No doubt you’ve heard the news coming out of Haiti. On July 7th, their president Jovenel Moïse, was assassinated. Tremendous uncertainty and fear gripped the small unsettled nation the following morning, and that grip hasn’t yet begun to release. But what can you and I do about it? We can often feel helpless while we sit here in America reading frightening stories coming out of far-away nations. While we can’t take over the nation or fly down ourselves to help, there is one very important thing we can do. We can pray.
Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
We have a better option than simply reading the latest news and feeling sympathy for a nation in unrest. Instead, we can exchange our worry for thanksgiving when we pray for Haiti. Together, let’s look at a few areas of prayer we can cover. Then we’ll get an update from Wilmington-based ministry Haiti Awake and their perspective on the current crisis.
PRAY FOR THE LEADERS
Following the presidential assassination, Haiti is in a state of confusion. Efforts are underway to find the individuals who committed the crime while others step into new roles of leadership. Supported by the police and military, Prime Minister Claude Joseph has assumed control. As he takes over, we can pray for him and his decisions.
1 Timothy 2:1-2 says, “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—or kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”
Pray for Haiti by praying for Claude Joseph and the rest of the governing officials. Ask God to give them wisdom in leading well, so that those who live there may have peace.
PRAY FOR THE PEOPLE
The residents of Haiti are no strangers to difficult times. An earthquake in 2010 devastated the nation. Powerful hurricane Matthew in 2016 resulted in catastrophic damage. Much of the country lives in poverty as 60% of Haitians survive on less than $2 per day.
Listener and Life 90.5 volunteer Phedorah came to the United States from the troubled island nation. When asked how she would urge people to pray for Haiti, this was her response:
“Pray for patience, guidance, wisdom, clarity and just hope and encouragement.”
What an excellent list to pray for those not only in charge, but for every resident of the country. In addition to her suggestions, here are a few more ways you can pray for the people of Haiti:
- Pray for the continuing rebuilding of the nation after disasters and protection from storms to come
- Pray for schools as they try to educate through the violence
- Pray for the families that are suffering because they can’t earn what they need
- Pray for protection and resilience during the unrest
PRAY THAT THE GOSPEL WOULD BE SHARED
While a stable government and thriving communities would be wonderful for the people of Haiti, the truth is that those improvements would only be temporary. What matters far more than that is the eternities of the precious people created in God’s image living in that nation. The real change that is needed is lives transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Pray for Haiti by praying for the believers who live there to be emboldened to share the gospel. Pray for the missionaries that visit the impoverished country. Pray that the truth of the gospel would spread like wildfire from citizen to citizen. Pray God speaks to the people of Haiti in a miraculous, undeniable way that only He can.
Thankfully there are organizations that do incredible work engaging the community and sharing the gospel. One of which is Haiti Awake, our Ministry Focus this week.
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PRAY FOR HAITI AWAKE
Becky Graves of Haiti Awake joins Craig Thomas for our Ministry Focus this week. Although it’s based in Wilmington, Haiti Awake operates in Port-au-Prince, empowering Haitian Christians to reach their country for Christ. In light of recent events, Becky shares how her team is doing, in addition to sharing more ways you can pray for Haiti and the ministry:
In the aftermath of the presidential assassination, the team of Haiti Awake was filled with uncertainty. However, after only 48 hours of laying low, their daily programs had continued. Becky also shares even more ways you can pray for Haiti:
- Pray for a sense of peace that comes from God
- Pray for Haiti Awake’s team to have wisdom and discernment
- Pray specifically for Pastor Steeve who leads Haiti Awake as he makes decisions
For more information on Haiti Awake, go to haitiawake.org.
