On any given day, Christian Reformed Church members pray—alone or with others—about the war in Iraq, hunger in Africa, earthquakes in China, or political upheaval in Latin America. There are countless things these prayer warriors place before God. And there are many ways they can learn about the prayer needs of their denomination and the ministries we all share in.
One resource is the monthly Prayer Guide, a printed brochure available free of charge to churches that request it. The Prayer Guide lists prayer concerns from CRC agencies and ministries, and those who pray for the church and its work say it’s a key resource.
“I am really touched by all the ways God is using the Prayer Guide,” says Alyce Wiersma, 86, a member of Ideal Park CRC in Grand Rapids, Mich. A longtime prayer warrior, Wiersma said she appreciates the way in which the guide highlights all of the needs of the CRC’s ministries.
She also appreciates how the guide “shows how the message is going to different areas and how people are coming to know the Lord. It is such a blessing to see God working in so many areas. If we didn’t have the Prayer Guide, we wouldn’t know about these things.”
Connected to the Prayer Guide is the PrayerLine, accessible by dialing 1-888-CRC-PRAY. Both the Prayer Guide and PrayerLine are available online at www.crcna.org/pages/prayer_requests.cfm. For weekly e-mail delivery of the PrayerLine, send a blank e-mail to prayerline-subscribe@list.crcna.net.
Another prayer opportunity is a prayer meeting held every Friday morning from 11:30 to 12:30 at the denominational offices in Grand Rapids, Mich. Prayer warriors from various churches come in and pray with staff.
A number of agencies and ministries also provide prayer resources:
To find out about the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee’s prayer needs, you can subscribe to an electronic newsletter called CRWRC eNews. There is also CRWRC’s Champions newsletter, a bi-weekly listing of activities and needs with suggestions of ways CRC members can support CRWRC. For more information, see www.crwrc.org.
The CRC Justice Seekers website (www.justiceseekers.ning.com) also provides information, stories, and prayer requests.
To pray for individual missionaries working with Christian Reformed World Missions (CRWM), visit the agency’s website at www.crcna.org./pages/crwm_missionfields.cfm. Most missionaries also have newsletters with prayer requests. Other resources include prayer cards with a picture of the missionaries and brief descriptions of their work, as well as ePray, a weekly e-mail update.
If you would like to be part of a team praying for people at home and around the world, contact Barb Brouwer at Back to God Ministries International by calling 1-800-879-6555.
About the Author
Chris Meehan is a freelance writer and commissioned pastor at Coit Community Church in Grand Rapids, Mich.
