Each healing and every word Jesus spoke pointed to a restored cosmos and creation. Jesus invites us to be part of his restoration story and advance the kingdom of God, speaking of the world to come through our prayers and action. This week, pray for those calling for climate justice and creation care, and for the church to be an instrumental player in a global movement.
Sunday 11 August
Last year, Tearfund launched Restorative Revolution, an invitation to see hundreds of thousands of churches acting in a global movement to transform wealth, power and communities for a flourishing world. Pray that these resources will help churches answer Jesus' call to challenge injustice, speak truth to power and move us closer to a restored world.
Monday 12 August
The COP28 conference saw a breakthrough: each nation represented at the conference joined in a commitment to move away from fossil fuels and triple renewable energy capacity by 2030. While not perfect, this marks a good step towards limiting the worst effects of climate change. Praise God for these wins and pray for even stronger commitments for COP29 in November.
Tuesday 13 August
At COP28, US$800 (£650) million in pledges towards the Loss and Damage (L&D) Fund marked progress on climate justice, while Scotland's L&D grant to Tearfund's Pakistan flood project was a solid step forward. Pray that further lobbying ensures fair outcomes for low-income communities, who have done the least to cause the climate crisis.
Wednesday 14 August
Ahead of the plastics treaty negotiations in Nairobi, Kenya, Tearfund published an open letter from more than 80 church leaders across Africa. This reached 1.1 billion people through global coverage and opened up opportunities for change. Praise God for the opportunity to raise awareness of people living in poverty who are suffering the worst impacts of this rubbish problem.
Thursday 15 August
The Rubbish Campaign is thriving in Latin America thanks to a movement of young Christians passionate about ending the problem of plastic pollution. Young people in Bolivia and Colombia ran training sessions for pastors on how to care for the environment, as well as meeting with government and UN staff. Thank the Lord that he has carried their voices into the corridors of power in their countries and beyond.
Friday 16 August
The Lausanne 4 Africa gathering in Ethiopia last year invited Tearfund to run workshops on topics including community transformation through the local church, speaking up for justice and movement building. Pray for Tearfund's opportunity to engage the global church at the fourth Lausanne conference in Seoul, South Korea, this September.
Saturday 17 August
Lord God, this is your precious world. Please help us build a movement that cares for your world and each other, and whispers of the new world to come. Amen.
