A Prayer for the Syrian Crisis

***That believers in Christ would hold strong and that their testimony would bring others to the saving grace of Jesus Christ

Psalm 13
1 How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?

2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?

3 Consider and hear me, O Lord my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;

4 Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.

5 But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.

6 I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths.

Please pray with me:

Heavenly Father,
My heart groans as I hear the news. Truly it is difficult to know who represents good and who represents evil. Men speak one thing and do another. Surely the Syrians who are being bombed and starved to death don't really care if the bombs are from Russia, from ISIS, or from the U.S.

There are many Christians, Your people, O God, who are there. They are seeing their families, their very children dismembered...and they are helpless to change their physical reality. Have mercy O God. Have mercy on them and touch their hearts and minds and soul. Upgird them with Your strength. Raise up Your Holy Scriptures within their hearts and minds. Cause it to enlarge within them and place Your greater purposes higher than their terrible situations. Father, surely they cry out:

Ps. 13:1-2. How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?

Mothers cry for their children. Men are forced to watch as their children are mutilated alive. Father, attend to every prayer give to You. Provide unreasonable comfort to those who must undergo these horrors. May they trust without any other consideration but that You are faithful.

May they never consider or even think that for moment You are unfaithful. As they undergo such horrific torture and unfathomable times, mighty Holy Spirit, grant them prayers for those who torment them. Pour out prayers that they cannot even consider on their own. Through these prayers, may they know that they are here for this time and that You are mightily using them for Your purposes. Assure them that You will take Your vengeance Your way. Embed Your Word within in them:

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. (Romans 12:19)

Cause these, Your servants to release their captives to You. May every one of them, through Your Holy Spirit, "be still and know that You are God." (Ps. 46:10). May they embrace that Your ways are not their ways (Is. 55:8) and may each one hold fast with the peace that passeth understanding (Phil 4:11). Assure them, deep within them, that You are there and that You see their plight (Prov. 15:3). May they have rest in their souls, knowing that they have not been abandoned.

Proverbs 15:3
The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.

Father, answer them quickly. Please. Have mercy.

Many, O God, by Your graciousness, have escaped. They are now refugees, trying to make a new life. Grant them prayers for those left behind. Grant them grace and humility. Surely, they cannot understand why the world stands by when the situation is so dire. Bring every one to Jesus. Raise up their testimony.

Draw Your church together to pray for these who must feel forgotten. May we not live in ignorance or callousness to their plight. Turn our hearts to pray. May we be found faithful in the day of Your coming.

Have mercy, Father.

In Jesus’ Name.

***These prayers are my own and the content does not reflect the philosophy or policies of any organization. They are offered in good faith that others may find them helpful in their prayer life and that the Church of Jesus Christ may be found faithful in the day of His coming.

A Prayer for Refugees and Displaced Persons

...a prayer for:

• Refugees seeking asylum
• For dishonorable smugglers
• For those assisting refugees
• For organizations providing support

Under international law, refugees must not be forced back to the countries they have fled.

Facts:

• Globally, one in every 122 humans is now either a refugee, internally displaced, or seeking asylum. If this were the population of a country, it would be the world's 24th biggest.
• Wars, conflict and persecution have forced more people than at any other time since records began, to flee their homes and seek refuge and safety elsewhere, according to a new report from the UN refugee agency.
• UNHCR's annual Global Trends Report: World at War, released on June 18, 2015, said that worldwide displacement was at the highest level ever recorded.
• The number of people forcibly displaced at the end of 2014 had risen to a staggering 59.5 million compared to 51.2 million a year earlier and 37.5 million a decade ago.
• 2015 is the biggest leap ever seen in a single year. Moreover, the report said the situation was likely to worsen still further.

Please pray with me:
FOR REFUGEES SEEKING ASYLUM:
Father, these people have nothing and barely the clothes on their back. Their journey is perilous, yet they are so desperate. If they stay at “home” their lives are in peril. If they go, the risk also puts their lives in peril. They are caught in the middle. Many are turned away and are unwelcome. Many die at the hands of smugglers.

Where is hope?

You are El-Roi, the God who Sees. You see the pain, the heartbreak, the unconscionable conditions and treatment that these people are undergoing.

Please come to their aid. You are Jehovah-Shammah, the God who is there. Rise up on behalf of these desperate people, driven from their homes, with nowhere to go. Build a testimony of Your presence. Lighten their heart and guide their steps. Strengthen them beyond their ability.

Up gird their bodies for the hardship of the trip. Grant them prayers for those who mistreat them. Give them a heart of forgiveness that You would take up their plight. Surely, many of them say, “Where is God?” Walk with them. Make Yourself known to them. You are Jehovah-Rapha, the God who Provides.

Father, they need very basic things: water, food, shelter. You fed the 5,000 with just five loaves and to fishes. Feed these people. The cattle of a 1,000 hills are Yours. All the earth is Yours, feed these people. They need shoes that don't wear out...like You gave Your people when they wandered for 40 years in the desert. Please do it again.

As parents holding their children, squelch the fear that must well up within them. Keep disease at bay, especially in the infants. May there be daily, inexplicable miracles that accompany them. Open their eyes to see these miracles that in their thinking, may they reach out to You and find peace, assured of Your presence.

FOR DISHONORABLE SMUGGLERS AND EXTORTIONERS:
So many stories of smugglers and extortioners who take everything these refugees have. They are making exorbitant profit. Perhaps there are honorable people trying to help. But we are hearing ghastly stories of unconscionable treatment of people. We are hearing that many die from suffocation, from beatings, from horrendous conditions and treatments.

Give these refugees discernment when putting their lives in the hands of men with wicked hearts. When these refugees are without options, please provide for them. You provided a path through the Red Sea and You are the same yesterday, today and forever.

You are Jehovah-Sabbaoth, Lord of Hosts. Seek those that look to profit from these refugees; smugglers who double-cross, who delude and deceive…. Thwart their plans. Crush their hearts with Your compassion and turn them from wickedness to righteous resolve to truly help.

Cause these smugglers to turn from their heinous ways and become an army that serves You. Give them the heart of Christ, that they may know the joy of sacrifice.

FOR THOSE ASSISTING REFUGEES:
Father, there are honorable people trying to help who are putting forth their best effort to help transport and smuggle these refugees. Please support them. Protect them and their passengers. Give them a clear path of travel. Uphold all of these people in transportation—by sea, by truck, bus, plane…whatever is at hand.

There are many overwhelmed people who want to help and don’t know how. Raise up leaders to organize their efforts. Bring those with the gift of administration, hospitality, and helps. Bring them to the fore.

And what will they assist these people with? Bring them supplies. Infrastructure: food, water, heat, blankets, tents, and sanitation. From the ends of the earth, bring armies of compassionate people. Press the hearts of those who would come. Provide their transportation and means to help. For those who cannot go, give them funding to send. For those with the gift of persuasive speech, may they be given a platform and an audience. Protect them. Protect their families.

It seems that exhaustion is everywhere. No one has enough sleep. Fear is rampant. You protected Daniel, that night in the lion’s den. Surely he was exhausted and fearful. You protected Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when they went into the fire. …and You accompanied them there. Bring these people through with a testimony to give You the glory.

FOR ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDING SUPPORT:
Many organizations are providing support. Their needs are endless. Bring in the leadership, the administration and the funding to do what needs to be done. Clear the way to receive these refugees.

For those who receive the refugees, strengthen them, give them genuine smiles, and true hospitality to nurture the hearts and bodies of these wayfaring, homeless people. May compassion run rampant. May supplies be multiplied.

Engage financiers to give from the heart without strings-attached. Raise up anonymous donors. Replenish and multiply the funding in the accounts of those who would give generously. May their joy be so enticing, that they continue to give and give, and give.

Engage the reporting communities to continue to cover the stories, the issues, the developments…may they hound their listeners that a world-wide engagement serve You, the true and living God.

To You be the glory for every success. May every testimony be saturated with Your ever-present hand. May the Holy Spirit capture the hearts and minds of millions through this endeavor that Jesus Christ be served with excellence.

In the Name of Jesus Christ, Hallelujah!

References:
Please read these articles by World News Group:

Record number of refugees driven from their homes 2015
http://www.worldmag.com/2015/06/record_number_of_refugees_driven_from_their_homes_in_2015

Collateral damage: The Sudanese in Syria
http://www.worldmag.com/2015/08/collateral_damage_the_sudanese_in_syria

Europe struggles to solve a migration crisis with no end in sight. http://www.worldmag.com/2015/08/europe_struggles_to_solve_a_migration_crisis_with_no_end_in_sight

What does the Bible say about refugees (PDF)
http://christianchurchestogether.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/What-Does-Bible-Say-Disciples-of-Christ.pdf

Facts:

Facts and Figures about Refugees by Refugees International http://refugeesinternational.org/get-involved/helpful-facts-%2526-figures

UN Refugee Agency Statistics & Operational Data http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49c3646c4d6.html

Definition of a Refugee by the United Nations Refugee Agency http://www.unhcr.org/558193896.html

Definition of a Refugee by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services http://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/refugees-asylum/refugees