Prayer Focus Archive

Urgent: Pray for Afghanistan

With the Taliban regaining control in Afghanistan, the Afghan people face terror, rape and even execution. Girls are being taken as sex slaves. Men are being shot. You’ve probably seen the shocking images of people clinging to planes in a desperate attempt to escape the country. Some families have been wandering in the desert for more than a week in similar desperation. People are suffering.

Persecuted even when U.S. troops were present, Afghan Christians are now in grave danger.¹ Some reports indicate that the Taliban are searching door-to-door for Christians and Afghans who have assisted the U.S. If any evidence is discovered on one’s phone that they are a Christian, they are killed instantly.

“Many in Afghanistan genuinely fear they will not see tomorrow,” said K.P. Yohannan, founder of GFA World. “The knock on their door could be the last they hear.”

In a call to pray and fast for the people of Afghanistan, Yohannan urged believers: “None of us should be acting like life is ‘normal’ while our brothers and sisters in Afghanistan wait in dread for the Taliban to come to their door. God moves when we choose to enter into the suffering of others. We need to be on our knees in prayer now.”

1 Carter, Joe. “How to Pray for Afghanistan—and the Taliban.” The Gospel Coalition . https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/how-to-pray-for-the-taliban/ August 16, 2021.

Pray for Behind-the-Scenes Missionaries

As GFA national missionaries share Christ’s love with communities in Africa and Asia, they rely on a vital group of people—the Mission Support Team. As behind-the-scenes missionaries, the Mission Support Team keeps GFA World’s offices running. Their administrative work propels the ministry by linking national missionaries with their donors and prayer partners in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Finland, Germany, South Africa, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

The staff who work in GFA’s offices have answered God’s call to give of their lives and use their skills to help fulfill the Great Commission. Many of these behind-the-scenes missionaries have moved from other states or provinces, leaving behind family, friends, careers or educational opportunities. GFA World’s Mission Support Team staff need partnership and prayer, just as the national missionaries do. Please lift up behind-the-scenes missionaries in prayer this month.

Pray for Bible College Students

“I request you to pray for my family and my studies and my future ministry, that no matter what my family situation or my situation is, I will be serving God, and I will be doing His work.” —Jonas, a Bible college student

This month, our prayer focus is the many men and women who are studying in Bible colleges on the field to become national missionaries. At each of these schools, students are preparing themselves for ministry among the hardest-to-reach, and they need our prayers to persevere in this calling God has given them. Would you join us as we support these dedicated brothers and sisters in prayer?

Pray for Those Who Need Bicycles

In many of the areas where GFA World serves, transportation options are limited. These rural places, in which many of the world’s poor people live, are isolated by distance and by challenging terrain. GFA workers may trek miles, often by foot, just to visit a remote village. The isolation also affects the people within those communities, hampering adults from reaching their workplaces and children from obtaining a proper education.

A rugged bicycle can expand the horizons of individuals without transportation, enabling GFA workers to visit more communities, laborers to provide for their families, and students to go to school. But in impoverished areas such as those where GFA workers serve, bicycles can be relatively expensive compared to a common laborer’s income. This lack of reliable, efficient transportation can be a huge barrier for people trying to escape poverty and build a better life. It also handicaps national workers dedicated to spreading hope and love to surrounding communities. In 2019, GFA workers distributed 4,030 bicycles to national workers and others in the communities we serve, but many remain in need.

Please join us in praying this month for those in need of bicycles.

Pray for People Who Need Blankets and Winter Clothing, Especially Children

Heat or eat? This is the terrible question that can haunt those living in poverty during the winter months. Poverty makes obtaining and keeping life necessities difficult, but the cold multiplies these problems. Not only are food, water and shelter still needed during the winter months, but a source of warmth becomes essential, too.

GFA missionaries help in the extreme cold by giving blankets and winter clothes to those in need, as well as sharing hope in Christ. Please join us in praying for those who need blankets and winter clothing.

Pray for Children's Ministry

Children are the future of any society, and right now, many children in South Asia find their futures may be teetering on a cliff’s edge.

The coronavirus pandemic brought with it fear and uncertainty: fear of fatal illness or starvation and uncertainty for the future. UNICEF reports that the livelihoods of 600 million children in South Asia are threatened by the coronavirus, and up to 120 million more could be pushed into poverty.¹ In this tumultuous period, GFA workers are bringing Christ’s love to children and their families, whether through gifts of food or encouraging, taking-all-precautions visits.

During times of normalcy, GFA congregations bless the children in their midst through Vacation Bible School, Sunday School and Youth Fellowship. Through these ministries, boys and girls are learning more about their loving Creator and are building a foundation in Him. And as they establish their own hope in Christ, many children are able to help their siblings and parents on their journeys with Jesus!

Please join us this month in praying for Children's Ministry in Asia.

¹“Lives Upended.” Simon Ingram. UNICEF. June 2020. https://www.unicef.org/rosa/reports/lives-upended

Pray for the Child Sponsorship Program

“It touches me when I see the young ones not able to speak for themselves, who cannot provide anything for themselves; it is really sad. But when you see children who are coming from where they were—lone, dark places [where] they were dirty [and] no one was taking care of them—when you see them smiling at school, sharing meals, saying sorry … you can see that there is a big difference. … These young children are the future of the country, future of the world.”—Remy, a child sponsorship project coordinator in Rwanda

GFA World’s Child Sponsorship Program is bringing practical help and the love of Christ to children in poverty in both Africa and Asia. This month, join us as we pray for these kids and the staff and sponsors that serve them.

Pray for Christmas Outreaches

Like the angels who first proclaimed Christ’s birth 2,000 years ago, GFA churches throughout Africa and Asia declare the message of hope to those who have yet to hear it. Every Christmas season, GFA missionaries plan ministry opportunities and special Christmas services to proclaim Christ’s birth and incredible gift of love. Will you join us in prayer for all these Christmas outreaches?

Pray for Church Buildings

For most Asian congregations, a church building is much more than a Sunday morning meeting place. Learn why thousands of congregations are currently praying for church buildings, and how you can pray with them.

Imagine you and your church family did not have a building to meet in. There were no classrooms, no sanctuary, no foyer with coffee and donuts to greet you. Instead, you hosted your church family in your home every Sunday morning.

For multitudes of congregations in Asia, this is normal. In certain areas, it is difficult to begin the process of constructing a church building because of many obstacles, which may include opposition, lack of finances and various extreme weather patterns. Fortunately, when church buildings are constructed, they not only provide a safe haven for believers, they also become the central hub of activities where believers can serve and worship the Lord with joy.

This month, we have an opportunity to intervene in prayer for our brothers and sisters in Asia who do not have a place of worship. Together, let us pray to the Lord for the various needs that arise because of this.

Pray for Community Transformation

Pray for Entire Communities—and Thousands of People—to Find Transformation in Christ’s Love in 2026

In 2024 alone, more than four and a half million children died before their fifth birthday.¹ Currently, estimates suggest that more than 2 billion people lack access to safe drinking water. ² Millions of families are trapped in a continual cycle of poverty. Approximately 2 billion people still wait to hear of Jesus’ love.³

We feel it deep in our souls: The world was never meant to be this way. But it won’t always be this way. One day, there will be no more sickness. No more death. No more poverty. No more waiting to hear of Jesus’ love.

And we don’t have to wait for “one day” to begin experiencing the wholeness of Christ now. Wherever we take His love, transformation can begin. It can begin in villages where, until now, no one has ever heard His name; in families where poverty is an everyday reality; in communities where children’s futures are bleak—His love brings hope and transformation.

This month, will you join us in praying for the precious people and communities who still wait for that transformation to begin?

1 “With Child Deaths Projected to Rise for the First Time This Century, Gates Foundation Urges Global Leaders to Target Scarce Resources Where They Save the Most Lives.” Gates Foundation. December 3, 2025.https://www.gatesfoundation.org/ideas/media-center/press-releases/2025/12/goalkeepers-child-deaths-rising-high-impact-solutions. December 3, 2025.

2 “Progress on Household Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene 2000-2024: Special Focus on Inequalities.” World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/wash-documents/wash-coverage/jmp/jmp-2025-wash-households-lowres-launch.pdf?sfvrsn=12ccab42_3&download=true. August 26, 2025.

3 “Status of Global Christianity 2025.” Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.https://www.gordonconwell.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2025/01/Status-of-Global-Christianity-2025.pdf. Accessed January 27, 2026.

Pray for Compassion Services

GFA's Compassion Services—which include disaster relief efforts plus our medical, slum, and leprosy ministries—meet some of the most vital and urgent needs of people in South Asia.

What does it mean to have compassion? By definition, compassion means taking pity on those less fortunate. It is reaching out and offering a helping hand to others, and it is the fundamental purpose of GFA World’s Compassion Services.

GFA workers toil to bring healing and hope. They touch thousands of lives with the tangible love of God through slum, leprosy, medical and disaster relief ministries. Thanks to them, men, women and children who otherwise might have gone without help due to their circumstances have been blessed with much-needed aid.

Please join us in praying for GFA World’s Compassion Services this month.

Pray for Disaster Relief

Whether it be severe flooding, devastating earthquakes or any other form of disaster, GFA-supported workers are among the first to respond to the needy people in their areas. By providing food, clothing, clean water, temporary shelter and prayer when disasters strike, these faithful workers tend to the hurting and suffering.

This month, join with us as we lift up those who brave the harshest of catastrophes to minister to affected communities.

Pray for the Equipping of Missionaries

Unknown villages tucked away in the mountains, dusty roads and deep lush forests—these are only some of the places where GFA-supported national missionaries serve. Some travel on foot, while others have bicycles or motorcycles to get around. No matter where they are serving or what kind of ministry they are in, they are all ready to share the hope of Jesus with those who don't know He stands at the door and knocks.

As they travel and tell of the awesome love of God, like every skilled workman, they need the tools to equip them to effectively serve the Lord. This month, let us cry out to God on their behalf and ask Him to continue to provide for all their needs!

Pray for Film Ministry

It’s dark and the mosquitoes are biting, but dozens—maybe hundreds—of people sit transfixed by the scene they see playing on a big white screen: Jesus is dying on the cross. Tears fall and hard hearts melt at the depiction of Christ’s great sacrifice. Soon, shouts of triumph ring out from the crowd as Jesus rises from the dead.

After the movie, Gospel for Asia-supported film team missionaries stand up and explain more about the new life Jesus gives. They introduce the local pastor, and they offer to pray for anyone who has sicknesses or troubles; it will be hours before the team finishes talking with curious individuals.

Today, many similar scenes will take place in communities across Asia. Within a few hours, a film and a team of two to five missionaries can tell Jesus’ story to an entire community and provide an opportunity for the local pastor to start building relationships with villagers. The life of film-ministry missionaries is intense, but these workers are being used by God in mighty ways. Please pray with us for Gospel for Asia-supported film ministry.

Pray for Christmas Gift Distributions

To many across the globe, Christmas is the season of giving. It’s a time we think about others and plan to bless our friends and family with gifts that let them know we love and care for them.

Have you ever felt you just didn’t have enough—and your need, whether spiritual, financial or emotional, was one only God could provide? For many people in Africa and Asia, the need for stable income smothers their family each day. But God has been doing the impossible for thousands of these families by providing income-generating and life-improving gifts through the generosity of partners like you.

While partners here typically donate gifts through GFA World’s Christmas Gift Catalog as the holidays approach, GFA missionaries and leaders work together year-round to distribute gifts to people living in physical and, often, spiritual poverty. Will you join us in prayer for these Christmas gift distribution events?

Pray for Gospel Literature to Change Lives

What can a piece of paper do to change lives? Sometimes, a lot. For people who have never heard about Jesus, a simple Gospel tract can introduce them to the Creator of the universe—the God who loves them—and point out the door to eternal life. And because literature of any kind is valued in many of the African and Asian areas where we serve, a piece of Gospel literature is often read, re-read and even passed on to others, creating an even greater impact. This month, we are praying for God to transform lives through 100 million Gospel tracts. Join us in asking Him to move mightily through Gospel literature!

Pray for Health

Health and hygiene are among the many concerns and issues of the world today. Disease affects millions and kills just as many. Some of the hardest-hit communities are in Asia, where poverty and destitution provide illnesses a way in. Unable to afford medical care or proper food, many people find themselves afflicted with a myriad of diseases. GFA-supported health initiatives seek to minister to these people and bring them hope amidst their troubles.

Pray for GFA's Leprosy Ministry

Today, leprosy (also known as Hansen’s Disease) is shattering thousands of lives worldwide. Although leprosy is treatable, in some parts of the world, people who live with this disease are commonly shunned by society. For them, a leprosy diagnosis can be like a death sentence as they face utter rejection and isolation. But through your prayers, they can find acceptance and hope in Christ.

Through GFA’s leprosy ministry, Sisters of Compassion and other national missionaries are ministering to leprosy patients, restoring dignity to those whom others have rejected. Simple acts of love, such as cooking meals, making customized shoes, providing medication or cleaning wounds, demonstrate how God deeply cares about all His creation—a life-altering message for those who bear the scars of this devastating disease.

This month, please add GFA’s leprosy ministry to your prayer list and lift up those affected with leprosy.

Pray for National Missionaries

We all face challenges as well as joys in our walk with Christ, and GFA national missionaries in Africa and Asia are no exception. They embrace challenges and hardships with one driving passion: knowing Christ and making Him known. As your prayers and support strengthen and equip these brothers and sisters, they are introducing people to an eternal hope, and Christ is transforming lives. Join us this month as we pray for national missionaries, believing that the Lord will go before them and glorify Himself through their ministry.

Pray for GFA World’s Mission Support Team

“We really have no weapons against spiritual attack other than prayer and worship. … We need [a team] praying for us in order to survive in the work of the ministry”—Jonathan, GFA World Mission Support Team member for 9 years.

On the field, national missionaries share Christ’s love with communities in Africa and Asia. And around the globe, people like you partner with those missionaries to fulfill the Great Commission. Connecting those two groups is a small yet vital team of people—the GFA World Mission Support Team (MST).

The Mission Support Team keeps GFA’s offices running. Their work links national missionaries with their donors and prayer partners in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Finland, Germany, South Africa, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

These behind-the-scenes missionaries who work in GFA’s offices have answered God’s call to give their lives and use their skills to help fulfill the Great Commission. Many of them have moved from other states or provinces, leaving behind family, friends, careers and educational opportunities. Just like national missionaries, GFA World’s Mission Support Team need partnership and prayer. Here are some ways you can pray:

Pray for Those Who Need Mosquito Nets

Malaria remains an ever-present threat to impoverished communities. In 2020, there were an estimated 241 million malaria cases worldwide, an increase from the previous year’s 227 million cases.¹ The poorest communities often have no way to protect themselves, leaving many vulnerable to disease—or even death.

As GFA World missionaries and pastors see this constant threat in the communities they serve, they take action. They distribute mosquito nets, which are among the most effective vector controls of malaria. Treated with insecticide, mosquito nets help ward off the mosquitoes and other biting bugs, and they are especially useful at night when families are most defenseless.

Join us this month as we pray for mosquito nets to impact people’s lives.

1 World Health Organization. “Malaria.” 06 April 2022. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malaria

Pray for the Persecuted Church

More than 380 million Christians face high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith, according to Open Doors. Last year alone, an average of 12 Christians were killed and 13 imprisoned for their faith every day.¹

“For these believers, it's a daily reality they must choose to take up their cross and follow Christ in a very real way,” exhorts GFA president, Bishop Daniel. “It's young 19– and 20-year-olds choosing to do ministry at the risk of serious consequences. It’s mothers and fathers standing firm and knowing their families will suffer as a result. It’s elderly believers risking everything for the faith. These are our brothers and sisters, our spiritual family.”

These men, women and children stand firm in their faith, declaring Jesus to be worth all their suffering, but they desire prayers for continued strength and, ultimately, peace in their lands.

Please remember our persecuted brothers and sisters in prayer as if you were chained with them.

1 “World Watch List 2025.” Open Doors. 2025. https://www.opendoors.org/en-US/persecution/countries/

Pray for Poverty Alleviation

According to a report by The World Bank, one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries, the total number of people living in extreme poverty globally in 2013 was 766 million.¹ Forty percent of that population lives in Asia.²

That means every day, 306 million people in Asia fight to survive on less than $2 (USD) a day. Generation after generation has remained trapped within the vicious cycle of poverty—it’s all they have known and will continue to know unless something is done.

Thanks to our partners and donors, together we are striking at the heart of poverty. Through income-generating gifts—including livestock or tools such as sewing machines and pull carts—distributed by GFA-supported workers, we are giving individuals, families and entire communities a way out of destitution.

Please join us this month as we intercede for those caught in poverty and the various ways GFA is working to help them.

¹https://datatopics.worldbank.org/sdgatlas/archive/2017/SDG-01-no-poverty.html/

²https://borgenproject.org/causes-of-poverty-in-asia/

Pray for GFA World’s Feeding Program

GFA missionaries and churches have responded compassionately to the need for food and other essentials in light of this crisis. Please join us in praying this month for GFA World’s feeding efforts and the people who continue to grapple with hunger in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the global economy begins to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, the world’s poorest, who have felt the greatest impact, have not. In fact, there has been a sharp increase in global poverty, with “about 97 million more people living on less than $1.90 a day because of the pandemic,” according to the World Bank.¹ In areas where GFA World serves, multitudes have been unable to work, and thus unable to provide for their families. As a result, many have faced the risk of starvation alongside that of contracting the virus.

GFA missionaries and churches have responded compassionately to the need for food and other essentials in light of this crisis. Many believers have prepared meals and distributed food kits as well as other essentials to bring relief in these dire circumstances. But, as developing regions struggle to recover from the pandemic, the need persists.

Please join us in praying this month for GFA World’s feeding efforts and the people who continue to grapple with hunger in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

1 Sanchez-Paramo, Carolina, et. al “COVID-19 leaves a legacy of rising poverty and widening inequality.” World Bank. https://blogs.worldbank.org/developmenttalk/covid-19-leaves-legacy-rising-poverty-and-widening-inequality. October 7, 2021.

Pray for GFA World’s Sanitation Initiative

Your home likely contains at least one bathroom. For many people, not having a private toilet would be unthinkable. Yet more than 2 billion people worldwide do not have access to basic sanitation facilities.¹ As a result, nearly 892 million must relieve themselves in fields, streams or other outdoor common areas, which leads to disease and other dangers.² When people defecate near rivers and streams, the water—which some people use for drinking—becomes contaminated.³ In addition, human waste can collect in heaps and attract flies, which then carry disease-laden microbes wherever they land.⁴

Providing toilets and education on proper sanitation is a key part of GFA World’s clean water and sanitation efforts. In 2019, GFA workers installed 5,428 outdoor toilets in needy communities. Sisters of Compassion and other GFA workers have also raised awareness and conducted training on proper hygiene practices to help people improve their overall health. But many are still in need—and may die from diseases linked to their lack.

Please join us in praying this month for GFA World’s sanitation initiative and for those without proper sanitation facilities.

1 “Sanitation: Key facts.” World Health Organization. June 14, 2019 . https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/sanitation

2 Saleem, Mahrukh; Burdett, Teresa; Heaslip, Vanessa. “Health and social impacts of open defecation on women: a systematic review.” BMC Public Health. February 6, 2019. . https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-019-6423-z

3 Rinkesh. “What is Open Defecation?” Conserve Energy Future. Accessed March 8, 2021. . https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/how-open-defecation-affect-human-health-environment-and-solutions.php

4 Ibid.

Pray for Kids in Need

Poverty keeps millions of children across the world in a seemingly endless cycle of despair—around 356 million children live in extreme poverty, which includes 150 million pushed into poverty in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. With no way to afford education, proper health care or even food, many children suffer in destitution, often with no way out. Hope is a stranger to these precious children.

Pray for GFA World's Medical Ministry

They suffer in silence. Forgotten by the world, left to the mercy of their pain. They long for a way out—a way to ease their seizing stomach cramps, a way to ensure their children don’t go blind, a way to treat their diabetes. But there is no way. No clinic near enough or staffed enough to offer help. No money to pay for treatment even if they could find it. They’re forced to endure—and sometimes to die—with no hope. And there are millions of them, suffering every day for lack of essential health services they need to survive and thrive.¹

When Jesus saw people burdened like this, He felt deep compassion for them. Even now, He sees their suffering. He sees the middle-aged mother confined to her bed, unable to cook for her family because of severe stomach pain. He sees the children who are losing their eyesight due to lack of Vitamin A—and the parents who don’t have the funds to prevent it. And He sees the old woman who has suffered for weeks from the diabetes she can’t afford to treat.

But they don’t know that He sees them. They don’t know that He cares. And they’re running out of time before their medical needs overpower them and it’s too late.

That’s why GFA missionaries, through our medical ministry, host medical camps in remote areas, inviting people to receive free medical care and to experience Christ’s compassion in action. Join us this month as we pray for those suffering without medical care and for the people working to help them!

1 “World Bank and WHO: Billions Left Behind on the Path to Universal Health Coverage.” WHO. September 18, 2023. https://www.who.int/news/item/18-09-2023-billions-left-behind-on-the-path-to-universal-health-coverage.

Pray for Those in Need of Sewing Machines

Approximately 648 million people worldwide live in extreme poverty, earning $2.15 a day or less.¹ Many of them live in developing countries of Africa and Asia. Often entrenched in cyclical poverty, they struggle to meet the basic needs of their families. Their focus is often survival, with no hope of offering a better future for their children, unless they have help.

An income-generating gift such as a sewing machine can offer them such help and hope. It can empower them to earn a sustainable living, feed and educate their children, look forward to a better future and grasp their chance to break the cycle of poverty.

GFA missionaries often distribute sewing machines to people in need in the communities they serve. Many lives have been transformed by these gifts, given in Christ’s name. Many, however, remain in need.

Join us as we pray this month for those in need of sewing machines.

1 Schoch, Marta, et al. “Half of the global population lives on less than US$6.85 per person per day.” World Bank. December 8, 2022. . https://blogs.worldbank.org/developmenttalk/half-global-population-lives-less-us685-person-day

Pray for GFA-supported Radio

Since 1986, God has used GFA-supported radio programs to bring His message of love to people across Asia. Radio broadcasts can cross treacherous terrain to share with people who are hungering for a love greater than the world can offer. Walls cannot keep this faithful messenger away, so hope-filled programs can be heard within prisons, hospitals and even brothels. Listeners often contact radio stations to ask questions and receive prayer, encouragement and discipleship.

Radio broadcasts are forerunners for other forms of ministry. There are times when national missionaries arrive in new areas only to find fellowships already thriving there because of radio.

Please join us in praying for GFA-supported radio in Asia and for the lives God is touching through its messages.

Pray for the Rwanda Hospital

Africa is home to over 1.2 billion people, and millions suffer from deadly diseases because of a lack of medical care.¹ The country of Rwanda is working to provide its people with access to healthcare—but with a population of more than 14 million and only about 1,500 doctors, access to medical help can still be a challenge.^2,3 GFA World is currently building a medical college hospital that will become the second major hospital in Rwanda. By the grace of God, this will become a base from which trained medical professionals can serve in Rwanda and surrounding countries, spreading the care and hope of the Great Physician around the northern half of the continent. Much like our hospital in Asia, this new hospital will be a place where people both receive medical care and hear of the God who loves them.

Please join us in praying this month for GFA’s Rwanda hospital.

"Africa Population (LIVE).” Worldometer. Accessed June 22, 2024. https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/africa-population/.

“Countries in the world by population (2024).” Updated on July 16, 2023. https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/population-by-country/.

"Response to the East African Article on Rwanda’s Maternal Mortality Rates.” MOH. Accessed June 2024. https://www.moh.gov.rw/news-detail/response-to-the-east-african-article-on-rwandas-maternal-mortality-rates.

Pray for Sisters of the Cross

Let us pray with passion for this ministry as God equips these precious women to sow His unfailing love deep into the hearts of everyone they serve.

“I would like to thank everyone who has supported us, who have financially and spiritually given their time and resources so that we can get trained. … When we go to the field in ministry in the days to come, we will know that we are not alone—someone’s prayer is along with us.” —Zibiah, newly trained Sister of the Cross

Sisters of the Cross are women missionaries who have been specially trained in leprosy care, family counseling, hygiene education and other practical ministries. These sisters don the traditional garb of the humblest of servants as they interact with their communities in Africa and Asia. As a result, they are welcomed as caregivers, counselors, teachers and friends.

Serving as the hands and feet of Christ, these women work among the least of society—people such as orphans, widows and residents in the slums—serving children rescued from the streets, teaching literacy, offering prayer and sharing the hope of Christ.

This month, would you join us in supporting these sisters in prayer?

Pray for Slum Ministry

More than 1.05 billion people live in slums worldwide.¹ Many of those people live in extreme poverty with a lack of necessities like proper shelter, clean water and adequate sanitation, let alone education. Daily work can be hard to find, and even when it is found, it typically only covers one day’s expenses. No savings means no significant purchases (such as a reliable form of transportation), and that means no hope for escape. Because of this relentless cycle, it’s nearly impossible for these individuals to improve their situation. GFA World is dedicated to offering practical help and the hope of Jesus to people living in slums, whether it’s by providing an income-generating gift, access to health care and education, or even friendship.

Please join us in praying this month for GFA’s slum ministry.

1 “Number of people living in slums from 2000 to 2020.” Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/267714/urban-population-in-slums/ December 2020.

Pray for Strong Families in Asia

Healthy families are important to the Lord’s heart and to society as a whole. Strong families impact communities by shaping future generations and teaching healthy worldviews. GFA helps nurture family units through many different ministries. By providing education, income-generating gifts, hygiene training, medical care, Jesus Wells and, most of all, news of the love of Christ, GFA-supported workers are helping many families experience change today.

This month, we can take part in building up healthy families in Asia through prayer. Together, we get to ask our Father in heaven to strengthen family units so the generations to come may be impacted for good.

Pray for Vacation Bible School

Squeals of excitement fill the air as thousands of children gather. Each one has a different story and background. But today, they get to set aside their differences and experience Vacation Bible School together.

Pray for Vocational Training

Sewing, weaving and candle-making are most often seen as hobbies enjoyed here in the West. But for many women in Asia, these "hobbies" can be a genuine source of income. These skills provide income to help feed families. Vocational education also offers women a sense of dignity because of the opportunities it provides for them to earn an income.

This month we a have chance to pray for GFA-supported vocational training. Vocational training is empowering many women in Asia, teaching them skills that can lead to practical financial stability. As we pray for the different aspects of this ministry, let us remember the Lord hears us and knows each woman who is impacted now and will be through the coming years.

Pray for Clean Water

“He turns a wilderness into pools of water, and dry land into watersprings.” —Psalm 107:35.

So often in the Holy Scriptures, God uses water to illustrate who He is and what He does for us. He compares His blessing to streams for dry ground, describes His Spirit as water for a thirsty man and calls Himself the “fountain of living waters” (Isaiah 44:3; Jeremiah 2:13). Just as God blesses, satisfies and gives us life, water has the power to bring fruitfulness to our communities, refreshment to our thirst and life to our bodies.

Yet, in many places throughout Africa and Asia, precious people are living in “dry lands” and have yet to experience the gift of abundant, clean water. Their knowledge of the Living Water—and the wholeness its Giver brings—is even more limited. This month, will you join us in asking God to bring water and hope to those still waiting in a “dry land”?

Millions of people in Africa and Asia do not have access to safe drinking water. Sometimes people travel for miles on foot to get clean water to use at home for everyday needs. Even after traveling all this distance, the water they take home often makes them sick because of waterborne diseases.

GFA World provides clean water to communities in need through Jesus Wells. One Jesus Well can provide fresh, clean water to an average of 300 people a day. These wells provide not just safe water, but an opportunity to hear about the Living Water.

But none of this would be possible without God and your prayers. Please, would you join us in praying for clean water and those who need it most?

Pray for Women's Fellowships

Christ-centered teaching and fellowship is precious to all believers, but it is especially valuable to the many women in Asia who are new in their faith or are the only believers in their family. Through GFA-supported Women’s Fellowships, women receive discipleship, encouragement and prayer support.

Faithful women gather within the walls of their church to fast and pray at least once a week. They sing songs of worship and read the Word of God. The ladies attend the Women's Fellowship to seek the Lord and grow in their personal and corporate walks with Jesus. Each leaves their time together edified and renewed.

Unified in Christ, these sisters are able to share in each other's joys and struggles and support one another with prayer and encouragement. Whether these women go home and serve their families by sweeping floors and cooking dinner, or they have jobs as daily wage earners, tailors or housemaids, they can impact their sphere of influence as Jesus flows through them.

This month we have the honor of lifting up the ministry of Women's Fellowships, asking God to bless our sisters in the Lord and their areas of ministry.

Pray for Widows

Weary. Worried. Working endlessly. By day, she toils, only to make a single dollar. By night, she is haunted by her children's cries for food. She longs to comfort them. She longs to give them a brighter future than the one she's inherited. But how can she when survival is a daily struggle?

She can't get a better job—not without training. School might have equipped her for a career, but she had to drop out when finances got too tight—just as her own children likely will if she can't make ends meet.

If her husband had lived, would they be struggling like this? His picture on the wall reminds her of him, but she has no time to grieve. She is a widow, and there are mouths to feed.

And so she goes on, one of the more than 258 million widows worldwide, many of whom live in extreme poverty.¹

This month, we can stand in the gap to bring these precious women before the Defender of Widows Himself (see Psalm 68:5). Join us as we come alongside them in prayer!

1 Chatterjee, Saradamoyee, and Sisodia, Anushka. "Not leaving widows behind." The Loomba Foundation. https://theloombafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Not-leaving-widows-behind-The-Loomba-Foundation-Sept-2024.pdf. September 2024.

Pray for Widows and Abandoned Children

In many impoverished parts of the world, some of the most vulnerable people—orphans, widows, abandoned children and single mothers—face relentless suffering. In these regions, desperate families often struggle to feed all their children. In the worst cases, they may simply stop trying and leave the children to fend for themselves. In other cases, a father may die or abandon his family, forcing the mother, and sometimes even the children, to work or beg for the family’s survival.

In addition to financial struggles, a widow is often blamed for her husband’s death and shunned by society. She may not even be able to get a job.

GFA missionaries reach out to widows and abandoned children by helping them in practical ways and praying for them so they can experience the love of Christ. They treat them with respect and kindness, restoring their humanity and dignity.

Join us this month as we pray for widows and abandoned children and for the missionaries ministering to them.

Pray for Women

Women in Africa and Asia face many hardships—ranging from illiteracy and discrimination to abuse and exploitation. But that’s not the end of their story. As your partnership equips GFA missionaries and Sisters of the Cross to display God’s love and compassion to these women, they’re finding hope in Christ and becoming agents of transformation in their communities. Join us this month as we pray for God to bring hope, healing and help to women in Africa and Asia, which will create a ripple effect in their families and communities.

Pray for Nepal

Nepal is a nation that needs your prayers. From over a decade of bloody civil conflict that claimed thousands of lives to ongoing political instability in its government, this picturesque Himalayan country has suffered greatly and bears deep wounds.

Pray for Sri Lanka

On Easter Sunday in 2019, several churches and hotels in Sri Lanka were bombed, purportedly by suicide bombers. The death toll is up to 310 and includes many people who were attending Easter church services. Our hearts are grieved at this violence targeting Christians during one of the most important events of our faith, and we request that you pray with us for the nation of Sri Lanka during this time.

These bombings are the most devastating attacks since Sri Lanka’s civil war ended in 2009.

Please pray for the nation of Sri Lanka and for the families of those who lost loved ones. Pray for the attackers to be apprehended. Pray for the officials of the nation to have wisdom.