Egypt.  Afghanistan.  Countries that continue to be in the news.  Depending on the age and sensitivity of our children, we have to be careful about listening to or watching the news together.  However, a couple of recent conversations with my kids have made me realize I need to share more about what’s going on in order to help expand their view of the world, as well as to broaden the topics for which we pray. 

A sweet elderly lady the kids and I visit on a regular basis mentioned that her grandson is stationed in Afghanistan.  She shared a bit about what he has said life is like there for him and the family’s concern for his safety.  Trying to include the kids in the conversation, I asked them to help us remember to pray for him.  On our way home from the visit, we stopped by the library.  What caught my eye on the end of a shelf, but a children’s non-fiction book on Afghanistan!  I grabbed it and at dinner that night we looked at the pictures and read some of the key facts about the country and culture.  It was eye-opening to my kiddos!  I’m thankful that God put that book in my line of sight because I know it helped enrich their understanding about praying for the young soldier.  As my kiddos have grown older (now 3rd and 5th grade), I’ve been missing reading picture books with them.  However, this made me realize that we can continue to look for opportunities to connect our world through juvenile non-fiction to our prayer life no matter how old they get!  The pictures and information are just enough to give us an overview without getting overwhelmed. 

Egypt.  You can’t turn on the news currently without hearing about the unrest there.  According to an e-mail from the ACLJ (American Center for Law and Justice), “The jihadist Muslim Brotherhood, furious that it has lost power, is taking out its rage on Egyptian Christians.”  Beyond that, I’m not sure exactly what all is going on.  I hope that’s encouraging to those of you who don’t either.  However, I know enough to know that they need prayer…especially our fellow believers.   While the kids and I were unloading dishes recently, something came up about our church building.  I shared how I had heard on the news that 60 churches in Egypt had been burned!  We discussed the emotions that would bring if things were like that in our country.  Sad and scary!   Talking about news like that with the kids helps shed new light on being thankful for the freedoms and safety we have in our country!  We brainstormed ways to pray for them.  What would we want people to pray for us if we were in that situation?

If this subject strikes a chord in your heart and you want to know more how to specifically pray for people in other countries, Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation is an excellent resource. 

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving
be made for everyone. 
1 Timothy 2:1