December Prayer Partner: 12 Days of Prayer & Action for a Christmas Miracle for Immigrants
Dear friends,
This Advent season, I’m mindful that – not long after he was born in Bethlehem – Jesus was forced to flee the threat of persecution from an evil king and was brought by his parents over the border into a foreign land. What better season for Congress to overcome partisan divides and pass past-due immigration legislation?
I’ll be honest: each day that passes, the odds diminish. But I’m encouraged that just in the past week, two key U.S. Senators announced a framework that pairs a solution for Dreamers with improvements to border security. Another bill, providing Afghans with the opportunity to apply for permanent legal status, has three Republican and three Democratic cosponsors in the U.S. Senate. And a bill to allow immigrant farmworkers to earn permanent legal status while opening up new legal avenues to ensure a legal, reliable agricultural workforce going forward has already passed the House of Representatives in a bipartisan vote.
I know it’s a busy season for all of us, but the decisions that our Senators make in the coming days really will have profound impacts – for good or for ill – on our immigrant neighbors and on our country as a whole. So I’m asking you to join me in committing to set aside a few minutes each day for the next 12 days to act and pray for a Christmas miracle for immigrants:
Day 1: Tuesday, December 13: Add your name to this letter to your U.S. Senators, and send a quick message to encourage your pastor to do so as well.
Day 2: Wednesday, December 14: Write a Letter to the Editor of your local newspaper, explaining (in 150 words or less) how your faith guides you to advocate for Dreamers, Afghans, farmworkers and/or border communities, all of which need legislative action this month. Google the name of your local daily newspaper and “Letter to the Editor” and you’ll likely find submission instructions.
Day 3: Thursday, December 15: Make at least one telephone call to the office of one of your U.S. Senators to ask them to act on a Dreamer and border solution this year. We promise, we’ve made it very easy – just fill in some basic information using this tool, then follow the suggested message to leave on your Senator’s voicemail or with his office staff.
Day 4: Friday, December 16: Set aside at least 5 minutes to pray by name for your U.S. Senators, asking God to direct them as He wills (Proverbs 21:1).
Day 5: Saturday, December 17: Pray for Afghans who fled the threat of Taliban persecution and were resettled to the U.S. in 2021, but who are stuck with only temporary legal protections and work authorization. Pray that they would know God’s peace in the midst of the fear many feel, and that Congress would pass legislation to allow them to apply for permanent legal status.
Day 6: Sunday, December 18: Post to social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.) a message explaining why you’ve called your U.S. Senators to act – tagging them if possible – and inviting others to join you. Sharing this link will make it easy for them.
Day 7: Monday, December 19: Join other Christians from throughout the country for a short time of corporate prayer for Dreamers, Afghans, farmworkers and border communities over Zoom. Click here to join us at 4 PM ET/3 PM CT/2 PM MT/1 PM PT or click here to add the prayer time to your calendar.
Day 8: Tuesday, December 20: Think of at least one friend or family member whom you know is also concerned about the wellbeing of refugees and immigrants and reach out with a text message or email, asking if they would be willing to make a phone call or send a message to their U.S. Senators’ offices. (If you know someone in a state with a “swing” vote like Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina or Texas – all the better!).
Day 9: Wednesday, December 21: Pray for border communities – including many local churches on both the U.S. and the Mexican sides of the border – that have stepped up to care for vulnerable migrants. Pray that God would sustain them, especially in light of shifting border policies, and pray that Congress would act to bring more orderly processes at the border that ensure both security and due process for those who have fled persecution.
Day 10, Thursday, December 22: Pray for Dreamers in your community, many of whom are walking through this holiday season with a great deal of anxiety as their long-term ability to live and work in the country that they consider their home is on the line. Pray that God would grant them peace, that those who know Christ would be assured of their ultimate identity in Him and that those who do not would be drawn to Him in the midst of a tumultuous season.
Day 11: Friday, December 23: Call your U.S. Senators’ offices once more – to thank them if legislation has already moved forward, and to plea with them to prioritize solutions for Dreamers, border communities, Afghans and farmworker if they’ve not yet taken action – even if that means returning after the holidays to finish this important task.
Day 12: Saturday, December 24: As you begin to prepare your Christmas dinner, pray for the farmworkers responsible for bringing food from the field or farm to your table, including many immigrants. Pray that God would sustain them and that our laws would affirm the dignity of their work.
If you join me for all twelve days of action and prayer for this Christmas miracle, I’d love to send you a small gift – reply to this email to confirm and I’ll follow up in the New Year.
In Christ,
Matthew Soerens
National Coordinator, Evangelical Immigration Table
