Sharing Burdens in Prayer: Tuesday

Today, we lift up East Asia and South Pacific. 

East Asia 

The pandemic has unleashed much anguish upon the region of East Asia. Right now, they are seeing second, third, and fourth COVID-19 waves. In all these happenings are the undercurrents of political powerplays, oppression and corruption, as well as typhoons, earthquakes and severe flooding. These events make it difficult to understand what God is doing, but many tireless and tenacious role models have shown what it means to love, reach out, bind up wounds and pour themselves out in such times.  

Prayer points: 

Pray for comfort as many grapple with an unstable economy, a weakened and destabilized nation and the heavy loss of loved ones.  

Pray for movements to see the pandemic as a time to renew their ministry. 

Pray that fellowships, staff teams, and workplaces can heal from isolation as they begin to meet again. 

Pray that students and graduates would see their nations through God’s eyes and rebuild systems, cultures, and societies. Pray for peace in the region. 

South Pacific 

The South Pacific region is as varied as it is vast. With many student groups and movements geographically isolated, opportunities to gather together as a region for fellowship and training are invaluable. The pandemic has deeply affected the economies, societies, and health systems of the South Pacific region. Closed borders have also separated teams and paused pioneering projects.  Pray with us that ministries would continue to recover and opportunities would arise out of these circumstances.  

Prayer points: 

Fiji and Papua New Guinea: If a pandemic enters a small island, it can create big problems with long lasting effects. Pray for those affected by deep health, economic and social impacts. 

Guam: Pray for a new student movement that has managed to develop even with online learning and restrictions. Pray for Sam, a graduate who has just moved there to pioneer this movement, and for the three students who have started prayer meetings. 

New Zealand and Australia: Pray for the many who are deeply affected by mental health issues. Pray for TSCF students who recently went to the annual Summit conference, that they will live out God’s compassion among their fellow students. 

This week we are quieting our hearts in prayer and lament, crying out to God over the difficult circumstances that have challenged us, bereaved us, and discouraged us over the past eighteen months. The pandemic has brought loss of life, financial instability, isolation, and disrupted plans. Circumstances like wars, natural disasters, explosions, and oppression have also added to our common grief. This week we are walking the valleys together, supporting each other and acknowledging the pain of many in our fellowship.