A Prayer
Dear God,
As I study the book of Ruth, please help me to feel compassion for the foreigners and refugees in my neighborhood. Many of these individuals long for their home country, but know that they will never be able to return. Even if they are able to go home, it may only be for a brief visit and not the desired length of time. Please help these individuals to accept the situation, make friends, and find community.
One of the biggest challenges that many foreigners and refugees face is the language barrier. Please provide them with resources to learn the local language quickly. Help them to find jobs that they can perform, even when communication may be a problem. As employers notice mistakes related to misunderstandings, help the employer to be a gracious teacher and the foreigner to be a humble student.
It is also important to note that many individuals may have been very qualified in their home country, but are finding their qualifications to be insufficient inside their new country. This is a big problem for doctors, social workers, and many other professions. If new training is needed, please help each individual find a way to get it. When this is not possible or practical, please help the foreigner or refugee to not be bitter or angry, but to instead direct their efforts into finding a new profession.
Please guard the heart and mind of each foreigner and refugee. Trauma and bitterness is a common experience for the refugee, so please provide healing and restoration wherever possible. Allow the correct professional to be involved with care for each individual. If counseling is needed, provide a qualified counselor. If medical treatment is needed, provide funding and an competent doctor.
Above all, help each foreigner and refugee to feel your love and become part of a community that knows you. Please soften the heart of each foreigner and refugee to be able to accept this love and acknowledge that you are the source. Use me to show this love.
I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Respond
If desired, please pray a prayer for the foreigner and refugee. If helpful, you can use a prayer journal template.
Also, think about other verses in the Bible that deal with the foreigner or refugee. Consider posting them in the comments below!
Related Resources
Read: Ruth 2 – A Bible Study about Care and Compassion
Read: Ruth 2:12 – A Memory Verse with Reflection Questions
Read: Musings about Helping the Refugee
Visit the Joyful Moments in Christ homepage for all posts, or scroll through other blog posts related to the book of Ruth:
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