What We Don’t Read
The world has plenty of crisis to ponder and breaking news to read this morning. Earthquakes, tsunamis, revolutions in many nations are all competing for the lead story. We are living in a time of epic change that makes us look to God in heaven for reason and purpose of what we see.
The Japanese earthquake and tsunami as well as the nuclear disaster have each of us pouring our hearts and prayers out for that stricken nation. The revolutions in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Yemen, Syria, Jordan are spreading rapidly. Let us pray for our world and know that the events we are witnessing are of prophetic proportion and that each of us needs to cling to our faith and give thanks for our own daily provision.
Let us also remember today the people and places that are not in the headlines but are areas where lives are equally in peril. Here is just a sampling of what we don’t read and who we need to remember also as we pray for our world:
· Over one million people are still without homes in Haiti and thousands hurt each day, including those injured last year in the earthquake.
· Zimbabwe is one of the earth’s toughest places to live with a broken government and virtual failed state. Hunger and loss of hope abound.
· The entire Horn of Africa and places like Somalia and Ethiopia where people battle to survive each day is worthy of your prayer.
· Ivory Coast is in chaos and needs new hope.
· Venezuela and other countries of South America live with oppression and suffering.
· Sudan is on the brink of all out civil war. The people of South Sudan voted for independence and freedom but now must defend their homeland from attack. Don’t forget the people of Darfur. Don't forget the hungry and oppressed in North Korea.
· Over 4 million people have died in war and violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo and unspeakable horrors have been done.
· The economy has been brutal for people in Portugal, Greece, Spain and the silent pain of unemployment confronts people all over the world.
Choose your place where your heart takes you this morning. Choose a place that may not be in the headlines, but that God has placed on your heart. That may be your own town or state.
Our prayer list should be focused both on what we see in the headlines and on what we don’t read. Don’t let those people and places that are never the lead story in the news be forgotten. Choose a missionary or organization that is doing good works in those places and pray for their work and for the people they serve and send them a donation.
Let us all be the hands and feet of God in a special way this week.