In the past, we had limited access to information about events that were happening outside of our own community. But with social media and mass communication, we now know what’s happening— anywhere in the world—from our computer, tablet, or phone.
Being so connected to events around the world can feel emotionally exhausting. Fear, grief, and even anger can quickly fill our hearts as we see stories of violence, hatred, sickness, and disaster flash across our screens.
As believers, what are we to do when the weight of this sinful world seems to pummel us on all sides? How can we use the news to be a light to the world around us?
Praying through the news is one easy habit that allows us to surrender our worries to God while also intentionally lifting up communities that need to experience His healing and love in tangible ways.
Here are some tips on how to pray through the news:
1. Pray for the victims. Whether you’re reading about a hurricane that has ravaged a town, a city that has suffered a mass shooting, or a country that is facing high crime levels, stop and pray for those immediately affected by the event.
2. Pray for the community. When a significant event happens, the whole local community is impacted. Pray that local churches, schools, businesses, and more will rally together and support each other. Ask God to make people sensitive to His hand at work in the midst of it all.
3. Pray for local believers to be Jesus’ hands and feet. We’re all called to be Jesus’ hands and feet to the world. One way we can do that is by reaching out to our own communities in moments of crisis. Pray that local believers will be equipped and willing to shine God’s light, helping to bring healing and restoration to their community in the days and weeks following an event.
4. Pray for God to be glorified. The news is full of stories of hurting, broken people and communities. But we serve a loving God who can redeem any situation and ultimately glorify Himself. Pray that God will do just that, and that people will be sensitive to His hand at work—whether they have an intimate relationship with Him or learn about Him for the first time.
5. Pray for God to make us brave. With access to so much news, we might be tempted to shut out the world’s brokenness and hurt to protect ourselves. But 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” Pray that God will make us brave and will equip us to shine His light to the world around us in the midst of pain and suffering.
Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Nothing is outside of God’s control—even the most heart-wrenching, unimaginable events that we encounter in the news.
As believers in Christ, we have the assurance that God has already overcome the world. It may feel like He’s not in control, but He is. And as we pray for His will to be done and His glory to be made known, we can live with the knowledge that He is victorious and will ultimately bring complete healing to this world.
– Taken from the Wycliffe Bible Translators prayer team (wycliffe.org/prayer), which supports Bible translation around the world.
