Micah Challenege Prayer, November 17, 2006

Welcome! We hope you will enjoy using these reflections with us!

Reflection

The Ndancama Township in the Eastern Cape where the only running water is seen when it rains….a reflection by Rev. Mpho Tutu an Episcopal priest and daughter of Desmond Tutu.

Based on the story of Bartimaeus in Mark 10: 46-52 we learn how Jesus dealt with people who cried out to him in their need.

‘Jesus allows the possibility that what seems obvious to him may not be the concern that looms largest for Bartimaeus. “Go, your faith has made you well.” Bartimaeus goes away, his sight restored and his dignity intact. ….All these are lessons that we who advocate for the poor must learn. As the people of Ndancama said, “We are not stupid, only poor.’

Prayer

In our prayers today we want to focus on Micah Challenge . The following prayer requests were given by Amanda Jackson, the coordinator of the campaign:

Please pray:

§ that the meetings of the G20 leaders held in Melbourne from 18-19^th will remind Finance and Treasury leaders that financial issues include fair rules on debt and justice for the poor. The G20 leaders represent 85% of the world’s population so their decisions are important.

§ that all the activities of Make Poverty History over the weekend will raise awareness and build support.

§ Praise God that 130 Christians travelled from all over the country to our capital city, Canberra , for 3 days of worship, teaching and prophetic lobbying. We visited over 80 politicians.

§ that politicians of all parties realise that many Australians want action on global poverty.

§ that churches in would be a voice for God’s heart in our society.

§ for rain to fall on our land – is experiencing its worst drought ever and many farming families and rural communities are facing hard times. On average, 7 farmers are committing suicide every month because of the crisis.

Meditate on the Statistics

As you spend time in prayer and reflection, you may like to take a moment to silently understand with your heart the focus statistic we will include each week (see below). We are hoping that you will find this series of statistics a useful reference in preparing presentations.

Goal 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability

Target 10: Halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation

‘In a world of unprecedented wealth, almost 2 million children die each year for want of a glass of clean water and adequate sanitation. Millions of women and young girls are forced to spend hours collecting and carrying water, restricting their opportunities and their choices.’

Source: Human Development Report 2006 Beyond scarcity: Power, poverty and the global water crisis, UNDP

http://hdr.undp.org/hdr2006/

Yours in Christ,

Regine, Jill and Michael

Please see List of Prayer Reflections

http://www.micahchallenge.org/global/prayer_resources/documents/SearchableFridayPrayerReflections.xls

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