[Elimelech and his wife Naomi lived in the town of Bethlehem].  But when their crops failed, they moved to the country of Moab.

Week One – Thousands on the move

In Africa thousands of people are on the move after life has become impossible at home. Crop failure because of drought or bad rains is a common cause. So is flooding. Even when there is another reason, climate change is often a trigger.

• Pray for hope and a future for 50,000 Somalians driven off their land by drought and into city slums. Pray for work and safe housing.  http://ow.ly/4rN8L
• North-east Kenya also has drought. Pray for farmers who must choose between selling land at a low price or making a loss as crops fail. Pray the government helps farmers stay on the land to grow the food Kenya needs. http://ow.ly/48sb9
• Pray for thousands fleeing from continued unrest in Tunisia across the Mediterranean into Italy (partly due to high food prices after Russia’s drought in 2010). Pray Italy quickly improves emergency reception, and that peace will come in Tunisia. http://ow.ly/4rNJ1

Week Two – Nuclear energy: good or bad?

There is a gulf between people who think nuclear power can safely provide lots of clean energy without damaging the climate, and others who think it is a huge threat. The continuing nuclear accident in Japan has widened the divide. Meanwhile many countries must decide very soon whether to build new reactors. Wide-ranging info from the BBC at http://ow.ly/4rQ3I

• Pray for engineers fighting to make safe the damaged reactors in Japan, that they can finish their work quickly and safely.
• Pray for tens of thousands who have been evacuated and are living in makeshift accommodation, that they will be well cared for and can resume their lives soon.
• Pray for governments – including China, India, Indonesia, Germany, UK, US – who must decide soon whether to build more nuclear reactors. Pray for wisdom, understanding and courage.

Week Three –Away from the headlines

The world’s media concentrate on celebrities and what happens in the bigger, richer countries. In the background many people go unnoticed who matter just as much to God.

• Three times since 2004 more than 7 million people in Niger, West Africa have had food shortages because rains failed. Pray this year for good rains and crops, and that government will make wise provision for bad years. http://ow.ly/4plVi
• Give praise that plans in Namibia have worked well to evacuate people when floods happen. But pray for the future – big floods used to come every decade, now they are every year.  http://ow.ly/4fPoP
• Pray for small-holders of Zaka, Zimbabwe experiencing rising temperatures and frequent dry spells. Their farms no longer grow the food they need. Pray for better rains and help in adapting their farms to the new conditions. http://ow.ly/4pleC
• Pray bigger, richer countries will reduce their CO2 emissions to prevent such problems getting worse.

Week Four – Every area of life

The widespread impacts of climate change are a strong indication we are living out of step with God’s priorities. But God is a redeemer. He does not require a puritanical reduction of life. Rather He offers the joyful challenge to obey the two most important commands – love God and love our neighbour – in all areas of life. The vision is the kingdom of God. A small part of it is living better on low carbon.

• In Kibera, Africa’s biggest slum, a community centre is generating biogas from human waste, so providing sanitation and clean energy. Pray God’s kingdom reaches into every dark corner. http://ow.ly/4qaFv
• Some bright spark has invented cement that absorbs CO2. Pray God’s kingdom reaches even into heavy construction.  http://ow.ly/4q9VN
• Someone’s made plastic from plants instead of oil. Pray God’s kingdom reaches into chemical engineering. http://ow.ly/4h4A9

Final prayer

Heavenly Father, around us we see much sadness and many dangers. We put our trust in you, confident nothing can separate us from your love. And we commit our lives to serve you, confident you can use even our weakness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.