“Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. - Matthew 8:26
The Nova Kakhovka Dam on the Dnipro River in Russian occupied Ukraine broke open on Tuesday causing massive flooding, evacuations, deaths and major disruptions to power generation and distribution. While the cause has not yet been verified, it is an example of the price of war borne by civilians.
God of Peace, The cost of war is always borne by your creation - ecological and humanitarian wastelands created by the pursuit of power and control. This is abhorrent to you and we pray for the aggression, the damage and the idolatry of war to cease in the name of Jesus. Protect the vulnerable and be with every displaced body and soul. Move the leaders of conflict to repentance in Jesus name.
Bangladesh, a country already vulnerable to climate change impacts, host huge refugee settlements that hold over one million Rohingyan refugees. These settlements are at extremely vulnerableto devastation from cyclones, extreme heat. With a lack of sustainable infrastructure and proper shelter/materials alarm about the conditions for extensive damage are real. We join with refugees in pleading their cause.
Lord, we pray for sustainable aid solutions that will be climate conscious. We pray for ways for agencies to help provide the kind of settlements that are safe and durable for those who are persecuted and far from home. Jesus, keep hearts from the despair that threatens as much as fire, wind and human indifference. They are not forgotten people. Help us all remember.
The Nature Conservancy of Canada has plans to protect 5,000 square km of prairie grasslands in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The grasslands ecosystem is the least protected but one of the most important for its role in flood and drought prevention, soil health, and natural carbon sinking. We join our hopes and prayers with this effort.
Lord, help us to praise you with our choices to protect the earth as you’ve designed it to work and flourish. These grasslands, often overlooked and easily thought empty, are a marvel. As we work to keep the land functioning as you made it, help us to be reshaped in your ways of restoration and flourishing in the name of Jesus.
Sarah Yore-Van Oosterhout, founder and managing attorney of Lighthouse Immigrant Advocates, joins us to respond to some common questions about asylum. Explore more frequently asked questions about asylum and our response as Christians in this video series.
In preparation for Synod, the CRCNA is providing 40 Days of Prayer. Join us in this daily practice. For a sample check out this prayer for provided by Justice Mobilizer Andrew Oppong.
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