The Turkey-Syria Earthquake: 7 Ways to Pray
Nicole Stine | BioNicole Stine
Nicole graduated from Ozark Christian College with a Bachelor’s in Biblical Studies and Psychology. She and her husband, David, both have a passion for missions and prayer and they have two sons that they love like crazy. Nicole homeschools their boys and enjoys teaching them about the relentless love of God. She loves spending time in Bible study and gleaning new insights from Scripture. She’s a long-time freelance writer on natural health and her favorite place in the world to be is on the beach with her husband and boys.
Daniel McCoy | BioDaniel McCoy
Daniel is happily married to Susanna, and they have 3 daughters and 2 sons. He is the editorial director for Renew.org as well as an online adjunct instructor for Ozark Christian College. He has a bachelor’s in theology (Ozark Christian College), master of arts in apologetics (Veritas International University), and PhD in theology (North-West University, South Africa). His books include the Popular Handbook of World Religions (general editor), Real Life Theology: Fuel for Effective and Faithful Disciple Making (co-general editor), Mirage: 5 Things People Want From God That Don't Exist, and The Atheist's Fatal Flaw (co-authored with Norman Geisler).Could you take a moment and pray for the people of Turkey and Syria affected by the recent earthquake? Here are 7 ways to pray for them.
Early Monday morning, February 6, 2023, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria. At the time of this writing, there are at least 11,600 dead from the disaster. In addition, there are tens of thousands injured and many more homeless. We encourage you to take a moment and pray.
1. Pray for those who are injured and/or awaiting rescue.
There are thousands who are injured or trapped because of the earthquake. Pray that those who are injured would get the medical care they need and that those who are trapped under rubble would be found. Let’s pray along with Psalm 147:3 that God would “heal the brokenhearted and bind up their wounds.”
2. Pray for victims’ loved ones and all those who are heartbroken right now.
Parents have lost children, and children have lost parents. So many are going through unspeakable hurt. Because God is “near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (Ps. 34:18), let’s pray that God would draw near to the people of Turkey and Syria and draw them into his healing presence.
“Let’s pray that God would draw near to the people of Turkey and Syria and draw them into his healing presence.”
3. Pray for the homeless and those who are now left vulnerable.
There will be thousands displaced because of the earthquake’s destruction of property and infrastructure. Pray for physical and spiritual protection for those who are left without home and basic necessities.
4. Pray for rescue and recovery personnel.
As rescue and recovery workers strive to bring redemption from the chaos, let’s pray that God would give them strength, stamina, wisdom, and resources.
5. Pray for open doors.
Pray for open doors so that outside relief and aid can be administered as quickly as possible so that the greatest number of people can be helped. Typically, there is no shortage of people, from the US for example, who want to help in some way, but there can be obstacles in the way of efficiently getting help to the people that need it.
“Pray for open doors so that outside relief and aid can be administered as quickly as possible so that the greatest number of people can be helped.”
6. Pray for long-term recovery efforts.
The rebuilding will take years. The Turkish president declared a state of emergency for at least three months. Pray for Turkey and Syria, that their countries would rebuild and be places of human flourishing.
7. Pray for opportunities for the Gospel to be shared and for many to come to Christ.
Both Turkey and Syria are Muslim countries, and sharing the Gospel is difficult. Turkey’s Christian population has drastically declined to approximately only 0.2%. Pray that the Holy Spirit would fan the flames of revival in the country, and that the Gospel would flourish in both Turkey and Syria.
My family works closely with International Disaster Emergency Service (IDES). So, as a side note, I want to mention that while unfortunately, it has often been difficult for Christian organizations to work in these countries, IDES’ Project Managers are ready to be onsite to lend assistance, should the opportunity arise with any of our partners. Please pray with us for open doors.
