As a new year dawns, we think of the work of all Embrace’s partners, giving thanks for their unwavering dedication in the face of adversity and praying for their protection in the challenging situations that will confront them in the coming year.

As we celebrate the birth of Christ, we remember that Jesus was born into poverty and insecurity. And yet, his coming into a broken world - and his continued presence with us today - signifies love, light and hope.

This week we’re praying for a project we help fund in northern Israel, which supports at-risk Arab-Israeli girls with education and family challenges.

This week we’re praying for Embrace’s partner Think and Do in Egypt. We’re learning how they’re challenging gender inequality through giving women in rural Upper Egypt the opportunity to learn literacy, numeracy and life skills. We’re also reflecting on the importance of words and considering how God might be calling us to use words.

This week we’re praying for Embrace’s partner Tahaddi, particularly for their work with children with additional needs in a deeply economically deprived neighbourhood in southern Beirut. We’re also reflecting on God’s shepherd-like care and asking how we can emulate that in our own lives.

This week we’re learning about a project that Embrace supports in Jericho, which is equipping young Palestinians with leadership skills. We’re reflecting on what it means to be a good leader by looking at the example of Jesus.

This week we’re learning more about an incredible project Embrace supports in Egypt that is improving patient care across the Nile Delta region. We’re also reflecting on some verses in Philippians that challenge us to notice and care for the needs of others.

This week join us in praying for Embrace’s partner, the Karagheusian Health Centre, in Lebanon. The Centre provides critical mental health support to a marginalised and vulnerable population.

This week we’re praying for our partner Aviv Ministry in Israel as they support vulnerable people on the streets of south Tel Aviv. We’re also challenging ourselves to respond to others with dignity rather than distance.

This week we’re praying for our partner Refuge Egypt as they support vulnerable refugees in Cairo. We’re also asking how we can draw near to those who feel crushed or forgotten.

This week we’re praying for children at risk of violence and exploitation in Tripoli - and reflecting on how we can be people who notice, protect and nurture the children in our lives.

This week, we’re praying for the olive harvest in the West Bank. Using the words of Psalm 1, we are also reflecting on what it means to make a stand for righteousness and justice.

In a context of ongoing violence, displacement and sky-high inflation, our partner Caritas Jerusalem is continuing to faithfully serve people in need. Find out what they are doing and how you can pray for them.

This week, we’re praying for a project in Egypt that trains young people to mentor primary-age children, to encourage them to stay in school. We’re also reflecting on the biblical mandate to help others, and challenging ourselves to be a blessing to those around us.

Gender-based violence is an issue of growing concern in Syria. This week, join us in praying for a project that is supporting women and girls who have experienced abuse.

Today we’re learning about the work of the SKILD Centre in Lebanon to provide personalised support to children with learning difficulties. We’re also reflecting on how we can create spaces in our own communities where others feel valued and included.

Many children in the West Bank are growing up in a context of political violence and instability, and are left traumatised by what they witness and experience. Embrace’s partner, the East Jerusalem YMCA, responds with deep compassion, offering mental health first aid and longer-term psychosocial support.

This week we’re reflecting on what happens when we live with our spiritual eyes wide open. We’re also giving thanks for an incredible project that supports visually impaired children in economically marginalised areas of Egypt.

The education system in Lebanon is in its seventh year of disruption, affecting 1.5 million children. Join us in praying for our partner, the Joint Christian Committee, as they seek to provide marginalised children with educational and vocational support.

This week, we’re praying for Maryamana Hospital in northern Iraq - and reflecting on how we can follow Christ’s example to be a life-giver to those around us.