Asylum Seekers are increasingly under pressure and suffering a lot of mental anguish. The latest proposal to send people home unless they have at least a 50% chance of major persecution, compounds their distress. They are all human beings created by God and for whom Jesus died. They are needy and vulnerable people and the bible tells us to treat
the stranger as one of our native born and to love them as ourselves (Leviticus 19:34; Luke 10: 27). Just as we are to care for the orphan or widow in our midst, we are to love the alien or stranger amongst us (Deuteronomy 10: 18). Asylum Seekers in Australia and other locations such as Christmas Island, Nauru and Manus Island are in a state of crisis. They are anxiously waiting for decisions on their cases from immigration, and their thoughts are generally filled with hopelessness, despair and sometimes even self-harm.
We want to stand with Asylum Seekers in prayer and fasting and we’ve set aside a special 24 hour period of time for this purpose. We will pray and fast from 1pm Saturday 19th July to 1pm 20th July 2014 and we are asking churches to include prayer for asylum seekers as part of their Sunday morning service on 20th July, perhaps as part of their
pastoral prayer. Please join with us in prayer for these hurting people.
Both Asylum Seekers and friends of Asylum Seekers are invited to join us for a special time of prayer and fasting for Asylum Seekers:
Collins St Baptist Church. 174 Collins St, Melbourne
6-9PM Saturday 19th July 2014.
(No cameras please for security reasons)
Some suggested topics for prayer for Asylum Seekers:
Prayer for those waiting in Australia including those in detention centres,
in community detention, and those on bridging visas. Also pray for those on Christmas Island, Manus Island, Nauru and those waiting in Indonesia and Malaysia.
Pray for:
Physical, emotional, spiritual and mental health of Asylum Seekers.
They have considerable anxiety, stress and uncertainty in their
lives. This can lead to great depression and even thoughts of selfharm.
Quick processing of visas.
Accurate and just processing of visas by Australian Immigration.
For Australia to take a more compassionate stance towards Asylum
Seekers and fulfil our international obligations.
Granting of permanent visas to those who qualify as genuine
asylum seekers.
Provision of work visas to those who are waiting.
Safety and protection of Asylum Seekers and their families waiting
for decisions on their cases.
Spiritual growth and nurturing of those who are Christian Asylum
Seekers.
Those who are spiritually hungry to come to faith in Jesus Christ
The day of prayer and fasting coordinating team: Rev Dr Mark Durie, Pastor Sam, Dr Bernie Power, Rev Rowan Fairbairn, Roya and Steve Cooke.
For more information contact Steve Cooke on 0423 623 885 or
sdcooke18@gmail.com
