Prayer Points – June 19
In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, UMN invites all people of prayer to set aside time daily to ask for God’s help in our work in Nepal. The time suggested for UMN staff is 3.00 pm. For our friends around the world, we ask that you join us either at the equivalent time in your country of 3 pm Nepal time, or whenever you are able. Many have found setting a daily alarm on their phone a useful reminder.
Thank you for your fellowship in prayer.
Joel Hafvenstein
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.â€
(Philippians 4:6)
We encourage everyone who is praying for UMN not only to raise our requests but to listen to God on UMN’s behalf. Please take time to read this Bible verse slowly to yourself. Pause and ask God to speak through His Word. Then read it slowly again. Settle and calm your mind before you pray.
Major Matters for Prayer
- Time to return praise to God. On Wednesday the Social Welfare Council (SWC) gave a six-month extension to UMN’s General Agreement. We now have a GA valid until 17 January. Well before that time, we expect the SWC will approve a 5 year extension to our GA. So hallelujah. A big thanks also to UMN’s Liaison Coordinator Kshitij for all the work to make this happen smoothly!
- Please join in praying for Kshtiij and for the SWC as they now look to UMN’s Project Agreement. We hope to hear back from them next week with initial thoughts on UMN’s three-year Interim PA, which if approved quickly will give time to revise our other PA plans in light of the pandemic.
- In the same vein, please continue to pray for the Hospital Agreement renewal. The Ministry of Health confirmed on Monday that they intend to grant another 6 month extension, but not until a day or two before the expiry of our current one. We are working to ensure that a last-minute extension in July will not cause any disruption to the work of UMN’s hospitals at this critical time.
- Praise and prayer also for the financial situation of the hospitals. Between international funding institutions and our appeal, we have so far raised roughly US $500,000 to save the hospitals – hallelujah! As patient levels have now slightly stabilised, but at a lower than usual level, we expect we will need to raise another $1m to bring the hospitals through the rest of the Nepali year (through April 2021). Pray for God to continue to inspire generous support in the months to come.
- Continue in prayer generally for Nepal. There is a sense of apprehension in many places – the most overlooked people continue to struggle for basic daily needs, and although lockdown is gradually easing everyone is concerned about the pandemic. In two days the number of infections has risen by more than 1,200 to a total of 7848.
