Prayer News | Where Christians Pray Through the News
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Prayer Focus: More Than 11,000 Unemployed After Staples, Sprint and Wal-Mart Layoffs


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Thousands of  Americans are losing their jobs.

MSN reports, “Staples Inc. on Monday laid off hundreds of corporate employees, according to multiple sources familiar with the situation.” Last week the Chicago Tribune reported, “A total of 227 employees got layoff notices” at the Chicago Public Schools. A BizJournal headline announces, “Sprint will lay off 829 in Overland Park.”

Earlier this month Wal-Mart announced plans to close 269 stores globally. CNBC reported, “In all, 16,000 employees will be impacted by the store closings, about 10,000 of whom are in the U.S.”

Prayer List

* Pray for new job opportunities for the newly unemployed.
* Pray for the unemployed to receive emotional support so that they are not overcome by depression while job hunting.
* Pray for CEOs and company officials to have godly wisdom and to make wise decisions regarding the reduction of their workforce.
* Pray for entreprenuers to be successful in starting new businesses.
* Pray for Christian employees to be salt and light in their workplaces and for God to be glorified in the marketplace.

Recent Prayer Focus Articles

* Prayer Focus: Cold Weather Causing Deaths in Asia
* Prayer Focus: 663 Million People Without Clean Water
* Prayer List: 18,000 Killed in Iraqi Conflict; 3 Million Refugees
* Prayer List: The Future of Television

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Prayer Focus: Cold Weather Causing Deaths in Asia


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According to the Associated Press, “Unusually cold weather in eastern Asia has been blamed for more than 65 deaths, disrupted transportation and brought the first snow to a subtropical city in southern China in almost 50 years.”

Prayer List

* Pray for the Holy Spirit to comfort the families and friends of the deceased.
* Pray for food, clothing, shelter and heat for people at risk from the cold weather.

Recent Prayer Focus Articles:

* Prayer Focus: 663 Million People Without Clean Water
* Prayer List: 18,000 Killed in Iraqi Conflict; 3 Million Refugees
* Prayer List: The Future of Television
* Prayer List: 8 to 10 Million Refugees Heading to Europe

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Prayer Focus: 663 Million People Without Clean Water


 

Safe drinking water is often taken for granted in first world nations but an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in Flint, Michigan, is drawing attention to this issue. The Detroit Free Press reported, “There have been 87 cases in Genesee County from June 2014 to November 2015 — and 10 of those cases resulted in death.”

The increase in infections occurred after Flint changed its main water source from Lake Huron to the Flint River.

According to Water.org, globally “663 million people – 1 in 10 – lack access to safe water” and “2.4 billion people – 1 in 3 – lack access to a toilet.”

Prayer List

* Pray for healing for people suffering from diseases caused water pollution.
* Pray for ministries, government agencies, non-profits and businesses to meet the need for clean water through filtration systems, digging of wells and pollution clean-up.
* Pray for people worldwide to encounter Jesus Christ and to experience the living water of salvation that God offers through faith. (John 4:14)

Recent Prayer Focus Articles:

* Prayer List: 18,000 Killed in Iraqi Conflict; 3 Million Refugees
* Prayer List: The Future of Television
* Prayer List: 8 to 10 Million Refugees Heading to Europe

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Prayer List: 18,000 Killed in Iraqi Conflict; 3 Million Refugees


Picture: Rachel Unkovic/International Rescue Committee

Children at a Syrian refugee camp set up for Iraqis fleeing ISIS. Picture: Rachel Unkovic/International Rescue Committee –  CC

The United Nations reports, “Civilians continue to suffer the most from the non-international armed conflict in Iraq. From 1 January 2014 through 31 October 2015, UNAMI/OHCHR recorded at least 55,047 civilian casualties as a result of the conflict, with 18,802 people killed and 36,245 wounded.”

The armed conflict has created a refugee crisis. The United Nations also notes, “Civilians continue to flee their homes and communities in massive numbers. From January 2014 through 29 September 2015, a total of 3,206,736 persons became internally displaced in Iraq, including over 1 million school age girls and boys.”

 

Source: Report on the Protection of Civilians in the Armed Conflict in Iraq: 1 May – 31 October 2015

Prayer List:

* Pray for the Holy Spirit to comfort Iraqis mourning the deaths of family members and friends.
* Pray for healing for Iraqis injured in the conflict.
* Pray for the refugees’ basic needs (food, clothing, shelter, medical care,jobs and education) to be met.
* Pray for the Holy Spirit to change the hearts of ISIS terrorists so that they lay down their weapons and pursue peace.

Recent Prayer Focus Articles:

* Prayer List: The Future of Television
* Prayer List: 8 to 10 Million Refugees Heading to Europe

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Prayer List: The Future of Television


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The future of television is being shaped by decisions made this week at the National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) convention in Miami, Florida. TV network and TV station executives are gathering in Miami to meet with content producers. Programming directors select new shows to air.

Religious broadcasters and Christian streaming media companies will also attend the annual event. According to Variety magazine, televangelist T. D. Jakes’ new talk show will be promoted at NATPE:

“T.D. Jakes” is a prime example of the trend of station groups becoming more proactive in developing their own shows to suit regional needs. Jakes, who heads the Dallas-based Potter’s House church, has flirted with launching a syndicated talk show for years.

Prayer List

* Pray for TV executives, programming directors, TV producers, script writers,actors, crew personnel,newscasters, and their audiences to place their trust in Jesus Christ.
* Pray for television executives to put God first in their business.
* Pray for Christians working in the entertainment industry to avoid moral compromise.
* Pray for God to stop religious broadcasters and televangelists that are leading people astray with the prosperity gospel and other false teaching.

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Prayer List: 8 to 10 Million Refugees Heading to Europe


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More than one million refugees settled in Germany last year and the refugee population is expected to increase dramatically. According to Gerd Müller, Germany’s Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development, “Eight to 10 million is still on its way. Those who come to us now, for several years sat in the tent cities, basements or goat stables without water and electricity. It is shameful that the international community is not able to ensure the survival on the spot.”

Source: International Business Times

Prayer List

* Pray for the Holy Spirit to prompt Christians to house and shelter refugees.
* Pray for refugees to obtain food, clothing and shelter.
* Pray for debt relief for refugees behind on their rent and other bills.
* Pray for the refugees to encounter the Gospel message and to place their faith in Jesus Christ.

Previous Articles

* Prayer List: 231 Boys Allegedly Sexually Abused
* Prayer List: The Global Economy

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Prayer List: 231 Boys Allegedly Sexually Abused


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According to Religion News Service, “Allegations that more than 200 boys in a Catholic-run choir and two connected schools in Germany were abused over the span of several decades, some of them sexually, have brought the church’s abuse scandal uncomfortably close to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, whose older brother directed the famous Bavarian choir during that time.”

Prayer List

* Pray for the abuse victims to heal emotionally and spiritually.
* Pray for the victims to find salvation in Jesus Christ.
* Pray for pastors, priests, and church volunteers to resist the temptation to commit sexual violence, adultery, and fornication.
* Pray for Christians struggling with pornography to renew their minds and avoid TV programs, movies and websites that will temp them.

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Prayer List: The Global Economy


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Stock prices plunged this week. CNN reports that China’s stock market dropped 7% in value and in the United States the Dow lost 392 points.

Fortune Magazine warns, “In the year ahead, China’s stock market is in for many more bad days.”

Prayer List

* Pray for depressed investors that have lost their savings due to bad investments.
* Pray for investors to be wise stewards of their money and to use their wealth for the kingdom of God.
* Pray for entrepreneurs starting new businesses.
* Pray for the unemployed to find new jobs.
* Pray for central banks, politicians and government regulators to not cause further harm to the world economy.

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Prayer List: Mexican Mayor Murdered


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On New Year’s Day Gisela Mota became the new mayor of Temixco, Mexico. The next day she was murdered.

The Associated Press reports, “Temixco is a city of about 100,000 people neighboring Cuernavaca, a resort and industrial city which has been suffering kidnappings and extortion linked to organized crime groups.”

Prayer List

* Pray for the Holy Spirit to comfort the family and friends of Gisela Mota.
* Pray for Mexico’s politicians to have discernment in how to respond to  violence.
* Pray for the Holy Spirit to convict cartel members of their sin and need for salvation.
* Pray for an end to the drug cartel violence in Mexico.
* Pray for cartel members to find honest employment.
* Pray for drug addicts to overcome their addictions.
* Pray for the Gospel to spread throughout Mexico as church planters work on starting new congregations.

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Prayer List: Opportunities to Serve God in 2016


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“Tell Archippus: “See to it that you complete the ministry you have received in the Lord.” – Colossians 4:17

God has given each of us the opportunity to serve Him. We should prayerfully work towards completing the ministry that He has given us.

Prayer List

* Thank God for providing for our needs and being with us during 2015.
* Confess any sins.
* Pray for the Holy Spirit to prepare our steps and to give us discernment so that we will not stray from God’s will.
* Pray for opportunities to share the love and Gospel of Jesus Christ with family members, friends, and neighbors.
* Pray for the Holy Spirit to build a sense of urgency in the body of Christ, the Church, to complete the ministry Jesus has given us.

Previous Articles

Prayer List: Terrorist Attack Kills 26 in Pakistan

Prayer List: Winter Storms Kill 43 And Three Churches Destroyed