“All they asked was that we should continue to

remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to

do.”

Galatians 2:10, NIV

Today We Gather…

• To ask God to raise up workers to serve those in poverty

• To petition God for salvation, justice, safety, water, food health care, education, and employment for the world’s needy

A Two-Fold Prayer Focus

• Our Compass for Compassion

• Our Petitions for the Poor

Compass for

Compassion

Pray for God’s Workers

Jesus went through all the towns and villages,

teaching in their synagogues, preaching

the good news of the kingdom and healing

every disease and sickness.

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them,

because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep

without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the

workers are few.

Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out

workers into his harvest field.”

— Matthew 9:35-38, NIV

Let Us Pray That…• God will give believers a greater

vision and passion to help the lost and hurting.

• Believers will respond to the call to go and help the lost and hurting.

• Our outreach to meet tangible needs among the poorest and neediest will open doors for evangelism.

Pray for God’s Power

“It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything,

take pity on us and help us.”

“If you can?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for

him who believes.”

Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do

believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil

spirit.

“You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you,

come out of him and never enter him again.”

The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and

came out.

The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said,

“He's dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted

him to his feet, and he stood up.

After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked

him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”

— Mark 9:22-29, NIV

Let Us Pray That…• Outreach to the poorest and neediest

will be accompanied by miraculous manifestations of God’s power.

• Profound temporal and spiritual needs will be met through God’s power.

• Ministers and missionaries will find newly opened doors of ministry to the poor as a result of God’s power in action.

Pray for God’s Love

“A Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the

man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.

He went to him and bandaged his wounds,

pouring on oil and wine.

Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an

inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper.

‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will

reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to

the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had

mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

— Luke 10:33-37, NIV

Let Us Pray That…• Godly love and compassion will

bridge all social barriers and prejudices preventing the poor and needy from being reached.

• Believers will reach out to those who are rejected and outcast, regardless of external pressures or threats.

• God’s love, demonstrated through His servants, will serve as a powerful testimony to the world.

Petitions for the Poor

Pray for Salvation

[Jesus said,] “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good

news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight

for the blind, to release the oppressed.”

— Luke 4:18, NIV

Let Us Pray That…• The poor and needy among us will

respond to the message of the gospel and receive God’s greatest gift, salvation.

• The life-changing power of the gospel will fill the hurting and needy with hope beyond their circumstances.

• Freedom found only in Christ will liberate the poor from life-destroying choices and addictions.

Pray for Justice

I know that the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of

the needy.

— Psalm 140:12, NIV

Let Us Pray That…• God will protect the poor and needy

from unjust forces within their cultures and governments.

• Believers will provide strong, consistent examples of justice to those who are too often exploited.

• Christians will be moved to pray for those in our world who suffer most from injustice and exploitation.

Pray for Safety

“Because of the oppression of the weak

and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise,”

says the LORD.“I will protect them from those who malign them.”

— Psalm 12:5, NIV

Let Us Pray That…• God will protect the poor and needy

from exploitative abuses such as human trafficking and forced labor.

• Christian workers will have the wisdom and resources needed to protect and help those in danger.

• Christians will be moved to offer prayer and financial support to ministries helping the poor escape dangerous situations and settings.

Pray for Water

The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD

will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not

forsake them.

— Isaiah 41:17, NIV

Let Us Pray That…• God will protect the poor and needy

from water-borne diseases.

• God will lead the poor and needy to find good, healthy sources of water.

• Christians will respond to requests for help in supplying clean water to the needy in times of crisis.

Pray for Food

A generous man will himself be blessed,

for he shares his food with the poor.

— Proverbs 22:9, NIV

Let Us Pray That…• Christians will respond to requests to

help the hungry around the world.

• The poor and needy will learn new and effective ways to grow and produce more food.

• Leaders of impoverished nations will freely allow food and aid for the poor to flow into their countries, and that the aid will be used properly.

Pray for Shelter

You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the

needy in his distress,a shelter from the storm

and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the

ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall.

— Isaiah 25:4, NIV

Let Us Pray That…• God will provide shelter for the needy

through the generous help of believers around the world.

• Christians will respond to the call, and travel to needy places to help build shelters for the poor.

• God will encourage the poor and needy that He is their shelter and hope no matter the storms of life.

Pray for Healthcare

He went to him and bandaged his wounds,

pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an

inn and took care of him.

The next day he took out two silver coins and gave

them to the innkeeper. “Look after him,” he said, “and when I return, I will

reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.”

— Luke 10:34,35, NIV

Let Us Pray That…• God will provide ample resources for

ministries that provide health care to the poor and needy.

• God will protect the poor and needy from the threat of epidemic, especially in the wake of natural disasters.

• Advances in medicine will provide remedies and immunizations that are more accessible to the poor.

Pray for Education

From infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are

able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ

Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for

teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.

— 2 Timothy 3:15,16, NIV

Let Us Pray That…• God will provide for ministries that

offer the hope of education to the poor and needy.

• The truths and principles of Scripture can be freely taught in areas of poverty and oppression.

• Christian ministers and missionaries can use education as an opportunity to reach the poor and needy with the gospel.

Pray for Employment

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own

business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so

that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that

you will not be dependent on anybody.

— 1 Thessalonians 4:11,12, NIV

Let Us Pray That…• God will meet the need for

employment experienced by so many around the globe.

• National economies will grow and prosper in third-world countries, offering opportunities to the poorest in our world.

• The poor and needy who receive help and begin to prosper will in turn share their resources with those desperately in need.

Prayer for the poor and suffering will have an incalculable impact

throughout the world and in the lives of countless

people.

“I give myself to prayer.”

— Psalm 109:4, NKJ