Prayer Packet - tucsonrefugeeministry.com file1 10 Ways to Pray for Refugees 1. Essential Needs Pray that God would graciously provide for the essential needs of security, shelter,

Prayer Packet

Contents

10 Ways to Pray for Refugees………………………..………1

Prayer Points for Syria……………..……………..…….……...3

Prayer Stations…………………..…….…………….…………….4

Devotional….…………………………..……………….…….……10

Discussion & Prayer Guide……..………………………..….14

Additional Resources………………………….…..…………..34

Dear Prayer Partners, Nearly 1,000 forcibly displaced people are legally accepted into Tucson annually. Less than half of them will have an American friend. Fewer will ever be invited into an American home. Most will never have a conversation with someone who follows Jesus. The nations are not far away anymore, confined to forgotten islands or forsaken bush country. Bringing hope and sharing truth with least-reached and unengaged people groups is no longer reserved for the valiant and few super-saints… the selectively “called” that we send overseas. God is now tapping “average” church members on the shoulder, inviting us to love God and love our neighbor. Now is the time to raise awareness about refugees around the world and mobilize your church to be a key agent of hope and compassion internationally and here in Tucson.

On behalf of the refugees and displaced communities, thank you for your prayers and for raising awareness about refugees!

Tucson Refugee Ministry is here to serve you and help engage, equip and mobilize your congregation. Together we can serve the nations whom God is bringing to our doorstep!

Sincerely,

Cherie L. Gray

REFUGEE

One who is forced to flee their country

because they have been persecuted for

reasons of race, religion, nationality,

political opinion or membership of a

particular social group.

10 Ways to

Pray for Refugees

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10 Ways to Pray for Refugees

1. Essential Needs Pray that God would graciously provide for the essential needs of security, shelter, water, food and medical care for refugees and internally displaced people. Pray that God would hear their cries and lead them to a place of safety.

2. Peacemakers and Peace Pray that God would raise up peacemakers and bring peace to countries where wars, violence and persecution are forcing people from their homes. Pray for peace and safety in major refugee producing countries like Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia, D.R. Congo, South Sudan, Mali, Central Africa Republic, Nigeria, Myanmar, Iraq, Columbia, Viet Nam, and Eritrea.

3. Healing and Security Pray for our forcibly displaced brothers and sisters who live in difficult circumstances and with uncertain futures. Pray that God would give them their daily bread. Pray that he will heal their hearts, minds and bodies from traumas suffered. Pray that they would know God’s presence with them and that God would renew their faith, joy and strength with each sunrise. Pray that God would give them a hope and a future.

4. Refugee Churches Philip was forced to flee Jerusalem due to persecution. He found his way to Samaria, and “proclaimed the Messiah there”. Although a refugee, Philip became a source of great joy in his city of refuge (Acts 8:4‐8). Many refugee churches are following Philip’s example. They are boldly proclaiming Christ in their countries of refuge. They are planting churches. They are caring for orphans and widows in their host country. They are setting up Bible Schools within refugee camps in order to train church leaders. They do all of this with next to no resources. Let’s pray for them – that they would be a source of great joy to the people in their countries of refuge.

5. Women and Children Pray for refugee women and children. They are among the world’s most vulnerable people and make up more than half of the world’s refugee population. Pray that God would protect them from people who would like to prey upon them and exploit their vulnerability.

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6. Refugee Youth Pray for refugee youth. They are far from home. They are told that they can only stay temporarily in their country of refuge. They cannot return home and they have little reason to believe that they will one day be resettled to another country (less than 1% of the world’s refugee population is ever resettled). Refugee youth face many challenges in a world in which they have no reason to hope for a better future.

7. Countries Hosting Refugees Pray for countries hosting refugees. 86% of the world’s refugee population is found in developing countries. They carry a heavy load – sometimes at great risk. Large waves of refugees can be difficult for countries to absorb and care for – even with assistance from the UN. Pray for major refugee hosting countries like Pakistan, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Kenya, Chad, Ethiopia, China and the USA.

8. UN and Humanitarian Agencies Serving Refugees Pray for The UN Refugee Agency and Humanitarian Agencies serving refugees and Internally Displaced People (IDP). They work tirelessly to assist with their essential needs for security, shelter, water, food, medical care, educational opportunities, resettlement, etc. They often struggle to have the funding needed to provide their services. One example is the desperate situation in Kakuma refugee camp, Kenya, where over 3,000 new refugees arrive on a weekly basis. In 2010, the camp population was 80,000. Today it is over 150,000. UNHCR and its implementing partners have funding for less than 2,000 refugee shelters. 6,500 more shelters are needed. Refugees without shelters survive in floorless UN tents.

9. The Refugee Highway Partnership Pray for the Refugee Highway Partnership, a dynamic and growing international network of individuals, churches and Christian agencies that are finding ways to help local churches seek the welfare and protection of forcibly displaced people. Pray that God will continue to grow this network of Christians burdened to seek the welfare of forcibly displaced people in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, North America and South Asia. Pray that as they share learning and resources, that local churches would become more effective in welcoming and loving the forcibly displaced people in their communities. Learn more at www.refugeehighway.net.

10. Asylum‐Seekers Pray for Asylum‐Seekers like Mr. B. in the USA who struggle to find employment and affordable housing. Pray that God would enable his family, still in his country of origin, to be reunited with him in the USA. Pray for Asylum‐Seekers in Europe. Many have made long and dangerous journeys across the Sahara Desert and Mediterranean Sea to reach a country in Europe in which they hoped to find refuge – only to find that they are unwelcome. Some survive on the streets. Others are kept in refugee detention centers.

Copyright ©2014 International Association for Refugees. All Rights Reserved.

http://www.refugeehighway.net/

Prayer Points for Syria

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Prayer Points for Syria

Please pray for the nation of Syria that:

extremists will lose influence in Syria

God will protect the people from mass attacks

there will be no more kidnapping of children and no more arming of children

there will be no more selling of Syrian human organs through neighboring countries

there will be justice for all the peoples of Syria, also in light of various foreign influences

God will save the nation of Syria with all its different sects and groups

Please pray for the Christians in Syria that:

There will be no more kidnapping of Christian leaders

Christians will not leave Syria and many of those who have left will return to Syria and be a blessing to the nation

God will defeat the devil’s plans to wipe out the Christian presence in the area

God will strengthen the faith of Christians in Syria and that people will see the love of God revealed through them

The Church will take advantage of this situation to represent Christ, who is the only hope for the nation of Syria

Please pray for the refugees and internally displaced people and those ministering to them:

For churches, organizations and individuals seeking to meet the physical needs of those suffering – for protection, guidance and strength. That those receiving aid would be touched by the love of Jesus

For strength and resources for local churches who are ministering to the displaced in Syria, Lebanon, and other neighboring countries

That God would touch the hearts of the constituencies of Christian relief and development organizations who have, or are planning to, launch appeals in their countries, for generous giving to their work

That more funds from government and institutions are made available to alleviate the suffering of those affected by this on-going crisis

Please also pray the following (from Syria):

That the nation will repent and turn to God

That God will bring forgiveness among the people That God will use this situation to help people to come to know Him

www.RefugeeHighway.net

Prayer Stations

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where world and worship meet

Prayer stations

Walking with refugees

Use these kinaesthetic prayer stations to help people engage with praying for refugees by symbolically walking with

them and connecting with their experiences more.

Each station details what if any equipment you need to get together in advance, instructions for setting up, and the

text for the instruction signs you will need to display – (simply copy and paste these into a word document, enlarging

the font so that the instructions are clear enough to read).

When we first developed this resource (in World Refugee Week 2013) we used stories from the crisis in Syria at a

number of the stations, and these are linked to throughout the resource to provide context. However, you will

probably need to look up current refugee stories for a number of the stations. Good websites to visit to source these

include www.christianaid.org.uk, www.unicef.org.uk and www.refugeecouncil.org.uk

Used together, the stations should take 30-40 minutes to work round, but if you have less time you can obviously

leave out some of the middle or end stations (but however many you use, we suggest that you get people to do them

in order to give people the journeying experience). You can use these stations within an intercessions slot, have them

set up as an installation for a special service or day of prayer where people can come and go independently and/or

use them individually as prayer or intercession responses.

If you are setting up the stations as an installation for people to come and use, you might also

consider laying out tape, markings or footprints on the ground, to further help the idea of

journeying from one station to another.

You might also like to use mp3 worship tracks of songs celebrating God’s love for people, and his safety as a refuge

for all who run to him, to create a playlist or CD to play in the background as people are moving round the stations.

(If you’re stuck for ideas, check out some of our songs, or use our ‘Outward focussed song index’ at

www.thesanctuarycentre.org/whereworldandworshipmeetl-songs )

1. Refuge

Equipment needed: Enough A4 print-outs of an enlarged picture of a house (such as the one below) for each person

to have one; pens or pencils; either printed out copies of the following Bible verses, or a few Bibles with the relevant

verses bookmarked – 2 Samuel 22:2-4 (in The Message), Psalm 91:1-2, Ruth 2:11-12, Isaiah 25:4 and Proverbs 14:26;

and a print out of the sign you create using the ‘For display’ text below.

©2013 www.thesanctuarycentre.org/whereworldandworshipmeet

http://www.christianaid.org.uk/

http://www.christianaid.org.uk/

http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/

http://www.thesanctuarycentre.org/whereworldandworshipmeetl-songs

Prayer stations Walking with refugees

© 2013 www.thesanctuarycentre.org/whereworldandworshipmeet

Instructions for setting up:

1. In advance: Enlarge and print out a sign using the text in the ‘For display’ section. Find an outline image of a

house like the one above, and copy and paste it into the middle of a blank A4 sheet – then print enough

copies of the sheet for one per person. Decide whether you are going to print out the Bible verses or

bookmark them in Bibles, and then get these ready.

2. On the day: Lay out all the equipment needed, and display the sign you have made using the text below.

For display:

Refuge

Food, water, shelter, good health, sleep, financial provision, love from family and friends… these are all basic

human needs.

Reflect on the things you have in your life that help you feel secure, especially in your home.

Take a “house of refuge” sheet – write down all the things you give thanks for in your current situation onto

the sheet.

Look through the scriptures that talk about God as our refuge. Thank God that he promises to always be our

security no matter what our circumstances.

Take your sheet with you to the next station.

2. Torn to shreds

Equipment needed: A shredder; pens or pencils; post-it notes; a few empty bags, suitcases or rucksacks; print outs

of refugee stories (or showing on a laptop); and a print-out of the sign you create using the ‘For display’ text below.


1. In advance: Gather together the equipment you need, and source and print-out (or have on a laptop)

one or two stories about families or individuals who have had to flee conflict and whose homes have

been destroyed – for example, we used this story from Christian Aid about a family who had fled to Iraq

from Syria in May 2013: http://www.christianaid.org.uk/emergencies/current/syria-crisis-

appeal/Eyewitness/terrified-family-escape-bombs-in-Syria.aspx Then enlarge and print out a sign using

the text in the ‘For display’ section (having filled in the information about the stories you have found).

2. On the day: Lay out all the equipment needed, and display the sign you have made using the text below.

For display:

Torn to shreds

For people fleeing conflict, there is often little time to gather their possessions. Their homes have either

been destroyed, or they have literally had to grab what they can and run.

Read the story…

Look again at your “house of refuge” sheet… this will be painful but think about how terrifying it would be to

have your home destroyed and minutes to escape with what you can. Put your sheet into the shredder and

watch all your security disappear.

What would you take with you? If you only had a few panicked minutes to pack a few essential possessions,

and you had to flee on foot so you could only take what you could carry?

http://www.thesanctuarycentre.org/whereworldandworshipmeet

http://www.christianaid.org.uk/emergencies/current/syria-crisis-appeal/Eyewitness/terrified-family-escape-bombs-in-Syria.aspx

http://www.christianaid.org.uk/emergencies/current/syria-crisis-appeal/Eyewitness/terrified-family-escape-bombs-in-Syria.aspx



Note these down on a post-it note and place it in one of the empty bags. Carry this bag with you to the next

station.

3. Everything gone

Equipment needed: A print out of the sign you create using the ‘For display’ text below, and one or two stories

about refugees who have lost family members in the midst of conflict or persecution.


1. In advance: Source and print-out (or have on a laptop) one or two stories about refugees who are having to

cope with the grief of losing family members as well as their homes and possessions. For example, we used

this story from Christian Aid about a Syrian father who had fled to Lebanon in March 2013 after his pregnant

wife was killed in a bombing: http://www.christianaid.org.uk/emergencies/current/syria-crisis-

appeal/Eyewitness/emergency-relief-widower-Lebanon.aspx Then enlarge and print out a sign using the text

in the ‘For display’ section (having filled in the information about the story or stories you have found).

2. On the day: Display the sign you have made using the text below.

For display:

Everything gone

For many families, the trauma of fleeing their homes is accompanied by the grief and tragedy of having lost

loved ones.

Read the story…

Spend a few moments praying for men, women and children who have experienced this depth of trauma.

And as an act of solidarity with the millions of refugees in our world today who have lost so much, place your

bag down and leave it behind as you move on to the next station.

4. Foot worn

Equipment needed: Some old shoes; and a print out of the sign you create using the ‘For display’ text below.


1. In advance: Enlarge and print out a sign using the text in the ‘For display’ section. Gather together one or

more pairs of old shoes.


For display:

Foot worn

Many refugees have to flee either barefoot or find their shoes break, or are lost or stolen on their journey to

safety.

In March 2013, UNICEF reported that many Syrian children in the refugee camps were running around

barefoot, even in freezing temperatures and despite sharp rocks, broken glass, dirt and a constant risk of

infection with waste water flowing freely from inadequate toilet facilities*


http://www.christianaid.org.uk/emergencies/current/syria-crisis-appeal/Eyewitness/emergency-relief-widower-Lebanon.aspx

http://www.christianaid.org.uk/emergencies/current/syria-crisis-appeal/Eyewitness/emergency-relief-widower-Lebanon.aspx



Pause to pray for these children who have lost so much, and now have so little, and as you do so, take off

your shoes and leave them at this station.

*http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/lebanon_68391.html

5. Youthful hope

Equipment needed: A print out of the sign you create using the ‘For display’ text below, and one or two stories

about organizations working with child refugees to help them cope with the trauma they have experienced.


1. In advance: Source and print-out (or have on a laptop) one or two stories about organisations bringing hope

and trauma counselling to child refugees. For example, you might find organisations like Save the Children

helpful (www.savethechildren.org) or we used this story from UNICEF about their work in a youth activity

centre in a Syrian refugee camp in Jordan: http://unicefmena.tumblr.com/post/49250258536/stories-of-

loss-hardship-and-hope-of-syrian-refugees Then enlarge and print out a sign using the text in the ‘For

display’ section (having filled in the information about the story or stories you have found).


For display:

Youthful hope

Many organizations have reported the deep trauma experienced by refugees who have been forced to flee

their homes – many of whom have witnessed the death of loved ones first-hand. And sadly, a great many of

those most affected are children.

But there are stories of hope and recovery too. Stories about children receiving the care and counseling

they need to be able to express and process what they’ve experienced, and learning how to be children once

again.

Read the story…

Give thanks for the work of organizations and missionaries who focus on helping children and young

people cope with the trauma of conflict, death and being far from home.

Pray for every child who has experienced the horrors of war, and had the innocence of childhood robbed

from them – and in doing so, remember back to the scriptures about God as our refuge, praying these verses

over each child who needs the caring restoration of their Father God.

6. A canvas home

Equipment needed: A small tent or makeshift canvas shelter; a laptop or iPad for playing an online film; and a print

out of the sign you create using the ‘For display’ text below.


1. In advance: Enlarge and print out a sign using the text in the ‘For display’ section. Source a tent or put

together a homemade canvas shelter. Have a look online for an up to date film about what it’s like living in a

refugee camp – e.g. we used this short film about conditions in Syrian refugee camps:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22820972



http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/lebanon_68391.html

http://www.savethechildren.org/

http://unicefmena.tumblr.com/post/49250258536/stories-of-loss-hardship-and-hope-of-syrian-refugees

http://unicefmena.tumblr.com/post/49250258536/stories-of-loss-hardship-and-hope-of-syrian-refugees

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22820972



For display:

A canvas home

Sit inside the makeshift tent – try to imagine what this would be like as your only home.

Watch the film about living in a refugee camp.

Pray for the millions of refugees around the world who are living in camps today.

7. Strength in the midst of despair

Equipment needed: A print out of the sign you create using the ‘For display’ text below, and one or two hopeful

stories about the resilience and resourcefulness of refugees and refugee communities.


1. In advance: Source and print-out (or have on a laptop) one or two stories about how refugees have coped

with their situations, perhaps helping each other out within their newly formed refugee communities, or

have reached out beyond themselves to help others despite their own needs. For example, we used this

story from World Vision about how refugees cared for an aid worker who was grieving for the loss of her

father: http://www.worldvisionmagazine.org/story/aid-workers-diary-syrian-refugees-strength-and-despair

Then enlarge and print out a sign using the text in the ‘For display’ section (having filled in the information

about the story or stories you have found).


For display:

Strength in the midst of despair

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields

produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I

will be joyful in God my Saviour. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he

enables me to tread on the heights.” (Habakkuk 3:17-19)

Take a few moments to consider the scripture, and how God can give us the strength to hold on to joy and

hope – for ourselves and for others – even in the midst of despair.

Read the story about […]

Give thanks for the God-given ability to look beyond one’s own tragedy to care for others.

Pray that within refugee camps, new communities and connections would form as men, women and children

look beyond themselves to reach out and share love – and that we, in our current comfort and security,

would be challenged and humbled to do the same to our neighbors.

8. The refugee crisis today

Equipment needed: A print out of the text titled ‘Numbers and definitions’ and the sign you create using the ‘For

display’ text below.



http://www.worldvisionmagazine.org/story/aid-workers-diary-syrian-refugees-strength-and-despair



1. In advance: Enlarge and print out a sign using the text in the ‘For display’ section, and print out the text titled

‘Numbers and definition’ (adding to or updating this if you need to).


For display:

The refugee crisis today

Read the definitions and statistics provided at this station. How do they make you feel?

God commands us to care for the foreigner, just as he cares for us – Deuteronomy 10:18-19 says “He

defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them

food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in

Egypt.”

How does this command line up with the facts above? Ask God to move the heart of every nation to

welcome the fleeing refugee.

Text to display:

Numbers and definitions

REFUGEE PERSECUTED, FORCED TO FLEE, CANNOT RETURN HOME, VICTIM OF INJUSTICE

60,000,000 FORCIBLY DISPLACED PEOPLE WORLDWIDE

231,500 REFUGEES RESETTLED IN NORTH AMERICA ANNUALLY

ONLY 1% APPROVED FOR RESETTLEMENT

50% WOMEN AND GIRLS

51% UNDER 18 YEARS OLD

17 YEARS AVERAGE TIME IN REFUGEE CAMP

TOP 4 LANGUAGES 1 ARABIC 2 NEPALI 3 KAREN 4 SOMALI

LESS THAN 1/2 HAVE A CHRISTIAN FRIEND

** **

If you are doing these prayer stations as a group or within a special service, you might like to finish your time by

praying this prayer together:

http://www.thesanctuarycentre.org/resources/written_prayer_for_refugees_based_on_psalm_126.pdf

Alternatively, you might like to make it available as a further prompt to prayer at your final prayer station.


http://www.thesanctuarycentre.org/resources/written_prayer_for_refugees_based_on_psalm_126.pdf

Devotional

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7 Day Devotional by Youversion

The world is facing a global refugee crisis. No country is left untouched. Heated public debate makes it difficult to know

how to respond to this challenge. Some voices paint refugees as a threat to national security. Others feel they are a heavy

economic and social burden. Still others emphasize our humanitarian mandate to assist refugees. This seven-day reading

plan offers important biblical perspective on refugees and forced displacement.

Day 1: The First Refugees

Gensis 3:20-24

Prayer: Father in heaven, I yield my heart and mind to you. Please help me understand Your perspective of refugees

and know how You want me to respond.

“My parents were refugees when I was born. I lived the first 27 years of my life as a refugee, far from home.” –A

former refugee

Refugees are people who have been forced to flee their home and country due to the forces of war, rampant

violence, failed states, and persecution. The majority of refugees are women and children. The average time of

displacement is 17 years.

While the scale and breadth of the present refugee crisis can only be compared to that caused by World War 2,

forced displacement is nothing new to the human story.

Who do you think were the first refugees in history? If you guessed Adam and Eve, you’re right. Following their sin

in the Garden of Eden, God drove them out. They did not leave voluntarily and they were not permitted to return.

As their descendants, we have all been born far from our intended home.

Have you ever thought of yourself as a refugee by virtue of being a descendant of Adam and Eve? What does that

feel like? How does that change the way you see yourself? How does it affect the way in which you see refugees in

the world today?

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Day 2: The Refugee Experience

Psalm 107:1-9



“We don’t know where we are headed to.” –A refugee mother

Unlike migrants who set out for a new country with a vision of a better life, refugees are people fleeing present

danger with the simple aim of finding safety and peace.

From the story of Adam and Eve in Genesis to the Revelation recorded by the Apostle John while in exile on the Isle

of Patmos, the Bible is filled with stories of forcibly displaced people. Moses fled into the desert to escape

Pharaoh’s wrath. David was forced to flee Israel and seek safety in desert hiding places, because Saul was bent on

having him killed. Esther, Daniel, and Nehemiah were among the Jewish exiles of their day, forced to leave their

country and live in foreign empires. Jesus Himself escaped to Egypt when King Herod sought His death.

Have you ever wondered what it is like to be a refugee? Today’s reading is from an oft-overlooked Psalm near the

middle of the Bible that describes the experience of many refugees both then and now.

How does the Psalmist describe the refugee experience? How do you think this description compares to the

experience of refugees in the world today? How does the Psalmist describe God’s response to the cries of refugees?

How do you think God wants us to respond to the needs and cries of refugees?

Day 3: The Refugee Experience

Exodus 2:11-22



“I became a refugee when I was a child. I came to this refugee camp when I was 14. I’m 29 now.” – A refugee

woman

Like many refugees today, Moses was born in a dangerous place at a dangerous time. Although he grew up in

Pharaoh’s family, the oppression of his people by the Egyptians weighed heavily upon him. As an adult, he killed an

Egyptian for beating a Jew. When Pharaoh heard about it, he tried to kill Moses. So Moses fled into the wilderness,

where he was a refugee for 40 years.

Moses began to rebuild his life while still a refugee. Like many refugees today, Moses got married and began raising

his family far from home. He named his firstborn son Gershom, which means “I have become a foreigner in a

foreign land.”

Forced displacement left a deep and defining mark on Moses’ like. A similar mark is left on refugees today.

Today’s reading tells of how God used a Midianite family to help Moses recover from displacement and begin

rebuilding his life. How did Reuel respond to Moses as a refugee and foreigner? How did Moses bless those who

gave him refuge? What might have happened if Moses had not found a community that welcomed him and offered

him refuge?

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Day 4: Fear, Brokenness and Faith

Psalm 142:1-7



“We are just like in prison.” – A refugee father

Although they’ve committed no crime, many refugees are placed in camps or detention centers where they are not

permitted to move freely. The feeling of imprisonment and rejection can compound their trauma and further

undermine hope.

As a young man, David was forced to flee his home and country because King Saul wanted him dead. Like many

refugees today, David was forcibly displaced for a long period of time. Although David was a strong and brave man

of faith, he still struggled with fear and brokenness. Like refugees today, he cried out to God: “Set me free from my

prison!” (Psalm 142:7)

While a refugee, David wrote many songs, some of which we find in the book of Psalms. Psalm 142 is one such song.

It gives us an intimate look into David’s fears and faith while living the life of a refugee.

What did David feel like as a refugee? What kept him from completely losing heart? How might this song help you

better understand what it feels like to be a refugee in the world today?

Day 5: Finding Strength in God

1 Samuel 23:14-18



“…for the vast majority of uprooted people, there are few things as powerful as their faith in helping them cope with

fear, loss, separation, and destitution. Faith is also central to hope and resilience.” – Antonio Guterres, UN High

Commissioner for Refugees

It might surprise you to hear that the UN and the Bible agree that faith is central to hope and resilience. Faith, hope,

and resilience are essential to survival and eventual recovery from forced displacement. Because of this, the UN is

seeking help from communities of faith, believing they play a critical role in responding to the global refugee crisis.

The refugee experience has a way of stripping people down to their core. They lose the familiar place they call

home. They lose their friends and community- the people that shred their joys and hardships. They face many

dangers and struggle to find safety, shelter, food and clothing. They are often unwelcome in the places where they

seek refuge. And the longer a person is displaced, the less hope they have that they will ever return home.

There’s no reason to doubt that David experienced all of these trials while a refugee. It was early into this dark

passage of his life that Jonathan went out into the desert to help David “find strength in God”. Jonathan knew he

couldn’t fix David’s problems, but that didn’t stop him from doing what he could to support him in his time of need.

What dangers did Jonathan face in order to minister to David? What do you think it means that Jonathan helped

David find strength in God? What might it look like to help a refugee find strength in God today?

13

Day 6: More Than People in Need

Acts 8:1-8

Acts 18:1-3



Refugees are more than people in need. Refugees often transcend their circumstances and become a blessing to

those who welcome them.

Located in remote northwestern Kenya, Kakuma is home to one of the biggest refugee camps in the world. In spite

of their isolation and existential hardships, an interdenominational association of refugees churches in the camp

believes that they play an important part in God’s redemptive plan for the world.

With next ot no budget, they run an Interdenominational School of Mission that offers a three-year program to

equip Christian leaders to serve God. Many graduates serve as pastors in the camp today. Some have returned to

their countries of origin, where they now serve as Christian leaders. Others have been resettled to Australia, Europe

and North America, where they have planted churches. As one refugee pastor put it, “Kakuma refugee camp is a

center from which we can tell the world about the love of God for us in Jesus!”

In Acts 18, we read that Aquila and Priscilla were among the Jews forced to leave Rome by order of the Emperor.

They fled to the city of Corinth. The text says that they had recently arrived and were setting up a tent-making

business when Paul met them. How did Paul help them recover from displacement? How is Paul an example of

someone who sees forcibly displaced people as more than people in need?

Day 7: The Divine Expectation

Leviticus 19:33-34

Matthew 25:35-40



In a world in which one in every 122 people is forcibly displaced and 42,500 people are newly uprooted every day,

the chances are good that some of these women, children and men will cross your path.

God has clear expectations when it comes to how we relate to our neighbor, the foreigner and the stranger.

As you read today’s texts, consider the very practical ways we are called to love the foreigner and stranger. How

might these apply to the way you relate to refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in your country, city and

neighborhood? Do these divine mandates provoke any internal tension of defensiveness? Why? Listen for the

voice of God in the tension. What is He telling you?

Discussion &

Prayer Guide

10

STAND ALONGSIDE SYRIAN REFUGEES

Small group prayer and discussion guide

11

Dare to step into the margins. We worship a God who loves us deeply—so deeply that He sent His only Son to walk

among us. Jesus became flesh and dwelled with us. Not only that, He became poor and

went into the margins—reaching out to those living in the shadow of oppression and

injustice. Jesus identified with the oppressed and the excluded.

In Psalm 12:5 we read, “Into the hovels of the poor, into the dark streets where the

homeless groan, God speaks: ‘I’ve had enough; I’m on my way to heal the ache in the

hear t of the wretched’“ (The Message).

Jesus followed His Father ’s hear t—and we are called to follow in His footsteps.

This means reaching into the dark places, where pover ty and injustice hold the vulnerable

captive, and offering His hope—not only for the hereafter, but for the here and now.

Over the next four sessions, we’ll reflect on what the Bible says about hope, joy, faith, and

peace in the midst of struggles. And we’ll explore the darker corners of our world, where

the poor and the oppressed, the broken and the lonely dwell.

Because that’s where Christ Himself dwells.

May you hear His call in your life and follow where He leads.

How to use this guide

This guide will take you on a four-session journey as a group. Each session, you’ll have the

chance to read the story of a real-life refugee, examine Scripture, tackle some questions

designed to stretch you and help you think on a deeper level, consider how to apply what

you’ve learned, and pray for refugees together.

Use this guide as it best suits your group. You might wish to have one person read the

commentary, then take turns reading the stories, Scripture passages, and questions. If you

like, you can each note your responses in a journal, then come together to share your

thoughts. When you pray as a group, you can take turns or have one person pray through

the suggested prayer points—and then commit to continue praying throughout the week.

Let your goal be to grow in fellowship and faith as you examine the worst humanitarian

crisis in the world today—a crisis that cries out for a compassionate response.

3 | Session One

S E S S I O N

ONE

Hope is hidden in the margins.

Child refugees: Noor and Abdul hope for a better life

For many kids, sleeping outside is an adventure. But for 5-year-old Abdul and his 6-year-old

sister, Noor, it’s a necessity. After fleeing Syria with their parents and making an exhausting

trek through Europe, they’ve been sleeping on the ground near the border between Serbia

and Hungary. The border closed while they slept last night. Time will tell whether they’ll be

allowed to enter Hungary.

What draws them for ward is the hope of a new life, in Germany or Sweden perhaps. The

children’s mother, Teasadi, was a teacher in Daraa, Syria, before the war. But death and

destruction drove them from home—and keep them from going back.

Though Teasadi’s mind is weighed down with worry, the children’s vitality is a welcome sight.

Noor and Abdul—along with their 10-year-old brother, Hamid, and 9-year-old sister,

Zamzam—make a lively game of cracking walnuts they’ve gathered, stomping them, crushing

them with rocks, and carrying the shelled ones in a plastic bag like trophies. Even though the

family has so little, young Noor offers some of her hard-won nuts to others nearby.

Tonight, at least, the family has obtained a few tents so they won’t have to sleep in the open

again. Abdul carefully removes his tennis shoes before stepping in; although he is young, he

knows this piece of cloth is precious, and for right now, it’s home.

Noor and Abdul are old enough to know that their circumstances are dire. But they haven’t

lost hope for a better life, and that’s what keeps them going.

REFLECTION QUESTION

In this story, what stands out to you or touches you the most?

4 | Session One

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The LORD is my portion,”

says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”

—Lamentations 3:22-24 (ESV)

What does hope look like to Syrian families who have fled their homes because of violence?

A very similar situation took place in 586 B.C. when the entire nation of Israel was displaced

after the fall of Jerusalem. Most who sur vived the siege of Jerusalem became refugees, exiled

to faraway Babylon. Others were left to eke out an existence amid the charred rubble of a

once-great city. To refugees and castaways such as these, Jeremiah’s words must have seemed

to ring hollow: His mercies are new every morning.

What mercies?

But Jeremiah was not living in denial. He was not painting a rosy picture in defiance of reality.

His words appear in the book of Lamentations—a collection of poems mourning the loss of

Jerusalem.

For Jeremiah, hope was steeped in hear tbreak.

Jeremiah’s God did not always lift people out of hardship, but He always entered into it. God

could be found among His people in exile.

You may be thinking, “This Scripture is about Israel; it doesn’t apply to Syrian refugees.” It’s

impor tant to remember, as Peter realized in Acts 10:34, that God doesn’t show par tiality. In

fact, He healed Naaman, the commander of the Syrian army, at a time when the Syrians were

Israel’s enemy (2 Kings 5). God loves everyone He’s created—and so must we.

5 | Session One

This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will

come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know

the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm

you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and

pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek

me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you

back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have

banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which

I carried you into exile.”

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

—Jeremiah 29:10-14

1. What kinds of plans did God have for the Israelites in exile?

2. What did God say He would do if they called on Him and prayed to Him?

3. What did the Israelites learn about God’s timeline for bringing rescue?

4. How can this offer hope for the modern-day refugee? How does it offer hope to you?

Throughout the Bible, God has always promised hope to those who trust and follow Him.

In the New Testament, God entered into hardship with us, giving us hope in an even more

profound way: He took on flesh and blood and became one of us.

Concern that does not lead to compassion changes nothing.

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did

not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive

him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave

the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of

human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and

made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only

Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

— John 1:10-14


1. Why is it important that God became human?

2. God came to live among us, as one of us. How does this impact the way you live?

God is with the poor. He is with the brokenhear ted and the refugees in the midst of their

lament. He dwells with the oppressed, showing them new mercies each morning and

demonstrating His steadfast love.

God’s hear t is broken by oppression and pover ty—and as beings made in His image, our

hear ts should break too. But it is not enough to be brokenhear ted. To offer hope, we must

enter into people’s suffering. Concern that does not lead to compassion changes nothing.

But if we see and hear their cries, and then act—we as the people of God can bring hope

and transformation to people in the harshest places in our world.

APPLICATION

What can you do this week to share God’s hope with others?

GO DEEPER

Share about a time when you didn’t know what to do or where to go. How did that

uncer tainty feel?

Pray for refugees and displaced families

More than 6.6 million people have been displaced within Syria, in addition to the

4.3 million Syrians who have sought refuge in other countries. Half of those who

have had to abandon their homes are children, fleeing with little more than the

clothes on their backs. These children and families need our prayers.

6 | Session One

PRAYER POINTS

• Ask God to protect those who have left everything behind in search of safety.

• Pray for them to seek God and trust Him to be their hope.

• Pray that God will move the nations of the world to seek compassionate

solutions for Syria’s refugees and displaced families.

• Pray for God to open your eyes to ways you can respond, and for your heart

to be open to His leading.

S E S S I O N

TWO

Faith takes us to the margins.

A former refugee: Aida pours her hear t into helping others

“I hated being a refugee,” recalls Aida Sunje, a World Vision emergency communications officer

in Bosnia and Herzegovina. “I felt like my whole identity was put into that one sad word.”

Aida was 8 years old when she boarded the last convoy of women and children escaping her

hometown. During the Bosnian War in the mid-1990s, her city came under heavy shelling.

Aida’s mom was pregnant at the time; she gave bir th just a few days after they fled. That first

night in a Croatian city far from home, Aida feared they would have to sleep in a park.

Two decades later, she stands in another park—this one in Belgrade, Serbia. It is packed with

Syrian refugees. Aida can appreciate their plight in a way that few others can. Her childhood

memories have compelled her to enter into a crisis again, to help children like 4-year-old Yusef

and his 11-year-old brother Almuseneh.

The two boys and their family walked all the way through Greece and Macedonia before

reaching Serbia. Their shoes were completely worn out; Yusef ’s feet were covered in blisters.

They spent nights sleeping in the park without even a blanket to cover themselves.

Aida will never forget the families she has met in Belgrade. “I saw physics professors, farmers,

dentists, students, engineers, retirees—women, men, and children escaping the horrors of war.

And all I wanted to do was hug all of them and tell them every thing will be all right, because I

know too well how they were feeling.”

Aida is determined to be par t of the answer—to put faith into action and bring hope to those

fleeing war—because she remembers what it was like to be in their shoes.

REFLECTION QUESTION

7 | Session Two


What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no

deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes

and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,”

but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith

by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

— James 2:14-17

The apostle James addressed these words to the first-century church, where pover ty and

affluence existed side by side in a way few of us today can appreciate. In many of our churches

in the West, socioeconomic classes don’t readily mix. Most of us have never seen someone

clothed in literal rags or on the brink of real star vation set foot in our sanctuaries. But while

we may not see firsthand the kind of need James describes, it is no less real—and we are no

less obligated to do something about it.

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked,

“what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and

with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

8 | Session Two (continued)

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was

attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away,

leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and

when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he

came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as

he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.

He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the

man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day

he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said,

‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the

hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

— Luke 10:25-37


1. The person left along the road is presumed to be a Jew. Yet the Levite and the

priest—both Jews themselves—continue past him and do not help him. Instead, he

receives assistance from a Samaritan, his cultural enemy. What is Jesus telling us about

our neighbor?

2. To which character in this story do you relate?

… there is no one on earth who is not our neighbor.

At the end of this passage, Jesus says, “Go and do likewise,” telling us to be a neighbor and

demonstrate mercy to those in need. People who live in the margins today are our

neighbors, whether they’re just down the street or half a world away. The religious exper t

who interrogated Jesus about his moral responsibility wanted to define neighbor as narrowly as

possible, thus limiting those he was obligated to care for. But Jesus wouldn’t have it. He went to

the other ex treme, revealing that there is no one on ear th who is not our neighbor.

True faith is not passive in the face of need. It does not look away. It does not merely wish for

something better; it becomes par t of the answer. True faith follows the example of Christ, who

came into our world not as a conquering king but as an impoverished child from Nazareth—

one who even became a refugee fleeing danger with His family (Matthew 2:13-15). As an adult,

He walked among the poor. He did not just preach generosity; He fed the hungry and healed

the sick with His own hands.

Faith demands more than the occasional act of charity. Christ calls us to reorient our lives

around Him and His kingdom. If we are bold enough to not just believe Jesus but follow Him,

we will find ourselves among the poor and the oppressed— listening to them, learning from

them, carrying their burdens, and helping ease their suffering.

Active faith is the only kind that does any good—for us or for anyone else.

9 | Session Two

APPLICATION

What can you do this week to help strengthen someone else’s faith?

GO DEEPER

1. Share about a time when you were rescued from something you feared. How did it feel?

Did you recognize God’s provision at the time or not until later?

2. What are the barriers that keep people from coming to the aid of Syrian refugees and

displaced families?

Pray for war-affected families

More than 240,000 lives have been lost since the Syrian conflict began in March

2011, and more than 1 million people have sustained injuries. The violence has yet

to diminish. Syria needs our prayers.

PRAYER POINTS

• Pray for all those affected by violence—people who have lost loved ones, and

people who have been injured themselves.

• Ask God to come to the aid of those who are personally suffering as a result

of this conflict.

• Pray that God will move more people to act on their faith—to put what they

believe into action and help their neighbors in need.

• Pray that God will help you give not just of your resources, but of yourself,

that you might learn to love others as He loves you.

10 | Session Two

11 | Session Three

S E S S I O N

THREE

Joy will come to the margins.

One refugee’s story: Samer dreams of joy

Samer*, 14, dreams of one thing: joy. Not for himself, but for his mom.

Samer shares a 13-by-13-foot tent with his brother, his mother, and another family of six. They

are refugees from Syria, living in an informal settlement in neighboring Lebanon. They’ve been

without a proper home for two years now.

Samer’s father died when he was young, and he is very protective of his mother. Since being

displaced by war, Samer has been forced to choose bread over books, employment over

education.

“All I want is for my mother to be happy.”

—Samer

Samer tries to spend what time he can at an educational center set up by World Vision for

refugees. “I know it’s not a school, but I learned so much,” Samer says. “I love learning. I wish

I [could] live in a school.”

But much of Samer’s time is spent elsewhere, collecting and selling leftover vegetables from a

nearby field. “Whatever I make is better than nothing,” he explains. “All I want is for my mother

to be happy.” Samer puts on a brave face when she is nearby, but cries in private because he is

not able to provide for her properly. “She is always sick and I will not accept that she begs on

the streets,” he says. “She is sick because she worries too much.”

*Name changed to protect his identity.

REFLECTION QUESTION


(continued) 12 | Session Three

Celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles for seven days after you have gathered the

produce of your threshing floor and your winepress. Be joyful at your festival—you,

your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites, the

foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns. For seven days

celebrate the festival to the LORD your God at the place the LORD will choose. For

the LORD your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands,

and your joy will be complete.

—Deuteronomy 16:13-15


1. Describe the kinds of people that were to be included in this feast.

2. The guests were told they needed to be joyful at the festival. Discuss how difficult that

would be if you weren’t feeling joy. How would you be able to overcome this?

Every year, the people of Israel obser ved the Festival of Tabernacles, which doubled as a

commemoration of their sojourn as refugees in the wilderness and a celebration of their

annual har vest—neither of which would have been possible without God’s provision.

It would have been one thing to celebrate if you had collected a record har vest. But imagine

how difficult it would have been if, like the psalmist, you were in the middle of “the darkest

valley”—if your crops had failed or if you had been driven from your home, for example.

God insisted that His provision, and His joy, were to be shared by everyone. And everyone

was to benefit: not just established landowning families, but their ser vants and those at the

margins of society—refugees, orphans, widows.

In some ways, the Festival of the Tabernacles was a foreshadowing of the bir th of Jesus,

when—as John notes in the introduction to his Gospel— Christ came and dwelt among us

(1:14). The Greek word John used can also be translated “tabernacled.” Christ came to live

among us and to bring joy for everyone, especially the poor and the oppressed.

God is with them in their darkest valley, and that’s where we should be too—because joy

comes to the margins when we share God’s abundant privilege with all.

When we feel alone, lost, desperate, and even afraid, God can bring us joy.

You turned my wailing into dancing;

you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.

LORD my God, I will praise you forever.

—Psalm 30:11-12


1. What does God do with the psalmist’s mourning and mourning clothes?

2. Why does God give us joy?

3. How should we respond to God’s gift of joy?

Throughout the Bible, we see God taking delight in transforming mourning into joy. Rescuing

the oppressed from slavery. Giving children to those well past childbearing age. Sending rain on

a parched land. Bringing the dead back to life.

While He does not prevent sadness, He does not let it have the final word. Perhaps one

reason God allows us to experience difficult circumstances is so that we might know the joy of

being delivered from them.

God turns our hardship into joy so that we might share the same transformation with others.

As Jesus said, “Freely you have received; freely give” (Matthew 10:8).

13 | Session Three

APPLICATION

What can you do this week to bring joy to someone else?

GO DEEPER

1. What kinds of worries and fears do you think you’d experience as a refugee?

2. How can we have more joy in our own lives, regardless of our circumstances?

3. What things in your life bring you great joy? How can you share that with others?

Pray for Syria’s children

Many school-aged children in Syria are unable to attend classes because they’ve

had to flee or because their schools have been destroyed. In some cases,

teachers and schoolchildren have been killed. Even those who escape to relative

safety in other countries find it difficult to continue their education in an

unfamiliar language or without the means for books, supplies, and uniforms.

14 | Session Three

PRAYER POINTS

• Pray for children affected by conflict, that they might be able to resume

their studies in peace and safety.

• Pray for mothers and fathers who worry for their children’s futures, that

they will find joy in knowing that God is with them.

• Ask God to help those who are struggling to keep up with their education

under difficult circumstances.

• Pray that God will fill you with His joy so that you can share it with others

and reflect His love through your own life.

15 | Session Four

S E S S I O N

FOUR

Peace will reign in the margins.

A refugee’s courage: Hardworking Eyad dreams of peace

“It’s an interesting job,” Eyad says, “no routine whatsoever. I can be in one place in the morning

fixing a pump, and by the end of a day be in a totally different area installing latrines or digging a

borehole.”

Eyad is remarkably understated about the nature of his job. He works for World Vision in Syria,

providing basic water and sanitation ser vices for families displaced by conflict.

Eyad was originally an automotive engineer from Aleppo, Syria, but was displaced by the fighting

as well. Instead of focusing on his own situation, he works tirelessly on behalf of his fellow Syrians.

“You have no idea how hard it is for me to see my people living in tents,” he says.

“There is still goodness in this world.”

—Eyed

Eyad and his team are at constant risk. They try to avoid air strikes by working during times of the

day when attacks are less likely to occur. Still, he has had some close calls. “One day my team

and I were driving out to Azaz [in nor thwestern Syria] after fixing a borehole, and while we were

out on the road, a missile from an aircraft landed about 500 meters away. I felt lucky that day.”

Yet Eyad is undeterred. He continues to work with local organizations to identify the most

urgent needs and to complete vital water and sanitation projects under unimaginable conditions.

Eyad keeps going in the hope that someday there will be peace. “World Vision has given me

a chance to help my people,” he explains. “This is what gives me hope—seeing people from

all over the world caring enough to help. There is still goodness in this world.”

REFLECTION QUESTION


16 | Session Four

“The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and

be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.”

— Numbers 6:24-26

This was the blessing that the priests of Israel were instructed to give the people. The

peace they pronounced was more than just an inward sense of well-being. It was the

all-encompassing shalom of God. It meant safety, welfare, and harmony with God and

with one another.

It must have seemed like such an elusive vision then, as it does now. But this is what

God’s people do: we speak an impossible blessing to a peace-star ved world. And we

don’t just speak this blessing with our lips. We pronounce it—we bring it into being—

through our actions.

In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, we find the promise that peace will guard those who

follow Christ.

(continued)

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown,

stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends! I plead with Euodia and I plead with

Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, my true companion,

help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel,

along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book

of life. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness

be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every

situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts

and your minds in Christ Jesus.

—Philippians 4:1-7


1. Paul wrote this letter while he was in prison. Given his state, what surprises you about

his advice to the Philippians?

2. We are told we need one quality to be evident to all—what is that, and why?

3. When do you most feel the peace of God?

3. What does Paul say this peace is like, and what does he say it can do for us?

As we read above, peace in Scripture refers to more than a settled or restful feeling. It

describes a state of wholeness in which all of our relationships are as they should be—with

God, with each other, and with God’s creation. (Notice a few verses before the promise of

peace, Paul pleads with two members of the Philippian church to “be of the same mind”—

that is, to be at peace with each other.)

To be a follower of Jesus—the Prince of Peace himself— is to wage peace in the hard places,

no matter how impossible that may seem. When we promote peace over conflict, we create

a hope-filled future for both ourselves and others.

17 | Session Four

APPLICATION

What can you do this week to help create peace for those in your own life?

GO DEEPER

1. Have you ever prayed for peace and seen God answer?

2. How can we be peacemakers and promote peace over conflict, both in our everyday lives

and for our world?

Pray for peace in Syria

The conflict in Syria has been going on for years now, with no end in sight.

Children continue to live in an environment of fear and suffering. An entire

nation of people has been scattered, forced to find refuge wherever they

can—in a place that isn’t their home, and where they often feel unwelcome.

They need God’s peace.

18 | Session Four

PRAYER POINTS

• Pray that God will grant His peace to those who have experienced war.

• Pray for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Syria so that children and

families may find safety.

• Ask God to stir the hearts of Christians around the world to pursue peace

and justice for all those affected by conflict.

• Pray that God will open your eyes to those who are suffering, and to help

you see where you can help. Ask Him to extend hope through you, making

you His hands and feet through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Reach out to those in the hardest places

Over the past four sessions, we’ve looked for God’s presence in one of our world’s

hardest contexts. We’ve delved into God’s Word to reflect on how He calls us to see

the world around us. We’ve found hope among the poor and oppressed. We’ve been

challenged to let our faith take us to the least, the last, and the lost. We’ve dared to dream

of a world where joy and peace thrive among people living in unimaginable situations.

Thank you for opening your hear t to those living in the margins of our world, for listening

to their stories, and for praying for them. Please continue to pray for all those affected by

the Syria crisis and to do what you can to make a difference.

Since the beginning of this crisis, World Vision has helped more than 2 million people

by providing essentials such as food, clean water, critical emergency supplies, access to

healthcare, educational suppor t, and Child-Friendly Spaces to give displaced kids a safe

space to play. But more help is desperately needed.

Consider joining World Vision’s effor ts to help by donating, raising funds, and advocating

for Syrian refugees. Together, we can demonstrate compassion to our neighbors and share

God’s love with those in need.

worldvision.org/helprefugees

19 | Session Four

AO

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Wo

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Inc.

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian

organization dedicated to working with children,

families, and their communities worldwide to reach

their full potential by tackling the causes of pover ty

and injustice. Motivated by our faith in Jesus Christ,

we ser ve alongside the poor and oppressed as a

demonstration of God’s unconditional love for all

people. World Vision ser ves all people, regardless

of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender.

All Scripture quotations, unless other wise

indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE,

NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION.® NIV.®

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica,

Inc.TM Used by permission of Biblica, Inc.TM All

rights reser ved worldwide.

Additional Resources

34

Media Resources:

https://vimeo.com/24886084

A 60 second look at some biblical texts related to forcible displacement set to music without

commentary.


A refugee pastor describes life in a refugee camp - and how refugee churches are helping

people transcend their circumstances.


An introduction to the Refugee Highway


Former refugees from Iran and Ivory Coast share how valuable it is for us to take time and

initiative to pray for and with refugees.


A beautiful song with photos that remembers the forcibly displaced people in the world

Information and Additional Resources:

www.wewelcomerefugees.com

www.iafr.org

www.refugeehighway.net

www.tucsonrefugeeministry.com

Refugee Vetting Process Info:

FAQ's

Screening Process Infographic






http://www.wewelcomerefugees.com/

http://www.iafr.org/

http://www.refugeehighway.net/

http://www.tucsonrefugeeministry.com/

../Desktop/Refugee%20Realities%20FAQ.pdf

https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2015/11/20/infographic-screening-process-refugee-entry-united-states

https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2015/11/20/infographic-screening-process-refugee-entry-united-states

BUILDING A BRIDGE BETWEEN THE CHURCH

AND THE NATIONS AT OUR DOORSTEP

Documents

Prayer Packet - tucsonrefugeeministry.com file1 10 Ways to Pray for Refugees 1. Essential Needs Pray that God would graciously provide for the essential needs of security, shelter,