40 Days of Prayer - Day 20

Day 20 – Education

‘I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.’ – Psalm 32:8

We have reached halfway through 40 Days of Prayer.

We encourage you to recommit yourself to the remainder of the 40 Days. Many of our children have no access to primary education. Orphaned children are often forced to abandon school for a number of reasons, and to take up responsibility at home. As part of Hands at Work’s vision to provide holistic care, we advocate for children to have access to education. Ask God to give teachers the wisdom, grace and compassion that they need to assess each child’s needs, and to teach in a loving and encouraging way.

40 Days of Prayer - Day 19

Day 19 – Maranatha Workshops

“….to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.” - Isaiah 61:3

One of the many ways that Hands at Work provides our Care Workers, Primary Caregivers and children with an understanding of the unconditional love and healing that comes through Jesus is through Maranatha Workshops. Pray for those attending the workshops to come with an open heart for all that God longs to do in and through them. Pray for a willingness to be challenged as they hear the good news. Where people carry deep rooted brokenness and trauma, ask God to bring His healing and restoration. May that be reflected in the love that they show to the wider community.

In February a Maranatha Workshop took place in Nigeria for the Care Workers from the communities of Temitope, Eagles Wings and Amokoko. Pragcidence Mwenda, African Volunteer (Zambia), along with Jackie Okinda, African Volunteer (Kenya), were able to support the local Hands at Work team in Lagos to facilitate the workshop.

Prag reflects:

“The Maranatha Workshop was extremely tough. It was challenging to get the Care Workers to come because they were busy selling things in the market. Each morning at 9am, when we went to the building where the Workshop was taking place, we would have to do Holy Home Visits to go and find the Care Workers and collect them. Throughout the Workshop, we shared in a way that I have never shared before during a workshop because the Care Workers were only able to pay attention for 20 minutes before they started dozing. At one point I was feeling extremely discouraged and I felt like we should leave and go to Apatuku, another one of our communities that is about four hours away. It was in that moment that God opened my eyes to what He was doing. On Thursday the Holy Spirit showed up as I told my personal story. As I started sharing, the ladies began crying, and the brokenness that they carry became apparent. By the grace of God, many of the ladies gave their lives to Christ and were able to share the things in their lives that they were going through.

40 Days of Prayer - Day 18

Day 18 – Primary Caregivers

‘He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."’ – Psalm 91:1-2

Many of the most vulnerable children are being cared for by their grandparents, aunts, uncles, older siblings, or other relatives. These people have experiences similar to the children under their care, which influence the way that they care for the children. Ask Jesus to reveal Himself to each Primary Caregiver, that their experience of His love and grace will positively change the way that they interact with the children under their care.

“When I first started coming to the Relationship Group for Primary Caregivers, it was because I was feeling lonely when I was at home alone. So, when I came here, I found that they were talking about relationships. When I first started coming, I didn’t talk a lot but the people that I have met here have encouraged me. I’m a happy person because I am part of this precious group. I feel joy. Even if I share my problems, I don’t hear them being talked about outside of this group. There is confidentiality.” – A Primary Caregiver in Chibuli Community, Zambia

40 Days of Prayer - Day 17

Day 17 – Food Insecurity

Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” – John 6:27

Food security remains a serious issue in many of the most vulnerable communities that Hands at Work serves. The local Hands at Work teams are committed to providing a nutritious meal daily for the most vulnerable children. Ask God to give the wisdom, discernment and resources needed to be able to effectively provide this care.

For the past three years the Kabwe region of Zambia has faced severe drought, which has had serious implications on individuals’ abilities to plant their fields and yield a harvest. Recognising the desperation of people living in our communities, particularly in Balaka, the Zambian Regional Support Team knew they needed to respond. With the realisation that many people were going without food and faced an additional level of vulnerability, they identified all of the Care Workers and Primary Caregivers in need of extra support and Hands at Work committed to supporting each family with one 25kg bag of maize per month for three consecutive months. This will help to ease the most vulnerable families’ level of food insecurity until their crops are ready to be harvested.

40 Days of Prayer - Third Sunday

On Sundays we pause to anticipate the coming of Easter Sunday and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

"When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, 'The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.' And the disciples were filled with grief" – Matthew 17:22-23

40 Days of Prayer - Day 16

Day 16 – Teams

‘But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.’ – 1 Samuel 12:24

On a yearly basis, many of our partners send teams to Africa. Pray for those coming to Africa in 2020. Ask God to prepare their hearts in expectation of all that He wants to do in and through them. May they serve as examples of Christ’s love and hope, and experience a spiritual awakening and transformation in their own lives. Ask God to embolden people to share the stories of the most vulnerable as they return to their home countries.