Prayer

Current prayer points

• Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

  For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

  Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

  Ephesians 2 : 11-14 NIV

  For He Himself is our peace - reconciliation and unity are available to us through Jesus whatever conflict we are facing. Whether those conflicts are internal, between neighbours, family members, in our churches, our communities or in the wider world which affect us in various ways we can turn to Jesus ‘for He himself is our peace’

  There is so much in the news that is unsettling and concerning, the uncertainty of what will happen tomorrow can leave us fearful and paralysed but we can pray to The Prince of Peace asking Him to intervene, for the hearts of those in authority to soften and seek resolution.

  At Mission Direct we are not unaffected by consequences of war in the Middle East and neither are our partners who already face poverty and a lack of resources so please pray with us for peace and for our people, partners and projects.

  Thank you

  Please keep praying with us and if you would like to be involved in any other way do get in touch.
  Please share these requests with your family, your prayer partners, your life group and your church. Pray confidently holding on firmly to God's promises and let us see what He will do.

• Zambia

  This year, we are raising funds to build two classrooms at a nursery school in Lusaka. We are grateful for all who have donated so far, and for those planning fundraising activities in the future.

  We pray for Jackie in the MD office as she faces the daunting task of booking flights for the volunteer teams, in a climate of route restrictions and rising costs.

  We pray for all the volunteers who have booked to come to Zambia this year, that the Orientation events will be helpful in preparing them for their trip.

  We pray for Geoff and Roger as they prepare to lead the teams in Zambia this year, that their planning and personal preparation will go well.

  We pray for our Partners in Lusaka who daily face many challenges, running schools and safe houses for vulnerable adults and children, and providing support for vulnerable families in their communities.

• Footprints Zambia

  Pray for the Footprints team who will travel to Zambia for a non-building team.

  Pray for more volunteers and for their preparation as they look forward to serving on the streets with the children there.

  We pray that many more street children will be reached and rescued, knowing they are loved by God and by us.

• Cambodia

  We give thanks for the completed school and perimeter wall at Jake (Banana) Village and for volunteers who contributed in so many ways to build this school, for all those who selflessly gave to the project and we pray for the staff and students who will benefit from it.

  Pastor Sara's Father-in-law died recently and we pray for the family in their loss.

  Please pray for our partner Serve Cambodia's work, including their teaching staff and for the recruitment of teachers when there is turnover.

• Narok, Kenya

  Please pray for the volunteers on the team this year and for all their preparations.

  Pray for the overseas staff team, Jackie Jackson and Denise Clark — for strength, wisdom, and grace as they serve. Pray also for all the plans for the trip; for transport, accommodation and project visits.

  Pray for our partner, Mission with a Vision, as they continue to bring hope and support to girls and women in the community.

• Kumi, Uganda

  Pray for the continuation of the building projects, for the completion of teacher’s homes and the refurbishment of three classrooms later in the year so that class sizes can continue to be reduced.

  Pray for flights to be available for team 2 and 3 volunteers to come and continue the work.

  Pray for healing and protection for John Okello the Head Teacher and other members of staff to recover from various health issues.

  Pray for the continuation of the Chicken Project as our involvement winds down over the rest of the year and that it will be successfully self-sustaining in the hands of our local partners.

  Pray for the new sheep initiative that it will promote income generation and self-sufficiency among the beneficiaries as it grows.

  Pray for good rains to support the environmental – climate change initiative. It has struggled through the first year which I guess just underlines the need and is in the second year of planting.

  Pray continuously for Ngora School for Deaf Children; that the remarkable achievements over the last few years will continue and that the children will succeed in their education, supported by the Head Teacher and staff who are so committed to their futures. We give thanks that Joshua who featured last month is able to return to school after receiving support for his travel costs.

• Zimbabwe

  Pray that excitement will be building for the team coming out in August – as they prepare, pray and fundraise.

  Pray that they will raise funds to help complete the new classroom inside and out, and for the other school and orphanage refurbishment projects we are planning

  For Ali and John as they plan the overall itinerary and liaise with our project partners in Bulawayo

  Pray for John and ali as they make decisions about team accommodation – they have some ideas to explore in the next few days, and also a good Plan B - pray for wisdom and favour.

  Pray for John and Ali’s family back in the UK – 5 children, 2 grandchildren and 4 elderly parents as they face exciting opportunities and difficult challenges this year, and for them as they visit the UK in July/August before returning to Bulawayo to welcome the MD team.

• Dominican Republic

  Pray for the new staff team this year as they build strong and meaningful relationships with the Samaritan Foundation.

  Pray for Simone (Regional Manager), Gill, and Andrew as they lead the team — for wisdom, unity, and strength in their roles.

  Pray for smooth preparations and logistics ahead of the upcoming mission activities.

• Malawi

  Please pray for our partners Mbedza in Zomba and their eco stoves and tree planting projects.

• The news is unsettling right now and conflicts around the world affect all of us in many ways. We pray for peace.

  The volatility in world markets, especially oil, impact our budgets. Please pray that we would be able to find reasonably priced flights for our volunteers and that there would not be a negative impact on our partners and the projects to which we are committed this year.

• Our volunteers:
  We thank God for all the volunteers who have applied for trips this year.
  Pray for their preparations, that they would gel as a team through their orientation and for their fundraising efforts.
  Please ask God for opportunities to share about our work with those you meet, with your family, with your church.
  Please pray our Trustees thanking God for their willingness to serve in this way and for the gifts that they bring to Mission Direct.

• Please give thanks with us for opportunities to share about the work we do.

  Jackie was in Skegness at Spring Harvest sharing all about Mission Direct and encouraging people to think about how they can be involved. Wil went to Minehead the following week.

  Please pray for the seeds that were sown during this time. We thank God for good conversations and abundant opportunities to share about the opportunities to serve.