouraged to grow and sell more produce, she has

Photo: World Concern Asia

WILLING TO WORK: 12 – 18 JUNE Livelihoods such as smallholder farming and small businesses are the mainstay of life in poor communities. Tearfund partners encourage people to release their God-given potential and use the resources around them, so that they can provide enough food for their family and pay for essentials such as education and medical treatment. come to know Jesus. ‘God has taught me what it means to love others,’ says Kim. Praise God! WEDNESDAY 15 JUNE Abdi Amud, who is from Lebisagaala, Somalia, struggled to support his ten children through regular periods of drought, until he was trained by a Tearfund partner to grow and store food for his cattle. ‘I was able to sell more livestock than I had for many years – and they look healthy and strong,’ says Abdi. Pray for Somalia, which is facing a severe drought this year.

THURSDAY 16 JUNE The African Inland Church of Tanzania has been encouraging Magamba village, a marginalised rural community, to adopt modern growing methods to increase vegetable yields. Now they have added tomatoes, onions and potatoes to the crops they grow. Pray that these will sell well at the local market.

FRIDAY 17 JUNE ‘I attempted suicide to escape from this unjust world,’ says Rexona who lives in Chandpai, Bangladesh. But since joining a Tearfund-supported self-help group, she has found a group of women who care for her and they encourage each other in their business ventures. ‘Now I find my life meaningful,’ she says. Pray for the success of Rexona’s shop.

SATURDAY 18 JUNE The Ebola outbreak didn’t just claim many lives: it also damaged livelihoods and caused many businesses to close down. Tearfund partner the Association of Evangelicals of Liberia trained 200 survivors in Margbidi County – which was badly affected by the outbreak – to produce soap and cosmetics.

Pray that the sales of soap will increase so that families can afford to buy food.

‘GOD HAS TAUGHT ME WHAT IT MEANS TO LOVE OTHERS’

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ONE BODY: 19 – 25 JUNE In the summer edition of Tear Times last year, we told you about how delighted Anna Chilvers was to receive encouraging prayers from Tearfund supporters like you. Anna was working in South Sudan as our Emergency Programme Manager. We asked you for more prayers to build up our teams across the world...

SUNDAY 19 JUNE Join with Jennifer in praying for our workers abroad today: ‘Having worked far away from home, I know how lonely life can be sometimes. I pray that you will remember that the Lord is alongside you and that he knows how you’re feeling. Just remind yourself that there is an army of witnesses praying for you at home.’

pretty well-off family, going to a private school, having opportunities at my fingertips – finding it hard to choose.

However, my troubles must be nothing compared to what these people are going through.’ Lift up Somalia, a country that has faced conflict for more than 25 years.

MONDAY 20 JUNE ‘I wanted to write and to let you know that in your work in the Central African Republic (CAR) you are not forgotten,’ writes Frances. ‘I know that the media have moved elsewhere, onto different crises. I pray that you would know that I and many others continue to pray for God’s hand to bring lasting peace.’ Pray for conflict to end in CAR.

THURSDAY 23 JUNE Pebble continues: ‘I was praying for you and the rest of your team and I felt God tell me that, even in the toughest times, you are not alone. Things will get better even if it’s hard to see that kind of change. Just think: if things are awful, they can only get better.’ Pray that Tearfund’s team in Somalia will be strengthened by these words Grace Banta, a of encouragement.

TUESDAY 21 JUNE ‘Over the years I have been encouraged and amazed by the strength and courage of those working for peace and freedom in Myanmar,’ Richard writes.

‘Be assured of my continued thoughts and prayers as you demonstrate your faith in action day after day.’ Join Richard in praying for perseverance for peacemakers in Myanmar.

member of a Jesus Cares Ministries self-help group in Zambia

FRIDAY 24 JUNE Chris from our Somalia team sent this message in reply to Pebble: ‘Thank you for your prayers and encouragement for the Tearfund Somalia team and for the girls, boys, women and men we are trying to help.

Things are getting better for them and by God’s grace they are becoming more able to withstand drought and other hardships.’ Praise God for this progress.

SATURDAY 25 JUNE ‘So in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.’ Romans 12:5 Dear Lord, thank you for the power of encouraging words.

Help us to be people who build each other up, spurring one another on to love and good deeds. Amen.

WEDNESDAY 22 JUNE ‘I would like to email the Somalia team telling them what an amazing job they are doing,’ writes Pebble, who is still at school. ‘I am growing up in a Tearfund Somalia says thanks back to Pebble

8 . PRAYER DIARY

REALITY, LAMENT AND HOPE: 26 JUNE – 2 JULY The Psalms have been described as a ‘window on the soul’, reflecting the breadth and depth of what it means to be human. When we pray for God’s world it is right to express lament and to grieve as well as to be hopeful. The prayers this week have been inspired by Walter Brueggemann, a theologian who has written extensively on the spirituality of the Psalms and their themes of reality, grief and hope.

Netho, Pastor of the Evangelical Church of Dabkere, Chad

SUNDAY 26 JUNE In 2015 floods wreaked havoc across southern Africa. In Mozambique alone, 370,906 people were affected. Official reports said that 84 people died across Mozambique, but Tearfund partners working in flood­h it communities believe the death toll was far higher. We cry out to you God for those who are still suffering.

MONDAY 27 JUNE Father, we acknowledge that the world we live in is not how you intended it to be. The reality of hunger, conflict, environmental damage and great inequality is not reflecting your good and loving nature. We acknowledge that we need to repent of the ways we have consumed and lived that have indirectly caused some of this suffering. May your grace forgive us and restore us today.

TUESDAY 28 JUNE ‘I cry aloud to the Lord; I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy. I pour out before him my complaint; before him I tell my trouble.’ Psalm 142:1-2 We offer you our prayers of lament today for people and places affected by poverty.

WEDNESDAY 29 JUNE Father, we lament that communities across your world are suffering with the impacts of poverty. We stand with our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering this day and we weep with those who weep and mourn with those who mourn.

THURSDAY 30 JUNE ‘We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield… May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you.’ Psalm 33:20-22 Father, we give you thanks for the hope we see in your world.

We pray that your unfailing love will be with those who are suffering and living in poverty today.

Photo: Peter Caton/Tearfund

FRIDAY 1 JULY Father, we thank you that your church is able to show signs of being the hope of the world and offering your light in the darkness.

We thank you for the way that you work with your church to offer grace, mercy and hope in the midst of struggles and pain.

‘WE GRIEVE AND LAMENT THE BROKENNESS THAT WE SEE IN THE WORLD THAT YOU LOVE’ SATURDAY 2 JULY Dear Lord, we grieve and lament the brokenness that we see in the world that you love and that you created. We cry out for those who suffer the injustice of poverty and violence. We also give you praise for the hope we see amid this pain. Thank you for the light that your love and your church brings in the darkness. Amen.

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GOING THE DISTANCE: 3 – 9 JULY Tearfund’s Global Volunteering Team organises placements for people who want to join in with God’s story of transformation around the world. Individuals, families or groups can go overseas on trips lasting from two weeks to six months. Let’s lift up those travelling with Tearfund and the communities they are serving...

SUNDAY 3 JULY This week, Tearfund teams are volunteering in Bangladesh, Brazil, Cambodia, Mozambique, South Africa and Thailand. Pray for all the volunteers: that God will keep them safe and bless their time overseas. Praise God for the truth of Psalm 139: ‘If I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.’ Psalm 139:9-10

TUESDAY 5 JULY ‘It’s so easy to ignore the problems overseas when we live so comfortably,’ says Charlotte, who went on a Tearfund prayer trip to India. ‘But seeing poverty face to face is very, very different.’ Ask God to transform the lives of those for whom poverty is a daily reality, and pray for Tearfund’s partners who are bringing real and lasting change in poor communities.

MONDAY 4 JULY ‘It’s only having visited Christians abroad that the idea of us as a global church family has hit home – they’re our family,’ says Tom, who travelled to Tanzania with Tearfund. Praise God that we have brothers and sisters around the world. Pray that volunteers will build loving relationships with the people they meet, whatever their faith or background.

WEDNESDAY 6 JULY Our family trips give families the chance to connect with community life in the developing world. Pete Greig, author and founder of 24/7 Prayer, visited Cambodia with his two sons in 2015. ‘They’ve been so stretched and expanded,’ he says. ‘I’ve been watching my kids grow up into the kind of people I prayed they would become.’ Give thanks for opportunities for children to grow in compassion and understanding.

Tearfund team of volunteers visiting projects in Burundi

THURSDAY 7 JULY ‘The month in Brazil completely changed and transformed not only the way I view poverty but also my view of God,’ says Tim. ‘It wasn’t always easy, but God used every experience for good.’

Pray that those on overseas placements will trust Jesus in any challenges they are facing.

FRIDAY 8 JULY Emily spent three months with a Tearfund partner in Bolivia. ‘I have become passionate about raising awareness of issues such as sex trafficking to all ages and groups of people,’ she says. Pray for an end to trafficking and exploitation of all kinds, and ask God to help us raise our voices against injustice.

SATURDAY 9 JULY ‘It was an amazing five months,’ says Dave, who taught English with a Tearfund partner in Asia. ‘I have come home with a renewed attitude to serving God and fighting poverty at home.’ Lift up those returning from their placements as they settle back to life in the UK. Pray that they will use their experiences for God’s glory and to bring his justice in the world.

Photo: Amanda Taylor/Tearfund

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STARVING FOR CHANGE: 10 – 16 JULY Food distribution to malnourished families in Aweil, South Sudan

SUNDAY 10 JULY ‘If my people… will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways… then I will heal their land.’ 2 Chronicles 7:14 Join with our church family in South Sudan to pray for peace to be restored.

MONDAY 11 JULY Two years ago, Agnes’ husband deserted her, leaving her destitute and afraid. Now she is growing her own food, running a small business and even helping others in her village to prosper. Agnes learned basic but empowering principles from Bible studies at a Tearfund programme. Her husband has since returned and their family is now thriving. Give thanks to God for the power of the Bible to transform lives, even in the most hopeless situations.

TUESDAY 12 JULY ‘Never again will there be in (this land) an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years.’

Isaiah 65:20

In July 2011, South Sudan became the world’s newest country. Just 18 months later, this infant nation was plunged into civil war. A peace process is underway, but ethnic and political conflict continues to affect the lives of millions of chronically poor South Sudanese, contributing to widespread food insecurity. Pray with us for the beautiful people of this land.

WEDNESDAY 13 JULY We pray that vulnerable people here would experience our work as a tangible expression of the powerful love of a Father God who knows every hair on their heads and has not forgotten them. Today, picture just one South Sudanese person living in extreme poverty and pray Psalm 139 over them.

THURSDAY 14 JULY ‘I urge that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people; for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.’ 1 Timothy 2:1-2 We ask that God would grant the new transitional government wisdom and humility to lead South Sudan in rebuilding after decades of poverty and war.

FRIDAY 15 JULY As you look ahead to your weekend, remember our Tearfund staff living away from their loved ones, serving sacrificially in South Sudan.

Please pray for courage, renewed strength and continued vision as they serve.

SATURDAY 16 JULY ‘But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.’ Isaiah 40:31 Dear Lord, we ask you to renew our hope for this nation. Hope to keep people from every walk of life here striving for peaceful change. Amen.

Hundreds of thousands of children in South Sudan suffer from severe malnutrition.

Tearfund feeding centres keep children alive, but the needs are overwhelming. Pray that our resources stretch to save many more children from starvation this coming year.

Photos: Thomas Tiep/Tearfund

Families in Aweil, are given food supplies that last two weeks

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SUNDAY 17 JULY Shireen, a Yazidi who fled the IS attacks, brought her grandson to a Zalal Life mobile health clinic because he had a chest infection. ‘They have done everything they could,’ says Shireen. ‘We are so grateful.’ Pray for good health for Shireen’s grandson and for the many hundreds who use the clinic every day.

MONDAY 18 JULY ‘They were so good with us and gave us medicine,’ says Hussein Finde who brought his son Samon for treatment at Zalal Life’s mobile clinic. Pray for Hussein and his family as they continue to adjust to life in Dohuk, far from home.

TUESDAY 19 JULY ‘We see many illnesses,’ says Dr Moataz Khder who treats patients in Zalal Life’s mobile clinics. ‘Flu-like symptoms in children, chronic diseases like hypertension and diabetes, osteoarthritis in older people, and urinary tract infections in young and middle-aged women.’

Pray for Dr Khder and the staff at the clinics, that they will be encouraged in their work.

Photo: Stella Chetham/Tearfund

LOOKING TO THE MOUNTAINS: 17 – 23 JULY In August 2014, Islamic State (IS) attacked and captured Sinjar and neighboring towns in Iraq – home to the Yazidi people. Thousands of Yazidis were killed and 200,000 forced to flee their homes, many hiding out in the Sinjar Mountains. About 30,000 Yazidis found refuge in Dohuk, a city in Iraqi Kurdistan, where Tearfund partner Zalal Life runs mobile health clinics and has a latrine-building programme.

WEDNESDAY 20 JULY Nezar Heydar, his wife Layla and their 12 children from Dohuk, live in an unfinished building with seven other displaced Yazidis. Tearfund’s partner gave them a new latrine and a kit so they could build a second toilet for themselves. ‘We have one, but it’s not enough,’ says Nezar.

‘Having two will be easier.’ Pray for Nezar’s family as they live in such cramped conditions.

THURSDAY 21 JULY ‘A man lent us this house: we look after his sheep,’ says Elias Haji. ‘We don’t have any income.’ Gereresh village in Dohuk is now home to Elias and five other families who have fled IS. They have been given three latrines by Tearfund’s partner. Pray that the family will find peace: they spent eight days hiding out in the Sinjar Mountains during their escape.

FRIDAY 22 JULY ‘Sometimes I feel I can’t carry on,’ says Bahar, a mother of two children. ‘In Sinjar we had a two-storey house and a car.

IS destroyed everything. We trust that God will make things better.’ Pray for perseverance for Bahar, who is thankful that Zalal Life provided a health clinic. ‘We are very grateful to them for helping us.’

SATURDAY 23 JULY ‘We have had our new latrine for three days,’ says Ali Khalaf whose family fled to Dohuk. ‘We are so happy and grateful to you because you are helping us.’

Pray for the many thousands of Yazidis who have fled IS attacks over the last two years, that they will find peace and have all they need to start a new life.

This Yazidi family lost everything in an IS attack and now lives in an unfinished building in Dohuk

12 . PRAYER DIARY

MIRACLE-WORKING IN MALAWI: 24 – 30 JULY Back in 2006, as part of our Work a miracle HIV appeal, we introduced you to Esther, from Fombe village in Malawi, who is living with HIV, and her ten-year-old daughter, Alinafe. This week, we pray for Esther and her daughter ten years on and others affected by HIV today...

The ongoing effects of climate change are likely to lead to a Ten-years we praise food crisison, in the Sahel the Lord for Esther’s progress

SUNDAY 24 JULY ‘We are pleased to report that both Esther and her daughter, Alinafe, are well. Esther managed to farm three acres of land on her own last year – so she is definitely healthy and strong,’ says Jimmy Likagwa, from Tearfund partner Eagles Relief and Development Programme. Pray that Esther will remain in good health and continue to have access to the antiretroviral medicines she needs.

‘WITH ADEQUATE RAINFALL, ESTHER WILL BE ABLE TO HARVEST ENOUGH FOR THE WHOLE YEAR’ MONDAY 25 JULY ‘With adequate rainfall, Esther will be able to harvest enough to support her for the whole year but – unfortunately – when I spoke to her there had been no rain for two weeks,’ says Jimmy.

Pray for a good harvest in Malawi, where maize prices rose dramatically earlier this year because of crop failures.

Photo: Jimmy Likagwa/Eagles Malawi

TUESDAY 26 JULY Ten years ago, Esther was worried that her poor diet would mean she would not live long enough to see her daughter marry. Praise God that Esther has remained in good health and saw her daughter Alinafe, now 20, get married. Alinafe and her husband are now blessed with two children: Mphatso, aged five, and Mercy, who’s two.

WEDNESDAY 27 JULY ‘Alinafe’s daughter, Mercy, has also been unwell,’ reports Jimmy. ‘She has asthma and was admitted to hospital for a week but now she is in good health.’

Pray that Mercy will continue to be in good health, and for the whole family to thrive.

THURSDAY 28 JULY Since 2006, efforts by the Malawian government, NGOs and charities including Tearfund have helped to reduce HIV significantly at both local and national levels. There were nearly 100,000 new infections in 2005, but only 34,000 recorded in 2013. (AVERT, May 2015). Thank God for these improvements and ask that further progress will be made in the coming years.

FRIDAY 29 JULY Funded by Tearfund, Mother Buddies play a crucial role in helping mothers living with HIV to gain access to antiretroviral medicines and give them support and advice throughout their pregnancy. Thanks to the Mother Buddy programme – operating in Malawi, Nigeria, DRC and Tanzania – HIV transmission from mothers to babies is being virtually eliminated. Pray that more mothers will take part in the programme.

SATURDAY 30 JULY ‘I am very happy as I managed to deliver a healthy baby as a result of the support I got from my Mother Buddy,’ says Hawa from Kalambo village in Malawi. ‘I am sure that without the support of my Mother Buddy, my baby would have been HIV positive.’

Pray for Hawa as she brings up her child alone: her husband left her when he found out she was living with HIV.

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LIGHT AND LIFE IN KENYA: 31 JULY – 6 AUGUST The church and community mobilisation process (CCMP) is a way of tackling poverty whereby people are awakened to new ideas and their God-given potential through a series of Bible studies. This week, let’s be inspired by the transformation flowing through our church partners in Kenya.

SUNDAY 31 JULY ‘Before CCMP, we viewed ourselves as a poor church that needed aid to survive,’ says the leader of Badassa Church.

‘But now, our perspective has changed and our eyes have opened.’ Give thanks that CCMP is challenging dependency and feelings of helplessness, and empowering people to overcome poverty.

‘I’VE REALISED THAT POVERTY IS IN THE MIND!’ MONDAY 1 AUGUST ‘Today, people refer to the school as a resource, but a few years ago we were struggling to see children enrolled,’ says Kimathi, a teacher. ‘Since our community did CCMP, we have seen an incredible increase in enrolment, and there are more girls in school than ever before!’

Give thanks that parents are beginning to want to see their children realising their potential.

Photo: Ralph Hodgson/Tearfund

TUESDAY 2 AUGUST Since CCMP, Bombolulu Church looked creatively at what they could do for the community, and started a football club. A number of young people from outside the church joined, and the club has played a vital role in keeping them away from drugs and alcohol, as well as sharing God’s love with them. Pray for increased creativity in churches around the world, including here in the UK. WEDNESDAY 3 AUGUST In many churches, CCMP has led to more and different people being involved in decisionmaking. ‘There are now six women on the leadership team, whereas before there was just one. We’ve also started involving young people in Sunday School planning,’ says one church leader. Pray that more people will be empowered to contribute in church and wider society though CCMP. Headmaster John Burje Galgallo with his pupils at St Peter’s School in Marsabit, Kenya

THURSDAY 4 AUGUST In Bombolulu village, electricity is scarce, meaning school children can’t see well enough to study at home in the evenings. Following CCMP, the church decided to invite children to study in its comfortable, well-lit hall. Pray for the children in the villages we’ve lifted up in prayer this week, that they will flourish and grow up to lead happy and fulfilled lives.

FRIDAY 5 AUGUST ‘Through CCMP, I’ve realised that poverty is in the mind!’ says Joyce, a mother of six. She and her husband were so motivated

by CCMP that they have hugely increased their harvest, from two bags of maize to 12. ‘This is the miracle of studying the Bible through CCMP,’ says Joyce. Give thanks for the miracles flowing through CCMP in Kenya.

SATURDAY 6 AUGUST Father God, thank you for your powerful, precious word, and for the way it brings light, hope and tangible change in lives all over the world. We thank you for these amazing stories from Kenya, and we pray for these communities and the many others working their way out of poverty and towards fullness of life in you. Amen.

14 . PRAYER DIARY

LIVE YOUR PASSION: 7 – 13 AUGUST Brazil, home to the world’s seventh-largest economy, is currently hosting the 2016 summer Olympic games.

Meanwhile, there are many in the country for whom life is a daily struggle to survive. Tearfund has been supporting projects in Brazil for more than 30 years and we currently work with eight partners there.

SUNDAY 7 AUGUST One of the dark sides of being Olympic hosts is an increase in human trafficking. From the beginning of May to August this year, Tearfund’s Go Overseas sent a gap-year team to Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro to work alongside communities threatened by trafficking. Pray that the team will come back determined to continue the fight for children’s freedom.

MONDAY 8 AUGUST ‘One big concern in Brazil is about the levels of violence,’ says Serguem Silva, Tearfund’s Brazil Country Representative. ‘There were 58,500 assassinations in Brazil last year – the highest in the world. That’s nearly 30 people per 100,000. The reasons are complex, including inequality, segregation and youth involvement with drugs.’ Pray for peace and an end to violence in Brazil.

TUESDAY 9 AUGUST Charlene works in a village bakery in the semi-arid region of north-east Brazil, set up by Tearfund partner Diaconia to improve the economic prospects of women and young people.

‘The benefits are for the families,

Photo: Sam Barker/Tearfund

but also for the community,’ says Charlene. Pray that the Olympics will be an opportunity to highlight and address issues of inequality in Brazil.

WEDNESDAY 10 AUGUST In another village in northeast Brazil, Diaconia is helping women make better use of their fruit production. When picked, some tropical fruits deteriorate, cannot be sold and are thrown away. Diaconia has provided juice-making equipment and freezers to keep the fruit fresh. Pray that this will boost the livelihoods of women in the community.

THURSDAY 11 AUGUST The Zika virus, spread by mosquitoes, has been linked to babies being born with underdeveloped brains, a condition known as microcephaly. Following a Zika outbreak this year, Brazil reported 3,893 suspected cases of microcephaly in February.

Pray that an effective vaccine and treatment for Zika will be developed, and efforts to control the outbreak will be successful.

FRIDAY 12 AUGUST ‘We work through sport because that’s what many young people enjoy,’ says Fred from Sporting Chance International (SCI).

‘Sport brings people together from all spheres of life.’ Based in Githurai, on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, SCI aims to improve the lives of young and vulnerable people through sport. Pray that Fred will be encouraged and see many lives changed through sport, boosted by the Olympics in Brazil.

SATURDAY 13 AUGUST ‘Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus...’

Hebrews 12:1–2 The motto of the Rio 2016 Olympics is ‘Live your passion’.

Lord, we ask you to inspire us by the example of the athletes taking part in the Olympics, to be passionate about what we do and run the race marked out for us. Amen.

‘SPORT BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER FROM ALL SPHERES OF LIFE’

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OFFERING OUR LIVES: 14 – 20 AUGUST ‘Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life – and place it before God as an offering.’

Romans 12: 1-2 (The Message) We can love our local and global neighbours through our small, everyday actions, including how we source and use energy to power our homes and churches.

For the love of climate march in London, November 2015

SUNDAY 14 AUGUST Can we love our neighbours through our energy bills? We believe we can. The Big Church Switch (tearfund.org/switch) encourages homeowners and churches to make the switch to renewable energy, as part of what it means to follow Jesus where the need is greatest.

Pray that many homes and churches will be inspired to make the change.

MONDAY 15 AUGUST Change starts with our lifestyles.

We want to see the impact of The Big Church Switch to reach the corridors of Westminster.

Pray that the church’s collective voice will demonstrate to the government that we care about tackling climate change and its impacts on the world’s poorest.

Photo: Clive Mear/Tearfund

TUESDAY 16 AUGUST ‘We were afraid for our lives because the water was so high,’ says Jorge. ‘We feared it might sweep the children away. I told my wife to hold on to the children. So they all held on to each other and to the trees as tight as they could.’ Jorge and Nina lost four children, their entire home and all their crops to the worst floods on record in Mozambique. Pray for them and their community as they continue to come to terms with the impacts of the floods.

WEDNESDAY 17 AUGUST Tearfund partners are working in Mozambique to resettle hundreds of families pushed from their homes by flooding in January 2015. Our partners, the Diocese of Niassa, described it as the worst floods they had ever experienced. Vulnerable families like this are at the heart of why we need to tackle climate change now. Pray for our partners and for the families that they seek to serve.

THURSDAY 18 AUGUST In December 2015 world leaders gathered in Paris to agree an historic deal on tackling climate change. Please pray for leaders and officials as they take this agreement forward into action.

Pray for boldness, for generosity and for a willingness to stick to the commitments that were made at the Paris summit.

FRIDAY 19 AUGUST Give thanks for the launch of Eco Church (ecochurch. arocha.org.uk), an award scheme and resource that enables churches to care for God’s world in all areas of church life. Pray that churches are inspired to get involved and dare to care for God’s earth.

SATURDAY 20 AUGUST Dear Lord, we thank you for the beautiful world you created.

Help us to care for it in the way that we live. Keep us mindful that what and how we consume has a direct impact on the lives of our global neighbours like Jorge and Nina from Mozambique. Help us to cherish what we have and to treat it well. Amen.

16 . PRAYER DIARY

PURPOSE AND POWER IN PAKISTAN: 21 – 27 AUGUST ‘It’s great to be part of Tearfund’s team in Pakistan, working among some of the poorest communities,’ says Country Representative Ashraf Mall. ‘However, there is still so much to do as we strive to make a difference in the lives of those most vulnerable.’ This week, we join Ashraf in prayer for this complex and fascinating country.

SUNDAY 21 AUGUST ‘I was waiting to die on my bed,’ says 70-year-old Taj, remembering the day when Tearfund started working in his struggling village. Tearfund’s team helped the community to start kitchen gardens and savings groups – steps towards a healthier and more prosperous future. Now, Taj’s life is full of purpose, and he helps other families to produce vegetable seedlings. Praise God, and pray for better livelihoods for people across Pakistan.

MONDAY 22 AUGUST Pakistan is frequently hit by disasters, such as floods, droughts and earthquakes. Last summer, monsoon rains caused heavy flooding once again, affecting 1.5 million people.

Tearfund’s partner ABES was quick to respond, providing medical camps, hygiene kits and nutritional supplements for remote communities. Pray for protection and resilience for all who are vulnerable to natural disasters.

TUESDAY 23 AUGUST Pakistan has the world’s secondhighest number of children out of school, and two-thirds of them are girls. Tearfund’s partner PEP is working hard to change this situation. PEP’s village schools are giving girls like 13-year-old Shazia* new Photo: Richard Hanson/Tearfund

A flood survivor from Sindh Province, Pakistan

opportunities to develop and grow. ‘As my teachers encouraged me, I felt like my fear ran away,’ she says.

Praise God! WEDNESDAY 24 AUGUST Housewife Waali never had the chance to attend school.

However, after attending a Women’s Empowerment Group run by PEP, she became a passionate defender of education and women’s rights.

Now she leads a local women’s group, and has helped 20 girls to enrol in school. ‘An uneducated woman will hide away, but an educated woman will be different: she can face people!’ she says. Pray for greater opportunities for women across Pakistan.

THURSDAY 25 AUGUST An estimated 40 million people do not have access to a toilet in Pakistan. Tearfund’s partner SSEWA-Pak has been helping families to construct their own low-cost latrines and to learn more about hygiene.

‘Fewer people are getting sick in our village now,’ says Narain happily. ‘We spend less on

doctors, and use the money for other useful things.’ Praise God for this progress.

FRIDAY 26 AUGUST Violence from extremist groups is all too common in Pakistan.

Christians, Hindus and other minority groups often suffer persecution and discrimination.

Ask God to bring about a transformed society where all can live together in peace, and pray that churches in Pakistan will be beacons of love and hope for their neighbours.

SATURDAY 27 AUGUST ‘He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.’ Isaiah 40:29 Loving Lord, we lift before you the people of Pakistan. We ask you to protect all who are vulnerable, to empower those who do not have a voice, and to give all people your strength and resources to release them from poverty. Amen. *Name has been changed to protect her identity.

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A DISASTER FOR CHILDREN: 28 AUGUST – 3 SEPTEMBER Dr Pratibha Singh is Director of Baptist Christian Hospital in the Indian city of Tezpur – run by Tearfund partner Emmanuel Hospital Association (EHA) – which helps poor and marginalised people in Assam. This week, she asks us to join her in praying for Assam: the state is hit regularly by devastating floods which leave poor families more vulnerable to child trafficking.

SUNDAY 28 AUGUST When EHA set up health camps in villages devastated by the 2012 floods, we discovered that the entire year’s rice paddy crop had been destroyed. Without their harvest, parents knew they had no hope of feeding their children. So they began to sell them. Pray for families who are put under extreme pressure by disasters, that they will have enough food.

MONDAY 29 AUGUST I heard of a 12-year-old girl being sold for 10,000 Rupees [about £100] and taken to Delhi to work. Families believe that by selling their children, they are offering them a better life – a good job, education and hope for the future. Pray for EHA’s awareness-raising programmes that teach families the truth about trafficking.

TUESDAY 30 AUGUST Trafficked children often end up as house servants for more wealthy families living nearby.

These children – the youngest we’ve seen was three or four years old – work from 4am to 10pm every day in appalling conditions. Ask God to protect the many vulnerable children working as house servants, and pray that their masters will treat them well.

Photo: Jamie Fyleman/Tearfund

WEDNESDAY 31 AUGUST I once found a five-year-old girl working as a house servant who had fallen into a fireplace in the centre of a room. The owners did not bother to get her any treatment for the burns.

She was in shock and couldn’t speak, but they just kept her working. Pray that God will comfort children facing such traumatic experiences.

THURSDAY 1 SEPTEMBER What we do at EHA is try to prevent people from becoming vulnerable in the first place, so that families are not placed in the impossible position of having to decide whether or not to sell their child. Lift up the work of EHA today, and ask that it will be blessed and that our antitrafficking message will spread far and wide.

FRIDAY 2 SEPTEMBER We work with families to encourage them to grow a more diverse range of crops such as ginger, turmeric and yam that can be grown in different seasons and sold throughout the year. Pray for bountiful harvests in Assam, so that families stay well fed throughout the year and are less likely to be forced to sell their children.

SATURDAY 3 SEPTEMBER When you hear news of disasters hitting poor communities, remember it’s not just about the loss of lives, homes and belongings. Disasters cause severe long-term problems, and child trafficking always increases when poor families are pushed to the limit. Bring to mind a recent disaster and pray that God will keep the children there safe.

‘CHILD TRAFFICKING ALWAYS INCREASES WHEN POOR FAMILIES ARE PUSHED TO THE LIMIT’

Regular flooding in Assam, India, leave children at greater risk of being trafficked

Following Jesus where the need is greatest

18 . PRAYER DIARY

Jumana and her family from Hillé Bar village, Chad, holding a week’s worth of food

WHOEVER HAS EARS: 4 – 10 SEPTEMBER Chad is a country in the grip of an emergency. An estimated 5.9 million children here in the Sahel region of Africa will suffer from acute malnutrition in 2016, and already one in five doesn’t make it to their fifth birthday.* Let’s go to the rural village of Hillé Bar this week, to pray for those affected by hunger, and those responding.

SUNDAY 4 SEPTEMBER ‘The hungry have no ears’ is a Chadian proverb shared by village chief Abdel. It’s a powerful metaphor for where this community is in terms of development. People are so consumed with scraping together enough food to stay alive that they don’t have headspace for anything else.

Pray for our partner PEDC in Chad, meeting immediate needs so that later they can empower people to transform their situation.

MONDAY 5 SEPTEMBER Jumana is a mother of six. In this photo (right), she’s digging through an ants’ nest in 50 degree heat, collecting small seeds buried there by the insects so that she can feed them to her children. Such is the desperation this family faces. Spend a moment praying for those who are desperate today, for God’s peace and strength.

TUESDAY 6 SEPTEMBER Yasmin is Jumana’s six-year-old daughter. ‘Yasmin goes to play,’ says Jumana, ‘but her hunger Photos: Peter Caton/Tearfund

prevents her from playing. And when she is hungry, she will come and lie down close to me on the mat.’ Pray for children whose childhoods are marred by hunger.

WEDNESDAY 7 SEPTEMBER ‘In the Bible, we see Jesus doing miracles to feed multitudes of people. I believe that if he were here, he would do the same thing to feed the people here,’ says Paulin from Tearfund partner PEDC. Pray for our new appeal to help desperate families like Jumana’s, that people will be moved to give their time, money and prayers in support.

THURSDAY 8 SEPTEMBER The majority of people in Hillé Bar are Muslim, yet there is a church. Its members struggle with poverty too, but they are passionate about partnering with PEDC to turn things around. Things would be much worse without the good work they’ve already begun. Thank God that he is already where the need is greatest, and it’s our privilege to join him there.

FRIDAY 9 SEPTEMBER The river is drying up due to the changing climate, meaning it’s getting harder to water crops.

Among the work started in Hillé Bar is a communal nursery area close to the remaining water, where crops can still be grown.

This is just the beginning. Once people are back from the brink of starvation, this work can be expanded and people will dare to hope again. Pray that this day will come soon.

‘HUNGER PREVENTS YASMIN FROM PLAYING’ SATURDAY 10 SEPTEMBER Father God, our hearts are broken by these stories of such desperate hunger. Help us to see with Jesus’ eyes, to look through desperation to where hope can be planted, and to do what we can to bring this hope to vibrant life. Amen. *Source: Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Following Jesus where the need is greatest

Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God. He is the maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them – he remains faithful for ever.

He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets prisoners free, the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous.

The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

Psalm 146:5-9

Jumana and her daughter Zein Zein collect seeds from an ant’s nest to eat

PRAYER DIARY . 19

20 . PRAYER DIARY

SPIRIT IN MOTION: 11 – 17 SEPTEMBER The Paralympic Games continue this week in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The games are a major international multi-sport event, involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities. As we follow Jesus where the need is greatest, Tearfund works with people with disabilities in many communities and different circumstances across the world.

SUNDAY 11 SEPTEMBER Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling-block in front of the blind, but fear your God. Leviticus 19:14 Give thanks for the Paralympics, which help raise global awareness of what people with disabilities can do. Pray for those living in places where people living with disability are ostracised or victimised.

MONDAY 12 SEPTEMBER U Soe Win from Myo Chaung village, Myanmar, is severely disfigured by leprosy. He was shunned by his community until Tearfund partner Leprosy Mission International (LMI) worked with the community to combat this prejudice. ‘They helped me realise I am equal to people who are not disabled,’ says U Soe. Pray for the success of his liquid soap business that LMI helped him set up.

TUESDAY 13 SEPTEMBER Now no longer stigmatised, U Soe Win leads a self-help group in his village for people with disabilities. ‘Since I realised I was equal to those who are not disabled, I have been encouraging others in my community to believe the same,’ he says. Pray that group members will be inspired by U Soe’s example and find their own sense of worth.

Photo: Alison Fernandes/Tearfund

WEDNESDAY 14 SEPTEMBER Nyakouth, a mother of six from Jonglei, South Sudan, lost her husband, who was caught in the crossfire between government and rebel forces. She now lives with her disabled father-in-law, who struggles to provide for them. When her malnourished baby son fell sick, he was treated in a Tearfund clinic.

‘I want to thank Tearfund for helping us,’ says Nyakouth.

Pray that her son will continue to gain in strength.

THURSDAY 15 SEPTEMBER ‘Families with a disabled child are more vulnerable to be trafficked,’ says Abraham Dennyson, who worked for many years with Tearfund partner Emmanuel Hospital Association (EHA) helping to prevent child trafficking in India. Pray for EHA as it sets up livelihood programmes to help protect disabled people from the lure of traffickers.

FRIDAY 16 SEPTEMBER Tearfund partner Centro Intereclesial de Estudios Teológicos y Sociales (CIEETS) in Nicaragua trains church and community leaders to be agents of social transformation.

CIEETS is training pastors about disability from a Biblical perspective – challenging the perception that disability is a sin. Pray for the pastors spreading positive messages about people with disabilities in churches across Nicaragua.

‘GRANT US VISION OF A WORLD UNITED IN MUTUAL RESPECT AND TOLERANCE’ SATURDAY 17 SEPTEMBER Join in this prayer today: ‘Lord Jesus Christ, we ask that as the champions of the world unite in the spirit of Paralympic competition, you would grant us a vision of a world united in mutual respect and tolerance.

We ask this in your name.

Amen.’ (A Prayer for the 2012 Paralympic Games composed by the Church of England Liturgical Commission.)

No longer stigmatised for leprosy, U Soe Win leads a self-help group in his village in Myanmar

Following Jesus where the need is greatest

PRAYER DIARY . 21

OUR VOICES HEARD: 18 - 24 SEPTEMBER

A woman from the Democratic Republic of Congo who is being taken care of at a Tearfund-supported Safe House, after she was raped

SUNDAY 18 SEPTEMBER Female genital mutilation (FGM) is widespread in many countries in Africa and the Middle East. Globally, it affects one girl every ten seconds. Pray for our partners’ efforts to end the practice, which frequently leaves women traumatised and suffering from a range of physical difficulties.

MONDAY 19 SEPTEMBER Nadine was subjected to FGM at the age of 12. ‘They were the most frightening and painful minutes of my life,’ she remembers. Now aged 30, still experiencing pain from her injuries, Nadine volunteers with Tearfund’s partner, spreading the message about preventing sexual abuse. Pray that Nadine’s story will inspire others and help prevent FGM. TUESDAY 20 SEPTEMBER ‘I feel I have left my pain at the cross. I thank God for the hope of a fresh start,’ says Monica, a survivor of sexual violence from Monrovia, Liberia. Pray for those who participated in a workshop of healing from the wounds of trauma in Liberia in December 2015 with Tearfund partners.

Photo: Geoff Crawford/Tearfund

WEDNESDAY 21 SEPTEMBER ‘Aged 14, I was alone when a man forced himself into our home and raped me,’ says Solange who lives in North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Rejected by her family, she was helped by a Tearfundsupported Community Action Group who brought her for medical treatment. Praise God that they have helped reconcile Solange with her family.

THURSDAY 22 SEPTEMBER ‘I thought that domestic violence was something that happened to other women,’ says Viany, a mother of two from Barranquilla, Colombia.

‘My husband started to yell at me, but when he punched me repeatedly I realised that the situation was untenable.’ Viany is now part of a team helping women victims of domestic violence in Comunidad PAS church, supported by Tearfund partner Viva Network. Lift up Viany today and ask that she would be healed from past traumas.

FRIDAY 23 SEPTEMBER ‘Sexual violence leaves physical damage and emotional scars, the experience cannot be erased

It’s shocking that 70 per cent of people living in poverty are women.

Gender-based violence causes more deaths and disability among women aged 15 to 44 than cancer, malaria, traffic accidents and war. Tearfund is committed to ensuring that every aspect of our work is sensitive to gender, and encourages churches worldwide to support and advocate for the equal worth of men and women.

from your memory.’ These are the words of a sexual abuse survivor interviewed for a report on sexual violence in the Central African Republic, To Make Our Voices Heard, co-sponsored

by BMS World Mission and Tearfund. Pray that the report, launched in the House of Lords last year, will put sexual violence higher up the political agenda.

SATURDAY 24 SEPTEMBER Dear Lord, thank you that your Son Jesus affirmed women throughout his teaching, at a time when society gave women little value. We pray for wisdom for faith and government leaders in the United Kingdom as they seek to take action against sexual and genderbased violence throughout the world. Amen. *Names have been changed this week to protect people’s identities.

22 . PRAYER DIARY

SMALL-GROUP PRAYER REFLECTION GOOD GRIEF Lamentation – the passionate expression of grief or sorrow – features often in the Bible, allowing us to express honestly our reaction to the brokenness of the world we live in and how we have sinned against God. It also helps us to find emotional release for our sorrow and express our empathy with others.

Prayers at All Souls Church, Pakistan

READ

Psalm 137

REFLECT

For all of us, there are stories of suffering which have gripped tightly around our hearts. The Bible show us God’s people expressing their response to extreme suffering. Reflect on the things of the world, the sins against God, that provoke lament in you. What are the situations that you feel you’re losing hope for? What other parts of the Bible express experiences of suffering that you’ve known? We can only hope and dream for something different when we have taken on the full grief of the situation, as painful as that sometimes is.

From true despair, true hope can come.

Photo: Richard Hanson/Tearfund

READ

Jeremiah 31:15–23

REFLECT

There is hope. Moses and Jesus were both born into incredibly dangerous and violent times.

What hopes could their mothers have had for their future ­as Moses was set adrift in a basket to save his life, and Jesus was born in a stable, soon to be a refugee in Egypt? But what hope did they both bring to the world in their adult lives? Reflect on where you’ve seen God transform situations in your own life and in the world.

PRAY

For the situations of suffering that we see in this world. And for situations in your own life, for a greater vision of the hope God offers. Think again about his mighty promises. Invite God to inspire you again with what he is capable of.

Almighty God, you are able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. Give us a fresh vision to pray into today, for those places and situations that we fear are beyond hope. Amen.

‘GIVE US A FRESH VISION TO PRAY INTO TODAY, FOR THOSE PLACES AND SITUATIONS THAT WE FEAR ARE BEYOND HOPE’

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PRAYER RESOURCES We have more resources and opportunities to pray with Tearfund for people in poverty.

Visit tearfund.org/pray for full details. email URGENT PRAYERS BY EMAIL Tearfund’s weekly prayer email, One Voice, features prayer updates from around the world. Delivered every Friday, the email has downloadable content giving you the flexibility to use it at your Sunday service, small group meeting or on your own. Sign up at tearfund.org/prayeremail twitter FOLLOW US ON TWITTER OR LIKE US ON FACEBOOK

To receive regular prayer and inspirational updates delivered to your smartphone, tablet or computer, you can follow Tearfund on Twitter at twitter.com/tearfund – you will need to have or set up a Twitter account. Or you can like Tearfund on Facebook at facebook.com/tearfund – you will need to have or set up a Facebook profile.

URGENT PRAYER ALERTS We have launched a prayer alert service on WhatsApp (a smartphone application), to share urgent prayer requests by text message and the occasional image or audio to help you pray.

1. Add +44 (0)7752 590723 (our dedicated WhatsApp number) to your phone’s contacts.

2. Text ‘UPDATE’ via WhatsApp to us on the above number.

3. We will add you to our prayer list and send you free regular prayer alerts.

‘HE WHO KNEELS THE MOST, STANDS THE BEST’ DL MOODY, 19TH-CENTURY AMERICAN EVANGELIST Photo: David Cavan/Tearfund

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You can also order more copies of the Prayer Diary for your church or group and sign up to receive extra copies regularly. Please call Tearfund on 020 8977 9144.

24 . PRAYER DIARY

Almighty God, we pray for all the places in our world that are being affected by the changing climate; places where crops fail and abundant harvests are but memories.

Lord, we ask you to help us to learn how to live sustainably for the benefit of the poor.

Lord, hear our prayer. Amen.

100 Church Road, Teddington TW11 8QE T天 Catherine, Capel Cildwrn, Llangefni LL77 7NN Challenge House, 29 Canal Street, Glasgow G4 0AD 241 Newtownards Road, Belfast BT4 1AF

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