NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–An intercessory prayer list for the crisis in Haiti has been posted at the “In All Things … Pray” website of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee, www.inallthingspray.net.
Roger S. Oldham, the Executive Committee’s vice president for convention relations, cited the Florida Baptist Convention’s call for a Day of Prayer for Haiti on Sunday, Feb. 14.
“Florida Baptists, working through long-term ministry partnerships in Haiti, and in consultation with the North American Mission Board’s Disaster Relief ministry, have helped spearhead many of the relief efforts taking place in that country since the devastating earthquake last month,” Oldham noted. “We at the Executive Committee join with the Florida Baptist Convention in calling Southern Baptists across the country to raise the level of awareness for the many needs in Haiti through this concerted prayer focus.”
The intercessory prayer list is titled “Ten Ways to Pray for the Situation in Haiti.”
“We hope that Baptists will access this site and use this resource in their personal prayer time,” Oldham said. “It can be printed out as a prayer guide, posted on refrigerators, placed in Bibles, shared with Sunday School classes, printed in church bulletins, and used in Sunday morning and other prayer services.
“We believe in the power of prayer,” Oldham squarely added.
Bulletin inserts and a downloadable video for the Day of Prayer for Haiti also are available from the Florida Baptist Convention, at www.flbaptist.org.
The 10 points of the Haiti intercessory prayer list at www.inallthingspray.net are:
1. Pray that the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the Haitian people will be met in a timely way by all appropriate means.
2. Pray for the government of Haiti as it works with international relief organizations to restore basic services to its people.
3. Pray for the thousands of volunteers who are serving in Haiti as the hands and feet of Christ. Pray that their stamina will be unflagging, and that their compassionate service will point to the saving power and presence of Jesus Christ.
4. Pray for the physical and spiritual well-being of the Baptist detainees in Haiti.
5. Pray that the Lord will surround the families and churches of the Haiti detainees with His tender mercies and sustain them with His arms of compassion.
6. Pray that the U. S. Department of State will use all diplomatic means available to advocate for the humane treatment of its citizens and will work tirelessly to secure a timely resolution to this unfortunate situation.
7. Pray that donors will not be discouraged from contributing to the ongoing relief needs of this devastated country.
8. Pray that the situation in Haiti will heighten the awareness of all volunteer groups of the need for adequate training, orientation, and preparation prior to embarking on ministry trips at home or abroad.
9. Pray that doors of opportunity remain open for our trained Disaster Relief volunteers to assist those placed in need whenever and wherever a natural disaster may occur.
10. Pray that the disaster in Haiti will serve as a catalyst for a new generation of volunteers to enlist for training through SBC Disaster Relief for effective deployment and service for both present and future needs.
John Sullivan, the Florida convention’s executive director, issued the call to prayer Feb. 2 to ask for God’s mercy and strength for the Haitian people as they recover from the catastrophic Jan. 12 earthquake that affected 3.5 million people and killed more than 200,000 men, women and children.
“By lifting our voices in intercession for the people of Haiti, we can petition God’s intervention in this desperate time of trial and tribulation,” Sullivan said. “Through prayer we can have a life-changing impact upon the helpless, homeless and hopeless people of Haiti. We must pray for their physical and spiritual well-being in the days to come.”
Sullivan also reflected on his trips to Haiti in conjunction with the Florida convention’s 15-year partnership with Haitian Baptists, “I never go to Haiti that my life is not changed. I believe they are some of the sweetest people on the face of this earth. They have so little in the eyes of the world. Those who have found the grace of Jesus Christ are filled with a simple joy reminiscent of the early New Testament Christians.
“We can change their plight through prayer,” Sullivan added.
“In All Things…Pray” was initiated by Executive Committee President Morris H. Chapman in 2000 as an extension of his longstanding passion to call Southern Baptists to prayer, both for the convention and for one another. It has been one of the most frequently visited sites in the SBC.net family of web pages. The site is the most frequently visited by people who are not Southern Baptists.
In All Things … Pray was used extensively during the 2001 terror attacks as a source of information on how to pray, and a virtual prayer room was set up where people could sign up for a particular time slot to pray for the nation. More than 15,000 prayer requests are currently posted on the site. In All Things…Pray also includes resources for prayer and daily Bible reading.
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Art Toalston is editor of Baptist Press.
Southern Baptists can contribute to “Haiti Earthquake Disaster Relief” through their local church or directly to their state convention, the North American Mission Board (www.namb.net) or the International Mission Board (www.imb.org):
— The Florida Baptist Convention has established a Haiti earthquake relief fund, available online at www.flbaptist.org. Donations also may be sent to Florida Baptist Convention, 1230 Hendricks Ave., Jacksonville, FL 32257. Designate on check “Haitian Earthquake relief.” For more information, call 800-226-8584, ext. 3135; or 904-596-3135.
— The North American Mission Board has set up a Haiti disaster relief fund that will direct money to state conventions and other Southern Baptists who are doing relief work in Haiti. Donations may be made online, www.NAMB.net, by phone, 1-866-407-6262, or by mail, North American Mission Board, P.O. Box 116543, Atlanta, GA 30368-6543. Make checks payable to “Haiti Disaster Relief Fund/NAMB.”
— Initial funding for the relief effort will come from the International Mission Board’s disaster relief fund. Contributions can be made online, www.imb.org, or by mail, International Mission Board, P.O. Box 6767, Richmond, VA 23230.
Regardless of the SBC channel, all funds received for this purpose will go to relief efforts; none will be used for administrative costs.
