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This New Year, Pray It Backward and Forward

The new year is an opportunity to be persistent in our prayers, just as the Apostle Paul instructed the Thessalonians to “pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). This month, let’s look back at a few situations we prayed about in 2011. Then, let’s pray about matters we need to lift up every day in 2012.

Looking Back: 2011

Pray for those still struggling to recover from disasters.

Natural disasters turned millions of lives upside down in 2011. News headlines may forget these people, but their needs remain critical.

Horn of Africa: The United Nations estimates that more than 13 million people are in need of humanitarian aid in drought-ravaged Horn of Africa. More than one-third of the region’s children face emergency levels of malnutrition.

Japan: Last March, the strongest-ever earthquake to hit Japan produced a lethal tsunami and a nuclear reactor meltdown.

United States: Soon after the Japanese disaster, thousands of families across America’s southern states were affected by a series of powerful tornadoes.

Haiti: As we mark the two-year anniversary of Haiti’s devastating earthquake this month, more than half a million people remain homeless and living in temporary camps. A cholera epidemic has claimed more than 6,700 lives, and rising food and fuel prices have threatened hundreds of thousands of Haitians with malnutrition and economic hardship.

Dear God, on behalf of our brothers and sisters whose lives are impacted by disasters, we claim the promise of Psalm 46:1. Be their refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Pray that children in poverty have better access to clean water, healthcare, and the other life essentials.

Today, more than 20,000 children younger than 5 will die mainly of causes that can be easily prevented and treated. Undernutrition contributes to more than a third of early childhood deaths. Waterborne diseases, such as diarrhea, also remain a leading cause of illness and death among children in the developing world.

We thank the Lord that some progress has been made. Globally, the mortality rate for children younger than 5 has dropped by more than one-third since 1990. Millions of additional children can be saved with measures that already exist and are not expensive.

Dear God, thank You for the lives of these precious children. Guide their families to the healthcare, clean water, and other necessities they need to grow up strong and be healthy.

Pray that children are no longer forced into sex trafficking.

Human trafficking is modern-day slavery. Today, an estimated 2 million children — most of them girls — are enslaved and abused in the global commercial sex trade. Many children are sold into prostitution to pay off family debts or abducted from the streets and forced to work in brothels. Children who escape or are rescued face a difficult physical and emotional recovery process.

Dear God, there are times when it is right — and righteous — to be angry. It is right to be angry about people who sexually exploit children. Let that righteous anger fuel action, Lord. Don’t let it fade into complacency.

Looking Forward: 2012

Pray that significant advances in eliminating malaria worldwide will be made this year.

Malaria is one of the top killers of children in sub-Saharan Africa. The parasitic disease, already eradicated in some parts of the world, kills one child every 48 seconds. World Vision is distributing millions of insecticide-treated bed nets, reducing the incidence of malaria. The efforts are working. In sub-Saharan Africa, the lives of 1.1 million children younger than 5 have been saved. Praise God! The Roll Back Malaria Partnership goal is to reduce malaria deaths to near zero by 2015.

Dear God, foster a spirit of continued cooperation and sustain a sense of urgency among the partners working to eradicate malaria. We pray this year for breakthroughs in the fight against malaria.

Pray that families worldwide will have the resources in 2012 to grow or buy enough food.

Poor nutrition is the single biggest underlying cause of ill health and death among pregnant women and children in their first two years of life. Insufficient nutrition during the first 1,000 days of life — from conception through age 2 — can cause stunting and poor cognitive development. Without adequate nutritious food, these children will not be able to reach their God-given potential.

Dear God, help us to never forget that nearly a billion people around the world go hungry every day. Please help those who are malnourished, and guide families to resources and long-term solutions.

Pray that children and their communities will know and be transformed by God’s love for them.

Christianity is rapidly growing in the developing world, reflecting a deep hunger for the love of Jesus. Church growth has exploded, yet many churches desperately need programs and materials for the spiritual nurture of children and families. Opportunity abounds for us to demonstrate the love of Jesus among people facing disaster, disease, poverty, and violence.

Dear God, thank You for the local church. Bless World Vision in leveraging its relationships with thousands of local church leaders in developing nations. Cause churches to thrive as they share Your love with the children and families in their communities.

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