Here are five ideas you can use at the same time to make an interactive prayer event. Get arty, get creative, get on your knees and open up to prayer…..
Thinking about: disasters
You’ll need some: stones, paper and pens (to write out the verse and statistic).
Read this: Isaiah 58:11-12.
And now think about this: total number of people affected by disasters in 2005: 157,511,938.
Do this: write out the verse and the statistic and stick them up beside your pile of stones.
Think about the verse: are there walls that we can repair, situations where we can help? Pick the stones up and explore every aspect of how they feel. For every one (or ten) million people place a stone on its own on the floor as you pray.
Pray for: families worldwide affected by disasters. Pick up a stone as a reminder and take it away with you.
Thinking about: water and sanitation
You’ll need some: water, two jugs (one with clean water in it, the other filthy dirty) and a glass.
Read this: Isaiah 55:1.
And now think about this: more then a billion people worldwide lack clean water.
Do this: write out the verse and the statistic and stick them up beside your two jugs.
Think about the verse: where can we flow, how can we help people who are desperate? Look at those two jugs of water – you have a choice which one to drink but there are a billion others worldwide who don’t. As you pour out the water into the glass and take a drink, pray…
Pray for: access to clean water and sanitation for men, women and children everywhere.
Thinking about: climate change
You’ll need: a pen and some paper. Draw a giant target on the paper.
Read this: Psalm 24:1
And now think about this: By 2050 there will be 150 million more people forced to leave their homes because of natural disasters caused by climate change. A 2°C rise in temperature is recognised as a worldwide danger limit: anything beyond this and the impact of climate change will be a whole lot worse. We need to hit targets to keep temperature rises within 2°C.
Do this: write out the verse and the statistic and stick them up beside your giant target. Think about the verse: if the earth really is God’s, how do you think we ought to treat it? Once you’ve prayed add your signature to the giant target you’ve made.
Pray for: people made homeless because of climate change.
Thinking about: HIV and AIDS
You’ll need: something to hit, like a drum. A clock. A ball of red wool and one pair of scissors.
Read this: Matthew 14:14.
And now think about this: every minute five people die because of HIV and AIDS. That’s one every 12 seconds. Also, a baby is born with HIV every minute. This is preventable. By supporting our HIV and AIDS appeal you can change lives.
Do this: write out the verse and the statistic and stick them up somewhere easy to see.
Think about the verse: try and imagine what that actually looked like – with Jesus seeing people, stopping, helping, praying for and healing them. How long did it last? What kind of expressions did people have on their faces? What noises were kicking off, or was there just silence?
Once you’ve spent time thinking about this, get your clock, wool and scissors out. As each 12 seconds passes on the clock beat the drum as you pray. After a minute cut off the red wool and create a bracelet to take away and wear as a reminder.
Pray for: those orphaned by HIV and AIDS.
Thinking about: trade
You’ll need some: Fairtrade chocolate. A pair of scissors.
Read this: Proverbs 13:23.
And now think about this: unjust trade rules rob poor countries of £1.3 billion every day, 14 times more than they receive in aid.
Do this: cut out of your clothes one or two labels that tell you how to care for them and where they were made. Pray for the people from the country in which your clothes were made, that they could be paid a wage that means they can live and not simply survive. Break off a square of chocolate, pop it into your mouth and as it melts pray for farmers who provide our food but who often can’t afford to enjoy the taste of it.
Pray for: people to be put ahead of profits.