Prayers from the Frontline of South Sudan & Somalia
World Vision and global faith partners are coming together to pray for the global hunger crisis, which is so large that the United Nations is calling it “the largest humanitarian crisis since 1945”. Famine has been declared in areas of South Sudan, with Somalia, Nigeria and Yemen on the brink of famine due to drought and conflict. The world is not responding quickly enough, and the window to save lives is closing.
We've asked some of our staff and partners working daily on the frontline in South Sudan and Somalia to share some of their prayers.
"Look with pity Lord on the children of South Sudan who live with injustice, fear, disease, hunger and death as their constant companions. Have mercy upon them and strengthen them in this time of travail. Lord, strengthen the hands of all those who work tirelessly to assist those in need. Protect all aid workers from peril. Give us the strength and resources to heal those who are broken in body and spirit. Above all, allow peace to return to this beleaguered young nation. Grant all this Father for the love of your Son who for our sake himself became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord."
- Perry M. Mansfield | National Director, World Vision South Sudan
“My heart grieves as I review stories and photos from World Vision colleagues in Somalia, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Northern Kenya who are seeing children die in pain and want to help, but are unable to. God, the father of the fatherless, our ever present help for the children without food to eat, please help touch our hearts so we can give more, pray fervently, and help to change this story. Please enable us to put a smile on the face of one more child, a mother and father.”
- Geoffrey Kalebbo Denye | Global Rapid Response Team, East Africa
“Dear Heavenly Father, we pray for the South Sudanese political leaders that they will put the welfare of their people, especially the welfare of the most vulnerable members of society (orphans, widows and elderly) first, instead of their own personal interests. We pray for the church to be a true witness of the sacrificial love of our Lord Jesus Christ at this critical time in our nation’s history. We pray for your healing power upon all South Sudanese communities who have been affected by unimaginable trauma due to terrible atrocities committed against them or their loved ones. We pray that you touch the hearts of all South Sudanese to choose forgiveness instead of revenge, reconciliation instead of conflict and peace instead of war.”
- The Most Rev Moses Deng Bol | Archbishop of Northern Bhar El Ghazal Internal Province and Bishop of the Diocese of Wau, South Sudan
“Thank you God for positioning World Vision as a responder to needy communities at this time of need. We pray for continued protection of our staff as they respond to the humanitarian crisis amidst serious security and health challenges. Lord, touch our donors and supporters, to enable us and other agencies to meet the needs of those in critical humanitarian crisis. May the funds and help not come too late when many people, including children, will have died. We pray for rains to come in adequate levels to rejuvenate the land of Somalia as well as hope for the communities.”
- Jeremiah Kibanya | Faith & Development Advisor, World Vision Somalia
Now more than ever, the Church needs to come together to pray and respond to those in need. World Vision has joined a broad coalition of more than 70 faith-based organisations in prayer, representing more than 1 billion Christians worldwide, because we recognise the urgent need to make the famine and hunger crisis more widely known through our prayers and actions.
Join churches worldwide responding to this crisis through the Global Day of Prayer to End Famine, a broad coalition of more than 100 faith-based organisations representing 1 billion Christians.