Read:
Psalm 107:23-30

Explain:
Shipping plays an important role in international trade and thus in international development. Since 1959, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has promoted international standards for shipping safety. The IMO also addresses problems of ocean pollution. Each year the IMO observes World Maritime Day to highlight the importance of shipping safety and of protecting the marine environment. The exact date of this observance is left to individual governments, but the IMO usually celebrates it sometime during the last week of September.

In the United States, National Maritime Day is celebrated on May 22. This national observance was created by Congress in 1933 to commemorate the first transatlantic voyage by steam, which set out from Savanna, Georgia, on May 22, 1819.

Pray:

• Give thanks for the technology that makes it possible to ship greater amounts of goods more safely and efficiently than ever before.
• Pray for the safety of those who work in shipping or travel by sea.
• Pray that government and industry leaders will act wisely to prevent ocean pollution.