THE Salvation Army’s international Centre for Spiritual Life Development, supported by the International Headquarters Communications Section, has published a range of prayer resources to help Salvationists and friends pray for the ongoing refugee crisis that is affecting much of Europe.
A two-page document contains United Nations and International Organization for Migration statistics relating to the influx of refugees from war-torn countries in the Middle East and Africa. It also provides up-to-date details of The Salvation Army’s response across the continent from Greece to Sweden and Italy to Russia. While The Salvation Army is supporting thousands of refugees in a variety of practical ways – providing accommodation, food, blankets, hygiene supplies and access to language education – the needs remain great and prayer is vital.
Many of the prayer points are deliberately short, making them tweetable and shareable across social media. Salvationists and friends are encouraged to use these pointers to focus their prayers in Thursday’s Worldwide Prayer Meeting, in Sunday and midweek meetings and in their own personal devotional times.
An illustrated PowerPoint presentation, available to download from sar.my/eurrefppt, includes striking images that portray the conditions refugees are experiencing, with facts, prayers and a biblical basis for The Salvation Army’s compassionate Christian response.
General André Cox, international leader of The Salvation Army, says: ‘Few who have watched news footage or read newspaper reports of the unfolding situation in Europe in recent days will have been unmoved by the plight of refugees. Our hearts are broken, and we must act. The Salvation Army is responding to needs right across Europe – but every Salvationist can pray, and we have confidence that God hears us (1 John 5:14).’
• The Salvation Army’s Worldwide Prayer Meeting takes place every Thursday morning from 5 to 8am, with prayer topics and suggestions published every week through Twitter and at www.salvationarmy.org/wwpm.
Report by IHQ Communications
International Headquarters
