“Intercession, n, 2: prayer, petition, or entreaty in favor of another” ( Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition)
Some situations are so overwhelming that it seems as though only God’s direct intervention can make a difference.
Below are prayer concerns both specific and general, about which we invite you to join us in focused prayer.
Call for Intercessory Prayer
Earlier calls for Intercessory Prayer
- Urgent Need: Earthquake in Haiti: Christians globally, particularly in Bastrop County, Burleson County, Fayette County, Lee County, Milam County, Travis County, Williamson County of Texas
- Major Need: Congo-Zaire: “The World’s Deadliest Humanitarian Crisis”: Christians globally, particularly in Essex County, Norfolk County, and Suffolk County, MA and Rockingham County, NH.
- Overwhelming Need: Darfur Genocide: Christians globally, particularly in Bronx County, Delaware County, Herkimer County, Jefferson County, Lewis County, New York County, Orange County, Otsego County, Rockland County, St. Lawrence County, and Sullivan County of New York State.
- Urgent Need: Earthquake in China: Christians globally, particularly in Colorado, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming
- Urgent Need: Cyclone disaster in Myanmar/Burma: Christians globally, particularly in Orange County.
- Overwhelming Need: Children of Uganda: Christians globally, particularly in Nassau County and Queens County, New York.
- Urgent Need: Earthquake Victims in Pakistan: Christians globally, particularly in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, and West Virginia.
General
Although Jesus informed us that “The poor you will always have with you” (Mt. 26:11), Jesus also said that if we believe, we’ll do greater things than He did (John 14:12). Surely we Christians in the United States can do more than about $4 billion a year in global missions, when we Americans spend about $24 billion on jewelry and $64 billion on soft drinks each year, to name but two expenditures (see the Lifestyle table on this Web site).
Pray with us that Christians in the United States would be open to a Holy Spirit-led movement of compassion as we dramatically increase our efforts to declare, in both word and deed, Jesus’ love for a hurting world.
Related reading about the possibilities of impacting need:
For general ideas on ways in which your money, given in Jesus’ name, could help, you may want to read these articles, which are written from a secular perspective. The world is recognizing what we in the church should already know: We can make a difference if we want to do so. The March 14, 2005 TIME magazine cover story, “How to End Poverty,” contains an exclusive book excerpt from Columbia University’s Earth Institute head, Jeffrey D. Sachs’ The End of Poverty (pp. 44-54). With regard to our ability to help, in Jesus’ name, stop most global child deaths, see the Washington Post’s “Child Deaths Avoidable” by David Brown, Washington Post staff writer) and the related Lancet medical journal articles.
From a Christian perspective, you may also want to review a call for a country-by-country needs analysis so that Christians can apply their increased help in Jesus’ name in a logical and more effective manner.