A Time to Pray

This is Friday and I usually post a Friday Foodie recipe or Friday Funnies video. But my heart’s been heavy this week watching and hearing about the devastation in Haiti as a result of the earthquake that shook their world to the core earlier this week. The pictures are heart-breaking and I feel helpless.

In overwhelming times like this of great human tragedy and suffering, like the weeks and months following Sept. 11, and this devastating earthquake that has seemed to impact the whole world, I feel I need to stop my busy life and reflect, put things into perspective, be thankful for my blessings, and weep with those who weep.

So this week, instead of my usual, I want to post some links on how you can contribute and some thoughts on how you can pray.

You’ve probably heard that there are a lot of opportunistic scammers trying to take your donations, so we need to be extra cautious about whom we give our money for disaster relief.

1. This is the White House’s official blog that includes links to how you can contribute to the Red Cross, USAID, and other resources.

2. The ACLJ, the American Center for Law & Justice, is partnering with 3 organizations and their links to those can be found here.

3. Samaritan’s Purse, a relief organization run by Franklin Graham, is taking donations for relief in Haiti as they continue to also help other parts of the world. There is also a short video where Franklin Graham speaks specifically about how Samaritan’s Purse is helping the victims of Haiti.

Prayer

Your prayers are important.  It is the spiritual instrument by which God has given us the ability to access Him and it moves the Holy Spirit into action.  "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man {and woman!} avails much."  (James 5:16b)  Remember, though we aren't righteous on our own, we are righteous through Jesus Christ. 

1. Pray that God’s Spirit, strength, peace, wisdom and safety will be with:
~those who are still alive, but trapped under rubble;
~those who are injured and in need of medical attention;
~those who are still waiting to hear from loved ones;
~those who have lost loved ones;
~all for safety from looters and the escalating violence;
~the military and other rescue organizations;
~all medical personnel;
~all the brothers and sisters in Christ who are ministering to hurting hearts;
~and with the journalists who are covering this very emotional story.

2. Pray that resources such as food, water and medicine will be distributed quickly.

3. Pray that God will keep the enemy at bay in a nation where one half of its citizens have been known to practice voodoo.

4. Pray that Haiti’s inhabitants will cry out to the name of Jesus Christ for salvation, "for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."  (Acts 4:12)  This can be an amazing opportunity for multitudes of people to give their hearts over to Jesus, but they need our prayers.

In short, pray.

We need to call on the Holy Spirit to move in ways that only He can in the midst of such a seemingly impossible situation.


On a personal note, we have some friends, Steve and Julie, who are missionaries in the Dominican Republic. They are the founders and directors of Del Corazon de Jesucristo, (The Heart of Jesus Christ - the link is at the right) a medical ministry of hope and salvation through Jesus Christ in the Dominican Republic, where Dr. Steve Dorsey cares for the sick and injured in their area and Julie uses her teaching background to teach children and adults about the love of Christ.

They've just returned to the DR (I miss them already!)  and Steve’s been asked to travel to Haiti to help give medical care for those injured in the earthquake. Please pray they will know God’s will and whether he is to go or stay and continue to offer care to those in the DR.

I will keep you updated on their decision so we can keep praying accordingly.

Thank you so much and God bless you.
Dorci