God Can Restore
Health, Change Lives, and
Transform Communities By Prayer

At SIM, we are a people of prayer. “By Prayer” is our motto because prayer is foundational to our life and ministry. By prayer, we praise God, seek His direction, request resources, and call upon the Holy Spirit to empower our lives and ministries.

Prayer is our greatest need as we urgently respond to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

On this page throughout the coming months, we’ll share prayer requests from SIM workers and ministries specific to the fight against COVID-19 and be led in prayer by SIM USA team members.

Thank you for joining us to ask our Father to bring hope and healing to our world.

COVID-19 Prayer Points

Take a moment pray along with SIM USA team members as they lead you through specific COVID-19 prayer points. You can download a full list of COVID-19 prayer points here.

Pray for mission workers worldwide

Pray for the body of Christ worldwide

Pray for grieving families who have lost loved ones to the coronavirus

Pray for the Lord to Guide Government Officials & Decision Makers

Pray for the Lord's intervention in stopping the spread of the virus

COVID-19 Response
Urgent Prayer Requests

Please check back regularly as we will be updating this page frequently.

The COVID-19 pandemic season has affected the work of many SIM workers globally. Typical ministry activities are curtailed, schooling disrupted, workers evacuated from ministry contexts, ministry adaptation, team members separated, as well as virus infections and illness. Among several initiatives to serve their colleagues, the SIM International People Development & Care team has developed the "Team Debrief during COVID--Past, Present, Future." This series of activities leads teams in processing the impact of this pandemic on team life and ministry. Pray that this debrief tool will be effective and useful to SIM ministry teams.
God stirred Sheryl’s heart to help local people fully leverage available resources to get through the economic crisis caused by the pandemic. A garden project kept coming to mind because of the great climate, but she doesn’t have a "green thumb," so she was uncertain. As He confirmed it, she began investigating and experimenting. Three local people joined her. Soon they began to share the project idea and the seedlings they had. Now there are 10 families involved, with over 30 more who want to Join. Praise God that he has opened up many opportunities to share Bible stories with new contacts during their visits to educate about gardens. Pray for Sheryl and the team helping with the garden project to be able to effectively create a manual for group training. Pray for those hearing the Bible stories during the garden project visits to be open to Jesus’ redemptive work in their lives.
The effects of COVID-19 in Niger include increased unemployment and food scarcity. In the last few months, SIM Niger has had the privilege to work with local pastors to help Christian brothers and sisters who are suffering. People are empty and hungry every day. These same brothers and sisters who have so little are sharing with their neighbors of the majority religion. Their generosity is of the Lord and remarkable to witness. Please pray for the hungry to be fed physically and spiritually. The Niger Emergency Relief Fund Project is helping feed families between now and the harvest in October. Pray that this food distribution would be life-giving.
Giving praise that God has provided a repatriation flight for their family to return to the U.S. for home assignment, Tony and Jean have much to be thankful for, and much to do. They watched God open and close and re-open doors, provide creative ways to keep internet working so they could plan and book tickets, and generously give them housing for their two-week self-quarantine through a faithful supporter. Pray for Tony, Jean, their boys, and another worker’s son as they prepare to leave, arrive in the U.S., and begin home assignment. Pray for good farewells, logistical details (including getting a harp on the plane), and a smooth transition back to the US.
Mike and Ann have continued teaching at the seminary and working in leadership development during lockdown. While Ann has not been able to visit Mosoj Chaski, a radio station ministry that communicates the Word of God in the Quechua language for the growth and maturity of the Quechua people, she speaks regularly with the director and the president of the board. Two staff members, who have been with the ministry for over 10 years, will be leaving in July. The director of Mosoj Chaski has the difficult task of recruiting people to replace them during the restrictions they are under. Thankfully, he is able to use social media to make the needs known to Quechua-speaking churches. Please pray that the Lord will bring the people with the right skills and calling to work at Mosoj Chaski.
Refugees all over the world are at heightened risk as the coronavirus pandemic spreads. Pray for protection in overcrowded conditions without access to basic sanitation. Pray for those waiting even longer for resettlement or reunification with family members since borders have been tightened.
Laurel’s faith grew leaps and bounds during the process of quitting her job, fundraising, and language learning. She has spent years preparing for medical missions and is so excited to finally be ready to go to her field of service. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has prevented her from joining her team this spring as planned. She doesn't yet have a visa for her country of service but was told to call the consulate again at the end of June, as there might be more information for her at that time. Her commitment to ministry in Africa is unchanged, and her team is hopeful that she may be able to join them by August/September of this year. That said, Africa’s COVID-19 peak is supposedly yet to come, and countries in Africa are not opening as quickly as the U.S. Please pray with Laurel for wisdom regarding whether she should continue to wait or begin accepting U.S. job assignments and put her visa application attempts on hold until Africa begins to show signs of opening, thus delaying ministry in Africa until 2021.
Quarantine has been difficult for Aaron and Becky and their family, but they have learned to experience simple joys as gifts from God during this time. Just last week they were able to leave together as a family in the truck for the first time in three months; the boys were enamored by the landscape out their windows, as if it were all so new. They praise God for His gifts of refreshment. They also praise Him for the opportunity to meet a need in their community. Poor rural families often do not have phones or internet, leaving students trying to learn during school closures further behind. To solve this problem, teachers wanted to print packets for their students but needing to purchase paper and pay a per-page fee made that an ineffective solution. Aaron and Becky hope to provide paper, ink, and potentially printers to four areas schools for the remainder of the school years. Where this will lead, they do not know—but they're trusting God will use these gifts to His glory.
In the West African nation where Peter and Miriam serve, COVID-19 testing is limited, but the coronavirus is spreading. Many people are desperate for food, medicine, and other supplies. Through the generosity of their supporters, Peter and Miriam have been able to help several thousand with physical and emotional needs, which has presented many opportunities to proclaim the gospel. People are more open now than ever, and many of them are putting their trust in Jesus! Pray God will continue His good work.
In May we prayed that God would make a way for Jose and Janeen to return to the U.S. for their one-year home assignment, and He did! In-country flights also started up again so they were able to fly to the capital, saving them 12 hours of driving. Their international flight was not canceled. Thank you for praying! Pray for Jose, Janeen, and kids as they finish up their two-week self-quarantine and begin to visit with family, friends, and their church, reporting all God has done in and through them the past four years.
Asian Access, SIM's strategic partner in Japan, recently shared this report on its website: As Japan was dealing with the outbreak in April, churches across the nation were increasingly limited in how they could meet. Much like the persecution of the early church, which resulted in the gospel spreading around the world, our A2 Japan National Director, Rev. Joshua Hari, saw this “shut down” experience as a unique opportunity to see the Church in Japan expand beyond the borders of its building and through the internet into homes and lives across the country. They decided to make connections and create a new learning community through monthly webinars using a simple, two-person panel format. Through Facebook and email, they invited leaders to the first webinar in a series designed in response to the new coronavirus, 'How is the Church Supposed to Be in Times Like This?'" Please join Asian Access in prayer for these important webinars and for their work among the Japanese, one of the least-reached people groups in the world.
Please pray for the SIM USA Prayer and Celebration Team as they continue the rewarding, yet challenging, work of collecting, distributing, and responding to the countless prayer needs from our workers and ministries across six continents. From the very start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Prayer & Celebration team have fielded many urgent requests and have done a great job keeping our prayer partners aware of the needs during this time.
SIM New Zealand shared the following prayer request in their regular prayer update. It shows a need for all SIM’s sending offices – USA, UK, Korea, Brazil and more. “Please pray for our mission partners who are in NZ and unable to get back to their countries of service. Think of them as they juggle physically being in one country and still working in another. Pray for them as they deal with many online meetings, different time zones, caring for people without being able to physically help them, and many other challenges of working in two countries.
At the end of April, Joel and Deborah were excited to find out that another little one was on its way to their family. But there have been issues. This has been a difficult pregnancy both physically and emotionally. They are thrilled that the last couple of checkups showed a healthy growing baby moving around, but there is still a complication. They hope and pray for a healthy baby and the ability to return to the U.S. in the next several months, in time for the baby’s arrival in December. COVID-19 travel restrictions make travel a challenge. A repatriation flight from the capital 350 miles away over rough roads is not an ideal option. They will wait for the border to their closest neighboring country to open instead and hope to take a flight from there. Pray for peace, endurance, and God’s timing for travel.
In a set of Kanji characters, the word "crisis" is written with two characters that separately mean "dangerous" and "opportunity." During this dangerous time, Kenji and Elizabeth thought that connections would diminish, but the opposite happened. For example, early on when masks were in short supply, they received a big donation shipment of masks that they were able to distribute to an orphanage, a homeless ministry, and adult/special needs facility. Each visit was a new opportunity to meet a need and foster relationships. They are not sure what opportunities are within, ahead, and beyond these many crises, but they are praying for and actively seeking the right opportunities to be peacemakers, to promote reconciliation, and to be catalysts for societal transformation.
The “Hand to Hand Food Distribution” organized by Stephen and Ruth and supported by others on the small SIM team in their region, could not have gone more smoothly. Ten people were given 10 large allotments of food—one for themselves and nine to share with other families they knew that were in need. Many of the “hands” (those who distributed the food to nine other households), both Christian and unbelievers, shared how recipients laughed and cried. One family said they had cooked their last meal the day they received their food. Each allotment was labeled “The love of Jesus Christ prompted the provision of this gift” and included SD cards for use in phones with the Jesus Film, God’s Story, and other Bible resources in two commonly spoken languages. Three of the four hands who returned the week following asking for additional SD cards were of the majority religion in that region. Pray that many will respond to the message of the gospel on the cards. Pray for a second distribution scheduled in a few days.
For Freedom is the anti-trafficking and exploitation ministry of SIM International, responsible for coordinating SIM's global anti-trafficking response, and providing training, support, and strategic guidance to SIM workers, local churches, and partner ministries around the world. Please pray for vulnerable adults and children around the world, as COVID-19—like all crises—can create a perfect storm for exploitation by those intending to harm individuals and communities.
This prayer request was shared in a recent prayer from a SIM worker: Christian workers are increasingly from the Global South. In cash-based societies, church offerings are given publicly in cash, and in person. If the congregations do not meet in person, no missionary support is given. Please consider praying, “Lord, we intercede for the cash-based societies around the world, which are sending missionaries. We ask for the funds to flow despite the pandemic and if it is your will we pray that funds continue to reach these mighty workers, these servants who share Your name. All power belongs to you, O Lord. Nothing is impossible to you and so we ask this in the name of Jesus.”
Michael is pleased to share that the theological seminary where he teaches has completed its first semester through distance learning. Even while on lockdown, he continues to have discipleship opportunities with young adults, even though it has looked different. It seems like lockdown has resulted in even more stress, more depression, and more confusion about how God works. But that means more opportunities to share the glories and sufficiency of Christ whether through meeting one-on-one, over phone calls, or text message conversations. Pray that God would use Michael to point young adults to a deeper trust in Jesus and willingness to obey Him.
After 10 weeks of absolute quarantine, the government recently lifted its lock-down, allowing people to be out and about on weekdays, even to drive. Unfortunately, this doesn't mean COVID-19 has peaked and is dropping. It continues growing in the country at an astonishing rate of 6-10% per day. Many remain fearful of sickness and death. As you can imagine, this gives Kep and Debbie and their church ministry team daily opportunities to point unbelieving people to Jesus and to encourage believers to remain strong in the Lord. Would you pray with Kep and Debbie that many will come to faith in Christ and that the Lord will grow a mature church and believers in the country and across Latin America?
While serving at a mission hospital in East Africa, Jason has seen many patients arrive critically ill and in need of urgent surgery. The hospital has also seen several babies die because of delays in accessing the care they need. Pray for the financial and transportation implications of COVID-19 restrictions, as many are dying because of them. Pray for the government as it reevaluates those restrictions this week.
SIM helped Dr. Steve and coworkers Dr. Meghan and nurse Cait to prepare their clinic to care for COVID-19 patients. The country in which they serve is now in its tenth week of a quarantine extended through June 15, where people are only allowed to leave home one morning a week to buy groceries. All other stores are closed. Their clinic is open in the mornings, and in additional to medical emergencies, they see patients suffering from the stressful effects of prolonged confinement, being unable to work. Pray they stay healthy and continue to show Jesus’ compassion to everyone affected both by the virus and the effects of quarantine confinement.
On May 11, we prayed for finances for Egbe Teaching Hospital to help meet the critical need for PPE equipment and other supplies. God provided! With the financial support of the Egbe community and partners around the world, funds were raised to help provide the needed equipment and to construct a triage testing building so patients can be screened before proceeding into the hospital. The building is finished, but significant price increases and travel restrictions are making it very difficult to obtain the PPE. Pray God would make a way.
Please join Paris and Lindsay in giving God all the thanks and praise for how He is moving during the COVID-19 pandemic. They have worked with three churches in the past two months to help supply basic food needs to over 100 families in extremely impoverished areas. Churches throughout their region of South America are broadcasting through various channels and with various purposes to reach out so people are connecting and hearing God’s Word like never before. Paris and Lindsay have heard countless stories of people receiving Jesus Christ at this time! Continue to pray that God will use the global health crisis for His glory.
The Good Neighbor Project is distributing essential food items to Nepali families in need due to the COVID-19 lockdown. Many of these are daily wage workers who rely on wages they earn each day to buy food for that day, have little or no reserve, and are running out of food as the lockdown extends (or have already run out of food). Pray for needed funds to continue this outreach and for safety for those making the deliveries.
Elisha is an SIM missionary pilot who works with AIM AIR to transport people and supplies to several countries in East Africa. With the closure of borders due to COVID-19, planning flights to missionaries on the ground is complicated. Permission to cross borders requires an abundance of forms, phone calls, and determination, but workers in remote areas have no other way to get medical and food supplies, so he and the rest of the team persist. Pray for financial provision and wisdom for AIM AIR as it navigates this difficult season. Pray for Elisha and Crystal as they were out of their country of residence for work purposes when the closures began and are now staying with friends. Pray for safety as Elisha flies, continued good relationships, and opening of doors to return to their home. Pray also for those in remote area who are feeling trapped.
Not being able to meet together due to COVID-19 restrictions is painful, but there are blessings that Dan and Casi have experienced through this as well. Since their church can stream their services, they were able to send these links to their friends that were not comfortable attending service in person. This has opened the door for them to hear and see the gospel in their own home. They have been able to have many conversations about the messages and even the worship songs. The Lord is working in the hearts of people even in and through the pandemic. Pray God would bring these friends to faith in Jesus.
The hard-hit area of Guayaquil, Ecuador is in major need of prayer in the midst of much loss. The SIM Ecuador team reports that the emotional burden there is overwhelming. Praise God that He has provided additional trauma healing facilitators to help those already serving. Please pray for additional workers, and for strength, peace, and rest for SIM workers and their colleagues serving the community of Guayaquil.
“Normal” ministry has ground to a halt for most of those who work with First Nations people and who serve in small communities throughout rural Paraguay. It is difficult to follow mandated precautions in these rural places where the virus hasn’t yet arrived, especially as they can’t continue their ministry virtually since those they work with don’t have good—or any—internet connection. Pray for the SIM Paraguay team as they are finding creative ways to serve and are learning what it means to trust and wait on God.
In their member care role, Jimmy and RoxAnne are involved with over 150 SIM missionaries. Some have returned to the US temporarily during the pandemic, but others remain overseas. Even with the current global restrictions, they are still helping prepare new missionaries to go overseas, mentoring those who are already overseas, and providing pastoral care for missionaries. They meet "face-to-face" via videoconferencing with them to listen to their concerns, rejoice in their victories, advise, pray, and provide resources. Some of their teammates are experiencing anti-foreigner sentiment as local people assume the foreigners have brought COVID-19 to their country. Others are finding exciting platforms for ministry "virtually" during their host country's lock-down. Pray for wisdom for Jimmy and RoxAnne and those they serve.
Despite restrictions due to COVID-19, Eli and Bethany have been quite busy. Recently they helped some of the most vulnerable members of their community with some food. They loaded the truck with food for one church at a time and were able to visit 10 churches in their area. People identified by the local pastors received maize meal, beans, salt, and soap. Pray that the messages about Christ's love, the act of compassion, and the pastors’ follow-up efforts will help bring many to faith in Jesus. Eli and Bethany are experiencing a lot of spiritual activity (both good and bad) in their neighborhood. Pray for them and their community to truly make Jesus the Lord of their lives.
The COVID-19 pandemic is creating unique challenges for Jose and Janeen as they prepare to move back to the U.S. for a year of home assignment. They need to pack up their stuff and move it into storage with a 2 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew and other restrictions in effect. Their flights have been canceled twice, and they are currently rescheduled to fly to the States on June 4. Please pray for grace and strength for Jose, Janeen, and their children to finish well, find a way to say goodbye to friends and ministry partners, and that their current flight will not be canceled. The possibility of a national strike due to salary cuts could make travel to the capital city very difficult.
Despite official travel restrictions between countries in the region, SIM's Galmi Hospital in Niger still receives many patients from northern Nigeria, where currently the number of COVID-19 cases are increasing rapidly. Galmi Hospital has developed a hangar for the care of COVID-19 patients. Initially these patients were being cared for in government facilities only, but given the lack of resources, Galmi is taking suspected COVID-19 cases as well. Please pray for protection for SIM missionaries, their colleagues and for health of Galmi's patients.
SIM’s health ministry team is managing a response to COVID-19 in 30 countries. In addition to managing this team, Paul has been working with a group of SIM missionaries and national colleagues to enable churches to respond effectively to the pandemic in Africa, Asia, and South America. They are preparing training materials for them to minister the gospel, show compassion to those who are ill, and safeguard lives. Pray that they would listen well to the Lord's direction and that God’s glory would be seen through the work that come out of these trainings.
We're praising God for the new team members arrived in Mali before the COVD-19 pandemic. Travel restrictions brought mandatory non-use of public transportation severely limiting movement and personal market trips for teammates who are still setting up households. Pray that God would provide two ministry vehicles to make movement easier. Pray, too, that the Lord of the harvest would send more laborers to join the team when borders re-open.
Some are predicting the wave of COVID-19 cases will hit Africa in August or September. The “state of emergency” has been extended for 15 days in Tim and Betsy’s country of service, so they will be remaining near their village clinic a while longer. Staying in one place has benefitted the clinic. It has given Tim an opportunity to teach and train in some much-needed areas. It has been very busy, with many serious cases (not COVID-19) and staff issues. They need prayer for wisdom in communicating with staff and government officials, for patience and endurance in dealing with many issues at once, and for the government to have wisdom in decisions surrounding the COVID-19 crisis. They say, “Pray for the beautiful African people as a whole, that the virus will just not be as prevalent here!”
Pray for the Asian Access & SIM team serving in Japan as they find creative ways to share the gospel and make disciples while keeping with social distancing guidelines. Recently, a young woman expressed interest in spiritual conversations. With the spread of COVID-19, she welcomed a weekly Bible study with our team by video. Following each study, she is grateful for the opportunity to learn the Bible and hear more about the gospel. Please pray for continued fruit from these interactions.
Michelle is grateful for the opportunity to remain in the West African country where she serves as a physician. She is learning in an even deeper way what it means to trust God in the face of trials. Her challenge is to take this knowledge and hope and share it. Pray that Michelle’s presence would make the people around her want to know Jesus more even in the midst of language barriers. Pray for strength to endure the heat, discipline to keep learning medical terms in a new language, and grace to continue to work as a doctor at the clinic.
The country where Amy serves is on lockdown due to COVID-19, which is extremely challenging due to its dense population. Long food and pharmacy lines due to social distancing requirements make for a long, hot day for our SIM team and proves an impossible task for families in the impoverished communities. Praise that God’s provision enabled the team to distribute two rice and protein packs to around 300 families in April. Pray God would provide for more opportunities to distribute relief safely throughout May and the upcoming months.
The international school in East Africa where Brandy teaches has moved to online classes for the rest of the year due to COVID-19. She praises God for safety and peace during this time and that the transition to online learning has been successful. Pray that the students would finish the year well and that the Zoom chapel at the end of the month for the whole school will be a good time of closure and giving praise to God.
Dan and Sharon live in a rural village. The numbers don't seem nearly as high as many other places in the world, but it's difficult to know because testing is very limited. Dan feels he might have had patients with COVID-19 but will never know for sure. They have limited personal protective equipment, but on the whole, the hospital has not been as busy since the lockdown started. Dan has stayed busy, as their full-time doctor is away and cannot return due to travel restrictions. Pray Dan and Sharon will know how to respond in wisdom. They do not want to distance themselves from those who need to be ministered to at this time. Daily laborers have suffered the most with the lockdown. The church and hospital have been working to get food to hungry families. Pray for food to get to those who need it most.
SIM workers are bringing rice, eggs, instant noodles, canned goods, soap, and vitamins to impoverished Filipino communities affected by COVID-19. Most individuals live on a daily wage, but due to the quarantine, only those who have jobs in healthcare or the food industry can continue to work. The local government has responded but cannot meet the immense demand. Please pray for relief workers, healthcare professionals, the Filipino military, and government workers to receive the Lord’s strength during this overwhelming time.
Students and staff of the School of Nursing and Midwifery face mandated closures as part of the COVID-19 restrictions. Hospital staff continue to diligently prepare their departments and implement strict protocols to ensure that staff and patients remain safe. Praise God that recent figures show there are only a small number of cases in the region; the closest in a large city two hours from the hospital. PPE equipment and supplies are urgently needed for staff to respond to any cases. Please pray for God to provide finances and needed supplies.
Thousands of Venezuelan refugees have settled in Arequipa, Peru, fleeing political corruption and poverty in their home country. They are now living in Peru under quarantine from COVID-19, unable to work, and not eligible for Peruvian government assistance. SIM workers have partnered with a local Peruvian church to provide food, New Testaments, and literature to help share the gospel. Please pray for these outreach efforts and for hearts to be opened to God's good news through this partnership with the local Church.
Trips to Niger for SIM short-term workers—most of them doctors, including surgeons—have been canceled. This puts a very heavy load on the current medical staff. Pray for wisdom to know how to cut back patient loads and finances to deal with the subsequent financial deficit. In addition, pray for both Galmi Hospital and Danja Medical Center as they work to screen respiratory patients as safely as possible. All COVID-19 cases will be treated at government quarantine centers.
Many are fearful of sickness and death as the pandemic expands daily in this country. This fear has led to a sudden openness on the part of many to talk about the Lord. Kep and Debbie are busy by phone and internet explaining the gospel and pointing people to Jesus, as well as encouraging, counseling, and discipling believers in their church. After six weeks of no work, many families suffer from a lack of food. Pray that the Lord will guide them and their church as they try to help the most needy. Pray that many would come to faith in Jesus during this time.
“Right now it feels like we are waiting for a tsunami to hit,” writes Missy in a recent prayer letter. The missionary hospital where she serves has set up tents outside to screen patients before they enter the hospital. Visiting hours have been limited, and an isolation area has been established. The hospital is short on supplies and does not have advanced medical devices like ventilators, which hinders its ability to help those with severe cases. She shares, “Our hospital and missionary community, like the rest of the world, is facing an unknown time. So we stand and we wait, preparing for the worst and praying for the best.” She requests prayer that the hospital staff will stay healthy and that her medical friends throughout the world will be strengthened.
A SIM hospital in a remote part of West Africa gives praise that parts came in to fix the oxygen plant even with the travel restrictions in place and one of their missionaries was able to repair the plant. Praise God also for donated oxygen concentrators. Pray that being able to manufacture oxygen at the hospital will help many patients
COVID-19 has had a devastating effect on the country of Ecuador, leaving many families without means to buy food and other necessities and many hospitals overrun with virus patients. Pray for SIM compassion ministries throughout Ecuador as they provide assistance for families in need and share hope in Jesus.
On March 15, SIM’s ELWA Hospital saw its first cases of COVID-19. Sadly, the first two patients died within 24 hours of their arrival, before test results could confirm their condition. Having served in the epicenter of the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, ELWA knows firsthand what a pandemic response requires. Please pray for the team of physicians, nurses, and other clinical and non-clinical staff as they work around the clock to treat patients. Please ask the Lord to provide the critical supplies they need, including personal protective equipment (gloves, gowns, face masks and shields), nasal cannulas, oxygen and oxygen generators. Pray for the surrounding communities that SIM serves in Liberia through its various ministries on the ELWA campus and beyond.