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Written Prayers of Humility

Week commencing 25 June – Story & Prayers from Bolivia

When we consider the suffering of the world, we can be lost for words. We long to see an end to violence, hunger and pain but have little idea how this can be achieved. Injustice, oppression and violence are cruel realities visited on millions of people all around the world. Those in power, mostly men I think, untroubled by any awareness or belief in a God of justice, mercilessly persecute and exploit the poor to their own economic advantage (see Psalm 10 for a vivid description of this).

Many people are deeply troubled by such evil, and those who are sensitive to the Spirit of God know the urge to pray. It can be then, right when our hearts and minds are dwelling on the unspeakable, that our own words grind to a halt. This is the time for the language of silence and sighs, letting God the Spirit take over.

Paul tells us that the Spirit will transform our inarticulate sighs into a conversation God longs for. What a wonderful reassurance. Time spent in the genuinely quiet prayer of this sort can never be wasted. In ways completely beyond our comprehension it serves the purposes of God.

Steve Bradbury, TEAR Australia

Bible verse:

Why O Lord do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? In his arrogance, the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises. Arise Lord! Lift up your hand O God. Do not forget the helpless. Psalm 10:1,2,12

Millennium Development Goal 2:

Achieve universal primary education

Millennium Development Goal 3:

Promote gender equality in education and empower women

Story from Bolivia:

Bolivia is a country of faith – 98% are Christians, mostly Catholic. It is also poor: 82% of people in rural areas are poor and in urban areas the figure is 54%. Poverty means that every day 18 children die from poor nutrition and 2 women die in childbirth, leaving grieving families.

There are around 800,000 children working in Bolivia, many of them living on the streets. Most of these young people are illiterate and often get involved in criminal groups. In rural areas, nine out of ten girls drop out of school.

Noelia left her violent and broken home when she was 13 years old. She lived on the streets with her partner. She didn’t know how to care for her young daughter properly, and considered her life was useless and without meaning. She didn’t trust anybody. She had never known the presence of God in her life, since she believed that nobody would be able to love her as she was.

After the birth of her second child, a Christian community group encouraged Noelia to go back to school, restored her self-confidence and encouraged her relationship with God. Now Noelia is full of hope for the future.

Background on Bolivia:

34% of Bolivians live in extreme poverty (less than US$2 a day) and children in half the nation’s families suffer malnutrition.

Nearly 500 Bolivians leave the country every day, seeking to improve their living standards, leaving sons and daughters, husbands and wives, and breaking up families. Trafficking of children and women is a major problem.

About 700,000 school-age children do not attend school even though it is free and compulsory. Children in rural areas receive an average of only 3.5 years of schooling.

Prayer from Bolivia:

Written by Micah Challenge, Bolivia

Lord, we ask that we as a people be an instrument in your hands, in order to be sowers of peace in the midst of conflict. In this time of aggression, hate and racism in Bolivia, we ask that we be made sensitive to the great need that surround us; that we keep in mind your word, in order to be doers of your word.

We ask to be people that transform our environment in the midst of corruption; that representing a culture of integrity, where we see injustice, we work for justice.

We thank you God, because you are the God of history, who can transform uncertainty and discouragement into joy, hope and faith in those who lack in our country.

Dear God, we pray for those who do not have bread or water to sustain their bodies, for those Bolivians who are not even familiar with basic nutritional necessities.

We pray for those who have lost a loved one, whether a child or a parent, due to the lack of basic healthcare or because they leave the country seeking a better life. Amen

Prayer:

Dear Lord,

We pray that across the globe all children might be valued from the moment they are formed till they reach adulthood.

Just as Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature, we pray that children everywhere would be nurtured in body, mind and spirit. Amen

Week commencing 2 July – Story & Prayers from Nepal

Jesus showed respect and care for women, including those on the margins of society – like the woman at the well, Martha and Mary, and the woman who touched him to be healed.

Still today, societies’ most vulnerable are women. Women are more likely to be poor and illiterate and are more often victims of ill-health and violence. Nearly 70% of the world’s illiterate adults are women. 90% of AIDS victims under the age of 20 are girls. Half a million women die each year because of complications related to pregnancy and childbirth, almost all of them among the poorest communities in developing countries.

Women are the major providers for their children and run the household, yet millions cannot earn enough to feed themselves and their families. Improving the health and education of women empowers them to break the cycle of poverty and injustice. As Christians, we can follow Jesus’ example and lead the way in bringing hope and justice to women.

Amanda Jackson

Bible verse:

The great God, mighty and awesome, shows no favouritism and does not accept bribes. He ensures that orphans and widows receive justice. Deuteronomy 10:17-18

Millennium Development Goal 5:

Improve maternal health: reduce by three quarters the proportion of women dying in childbirth.

Story from Nepal:

Binita Chepang, a five-year-old girl, was suffering from severe malnutrition and weighed just five kilograms (about 25% of the normal weight for her age) when she was found in her village. Binita, her mother and three year old brother, also severely malnourished, were brought to a health centre run by a local Christian group. After a month of loving care and proper feeding, Binita and her brother each gained ten kilograms.

Poverty crushes many of Nepal’s 25 million people, especially the ethnic tribal groups in very remote hilly regions. Poverty means a lack of basic resources for many mothers and children – basics like school, clothing, food and health care and access to family planning services.

Churches in Nepal have done some advocacy on issues of domestic violence and ethnic discrimination. However, most of the community work does little to address the root causes. Church leaders have begun to realise the Biblical case for social advocacy and the effectiveness of churches working together.

Background on Nepal:

The maternal mortality rate in Nepal is 30 times greater than in the developed world. 40% of births are attended by skilled health staff.

Most churches are new and the number of Christians is tiny. Churches have grown rapidly since 1990 when the country gained political freedom. Many are now seeing beyond their emphasis on preaching and church growth to the need to combine word and deed in reaching out to communities.

Peace was declared after a ten-year civil war in which Marxist rebels won control of half the country, mainly in rural areas. The rebels joined an interim government in April 2007 under an agreement that called for an assembly to be elected to write a new constitution.

Prayer from Nepal:

Written by Micah Challenge, Nepal

Heavenly Father and Lord Almighty!

Thank you for the peace process in Nepal. We pray that the Maoist and political parties will continue to work together and lead Nepal into permanent peace and greater prosperity.
We pray for people disabled, displaced and orphaned by conflict. We pray that those who have lost their homes and belongings will have their lives restored. We pray communities would be reconciled.

We pray that the priorities of the Nepali government and donor countries would be for the people and communities affected by poverty and conflict. We pray the people in government would be committed to fair and just treatment of all people, without corruption and misuse of authority.

We pray that Nepali Christian communities would be more engaged in critical social issues, and become a more effective witness of your love, justice and compassion.

Thank you for listening to the cry of your faithful servants. Amen

Prayer:

Lord God,

We thank you for the example of Jesus who appreciated and valued women. Like Mary, we praise you for blessing the humble and lifting up the hungry.

We pray for mothers who work long hard hours toiling for their families. Give them rest.

We pray for mothers who are ill and tired from overwork and disease. Restore them to health.

We pray for mothers who dream and hope that life will be better for their children. May their hopes not be in vain.

Help us to work for justice for the most vulnerable ones in our communities and in the wider world. Amen

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