Praying
Intercession is powerful. We are deeply grateful for the prayers of our supporters and have seen miraculous outcomes as a result.
One powerful example is the Marburg virus outbreak in Rwanda in 2024, which had a fatality rate of up to 88 per cent. Tearfund reached out to supporters for prayer, and within weeks, the outbreak was contained, and within nine days, the last patient was discharged.
Prayer also transforms us. It is the way to draw close to God, feel his presence and have our character changed. When we pray, we can reflect on and give thanks for who God is. And as we fix our eyes on what concerns God, we will reflect him and display his image.
Julie, a Tearfund church rep and volunteer speaker, shares how prayer has transformed her faith: ‘Connecting with Tearfund has strengthened my personal faith significantly. Tearfund workers and their partners in the field constantly assure us that prayer works – it truly changes situations. That has really strengthened my prayer life.’
Acting
We know that God is a God of justice. Psalm 33:5 tells us, ‘The Lord loves righteousness and justice.’ And in Micah 6:8, we are instructed to ‘act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God’.
When we take action together, we are living out God’s call for justice. And together, our voices become stronger. Tearfund has seen this through campaigns such as Make Poverty History and the Rubbish Campaign on plastic waste, where collective advocacy has led to meaningful policy changes.
Jen Wilkin, in her book In His Image, explains: ‘Our communities and churches are filled with modern-day widows and orphans, sojourners and indigents... We should ensure justice for the oppressed, because to do so is to look like God.’
Helena, a Tearfund church representative, shares how learning about justice changed her heart: ‘Tearfund has helped me search the character of God and his heart for the poor. Years ago, even growing up as a believer, I didn’t have the heart for poor people. Now, I see this as God’s heart.’
