A special call to prayer
April 01, 2020
Today our prayer journey takes us to our own homes, churches, and communities as we lift up our needs as a nation and as a world in this battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. We feel small against its impact, yet we know by experience on the World Prayer Team that prayer is not our last resort, but our first course of action.
As you kneel before the great Shepherd of our souls:
Pray first for your World Prayer Today Team as we play the role of first-responders, praying for these specific needs daily and as the Spirit prompts. Pray for people to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ on Thru the Bible and the courage to respond in faith.
We also pray for these specific people:
- For the sick and infected and our vulnerable populations, God, please heal and help. Strengthen our bodies and spirits, specifically those who suffer from a chronic disease. Please contain the spread of infection.
- We’re grateful for frontline health care workers and their commitment to serve us. Please sustain their health, Lord. Give them wisdom in diagnosis and care and compassion for every patient. Help Christian doctors and nurses to model extraordinary peace that others will notice. Give them opportunities to share the gospel.
- Please help our local, state, and federal governments as they lead in logistics. Give our president wisdom and grace. Provide direction and insight to our scientific community as they push for a vaccine.
- We pray for our pastors and church leaders faced with the challenges of social distancing. Educators face similar hurdles. Lead them to creatively imagine how to shepherd, love, and lead the people entrusted to them. Help technical teams to serve the new digital delivery systems.
- Lord, may your Holy Spirit prompt every Christian in every neighborhood, community, and city to love, serve, and share the gospel that the name of Jesus would be glorified.
- We’re grateful for our families and the opportunities for stronger bonds to be knit together during our increased time together at home. Help us to quickly resolve issues related to the stress of this time. May love and commitment to each other’s needs mark our lives. Give us creative ways to also extend our care to people living alone.
- Lord, for those whose businesses and jobs have been impacted, we ask You to provide what they need. Help employers to lead self-sacrificially. We entrust to You those who’ve lost their jobs. Give them hope in You, not just through this season, but as a model for the rest of their lives.
- We intercede for those who feel pushed to the end of themselves and are ready to hear the gospel. Please direct them to “stumble” upon Thru the Bible, as so many say they do. Help them humble themselves and turn to You for life now and for eternity.
Teach us, Lord, how to be Your faithful people in these turbulent times. Equip us with everything we need to do Your will. In Jesus’ name and for His sake, amen.
While the whole world is focused on this pandemic, our God’s eternal purposes move forward and are never thwarted by humankind’s temporal concerns. So, we will continue our planned course of traveling the world on our knees, bringing you special updates as needed.
Meanwhile, keep praying, World Prayer Team. Keep this list handy and pray through these requests in addition to our daily prayer destination—perhaps pray for these needs in that particular country or region.
We need each other’s prayer support and partnership in doing our job, which is interceding for the world. What a privilege.
Our journey continues tomorrow in Papua New Guinea. Travel with us on your knees.