TEARFUND PRAYER DIARY AUGUST 2015
Around the World in Seven Days: 2 – 8 August
This summer, more than 250 people from the UK – of all ages – are heading out to spend time with our partners across the world. It's a chance for new friendships, a new understanding of poverty and a time for our partners to be encouraged through prayer and extra support. Join with us in praying for them all this week.
Sunday 2 August
Today we're in Malawi. Praise God for our partner Fisherman's Rest which works tirelessly to see improved living standards, access to education and healthcare for the people of Malawi. May its team be encouraged in their work by the UK families visiting them and develop deep friendships, bound through prayer.
Monday 3 August
Right now, we have a group of creative people visiting our partner African Inland Church Tanzania. Join us in praying that the gifts and talents God has given this team will be used to his glory, bringing fresh ideas and new hope to the Tanzanian students the team will work with.
Tuesday 4 August
Our Go MAD team have just returned from Tanzania, after four weeks helping local communities develop water and sanitation facilities. After a life-changing time away, arriving home can be difficult. Pray thateach of the team will be inspired to take all they have learnt and channel it into God's work in the UK.
Wednesday 5 August
Today we head over to the beautiful country of Colombia where our partner Red Viva is working tirelessly with drug addicts and vulnerable young people. They seek to bring hope through sport and provide training opportunities for unemployed people.Praise God for the work of Red Viva and the many people whose lives have been turned around.
Thursday 6 August
Today we lift up one of our partners in India, Emmanuel Ministries Calcutta. Please take a moment to ask the Holy Spirit for his guidance on how to pray for this wonderful organisation. Sometimes God gives us insight into situations. Commit your thoughts to the Lord and intercede on behalf of the people of India, our partner and the UK team who are there right now.
Friday 7 August
Today our prayers are focused on Lusaka, Zambia's capital, and in particular on the work of Jesus Cares Ministry. Its vision is to help women and children fulfil their potential through education and healthcare. Please pray over this ministry, to the God of Ephesians 3:20, ‘to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us’.
Saturday 8 August
Our last stop on this global journey is South Africa. Right now we have our largest group of UK families volunteering alongside our partner Ethembeni. Please pray that the UK children will be so changed by all they see and experience that they'll carry the memories with them into into adulthood and those memories will be an inspiration throughout their lives.
Self-Help Success: 9 – 15 August
Tearfund's self-help groups began in 2002 in Ethiopia with just five groups; today, there are more than 13,000. They haven't spread just in Ethiopia: Tearfund has also helped introduce them in Cambodia, Kenya, Somaliland, Tanzania, Rwanda and Malawi. This week let's pray for their continued success.
Sunday 9 August
In Kenya, Tearfund works with 50 self-help groups supported by our partner Family Health International, working through local churches. Pray that the recent funding they received will enable more groups to be set up.
Monday 10 August
Tearfund supports more than 600 self-help groups in Rwanda. Many have an emphasis on peace and reconciliation, a crucial issue in a country still recovering from the 1994 genocide. Thank God for these groups and pray that they will continue to build trust and strong relationships between people of all backgrounds.
Tuesday 11 August
In the rural Salima district of Malawi, 90 groups have been formed with more than 1,700 members. Together they have saved the equivalent of £36,000 in less than two years. This was after Tearfund provided £10,000 to fund the cost of training facilitators who come mainly from local congregations. Thank God for this amazing result and pray for these groups, that they continue to save and grow together.
Wednesday 12 August
Self-help groups are important places to discuss crucial issues facing members. In Malawi, self-help groups run by our partner St John of God have discussed cervical cancer, HIV, financial stewardship and family planning. Pray that groups continue to be safe places to talk about such important issues.
Thursday 13 August
In Tanzania, self-help groups have been trialled and developed by Tearfund and the Christian Council of Tanzania. They are now spreading to new areas, including Kongwa in central Tanzania. As the project is in its initial stages, pray for staff as they design and develop structures that allow continuity and benefit local communities for years to come.
Friday 14 August
Self-help groups supported by Tearfund in Somaliland have reported an increase in resilience to floods, fires and other dangers, because of their savings and group support. For example, one group mustered resources from the whole community, bought sandbags and built a flood protection wall. Thank God that, in these challenging environments, self-help groups are enabling people to adapt and cope with disaster.
Saturday 15 August
Lord God, we pray for the self-help group programmes which are bringing economic, social and spiritual transformation in all these countries. We pray that groups continue to flourish and grow and that their plans will succeed. Amen.
Hope Ahead for Central Asia: 16 – 22 August
Central Asia has always been the poorest region of the former Soviet Union, and still faces a host of social problems. Tearfund's inspirational partners are bringing hope to orphans and abandoned children – providing education, healthcare and employment opportunities to people struggling with poverty, and helping families in crisis to overcome their difficulties.
Sunday 16 August
Abandoned by her mother, Ayana, aged six, was kept in her uncle's barn. Thankfully, she was taken to a Tearfund- supported children's shelter, where love and care has turned her life around. Praise God that she has now been adopted by a local family. ‘Ayana calls us often, and every time she sounds happy,’ says support worker Dinara.
Monday 17 August
Sadly, the prospects for adolescents leaving orphanages are not good. They are often stigmatised and are at high risk of prostitution, homelessness, criminality and suicide. In one ex-Soviet state, a Tearfund partner is the only institution supporting these young people. Ask God, the ‘father to the fatherless’ (Psalm 68:5), to help them experience greater acceptance and brighter futures.
Tuesday 18 August
Tearfund's partner provides young people leaving orphanages with shared social housing and vocational training, helping them along the path to independence. Give thanks for Fyodor, supported by this partner as he trains as an accountant. ‘It's difficult, but an interesting science that will be useful in my life,’ he says.
Wednesday 19 August
Abandoned by her husband, Klara raised her three children in a bare apartment with no toilet or running water. She felt hopeless until Tearfund's partner helped her enrol her children in school, provided training and medical assistance. ‘I learnt it's never too late to start over,’ says Klara. Pray for all those experiencing the pain of family breakdown.
Thursday 20 August
Many people in the Central Asian States struggle with drug and alcohol misuse. Pray for freedom for those battling addiction, and give thanks for a life-changing rehabilitation centre supported by Tearfund. After successfully completing the recovery programme, Leo found a job, restored his relationship with his family and now nurses his elderly mother. Praise God for this total transformation.
Friday 21 August
Domestic violence is common in many Central Asian States, and victims often feel unable to seek help. A Tearfund partner teaches women their rights and how to address violence. ‘Often, we don't notice how many children and women are in difficult situations,’ says Lena, an eager course participant. ‘Maybe I could be a support to someone.’ Pray for all those who have been victims of abuse.
Saturday 22 August
Sisters Aybek and Gulnara dreamt of helping their remote, poverty-stricken village in some way. They started a bakery providing low-cost food for the community, receiving training and a small business grant from a Tearfund partner. The sisters then began training unemployed women in bakery skills. Praise God for their vision and compassion.
[Names have been changed this week to protect people's identities.]
The Future of Iraq: 23 – 29 August
More than 1.8 million Iraqis have left their homes since the beginning of 2014 as a result of conflict. Christian and Yazidi communities face forced conversion, persecution and even death. Many of the people who left their homes with no possessions are worried about the future: children are at risk of being poorly educated, and adults have been left with no means to support themselves or their families.
Sunday 23 August
Many Iraqis failed to escape when Islamic State (IS) militants invaded their towns. They continue to be fearful for their safety and for what the future holds. Lord, please protect those who are still living in IS-controlled areas.
Monday 24 August
Girls as young as 14 have been captured and are being held by Islamic State militants, or have been sold. Sexual violence is being used as a weapon of war and terror. Lord, bring restoration to those lives that have been destroyed by rape and assault.
Tuesday 25 August
In many conservative Iraqi communities, there is a pervasive culture of shame and stigma around sexual violence. Women who have faced such violence and have returned to their communities face a very difficult future, and are at high risk of suicide or honour killing. Pray for the support and rehabilitation of women and girls who have facer sexual violence; pray that their future will be full of hope and possibility.
Wednesday 26 August
Many children in displaced communities have been out of school since they fled their homes. Access to schooling is limited due to language barriers and a lack of space in host schools. Lord, break down barriers that bar these children from attending school, so that their future will be transformed by education.
Thursday 27 August
Hunger is a harsh reality for more than 3 million Iraqis who have fled their homes. Some of the darkest elements of the conflict are the long-term economic repercussions for those who are unemployed, homeless and desperate. Lord, bring restoration to broken lives, and provide opportunities and support for families in need.
Friday 28 August
Many families have endured terrible suffering at the hands of militants. Pray that these families will have resilience and determination. Let us pray that the goodness of God, which overcomes darkness, will spread across Iraq.
Saturday 29 August
Dear Father, light of the world, we pray for the people of Iraq. Where there is fear for the future, let your light shine into the darkest corners. We pray that you restore and rebuild the lives of those who are suffering, and give your church the wisdom and courage to bring healing to a land suffering great trauma and loss. Amen.
Tearfund Prayer Diary August2015 – tearfund.org/praying