Please Pray!

From Daisy, Site Leader, El Callejon Social Work:

About a week ago I found out that one of the boys of the El Callejon, who is only 11 years old, was chewing tobacco.  I called him aside and talked with him, explaining how dangerous this was for his health.  I thought I would look for a way to help him.

Now, it is much more urgent.  Yesterday I found out that two more boys, also 11 years old, are frequently chewing tobacco.  I asked them to come and meet with me at noon, when they finished school.  They came, and of course, since they did, this makes me feel more responsible for helping them. 

I looked for some shocking but real photos of what happens when someone chews tobacco.  My intention was to scare them, if that could help.  My first tool was to try and give them a sharp awareness of the danger.  I asked them if they wanted this to happen to them. 

Horrified, they told me that no, they didn’t.  But, I assured them that this could happen to them, because they were chewing tobacco like the people in the photos. 

My heart broke when one of the boys said to another, “We need to pray.  Do you want to pray?”   In a way, either conscious or unconscious, they could see that only God could help them. 

With this, I led them, with all of my heart, to pray that God would enter their lives, but I told them that they also had to do so, with all of their heart.  We closed our eyes, and I listened to them repeat the invitation that Jesus enter their hearts. 

Before leaving the Social Work Site, we agreed that I would call them each week to see how things were going and that they would work day-by-day to stay away from the places and people who encouraged them to chew tobacco, and to replace the habit of chewing tobacco with chewing gum or a candy. 

You might be thinking that I cannot do everything, and I am aware of this, but when one says, “I can’t do everything” it can become a justification for doing nothing.

I ask you to pray specifically for the boys of the community of El Callejon, who will be the new generation of adolescents.

We know it can get overwhelming reading such heart-breaking stories.  It is easy to say, "What can I do?" and then do nothing.  But, we are told that the prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective (James 5:16b), and so we invite you to join us today in active prayer for El Callejon:

Please pray for the boys of El Callejon, especially these 11 year olds who have asked Jesus into their hearts. 

Please pray for the families of the community.  There is much brokenness and a lack of understanding of caring well for the developmental needs of the children.

Please pray against the spiritual darkness there which presses down, blocking out hope and perpetuating a feeling of helplessness and apathy. 

Please pray that God's grace and mercy would pour out, and that hardened hearts there would come to understand their need for Him. 

Please pray for Daisy, for the Holy Spirit's wisdom and power to move in her as she seeks ways to share His truth.