Monthly Prayer Focus

Kids in developing nations, such as those in Asia and Africa, face many challenges, and the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t made their lives any easier. Now, more than ever, children need support and protection so they don’t fall prey to abuse, child labor, child marriage, trafficking or other forms of exploitation. Join us in prayer this month as we ask God to provide safety and care to children in need.

GFA World’s Child Sponsorship Program invests in children’s lives through care and education and gives them opportunities for a brighter future. The dedication of the staff members often leaves a lasting mark on the lives of enrolled children and their family members.

With school closures and restrictions on large gatherings, the pandemic continues to disrupt in-person education in many areas served by GFA World. Though it has changed the way GFA World’s Child Sponsorship Program normally operates, program staff are doing all they can to ensure children still get what they need to thrive. They have focused on providing food to children in need, along with their families and communities, while also distributing school supplies and other items to help students stay on track.

Pray God will bless and guide sponsorship program workers and leaders as they meet the needs of children and their communities during the pandemic. Pray also the programs located in areas still limited by the pandemic will be able to resume normal operations soon.

Millions of children in Asia and Africa live on the streets because they were abandoned by their families or because they ran away from home, often to escape abuse. In rare cases, children simply got lost and never found their way home. These kids desperately need to be reunited with their families or to be taken into a home where they’ll receive care and nurture.

Please pray God will give child protection agencies wisdom and resources to help each child living on the streets. Also ask Him to allow GFA World and other Christian ministries to provide care to street children.

Education helps kids learn about life, develop skills and unlock future opportunities. For some children, school is one of the only safe places in their life. With the COVID-19 pandemic, however, millions of kids spent months out of school, and child welfare organizations predict many kids won’t return, which will rob them of the chance to learn basic skills, achieve higher education and choose their best career path.¹

Pray all schools can safely re-open so children will have a safe place to study and thrive. Also ask God to equip child sponsorship programs to help provide education to more children who are in jeopardy of dropping out—or who may not have had the chance to attend school yet.

1 COVID-19 Initiative. Malala Fund. https://covid.malala.org/. 2020.

Children, especially those from broken homes, face a risk of various forms of trafficking and abuse, whether child labor, sexual exploitation, child marriage or forced begging.² The COVID-19 pandemic has increased this risk. If people don’t intervene to stop these forms of exploitation, millions of children may face a loss of freedom, damage to their health and years of trauma.

Pray that children’s families will ensure their children’s safety and law enforcement workers will rescue children who have been exploited. Pray for GFA workers, especially child sponsorship staff, to have wisdom to protect and support the children in their communities.

2 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2020. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. https://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/tip/2021/GLOTiP_2020_15jan_web.pdf. January 2021.

During the pandemic, children face the threat of not only COVID-19 but also starvation. With work opportunities disrupted, many families, especially those in already impoverished communities, are struggling just to feed their children. Malnutrition can also weaken a child’s immune system. ³

With a sense of urgency to meet children’s most basic needs, GFA missionaries and child sponsorship staff have been working hard to supply warm meals and groceries to children and their communities.

Please pray for continued provision for GFA workers to provide food to children in need, along with their families and communities. Ask God to protect children from starvation and COVID-19.

3 “Nutrition and Immunity.” Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/nutrition-and-immunity/. November 2, 2021.

Children face additional hardships when their parents pass away or when a parent abandons the family. Often, grandparents, aunts, uncles or older siblings must step in to help, but they are not always able or willing. Even when children do receive adequate care from relatives, they may still experience an emotional void due to the loss of their parent.

Pray the Lord will be near to children who have suffered the loss of one or both parents, protecting them and comforting them. Pray He will provide for their needs. Pray GFA missionaries and child sponsorship staff can encourage and befriend these children.

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