Friday, October 21
“Be imitators of God, as dearly loved children. And walk in love, as the Messiah also loved us and gave Himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.” (Ephesians 5:1, HCSB) Hi, this is Eleanor Witcher of IMB’s prayer team, asking you to pray for growth as people study God’s Word. Workers with the Bambara of Mali write, “In July, as you lifted us up in prayer, we were able to visit ‘Far Village.’ There are two people groups living in this village that usually don’t live well together, but here they seem to get along just fine. We’ve been working here for just over a year now, and when we come, a group always gathers no matter what they are doing. Whether farming or harvesting their crops, they come to listen and talk. One of the groups living here is known to be very proud, and it’s usually very difficult for these people to walk ‘the Jesus Road.’ When we visited, one of these people told us that he was ready to follow the Jesus Road. He had even asked his father for permission and wanted an SD card with Bible stories so that his wife could listen to them. This man is now the first in his village to follow the Jesus Road.” Fifteen people are crammed into a sweltering hot, tiny living room in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire. Every available bench and chair is in use, and children are sitting on the floor. What a joy it is to see believers who want to hear God’s Word so much that they are willing to do whatever it takes. They hope to find a meeting place that will better meet their needs for years to come. * Please pray for small groups in Abidjan, asking that missionary Mike McAfee will have the wisdom to lead them. * Intercede for Sam* as he grows in his newfound faith and for the others in “Far Village” as they continue to consider the Jesus Road. * Ask God to help you imitate Him and walk in love. (*name changed
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Wednesday, October 12, 20
“In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God.” (Psalm 62:7, NKJV) Hi, this is Eleanor Witcher of IMB’s prayer team, asking you to pray for spiritually rewarding relationships. In the Northwestern Province of Zambia, lives are being changed all because two young men left the comforts of home to come and spend two months doing sports ministry in the secondary schools. Josh and Joseph were able to build relationships with the youth that opened the door for them to answer spiritual questions and give sound spiritual advice. A believer working with the peoples of the Garden Route, South Africa writes, “Shopping for earbuds and smartphone covers has turned into a friendly exchange of curry with warm ‘rotis’ (flat breads) and pumpkin bread. There is a little electronics store right near where I typically shop for groceries. Now each time I pop in for something on the grocery list, I also stop to chat with Hassam* in the electronics shop. Hassam is from Pakistan but has been living here in ‘Small City,’ South Africa, for some time now. He invited me to watch his team play a match of indoor cricket. The more things that we have to talk about in conversation, the more opportunities there are to talk about faith. I ask him questions about Islam, and then I make comments about Christianity. Hassam is not offended by our conversations. Every time I hear the call to prayer ring out from the minaret, I pray for Hassam and the others like him who come to South Africa looking for a good place to do business. I pray for them to find Jesus when they bow their faces down on their prayer rugs.” * Please pray for Hassam’s salvation and for others like him who have not yet found a Christian friend who will share the love of Jesus. * Pray that Zambian youth will continue to thirst for spiritual knowledge long after Josh and Joseph return to the U.S. * Give thanks for God who is our rock and refuge. (*names changed) Friday, October 7, 2016
“My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be My disciples.” (John 15:8, HCSB) Hi, this is Eleanor Witcher of IMB’s prayer team, asking prayer for church planting endeavors. Believers in Jammu, India, have been teaching and walking through Jesus’ church-planting principles for a while with a couple groups of believers. Now they are going to narrow their focus and allocate resources in an even more kingdom-focused way. They are seeking God’s wisdom to know where to engage people. As they progress, trainers are praying that those they have taught will feel a greater sense of ownership over the principles they have learned and the responsibility to use them. A small Punjabi village has all the normal trappings that one would expect to see in an Indian village: piles of single-construction materials outside a plot of land, animals resting in the shade or meandering every which way, and children playing joyfully outside. But the narrow roads in this village have recently been paved, and they have been traversed by 15 pastors who have assembled to learn “best practices” in church planting. Their goal is to pave new “roads” into unreached areas where the lost are waiting and have been prepared by the Holy Spirit to hear the Good News. Second City Church in Birmingham, England, is a new church plant that is being started in partnership with a local church. Young professionals and university students living and working in the city center are the primary target group for this new congregation. Statistically, Birmingham is one of the youngest cities in Europe, with 40 percent of the population being under 25 years of age. * Please pray as Second City Church reaches out to this group that has little to no faith background. * Pray that Punjabi pastors and their families will be protected from every form of evil, and that their efforts in ministry will be directed by the Holy Spirit. * Intercede for church planter trainees in Jammu that they will encounter open doors into new areas where the gospel has never been preached. Monday, October 3, 2016
Gather the people to me, that I may let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children so.” (Deuteronomy 4:10b, ESV) Hi, this is Eleanor Witcher of IMB’s prayer team, encouraging you to pray for university students across the globe who have opportunity to hear the Word of God as they go through this new semester. IMB missionaries Wes and Beth Gestring live and work in South Africa. Their ministry focuses on the students of the North West University. Young people come to this university from all over South Africa, as well as from other African nations. Wes and Beth spend a lot of time on campus, getting to know the students. Many times, they invite them to their home for a meal. Wes and Beth are constantly sharing the gospel with young people at a very critical stage of life. When students make a decision to follow Jesus, Wes and Beth teach them how to be disciples of Christ. These students take part in outreach trips in which they learn to share Christ in different contexts, such as in distant villages, townships, or cities. The Indigenous University Student Team in Colombia is taking turns spending afternoons in the student center. Each time the doorbell rings, a student is waiting to enter. Most of them are familiar faces, and the greetings are warm and enthusiastic. Some of the students have brought friends or family who want to begin to participate in the student center services. * Please pray for the CAFÉ Indigenous University Student Team to be able to find new ways to gain access to a greater number of indigenous university students. * Ask God to grant the Gestrings wisdom and creativity as they engage in campus ministry. * Give thanks for young lives being transformed with the gospel and the many years they have ahead of them to share the Good News with others. |
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