2006: March | April | May | June | July | August

Requests added on August 23, 2006:

• Let us pray for those of our brothers and sisters who are serving in the armed forces of their nation. Pray for their safety and security. Pray for their patience in the midst of hardships. Pray that they might have courage to faithfully deal with the challenges that confront them day by day. Pray that these men and women would refrain from speaking words of hate for those who oppose them and from bitterness toward those who do not agree with their mission.
• Pray for the families of these men and women who await their return and for those who are saddened because their husbands and wives, sons and daughters, sisters and brothers will not return.

Requests added on July 21, 2006:

• Please pray for the many parts of the world that are currently at war:
  • Places where armed forces clash instead of leaders seeking to understand each other and negotiate;
  • Places where destruction and devastation have caused suffering and starvation;
  • Places where people are robbed of the dignity deserved by all people;
• Please pray for the people who are struggling with the injustices that are both instigated and the results of armed conflict:
• For those who suffer because they lack the basic necessities of life;
• For those who die because they cannot receive basic healthcare;
• For those who starve because food supplies are not available;
• For those who do not receive the respect owed all creatures that God has labeled "very good."
• Please pray for God's guidance:
• That wars and rumors of war are set aside for people to make implements that save life more important that the ability to bring death;
• That the voices of peace may be heard over the thunder of clashing armies;
• That where no hope for peace seems to exist, that new relationships might bud and grow to the full flower of a peaceful world.
• Pray for Israel, Lebanon, the Palestinians and all nations that seem to be on the brink of aggression and in search of retaliation.
• Pray for the leaders of the Middle East that they might find new ways of living together that are not dependent upon military muscle and terrorist raids.
• Pray for our partners and the work they are doing in the Middle East Council of Churches.
• Pray for traveling mercies for Rev. David Vargas and Rev. Cally Rogers-Witte, Global Ministries Co-Executives will will depart on Tuesday, July 25 for a long-planned pastoral visit to the Middle East. They will travel to Cairo, Istanbul and Jerusalem with Dr. Peter Makari, area Executive for the Middle East and Europe.
• Pray for those leaders in our church who carry heavy personal burdens. They may be experiencing their own health issues or perhaps the loss of a family member or friend. Pray for God to sustain them during those things which tend to drain people of their ability to function at their best, even when a lot is at stake.

Requests added on June 20, 2006:

• Please continue to pray for those who are still recovering from the aftermath of hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and other natural disasters. We know that for so many people, their lives have been devastated, and sometimes their faith shaken. But we ask that those who have been affected will accept our collective concern and assistance as an expression of God's love. We pray also that they will experience God's grace and mercy in helping to ease their pain and rebuild their lives in stronger and more resilient ways.
• Our prayers go out to our Disciples colleagues at the Bolenge Hospital, south of Mbandaka, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The hospital experienced an electric fire on June 13 that destroyed equipment, beds, medicine and other material. We ask that God will please watch over them and protect the patients, employees, and friends that have been affected by this tragedy. May their concerns be eased by our prayers and belief that God will bring them through this crisis. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Requests added on June 19, 2006:

• God, we ask that you keep more than 3,000 women in your care as they journey this week to Mix in '06. We pray that this one-time gathering of the Disciples of Christ Women's Quadrennial Assembly and the United Church of Christ National Women's Meeting will be a blessing for all. Please be with them during their meetings and deliberations about ways they can best serve the churches they love. May their work and their wisdom enrich the church in ways that further your Realm.
• Loving God, I lift up to your care and guidance to all of those who offer leadership to your church. May those who lead in the congregational, regional, general, and higher education ministries be enabled to focus on their unique call to mission. Grant them the wisdom and skill to organize all that they do around that vision of your will. Help us all to be living models of the Good News of your Son and use us to share that Good News with your world, today and tomorrow. In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and our guide, amen.
  

Requests added on June 2, 2006:

• We ask that prayers be extended to regional assemblies taking place this month in Virginia and Pennsylvania. We ask God's blessings on regional pastors, boards and others as they consider missional and financial issues that support regional ministry and impact the entire church.
• Please pray for those attending youth or family camps this summer. Bless the directors and counselors who are preparing for these camps. May their programs and activities not only provide for discovery, worship, and fellowship, but also create a better understanding of life as a Christian.
• We pray also for the work of the Disciples Peace Interns who will visit a number of summer camps this season, spreading a message of peace, unity and harmony among all God's people.

Request added on May 8, 2006:

• Please pray for the church's deliberations about ways to faithfully and prayerfully address funding issues that support the mission of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). We ask that your prayers be with leaders of regional, general and higher education ministries as discussions take place in Indianapolis, Ind. on May 9-10 on this issue that impacts mission and ministry.

Requests added on May 3, 2006:

• Please pray for regional assemblies that take place in the month of May. These include the Central Rocky Mountain Region, Michigan and the Northwest. We pray that these meetings will allow church leaders and lay persons to be guided by God's call for the work of the region and of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
• Pray for all families, wherever they are in the world, during Christian Family Week, May 7 -14. We ask that families take the time during this period to focus on the values they cherish and want to live by. We pray also that families be strengthened to face the challenges of an increasingly complex world by remembering, as stated in Colossians 3:12-17, to always show compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience one to another.

Requests added on April 25, 2006:

• Please pray for regional assemblies that will take place in West Virginia, Alabama/Northwest Florida, Northern California/Nevada, North Carolina and Oregon this week. We ask that all those participating seek God's guidance as they worship, praise and undertake the work of the Church and the region.

• We ask that the Church be aware of and pray for those seeking work as well as help those who need adequate pay, meaningful tasks and a renewed sense of being worthwhile.

  As we pray, may we be mindful of the actions of the 2005 General Assembly meeting in Portland, Oregon which adopted Resolution No. 0517 that resolves to address issues of workers' wages and dignity, Biblically and theologically. The resolution asks members of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to support movements that address the living wage and cooperate with workers, employers, labor unions and organizations that are working to affirm workers' dignity.

Requests added on April 7, 2006:

• Please pray for seminary graduates who are completing their final exams. We ask also that you pray your blessings on their upcoming ordinations.
• Give thanks for our shut-ins; for the daily prayers that they offer for the Church. Remember that our shut-ins are an important part of the ministry and mission of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

Request added on March 15, 2006:

• Pray for the lay leaders of congregations -- elders, deacons, church school teachers, committee chairpersons and others -- who faithfully serve God through the church. Through their compassion and commitment, the church is able to be and share the good news of Jesus Christ from "our doorsteps to the ends of the earth."

Requests added on March 6, 2006:

• Please pray for all Pastors in the Church as they give leadership during the season of Lent. We ask special blessings for those working in Pastor's classes and those assisting with Baptism preparation classes. We know that during this time of year, pastors shoulder extra work, as they carry out the many responsibilities during the Lenten season and Holy Week.
• Pray for the Chaplains of our Church, whether they serve as military chaplains, offering spiritual leadership and hope to men and women in armed forces; as health care and retirement center chaplains or prison chaplains giving care and comfort in life's transitions; or as college or university chaplains, providing counsel and guidance to young people.