Pray & Fast for Orphans

We did our home study through America World.  I got the following email this past week.  I invite any of you to join me in this fast and prayer focus.  I will be posting on particular ways we can pray.

As many of you know, our agency has occasionally taken time to fast and pray on behalf of orphans or a specific issue that affects adoption.  We’re doing so again, and we’re asking anyone who is interested to consider joining us on an “Esther fast” coming up where they can focus for three days by fasting and praying on behalf of orphans.  The idea comes from the Book of Esther, when the Jews fasted and prayed for a particular purpose.  In Esther chapter four, we read: 

Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: “Go, gather together all the Jews … and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”

Our agency has done similar fasts/prayers, including once specifically focusing on lifting the quota on adoptions in China.  Prior to a delegation traveling to China we fasted and prayed for three days.  Following the delegation, China chose to lift the quota.  I truly believe God heard our prayers during those three days. 

Many of our staff will be participating and we’re writing to you to let you know about this opportunity to join with us.  We’re going to be praying and fasting from March 15-17 and the focus will be:

·        Praying for foreign government officials to be convicted of the harm they are doing to orphaned and vulnerable children stuck in institutions with no opportunity to live in a family;

·        Praying for people around the world to speak up on behalf of orphans and vulnerable children who are hidden from the public and are crying out for a mother and father;

·        Praying for Haiti to lift or significantly increase their quota;

·        Praying for children and families stuck in the middle of Russia’s shutdown; and

·        Praying for wisdom and guidance for our nation’s political leaders to proactively come to the rescue of institutionalized children who have the fundamental right to a family but are being denied by their government.

None of you should feel any obligation to do this; I only encourage you to seek God and see if you feel led to participate.  If you’ve never fasted before, it may seem like a weird or intimidating idea.  There are all sorts of ways to fast, including not eating, skipping particular meals, only drinking juice, only eating fruit & veggies, as well as other ways that you might find to practice this discipline.   It also reminds us that our efforts will result in nothing apart from God and our struggle is a spiritual struggle.  As the Apostle Paul says in Ephesians, “…our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” 

I know our agency staff will be praying for the particular countries where they work and will be praying for families they have served and are serving in the adoption process.   God can, and does, do miracles and we know His love for each orphan surpasses our own.  We are simply vessels He uses to bless families and children.  Thank you for considering joining us.