Hear our prayer August November 2017 We believe in life before death Inside: We embrace uncertainty, especially in these dark times... Red Constantino
Week beginning 6 August Loaves and fishes Read: Matthew 14:13-21 Give thanks for the fishing nets, tools and seeds provided by Christian Aid partners to communities across the world. Pray that this support will help many through hunger seasons and failed or destroyed harvests. Pray for Christian Aid partner UNIDO, which provides nutritious food to communities facing shortages in South Sudan. Pray for the Wales National Eisteddfod, 4 12 August, the celebration of Welsh culture and language. Ask God that many people will be inspired by the Week beginning 13 August Walk on water Read: Matthew 14:22-33 Pray for all who depend on the sea for survival yet live at the mercy of strong winds. Pray for Christian Aid partner SIKAT, which helps small island presence of the partnership between Christian Aid and Churches Together in Wales there. God of grace, cultivate in us grateful minds, generous hearts and giving hands, so that none would be without. communities in the Philippines to prepare for typhoons. The centenary of Oscar Romero s birth is 15 August. Pray for the Christian Aid partnership events marking it: the film screening in Glasgow that day and the church service in London on 23 September. Pray for this to be a time of renewed commitment and courage to stand with those who are oppressed. God of courage, help us to step out of our comfort zones for the sake of justice. Help us keep our eyes fixed on you, the one who says 'take heart' and don t be afraid. 2
Week beginning 20 August Hope for all Read: Matthew 15:10-28 Pray for all those who are left out by cultural systems and structures. Pray for the work of Christian Aid partner SKA in India, which challenges the system that ensnares Dalit women in the degrading occupation of manual scavenging (cleaning dry latrines). Pray for Greenbelt festival, 25 28 August. Pray for many festival goers to be challenged and encouraged by the Christian Aid programme which focuses on the Big Shift campaign, our call on banks to move our money from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Pray that the team of staff and volunteers will inspire festival goers creatively and meaningfully. God of hope, help us to challenge and change the systems that deny dignity and fullness of life to all. 3
Week beginning 27 August Interconnected Read: Romans 12:1-8 We are not faced with a choice between good causes. Environment, peace-making and development are all together. We need to understand this interconnectedness. We need a basic shift in our attitude to growth in prosperity. The myth of prosperity is dangerous and will be murderous to humanity and creation. Dr Rowan Williams, Chair of Christian Aid. 1 September is the World Day of Prayer for Creation. This week, as you join Christians across the world in prayer, reflect on Dr Rowan Williams words. Pray for the Tools for Transformation eco-church event happening in Portsmouth Cathedral. Pray for Christian Aid Scotland's presence at the Guild conference in Dundee, where they will share good news from the Mother Earth solar oven project in Bolivia. All-powerful God, teach us to discover the worth of each thing, to be filled with awe and contemplation, to recognise that we are profoundly united with every creature as we journey towards your infinite light. (From A Prayer for The Earth, Laudato Si'.) Week beginning 3rd September I know their sufferings 4 Read: Exodus 3:1-15 Give thanks for Christian Aid partner CBCA in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Thank God for the staff team, who provide support for those enduring suffering from conflict, like Sifa, pictured, who trained to become a Psychosocial Assistant in Goma. She explains how she was moved to train: I saw the miserable situation of the women here and said I have to work with this. I feel scared to live here sometimes. Pray for the Power Walk and Survival Challenge at the UK s largest windfarm, Whitelee, on 9 and 10 September. Pray that all the walkers among the majestic turbines will reflect on how climate change affects global communities, and pray they will be generously sponsored by family and friends. Pray for the Survival Challenge to help youth groups explore some of the realities that refugees face. Seeing God, may all those who feel forgotten and overlooked have a fresh awareness of your presence in their suffering.
Week beginning 10 September Abundant life Read: John 10:1-10 Give thanks for the many Harvest thanksgiving services happening across the country. Pray for a generous response to Christian Aid s Harvest Appeal which will help farmers earn life-changing money from their crops in Malawi, bringing abundant life closer. Get resources for your church service at caid.org.uk/harvest, and share photos of your fundraising on social media using #peasbewithyou. Give thanks and pray for all the Christian Aid runners taking part in the Great North Run on 10 September. Pray for the UN General Assembly starting on the 12 September and for the ongoing work to establish new agreements on refugees and migration. Pray that any agreements will bring hope to displaced people. Pray for safe and successful fundraising events in Ireland, such as the Sheep s Head Hike in County Cork and the Strangford Sportive cycle event in County Down. God of all blessings, we give you thanks: for the breath that sustains, for the food of this earth, for the love of family and friends, without which there would be no life. (From Christian Aid s Harvest Prayer) 5
Week beginning 17 September For God so loved the world Read: John 3:13-17 Pray for Christian Aid s partner in Burundi, World Outreach Initiatives (WOI), who work with faith and community leaders to help improve health and family planning. Regina Ndereyimana, pictured, was trained in general health, HIV and family planning by WOI. She now shares her knowledge with her community. Regina also received a loan, and training in new ways to earn money. She helps her neighbours and she s hopeful: I tell them, don t be afraid of HIV, stay courageous. We are HIVpositive and we are still living. Sponsored Walk on 23 September. Ask that the walk will build awareness of world poverty. God, thank you for the world changing organisations that Christian Aid partners with. May we all love the world so much that we give sacrificially. 6 Pray also for Christian Aid partner the World Young Women s Christian Association, who work to amplify the voices of young women from all over the world, helping them to have an influence on global decision-making and to strengthen the ecumenical movement for gender justice. Pray for those taking part in the Richmond Park
Week beginning 24 September The marketplace Read: Matthew 20:1-16 Give thanks and pray for Christian Aid partner Youth Harvest Foundation Ghana. Pray for their work with female farmers and rice processors in northern Ghana, improving the quality and yield of rice they produce. Pray for the training they re giving farmers, from improved techniques for growing and processing crops to vital business skills so women can negotiate better prices for their harvests. Everyone involved with the project so far now has enough money to pay to send all their children to school praise God! Join the global vigil praying for peace in the Middle East on the 24th of each month. actpalestineforum.org/vigil/ Pray for all those taking part in the The Kelpies sponsored walk, around the stunning sculptures in Falkirk, on 30 September. Generous God, Help us to give as generously as the vineyard owner, so all would have enough. Amen Week beginning 1 October God at work in you Read: Philippians 2:1-13 October is Black History Month. Give thanks for the contributions that African and Caribbean communities make to societies worldwide. Give thanks for Albert, pictured, and all the community based monitors involved with the Voice to the People project in Nigeria. Pray that this project will make sure the poorest get the services they need and deserve. God who is at work, Thank you for the inspiration of others across the world. Enable us to do our bit for the good of all. Pray that all who attend the Presbyterian Church of Wales Christian Aid weekend, 6-8 October, will be encouraged by the update from the Philippines Typhoon of Love appeal.
Week beginning 8 October Press on towards the goal Read: Philippians 3:4b-14 Pray for those who are striving towards ending fossil fuel investment, combatting climate change through our Big Shift campaign. Pray for campaigners who are visiting banks in September and October. Pray their conversations would help to shift how banks invest. Find out more at caid.org.uk/bigshift Pray for a successful Big Shift campaign across the globe, asking banks worldwide to shift investments from fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy. Pray for the World Bank meetings on 13 and 15 October. Pray that the World Bank will lead the transition to renewable energy. Creator God, bless all who are taking part in the Big Shift campaign with courage and tenacity. Encourage them as they press on towards the goal of climate justice for all. 8
Week beginning 15 October Business as a force for good Read: 1 Peter 4:7-11 On the 16 October, Christian Aid s new Salt business network will celebrate its first year of bringing business leaders together to tackle poverty. All businesses, large and small, have a critical role to play in building a just world. Through Salt, we are supporting Christians in business to be part of the change, forming a united voice and helping businesses be a force for good. Pray all business leaders across the world may lead and grow their businesses to benefit the whole community and to protect our planet s scarce resources. Pray for Salt members and ask that their united voice on sustainable and ethical business can grow and be amplified. Giving God, Help us use your gifts to reach out in love to all our neighbours. Help us to reflect on how our work and life impacts others. Support us to live in a way which reflects your glory, which ensures all human life can flourish, and cares for your creation.
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Week beginning 22 October A safe place to call home Read: Exodus 33:12-23 Continue to pray for those seeking refuge in Serbia, especially coming into the cold winter months. Pray for their mental health as they remain stuck in the legal limbo and emotional strain of the refugee camps. Pray for Christian Aid partner Philanthropy, who provides hot food for families in Bujanovac refugee camp and runs film animation and sewing workshops to give young people and women something to do during the day. Pray for One World Week, 22-29 October. With its theme of Good Neighbours, pray that it would raise awareness and consciousness of how we can all play our part building good global relationships. God of life, We pray for all those who are displaced from their homes. Shelter them in the cleft of the rock, hold them in the palm of your hand, guide them to find a safe place to call home. 11
Week beginning 29 October Love your neighbour as yourself Read: Matthew 22:34-46 2 November marks the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, the letter written by the British Government supporting the creation of a homeland for the Jews in Palestine. Pray for Christian Aid partners working for peace and justice in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory. Pray in particular for the women in the occupied Palestinian territory. Pray for their freedom from the limitations placed on them, their rights, education, opportunities to earn money, political participation and decision making. Pray for Christian Aid partner YWCA as they support women to create and sell dolls wearing traditional Palestinian dress. Give thanks for this project which helps women living in refugee camps to earn money. God of peace, encourage those who seek to establish a fair and just peace in the Middle East. Bless their efforts as they work to end conflict. (From actpalestineforum.org) Week beginning 5 November Steadfast love Read: Psalm 107:1-7, 33-37 Pray for all those in Sierra Leone who are remembering the loss of a loved one on the 7 November, the second anniversary of the Ebola outbreak s end. Give thanks for ministers like Reverend Christiana who played a pivotal role in her community during the epidemic. Pray for their ongoing work providing pastoral support, challenging stigma and educating to prevent the return of the disease. November is Will Aid month. Give thanks for the many solicitors who participate in Will Aid and enable many to write a will for free and to make a difference across the world into the future. Pray for even more people to use this opportunity to leave a legacy for Christian Aid s life changing work this year. Thank you Lord, for your promise that those who mourn will be comforted, for the comfort given by those who leave a legacy of steadfast love through their life and in their will.
Week beginning 12 November Let justice roll down like waters Read: Amos 5:18-24 Pray for the next round of UN climate change talks (COP 23), taking place from 6-17 November in Bonn, hosted by Fiji. Pray that those most affected by climate change will be heard loudest and listened to most, as they call for climate justice. Give thanks that the US withdrawal from the Paris agreement has not weakened the commitment of other nations, but has galvanised their resolve. Pray that COP 23 will be a meaningful step towards the big political moment of 2018, where countries will review their current progress and ratchet up their efforts towards climate justice. God of wisdom, We pray for justice to roll down like waters and righteousness to flow like an everlasting stream through all that is decided at the Climate Change talks this week. We pray for your Kingdom to come on earth as in heaven. 13
Week beginning 19 November Wise heart Read: Psalm 90:1-12 Give thanks and pray for the men, women and children in your life this week as we mark International Men s day (19th), Universal Children s day (20th) and the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (25th). Pray for the flourishing of communities across the world. Pray for Christian Aid partner Caja Ludica in Guatemala, who use arts and carnival activities to promote a culture of peace in communities rocked by violence. Luna, pictured, is a vivacious 5-year-old girl. With training from Caja Ludica, her parents offer art and recreation sessions for Luna and other children in the community. Teach us to count our days so we may gain a wise heart, a heart that gives thanks for the men who make a positive difference, that celebrates and includes children in processes of change and that tenaciously works for the day when violence against women is eliminated. 14
Week beginning 26 November World AIDS Day Read: Matthew 25:31-46 Pray that all those affected by HIV and AIDS would feel supported and loved throughout the year and particularly on World AIDS Day, 1 December. Pray for Eisew, pictured, and all those living with HIV that Christian Aid partner Metta supports in Myanmar. Eisew receives counselling, health education and nutrition advice from Metta in their Positive Living Centre. Give thanks for the support she offers to others: I m willing to involve myself in HIV prevention because it is such a serious issue in the community. I d like to use my experience to support others. God of life, we pray that we may be healed and made whole so that it may always be said of us, I was sick and you took care of me... 15
We embrace uncertainty, especially in these dark times, because there is a future that we have to shape. Red Constantino works with Christian Aid partner the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities in the Philippines. They re working to combat climate change at the political level, and they have a prophetic vision of a better world. Red explains this vision: It is a world where solidarity is the only debt that people owe one another. Where community and sharing our sense of nation and citizenship is finally reimagined, based on the common future we share with one another, one that is not based on the tyranny of consumption and the dictatorship of accumulation. It is a just world, it is a world filled with joy and love. It is a world I would like to live in, and a world where my children will thrive. Worldwide, Christian Aid partners are making solar power a reality for poor communities, advocating internationally to stop the development of dangerous fossil fuels, and working with disaster hit communities to build back sustainably. Your support is helping this phenomenal work. Cover photos: [Main] Sussett Enlova and her son stand in their new typhoon-resistant house, built with the support of Christian Aid partner ICODE in the Philippines. Their home was destroyed by Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. Eng and Wales charity no. 1105851 Scot charity no. SC039150 Company no. 5171525 Christian Aid Ireland: NI charity no. NIC101631 Company no. NI059154 and ROI charity no. 20014162 Company no. 426928. The Christian Aid name and logo are trademarks of Christian Aid. Christian Aid is a key member of ACT Alliance Christian Aid July 2017. Printed exclusively on material sourced from responsibly managed forests. J32564 Photos: Cover Christian Aid/Hannah Henderson, Christian Aid/Richard Nyoni/Ettaric Images; page 2 Andreea Campeanu, Christian Aid/Melanie Smith; page 3 Christian Aid/Elizabeth Dalziel; page 4 Christian Aid/Amy Sheppey; page 5 Christian Aid/Richard Nyoni/Ettaric Images; page 6 Christian Aid/Sarah Rowe; page 7 Christian Aid/Iona Bergius, Christian Aid/Tom Saater; page 8 Christian Aid/Sarah Rowe; page 9 Christian Aid/Matt Gonzalez-Noda; pages 10-11 Christian Aid/ Andrew Testa; page 12 Christian Aid/ Madeleine McGivern, Christian Aid/Nicky Milne; page 13 Christian Aid/Hannah Richards; page 14 Christian Aid/Paula Plaza; page 15 Christian Aid/Kaung Htet; back cover Christian Aid/Hannah Henderson. F2403