Pandemic Prayers

In light of the COVID-19, may prayer spread like a pandemic as we lift up each other up to our God.

Here are prayer items from a number of partner schools:

Hanoi Bible College (HBC), Vietnam

Please join us to lift a prayer for HBC faculty, staff and students:

• They continue to run classes, strictly online, and migrating some classes to a purely online format is a huge undertaking; pray the lecturers and students will wisely adapt to these unforeseen changes.
• At this point, given that the school has missed about a month worth of classes, the tentative plan is to shift graduation from the scheduled date of June, to take place in September. Pray that this will not be changed again and that students will be able to finish this season well.
• Vietnam, as with much of the rest of the world, is also practicing social and physical distancing. Many are cloistered in their homes and are lacking human interaction. Pray for all to be able to cope, in healthy ways.

Evangelical School of Theology, Wroclaw, Poland

• This is the time – we believe – of prayer and this is what we do. So, be sure, you are in our thoughts, in our hearts and in our prayers. We also would like to ask for your prayers for our school, our students, the churches we cooperate with and for us and our families. We are one team, one family of children of God both in good and difficult times. Thank you very much, in Christ, Wojciech Szczerba and Marek Kucharski

Arab Baptist Theological Seminary, Beirut, Lebanon

• While Lebanon and the world wrestles with the Corona virus, the Lebanese economic situation continues to be on the brink of collapse. Things have not improved neither for institutions nor for individuals. Still, the new government has failed to put forward an economic rescue plan.
• In the midst of all this, pray that we at ABTS do not respond through fear but in accordance to God’s will. Pray for the Church in Lebanon to fix its eyes on Him who is Sovereign so that we are moved with His compassion to help others pass through the crises while modelling to them a Christ-like attitude.
• We also ask you to pray for Sudan and the Sudanese Church. Last week there was an attempt to assassinate the Sudanese Prime Minister while the country is passing through a period of change. Pray for God’s kingdom to spread in Sudan and for freedom and justice to become the new reality in the country.
• One of our local sources of revenue is our guesthouse, which is now closed due to the crisis. We have been looking into options for using the facility to serve our community at this critical time. There’s a big need in Lebanon for free furnished accommodations to be used by healthcare workers who are at the frontline of the coronavirus battle (doctors, nurses, red cross, …) who are not able to go back to their homes because of vulnerable family members. We are excited about this opportunity to serve. This will be financially costly to ABTS, but we trust that God will provide the resources.

Lake Malawi Anglican University, (LAMAU) Malawi

• The Malawi government has issued a closure directive for all schools and LAMAU is not spared. We rely on income from student fees and we struggle to pay staff and are fearing disconnections to electricity and water due to unpaid bills. Please pray that God will open up other funding sources for LAMAU, so that staff and their families will not be severely affected.
• Also pray that the leadership of the Church will be able to offer bailout support, even though they themselves are hugely affected as they depend mostly on Christian offering.
• Pray that God will strengthen us through these trying moments.

Rev. Andrew Sumani, Principal, LAMAU

Colombia Bible Seminary, Medelline, Colombia

• Pray for the Emergency Committee that has been formed to deal with the crisis caused by COVID-19. They will be examining the financial impact of possibly two more months of quarantine (which the Government is talking about).
• Pray for the needs of the married students who are in residence (all other students have returned to their homes), as their resources are running thin and we foresee that many will not be able to afford their rent.
• We are encouraged by the call of James 1:2-7 to see these days as a time of rejoicing in the opportunity to learn patience (as we relinquish all pretensions of control), and a time to humbly and trustingly ask for wisdom.

Elizabeth Sendek, Rector

Bethlehem Bible College, Israel

In the midst of these dramatic circumstances, please pray with us that Jesus Christ- the great healer who traveled through towns and villages curing every disease and illness- may lend His healing hand and heal every sick person… May He heal us not only from disease, but also from fear, from pride, from sorrow, and from uncertainty, and may He fill our hearts with faith that all what we need is His peace. In His Grace, Rev. Dr. Jack Sara, President

George Whitefield College, Muizenberg, Cape Town, South Africa

• Pray for GWC faculty as they train in online lecturing in their holiday break ready to teach and serve the student body using digital communication channels.
• Pray for Principal Mark Dickson and GWC staff who are leading the college through this unchartered territory in these next few weeks. Pray for wisdom and strength as they seek to keep GWC functioning effectively.
• With churches not able to meet on Good Friday, pray that Christians will be mindful and thank God for what the Lord Jesus did for us on the cross.
• Pray for the college in the light of the spread of COVID-19 in Africa, that this will not hamper new students for 2021 entering the country and registering with GWC.
• As we await the unfolding of the economic impact of this virus please ask the Lord to help our fundraising team be sensitive as they seek God’s guidance to find creative ways to meet GWC’s 2020 budget; that they might not be anxious but trust in God for each tomorrow.

Friends of reSource

Please pray for the foundations, businesses and individuals – the many faithful supporters of reSource who are being negatively affected by the downturn in the economy. E.g. Arthur Dubbeldam of JIREH Industries, Edmonton, Alberta writes: “Our greatest need for prayer right now is that sales would not slump down any farther (down to less than 50% so far). We are sadly having to decide who will be in the first round of layoffs (about 20% of our staff) – so hard for everyone! Please pray that not one single employee of Jireh (2 in Houston Texas, 1 in the Netherlands, and the rest [about 50] in Ardrossan) would become infected with the COVID 19 virus.”   

In general, continue to pray…

• For the healing of those infected, and for the safety and health of all those who work in health care and serve those who are ill;
• That those who must carry on with work/studies/activities would be protected from this virus;
• That sufficient financial resources for schools would be available so they can meet the most basic of their needs;
• That the needs of students and all those who are most vulnerable financially would be met during these hard times;
• That God would protect our countries and give wisdom to our leaders, so that this cloud will pass with minimum effect; and
• That believers in Christ may be a clear witness to or example of the love of Jesus for others, and that God would use this time to bring people closer to Him.

O Lord, hear our prayers.