Praying for Children

Today is the halfway point in 40 days of prayer for the orphan. As a part of these 40 days, and as a part of our commitment to care for children in Uganda, we are praying for each child in the TOUCH program by name. We are also praying for their caregivers and siblings.

The method doesn't change. Each Wednesday, we pull out printed child profiles and spread them out across the altar at Lighthouse Worship Center. Then we spend the day picking each profile up, looking at that child's photo and reading his or her story. One by one, each and every child in this program will be prayed for by name.

I find in doing this, our prayers change. At first we see problems, and after a full day of story after story - father dead, mother very sick, there is no food in the house, we share a mattress and a blanket, rejected by family - it is exhausting. Thus year on the first day, we prayed for 36 children and 104 siblings, with 43 caregivers. Only three children still had both parents, and every one of those parents was "very sick" with AIDS. The task is overwhelming.

By week three, the stories hadn't changed, but we had. We had shifted our focus from the problems to the solution. Still praying for each individual child and his or her needs, we also prayed about our role. "Lord please show us how to encourage the children. Show us how to give them hope. Teach us to love as You love. Show us what to do about abuse and exploitation. Teach us the way to save children from disease. Lead us to sponsors, innovators, and mentors." And there is so much more...


Please continue to join us in prayer. You can download the 40 days prayer guide and follow that, or come by the church on Wednesdays, pray for the ministry, for solutions, for open doors. Pray for the children - good health, provision, family, their future, salvation, hope, caregivers, and education. Pray for Sara and her team at TOUCH and for the teachers who work with the children.