Prayer List - May 2020

Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly

and be glorified, just as it is with you...

2 Thessalonians 3:1 (NKJV)

Bangladesh – Cyclone Amphan, that ravished northeast India before hitting the southern coast of Bangladesh about a week ago had devastating effects on several Bangladesh Lutheran Church Mission congregations in the Jessore and Sathkhira districts. BLCM church buildings, schools, and homes of our brothers and sisters in Christ have been severely damaged or destroyed. There has been no loss of life among the members of the BLCM, but many have sustained injuries and are still in need of medical care. All of this is happening while the people are struggling to feed and care for their families during the coronavirus lockdown. CLC Project Kinship has sent emergency disaster relief funds to the BLCM to provide for basic needs and shelter. Praise the Lord that no lives were lost among our brothers and sisters in Christ. Ask for His love and compassion upon those who are suffering and for protection for Pastor Monotosh as he travels to visit the people of the BLCM over the next several days.

Note: Contributions to the CLC Project Kinship general budget have been used to provide for disaster relief and COVID-19 aid.    

Myanmar – The situation with the family of eleven that has been hospitalized and quarantined for several weeks due to the coronavirus is improving. Five family members remain in the hospital, but their health has improved, and they are waiting for their test results to be returned from the government laboratories in Yangon. If the lab results come back negative, they will be able to go home. Take this to the Lord asking that He bless the treatments they have all received according to His mercy that this family will be healed of this disease and be united with each other very soon. Pray also that the Lord will provide for the medical bills that have accumulated during this long hospital stay. 

The Spiritual Welfare of Our Brothers and Sisters Around the World – as much of the world has spent the past several weeks in mandatory coronavirus lockdowns and quarantines, many in developing nations have not had the advantage of the high-speed internet connections that most of us take for granted to provide opportunities for home worship, Bible study, and Christian fellowship. Also, many of the people do not have the financial means to own their own Bibles and/or are unable to read so they depend upon weekly worship and Bible studies to hear, learn, and be strengthened by God’s saving word.

Pastoral training has also come to a halt for those who are training around the world. Options for online classes, correspondence, etc. just are not possible as most of the students have very weak and limited data available on their phones, if at all, and virtually none have internet in their homes. Pray that the Lord will bring a quick end to this pandemic that He people may return to worship and Bible study at their churches. Pray that the Lord will lead and strengthen all of us to be reminded of His great love and the truths of His saving grace that we have learned from His word and rejoice always, even in the midst of such uncertain times.

The Physical Welfare of Our Brothers and Sisters Around the World – Leaders from our sister church bodies in Liberia, Togo, Nigeria, D.R. Congo, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, India, Nepal, Myanmar, and Bangladesh, along with contacts in several other countries, have reported that much of the population in these developing nations is struggling to provide the basic necessities of life. Most of the pastors and those they serve in these nations provide for their families through day-labor. For this type of laborer, you are paid for your work each day. If you do not work, you do not get paid. The coronavirus lockdowns have caused much physical suffering. Pray that the Lord will provide and that He will bless the CLC Project Kinship aid that has been sent that it will go much further than expected in providing for the sheep of His flock who are suffering.

Seminaries Preparing to Re-Open – the Wartburg Lutheran Bible Institute in Tanzania and the Holy Trinity Lutheran Bible Institute in the D.R. Congo are planning to bring students back soon. Pray for the safety of the students and instructors as they travel. Pray for the families of the students as they prepare to have their husbands and fathers gone for the next few months of classes. Pray for the teachers as they prepare lessons for this shortened semester. Pray that there will be no government interference with their plans to continue the work of training pastors for the Church. Ask for God’s blessings on these efforts to train men to be faithful preachers and teachers of His saving word during these strange and uncertain times.