January 2008 Global Prayer Ventures

PRAYER VENTURES
January 2008

Prayer petitions for Sundays follow the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Prayer Cycle and can be incorporated into the prayers at weekly worship. Weekday entries are offered as guides to prayer for the global, social, and outreach ministries of the church. Thank you for your continued prayers for the life and mission of this church.

1 The Name of Jesus
Give thanks for the thousands of workers who, in the name of Jesus Christ, offer hope and healing in the wake of natural disasters around the world, especially those continuing to offer relief to the victims of Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh.

2 Pray for safe travels and good conversations for Lutheran ethicists who teach at colleges, universities and seminaries, as they hold their annual meeting January 2-4 in Atlanta.

3 Pray for Pastor Julie Rowe, communications assistant for Bishop Munib Younan of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land. Pray also for the ELCJHL and its witness in a turbulent region.

4 Pray for Judy Perry as she assists in medical work among mothers and infants in the People’s Republic of China and engages in health worker training with Evergreen Foundation. Pray for all medical workers and those who care for the ill and suffering throughout Asia.

5 Praise God for the refugee ministry of St. Andrew Church in Cairo, Egypt, served by Kathy Kamphoefner and Paul Pierce. Thank God for Abigail Sylvester, director of the adult education program for this refugee ministry.

6 Epiphany of Our Lord
Merciful God, we remember with hope the gift of peace. Grant your peace upon Saudi Arabia, the other countries of the Arabian Peninsula, Iran and Iraq, that the power of your love may be known.

7 Pray for yourself, your congregation and all parts of this church that together we may open Scripture and join the conversation around the Book of Faith initiative, and that this may bear fruit in all our daily lives.

8 Pray for Lutheran Partners editor Bill Decker, the publication committee, the writers and the readers, that this publication for ELCA leaders may communicate and invigorate the mission of Christ across this church.

9 Ask God to guide and support women and girls who help sustain and encourage the gifts and responsibilities of other women and girls.

10 Pray for the blessings of the Holy Spirit on Pastor Andy Krey and the development of a maritime mission at the Port of Savannah, Ga. Pray for the multiplication of local volunteers with the passion, skills, and energy necessary to plant the seed of God’s hope among seafarers.

11 Pray for Pastor Stephen Deal, who assists the ELCA in its accompaniment of churches throughout Central America. Pray for Martha Giron, Steve's spouse, as she helps the Costa Rican Lutheran Church train women in arts and crafts and sewing so they can generate income for their families.

12 Thank God for the people who have been appointed to start new ELCA congregations: Pastors Lit Wu, Streamwood, Ill.; Paul Anderson, Marshall, Wis.; Grant Stevensen, St. Paul, Minn.; Perucy Butiku, Hollis, N.Y.; Gretchen Mertes, Renton, Wash.; Christopher Markert, Cypress, Texas; and lay leaders Steven Zittergruen, Iowa City, Iowa; Joseph Alsman, Lee’s Summit, Mo.; and Guta Yadeta, San Lorenzo, Calif. Ask God to fill these developers with faith, trust and stamina.

13 Baptism of Our Lord
Lord, who through a vision to your servant John of Patmos revealed yourself amid the seven churches of Asia, encouraging, reproving, and challenging those first Christian communities; continue to walk with today’s churches in Cyprus, Greece and Turkey.

14 Pray for all military chaplains, that they be blessed abundantly as they bring ease to the stressed and suffering, and as they minister to the wounded and dying.

15 Pray for Krystal Overmyer, communications assistant for the Costa Rican Lutheran Church, who facilitates delegations visiting Lutheran brothers and sisters in Costa Rica. Thank God for the companion relationship between the Southwestern Texas Synod and the CRLC.

16 Pray for strength and endurance for those congregations serving communities affected by recent disasters, including Hurricane Katrina, California's fires, and floods in Minnesota and Washington.

17 Pray for the courage and strength to live in ways that honor the image of God in all people.

18 Confession of Peter
As the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity begins, offer prayers of thanksgiving for its 100th anniversary and for the prayers for unity that have been offered through these years.

19 God's Church consists of many parts in addition to congregations. Pray for the institutions of which you are a part, and for the wisdom and courage to follow God’s callings.

20 Second Sunday After Epiphany
Almighty God, grant your wisdom and love upon the people of Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia, that they may live in peace and harmony.

21 Pray for all the participants at the January 19-22 Transformational Leaders Gathering in Orlando, Fla. May this be a time of education, refreshment, and mutual support for those who lead congregations through renewal, transformation and redevelopment processes.

22 Give thanks for the continued ministry of Drs. Helmut and Rotraut Diefenthal, who spend 10 months a year at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center (KCMC) in Moshi, Tanzania, and for the companion relationships that exist between ELCA synods and dioceses of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania.

23 Pray for local observances and services of prayer for Christian unity and the theme that we share together, that we may "pray without ceasing."

24 Pray for the board of Finlandia University, for President Philip Johnson and other administrators, for faculty, students, alumni and supporters of all 28 of the colleges and universities related to the ELCA.

25 Conversion of Paul
Let us pray for dialogues among churches and Christian communities, for better understanding and for the opportunity to reflect on the implications of sharing "one Lord, one faith, one baptism."

26 Give thanks to God for Kevin Baker, Kristina Diaz, Kirsten Dumke and James Weber, ELCA Young Adults in Global Mission program, and their willingness to serve the people of Argentina.

27 Third Sunday After Epiphany
Gracious God, we remember the Christian communities in China, Hong Kong SAR, and Taiwan, and give thanks for the vitality and growth of the churches. We lift up to you ELCA synods who work and pray with them, especially the Sierra Pacific Synod and Southwest California Synod.

28 Pray for Jane and Pastor Ted Zimmerman in their ministry in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hong Kong (ELCHK). Ted teaches New Testament at Lutheran Theological Seminary and assists with pastoral leadership of one of the congregations of the ELCHK.

29 Pray for your congregational, synodical, and churchwide leaders to have the courage and strength needed to confront the injustices of sexism, racism and classism, and to advocate for justice.

30 Remember Barbara and Pastor John LeMond as they serve within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hong Kong. John teaches world religions at Lutheran Theological Seminary, Hong Kong, and coordinates interfaith programs with the Tao Fang Shan Centre.

31 Thank God for the ministry of the schools of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jerusalem and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) as they reach out with God’s love to all people, even in the midst of hardships. Pray for Sylvia Countess, who is assisting Dr. Charlie Haddad, the director of ELCJ schools.