Pray for Slum Ministry
More than 1.05 billion people live in slums worldwide.1 Many of those people live in extreme poverty with a lack of necessities like proper shelter, clean water and adequate sanitation, let alone education. Daily work can be hard to find, and even when it is found, it typically only covers one day’s expenses. No savings means no significant purchases (such as a reliable form of transportation), and that means no hope for escape. Because of this relentless cycle, it’s nearly impossible for these individuals to improve their situation. GFA World is dedicated to offering practical help and the hope of Jesus to people living in slums, whether it’s by providing an income-generating gift, access to health care and education, or even friendship.
Please join us in praying this month for GFA’s slum ministry.
1 “Number of people living in slums from 2000 to 2020.” Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/267714/urban-population-in-slums/ December 2020.
Imagine that you live in a slum. You have a structurally unsound home that could easily be destroyed in any natural disaster. If you have kids, you constantly worry about their education. You worry about feeding them. You worry about them getting sick, because if they do, you can't afford to visit a doctor. Will they even get better? You don't have a stable source of income so you take any work you can find, because if you don't, you and your kids won't eat. Each day is a struggle to survive.
But God sees their every need and has a plan for them. He told us to look at the birds of the air and the flowers of the field and trust that if He cares so much for them, He will take care of us. He told us to not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself (see Matthew 6:26-34).
Pray that the precious people who live in the slums will come to know and put their trust in the Heavenly Father and ask Him to provide for all their needs and bring them perfect peace.
GFA missionaries have a heart to serve the least of these. This God-given love is what leads missionaries to serve in slums. But slum ministry can be extremely taxing, physically and emotionally. Missionaries cannot effectively do this ministry without God's help.
Pray that God will encourage these missionaries and grant rest to them. Pray that He will fill the missionaries with supernatural love for the people around them. Pray He will give the missionaries wisdom on how to best show Christ's love to people in the slums. Pray God uses our brothers and sisters in mighty ways.
When a person has little or no education, it's much more difficult to get a good-paying job and thus buy necessities such as food, clothing and medicine. Without an education, parents often see this cycle of poverty continue in the next generation.
GFA's child sponsorship program, vocational training classes and other initiatives serve to help people break out of the cycle of poverty.
Please pray that those in the slums will be able to retain the things they're being taught. Pray for the teachers in GFA sponsorship programs and vocational training classes to be patient and examples of Christ to their students. Pray that the students would thrive and be able to pursue new opportunities.
In a slum, diseases spread easily because so many people live in tight proximity. And when a person in a slum gets sick, there's not much they can do. Transportation in and out of a slum is often difficult, and funds are limited. In response, GFA workers hold medical camps to provide free, easy access to much-needed healthcare.
Pray that GFA workers can hold more medical camps in slums. Pray that people will get the help they need and they will be healed in Jesus name. Pray that God uses medical camps to bring people to knowledge of Him. Pray that people see Christ in the brothers and sisters that serve.
To help alleviate some of the challenges that people who live in the slums face, GFA workers have brought warm clothes for the children living in the slums, hygiene kits for families, and distributed groceries. These acts of generosity helped families in a desperate time.
GFA workers also provide income-generating gifts such as farm animals and sewing machines to help families overcome cycles of poverty.
Thanks to so many people who have partnered with GFA, our missionaries serving in the slums and elsewhere are able to bless and share Christ's love with those around them.
Pray that God will provide the funds needed so these missionaries can best serve their communities. Pray that God will place in on people's hearts to give cheerfully toward slum ministry.
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