TEARFUND PRAYER DIARY JUNE2014
CONFLICT IN THE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: 1 – 7 JUNE
The Central African Republic (CAR) is a country with deep and long-term challenges. In March 2013 a coup ended a decade of peace. Since December last year there has been widespread violence. Tearfund is responding to the crisis, compelled by God’s love for the people of this nation.
SUNDAY 1 JUNE
Angeline is originally from the north-east of CAR but fled when militia killed her husband. Along with her three small children, she took refuge in a makeshift camp in the capital city, Bangui. Please pray for Angeline and others like her as they process the trauma of violence and displacement.
MONDAY 2 JUNE
‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God’ (Matthew 5:9). Lift up those seeking to reconcile those involved in violent conflict, particularly for faith leaders who have influence in the nation. Pray for the president and political leaders as they try to bring stability across the country.
TUESDAY 3 JUNE
About 60 per cent of people are under 24 years old in CAR. Pray for the children and young people of the country whose lives have been disrupted by the fighting. Most schools have had to close. Pray for peace and stability so that classrooms can re-open.
WEDNESDAY 4 JUNE
Finding food and clean water is a daily struggle for many who have lost jobs and businesses. They have not been able to plant their fields, water sources have been contaminated and vital imports have been stopped by the fighting. Please pray for Tearfund’s partners in CAR as they meet people’s needs.
THURSDAY 5 JUNE
Tearfund’s team in CAR is made up of dedicated local and international staff. The security situation is difficult to work in and the scale of the need can be overwhelming. Knowing that people are praying for them makes all the difference. Please pray for protection, energy, wisdom and peace for them.
FRIDAY 6 JUNE
Women and girls in CAR are at high risk of sexual violence. It is used by militias to create fear in the population. Recovery from such attacks is a long journey of physical and emotional healing. Lift these women to God and ask for his comfort as they rebuild their lives.
SATURDAY 7 JUNE
Dear Father, we know that you have compassion on all whom you have made. Please send your comfort to those who are suffering in this conflict. Respond to their cries for help. Give your church courage to stand up for peace in a troubled land. May your kingdom come in CAR. Amen.
Welcome to the weekend – what you can do
If you are in your 20s and 30s and this week has ignited a passion in you, please join us on Saturday 21 June for Mosaic, an event at St Mellitus College in London. Mosaic is a space where those pursuing God’s call to justice can connect and collaborate with him and with each other. For details and to book, visit THE GOAL: 8 – 21 JUNE
Brazil is hosting the 2014 FIFA World Cup from 12 June to 13 July. For the next two weeks, we’ll be exploring the exciting world of Brazil, football and our inspiring partners in the region.
SUNDAY 8 JUNE
It’s fitting that our journey kicks off on the World Weekend of Prayer for children at risk. Protecting vulnerable children is one of Tearfund’s key priorities in Brazil. Please pray for safer communities where children can thrive.
MONDAY 9 JUNE
Thank God that, since 2003, social welfare initiatives have helped to more than halve the number of people living in extreme poverty in Brazil. But the battle is far from over. ‘Many people see Brazil just as a rising economy, but there is still massive inequality lurking beneath the surface,’ says Country Representative Serguem Silva.
TUESDAY 10 JUNE
The official slogan of the 2014 FIFA World Cup is ‘All in one rhythm’. Pray for unity and love to be paramount in the church in Brazil, remembering Jesus’ words: ‘By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.’ (John 13:35)
WEDNESDAY 11 JUNE
Sex tourism is the hidden, dark side of the World Cup. Brazil now rivals Thailand as a destination for sex tourism, with more than 250,000 children trapped in prostitution (according to Unicef). Tearfund is funding RENAS’s World Cup Project, a campaign to combat sexual abuse of children and teenagers in Brazil. Please pray for this campaign, and ask God to protect children from sexual exploitation.
THURSDAY 12 JUNE
Charles and Vivian are outreach workers for RENAS’s World Cup Project in the Brazilian state of Paraná. At a rally, they met 24-year-old Gabriel*, who broke down in tears and revealed he had been abused at the age of eight. ‘I could see a child filled with fear, bearing the grief of his childhood,’ says Charles. Pray for healing for all victims of sexual abuse.
FRIDAY 13 JUNE
In neighbouring Colombia – which also has a team in the contest – Tearfund is running a project called Sports for Life, which uses football to provide positive activities, a sense of community and the chance to hear the gospel for children living in difficult circumstances. Nine-year-old Luis felt loved and accepted at the club, and gave his life to Jesus. Praise God!
SATURDAY 14 JUNE
For Luis, hearing his coach share the testimony of Colombian football player RadamelFalcao, who’s a Christian, helped him in his journey of faith. Radamel said on Twitter earlier this year: ‘God makes the impossible possible. I believe in him.’ Please pray that God will strengthen Christian sports people to radiate his love.
Welcome to the weekend – creative prayer idea
Spend some time reflecting on Bible verses that use sport as a metaphor, such as 1 Corinthians 9:24–25, 1 Timothy 4:8, 2 Timothy 2:5 and Hebrews 12:1–2. Write down and memorise the one that speaks most to you, and meditate on it throughout the weekend.
SUNDAY 15 JUNE
Tearfund partner Alianza runs a football club in Honduras (another country competing this summer), helping young people avoid a life of drugs, gangs and violence. ‘We have football training each week, and we also learn about good values – to avoid fights, respect others and manage anger. We’re like a family,’ says Jorge, 12. Thank God for this venture.
MONDAY 16 JUNE
‘Inequality and corruption are two sides of the same coin,’ says Tearfund’s Brazil Country Rep Serguem. Last year, Tearfund partners organised a conference for evangelical leaders across Brazil to discuss the need for the church to take a greater role in tackling corruption in the country. Pray that the conference motto, ‘Love the truth’, will influence all levels of government.
TUESDAY 17 JUNE
Successive years of drought across north-eastern Brazil have shattered communities. Tearfund partner ACEV is working with villages like Pinheira, where they have helped residents build a well, rear goats, develop market gardening and successfully petition the local government to supply electricity. ‘We prayed and prayed. It’s all a gift of God. This is heaven on earth,’ says local resident Maria. Praise God!
WEDNESDAY 18 JUNE
Vulnerable communities living along the Rio Tracajáriver in northern Brazil were plagued by dirty water, poor sanitation and waterborne diseases. Inspired by a school project on the environment, local students asked our partner, Asas de Socorro, for help. Thank God that, together, they are now introducing water filters, septic tanks and effective waste disposal plans.
THURSDAY 19 JUNE
Tearfund supports George and CallyMagalhães through our Inspired Individuals programme. They are working with adolescents in youth prisons to break the cycle of crime and drug abuse in São Paulo. Ask God to bless their work: ‘One by one, we are helping to transform lives and give those who live in extreme poverty a chance for a different future.’
FRIDAY 20 JUNE
Tearfund’s Chief Executive Matthew Frost recently visited Brazil. ‘The only disunity I encountered among the brilliant partners we serve was the heated debate each time I asked them which football team is the best in Brazil,’ he says. Ask God to guide, strengthen and bless our partners abundantly in their amazing work.
SATURDAY 21 JUNE
Lord Jesus, your statue stands over Rio de Janeiro in Brazil with arms outstretched. We pray that more and more people will find refuge in your embrace. Help your church in Brazil and across the world to ‘run with perseverance the race marked out for us’ (Hebrews 12:1), bringing your love to those in need. Amen.
Welcome to the weekend – what you can do
In countries like Brazil, enabling communities to lobby their local government can be the key to lasting change. Pastor Valdimir helped his village to petition successfully for electricity, a primary school and better-quality housing. Are there needs in your locality that you can highlight to those in authority?
NO CHILD TAKEN: 22 JUNE – 5 JUL Y
Human trafficking is the fastest-growing crime in the world. Join us in prayer for people who are trafficked, and for our work preventing the exploitation of children and helping victims to recover.
SUNDAY 22 JUNE
Trafficking is subtle and involves deceit, which allows it to thrive unnoticed. Join our country representative in India, Prince, in prayer: ‘Pray for India, for wisdom and courage to address human trafficking. Ask God for better coordination among government, churches and civil society.’
MONDAY 23 JUNE
During natural disasters, such as the 2013 India cyclone or Philippines typhoon, the risk of trafficking rockets. With children orphaned or separated from parents, they become incredibly vulnerable. Ask God to keep families together, and for children – that they will be able to evade the traffickers.
TUESDAY 24 JUNE
‘I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten,’ says the Lord. (Joel 2:25) Pray that God will use Tearfund’s work to rebuild the lives of trafficking victims and bring healing and restoration to them, giving them a secure future.
WEDNESDAY 25 JUNE
It can take a long time for victims to talk openly about traumatic experiences of trafficking. Pray that our partners will be able to earn the trust of those they seek to help, so that they can communicate the love of God to people, even in their suffering.
THURSDAY 26 JUNE
Pray for the success of Tearfund projects that raise awareness about trafficking, to help people see through and reject the deceitful offers of the traffickers. Ask God to give wisdom and creativity to our partner staff as they seek to communicate this important message effectively.
FRIDAY 27 JUNE
Pray for our partner staff as they work closely with people experiencing trauma, that God will strengthen them as they hear difficult stories, keeping their hearts compassionate and their words wise. Ask God to keep their emotional resources topped up.
SATURDAY 28 JUNE
Father, we thank you that you know and love all those trapped in the claws of human trafficking. We ask you to help Tearfund expose trafficking, and bring its perpetrators to justice. Amen.
Welcome to the weekend – creative prayer idea
The struggle to end modern-day slavery is gathering momentum in the UK. Collect news stories about cases of people kept in slavery and pray for these victims, as well as the many other people they represent. Pray for the UK government as it considers the part it can play in tackling this appalling crime.
Tearfund partner World Concern Laos (WCL) works with families close to the Thai border in the south of Laos, where trafficking is rife. We pray for them this week as they use drama to help raise awareness of the risks of trafficking.
SUNDAY 29 JUNE
With little opportunity for work, and no school to attend, teenagers in the villages that border Thailand are vulnerable to traffickers promising to arrange ‘good jobs’ for them. Pray for the work of our partner, WCL, which uses drama workshops to raise awareness ofthe reality of trafficking.
MONDAY 30 JUNE
‘Seven young people left this village last month,’ Leilani, from a small community in Laos, told us. Her own daughter was among them, heading off for a new life in Thailand. Leilani was sick with worry. She is not alone. Pray for Leilani and other mothers separated from their children.
TUESDAY 1 JULY
WCL is tackling the root causes that leave people vulnerable to trafficking. Training in sewing, baking and motorbike repairs can help young people earn a living closer to home. Pray for the success of livelihoods training from WCL which helps people earn an income at home so they stay in their own village.
WEDNESDAY 2 JULY
Ning, 18, worked in Thailand but returned to Laos when she learnt her mother was ill. Sadly, her mother died soon afterwards. Ning now looks after her two younger siblings. She doesn’t want either of them to try and make a life in Thailand but feels that is out of her control. Pray that Ning and her family will be able to make a living close to home where they can stay safe.
THURSDAY 3 JULY
‘The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.’ (Psalm 34:18) Pray for Makala, who had a harrowing experience in Thailand. She has returned to her village and WCL is helping her. Makala has made great progress. Pray that she will be reconciled with her parents, and become a voice in the community – speaking out about the dangers of migrating to Thailand.
FRIDAY 4 JULY
Anne, who works for Tearfund’s partner WCL, believes she is called by God to serve the people of Laos. ‘I believe God brought me here. The people we work with need love, care and attention.’ Pray that Anne and her colleagues will know God’s hand on their work, as they follow Jesus to places of great need, often at great personal cost.
SATURDAY 5 JULY
Father, we thank you for the seeds already sown by WCL and the great relationships it has with local leaders, allowing it to work unhindered in these communities. Please keep the team close to you and grant them increasing effectiveness in their work. May their work stop many children from being trafficked. Amen.
Welcome to the weekend – what you can do
You can help prevent children being trafficked! Visit to find out more about our work combating trafficking. You can watch a film about Nang (pictured), a 12-year-old girl at risk of being trafficked, and find out how our partners are reducing her vulnerability. We want to see Christians in the UK come together to help us make sure no child is taken. Please consider prayerfully how you could be involved.
Tearfund Prayer Diary June 2014 –