Written Prayers of Humility
Monday, 21 May - Pure Religion
HIV/AIDS has created more than 14 million orphans — 92 percent of these live in Africa.
‘Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.’ - James 1:27
Lord, we pray for the children who have been left on their own or who have had to take on the responsibility of raising younger brothers and sisters as a result of HIV/AIDS. We ask that you would provide avenues of care and support for these children. Please bring people into their lives who would love them as you, their Heavenly Father, love them.
To the glory of Your name, Amen
Tuesday, 22 May - Whose Pattern?
20% of the world’s population in the developed nations consumes 86% of the world’s goods.
‘Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind’ - Romans 12.2
Almighty God, Your Holy Spirit teaches and guides us in the way that we should go. Transform our hearts and minds so that we do not hunger after wealth and possessions. Give us the courage to live our lives according to your pattern rather than the world’s pattern.
To the glory of Your name, Amen
Wednesday, 23 May - Break the Cycle
For every year of education, wages increase by a worldwide average of 10 percent. Educated mothers tend to send their children to school, helping to break the cycle of poverty.
‘My whole being will exclaim, “Who is like you, O LORD? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them.”’ - Psalm 35:10
Heavenly Father, Your desire is to rescue the poor and the vulnerable. Show us ways, such as through education, that the cycle of poverty can be broken. Thank you for the projects worldwide that are enabling children to attend school.
To the glory of Your name, Amen
Thursday, 24 May - Outward Appearance
Stigma and discrimination associated with HIV and AIDS are one of the greatest barriers to preventing further infections, providing adequate care, support and treatment, and alleviating the impact of HIV/AIDS.
‘Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?’ – James 2:2
Gracious Lord, you do not look at man’s outward appearance but at the heart. Show us where we have discriminated against others because of their wealth or position. Help us to be an example to the world of your perfect love, which does not judge people according to the world’s standards.
To the glory of Your name, Amen
Friday, 25 May - Speak Up
30,000 children die each day due to poverty. In talking about these children, UNICEF has said that they “die quietly in some of the poorest villages on earth, far removed from the scrutiny and the conscience of the world. Being meek and weak in life makes these dying multitudes even more invisible in death.”1
‘Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.’ - Proverbs 31:8-9
Defender of the Weak, give us the courage to speak out on behalf of those who have no voice. Show us how we can use our voice and our influence to promote justice.
To the glory of Your name, Amen
Saturday, 26 May - Good News
£450 could cover over half the cost of building a reservoir, to collect and preserve precious rainfall – and provide a source of clean, disease-free water for drinking, cooking and irrigating crops in some of the poorest areas of the world.
‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed.’ - Luke 4:18
Almighty Saviour, thank you that your gospel is good news to the world. As the body of Christ here on earth, help us to be that good news to the poor. May our lives and actions reflect the fullness of your redemptive grace and restorative power.
To the glory of Your name, Amen
Sunday, 27 May - Cry out in the Night
An estimated 824 million people in the developing world were affected by chronic hunger in 2003.
‘Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint from hunger at the head of every street.’ - Lamentations 2:19
Heavenly Father, give us your heart of love and compassion for those who are suffering. Help us to understand in our hearts the day to day reality of living in poverty. We ask that you make us people who cry out to you on behalf of those who are hungry.
To the glory of Your name, Amen
Monday, 28 May - Love Your Neighbour
Income is very unequally distributed across the world: the richest 20% have 74% of the income while the poorest 20% only have 2% of the income.
‘“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind”; and, “Love your neighbour as yourself.”’ - Luke 10:27
Lord, open our eyes to see who our neighbours are. Give us love and compassion for those whom we may never see face to face, who are separated from us by distance, language and culture. Help us to know that they, too, are your precious children.
To the glory of Your name, Amen
Tuesday, 29 May - Water and Sanitation
1.1 billion people, or one out of every six people alive today, have inadequate access to water, and 2.6 billion, or more than one out of every three, lack basic sanitation.
‘The LORD answered Moses, "Is the LORD's arm too short?" ’ - Numbers 11:23
Lord, sometimes the problems of the world, the scale of the poverty and injustice, can seem overwhelming. Help us to look to you and your power in seeking solutions to these problems, not relying on our own abilities but on your power that is working through us.
To the glory of Your name, Amen
Wednesday, 30 May - Export Trade
The top fifth of the world’s people in the richest countries enjoy 82% of the expanding export trade — the bottom fifth, barely more than 1%.
‘Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.’ - Philippians 2:4-8
Lord, may our attitude be the same as that of Jesus. Give us his self-sacrificing humility and love, which inspire us to look out for the interests of others. We pray that leaders of developed nations would produce global trade agreements which do not look only to their own interests, but to the interests of less developed nations.
To the glory of Your name, Amen
Thursday, 31 May - Faith into Action
Every year, more than 20 million low-birth weight babies are born in developing countries. These babies risk dying in infancy, and those who survive often suffer lifelong physical and mental disabilities.
‘Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?’ - James 2.15-16
Lord, we are sorry for the times that we have failed to put our faith into practical action. Please forgive our apathy and indifference. Stir us to action for the sake of the poor and challenge us to take specific steps to meet their physical needs.
To the glory of Your name, Amen
Friday, 1 June - Perfume
To satisfy all the world’s sanitation and food requirements in 1998 would have cost only $13 billion, hardly as much as the people of the United States and the European Union spent on perfume in the same year.
‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.’ - Leviticus 19:9-10
Almighty God, you are the provider of all good things. Thank you for your provision in our lives. Show us how we can pass on what you have given to us to those in need, being a channel through which your provision can flow.
To the glory of Your name, Amen
Saturday, 2 June - Debt Repayment
The poorer the country, the more likely it is that debt repayments are being extracted directly from people who neither contracted the loans nor received any of the money.
‘When there is a dispute concerning your poor, don't tamper with the justice due them.’ - Exodus 26:6
Almighty God, we pray that the poor will receive justice and will not be penalised for debts that they have not incurred. Give our Government leaders compassion for the poor and wisdom in their decisions regarding debt repayment from developing nations.
To the glory of Your name, Amen
Sunday, 3 June - Be a Blessing
Over 12 months, a gift of £2 a week could immunize five babies against diphtheria, whooping cough, measles, polio tetanus and tuberculosis – the six main childhood killer diseases.
‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ - Acts 20.35
Heavenly Father, You have given us innumerable blessings. Help us to bless others as you have blessed us. Set us free from selfishness to become generous givers.
To the glory of Your name, Amen
Monday, 4 June – Without Repayment
A mere 12 percent of the world’s population uses 85 percent of its water, and these 12 percent do not live in the Third World.
‘When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbours, lest they also invite you in return, and repayment come to you. But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.’ - Luke 14:12-14
Lord, thank you for projects worldwide that are providing people with sources of accessible, clean water. We pray that global leaders would agree to a Global Action Plan on water and sanitation and commit to implementing it.
To the glory of Your name, Amen
Tuesday, 5 June – Strength and Guidance
Of the 1.9 billion children from the developing world, there are: 1 in 3 without adequate shelter, 1 in 5 with no access to safe water, and 1 in 7 with no access to health services.
‘And if you give yourself to the hungry, and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness, and your gloom will become like midday. And the LORD will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.’ - Isaiah 58:10
Dear Lord, thank you that you give us the opportunity to be part of your work here on earth. We ask for your guidance to know the best way to pursue justice for those living in poverty and the strength to carry out the work.
To the glory of Your name, Amen
Wednesday, 6 June – G8
Each year, 443 million school days are lost in developing countries due to water-related illness. In addition, sub-Saharan Africa loses about 5% of their GDP, or some $28.4 billion annually, due to the cost associated with inadequate water and sanitation supply.
‘For the Lord is righteous and He loves justice. Those who do what is right will see His face.’ - Psalm 11:7
Almighty God, we bring before you the world leaders who are meeting together for the G8 over the coming days. We ask that issues of global poverty would be high on the agenda and that leaders would make decisions that help to bring about justice for the poor.
To the glory of Your name, Amen
Thursday, 7 June – Education
Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names.
‘If there is a poor man among you, one of your brothers, in any of the towns of the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand to your poor brother; but you shall freely open your hand to him, and generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks.’ – Deuteronomy 15:7
Loving Heavenly Father, we pray that parents in developing countries would not be forced to choose between sending their children to school and sending them to work. We pray that funding allocated for education would be spent wisely and would not be diverted elsewhere.
To the glory of Your name, Amen
Friday, 8 June – Thank You
In 1820, the distance between the richest and poorest countries was about 3 to 1. By 1950 it had risen to 35 to 1, and by 1992 it was 72 to 1 and still rising.
‘For You have been a defence for the helpless, a defence for the needy in his distress.’ – Isaiah 25:1
Heavenly Father, thank you for what you have been doing through Christians coming together to speak out about your desire for justice through the Blow the Whistle Campaign. We pray that our voice would be heard by those leadership. Please show us how we can continue to work for justice and mercy.
To the glory of Your name, Amen
Statistics are taken from http://www.globalissues.org/TradeRelated/Facts.asp, https://www.worldvision.org.uk, http://www.avert.org http://unstats.un.org/unsd/mdg/Resources/Static/Products/Progress2006/MDGReport2006.pdf, and http://www.bread.org/learn/hunger-basics/hunger-facts-international.html
