As Jesus said, “the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few”. We continue to call out to the Lord for a harvest, that God sends workers to gather the harvest since this is one of our Conference’s needs, and we ask this global community for prayer support in this regard.
—Submitted by Samuel Martínez Leal, El Salvador
Photo: Henk Stenvers
“In times of peace, we maintained a positive relationship with brothers and sisters all over the globe. It has become a great encouragement for us to receive support from all corners of the earth,” says the leader of Associated Mennonite Brethren Churches of Ukraine. “Every possible assistance, even the small one, is essential for us, and none of us can express how grateful we are. We give glory to the Lord ceaselessly for your open and sincere hearts.”
Lord God, we pray for peace in Ukraine. We pray for your love and sustaining hand for our brothers and sisters in Ukraine, including the 20 Mennonite Brethren congregations who are providing aid for their neighbours: shelter in church buildings, food and spiritual comfort. We pray too for the people of Russia because as followers of Jesus, we do not regard any human as an enemy.
The heavens are telling the glory of God; the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard;
yet their voice goes out throughout all the earth…
God, when we look around us, we seek to find you.
The heavens declare your glory, the psalmist proclaims.
Yet in our changing world, it can be hard to see the stars through polluted skies, or glory in parched air and rainfall that never comes.
Give us eyes to glimpse heaven’s glory all around us in a fractured world.
May we remember:
That the same spirals of the Milky Way are part of our DNA
That the constellations of our communities that come together in love and care for all your creation is a way of displaying our knowledge of you.
That our patterns of coming and going, tending and nurturing, proclaim the work of your hands.
Give us your wisdom as we seek to honour and reflect your glory, in ourselves, in our communities, and in our world.
Amen
—Anna Vogt, MCC Ottawa director and member of the Creation Care Task Force
Photo: Anna Vogt
Differing acceptance of vaccination causes division in churches in Canada and the USA. This is a negative witness in the community. Pray that church members would follow Jesus example of loving their neighbour both inside and outside the church.
Photo: Flickr/ Baltimore County Government
Forced displacement brought Mennonites to Kazakhstan during World War II, but there are no MWC member churches today. Pray for this country that has recently experienced protests and violence.
Since the military seized power in Myanmar 2 February 2021 amid the coronavirus crisis, more than 2 000 protesters have been killed and civil resistance has shifted from peaceful to armed. The leader of Bible Missionary Church (an MWC national member church) reports church members have fled to the mountains to live in safety, but medicine, food and clothing are scarce. “We would like to express our sincere request for the vulnerable 404 families, especially for refugees of our BMC members. You are requested to get involved in your prayer for Myanmar.”
Photo: Tim Proffitt-White / Flickr
Pray for the three Anabaptist synods in Indonesia: GITJ (Gereja Injili de Tanah Jawa – the oldest Anabaptist-Mennonite Global South conference in the world), GKMI (Gereja Kristen Muria Indonesia) and JKI (Jemaat Kristen Indonesia). Pray for the churches’ safety and witness in Indonesia, part of a small Christian minority in the country with the largest number of Muslims in the world.
The Lord hears the prayers of his people. The churches in India praise God for fulfilling their day-to-day needs and keeping them safe. Many families lost their dear ones, yet the Lord granted his care and protection.
There have been natural calamities like flood, cyclone, untimely rain and sometimes no rain. Joblessness causes financial stress and many young people leave to search for employment. Pray for open doors to income generating projects.
Visitation to church and community members continue (heeding public health advice for safe interactions): Anabaptist-Mennonites bring the Word of God and prayer, hygiene items and food.
Praise God: BICC Odisha planted 10 new churches, two new house fellowships and baptize hundreds of new believers in 2021.
—Bijoy Roul, BICC Odisha; Paul Phinehas, Gilgal Mission Trust; Benjamin Nand, Mennonite Christian Service Fellowship
Photo: Henk Stenvers, 2018
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Pray for Belarus and its neighbouring countries. Political upheaval and the country’s position as a gateway between Asia and Europe has resulted in a migration crisis. Anabaptist-Mennonite congregations in Lithuania, Germany and Austria seek wisdom about responding to migrants in their countries. Constantly fluctuating coronavirus infection rates add further complications to offering aid. Pray for churches to have courageous compassion.
Rainy season brings difficult weather in Southeast Asia. Pray for the Philippines recently struck by a typhoon and for Indonesia which sees more natural disasters in this season. Praise God for church agencies like GKMI’s Mennonite Diakonia Service in Indonesia which respond with material aid and the love of Christ.
Pray that MWC member churches would be open to the moving of the Holy Spirit. May our churches experience individual and corporate renewal. May our hearts turn away from the allure of individualism, toward the call of God to act interdependently as God’s shalom builders in our communities.
Dear Lord, as we enter this new year, steady our hearts to spread the gospel of peace. May we follow your Spirit as we work for transformation and justice in this world. Lord, give us courage to proclaim this message in word and action, especially in places where there is corruption, persecution and natural disasters. Thank you for Jesus’ peacemaking example.
Pray for the many MWC meetings in Indonesia in July 2022 – the member church delegates at the General Council, Commissions, MWC networks (mission, service, peace, education, health), and the global Assembly itself. Pray for health and safety of all participants. Pray that the Spirit will move in the midst of the gatherings, uniting and strengthening the body.
Pray for Brazil where the political situation is not good; radicalism, churches getting involved in politics that bring lots of conflicts, environment problems and inflation.
—Hans Gerhard Peters, Aliança Evangélica Menonita, Brazil
Youth in Zambia struggle to find employment and many families do not have enough food, says Kaumba Samwangala, from Choma, Zambia. Pray that God’s hand may supply the needs through local church and government.
—Kaumba Samwangala, Batoka Primary School (BIC), Zambia
“When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those who wait for him.” (Isaiah 64:3-5)
Lord, we confess that we have sinned. Thank you for drawing near to us by sending the Messiah to save us and reveal your power. As we celebrate the hope of Christmas, teach us your self-emptying ways.
Cases of COVID-19 are increasing in Bolivia, Paraguay and Urugay after a period of very low cases. This causes panic in people even in the church. We pray that God will strength us to continue to reach out to people with the gospel. In December and January, congregations in Bolivia are planning to organize several vacation Bible schools; please pray for the leaders, the children who will participate and for their families.
—Freddy Barron, regional representative, Latin America, Cono Sur
Many congregations in Uganda meet under the trees or sit on dusty floors, says Simon Onyango Okoth, bishop of Uganda Mennonite Church. Praise God for the grateful, pioneering spirit of these church members. Pray for leadership development to lead to sustainability.
Praise God for the cresting of the latest wave of infection in Indonesia. Pray that the number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia and the world will continue to decrease significantly, so that MWC General Assembly 17 in Indonesia can still be attended by Anabaptist sisters and brothers from all over the world. Pray for wisdom for the committee taking the decision to set a proper alternative model for the MWC General Assembly 17.
Pray for Anabaptist-Mennonites in British Columbia, Canada. After a summer of record high temperatures and wild fires, the province has been deluged with tremendous rainfall, causing flooding that has washed out major highways that link the Port of Vancouver to the rest of Canada, and flooding a region populated by many Mennonite and Mennonite Brethren church members. Thousands of homes and farms have been destroyed.
“As Canadians, we are used to a stable environment, but these floods are reminding us to look to the Lord and not take things for granted. It’s an opportunity to show the love of Christ in action, helping out our neighbours.
“Pray that we will learn the lessons the Lord is wanting to teach us in this moment: That we will look to God in humility and trust and remember that although creation is “groaning” it remains under His control and still declares His glory and goodness.” —Rob Thiessen, British Columbia Mennonite Brethren conference minister
“I pray that the waters will hold back, that the rivers will flow without more destruction to homes and farms and barns and life. But, even so, if it does cause more destruction. We will stand together and serve one another. Community leaders, churches, businesses and everyone in between.”—Darnell Barkman, pastor at Yarrow United Mennonite Church, B.C., Canada, and vice moderator of Mennonite Church BC.
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