How to Pray the News: Praying for Restoration/Praying the News Summary 29

Summary: Country of the Week: Mali

Source: Link

The theme for this week is praying for restoration. Instead of looking at the place or the type of issue, we will be praying for the things that are wrong to be made right. 

So when we read about violence, let us pray for peace.

When we read about injustice and oppression, let us pray for justice and freedom.

When we read about natural disasters, let us pray for the world to be renewed and restored.

When we read about sickness, let us pray for healing and cures for diseases.

When we read about accidents, let us pray for restoration, reconciliation, and redemption. 

When we read about people suffering from mental anguish and lamenting, let us pray for repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation. 

Peace (Violence) 

Summary: Pray for the hate and fear that sparks violence at rallies and protests to be eliminated from our hearts. Pray for symbols of oppression to be removed from our country
Source: Link and Link
Summary: Pray for Haiti to have a smooth transition of power after its president was assassinated. Pray for those responsible to be held accountable for their actions, even as we pray for them to repent
Source: Link and Link and Link and Link and Link

Summary: Pray for people to repent of attempted coups and violent overthrows of government
Source: Link

Summary: Pray for the riots in South Africa to be replaced by discussions, negotiations, and a peaceful resolution
Source: Link and Link and Link and Link and Link

Summary: Pray for mantees and other species to be respected and protected. Pray for people to change our habits so we don't hurt and destroy living things
Source: Link
Summary: Pray for Afghan citizens to live in peace & freedom after foreign troops leave. Pray for all people there to be treated with dignity and respect
Source: Link and Link and Link and Link

Summary: Pray for Ethiopia's conflict to be solved peacefully and justly
Source: Link

Summary: Pray for the pro-democracy protestors in Eswatini to have their concerns addressed. Pray for the protests to remain peaceful
Source: Link

Justice/Freedom (Injustice/Oppression)

Summary: Pray for a more just foster system (in Canada where indigenous children are overrepresented)
Source: Link 
Summary: Pray for racism and biases to end. Pray for black outdoorsmen and women to be treated with dignity and respect (first link story). Pray for black athletes to be treated with dignity and respect (second link story)
Source: Link and Link

Summary: Pray for Americans to seek Truth as we investigate our own history of residential boarding schools for Native American children. Pray for Americans to acknowledge, lament, and repent of this stain on our nation's history
Source: Link

Summary: Pray for racism and antisemitism to be rooted from our hearts and actions. Pray for people to be teachable instead of defensive when learning about offensive actions, attitudes, and words
Source: Link

Summary: Pray for people to change their language when offensive terms are brought up. 
Source: Link
Summary: Pray for the concerns driving Cubans to protest to be heard and addressed
Source: Link and Link and Link and Link and Link and Link

Summary: Pray for migrants and asylum-seekers to be treated humanely instead of being pushed back to sea (first link) or being left in a legal limbo due to being without documents (second link)
Source: Link and Link and Link

Summary: Pray for concerns of disenfranchisement of eligibile voters to be heard and addressed. Pray for voting laws that allow eligible voters to vote while preventing ineligible voters from voting
Source: Link and Link and Link and Link and Link

Summary: Pray for people to have access to food and transportation as inflation continues to rise
Source: Link
Summary: PRAISE: Illinois is the first state to mandate teaching Asian American history
Source: Link

Summary: Pray for Canadians to grapple with their country's history with First Nation children in residential schools. Pray for acknowledgement, lament, repentance, and healing to occur
Source: Link and Link

Summary: Pray for workers making minimum wage to be able to afford housing and rent
Source: Link

Summary: Pray for people to treat all other people with dignity and respect
Source: Link

Summary: PRAISE: Illinois has passed a law barring police from lying to minors in interrogations. Pray for this to become a national and international law
Source: Link
Summary: Pray for lawmakers to make a just law to address the DREAMERS who fell through the citizenship cracks
Source: Link and Link

Summary: Pray for people, particularly those in foster care, to have access to the benefits they are eligible for

Source: Link

A Renewed/Restored World (Natural Disasters)

Summary: Pray for heatwaves and wildfires to end as we better steward the earth and its resources
Source: Link and Link and Link and Link and Link
Summary: Pray for rains to come to end droughts. Pray for all people to have access to clean water
Source: Link and Link

Summary: Pray for Germans and other Europeans as they face flooding and grieve those who have died in the floods
Source: Link and Link and Link and Link and Link and Link

Summary: Pray for cities and areas facing high tide flooding
Source: Link

Healing/Cures for Diseases (Sickness)

Summary: Pray for more effective vaccines and treatments for the virus, as a woman dies of two virus varient infections
Source: Link and Link
Summary: Pray for people to continue to follow safety guidelines until the pandemic is fully over
Source: Link and Link and Link and Link

Summary: Pray for scientists and doctors to be able to test for the long virus symptoms and to prevent people from suffering from it
Source: Link

Summary: Pray for scientists and doctors to be able to prevent rare complications from vaccines
Source: Link

Summary: Pray for places experiencing virus outbreaks and lockdowns
Source: Link and Link and Link and Link and Link
Summary: Pray for people and places uncomfortable with reopening too quickly, as well as the places that are reopening
Source: Link and Link and Link

Summary: Pray for people to be freed from addictions and for hospitals to be equipped with caring for people struggling with addictions and overdoses
Source: Link and Link and Link and Link

Summary: Pray for children and teens getting vaccinated, to prevent organ damage from the virus
Source: Link and Link and Link

Summary: Pray for people to factcheck before they spread misinformation (and then not spread misinformation)
Source: Link and Link

Restoration/Reconciliation/Redemption (Accidents)

Summary: Pray for families to have closure as the condo recovery discovers more bodies of victims. Pray for forgiveness and compassion for those responsible for the neglect of the building, even as we pray for them to repent
Source: Link and Link and Link

Repentance/Forgiveness/Reconciliation (Mental Anguish/Lament)

Summary: Pray for Haitians to receive justice for their president's assassination. Pray for those grieving his death to choose to forgive instead of growing bitter
Source: Link and Link
Summary: Pray for those grieving the 50-60 people who died in a fire in a virus ward in Iraq. Pray for those protesting the conditions that led to the fire to have their concerns addressed

Source: Link and Link and Link

Summary: Pray for those grieving the at least 8 people who died in a hotel collapse in China
Source: Link

Now this week's theme might seem like a repeat of last week's, but we are going deeper, further, and bigger in our prayers. We aren't just praying for those who are sick, we are praying for an end to sickness. We aren't just praying for the victims (and perpetrators) of violence, we are praying for hatred, bitterness, and fear to be rooted from our hearts and replaced with love, contentment, and trust.