30 Days to Pray for the Vulnerable

How you doing with your COVID-19 quarantine?

I’ve had some bad days lately. In part it’s because I have been thinking how many people are in real danger from this virus. Yes, those over 65 and those with underlying health conditions. But there are so many around the world who are vulnerable to this virus and vulnerable to the everyday devastating effects of poverty. So as we stay home to protect the vulnerable (which may be ourselves), let’s spend April praying for others and the organizations who assist them. Prayer matters! (You’ll have to pray for the April 1 and 2 posts on the same day, since I’m late!)

• 4/1 Pray for your missionaries around the world, many living in areas where healthcare and social distancing aren’t as accessible.
• 4/2 Pray for organizations like Compassion International, Preemptive Love, and World Relief doing relief work throughout the world. Pray for needed funds and for protection for workers in coronavirus hot spots.
• 4/3 Pray for your governor. Ask God to challenge him/her to make wise decisions in this crisis and to promote policies that ensure the poor don’t suffer even more.
• 4/4 Pray for people who were part of literacy and job training programs that have been shut down. Pray they might have access to online resources to continue learning.
• 4/5 Pray for Hope International and other microloan programs around the world, that enable the poor to begin their own businesses. Pray that people won’t lose their income due to the virus.
• 4/6 Pray for those who rely on public transportation to get to their jobs that are deemed essential. Pray for safety and for alternatives when schedules have been curtailed.
• 4/7 Pray for the mayor of the nearest large city. Ask God to give her/him wisdom in assisting those living in inner cities who have few options for social distancing and often have no savings to carry them through.
• 4/8 Pray for Bread for the World, an organization looking to end the systemic causes of world hunger. Pray for people to get involved in lobbying efforts to change unjust laws and provide vital hunger relief funds, especially during the pandemic.
• 4/9 Pray for businesses located in inner cities to survive so they can provide job opportunities to city residents when the restrictions are over. And pray for other good jobs to come to cities.
• 4/10 Pray for those living in areas where there is little clean water or sanitation. Washing your hands is difficult when you have no water. Pray for organizations working to bring clean drinking water and sanitation to the world.
• 4/11 Pray for your state and federal senators and representatives. May they evaluate laws, including those made during this crisis, based on their impact on the poor and vote on the side of the poor, not rich donors.
• 4/12 Pray for people living with dementia and mental disabilities who don’t fully understand what is happening and for who this coronavirus crisis is new every day.
• 4/13 Pray for those dealing with prejudice and racism, sometimes even because of this virus origination. Pray that God will open the eyes of those who discriminate and that those discriminated against will know their worth before God and find the strength to succeed in spite of the actions of others.
• 4/14 Pray for the elderly, especially those with low income. Ask God to keep them healthy and to provide them with nourishment, safety, and meaningful interactions during quarantine.
• 4/15 Pray for refugees living in crowded camps with few resources, poor nutrition, and weakened bodies. There is no way to practice “social distancing.”
• 4/16 Pray for local school districts, especially those that cover the inner city. Pray for committed teachers to be able to provide online instruction and for businesses and organizations to quickly donate internet access so every child will get the opportunity to learn.
• 4/17 Pray for school-aged children to have access to their federal breakfast and lunch programs so that they don’t go hungry.
• 4/18 Pray for children with individual education plans (IEPs) who are without the help of aides and specialized instruction. Many autistic children have trouble handling changes to their routines. Pray for strength for their parents.
• 4/19 Pray for our president as he makes decisions to minimize the danger of this virus. May he also work to make life better for the poor and make the needs of the poor a priority in this crisis.
• 4/20 Pray for Habitat for Humanity, whose work building homes with the working poor in more than 60 countries around the world has basically stopped. Pray for families left without housing. Ask God to quickly provide the ability to work again and that materials, volunteers, and funding will be readily available.
• 4/21 Pray for the homeless, as many of their support services are not available due to the virus. Pray for decent, safe places for them to be cared for.
• 4/22 Pray for those with mental illness who may be more fragile due to the isolation of the quarantine. Pray they reach out for support.
• 4/23 Pray for those working in healthcare during this crisis—from the doctors and nurses to the environmental workers and chaplains. Pray for safety, stamina, and emotional support.
• 4/24 Pray for undocumented workers who have lost work and receive no support. Pray they will go for medical help if they become ill rather than avoid it out of fear of deportation.
• 4/25 Pray for those who struggle with addictions and are without their support groups. Pray for strength to stay sober and clean.
• 4/26 Pray for families of those actively dying from COVID-19 and other fatal illnesses. Most are unable to be present with their relative in their final moments. Pray for peace.
• 4/27 Pray for food banks in your local area, which are seeing many more in need. Ask God for individual and corporate donations and healthy volunteers who will assist to keep people fed.
• 4/28 Pray for our prison population and the very real threat of a severe outbreak of COVID-19. Ask God to ensure fair treatment and safety for prisoners, for ministries working in our prisons, and for the families of those incarcerated.
• 4/29 Pray for worldwide food distribution programs. Pray that our government and other excess-food producing nations would find effective ways to deliver food around the world to feed the hungry.
• 4/30 Pray for the gospel to spread around the world during this time. Pray Christians will be creative in looking for ways to love their neighbors and share the hope of Christ. Pray this for yourself as well!

May God use your prayers for the very vulnerable to spark gratitude for your own life (even in quarantine) and compassion for others.