World Weekend of Prayer for Children at Risk

Pray For Children At Risk--June 6-7, 2009

Children have always been a priority for Jesus; He placed His hands on them, prayed for them and blessed them.
Children all over the world are living and dying in poverty.
"I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness." Isaiah 42:6-7
Life on the streets: Children who live or work on the streets have no one to protect them and are vulnerable to exploitation and the dangers of drugs, rape, violence, HIV/AIDS, and relentless poverty. An estimated 150 million children live on the world's streets.
Child Labor: Rather than going to school, 170 million children worldwide go to work--many in oppressive, abusive, and hazardous situations.
Sexual exploitation: Children trapped in prostitution suffer deep emotional wounds, physical harm, and diseases such as HIV/AIDS. It is estimated that 2 million children are enslaved in the global sex trade.
Disabilities: Between 120 and 150 million children live with disabilities, the majority in developing countries and in cultures where they may be shunned, hidden from view, abused because of their disability, or abandoned on the streets.
Conflict: Thousands of children are abducted by rebel armies to be sex slaves or armed soldiers. Others are left disabled, homeless, orphaned, or even dead.

"Whosoever welcomes a little child...in my name welcomes me." Matthew 18:5

Agnes' Story
"They came at night," 10-year-old Agnes remembers with a shudder. "I refused to go, but the rebels said they would kill me if I didn't."
For six months Agnes lived at gunpoint in the bush of northern Uganda and was beaten every other day. She was forced to witness murders and even take part in a group killing.
During a shoot-out with government soldiers, Agnes fled and found refuge at World Vision's Gulu Children of War Rehabilitation Center. Here she has new clothes, food, health care, an education, and staff who love her.
"I like the prayer here the best," she says. "It's helped me clear up the visions of things I've seen. I believe God has forgiven me for what I have done."
(above information from World Vison)
(also see www.viva.org)