“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing Psalms.”
—James 5:13
Prayer and Praise
We invite you to join us in prayer for our ministry activities and outreaches.
Thank you for bringing our requests before the Lord.
Monday 23 – This week we are hosting a Family Retreat in Pennsylvania for families which include an adult child with disabilities. Pray for a time of fun and connection. Ask God to encourage parents in their long-term caregiving roles.
Tuesday 24 – Praise God for the 100 stations currently carrying Joni’s radio program in Spanish. Ask God to continue to use Joni’s messages to share hope among Spanish-speaking individuals both in the United States and around the world.
Wednesday 25 – Our local offices are hosting Evening of Hope Dinners to invite additional partners to join in supporting ministry efforts in each local community. Pray for opportunities to clearly communicate the work of Joni and Friends and for attendees to prayerfully consider the invitation to support the ministry.
Thursday 26 – We have a Wheels for the World team leaving for Thailand this weekend. Pray for uneventful travel and good health for the team. Ask God to soften the hearts of wheelchair recipients and their families to the gospel. Pray for God’s will to be done in Thailand as it is in heaven.
Friday 27 – This weekend couples living with the disability of a child will attend our Florida Marriage Getaway. Pray these couples find rest and encouragement and ask God to strengthen each marriage in Christ.
Saturday 28 – We continue to move forward with transitioning our event registration process to a platform that will streamline applications and communications. Ask God to guide this process and minimize technological challenges along the way. Pray that this new platform will bless both event participants and staff with good functionality.
Sunday 29 – Praise God for the recent release of Joni’s new book Practicing the Presence of Jesus. Pray that this book serves to encourage people in their faith as they discover new ways to look to Jesus in the midst of their hardships.
Monday 30 – This week we have Warrior Getaways in Texas, Illinois, and Alabama. Pray for emotional and spiritual healing for families who have been affected by the trauma of war. Ask God to provide true rest for the men and women who endured significant losses as a result of their service to our country.
Tuesday 31 – Teams in our local offices around the country are hosting dinners and desserts as a way to share about the ministry of Joni and Friends and invite new partnerships and financial supporters. Pray the hearts of those attending will be attuned to the needs of people with disabilities in their communities and churches.
Wednesday 1 – This weekend we are hosting Marriage Getaways in New Mexico, Tennessee, and Minnesota for couples living with the disability of a spouse or child. Ask God to shower his grace on the attending couples as they focus on strengthening their marriages and connecting with others who understand.
Thursday 2 – Tomorrow we are partnering with churches in the California Bay Area and Phoenix, Arizona to host Halftime Respite events where children living with disability and their siblings will come for a time for fun. Ask God to bless the hosting churches. Pray for parents to be able to relax and enjoy a time of respite from their caregiving duties.
Friday 3 – Our Wheels for the World outreach in Lima, Peru begins this weekend as volunteers from local churches will partner with Joni and Friends volunteers to fit wheelchairs and share the gospel message. Pray for the children and adults who will receive wheelchairs, asking God to prepare their hearts, and the hearts of their accompanying family members, to hear the Good News of Jesus.
Saturday 4 – Pray for Joni as she prepares to record radio programs this coming week. Pray that each day’s message will encourage listeners in their walk with God. Ask God to use Joni to continue to bring hope into people’s lives.
Sunday 5 – Leaders in our local offices across the United States are actively inviting key volunteers to greater involvement through overseeing and developing volunteer teams. Pray for discernment and God’s perfect timing for each office as they build up these teams to support ministry to individuals and families impacted by disability close to home and internationally.
Monday 6 – Praise God for our growing relationships with colleges and universities that allow students to serve with Joni and Friends as interns throughout the United States and in several countries abroad. Pray for the planning and preparations for each of these opportunities in 2024. Ask God to ignite compassion and awareness for the those living with disability among the interns who will serve in the coming year.
Tuesday 7 – Pray for the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Pray specifically for our ministry partners nearby, asking God for his protection, provision, and guidance over our ministry involvement in the region.
Wednesday 8 – Joni is recording radio programs for her four-minute broadcast Sharing Hope today. Pray she has energy and sufficient breath for the full day of recording. Ask God to expand the reach of these encouraging messages so that many more people living with disability around the world will hear God’s truth and come to know his love.
Thursday 9 – Tomorrow couples living with the disability of one or both spouses will arrive on site for our North Carolina Marriage Getaway. Ask God to bless the time these couples are investing in their marriages. Pray for each husband and wife to gain a more complete understanding for how God is at work in their lives.
Friday 10 – This weekend we are hosting a Warrior Getaway in the Northwest. Pray for the families who attend to experience joy as they acknowledge God’s presence with them. Ask God to continue to bring healing, restoration, and spiritual renewal into the lives of these veterans and their families.
Saturday 11 – Ask God to bless our Wheels for the World outreach in Cuba. Pray each person living with a disability and their family members will know more of God’s love through the gift of mobility equipment. Pray for strong connections with local pastors and churches and for hope to permeate each family represented at the outreach.
Sunday 12 – Praise God for the individuals he has brought to Joni and Friends to fill many of our open positions. Ask God to continue to shepherd the hiring process for our other open positions, bringing us qualified candidates he has called to the mission of Joni and Friends.
Monday 13 – With the recent release of our Christmas catalog, we are in a busy season of shipping orders. Join us in praying every order is processed accurately and brings encouragement and hope in the name of Jesus.
Tuesday 14 – Pray for God to call leaders to oversee our volunteer engagement teams as they network with churches and organizations to better meet the needs of families living with disabilities in their local communities.
Wednesday 15 – Praise God for all the friends of the ministry who support our programs and outreaches, bringing the message of Christ’s love to those living with disabilities. Please pray for God’s blessing, care, and encouragement for each one who has given of their time, talent, and resources.
Thursday 16 – Pray for the Wheels for the World outreach in Cuba to shine a bright light, infusing Christ’s hope into the lives of those experiencing the hardships of disability. Ask God to make his name great throughout the country (Psalm 76:1).
Friday 17 – Pray for each couple living with the disability of a spouse or child attending our Marriage Getaway in New England this weekend. Ask God to establish each husband and wife in his Word and pray relationships will be refreshed and renewed.
Saturday 18 – Praise God for the way he is working through our Evenings of Hope hosted by our local offices. Pray these gatherings continue to provide opportunities for new relationships with individuals and churches who will partner with us to reach people living with disabilities in their communities. Ask God to move in tonight’s Dessert for Hope in the Pacific Northwest.
Monday 20 – Construction of Joni’s House Brazil is well underway. Ask God to bless and protect those constructing the building. Pray for God’s favor as we partner with Hospital do Rocio and the First Baptist Church of Curitiba to bring holistic medical and spiritual care to those living with disability in Curitiba, Brazil.
Tuesday 21 – Pray for the Beyond Suffering Conference held in Nairobi, Kenya this week. Pray pastors and teachers throughout the region will gain a healthy theology of suffering and disability, resulting in people living with disabilities being welcomed into the Church.
Wednesday 22 – Many individuals are more keenly aware of family brokenness and their own isolation this week. Pray for people to know the God of all comfort and for opportunities to share his comfort with those facing troubles (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
Thursday 23 – Today as so many people celebrate Thanksgiving across the United States, pray for hearts to be opened to the Giver of all good gifts. Praise God for the many ways he has been good to Joni and Friends, allowing us to participate in his plan of bringing the hope of Christ to those impacted by disability across the nations.
Friday 24 – Praise God that the final course of our new three-part advocacy program will be available soon. Ask God to use this program to equip and inspire advocates around the world to seek justice and inclusion for people living with disabilities and their families.
Saturday 25 – For families living in rural areas, it can be difficult to connect with a church ready to welcome family members living with a disability. And disability services can be too far away to provide adequate support. Praise God that he is still at work even when we are limited in our ability to help. Ask God to make his help known to these rural families.
Sunday 26 – As we look ahead to our international plans in the coming year and beyond, ask God to increase our ability to reach people living with disabilities in restricted countries. Pray for the Son to set people in these countries free, that they might be free indeed (see John 8:38).
Monday 27 – Several of our offices around the country are coordinating Christmas deliveries with local churches. Praise God for this opportunity for churches to demonstrate their desire to support and care for families living with disabilities. Ask God to increase the sense of community within these churches for each family.
Tuesday 28 – Today on Giving Tuesday many people will consider how to support their favorite charities. Ask God to give joy to those who donate to our ministry in this season. (2 Corinthians 9:7).
Wednesday 29 – This weekend we are welcoming couples living with the disability of a spouse or child to Marriage Getaways in Florida, North Carolina, and Illinois. Pray for the couples attending these events to bask in God’s presence and in the presence of each other. Ask God to fortify husbands and wives in his perfect love.
Thursday 30 – Today our local office in Missouri is hosting an Evening of Hope to introduce our ministry to community members. Ask God to prepare the hearts of guests who will attend. Pray that this event will further God’s Kingdom, welcoming in families affected by disability throughout Missouri and into neighboring states.
Friday 1 – This weekend we are partnering with churches in Phoenix, Arizona and the California Bay Area to host Halftime Respites for caregivers of children with disabilities. Ask God to bless the time parents have to step away as volunteers provide a safe and fun time for the children. Pray for additional churches to seek ways to participate in welcoming families with disabilities year-round.
Saturday 2 – Our Chair Corps volunteers will continue to collect used wheelchairs all winter long and transport them along the path to restoration centers and on to people with disabilities in developing countries. Ask God to protect our volunteers, especially those in northern regions where the weather can cause dangerous road conditions.
