TEARFUND PRAYER DIARY JULY 2013
Peace and healing In Chad: 30 June – 6 July
Chad is a land-locked country in Central Africa. Plagued by conflict and corruption, Chad is among the poorest nations in the world, despite being rich in natural resources such as oil.
Sunday 30 June
In recent years, flooding has been a recurrent problem in Chad, setting back development for hundreds of thousands of people. Government bodies, local churches and organisations have been overwhelmed by resulting problems. Pray for those struggling due to floods, and for Tearfund’s partners helping them recover and prepare for future crises.
Monday 1 July
In the last year, Chad has been experiencing serious civil unrest. Most civil servants, including medics and teachers, have been on strike. This has brought Chad pretty much to a standstill, and tensions have been rising as people are denied access to vital services. Please pray for peace - that civil servants and the government will find a way forward.
Tuesday 2 July
HIV is widespread in Chad. In some areas, one in 11 people lives with HIV. Tearfund partner Ethics, Peace and Justice (EPJ) works with those affected by HIV, particularly women, forming groups to help them both materially and emotionally. Pray for this work, and for an end to the stigma surrounding people living with HIV in Chad.
Wednesday 3 July
‘When I fall sick, I now have money to buy medicine,’ says Nicole. And Madji adds, ‘Our health improves, and we aren’t as isolated as before. It is thanks to this group we are alive today.’ Both of these women have benefited hugely from EPJ’s HIV work. Thank God.
Thursday 4 July
Tearfund partner Entente des Eglises et Missions Evangéliques au Tchad has been working with government officials to help them recognise the importance of giving the vote to ‘ordinary’ citizens - that is, not just to people with money or power. As a result, the electoral process in Chad is becoming fairer and more open, and in the 2011 elections significantly more people voted. Praise God.
Friday 5 July
‘I used to hate non-Christians,’ says Esther. But, when Esther sat in on a Bible study about the Good Samaritan run by Tearfund’s church partner, something changed inside her. ‘Now, I strive to demonstrate God’s love towards every person I meet,’ she says. Pray that God will continue to transform Chad - one individual, one church and one village at a time.
Saturday 6 July
Dear God, we pray for the people of Chad to hear you as you speak love, peace and healing over them. We pray for the leaders of Chad to hear you as you speak wisdom, justice and compassion over that land. And we pray for churches, Tearfund partners and individuals working to build your kingdom in Chad. In Jesus' name, amen.
Welcome to the weekend – what you can do
Tearfund’s campaigners make a real difference in the fight against poverty by addressing issues such as HIV and corruption. If you can, please campaign with us - it could be as simple as sending a postcard. Visit to sign up.
Engage With Prayer: 7–13 July
Tearfund’s Prayer Coordinator, Sara Kandiah, is regularly called on to mobilise prayer for some heart-breaking situations of poverty around the world. It’s often hard to know where to begin. Inspired by the letters Paul wrote in the New Testament, Sara shares a week of prayers to help us pray even when it’s a struggle ...
Sunday 7 July
2 Corinthians 1:1–2
When I pray with others at Tearfund, it often lifts my spirits and encourages me to pray with renewed faith and perseverance for the same situations of injustice. Dear Father, surround us with people who can stir our faith to keep on praying hope-filled, faithful prayers.
Monday 8 July
2 Corinthians 1:3–4
At our weekly Tearfund staff prayer meetings, we often start with worship. Sometimes, the lyrics are displayed over images of poverty. It’s a powerful experience when we connect our prayers for justice with worship. Father, thank you that we can declare your greatness over desperate situations.
Tuesday 9 July
2 Corinthians 1:5–7
I have never cried so many tears of joy and sadness as in the last few years. Tearfund works in 40 of the poorest countries of the world and it’s tough. I meet people doing incredible things for God and hear their stories of hope and pain. Lord, we pray for our staff and partners to have patience and endurance.
Wednesday 10 July
2 Corinthians 1:8–9
In some countries where Tearfund works, it is difficult to be a Christian. We only need to read the news to understand the insecurity. As we remember such places in prayer, let us pray like Paul for our brothers and sisters. Jesus Christ, change despair into hope - and may your light shine in the darkest situations.
Thursday 11 July
2 Corinthians 1: 10–11
During our day of prayer for Darfur, Sudan, we held a lunchtime prayer gathering at work. In the middle of the prayers, I was reminded of the story of Moses in Exodus 17 where he needed help to keep his arms lifted in the battle. Thank you, Lord, for the unseen ways that you work as we pray.
Friday 12 July
2 Corinthians 1:11
Gathering updates on prayer needs and setting aside time to give thanks is a great way of encouraging and spurring us on in our prayer lives. Thank you, precious Lord Jesus, for the prayers you have answered, are answering and have yet to answer.
Saturday 13 July
2 Corinthians 3–4
Praise be to the Father of compassion, and the God who comforts us in our troubles, so we can comfort those in trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. Amen.
Welcome to the weekend – creative prayer idea
Reflect: Re-read 2 Corinthians 1:1–11
Pray: Are there people who spring to mind whom you are feeling prompted to pray and give thanks for?.
Act: Email or write them a letter of encouragement and/or a prayer.
Equipping Liberia: 14–20 July
Tearfund partner Equip Liberia trains and equips local churches to transform the communities around them. This week, we learn more about the team, and pray for their varied work, which ranges from providing clean water and mosquito nets to supporting victims of rape and violence.
Sunday 14 July
‘Equip is a movement to fight for more health, to fight for more justice, to fight for more fullness of life in Liberia,’ says David Waines who, along with his wife Audry, founded and still leads the organisation. Lift up David and Audry in your prayers: they have dedicated 25 years to supporting poor communities in Liberia.
Monday 15 July
Dave and Audry Waines grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. They have six children: Janelle, Menwoh, Daniel, Joshua, Matthew and Rebecca. All of the family live, work or attend school in Liberia, which has a very high crime rate. Pray for the safety of David, Audry and the children.
Tuesday 16 July
In Liberia, one in nine children dies from water-borne diseases before their fifth birthday. But praise the Lord that, in Nimba county where Equip is working with the community, child mortality rates have reduced from 38 per cent to nine per cent - thanks to hand-washing education, clean water and toilet provision.
Wednesday 17 July
According to the UN, more than 60 per cent of women in Liberia are survivors of gender-based violence and more than half of rape survivors are under the age of 14. Pray for Equip’s vital work providing transport and counselling to survivors, which can help justice to be done.
Thursday 18 July
Equip is committed to getting more families to use mosquito nets, seek early treatment for malaria and stop the disease destroying lives. Give thanks that - along with other initiatives - this vital work resulted in a reported 49 per cent of households using mosquito nets in 2009; two years previously, it was just 30 per cent.
Friday 19 July
‘Whenever you are successful at changing things, there is a lot of opposition. Many powerful people in Liberia have been convicted of sexual offences because of our work in bringing rapists to justice. Please pray for protection from this backlash. We have over 10,000 volunteers, so please remember them in your prayers,’ asks David Waines from Equip Liberia.
Saturday 20 July
Lord, we ask you to bless the incredible, whole-life-changing work of Equip Liberia. Help them as they strive day by day to see lives transformed through education, support and protection. Lord, bless David, Audry and the whole team. Amen.
Welcome to the weekend – creative prayer idea
Despite a complete breakdown of law and order, Equip uses all the resources at its disposal to protect people and bring justice. ‘The church are the arms and legs of justice, our motorcycles are the wheels of justice, our cell phones are the voice of justice,’ says David. Reflect on the resources you have, your time, transport and determination, and ask God how he can use them.
Go Overseas With Tearfund: 21–27 July
When did you first understand the terrible injustice of poverty? For many of us, that was our first time in a developing country. This week, we pray for Tearfund teams visiting countries around the world as they connect with communities and begin a journey that will last for the rest of their lives ...
Sunday 21 July
Lift up our new government-funded programme, International Citizen Service (ICS), and the ICS teams currently out in Burundi, Rwanda and Bolivia. Pray that their ten-week placements will be life-changing. As you pray, ask God to place on your heart any 18- to 25-year-olds who you know would relish such an experience.
Monday 22 July
Hilary Selby travelled to South Africa with Tearfund’s partner, Soul Action. ‘It is clear, no matter what sort of person you are, this is a journey, finding yourself and others. It’s set a plan for my life, the start of an adventure!’ Praise God and lift up our team currently in South Africa.
Tuesday 23 July
Calum Sinclair, who travelled to India with Tearfund’s partner, Emmanuel Ministries Calcutta (EMC), says, ‘I knew the gospel had miraculous abilities to bring about change but to see such a dramatic change instilled in me just what scale of change the gospel can have.’ Pray that the team currently in India see the same kind of impact.
Wednesday 24 July
Scripture Union, one of our partners in Malawi, seeks to help people engage with God through the Bible, and offers practical help such as HIV prevention work. Pray for our team in Malawi as they volunteer alongside our partner, helping to care for children and families and be examples of God’s love and hope in desperate situations.
Thursday 25 July
Last year, Iain Ross travelled to Peru. Although he didn’t know what to expect, Iain was left with a sense of injustice. ‘I now have a close friend with cardboard walls in his house. That is not ok: it will never be ok.’ Pray that volunteers like Iain will feel empowered to continue to live lives that tackle injustice.
Friday 26 July
Praise God for our team currently volunteering in Thailand, working alongside people living with HIV. Megan Weeds sums up her experience in Thailand: ‘My trip made me see the world through someone else’s eyes. What we saw has changed the way I think about the way I want to live my life.’.
Saturday 27 July
Lift up our team in the north-east of Brazil, working alongside our partner, Ação Evangélica. The area is prone to extreme droughts, with rural communities struggling to provide their families with food and water. Pray that the team will play a valuable role in helping local communities to increase access to food.
Welcome to the weekend - what you can do
Spend some time in prayer asking God if he has a new country to place on your heart. Maybe this is a country he wants you to pray for, or maybe he’s calling you to travel overseas, meet Tearfund’s partners for yourself and put a face to poverty. Visit and start an adventure.
Crisis In Syria: 28 July – 3 August
In March 2011, conflict erupted in Syria and it continues to affect the country severely to this day. In January 2013, the UN estimated that the death toll had reached 60,000. Some 3,000 people a day are fleeing across borders to Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq - there are now more than 1 million refugees. Zaatari camp, Jordan, is home to some 75,000 people fleeing the conflict in Syria, including Hussein, aged two, and his mother. This week, we pray for Tearfund partners and churches responding to the crisis ...
Sunday 28 July
Praise God for dedicated Tearfund partners who are working to help displaced families find food and shelter. They are providing food, blankets, emergency lights and kitchen utensils to those who have fled. Lift up the teams distributing these vital supplies, and pray that they will reach those most in need.
Monday 29 July
Thousands of families crossing the border into Lebanon from Syria face extremely difficult conditions. Archbishop of the Syriac Church in Lebanon, says, ‘I don’t know what the future holds, but I do know who holds the future.’ Lift up displaced Syrians, and ask that their future will be secured.
Tuesday 30 July
Earlier this year, Oenone Chadburn, Head of Humanitarian Support at Tearfund, visited Lebanon. Oenone says, ‘We heard some remarkable stories of forgiveness, the power of prayer, and people overwhelmed by the generosity of their Christian neighbours.’ Praise God that his church is at the heart of the response to the Syrian crisis.
Wednesday 31 July
Oenone was greatly encouraged by what she learnt in Lebanon. She says, ‘I am trying to recall whether there has been a time or a place where I have heard so many miracles and answers to prayer. I don’t think there is.’ Pray for more miracles, and for people to see them and praise God.
Thursday 1 August
‘With my own eyes, I saw people planting bombs in cars and women being raped in the street. I couldn’t let my wife and children live there any longer,’ says Jalil, who fled from Syria to Jordan with his family. Pray for the chaotic situation in Syria, that a peaceful solution will be found.
Friday 2 August
Andrew, who works for a Tearfund partner in Lebanon, says, ‘We speak to Syrians living in crudely built shelters constructed out of tattered plastic sheets and discarded signs. Many are deeply traumatised.’ Pray for Andrew and his team, that they will find the daily strength to respond.
Saturday 3 August
Dr Fred Drummond, National Director of the Evangelical Alliance in Scotland, prays: ‘Lord, we pray that you will raise up peacemakers and those with generous loving hearts inside Syria. We ask that you may give discernment and wisdom to leaders and others with influence, that a road of peace may be found. Amen.’.
Welcome to the weekend – what you can do
Thousands of Syrians have been forced to flee their homes, seeking safety from conflict. Tearfund partners are working to help people find food and shelter. Please continue to pray. You can give now to respond to this desperate need - visit or call 0845 355 8355.
Tearfund Prayer Diary July 2013