Praise God for the gift of His Word as we begin our new study of Esther. Ask Him to help us see His truth in this story, both what it meant to its original audience and what it has to say to all of us today. Pray we will all see His mighty hand at work in the world and in our lives as we grow in our love and knowledge of Him.

This week we are praying for Restoration Academy, a K-12 Christian school located in Fairfield, AL, with over 300 students and a mission to provide an excellent, Christ-centered education to students predominantly from lower-income families. Restoration Academy is committed to meeting individual students at their point of need by providing dynamic instruction and curriculum, competitive sports, and outlets for kids to grow into all that God desires, while also breaking generational cycles of poverty, violence, addiction, and fatherlessness. We’re also praying this week for Urban Hope Community Church and Pastor Alton Hardy.

Day 1: Pray for the administration, teachers, and volunteers at Restoration Academy who daily pour into the students under their care. Pray that they would walk in faithful obedience to God’s will and would be encouraged and strengthened by His Spirit.

Day 2: Pray for opportunities for the gospel to be proclaimed to the students who do not yet know Christ. It is the school’s goal that, upon graduation, each student would have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and be committed to following Him.

Day 3: Pray for the weekly and monthly volunteers who invest in students as tutors, chapel speakers, teachers' aides, classroom sponsors, small group leaders, and “Room Moms.”  Pray for God to raise up additional volunteers and financial sponsors for this school.

Day 4: Pray for the students who have already put their faith in Christ to be salt and light in their community, school, and family. Pray that they will be able to discern the will of God, and would have the courage to be set apart from the rest of the world.

Day 5: Pray for the families of the students, many of which are facing financial and family difficulties. Pray that, through Christ, their relationship with God and with others would be reconciled and their basic needs would be met.

Day 6: Pray for the city of Fairfield where Restoration Academy is located. Pray that Fairfield would be revitalized by God’s restoration and peace.

This week we are praying for the people of Afghanistan. For many years, The Church at Brook Hills has been engaged in Afghanistan through strategic partners working to strengthen the church and establish platforms for gospel proclamation. Last year, we had the privilege of sending one of our own to live among and engage women with the gospel through a local ministry. As Taliban forces have swallowed up Afghanistan, join us in praying for our brothers and sisters in the church who remain in the country, as well as for Brook Hills workers and partners within the region.

Day 1: Pray that our sovereign God would physically protect the people of Afghanistan. Ask God to restrain evil and confuse the plans of evildoers. Pray also for God to provide for the physical needs of the people there. 

Day 2: Pray for the emerging church in Afghanistan to persevere in the face of persecution, and for the gospel to shine bright in this time of darkness. 

Day 3: Ask God to protect, and even increase, the faith of our brothers and sisters in the Afghan church. They don’t know what today—much less tomorrow—will bring, but they can be certain that our God will supply for their every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:19). Pray that God will fill them with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit they may abound in hope (Rom. 15:13).

Day 4: Pray especially for the Afghans who have no choice but to stay and face persecution under the Taliban. Pray that they would be protected, and if they must flee, that they would find refuge in neighboring countries or abroad.

Day 5: Over the past few weeks, many mission workers have been pulled out of Afghanistan. Pray for our Brook Hills workers and partners who are processing their own grief and confusion. Ask God to comfort them and minister to their needs. Pray for new opportunities to minister to the people of Afghanistan.

Day 6: Pray for the Taliban. We are mindful that God calls us to pray even for our enemies and those who persecute us (Matt. 5:44), and that if God can intervene and redirect the life of a persecutor of the church like Paul, He can do the same for leaders within the Taliban.