Mercy Ships 40 Days of Prayer and Fasting

Once again, it is the season of Lent: the season for preparing our hearts and minds for Easter. For the 5th time, Mercy Ships has set aside these 40 days as a time of prayer and fasting beginning February 27th and ending at Easter.

This year, we will again be looking not only to the resurrection of our Savior, but also in eager hopefulness to the long awaited sailing of the Africa Mercy. Throughout Mercy Ships is a growing sense that the “Year of Jubilee” has begun for each individual and location. In the past, a devotional has been sent out daily with words for meditation and a prayer focus. This year we will have a different focus for each week according to the following schedule:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~27 Feb - 04 Mar - Anastasis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~05 Mar - 11 Mar - Sierra Leone

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~12 Mar - 18 Mar - International Operations Center ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~19 Mar - 25 Mar - Other Programs ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~26 Mar - 01 Apr - National Offices ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~02 Apr - 07 Apr - Africa Mercy

Since this is such a crucial time for the launch of the Africa Mercy we will also have an Africa Mercy focus every week in addition to the other focus of that week. We will be posting some weekly points for praise and thanksgiving, points for prayer, as well as an aspect of God’s character for meditation and worship if you would like take part in this time. These will be activated according to the timeline.

Psalm 34 will be a scripture focus for the 40 days. It starts:

“I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”

It’s a wonderful psalm of praise and promise, of teaching and caution.

Verse 18 could apply to many of those whom we serve:

“The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart and saves such as have a contrite spirit.”

You may want to read all or part of the psalm as prayer and proclamation in some of your prayer times. May the Lord infuse our efforts with His Spirit and may He be pleased by our offerings of ourselves.