WMU has a variety of ministries that reach out to people down the street, in the next state, or around the world! The WMU Vision Fund exists to support the work and growth of all WMU ministries—the ministries you care about, like Christian Women's Job Corps^®, International Initiatives^SM, MissionsFEST^SM and FamilyFEST^SM, multicultural work, and much more. Visit www.wmufoundation.com to learn more about how you can give to support WMU ministries through the Vision Fund.

As I watch the news this evening, I can't help but wonder what God is doing. Story after story depicts countless acts of violence, poverty, and war. I want to just change the channel, watch another rerun of an old TV show, and forget about all the bad stuff going on outside my front door. But, for some reason, I can't change the channel. I am glued to the TV as picture after picture flashes before me and reminds me that I live in a world that is out of control and in desperate need of the love of Christ.

Tonight I can't get the faces of people on the news out of my head. Even as my favorite prime-time show comes on and I try to focus on the plot and forget about the faces, they won't go away. Their hollow eyes flash before me. Their eyes, filled with desperation, despair, and hopelessness. What do you want me to do Lord? I am just one person—and an ordinary person at that! The answer comes. It is that still small voice in the back of my mind that I have come to know as the Lord. The voice tells me to pray. Pray for the needs of the world. Pray for peace. Pray for those who suffer. Pray for the underground church. Just pray.

So where do we start? As a missions leader, it is your responsibility to not only have a devoted prayer life, but to also lead others to do the same. In order to do so, you must begin with a plan. The plan need not be fancy or elaborate, but it does need to be organized. If you pray without a plan, it is easy to get off track and forget what it is you are praying for to begin with. Consider some of these ideas to help you create a plan that will keep you on track to pray for the world 365 days a year.

Create a Prayer Card File—Purchase a rotary card file or other small storage container, and place on your kitchen counter or on a table next to your favorite chair. Instead of putting names, numbers, and addresses on the cards, put a different prayer request on each card. As you listen to the news or radio, or read the newspaper, jot down the names of world leaders, countries, or specific situations that need prayer. During your prayer time each day, or whenever you have a few extra minutes, flip through the cards in the file, and pray for each situation listed. If you don't have enough time to pray through each card every day, divide the cards into 31 different sections, and pray for each section on its corresponding day of the month. As you see prayers answered, mark the card appropriately and move to the back of the card file. This will allow you to see how God is working around the world through your answered prayers.

Consult the Internet—If you spend time each week sending and receiving email and surfing the Internet, you may find it easier to take a few moments each morning to check out www.imb.org/CompassionNet for current prayer requests. This site, maintained by the International Mission Board, gives daily requests that relate to our world, Baptist missionaries, and people groups who do not know the love of Christ. Through this site you can also choose an option to have a daily prayer request automatically emailed to you each day. The site also allows you to search for information on certain topics such as specific missionary personnel needs, praying for Muslims, or prayer for the AIDS epidemic in Africa.

For up-to-date prayer requests in North America, visit www.namb.net and follow the links to the Prayer Requests page. This site gives daily prayer requests for North American missionaries and the work they do to spread the gospel to the world that is at our own back door.

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Like what you're reading? For more great prayer ideas and other leadership helps, order Missions Leader magazine online or by calling WMU Customer Service at 1-800-968-7301 today.

*Tonya Heartsill is a schoolteacher living in Sterrett, Alabama.