Covid 19 Guided Prayer

by charityrattray

Stacey currently resides in Washington the original ground zero for Covid in the US.  She was most recently in Taiwan with YWAM and my most recent trip was in Kampala Uganda.

We both are here just working in our down time (a casual term for mandatory social isolation) unable to travel or bring aid and relief to the areas God cares so much about.  Searching for clarity to our prayer life with regards to Covid-19 we have researched and interviewed nurses, essential workers, and friends in other nations to offer you something helpful in how to pray.  Let’s get this guided prayer started. 

Char here

After listening to the most recent world health report online this idea to cover issues relevant and useful for our communities to pray more effectively was born. 

Healthcare workers

Pray for treatment sharing, teleconferences, continue praying for training for nurses doctors and staff.  Pray for the social support they need to face the challenges in each shift. Pray for the instrumental support the physical needs they have to perform and respond to the demands.  Pray for the informational support they need from other colleagues in the field.  

Pray for the conversations, stimulus, and energy that they need daily to perform the highest care. Pray for vigilance and their safety. They are setting amazing examples Acts 20:35 “by working hard in this way we must help the weak”

Pray for the healthcare workers by name that you know. 

Covid-19 Patients

Pray for the patients who are isolated from family and in hospitals experiencing overload. Pray for not only the medical needs of the patients to be met, but they may face extreme isolation which could trigger emotional fatigue.  Pray for healings.  Acts 3:16 “By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong.”  Luke 9:11 “he (Jesus) healed those who needed healing.”

Pray for the Covid patients by name that you know. We have recently seen a remarkable recovery from Myrinda’s mom, Berinda Wolitarsky in the Seattle area. Thank you Lord after 11 days with intubation in the ICU she is now breathing on her own and out of the ICU! All thanks and praise to God.

Innovation

Praying for innovation for breathing help and the access to oxygen where ventilators would not be feasible.

Pray for an increase of oxygen in the blood of all Covid-19 patients praying for a supply distribution of O2 and coordination between countries and organizations that can distribute supplies and/or health relief.

Poverty Populations

Praying for those who earn their bread daily by daily work. Philippians 2:4:  “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Pray for a personalization of love your neighbor where possible.  Pray God would multiply the meals. Luke 9:12-17 “they all ate and were satisfied”

Remember the poor. Consider them in both fragile nations of the world and sometimes even in the wealthy nation‘s —right? Often we can I take for granted the fact that some people have to work every day in order to eat every day. Matthew 6:11  “Give us this day our daily bread.”

Public Awareness and Acceptance

Praying for public awareness cases that we see today are from two weeks ago, praying that people would recognize the risk could potentially be higher now than what is daily reported.

Also then praying for exposure to drop, lead people to a conviction to personally help flatten the curve by their adjustments ie stay home lifestyles.  Pray for honest news and good reporting with the due diligence required during these trying times.

Pray for the public to seek and learn both how to have faith in these times and how to add knowledge rather than just seeking entertainment.  2 Peter 1:5 “make every effort to add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge;”

Worldwide Focus

Continued praying for stabilization and the ongoing push down of cases.

Specifically for Italy and Spain to bring a push down effort intentionally within the communities. Testing, quarantine, home isolation. Pray for confidence in care methods and their effectiveness and for strategies in order to push down the virus. Go beyond flattening the curve.

Praying people will secure personal well-being and the well-being of their families during this global catastrophe. 2 Peter 1:3 “His divine power has given us everything we need for life”

Supplies

Pray for the PPE shortage; Proper gear for doctors and nurses. Education and the distribution of information on proper mask wearing if it is needed for the general public on how to effectively wash hands ie sanitize and keep cleanliness at the forefront. (proper hygiene proper sterilization etc)  A functional role of the church is to give generously and continue to tithe.  Acts 28:10 “they furnished us with the supplies we needed.”  

1 Peter 4:11 “Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies.” 

Adaptation

Praying for changes in the way we move build learn connect going forward. Praying for the adaptations for colleges schools and education organizations. Consider praying for places that do not have access to proper technology or the like.

Praying for the pace at which we adjust as nations and the overall wisdom, strategy, and peace of those making these difficult medical and governmental decisions.  Pray our leaders would listen to the experts and the public would listen to those with experience and wisdom.  James 1:19 “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”

Faith

Pray for spiritual aggression against a climate of fear. 1 Tim 1:9 “holding on to faith”

Pray for a day by day grace by the power of the Holy Spirit as none of us know how long this could go on.

Boldly request and petition for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to infiltrate areas that we cannot God’s Spirit is not hindered not limited and can be everywhere present all at once yeah! So let’s pray for an increased outpouring of God ‘s Spirit.

Pray for hope and resilience on a national level, pray for the pastors and voices of faith during this pandemic to have clarity and understand where God is moving in the midst of all of the uncertainty. Pray for discernment peace and a powerful outpouring of God’s Spirit upon them for this time. Gal 3:9 “those who rely on faith are blessed”

Pray for testimonies miracles and the overall spreading of hope.

Humility, solidarity, and collective aspirations to work together.

Families

Patience, good communication, respect, self-discipline, understanding, listening, unity, routines, flexibility, humility, vulnerability. Ephesians 4:2-3 “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, and with diligence to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”

Provision, job security, resources, wisdom with supplies, creative solutions, joy and enjoying the time together, and whatever ever else the Spirit leads you to pray.

Stace here

I think it’s important to have clear prayer points for God’s glory to be revealed and we do this by praying specifically so we can see tangible results.

NATIONS

Lord, we lift up the nations to you. You care individually for each and every soul that lives and breathes on different soil. Give us your compassion for them, although we do not see or hear their struggles, remind us that they are your children, too.

Specifically, I pray for the nation of Taiwan. That fear would be gone and that the gospel would spread like wildfire throughout the whole nation. Ignite the hearts of those that are serving you there, that they might find new avenues to share your living hope with those in the midst of depression and fear. I pray that the nation would turn to you to be their safety, their help. Would you support my friends, fellow missionaries, and those that trust in your name, so that they may do your good work and bring others to know your name! Thank you Jesus!

Central Asia is an area of importance as well to us both (Char and Stace).  We reached out to a friend in the field to know how to pray for them. 

Prayer Points From A Friend In the Field, Central Asia 

Leaders of Nations

We’ve been praying James 3:17-18 for leaders of nations. That they would be given divine wisdom to lead their nations and would lead with the people’s best interest at the focus.

Dreams and Visions

For us and for the people we’re working with. That God would speak to people in dreams and visions, that He would reveal Himself as the Way, the Truth and the Light.

Creativity in Reaching Out

How to continue discipleship and new foster relationships. Divine opportunities to pray for people, share the scriptures and movement of the Holy Spirit.

Unity

One mind in Christ. Nuff said.

CREATIVITY

We call on you, God, the great creator of the world, of all things beautiful, flowers and steaming hot springs; of all things macro, stars and galaxies; of all things micro, the cellular world that functions perfectly; that, from the endless and perfect creativity you produce every second of everyday, you would pour out your vast creativity over the minds that are working tirelessly to come up with solutions to supply shortages and medical mysteries. Renew clarity in their minds, renew courage to attempt new ideas, and bless their creative efforts in revelations of innovation; may you bring success and may it come when they are undone and cry out to you so that your name would be praised! Lord, collect the glory to your name! Thank you, my Jesus!

In the beginning, it was your words “let there be light”, the words you spoke, that made light come into existence. So we ask that you would speak into this crisis, that light would exist the moment you speak in all places where there is darkness, depression, fear, failure, and hopelessness.

PRAYING SCRIPTURE

Philippians 2:1-11

Lord, let those who have encouragement from Christ begin to bring that encouragement to those who do not have Christ! And let those already in fellowship with the Spirit come together in the same love, and be one in spirit and purpose. Let this time be the great coming together of so many different denominations; let the arguments of insignificant details that derail the mission of Christ fall away and let it be your great Holy Spirit that binds us all together to be such a powerful force of hope and love in this desperate world. In humility, would we consider others to be better than ourselves. Would we look at the interests of others and have the same attitude of Jesus Christ. Let us humble ourselves in this time and have greater cooperation between companies, churches, races, cultures, countries, and organizations.

Intercession

I picked up these Principles of Intercession from my time in YWAM. Each week, we prayed as a group of three or four over different topics and it was incredible the way that God moved in our space when we followed these principles. It’s not a formula and it’s not like God won’t move if you don’t follow these (we didn’t hit each of them every time), but it was an excellent way to have structure and direction when we didn’t know exactly what or how to pray. Use it as a format for your own prayer time. Even grab a few friends on FaceTime to intercede for the world during these trying times!

Principles of Intercession
Joy Dawson

Praise God for the privilege of cooperating with Him in the affairs of men through prayer.
Hebrews 7:25 “He always lives to intercede for them.”

Give time for Holy Spirit to bring up any unconfessed sin.
Psalms 66:18 “If I had cherished sin in my heart the Lord would not have listened.”

Acknowledge Holy Spirit – We need His direction and energy in order to pray.
Romans 8:26 “The Spirit himself intercede’s for us.”

Deal aggressively with the Enemy.
James 4:7 “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

Die to your own imagination, desires, and burdens.
Isaiah 55:8 “My thoughts are not your thoughts.”

Praise God in faith for the remarkable prayer meeting you’re going to have.
Psalm 100:4 “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise.”

Wait before God in silent expectancy, listening for His direction.
Micah 7:7 “I watch in hope for the Lord.”

In obedience and faith, share what God brings to your mind.
Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct you and teach you.”

End with praise and gratitude.
Romans 11:36 “For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.”