Helping churches pray for the Lord’s people around the world.

Below are monthly resources to help your church community to pray big prayers to our big God for people and places where Anglican Aid is working around the world.

Each update includes a slide, prayer points, and a written prayer.

Never miss an update – subscribe here to have Big Prayers for Churches delivered to your inbox each month.

September prayer focus:
Pray for Projek Bali, Indonesia

As many Australians escape the cold for tropical Bali, they might not know that there is another side to the holiday island, away from the sunny beaches and tourist zones. In rural Bali, many families struggle to provide for the basic needs of their children and to keep them in school.

Projek Bali is a project run by the Widhya Asih Foundation, an organisation of the Christian Protestant Church of Bali. In partnership with Anglican Aid, Projek Bali provides residential care across seven homes for over 300 children who aren’t able to live with their families or are in vulnerable situations. The children are cared for in a loving, Christian environment as they attend school. They are given nutritious food, medical care, and educational support. The homes seek to maintain strong connections between the children and their families where possible.

Recently with support from Anglican Aid donors, Projek Bali has been able to purchase a new water filter, furniture, and bedding.

A current staff member said she went to live in a children’s home because her family couldn’t support her.

“I feel very lucky that I grew up in Widhya Asih because if not, I would never be able to continue my study,” she said. “And in my family, I’m the only one who has graduated from university.” 

Pray:

• Praise God for the recent completion of upgrade projects for three of Projek Bali’s children’s homes, including a new water filter, furniture, and bedding.
• Praise God that children in the residential homes are gaining education, life skills, and Christian care.
• Pray that God will continue to provide for the needs of these children’s homes – particularly for new flooring for one of the centres and funding for extracurricular classes.

A prayer for Projek Bali in Indonesia:

Our great God, you created every child; each one has been knit together by you, fearfully and wonderfully made.

We praise you that Projek Bali staff are showing your love to children in need. Please encourage their hearts and strengthen them in every good deed and word. Give them wisdom, resources, and skills to care for the children well.

Would you keep the children safe and help them to grow and flourish in the residential centres. May they see what great love you have lavished on us in Jesus and call on you, their Heavenly Father.

Thank you that three centres have been able to upgrade their equipment and furniture. Please provide everything still needed to provide safe and comfortable homes for the children.

We pray for the island of Bali, our near neighbour. Please strengthen your church there to show your great love to people in need. Help your church to proclaim the good news of Jesus and bring many to a saving faith in him.

In his glorious name we pray.

Amen.

August prayer focus:
Pray for Nigeria

It can be extremely dangerous to be a Christian in Nigeria. More believers are killed for their faith in Nigeria than anywhere else in the world. According to Open Doors, last year, 3100 Christians were killed by violent Islamist groups seeking to take over land and property.

This year, over several weeks in April, Christian communities in Plateau State were attacked by Fulani cattle herders who arrived in villages, killing people, seizing property and burning down houses. Over 100 people were killed and 2,000 displaced. In May and June there were further attacks in Benue and Taraba States that resulted in the deaths of over 320 people.

In partnership with the Diocese of Canberra/Goulburn, Anglican Aid is supporting the Diocese of Jos, as they care for people who fled their villages in Plateau State. They are providing roofing sheets and farming materials like fertiliser to help people rebuild their homes and livelihoods.

Pray:

• Pray that government and security forces will act decisively to bring peace to rural communities in Nigeria.

• Pray for the protection, emergency support, and comfort of Christian rural communities facing persecution. Pray they keep trusting Jesus, seeking peace rather than retribution.

• Pray that displaced people will be able to return to their communities and reestablish their homes and livelihoods. Pray for God’s comfort and healing for those who have lost loved ones.

• Pray that the Lord raises up godly, well-equipped Christian leaders through the Christian Institute in Jos.

• Pray that Bishop Ephraim Gongden will lead his diocese with grace, godly wisdom, and integrity.

• Pray for the spread of the gospel in Nigeria, especially in rural and difficult to reach communities.

A prayer for persecuted Christians in Nigeria:

God of grace, you are King forever. You hear the desire of the afflicted and listen to their cry. 

We remember our brothers and sisters in Nigeria who are suffering persecution. Please strengthen and protect them. Comfort those who are grieving and provide for those who have lost homes or livelihoods. Please direct their hearts into your abounding love and Christ’s perseverance. Would you help them know your peace that transcends all understanding, trusting in your sovereignty and turning their thoughts from retribution.  

We pray for those in authority in Nigeria. Help them to govern with wisdom, integrity, and courage, so your people can live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 

We pray for students at the Jos Institute. Please help them to know you better as they learn to teach your word and shepherd your flock. Strengthen them for endurance for a lifetime of service so when the Chief Shepherd appears they will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.  

We pray in his name and for his glory. 

Amen. 

July prayer focus:
Pray for Syria and the Middle East

Pastor Samir Yacco, our Anglican Aid partner from Damascus Church Aid in Syria, asks for prayer as his congregation feels the effects of conflict in the Middle East. He said that on the night of Sunday 22 June, a Greek Orthodox Church in his neighbourhood was attacked by a suicide bomber. He and his church members lost friends in the attack. 

News outlets report that 22 people were killed and 63 injured in the attack. There have been several attempted attacks on churches in Syria since the Bashar al-Assad government was toppled by an Islamist-led rebel insurgency in December. 

Last year as conflict erupted in Israel, Gaza, and Lebanon, Pastor Samir shared what it is like to serve in this context:  

“We who are living in the Middle East are truly living on a volcano mouth or on a keg of powder, as dangerous events are going on daily.  

The Christian church continues its mission of gospel declaration to exchange worldly peace with a heavenly one which might end all kinds of hostility. Along with this task, we continue helping the needy, the sick, the elderly, the disadvantaged, and the youth who are subject to bad habits in times of crisis and ordeal. [We do this] with any possible help available due to faithful contributions coming from organisations like yours to sustain us in a time of collapse.” 

Pray:

• Pray for safety for God’s people in Syria and the Middle East as the conflict broadens. 
• Pray that Christians in Syria will be free to continue meeting publicly and following Jesus. 
• Give thanks that Damascus Church Aid has continued to faithfully care for neighbours in need and proclaim the gospel through years of trouble in Syria. 
• Pray for God to strengthen his church in Syria. 
• Pray that governments around the world will act wisely and justly to bring peace in the Middle East. 

A prayer for Syria and the Middle East:

Our Mighty God and Everlasting Father, 

We thank you that Anglican Aid’s partner, Damascus Church Aid, has continued to care for neighbours in need through years of war and economic sanctions in Syria, all the while sharing the hope they have in you. 

We pray for your comfort and healing for those who were injured or who lost loved ones in the June attack on the church in Damascus. Please protect your people in Syria from further attacks and thwart attempts of those who seek to harm. 

We pray for all those who have been hurt or are mourning due to the conflict in the Middle East. Please comfort them and restore them. Provide homes and livelihoods for those who have been displaced and rebuild communities that have been destroyed. Our Lord of all, give those in government around the world, wisdom and the will to act justly to end this war. 

As people in the Middle East long for a new era of peace, we pray that many will hear the good news of Jesus and turn in faith to him, the Prince of Peace, so they can know peace beyond all understanding and enjoy new life with him forever. 

We pray in his name and for his glory. 

Amen. 

June prayer focus:
Pray for Burundi with elections this month

Pray for the nation of Burundi with general elections being held this month. With a history of civil war, Burundi’s elections have been marked by violence and instability.  

This tiny country in East Africa consistently ranks as one of the world’s five poorest with 55% of children under five years old chronically malnourished. Similarly, 50% of children under the age of 5 years suffer from regular water-borne disease. 

Anglican Aid is in partnership with the Diocese of Gitega in Burundi to bring clean water and better food security to remote, rural communities, some of the poorest in the country. 

As well as providing clean water, local Christians in Gitega are loving their neighbours by giving farmers agriculture training, seeds, and tools to increase their harvests. When Anglican Aid CEO Tim Swan visited in March, he was greatly encouraged to see how families’ lives are being changed as they now have enough to eat, better health, and income from selling produce at the local market. A wonderful outcome from these projects is that the local church is growing as project participants experience God’s love through his people. 

Anglican Aid is also strengthening the church in Gitega to proclaim the gospel by supporting the Bible training of church leaders at Gitega Bible School and Bujumbura Christian University. 

Anglican Aid prayer

Heavenly Father,

Whose will it is that all people will be saved, and come to a knowledge of  the truth, and whose will it is that we care for the poor, needy, widows, orphans and refugees.

We pray for the work of the Archbishop of Sydney’s Anglican Aid.

We pray for your grace to fulfil every good work that you have prepared for us in advance to do as we anticipate the triumphant return of our King and Saviour, in whose name we pray.

Amen.