The Global Anabaptist Peace Network is preparing for face-to-face meetings in conjunction with the Global Mennonite Peacebuilding Festival (GMP III) in Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA, in June. Praise God for this opportunity to learn from peacebuilders from around the world. Pray for encouragement and renewed energy for the work. Pray for a fast and generous visa process and for safe travels.
Prayers of Gratitude and Intercession
We ask for prayers for our nation, Cuba. The people are suffering due to extreme scarcity of food, medicines, medical supplies, hygiene items, etc. Prices have soared as much as 150 percent. Many people are trying to emigrate. Only God can perform a miracle.
—submitted by Beatriz Mendez, Cuba
Photo: Alexandro Marthin
Let pray for peace and unity. Let us open our eyes to the needy people around them, and listen for God’s call to us to help provide for their needs. Let us pray for healing for those who are sick and in hospital, and listen to God’s call to visit them with love and encouragement. Let us pray for economies of our countries: may our leaders make wise decisions for the common good.
Photo: Rhoda Shirk
Churches in the Vancouver/Abbotsford region of British Columbia, Canada will be hosting the MWC Renewal event (25 March), and many local congregations will be welcoming international MWC guests to their worship services (26 March). MWC Executive Committee (27-29 March), Commission leaders, Regional Representatives and staff will be gathering the following week for their annual meetings.
Please pray:
- that international visas will be processed and arrive in a timely fashion, and for safe travel;
- for the Renewal event that will bring together people from various churches;
- for the hosting churches and their leaders;
for the Executive Committee, Commission leaders, regional representatives and staff as they meet together.
We pray about the political and economic changes in the Southern Cone of the Americas and the resulting social instability (especially in Bolivia and Peru). May the Anabaptist communities, churches and institutions be a light; may they promote dialogue, denounce injustice and respond to so much need.
—submitted by Adaía Bernal Collazo, Iglesia Menonita de Teusaquillo, Bogotá, Colombia
Let pray for peace and unity. Let us open our eyes to the needy people around them, and listen for God’s call to us to help provide for their needs. Let us pray for healing for those who are sick and in hospital, and listen to God’s call to visit them with love and encouragement. Let us pray for economies of our countries: may our leaders make wise decisions for the common good.
Praise God for the persistent efforts of Mennonite pastors in Ukraine. They bring hope to people in hopeless situation, showing the love of Christ. Recently, church buildings in occupied areas have been taken over by Russian forces. Church activities, including outreach to children and senior citizens, have lost their home. Pray that the Spirit of God would continue to strengthen Ukrainian brothers and sisters with hope in this time of suffering.
Photo: Charitable Foundation Uman Help Center, a Mennonite Central Committee partner, provides food and basic supplies for people fleeing the war in Ukraine. — UMAN/MCC
Lord, have mercy! Two earthquakes in a border region have resulted in more than 40,000 deaths in Türkiye and Syria. In a season of rain, snow and cold temperatures, many people lack shelter; buildings and roads were destroyed or damaged, delaying aid. Pray for people who have lost loved ones and are affected by fear and trauma from the quakes and their aftermath. Global Mission Fellowship (GMF) member Multiply has relationships with churches in the region. Pray for discernment in responding. Pray that the hope and peace of Christ would permeate all their efforts.
Photo: Collapsed buildings following the Feb. 6 earthquakes in Aleppo, Syria. — Franciscan Church in Aleppo/MCC
Thank God for the opportunity of Christian education to shape character and form a people of God.
In some parts of the globe, school is well underway. In other parts, the school year is just beginning. Pray for receptive and eager students. May they be able to cross barriers to learning. Pray for wise and humble teachers and administrators. May their pursuit of knowledge honour God. May they be responsive to the needs of their students.
Pray for GAEN – the Global Anabaptist Education Network, both Primary and Secondary, and Higher Education. As they prepare for their first in-person meetings in June, may they find vision and means to work together and support each other.
Photo: Marive Catignas
Pray for the internally displaced in Burkina Faso: we estimate that there are almost two million internally displaced persons. The majority of displaced persons are Muslims. After some social assistance, the Mennonite Church has organized training for soap-making to benefit internally displaced women and is sharing the good news of reconciliation between God and people. Pray especially for these women and the thousands of children that need to be fed.
—submitted by Siaka Traoré, MWC regional representative for Central West Africa
Photo: Tiz Brotosudarmo
We keep praying for our brothers and sisters in Ukraine. As the Russian attacks on the Ukrainian energy infrastructure continue, the lack of power becomes life threatening in winter.
Pastors continue their relief work and often travel to the war-ravaged cities to aid suffering people even as missile attacks continue.
The church in Molochansk asks for help and prayer for the elderly. For many years, they cared for seniors in a church building converted to a nursing home. This nursing home has been confiscated by the Russian army and the residents evicted. The church cares for them in private homes now, but nursing is difficult and very expensive under war circumstances.
Pray for those who serve as chaplains in the army. They serve in an environment where hate of the enemy is cultivated, where enemy soldiers are dehumanized. May they find the courage, strength and wisdom to resist these forces of hate and dehumanization. May they bring healing to the many traumatized by this war.
Photo: UMAN/MCC
Prayer for Anabaptist-Mennonites around the world
Creator God,
Forgive us our sins, for you are the one who gives. You have never committed injustice. We want peace in the name of Jesus Christ, the Savior. You know all of the problems that cross our borders, families, country and congregation. Strengthen us with your liberating blood. It is not through our own strength that we can do everything, but it is through your will that we will vanquish evil with good. In Jesus Christ we are more than conquerors.
—submitted by Jean Mukula Kasenu, Communtaute des Eglises Frères Mennonites au Congo
Photo: Christen Kong
• Pray for peaceful solutions to those experiencing violent conflict, especially in eastern Congo and Burkina Faso.
• Pray for the many people in Africa who are experiencing hunger and drought, due to the impacts of climate change and the war in Ukraine
—Anabaptist World Fellowship Sunday 2023
Photo: Siaka Traore
Pray for Malawi where a growing cholera outbreak has spread throughout the country, causing more than 500 deaths since March. It is projected to worsen with the coming rainy season. People still displaced by a January 2022 tropical storm and March 2022 cyclone lack access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene to prevent infection. Pray for MWC national member churches Brethren in Christ Church and Mennonite Brethren Church in Malawi as they work to treat and prevent disease.
Photo: Henk Stenvers
One thousand Christians from more than 20 villages in Narayanpur and Kondagaon districts of Chhattisgarh state have fled violent mobs who attacked people and church buildings. Several congregations of Mennonite Church in are located in these districts. Members of the MCI Executive Committee visited the region to bring food and relief supplies, to evaluate the situation and to stand with the new believers in solidarity. The situation is very critical. We request for special prayers for the victims of the violence and to intercede for the country as a whole so that citizens of all faiths will inherit 2023 in peace and harmony.
—submitted by Vikal Rao, Mennonite Church India, Chhattisgarh
Photo: Vikal Rao
Lord, be with us in the seasons of the new year:
As there are births and deaths;
As we plant and harvest,
As there is breaking down and building up;
As we weep, laugh, mourn and dance,
As there is gathering and releasing, tearing and mending,
As there is peace and war;
Lord, teach our hearts through repentance and love;
Lord, guide our actions in courage, faith and grace;
Lord, walk with us through your Holy Spirit and through the prayers and presence of each other.
(Inspired by Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)
Pray for peace and social harmony in the Ivory Coast.
—submitted by Boressi Hermann Gnahore, Église des Frères Mennonites de Côte d’Ivoire
Photo: Windhi Arsari
Praise the Lord for Convención Evangélica Hermanos Menonitas Nivaclé in the Paraguayan Chaco that held an evangelistic event in October. May the seeds planted there take root and grow into faith in Christ and a life of discipleship.
—submitted by Leonardo Gomez, Convención Evangélica Hermanos Menonitas Nivaclé, Paraguay
Photo: Михаил Павленко/Unsplash
We pray about the leadership challenges in the Indian churches. We also pray for new believers who are desiring to be baptized. May congregations take courageous steps to offer baptism.
—submitted by Vikal Rao, Mennonite Church India, Chhattisgarh
Photo: Karla Braun
We pray for the MC Canada congregations and pastors who are recovering from the pandemic. Attendance at worship has decreased and many pastors are feeling tired and uncertain about the future, yet we have hope that God is doing a new thing in this time. While new ways of being the church are beginning to emerge, many still grieve what was. Pray that we may have the to humility admit our longings to God the courage to follow Jesus to the place where the church in Canada will be renewed.
—submitted by Doug Klassen, executive minister, Mennonite Church Canada
Photo: Sam Abhinav
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