TEARFUND PRAYER DIARY JULY 2016
Going the distance: 3 – 9 July
Tearfund's Global Volunteering Team organises placements forpeople who want to join in with God's story of transformation aroundthe world. Individuals, families or groups can go overseas on tripslasting from two weeks to six months. Let's lift up those travellingwith 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 thevolunteers: that God will keep them safe and bless their timeoverseas. Praise God for the truth of Psalm 139: 'If I settle on thefar side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your righthand will hold me fast.' Psalm 139:9-10
Monday 4 July
'It's only having visited Christians abroad that the idea of us as aglobal church family has hit home – they're our family,' says Tom,who travelled to Tanzania with Tearfund. Praise God that we havebrothers and sisters around the world. Pray that volunteers will buildloving relationships with the people they meet, whatever their faithor background.
Tuesday 5 July
'It's so easy to ignore the problems overseas when we live socomfortably,' says Charlotte, who went on a Tearfund prayer trip toIndia. 'But seeing poverty face to face is very, very different.' AskGod to transform the lives of those for whom poverty is a dailyreality, and pray for Tearfund's partners who are bringing real andlasting change in poor communities.
Wednesday 6 July
Our family trips give families the chance to connect with communitylife in the developing world. Pete Greig, author and founder of 24/7Prayer, visited Cambodia with his two sons in 2015. 'They've beenso stretched and expanded,' he says. 'I've been watching my kidsgrow up into the kind of people I prayed they would become.' Givethanks for opportunities for children to grow in compassion andunderstanding.
Thursday 7 July
'The month in Brazil completely changed and transformed not onlythe way I view poverty but also my view of God,' says Tim. 'It wasn'talways easy, but God used every experience for good.' Pray thatthose on overseas placements will trust Jesus in any challengesthey 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 sextrafficking to all ages and groups of people,' she says. Pray for anend to trafficking and exploitation of all kinds, and ask God to helpus raise our voices against injustice.
Saturday 9 July
'It was an amazing five months,' says Dave, who taught English witha Tearfund partner in Asia. 'I have come home with a renewedattitude to serving God and fighting poverty at home.' Lift up thosereturning 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 bringhis justice in the world.
Starving for change: 10 – 16 July
In July 2011, South Sudan became the world's newest country. Just18 months later, this infant nation was plunged into civil war. Apeace process is underway, but ethnic and political conflictcontinues to affect the lives of millions of chronically poor SouthSudanese, contributing to widespread food insecurity. Pray with usfor the beautiful people of this land.
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 berestored.
Monday 11 July
Two years ago, Agnes' husband deserted her, leaving her destituteand afraid. Now she is growing her own food, running a smallbusiness and even helping others in her village to prosper. Agneslearned basic but empowering principles from Bible studies at aTearfund programme. Her husband has since returned and theirfamily is now thriving. Give thanks to God for the power of the Bibleto 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 fewdays, or an old man who does not live out his years.'
Isaiah 65:20
Hundreds of thousands of children in South Sudan suffer fromsevere malnutrition. Tearfund feeding centres keep children alive,but the needs are overwhelming. Pray that our resources stretch tosave many more children from starvation this coming year.
Wednesday 13 July
We pray that vulnerable people here would experience our work asa tangible expression of the powerful love of a Father God whoknows every hair on their heads and has not forgotten them. Today,picture just one South Sudanese person living in extreme povertyand pray Psalm 139 over them.
Thursday 14 July
'I urge that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving bemade for all people; for kings and all those in authority, that we maylive peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.'
1 Timothy 2:1-2
We ask that God would grant the new transitional governmentwisdom and humility to lead South Sudan in rebuilding afterdecades of poverty and war.
Friday 15 July
As you look ahead to your weekend, remember our Tearfund staffliving away from their loved ones, serving sacrificially in SouthSudan. Please pray for courage, renewed strength and continuedvision as they serve.
Saturday 16 July
'But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They willsoar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, theywill walk and not be faint.' Isaiah 40:31
Dear Lord, we ask you to renew our hope for this nation. Hope tokeep people from every walk of life here striving for peacefulchange. Amen.
Looking to the mountains: 17 – 23 July
In August 2014, Islamic State (IS) attacked and captured Sinjar andneighboring towns in Iraq – home to the Yazidi people. Thousandsof Yazidis were killed and 200,000 forced to flee their homes, manyhiding out in the Sinjar Mountains. About 30,000 Yazidis foundrefuge in Dohuk, a city in Iraqi Kurdistan, where Tearfund partnerZalal Life runs mobile health clinics and has a latrine-buildingprogramme.
Sunday 17 July
Shireen, a Yazidi who fled the IS attacks, brought her grandson to aZalal Life mobile health clinic because he had a chest infection.'They have done everything they could,' says Shireen. 'We are sograteful.' Pray for good health for Shireen's grandson and for themany hundreds who use the clinic every day.
Monday 18 July
'They were so good with us and gave us medicine,' says HusseinFinde who brought his son Samon for treatment at Zalal Life'smobile clinic. Pray for Hussein and his family as they continue toadjust to life in Dohuk, far from home.
Tuesday 19 July
'We see many illnesses,' says Dr Moataz Khder who treats patientsin Zalal Life's mobile clinics. 'Flu-like symptoms in children, chronicdiseases like hypertension and diabetes, osteoarthritis in olderpeople, and urinary tract infections in young and middle-agedwomen., Pray for Dr Khder and the staff at the clinics, that they willbe encouraged in their work.
Wednesday 20 July
Nezar Heydar, his wife Layla and their 12 children from Dohuk, livein an unfinished building with seven other displaced Yazidis.Tearfund's partner gave them a new latrine and a kit so they couldbuild a second toilet for themselves. 'We have one, but it's notenough,' says Nezar. 'Having two will be easier.' Pray for Nezar'sfamily 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 hometo Elias and five other families who have fled IS. They have beengiven three latrines by Tearfund's partner. Pray that the family willfind peace: they spent eight days hiding out in the Sinjar Mountainsduring their escape.
Friday 22 July
'Sometimes I feel I can't carry on,' says Bahar, a mother of twohildren. 'In Sinjar we had a two-storey house and a car. ISdestroyed everything. We trust that God will make things better.'Pray for perseverance for Bahar, who is thankful that Zalal Lifeprovided a health clinic. 'We are very grateful to them for helpingus.'
Saturday 23 July
'We have had our new latrine for three days,' says Ali Khalaf whosefamily fled to Dohuk. 'We are so happy and grateful to you becauseyou are helping us.' Pray for the many thousands of Yazidis whohave fled IS attacks over the last two years, that they will find peaceand have all they need to start a new life.
Miracle-working in Malawi: 24 – 30 July
Back in 2006, as part of our Work a miracle HIV appeal, weintroduced you to Esther, from Fombe village in Malawi, who isliving 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...
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 herown last year -so she is definitely healthy and strong,' says JimmyLikagwa, from Tearfund partner Eagles Relief and DevelopmentProgramme. Pray that Esther will remain in good health andcontinue to have access to the antiretroviral medicines she needs.
Monday 25 July
'With adequate rainfall, Esther will be able to harvest enough tosupport her for the whole year but – unfortunately – when I spoke toher there had been no rain for two weeks,' says Jimmy. Pray for agood harvest in Malawi, where maize prices rose dramaticallyearlier this year because of crop failures.
Tuesday 26 July
Ten years ago, Esther was worried that her poor diet would meanshe would not live long enough to see her daughter marry. PraiseGod that Esther has remained in good health and saw her daughterAlinafe, now 20, get married. Alinafe and her husband are nowblessed with two children: Mphatso, aged five, and Mercy, who'stwo.
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 nowshe is in good health.' Pray that Mercy will continue to be in goodhealth, and for the whole family to thrive.
Thursday 28 July
Since 2006, efforts by the Malawian government, NGOs andcharities including Tearfund have helped to reduce HIV significantlyat both local and national levels. There were nearly 100,000 newinfections in 2005, but only 34,000 recorded in 2013. (AVERT, May2015). Thank God for these improvements and ask that furtherprogress will be made in the coming years.
Friday 29 July
Funded by Tearfund, Mother Buddies play a crucial role in helpingmothers living with HIV to gain access to antiretroviral medicinesand 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 tobabies is being virtually eliminated. Pray that more mothers will takepart in the programme.
Saturday 30 July
'I am very happy as I managed to deliver a healthy baby as a resultof the support I got from my Mother Buddy,' says Hawa fromKalambo village in Malawi. 'I am sure that without the support of myMother Buddy, my baby would have been HIV positive.' Pray forHawa as she brings up her child alone: her husband left her whenhe found out she was living with HIV.
Tearfund Prayer Diary JuLY 2016 – tearfund.org/praying