How God Answered Prayers For My Family

When children in our programs write down their lists of prayer requests, family members are usually at the top. It makes sense! Loved ones feature strongly in our prayers too. Families often carry a special place in our hearts. They can be the people who share our joys and challenges. The things that impact our families also impact us.

When a child joins Compassion’s program at one of our church partners, the impact of that program reaches their family as well. We recognize that, sometimes, the best way to improve a child’s life is to improve the life of their family — their health, income, housing or food sources. A child and their family are simply too interconnected to help one without helping the other.

That’s why our church partners frequently help children’s caregivers as well as the children themselves. Sometimes that means medical support or housing assistance. Other times it’s a loan or gift of livestock to start a small business.

And sometimes, Compassion’s initiatives are answers to prayer.

Here are a few ways God has used gifts from supporters like you to answer families’ prayers:

FOR NUTRITION

“Receiving food for Emmanuel from the center was an answered prayer. It was like a heavy burden was lifted off our shoulders. We saw God’s hand in all this, because providing for the child was not easy. Emmanuel is growing healthy and intelligent; he has never been ill. We could not have managed on our own without the church and the Compassion program.”
— Violet, caregiver of Emmanuel in Malawi

FOR EMPLOYMENT

“Compassion’s help arrived when we were in our worst moments, when I was no longer able to work due to kidney disease. Their support to help my wife start a bakery business to earn income was a blessing. I was desperate that I couldn’t provide for my family, but God provided for us through the Compassion program. I am very thankful.”
— Mario, father of two sponsored children in Bolivia

FOR HOPE

“Esther being registered at the center was an answered prayer. I struggled to send her to school, because I didn’t have money to get her educational materials. Today, my daughter goes to school like other children, which gives me so much joy. Last year in November, we received a gift to buy a cow, which is giving us milk. We use the cow dung as manure for our garden. We can grow our own food and sell the surplus.”
— Christine, single mother of Esther, a sponsored child in Rwanda

FOR SALVATION

“Meredith used to pray to God for her family to know him. She was so happy when we finally accepted her invitation and started to attend church. I received Bible training, and then I got baptized. In just a short time, my life has completely changed; now, I know that God always cares for us and provides for our needs.”
— Belkis, mother of Meredith, a sponsored child in Colombia

FOR RECOVERY

“Our father struggled with addiction for years. My sister and I realized that he had accepted Jesus one Sunday when he came home smiling after going to church. His face lit up! He looked so different; he looked so happy. He hugged us and told us the news. We realized that all these years of praying for our dad had not been in vain.”
— Daniel, a sponsored teenager in the Dominican Republic

Thank you for your gifts and prayers to help children in poverty … and their families. Please continue to pray for men, women and children who are struggling with poor health, unemployment, grief, hunger and hopelessness.

And please pray for Compassion’s staff and local church partners in communities around the world who work tirelessly to serve the world’s poorest, most vulnerable children and families — releasing them from poverty in Jesus’ name.