Churches, Prayer
It can seem like our newsfeeds are a constant flow of crises. When those crises happen on a global scale, it can be hard to know how to meaningfully respond. And when those same crises fade out of attention – or perhaps they never came on the radar in the first place – the barriers to prayer and action are even harder to overcome. Yet God sees pain and injustice that is otherwise hidden – and calls us to respond in faith and action.
This 5-day guide will lead you through scripture into wholehearted prayer for hidden crises around the world, partnering with the God who sees, even when the world has looked away.
This reading plan is brought to you by Integral, a global alliance of 22 Christian relief and development agencies that come together to respond in times of disaster.
There are so many things that compete for our attention on any given day. We might be drawn to the loudest, the most urgent, the most comfortable or exciting. We’re exposed to more news and content than ever before – but these things also tend to slip off the radar as quickly as they arrive. If it’s a fashion trend or a viral video, there is little consequence to moving on – but what about when our attention is turned away from human suffering?
So many of the world’s crises and disasters are forgotten for a range of complex reasons. The scale of human suffering in our world – seen and unseen – can be overwhelming. But the truth that God does not forget can help us keep our attention on those he sees and loves too.
We are steadied by the vision of others. When someone else has eyes on something you don’t – like the parent coaxing their child to walk a little further knowing just how far it is to the top of the hill – it can be a reference point even while we’re blind ourselves.
Scripture shows us that God sees – sees the things we don’t, the things we ignore, the things just outside our field of vision. Before a crisis appears on our news feed, and before it drops off again – God sees.
One of the names for God is El Roi which means “The God who sees me.” This is the name of God that Hagar gives to God in Genesis 16:13. Twice, Hagar found herself cast out – out of sight, out of mind. She had no rescuer, no advocate, no champion. But on both occasions, the attention of God stays with Hagar.
God sees.
And the worth of a person or situation does not hinge on whether we do.
It’s incredible to think that there will never be a cry that doesn’t reach the ear of the Lord. How abundant in compassion and mercy God is!
The enemy, who loves the shadows, will deceive us into thinking that what is hidden from us is hidden from God. Psalm 10:11 laments “The wicked think, “God isn’t watching us! He has closed his eyes and won’t even see what we do!””
But God sees, the Psalmist resolves: “But you see the trouble and grief they cause. You take note of it and punish them. The helpless put their trust in you. You defend the orphans.” (v14).
Whether we are helpless, or we pray and act on behalf of those who are – we can lean the full weight of our faith into the God who sees.
Today, pray for overlooked nations in crisis, that God would bring global attention, justice and aid to all in need. Ask for hope and strength. Pray for courageous, righteous and compassionate leaders to arise.
Pray that displaced people will experience God’s protection, provision and peace while they are far from home. Ask for shelter, healing from trauma, supportive communities and strength to rebuild their lives.
How could a loving God allow [fill in the blanks]?
For thousands of years, people have questioned God’s strategy. And not just any people – God’s own people. These questions are not posed just by the haters or the armchair critics – they’re brought before the Most High by his most dedicated followers.
The book of Habakkuk opens with a complaint brought by the prophet: How long, O Lord, must I call for help? But you do not listen! “Violence is everywhere!” I cry, but you do not come to save. (Hab 1:2).
The Psalmist, not one to withhold groans and questions from the Lord, throws the risk to God’s reputation in the mix, recounting the conclusions being made by those who observe God’s failure to intercede: They sneer… “Is this the one who relies on the Lord? Then let the Lord save him! If the Lord loves him so much, let the Lord rescue him!” (Psalms 22:8)
In the midst of his reasoning and wrestling, Job gives air to his anguish: I cry to you, O God, but you don’t answer. I stand before you, but you don’t even look. You have become cruel toward me. You use your power to persecute me. (Job 30:20-21)
Scripture doesn’t silence honest questions, awkward exchanges, or heart-wrenching disappointment directed at God. The confused, concerned and those carrying deep heartache today are in good company.
In response to evil and injustice in the world today, many of us might feel like sending a strongly worded complaint to God. What I’m seeing from You – or failing to see – isn’t matching up with what I thought You were on about!
But it seems that God is quite able to handle our unfiltered grief and raw emotions. Perhaps these complaints force us to look more closely at who He really is, His promises, the patterns of his kingdom?
Remember, these complaints are poured out before a God who sees. Just because he is silent, doesn’t mean he is absent. And on our end, doubts don’t always push us away from God – the wrestle and honest lament can actually serve to draw us nearer to Him.
Today, pray for an end to all conflicts and for God’s peace to reign. Ask for softened hearts, justice, reconciliation, protection for the innocent and healing for nations.
Pray for those facing hunger and famine that God would provide food, clean water, and resources. Pray for lasting solutions to the underlying causes of hunger.
It can be easy to feel like our prayers are a small, tokenistic gesture in the face of massive catastrophe.
But we are called to something so much richer. We are called to a participation in prayer that is more true, more vital, more powerful, and yes – more costly – than mere gestures. We are called to continual, contending prayer.
Praying continually for drawn-out crises that you’ll need to work to keep on your radar? That might make you feel exhausted before you even begin! Romans 12:12 calls us to “Be joyful always. Be patient in trouble. Pray continually.”These words can feel overwhelming when our minds are already full!
Here’s the beautiful thing: the ceaseless prayer is already happening. It began before you bowed your head, and will continue long after your amen. It longs to have your voice added to it, but doesn’t rely on it.
Romans 8:26-27 tells us that the Holy Spirit is praying in perfect alignment with God’s heart – the heart of the God who sees – and, in what can only be described as grace upon grace, intercedes for us as we seek to intercede for others.
Praying continually is as simple and as essential as joining in as the Spirit prompts you to. At times you might feel led to give hours to prayer, at other times you might simply prayerfully watch or read the news, instead of anxiously scrolling the headlines. In any case, it is the Holy Spirit enabling and sustaining this prayer in us when we feel too weak or distracted to remember global crises.
Remember, God is a God who sees the injustice and pain that is otherwise hidden. This same God welcomes lament, doubt and raw honesty. The Spirit draws us into that conversation – not as heroes, but as partners.
Today, pray that governments in crisis will have wisdom, compassion and integrity making just decisions, seeking peace and courageously guiding their nations through complex challenges.
Pray that other nations respond with compassion and bold action, using their influence to provide aid, uphold justice and bring lasting change. Pray for those in power to lead with generosity toward neighbouring nations.
What role does hope play in remembering and faithfully praying for large-scale injustice or hidden crises? It’s hard to know how to respond to a situation that seems ‘hopeless’.
But God’s people, acting in line with God’s heart for justice, can be a powerful force for good.
No matter how hopeless a situation looks, real hope is never off the table. Biblical hope doesn’t wait for things to get better – for peace to triumph or relief to arrive – before it shows up. This hope is firm before there is resolution.
Hope is freely accessible. And this is good news: not just for the person who finds themselves in the midst of suffering or uncertainty, but also for the one who is overwhelmed by the brokenness they see others burdened by.
Alongside brothers and sisters who face the daily realities of injustice and oppression, we are invited to stand together in hope, taking hold of the promise that hope is the fruit of perseverance through suffering. The Bible tells us that there’s no shame in being hopeful – a powerful notion in a world that would otherwise tell us that suffering is best avoided, and that in uncertain times we should keep our hopes moderate and guarded. On the contrary: through Jesus, ours is a hope that is to bepersistently joyful, prayerful and faithful in affliction.
It’s not blind hope, ignorant to the groaning of all creation. Rather, it is the lens through which we see the world, serving to sharpen our perspective so that we can view joy and lament in the same frame.
This hope is not an escape plan, or something that makes us avoid responsibility. Rather, it actually fuels passion and action, welcoming us to join a lineage of faith-filled believers who located themselves in hope so firmly that it changed lives and outlasted generations.
Today, pray for the global media to report with integrity, truth and compassion. May they raise awareness, amplify unheard voices and inspire action that promotes justice, peace and understanding.
Pray for everyday people responding to crises through prayer, action and generosity. Ask that they would be renewed in hope, protected from fatigue, encouraged by impact and motivated to continue giving faithfully. Pray for us all to be generous to those in crisis, even when facing our own struggles.
For followers of Jesus, turning our attention, prayers and hope towards global crises means living in the tension of waiting.
We can’t hope for something we already have – yet ‘what is to come’ is as real as what is in front of us today! This tension is sometimes referred to as the ‘now and not yet’: in Jesus, the promise of everything being restored is secure – but we right now we still live with the difficult and painful symptoms of those promises not yet fulfilled.
One day, crises will no longer be neglected, because there will be no crises. Wars will cease. Weapons will be reshaped into tools for flourishing. People will not be enslaved, or displaced from their homes, but will eat the fruit of seeds they planted. There will be no more death, or mourning, or crying, or pain – the reign of Jesus, Prince of Peace, will be fully realised.
The whole world aches for that time – and while this eternal promise comforts and inspires us, we need not wait passively until then. Jesus taught his followers to pray ‘on earth as it is in heaven’. God’s vision for the world is that the peace, justice and goodness of His Kingdom begin to spring forth here and now.
One day there will be peace, so for now we work in war zones. One day there will be equality, so for now we work against poverty. One day there will be freedom for those in captivity, so for now we work against slavery. One day all creation will be renewed, so for now we work against the destruction of our earth.
Our prayers for the forgotten places of this world are not wishful thinking. They are a declaration that the current brokenness is temporary. When we pray for hidden crises, we are stepping into that future reality ahead of time, bringing the light of heaven into the shadows of earth. We do not pray as people without answers, but as partners with the One who has already promised: 'I am making everything new.’
Today, pray that churches respond to hidden crises around the world with compassion and unity, taking action to support those in crisis, offering hope and the love of Christ to the forgotten.
Ask the Holy Spirit to encourage you with glimpses of where God’s Kingdom is arriving on earth. Pray for a deeper understanding of the hope that is to come, when all things are made new, and that this would shape how you pray, worship and take action today.
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