Monday, September 26, 2016
“You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit.” (1 Thessalonians 1:6, NASB) Hi, this is Eleanor Witcher of IMB’s prayer team, asking you to pray that God’s Word will be received with joy. “Don’t tell me about your God, and I won’t tell you about mine.” “I’ve never seen such young Christians. I thought all Christians were old!” “Thank you for this book. My son told me I should read it, but I couldn’t find one.” “We have a small church of 50 people, and we don’t have enough Bibles.” “I want to know how to become a Christian. I don’t know how to pray.” These are some of the responses of tourists in Macau, who recently received a Chinese Bible from Southern Cross Project volunteers. For the past several years in the urban centers of the Deccan, India, segments of the Muslim community have been pressuring their members to conform in behavior and worship. They are also strategically training members to resist followers of Jesus. They are even being taught not to read the Bible. This is unlike other religious communities in India that do not have such training. Pray for inroads of the gospel into people’s hearts and minds despite such an overt obstacles. Pray that those teaching such things will see the emptiness of life without Jesus and that they will, as a result, repent and place their faith in Him. Pray for Deccani Muslims who have recently placed their faith in Christ and who are now on the receiving end of such pressure. Ask that they will not turn back, but will have an ever-increasing love for Jesus that will surpass any pressures they may face. * Please pray that Deccani believers will experience a powerful outpouring of grace from Jesus in times of such pressure. * Intercede for those who received a copy of God’s Word in Macau to read it and be changed. * Pray for Christians who are taking Bibles back to their cities, towns, or villages to share with others.
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Wednesday, September 21, 2016
“You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:17-18, NKJV) Hi, this is Eleanor Witcher of IMB’s prayer team, asking you to pray for training events. A group of 20 national leaders in Southeast Asia recently completed their exams and presentations after studying the Old and New Testaments over the past year. They latched onto an effective Bible-teaching method and wowed their teachers with their final presentations. Their well-planned and prayed-through presentations were engaging, touching, and thought provoking. Praise God for working through their lives and gifting them to reach their nation for Christ. They have studied Revelation and 2 Peter and will now teach others. The Antandroy people traveled, some for days, to get to the town of Fort Dauphin, Madagascar. A team from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary was coming to offer a leadership training course. Twenty men and women loaded up on big taxi buses and made the journey to join 10 Antanosy (an-tah-NOO-see) people and 30 others from town. The goal was two weeks in intensive classes then spending afternoons sharing the gospel in small groups. There were broad smiles as certificates were handed out to those who had completed the course, and better than that, there were 100 decisions made in town by those seeking to surrender their life to Christ! * Please pray for these baby Christians in Madagascar that they will grow in the Word and for these newly trained leaders as they continue to spread the Good News they have studied. * Pray that the study of those two crucial books will make a difference in the lives of those who hear them and those who teach them. * Ask God to lead you to individuals who need to hear the lesson of your latest time of Bible study and boldly speak God’s Word to them. Friday, September 16, 2016
“The one who has accepted His testimony has affirmed that God is true.” (John 3:33, HCSB) Hi, this is Eleanor Witcher of IMB’s prayer team, asking you to pray for those hearing the Truth of Jesus. Ali* is dearly loved by a brother who desperately wants to see him in heaven. For over two years now, hours and hours have been spent trying to help Ali understand who Jesus is. When it appears that he has moved forward, Ali reverts back to his superstitions. He has been taught stories that have no background or historical support, and whose principals and logic appear to have very little wisdom or moral value. He has two Bibles now, and they just sit on his coffee table, collecting dust. The Kabyle Berber brother feels intense frustration, and there have even been moments of wanting to give up on Ali, who only halfheartedly believes in what he says he believes, yet rejects Jesus because he claims that the Bible was falsified. Ali is an example of someone being held hostage spiritually. He has been given the tools and told the path to salvation, and at this point, only prayer will loosen the grip that false beliefs have on him. In a village in one Southeast Asian province, believers have been teaching health and Bible for a year. The husband, Sokha*, his wife, Sophea*, and their adult children have dedicated their lives and home to the Lord. Selma* and her family were curious when they heard the gospel but made it clear that they believe that Jesus is only a prophet. At the same time, they expressed appreciation when believers offered to pray for Selma’s chronic health condition. * Please pray that Selma and other Saudi Arabs will receive healing in Jesus’ name, and that they will open their hearts to the gospel as they see God’s healing power through Jesus. * Intercede for this Southeast Asian family that they will understand and follow obediently in baptism. * Pray that God will see fit to draw Ali to accept fully that Jesus is Lord. (*name changed) [email protected] is subscribed to PrayerLine. If you wish to no longer receive this eLetter click unsubscribe Monday, September 12, 2016
“Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son. Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide, as it is said to this day, 'In the mount of the Lord it will be provided.'.” (Genesis 22:13-14, NASB) Hi, this is Eleanor Witcher of IMB’s prayer team, joining you in prayer for those observing Eid. During the month of September, the peoples of Asia Minor celebrate a four-day holiday that they call the “Holiday of Sacrifice.” It is a time for people to remember God’s provision to Abraham in the place of his son, and animals will be sold, sacrificed, and shared with the poor to earn the favor of God through good works. As people contemplate “sacrifice,” pray for them to acknowledge their sin and their need for a Savior. A very special holiday for the Mandinka people of West Africa is being celebrated today and tomorrow. The Mandinka call it Tabaski. It is a time that the faithfulness of Abraham to be willing to sacrifice his son is celebrated. Each family tries to buy a ram. During the days leading up to Tabaski, much care is spent washing and tending to the sheep. After prayers on Tabaski, the ram is sacrificed. The holiday is celebrated with new clothes and lots of good food. There is great anticipation and joy when family members come home to celebrate. What the Mandinka miss is an understanding that God gives a picture of His redemption in substituting the ram for the son. * Please pray that the Mandinka will realize that the blood of an animal is not sufficient to bring forgiveness. * Pray for the people of Asia Minor to understand that Jesus completed the only good work necessary for salvation through His death on the cross. * Intercede for the Muslims in your community as they celebrate Eid and be open to conversations that will draw them to salvation. |
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