Pray for the Families Affected by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine

Pray for the Families Affected by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine

  • October 30, 2024

Severe Tropical Depression Kristine entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) early Monday morning on October 21, 2024, with a maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour (kph) near its center, with gustiness up to 160 kph.

It brought heavy rains and storm-force winds to parts of northern Luzon, including Cagayan (southern portion), Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, Abra (southern portion), Aurora (northern and central portions), Nueva Ecija (northern portion), Tarlac (northern portion), Zambales (northern portion), Pangasinan, Ilocos Sur (central and southern portions), and La Union.

Areas in northern and central Luzon including Ilocos Norte, the rest of Ilocos Sur, Apayao, parts of Metro Manila, Bulacan, Pampanga, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Aurora, Zambales, Tarlac, Quezon (including Polillo Islands), and Lubang Island experienced minor to moderate risks to life and property damage due to gale-force winds. On the other hand, Batanes, Palawan, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, and parts of Northern Samar, Leyte, and Aklan were hit with strong winds.  

A total of 27 road sections in three regions were closed to traffic due to the effects of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) reported last Thursday, October 24. The roads were inaccessible to vehicles due to soil collapse, flooding, pavement, landslides, fallen trees, rock collapse, rockslides, debris, and collapsed pavement and bridges. 10 road sections in four regions have limited access due to soil/rock collapse, road collapse, and flooding – seven in Bicol and one each in Cordillera, Calabarzon, and Eastern Visayas.

Days after Kristine left the Philippine Area of Responsibility, it was reported that around 6.7 million people, or 1.6 million families in 10,147 barangays were affected nationwide. According to NDRRMC, 561,687 people stayed at evacuation centers, while 418,668 took shelter elsewhere. The death toll has risen to over 100 and around 100 people were also reported injured.

The infrastructure damages have reached over P1.54 billion while damage to agriculture is P2.8 billion. 

Our nation is again facing challenges due to the impact of storms and typhoons. As in the past, we will recover from this with the help of our Lord and each other. May these situations unite us and encourage us to put our hope into action. As a church community, let us continue to be God’s hands and feet for those in need.

Let us take a moment to pray for our nation.

Prayer Points:

  1. Pray for our countrymen whose livelihoods have been affected by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine. Pray for hope and relief in their present situation and for God to restore everything they have lost.
  2. Pray for protection for our nation as Super Typhoon Leon enters the Philippine Area of Responsibility.
  3. Pray for wisdom, collaboration, and swift action among the government, NGOs, and churches during rescue and relief operations across our nation. Pray also for the protection of those conducting rescue and relief operations throughout the affected communities.
  1. Pray for wisdom and strategies for our national and local leaders in developing long-term flood control solutions and disaster preparedness programs that will better prepare our nation during typhoon seasons.  

To learn more about the current situation in our nation, you may read through these resources:

Kristine now severe tropical storm; parts of Luzon under signal no. 3

PH races to reach stranded as Kristine’s death toll rises to 20

Kristine barrels through Northern Luzon; LPA outside PAR likely to become tropical depression

Storm Kristine maintains strength; Signal No. 3 still up over 12 areas

LIVE UPDATES: Severe Tropical Storm Kristine

Kristine decelerates after landfall, another LPA nears PH

Kristine death toll soars to 116 —NDRRMC

111 dead, 1.7M families affected by twin cyclones

#KristinePH Relief Operations

#KristinePH Relief Operations

  • October 24, 2024

Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (international name: Trami) ravaged the Philippines on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, affecting at least 1.4 million individuals. Rains led to chest-deep floods, submerging numerous communities. 

The storm triggered evacuations, severe flooding, and landslides in Albay, Camarines Sur, Masbate, Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, Naga, Sorsogon, and Quezon Province. Thousands of individuals were forced to flee their homes, resulting in at least 14 fatalities, displacement of over 32,000 people in the Northern Luzon and about 300,000 more in the Bicol region.

Metro Manila also experienced significant flooding, while the Batangas port was forced to suspend sea voyages. Schools across the nation were suspended to ensure the safety of students and staff. Leyte and Samar were disrupted by power outages. Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and more areas in Visayas and Mindanao were not able to escape the heavy rains, evacuations, and localized flooding. 


Let us continue to pray for our fellow countrymen and for the rescue teams working tirelessly to save lives.


Our Metro Manila and provincial churches are currently mobilizing disaster relief efforts, assisting church members and affected families. So far, we have extended help in the following cities:

  • 400 families in Legazpi, Albay were provided with relief bags.
  • 100 families in Naga, Camarines Sur were given financial assistance, relief bags, and food packs.
  • 500 families in Tuguegarao City were given hot meals and 6 liters of drinking water.
  • 30 families in Virac, Catanduanes were provided with relief bags.
  • 50 families in Santa Rosa, Laguna were provided with relief bags, ready-to-eat food items, and hygiene kits.


GIVE

For those who would like to donate in cash, you may scan the QR code below.

Let us continue to help families and communities rebuild and recover what is lost, and bring the light of the gospel wherever they may be.


Amid the devastation, we encourage you to continually pray for our nation and our countrymen.

  • Pray for protection, comfort, and provision for every family affected by Tropical Storm Kristine. May God be their refuge and safety as they seek to rebuild their lives.
  • Pray for wisdom for our government officials, NGOs, and other organizations as they aid and serve affected cities and communities.
  • Pray for God’s leading as we mobilize our church relief efforts. May we continue to declare and demonstrate the gospel to those in need. 


God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1 

Pray For Stronger and Deeper Relations with Other Nations

Pray For Stronger and Deeper Relations with Other Nations

  • September 30, 2024

The Philippines has expressed optimism about strengthening relations with newly designated ambassadors from Italy, India, Ireland, Finland, and the European Union (EU). We reaffirmed our commitment to enhancing political, economic, and cultural ties with these nations.

In particular, we have a longstanding friendship with India which we hope to continue to develop. We also celebrated our 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations with Italy in 2022. As Italy ranks as the Philippines’ fourth-largest trading partner in the EU, let’s pray for this partnership to be strengthened further. 

As more doors for collaboration are opened for our nation, let us continue to believe that opportunities like these will lead to further advance God’s kingdom. 

Revelation 7:9-10 paints a picture of nations coming together as one, worshipping the One worthy of our praise and adoration.

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

Let’s be in faith that the Philippines will have stronger and deeper relations with other nations – not just to improve the state of our lives, but also to help other nations know Jesus Christ.

Prayer Points:

  1. Pray for stronger and deeper relations with other nations. May these stronger ties bring positive outcomes and partnerships to all the nations involved, benefitting their citizens.
  2. Pray for collaborative efforts among nations to result in fair and ethical international trade, economic cooperation, and stronger defense ties.
  3. Pray that our stronger relations with these nations will open more doors for The Great Commission. May more workers be sent into God’s harvest field, the gospel be preached, churches be planted, and the work of God be furthered through our relationships with them.

To learn more about the current situation in our nation, you may read through these resources:

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1234028

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/921444/marcos-welcomes-new-envoys-aims-to-deepen-ties-with-other-countries/story/

https://pco.gov.ph/news_releases/pbbm-welcomes-5-newly-designated-ambassadors-to-ph/

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2024/09/26/pbbm-welcomes-new-ambassadors-to-phl/

Pray For Every Filipino To Be A Channel Of God’s Blessing And Righteousness

Pray For Every Filipino To Be A Channel Of God’s Blessing And Righteousness

  • August 30, 2024

On Monday, August 26, we commemorated National Heroes Day at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig. The president urged Filipinos to be “heroes in their own right.” He called on the Filipino people to respect the rule of law, uphold democracy, and defend Philippine sovereignty. 

Over the past years, our nation has also recognized and celebrated our modern-day heroes, namely the members of the Navy, overseas Filipino workers, teachers, and environmental advocates, among others.

As a church, we are committed to actively promoting and upholding integrity in every sphere of society, wherever God places us. Our responsibility is to be ambassadors of truth and righteousness in our land. In Deuteronomy 16:20, we are called to pursue justice – Justice, and only justice, you shall follow, that you may live and inherit the land that the Lord your God is giving you. We should be aware not to indulge in selfish gain, pervert justice, show partiality, and accept bribes. May we not be the kind of double-standard people, but may the Bible be the first and final authority in our lives. 

Jesus is primarily concerned with the corruption in our hearts. He has come to save us from the corruption and wickedness within us. Our prayer is that the transformation Jesus brought to our hearts will also be the transformation we bring to our city, nation, and beyond.

As people of God, we take justice, righteousness, and the choosing of our leaders seriously. In view of the upcoming 2025 senatorial and municipal council elections, we ask the Lord to appoint righteous and competent leaders who will be an extension of His justice and righteousness in our land. 

Prayer Points:

  1. Pray for our modern-day heroes, that God may arm them with strength and grace as they serve in different sectors of our society.
  2. Pray for wisdom and discernment to recognize right from wrong and right from almost right in our daily situations. Let us ask for God’s grace to always live righteously as His church.
  3. Pray for those currently in government offices and positions of leadership that they will fear God and resist any temptation to succumb to corruption and pervert justice.
  4. Pray for the people who will be voting in the next elections, that it will start within themselves the desire to pursue righteousness, competence, and justice at all times.

To learn more about the current situation in our nation, you may read through these resources:

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1231931

https://www.rappler.com/philippines/elections/comelec-calendar-activities-dates-remember-2025-midterm-polls/

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2024/06/22/2364617/18271-posts-grabs-2025-polls

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1231716

Pray for our Overseas Filipino Workers

Pray for our Overseas Filipino Workers

  • November 30, 2023

Even during these difficult times, we see how committed the OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) are to serving within their capacity amidst the challenges they face. 

These challenges are not unknown to us anymore—from being separated long from their loved ones to adapting to cultural barriers, dealing with labor and employment issues, and worse, even wars.

And while all these are happening, our OFWs are not only being a blessing to their families and our nation, but they can even take part in God’s great work in the nations.

As a church, let us continue to hold the ropes for our OFWs as they live in foreign lands and be in faith that every prayer we are going to utter can comfort and strengthen them and their families here in the Philippines.

Prayer Points:

1. Pray for God’s protection over the OFWs around the world, especially those in dangerous and potentially risky environments. May God be their rock, fortress, deliverer, refuge, shield, and stronghold (Psalm 18:2).

2. Pray for spiritual, emotional, and mental strength to cope with the challenges of being away from family, home, and comfort. Let us also pray they find a church community and spiritual family in any of our Every Nation member churches who will stand with them in life and discipleship. 

3. Pray that the OFWs will contribute not only to the Philippine economy but also to the Great Commission. May God use them as His missionaries to the nations they are in right now.

Pray for our Upcoming Barangay Elections

Pray for our Upcoming Barangay Elections

  • October 27, 2023

The official campaign period for the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in the Philippines has begun. 828,644 barangay official candidates and 585,843 SK candidates are aspiring to make a change in our nation.

At this level of governance, officials have close and direct access to their constituents. This allows them to hear out and solve the concerns of the people at the most local level. In the same way, Sanguniang Kabataan (SK) reaches young people by empowering them to actively participate in local governance and nation-building. 

These forms of public services create ripple effects that can shape the nation.

As Filipino citizens, we exercise our right and privilege to vote. As Christians, we pray and ask God to raise up righteous and faithful leaders in this upcoming election.

It says in 1 Timothy 2:1-2:

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

Join us in praying for the barangay election this October 30.

Prayer Points:

1. Pray for every barangay in our nation to uphold righteous governance. Let’s believe God for leaders who will pursue integrity, guided by their fear of the Lord.

2. Pray for the next generation leaders in the Sangguniang Kabataan to be a catalyst of change in our nation. May God use the young people for His divine purposes in the government.

3. Pray for a successful, peaceful, and respectful election. Declare fairness and transparency in the electoral process.

Pray for the Communities Affected by the Taal Volcanic Smog

Pray for the Communities Affected by the Taal Volcanic Smog

  • September 26, 2023

Last Thursday, September 21, The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) issued a warning about the presence of volcanic smog or vog at Taal Volcano in Batangas. People in nearby areas fell ill from the noxious gasses. Classes were also suspended in Metro Manila as the city smog was mistaken for the vog.

The situation has simmered down since then. However, concerns and worries of a possible eruption similar to the one in 2020 resurfaced.

In light of this health and safety concern, we remain steadfast — trusting that the Lord is our fortress and deliverer, as it says in Psalm 18:2, The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

May our nation experience God’s peace amidst the uncertainties of the future.

Prayer Points:

  1. Let us pray for God’s divine protection for the communities near Taal Volcano, particularly in the provinces of Cavite, Batangas, Laguna, and Metro Manila. 
  1. Let us pray for God’s divine healing of those who are sick and suffering from respiratory problems due to the volcanic smog. May they recover immediately and completely. 
  1. Let us pray for wisdom for the LGU leaders and government officials as they make decisions for the well-being of their citizens.
  1. Let us pray for open doors for the church to be a blessing to the affected communities – serving as a beacon of hope, comfort, and strength to those in need. Let us pray for the gospel to be proclaimed and demonstrated during this time.

To learn more about the current situation in our nation, you can read the resources through the links below:

Volcanic smog detected in Taal, health advisory issued

Taal volcano smog makes over 40 students sick in Tuy, Batangas

#Walang Pasok: Batangas towns supend classes over Taal’s volcanic smog

Phivolcs allays fears over Taal smog, no need to raise alert level

Gasses from Philippine volcano sickens dozens of children, prompting school closures in nearby towns

PRAY FOR THOSE AFFECTED BY TYPHOON EGAY

PRAY FOR THOSE AFFECTED BY TYPHOON EGAY

  • August 3, 2023

Typhoon Egay left the Philippine area of responsibility last week severely affecting over 600,000 families across 13 regions. More than 300,000 people were asked to evacuate their homes. Aside from the injured, missing, and deaths still being verified, there is significant damage to agriculture and infrastructure.

Some areas in Bulacan and Pampanga are still submerged in flood water but Cagayan province was the hardest hit. At least 16 provinces, towns, and cities in Luzon– including Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra, Mountain Province, Bataan, Cavite, Sablayan (Occidental Mindoro), Calasiao (Pangasinan), and Dagupan City are now under a state of calamity.

Our churches in the Northern and Central Luzon are continually mobilizing efforts to provide relief bags of food, drinking water, clothing, cleaning materials, and free charging stations to the communities affected. Together, we have ministered to over 380 families and we are preparing to extend more help in the coming weeks.

In every passing storm, our mighty God is our permanent refuge. Let us continue to pray for our countrymen.

  • Pray for the families affected to experience God’s peace and provision in this time of great need. May God’s love be their refuge and strength as they recover what was lost.
  • Let’s ask God for opportunities for our church to minister God’s hope as we extend help to those in need.
  • Declare wisdom for the local government in these provinces as they initiate restoration and rehabilitation in severely affected communities.

Pray for Our Economy and Healthcare System

Pray for Our Economy and Healthcare System

  • April 27, 2021

In the past four weeks, we have seen afresh the realities of this pandemic—overcrowded hospitals, patients waiting in tents in parking lots, over-extended frontline healthcare workers, social media feeds that have become obituaries, and deaths closer to our circles. As a result, Metro Manila and some provinces were placed under stricter quarantine measures yet again. We even reported our highest caseload, 15,310 cases, on April 2, 2021. The nation is grieving.

Added to that are our dire economic realities. Over 9 million Filipinos were laid off temporarily and permanently the past year, and the number of unemployed is still at 4.2 million as of February 2021. Food manufacturing, grocery stores, and telecommunications still thrived, but the rest of our businesses were badly hit. At least 75 percent of the economy has been shut down.

We are in the middle of the “dance” between the need to curb the rising number of cases and the need for the economy to open up. We want to loosen the quarantine so our economy can move, but only up to the point that our healthcare system can cope with the demands of the number of active cases.

This month, we will specifically pray for God to breathe life into our healthcare system and our economy. As we pray, we can find encouragement in the book of Jeremiah. 

In Jeremiah 29:4–7, we find God’s words for the Israelites, people who have experienced war, death of loved ones, loss of livelihood, and eventually exile to the land of their oppressors in Babylon. In the midst of their difficult situation, God’s message to them is not what you would expect. He told them to “Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease.” It almost sounds as if God was insensitive to the unbelievable pain that they had gone through losing their nation. To top it off, God told them to “seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” 

What was God doing here?

God was telling them to move forward with hope. 

He gives His assurance in verse 11 saying, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Because God knows what He is doing, He was asking the people to trust Him and still find hope in the midst of their dire situation. He told them to move forward by building homes and families and to even bless a foreign nation because, in it, they will find their welfare.

The situation of the Israelites has several parallels to where we are today. God, too, may be asking us to trust that He remains to be in charge and has a plan, even when the situation seems to worsen. And in light of that trust, we may come to acceptance rather than grumbling and resentment. We may expect God’s move rather than languish in hopelessness. We may speak and act in courage rather than cower in fear right within our homes. Many of us are grieving and tired in many ways today, but we can cling on to hope because God’s promise is that this grief will end someday. Trust that God has a plan, bless rather than resent our situation, and build with faith.

An example of blessing others and rebuilding with faith are the many community pantries sprouting around. Even with all the controversy surrounding it, this effort is still a means for people to serve those in need. It’s encouraging to see many people not losing hope and doing something to flourish within the situation. 

Another example is the people who have maximized online opportunities to be able to move goods and services, which resulted in the many delivery options we have today. Instead of being limited by our work-from-home setup, others have utilized it for greater productivity by maximizing relational connections, trainings, and lessons online. 

People of faith can be undaunted because our God is undaunted. He even strongly assures us that He has a plan for our good, and we are right in the middle of it. 

Finally, we can continue to pray in confidence because God hears us. In Jeremiah 29:12, God affirms, “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.” May our prayers be filled with much faith and hope, and may the blessing we speak on our land heal it!

PRAYER POINTS

Bless our nation’s leaders. Pray that God will guide them with His wisdom and lead them to His plans.

Bless our healthcare workers and our hospitals. Pray that God will give them extended strength and resources to cope with the continuing demands.

Bless our economy. Pray that God would breathe life into the business sector and miraculously restore our production, manufacturing, and service industries.

To learn more about the COVID-19 situation in our nation, you can read the news in the links below.

Pray for the Rising COVID-19 Cases

Pray for the Rising COVID-19 Cases

  • March 23, 2021

The COVID-19 cases have been rising in the nation, especially in the National Capital Region. On March 15, 2021, exactly a year after Metro Manila was placed on community quarantine, 5,404 new cases were logged. On March 22, the highest number of COVID-19 cases per day in our nation was logged at 8,019, bringing our country’s total infections to over 671,792. New cases per day are projected at possibly 11,000 per day by the end of March, in light of the 2.1 reproduction rate of the infection. This rate means one infected person could infect two more, and the two could infect four more, and so on.

This increased rate has been attributed to the new variants as well as the public’s greater mobility. Though generally, 97.5 percent are mild and asymptomatic and the number of people who die from the disease in the Philippines is just 1.93 percent, this is still a serious matter since more cases mean more people experience the severe form of the disease and even death.

Yesterday, March 22, the government has designated NCR and its four neighboring provinces (Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal) as the NCR Plus bubble, where additional restrictions to the general community quarantine guidelines are implemented. A year into the pandemic, we seem to find ourselves in the same situation: curfews and community quarantines, limited movement, and no assurance of what our circumstances will be weeks from now. As a nation, we are holding on to the hope that we will emerge victorious in this battle against a seemingly invisible enemy that has continually plagued us.

The Lord is still in control. He is at work among the nations and has a plan and a purpose in all these (Psalm 46:8–11). We can confidently come to Him in prayer and participate in what He is doing, with full assurance that He is at work healing individuals, families, and our nation.

In the apostle Paul’s letter to young Timothy, he encouraged him to have the right spirit in facing difficulties, which is an apt word for us today:

. . . for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
2 Timothy 1:7

The Lord is at work in our nation, so we don’t need to fear. Instead, let us proclaim His power to heal, keep reaching out to our neighbors in love, and be mindful of each other’s well-being.

As the government implements measures to curb the rising cases and expand the reach of the vaccination program, as our health workers strive to serve despite approaching full capacity in our hospitals, and as private entities continue to implement safety health protocols, let us stand on behalf of our nation and ask God to heal our land!

PRAYER POINTS

Faith over Fear. Pray against the fear in our nation at this time. Speak the promise of God in 2 Chronicles 7:14 that as we, the people who are called by God’s name, humble ourselves, pray and seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways, then He will hear from heaven and forgive our sin and heal our land. Pray that Filipinos will find hope in God and call on Him today.

Wisdom for Our Leaders. Pray for wisdom for our government and private sector leaders as they make decisions in this season to mitigate the spread of the virus and increase access to proper healthcare.

Healing for the Afflicted. Pray for the individuals and families that contracted the virus, that they would quickly recover and that they would be spared from the severity of the disease.

Protection for Our Front Liners. Pray for the healthcare workers and other front liners as they consistently serve the nation in the midst of a pandemic for over a year now. Speak protection on them and a blessing on their families as they selflessly serve.

Starting today, we will be posting prayer points for the Philippines every month.

To learn more about the COVID-19 situation in our nation, you can read the news in the links below.