Pray for Widows
Weary. Worried. Working endlessly. By day, she toils, only to make a single dollar. By night, she is haunted by her children's cries for food. She longs to comfort them. She longs to give them a brighter future than the one she's inherited. But how can she when survival is a daily struggle?
She can't get a better job—not without training. School might have equipped her for a career, but she had to drop out when finances got too tight—just as her own children likely will if she can't make ends meet.
If her husband had lived, would they be struggling like this? His picture on the wall reminds her of him, but she has no time to grieve. She is a widow, and there are mouths to feed.
And so she goes on, one of the more than 258 million widows worldwide, many of whom live in extreme poverty.1
This month, we can stand in the gap to bring these precious women before the Defender of Widows Himself (see Psalm 68:5). Join us as we come alongside them in prayer!
1 Chatterjee, Saradamoyee, and Sisodia, Anushka. "Not leaving widows behind." The Loomba Foundation. https://theloombafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Not-leaving-widows-behind-The-Loomba-Foundation-Sept-2024.pdf. September 2024.
After losing their husbands, many women become the sole breadwinners for themselves and their families. Sadly, many of these widows grew up in poverty and were never able to afford the education necessary to get safe, well-paying jobs. As a result, they are forced to take day labor work or other jobs with minimal pay, thus perpetuating the cycle of poverty and limited education for their own children.
That's why GFA comes alongside local churches in Africa and Asia to equip women with the tools they need to make a better income. Through the church, women are learning to read and write, receiving income-generating gifts and being trained in marketable skills—such as tailoring—that they can use to provide for themselves and their families.
Pray God will provide more opportunities for widows to equip themselves with the skills they need to provide for their families. Pray for local churches who may even now be planning a literacy class, a gift distribution or a vocational training—that God will show them who to invite and provide the wisdom, resources and people necessary to make the program a success. Pray for widows who have already received training or an income-generating gift—that God will bless their endeavors to make a better living.
Many widows—both young and old—struggle with debilitating illnesses or medical conditions. And in some cases, ill health is the reason a younger woman's husband chooses to abandon her. Widows and abandoned women often struggle to afford the medical care they and their children need to thrive. And if a woman is the only breadwinner in her family, illness can bring with it the added threat of starvation if she is unable to work.
Please pray for good health for widows and abandoned women. Ask the Lord to bring healing to those who are suffering and to provide for those who need medical care. Pray also that God will bless the efforts of Sisters of the Cross and other local believers who faithfully pray for and serve widows who are ill. Pray that through the loving care of believers, these widows will experience Christ's compassion.
In many places where GFA serves, widows and abandoned women are often neglected or even ostracized. Local churches and field workers offer the welcome and fellowship these precious women have sometimes been missing for years. Sisters of the Cross visit disabled widows to help them with household chores, Women's Fellowship groups offer support and love, and churches build houses, distribute gifts or even host events to help and honor the widows in their communities. It's through this caring community that many widows—and their children—begin to understand the love of the One who never forsakes.
Ask God to surround widows with believers who will care for them, show them Christ's love and remind them that they are not alone. Pray also for local churches, that the Lord will continue to give them the heart and understanding they need to love the widows in their communities well.
Since biblical times, widows and abandoned women have been some of the most vulnerable members of society. Sadly, widows are still at high risk of exploitation and are often denied the dignity and protection they deserve at home, in the marketplace and in their communities.2 The Defender of Widows cares deeply for these women, yet many still haven't met Him or experienced His love.
Ask God to protect widows from those who would take advantage of them. Pray that He will provide a way out for those who are trapped in harmful situations or who are being treated unjustly. Pray that He will provide employers, community members and leaders who will protect and uphold widows and their rights. Ask Him to provide widows with homes where they feel safe, valued, protected and loved. And pray that these precious women will see His hand at work in their lives and understand just how much He loves them.
2 "Explainer: What You Should Know About Widowhood." UN Women. https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2021/6/explainer-what-you-should-know-about-widowhood. June 21, 2021.
In some areas where we serve, widows are often treated as "physically alive, but socially dead." Even where this is not the case, a widow or abandoned woman's struggle to provide for herself and her children often leaves little room for hope. But through Christ, this reality can change. As women learn their worth in His eyes, are welcomed by believers and receive practical help, many are "trading their mourning for dancing" (Psalm 30:11).
Pray God will continue to send hope to suffering widows. Pray that as widows experience His love through His people, they will heal from the hurt and fear they've endured for so long. Pray that they will be able to live each day with His joy and peace and that they will have the full and abundant life Jesus promises His people (see John 10:10).
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