[{"PrayerID":"e15ce9f4-9172-413d-8dec-d7b38c7e3371","SubfolderId":"1f341794-d1a3-4c10-9b5d-387e65dd6f7e","Heading":"Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire","LocationID":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","Location":"","TypeID":176500008,"TypeName":"Urban Centers","RequestText":"(ab-i-JAHN) - Pray that Ivorian Christians will continue to be obedient to the truth of God's Word and abide in Christ so that as they are filled with the love of Christ, they can love one another with \"sincere brotherly love\" and \"love one another earnestly from a pure heart\" (1 Peter 1:22 ESV).
Please pray 1 Peter 1:14-15 (ESV) for Ivorian Christians, asking that they will not be conformed to their previous life without Christ, but instead be obedient to God's Word and \"holy in all [their] conduct.\"
Give thanks to God that thousands of Bibles have been delivered to the Acacia region! Because of your prayers and the prayers of other saints, the Bibles have now arrived there safely. Many Acacia people will now have a physical Bible in their home to read and study. Praise God for this huge gift! James 1:17 (ESV) says that \"every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.\" Pray for the believers in the region who will be giving out these Bibles to their unbelieving neighbors and friends. Ask God to give them the wisdom and discernment needed to know whose hearts are open to receive this good gift from above.
Tesfay is a believer who is working diligently to start a business. His desire is that the profits from the business will fund ministry throughout the unreached places in the Acacia region. He wants to send people to his \"Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth\" (Acts 1:8 CSB). Give thanks to God that the start-up funds have been provided and Tesfay can start preparing to open the business! Pray that peace will remain in the Acacia region so that his efforts will not be thwarted. Pray 1 Thessalonians 1:3 (CSB) for Tesfay, asking that his work will be \"produced by faith, [his] labor motivated by love, and [his] endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.\"
The Afar live in a region of Africa that is home to some of the world's hottest recorded temperatures. They're a tribe of resilient pastoralists who care for their herds of camels, cattle, goats, and sheep, and they often move from place to place in search of food and water. The Afar have a reputation for being fierce warriors who've fought many neighboring ethnic groups over the years. Recently, many of these historically transient pastoralists and warriors have begun settling down in or near urban areas. This is a result of outside development efforts and an increasingly harsh environment, both of which caused available grazing land to dwindle. In urban areas, the Afar are often an ethnic minority and are treated poorly by the majority population. Pray for peace between Afar people and neighboring tribes, and ask that the life-changing power of the gospel will enable them to live in harmony, for \"great peace have those who love your law\" (Psalm 119:165 ESV).
Give thanks to the Lord for providing opportunities for isolated Afar believers to gather together this winter, in answer to your prayers! Thank Him for blessing their times of Bible study and fellowship and for protecting them as they traveled! As the believers return to their homes and communities that are full of lost friends and family members, pray that they will live out the great commandment: \"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself\" (Matthew 22:37-39 ESV). Pray that the believers will show God's love and share the gospel with their loved ones.
If asked about your neighborhood, how would you describe it? Would you mention all the buildings (houses, apartments, skyscrapers, businesses) or maybe the lack thereof? Or would you talk about the people who live in or at least can regularly be found in it? One segment of the Amazigh population of Libya would likely tell you about the people around them. They would describe their familial and communal ties before referencing any physical features of the neighborhood. In describing the physical, you'd likely hear more from them about the purpose of the features than simply what those structures are called. Their homes are built into cliffs, but what you'd hear described is the security this provides from the elements as well as the outside influences they try so desperately to deter. Though seeking isolation from the changing world around them, they would still be incredibly hospitable. These Amazigh have taken refuge in the rock around them that predates all of them, but they don't know the Rock who predates those cliffs. Please pray that the Father will use their resistance to change and their desire for refuge to lead them to find and take refuge in the Rock of salvation (Psalm 95:1).
Although a majority of the population of Angola live in urban centers, there are still vast rural areas where subsistence farming and animal husbandry dominate the local economies. Many of these laborers are shepherds, and many are nomadic. Pray for the shepherds of Angola, asking that they will have opportunities to hear about and come to know the Savior. Pray that they will be drawn to the One who is also the Good Shepherd, He who loves and understands them and has laid down His life for them (John 10:11-15).
Give thanks to God for the theological education conference that was held in February in the capital city of Luanda! Pray that churches throughout the country will seek to work closely with seminaries in order to provide their members instruction in sound doctrine and biblical guidance for living. Intercede for pastors who are facing the challenges of countering cultural issues and prosperity teachings that can lead followers of Jesus astray. Pray that followers of Christ will allow God's Word to be \"living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow . . . able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart\" (Hebrews 4:12 CSB) in their individual lives.
Please pray for two brothers who are the only gospel witnesses in their community. Intercede for open doors, \"people of peace\" (Luke 10:6), and hearts that understand the gospel. Pray that these brothers will be disciplined to grow in Christ and in the confidence to share the good news. Also pray that people will respond to the invitation to come and pray in their house.
Hannah and her sister, Hope, are Ark refugees living in Europe. Hannah is a believer, and her sister, who is not a believer, has been coming to church with Hannah and bringing her two children with her. Hope is growing in her knowledge of the Bible and her understanding of the prominence of Christ for salvation. She is on the cusp of true belief that will lead to repentance and baptism. Pray that Hope will be strong and bold enough to \"confess with [her] mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in [her] heart that God raised him from the dead\" (Romans 10:9 ESV) so that she may be saved. Pray also for the salvation of the mother of these two sisters and of Hope's husband. Ask that these family members will be open to going to church, reading God's Word together, and, ultimately, following Jesus.
\"Father, we lift up Harbin and ask for Your protection over those who serve You there. Grow Your kingdom as schools in Harbin train new church leaders to shepherd new flocks. We praise You for the faithfulness of the local church in Harbin as they continue to teach and preach Your Word to those in their communities. May Your light shine through them and become a beacon guiding the lost so that they may find You. 'In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven'\" (Matthew 5:16 ESV).
\"Let's celebrate! We are excited and praise God for how he is working in the life of Patsy, who was injured in a vehicle accident in late January. She has made a full recovery, only a small scar remains on her leg. Best of all, her parents are allowing her to continue attending church. So many people were checking on Patsy, she felt loved and cared about by her Christian family. On Easter Sunday, she joyfully shared how God has been working in her life and she followed through on her commitment in believer's baptism. While we know that baptism does not save, in Cebu, Philippines, this is a significant demonstration of a person's dedication to following Christ as Savior and Lord.\"
Please pray for victims of human trafficking from the Northern Plateau, many of whom suffer in silence and fear. Ask God to bring justice and protection for the vulnerable and to raise up advocates who will fight against exploitation. Pray for healing and restoration for those rescued, knowing that the gospel can bring hope and dignity to every life touched by this evil. May God's light shine in the darkest places and break the chains of oppression. \"The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble,\" (Psalm 9:9).
Beth-Ann is a high school teacher who shares the good news through her World Religions Class. She has been having severe headaches that come and go, she needs to go to the doctor to have a check-up but keeps delaying. Beth-Ann told her concerned husband, \"What good will it be to get a check-up when I don't have the symptoms?\" Beth-Ann is the mother of four children, ranging in age from a high school senior to third grader. Please pray that she will have a medical evaluation and that God would heal her. She needs peace of mind as she is very concerned.
Please pray for an Indonesian Baptist denomination as they meet to plan and discuss how their local churches will serve Indonesia in the future. The theological issues center around local church autonomy, pastoral qualifications and the priesthood of the believer. Pray for humility, love, joy and clarity as pastors and church leaders gather May 5-6 to discuss these matters.
\"Have you seen ads on social media? Well, that will be our new strategy to target a specific area in our city. We have tried outreach plans before with this group of people, but nothing seemed to work. As we prayed and prayer walked the area, it became obvious much of their free time is spent on their phones. Then God opened the door for several of our team members to attend a Digital Engagement Class. We are learning techniques and doing research on how to effectively speak into the lives of the people group. We will use technology to advance the gospel! We are asking you to pray with us on the specifics. What type of ads would open hearts and make them curious? What time of day to run the ads? Also, pray for volunteers to serve as responders for the ones who ask questions and send prayer requests. We are excited to see how God is going to work and His kingdom grow through this new opportunity.\"
As Christians in the Asia-Pacific Rim pray, may God be gracious to them and gladden their soul. May they constantly remember that there is no one like our God, no matter what troubles they face today. One day all nations will worship before Him and glorify His name. Pray that believers, who are making His name known to the nations, will walk in His truth, giving thanks with their whole heart and glorifying His name forever (Psalms 86).
Nestled deep in mountainous areas throughout the southwestern part of China are pockets of unreached people groups who have yet to hear the gospel. Scattered across the heart of the country are many Han brothers and sisters serving faithfully among their own. Ask that God will begin to awaken these brothers and sisters in Christ to go and tell those who are still living in darkness that the light has dawned in Jesus Christ and that they too may know Him, love Him and glorify Him.
The Alxa (\"Ah-la-shan\") Mongols live isolated in and around the Gobi Desert of Inner Mongolia, China. Though surrounded by Buddhism, atheism and communism, they remain fervently dedicated to Islam, which creates a barrier between them and other Mongolians. They are one of the smallest Muslim people groups within China, and there are few, if any, Christians among them. The Alxa Mongols rely on camels for survival. The estimated two hundred thousand camels in the region outnumber the people eight to one. Though the Bible exists in their language, few Alxa Mongols have heard the gospel. They love to tell stories through songs. Pray for the gospel to be sung in the villages where they live. Pray God will break down any barriers that stand in the way of them coming to faith.
The Cai, also called Caijia, live in China's Guizhou Province and are one of many \"Undetermined Minorities.\" They are similar to other minority groups, like the Lu, Gelao or the Miao, but they consider themselves to be distinct enough to warrant their own minority status. The Cai are often shepherds or goatherders and many of them worship various gods and spirits. Today, praise God, there are Cai Christians who heard the gospel from other minority groups who were sent out to reach them. Please pray for these believers to grow deep in their faith and take the good news to others in the community and beyond. Though many are poor, pray for them to offer their little to the God who still can do great things with a small offering. Pray for strong churches to populate the villages where the Cai live and begin to transform whole communities.
The more that Tagreed, a college student, has interacted with her Christian friends and other followers of Jesus, the more she has struggled to believe the Islamic faith in which she was raised. In recent months, believers from various countries have shared with her, and she has even attended some Christian worship services. Continuing to be intrigued with the joy of those who follow Jesus, she recently heard the testimony of a follower of Jesus from a nearby country and the same religious background as hers. After the conversation, the believer asked if he could pray for her. Gladly agreeing, Tagreed said that she desired peace and freedom. What a prayer request! The believer then shared that true freedom comes only through Jesus: \"The truth will set you free. . . . So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free (John 8:32-36 CSB). Pray that Tagreed will encounter the truth through the reading of God's Word and in dreams and visions of Jesus. Ask that she will come to see that true peace and freedom can come only through Jesus and obedient faith in Him. Pray for continued fruitful conversations between Tagreed and her believing friends.
Like many Muslims of his younger generation, Mustafa is tied to his religion in name only and pursues a worldly lifestyle. During a recent conversation with a believer, he admitted that he was searching for the truth, so the believer readily shared Jesus' words from the Gospel of John with his friend: \"I am the way, the truth, and the life\" (John 14:6 CSB). Mustafa was moved by this passage, saying that he wanted to read more. The believer then went to purchase a Bible for him. Upon gladly receiving the Bible, he expressed excitement to read it. Pray that Mustafa will commit to reading the Book of John and that the Father will open his eyes to the truth. Also pray for the believer's continued relationship with him, asking that Mustafa will see the love of Jesus through his friend. Pray that, ultimately, Mustafa will count the cost and choose to follow Jesus -- no matter what.
Walid is a refugee from a war-torn country who came to a city in another country in the region in hopes of finding a better place to raise his family. What he found was only disappointment and shattered dreams, discovering that he couldn't legally obtain a work permit as a refugee. Walid was later introduced to a believer and asked the believer for help. The believer was able to provide him with some odd jobs to help him get back to the family he'd left behind. As the two were working together one day, Walid asked the believer a question he'd been pondering about why there are so many problems in the world. The believer was then able to share the truth and hope of the gospel with Walid. Pray that Walid will come to see that true peace can come only through Jesus, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) and God in the flesh (John 1:14).
The internet is a great way to reach many people with the gospel in their heart language, and it provides a place where seekers can ask questions and learn about Jesus with lower risk and more freedom. Pray that many will see and respond to a recent effort to share the good news online. Ask that God will give Majeed, a believer who responds to all the incoming messages, the wisdom and guidance and words needed as he intentionally and deeply communicates truth to those who respond to the gospel post. Pray that God will take the blinders off many people's eyes, opening them to the truth of the gospel. Lastly, ask God to give Majeed discernment to know who is really interested in knowing more about Jesus and who might be posing or only interested in arguing.
As the divorce rate in Azerbaijan continues to rise, many hurting people are looking for hope. Pray for believers who are inviting families to share meals together each month and discuss biblical principles of marriage and family. Pray that this ministry will result not only in families being strengthened, but also in those who don't yet know Christ coming to faith in Him.
\"Thank you for your continued prayers for the young Thai men and women that have been coming to the Bangkok Ministry Center (BMC). Recently, a handful of individuals have expressed interest in learning more about Christianity and the faith that we speak about so frequently. As a result, we will be starting Bible study once more at the ministry center. Please pray for the Thais that may come and join us; pray that they would have eyes to see and ears to hear.\"
\"I want to be free. I do not want to be tied down or have the same routine every day. I want to roam the desert and see where the land takes me, but I know that my family won't have enough to eat. We will be hungry and have no money to buy food. If my father knew what I was considering, he would be disappointed in me. But things have changed so much from when he was a young man with a young family living off the harsh desert land. I am going to do it; I will get a job in town and bring my family. We will have to adjust to living inside walls and not roaming about as we like, but we will have food in our stomachs, clothes on our backs, and money in our pockets.\" Please pray for the Bedouin of Libya, as they feel tugged between two worlds. Ask that they will come to know the One who meets every need, and pray that as they move to towns for work, they will meet believers who will share the gospel with them.
Little by little, there are more evangelistic and discipleship resources available online and in print. Please pray for these resources to reach a wide audience and allow believers to be built up in their faith and nonbelievers to come to know Christ and His people.
More than 20 years ago, Bible stories were told and children were cared for and valued. Now those children are adults, and some are wanting to hear the rest of the story. God says that His word \"shall not return to Me void\" (Isaiah 55:11 NKJV). There is beauty in the desert where the Beja live, with its various earth-toned dunes, rocks, and hills. This color palette turns to various hues of green after seasonal rains that produce grasses and desert plants. Those plants then produce seeds, some of which lie dormant in the ground while others fall into the soil and replenish the supply for the next cycle. Pray for Beja adults who have experienced seeds of God's truth planted in them for many years. May those seeds of truth take root, grow, blossom, and multiply. \"Lord, send Your laborers into these fields, ripe unto harvest. May Your Spirit cause growth, producing more seed and more growth. We believe that You are able to accomplish this by Your Spirit and for Your glory.\"
\"I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment\" (1 Corinthians 1:10 ESV). Pray for ever-increasing maturity in the lives of new believers in Mandalay. Selfishness, lying, and gossip are some of the sins that believers of the local culture face, in both their families and their churches. Pray also that as they grow in unity, they would be good examples to the culture around them and that this would draw others to believe. \"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another\" (John 13:34-35 ESV).
Join in praying for a young man who has a desire to be baptized but his father will not give consent. Ask God to soften this father's heart.
A member of Team Bucharest writes: \"Give thanks to the Lord for a weekly Bible study group and for local partners who are teaching discipleship principles through a Christian reading program for economically challenged and nonliterate women. Please pray for this group of women who want to learn how to read. Ask that they will be able to soak up what they need so they can read God's Word for themselves! Before leaving, each woman receives a food bag with staples to provide for her family. I'm so thankful for how the Lord moves in the lives of these women and their families to express His love in a very real and tangible way!\"
Tutoring, Bible clubs, children's church, and youth group are strong, consistent ministry and outreach programs in the township of Westlake. These flourishing groups are guiding children to love Jesus more every day. Please pray for the missionaries as they strive toward local ownership of the missionary task. Pray that local South African believers will be burdened to love, serve, and disciple the next generation. Pray that disciples will continue to make disciples for generations to come! \"And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also\" (2 Timothy 2:2 ESV).
A few members of the Cape Town Metro Evangelism Team and some local believers have just finished a seven-week trauma healing ministry training led by their team leader. Participants will be able to facilitate small groups in weekly Bible-storying focused meetings where God's love, sovereignty, and redemption are the themes. While attendees will commit oral Bible stories to memory to share with others as needed, there will also be time each week to break into groups to practice listening and to discuss personal experiences that could bring trauma into the Light. Please pray for God's leadership in the where, when, how and with whom these groups should be led. Pray for support and encouragement from the churches where they are connected. Intercede also for local believers to adopt this ministry personally in order to continue facilitating more groups among Capetonians in need of healing and in need of Jesus. \"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today\" (Genesis 50:20 ESV).
\"Ask the Lord of the harvest for more workers in His harvest field (Matthew 9:37-38). We have been blessed with some new workers this past year, but we need more to carry on the work. Pray for people to answer the call to go.\"
The Azeri minority in Kazakhstan is a little-known unengaged and unreached people group deeply loved by God. Their presence dates back to the Soviet era, when many were exiled from Azerbaijan to Kazakhstan during Stalin's deportations in the 1940s. Though stripped of dignity and stability, Azeris preserved their cultural identity throughout Soviet times. Today, they have integrated into Kazakhstani society with resilience and strength. Because Kazakhs (traditionally Sunni Muslims) and Azeris (traditionally Shia Muslims) share Turkic roots and an Islamic heritage, Kazakh followers of Jesus can connect with Azeris culturally. Additionally, both groups were required to learn Russian during the Communist period, making communication easier for Kazakh believers seeking to share Christ's love. Pray that believers in Kazakhstan will notice the Azeri people around them, develop compassion for them, and actively pray for and reach out to them with the love of Christ. Pray that Azeris in Kazakhstan will choose to follow Jesus and gather with other believers, and ask that God will give wisdom for gospel outreach among them.
\"We want to learn how to become missionaries like you,\" a couple who is growing in their faith expressed to Abel, a Peruvian missionary, one day. Praise the Lord for His work among these new Central Aymara believers! Pray for continued growth of the church in the community where Abel and his wife, Daisy, serve.
Grace does not yet believe in Christ, but this month, she experienced the love and support of the Christians in her life as she navigated a scary medical procedure. They prayed for her, went with her to doctor's visits and brought her food. Pray that as they continue to love and serve her, she would desire to know more about Jesus and how to find true healing in Him.
Thailand will soon celebrate the Thai New Year, which includes the popular tradition of crowds gathering and throwing water on each other. During the new year, water symbolizes purification and renewal. As fun as a citywide water fight is, the majority of those celebrating have no real relationship with Christ. They have no access to His water of life that can truly cleanse them. Pray for the lost in Chiang Mai to put their faith in Jesus so they can draw from His well of living water.
Londoners love their Spring Bank Holiday, this year on May 25, when they hope to catch a glimpse of the sun and relax over the long weekend. Brothers and sisters from London Chinese Baptist will gather for their annual retreat, seeking a time of spiritual nourishment and renewal. Pray that all who attend will be blessed with a word from the Lord, an assurance of His peace and presence in their lives and come away strengthened in faith.
There is a growing presence of Chinese in one U.K. borough and an adjacent district. May God provide open doors for cooperation with two local churches to reach the Chinese community. May He help them identify needs and determine how to best partner in doing outreach and starting a Bible Study that will lead to a new church.
During the month of May, high school seniors are spending hours upon hours in preparation for the College Entrance Exam in June. The pressure to do well is intense. Recently, one mother mentioned that students who want to have a good job in the field of education are now required to earn a doctorate degree. Please pray for these students, for God to give them endurance. Pray for believers to share with their non-believing friends who may be feeling quite hopeless. May more and more people in the City of Salt and Light truly trust and know the living hope!
Zainab's son believed the gospel and started following Jesus. Hammad shared the good news with her, and she began reading the Scriptures to compare it to the teachings in her holy book. After careful study, she now believes and wants to be baptized. Give thanks to God for this new brother and sister and for Hammad's faithfulness to share the gospel with his family! Thank God for bringing families like theirs into His kingdom. Pray for more new believers who will bravely share the good news with their families. Ask that entire households will follow Jesus together.
Pray for Brother Bee and his family, who faithfully serve the Lord in this city. They are seeking God's direction for the days ahead. Please pray that the Lord will provide clear guidance regarding where He desires them to minister. Also, ask our gracious Father to surround this family with His protection as they labor for His kingdom so that the nations may continue to be built up to worship Him.
Forty days after Jesus Christ rose from the grave, he went back into heaven. This proves his power over death. The event also provides an opportunity to share the truth of the gospel message. Churches and Christians in the Coffee People observe Jesus' Ascension and are interested to learn more, even online. This month the digital engagement team is sharing videos of Jesus' life. Thank you for praying last month for the digital engagement during the month of Ramadan. Three different videos about God's grace averaged one million views each. As Facebook and Instagram users came across the video, four thousand five hundred of them sent a message. They all had a question or statement. \"As I talked to people on the phone, they went from being harsh and combative online to calm and willing to listen,\" Braden* explained. \"The people I talked to seem to be seeking and were glad to have their questions answered. Pray for the videos that continue to be available online and the messages that trickle in to result in salvations.
For the past three years, the people in Starfruit Village have eagerly waited for a drama depicting Jesus and his life. The Eternal Peace Clinic, partnered with local Baptist representatives, churches and a local health college, shared a drama around Christmas and again on Easter in 2021 and 2022. In 2023, they all traveled to the mall to watch the drama. Since then, the patients at the clinic have asked, \"When will there be another drama?\" On May 2, a drama team will share a production about Jesus, His life, death, burial and resurrection. The Coffee People have Easter parties and gatherings, typically, a couple of weeks up to a month after Easter. With a community-oriented culture, any reason to gather with family, friends, and food is accepted. The team plans to share the drama and give out eggs filled with Scripture and candy. Pray that the residents who live near the Eternal Peace Clinic will warmly receive the message. Pray that this collective effort will enhance the partnership between the clinic and community. Pray for people to confess Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Mustafa and his brother grew up in a devout Muslim household, but as they grew older, they became increasingly unhappy with that religion, especially with the extreme versions they saw lived out around them. They both turned to atheism, but his brother eventually met a believer and started following Jesus. Mustafa stayed an atheist for years, having heard about Jesus many times but never making up his mind one way or another. Last month, he met up with a believer who shared the gospel with him and showed him the necessity of the cross. He had never understood before who Jesus was and why He had to die. After sitting for some minutes in silence, he told his friend that he agreed with everything that was being shared with him. He prayed right then and there to express his desire to follow Jesus! Please pray for Mustafa as he is being discipled by a local believer, asking that he will stand firm in his faith and learn what it looks like to follow Jesus wholeheartedly.
In March, workers in Guinea began a Send Relief project to provide water for a remote village in Guinea. This village has been living without access to clean water. Daily, the villagers have been drawing water from a nearby stream for their drinking and cleaning needs. However, the stream is contaminated due to land runoff, often making those who live there sick from it. They have been waiting for a long time to have an opportunity to have access to a well. It was when workers in Conakry met the pastor in that region five years ago and began offering pastoral trainings and Bible teachings that they learned of the urgent need for clean water that the village faced. Give thanks to the Lord that these workers have been able to come alongside this local pastor and work together to provide a well for the village -- a well that will not only supply clean water to the village, but through it, also share the hope of the gospel with those who don't know Jesus. Pray that through this project, many villagers will find and put their faith in Jesus as their source of \"living water.\"
\"I have a wonderful news to report from our translator ministry!\" writes missionary Lori Herringon. \"Over the past few months, the Lord has introduced me to more than 15 new people who are interested in translating alongside our Costa Rica Mobilization Team as we host volunteer teams from the United States. Praise Him! Please pray that I will be able to equip and disciple these translators well, and pray that they will see themselves as true partners in the gospel who enjoy serving alongside our volunteer teams.\"
\"Our Costa Rica Mobilization Team will be hosting a Go Experience team from Delaware on April 28 to May 5. During this trip, we will be doing evangelism trainings and outreach in the area of Ricón Grande. Ask God to open the hearts and ears of the people to come to know Him and the truth of His Word. Pray that the Go Experience team and the local church will be strengthened and encouraged as they do ministry together.\"
Eight Steps training is being organized for May 13-17. Please pray for smooth travel for the local trainees. Pray also for all of the trainers as well. Pray that the sessions will be effective for reaching across cultures, especially for unengaged, unreached people groups in the country.
A Czech church has been without a pastor for over five years. Please join them in praying that God will send a man with a heart to shepherd this flock or else that someone within the church will step up to serve. Intercede that the elders and church members will not grow \"weary in well doing\" (Galatians 6:9 KJV), but instead continue to love and serve each other and their community.
The pastor of a church plant in the Czech Republic needs your prayers for encouragement and support as he lives the very busy life of a ministry leader while also working a full-time job. This brother in Christ and his wife have a heart to reach their community with the good news. Join Team Czech Republic in praying for this family and church plant to have the strength needed to continue the work of the gospel.
\"The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed\" (Acts 5:16 ESV). Workers write: \"Medical clinics are an effective way to help the local population and share the gospel with those who may never have heard. One such medical clinic will be serving an area of Dakar this spring. They hope to see 200-300 people. It can provide a great witness for Jesus Christ and the love that God has for people! A person coming for help has an initial evaluation. They then go to the prayer room where, if they wish, they may have someone pray for them and their concerns. Then, as they wait their turn, there is a film being shown that bears witness to Christ. Please pray for the love of Christ to be seen as we care for the physical needs of the people in the community. Intercede for the health and stamina of the volunteer team helping with the clinic. Pray for those in the local church who will be sharing the gospel and praying for those who pass through the prayer room.\"
\"To grant to those who mourn in Zion -- to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit . . .\" (Isaiah 61:3 ESV). Missionary Karen Lee writes: \"I remember a song entitled 'Beauty for Ashes' recorded by Crystal Lewis. This song, along with Isaiah 61:3, was the basis of choosing the name of our ministry: Beauty for Ashes. Almost 13 years ago, we handed out our first piece of cake and cup of juice to some of the most vulnerable women in Dar es Salaam. To date, we cannot count the pieces of cake and juice that have given out over the years. However, we do know that lives have been changed! In the words of one of our earliest new believers, 'Cake did not save me, but God used cake to save my life!' Our Dar Urban Team is rejoicing that God still gives beauty for ashes and strength for fear. Please join us in praying for the four women who recently exchanged their mourning and ashes for joy and beauty!\"
\"Please pray that Deaf believers in one region will grow in clarity and confidence in their faith,\" writes the Deaf team. \"During a recent meeting, deep confusion emerged; every believer present said that they did not believe that Jesus is God. This deeply grieved our partner, Omar, and revealed how urgently discipleship and sound teaching are needed. Pray for wisdom, understanding, and strong biblical truth to take root in their hearts.\"
Pray that tight-knit Deaf communities in Nigeria will engage in open gospel conversations. Pray that Nigerians will learn that the peace they long for is found only in Christ, bringing unity, hope, and transformed lives across their country.
Please pray for relationships across the Middle East, especially among the Deaf. Pray that those who do not yet know Christ will be open to Him and that Deaf believers will grow in clarity and confidence in what they believe.
\"And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you\" (1 Peter 5:10 ESV). Many brothers and sisters in Christ are enduring a difficult time of persecution. Pray they would know that their suffering is for a limited time. These Christians are highly monitored and pressured to not follow Jesus. Pray for God to restore, confirm, strengthen and establish these Christians. Pray that they find God's strength to suffer well and, in so doing, draw others to faith in Jesus as well.
The Digo Team writes: \"Thank you for lifting up the volunteer team who came and served with us in mid-March. Please join us in praying that the Holy Spirit will continue working in people's hearts to draw them to Himself. May the love that was demonstrated through Jesus bring Him honor and yield much fruit for God's kingdom. We are grateful for volunteers who come alongside us in His service. And we pray for the Lord to bring the harvest!\"
In January, missionaries Luke and Leslie Montgomery asked you to \"pray for favor with the university, along with granted access cards and recognition to be allowed on campus\" for the university work they are doing in Durban. They are thrilled to let you know that the Lord heard and answered those prayers! The process was smoother and quicker than it has been in previous years, and every member of their campus team was granted access cards and parking discs by the end of February. Give thanks to the Lord for hearing your prayers and being faithful to provide the access they needed to continue in the work that is being done. \"When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles\" (Psalm 34:17 ESV).
Partners have begun to communicate more eagerly and intentionally, discussing vision and strategies for their own churches, as well as more broadly for the entire city. Pray that these conversations will result in unity, moving the church forward in the direction God desires. Intercede for even more cross-cultural conversations between the primarily Asian churches and the majority Italian churches throughout the city.
The Ecuador Mobilization Team writes: \"Please pray for our translator team. They are such valuable assets to each mission! Not only do they translate, but they also boldly share their faith and serve alongside us in whatever ministry opportunities we have. Pray that individually, they will continue to take time to abide in the Lord, and ask that He will continue equipping them in wisdom and discernment as they use their gifting for His glory.\"
Maruf is a man from the Emerald People who helps run a small business. He has had some spiritual conversations with a believer and has seemed fairly open. He chews \"khat\" (a narcotic leaf), so he is not always mentally available when that believer tries to follow up with him. Many Emerald People are similar to Maruf. They are difficult to get to know. They might work during the day and chew \"khat\" in the afternoon and evening. Their houses are sometimes far away from the city, and they are not quick to invite strangers inside their homes. Please pray for wisdom as believers seek to get to know more Emerald People. Ask God to provide opportunities for deep relationships so that these people will know that they are seen and loved. Pray that through these relationships, there will be many chances to share the gospel. Pray that many Emerald People will come to know Jesus.
Please intercede for followers of Jesus in Equatorial Guinea using Paul's words to the believers in Colossae: \"We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, so that you may have great endurance and patience, joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the saints' inheritance in the light\" (Colossians 1:9-12 CSB).
Walking alongside the African churches is critical for the Lead Global Training Team in identifying African partners and seeing them successfully sent as missionaries to the nations. It is the church that disciples new believers to maturity. The church's commitment to the gospel going forth to the nations spurs its members toward understanding God's heart for the nations and the need for obedience in obeying the Great Commission. It's the church that will pray and financially support African partners. Please pray for the African churches. Pray that leaders will guide their churches well and have a passion for the gospel. Ask that they will send missionaries from their churches for the sake of the gospel. Pray that they will give their time and money sacrificially to those who are called to go. This month, the Baptist Convention of Kenya will have its annual meeting. Members from the Lead Global Training Team will attend. Pray for the team to have positive interactions with those leaders and the opportunity to cast a vision and encourage them in supporting missions. Pray that the churches of the convention will respond appropriately and in obedience to how the Lord is leading each of them.
Please pray for Marie, a young woman in Nice, France, who has been coming to a café attached to a local evangelical church. She is very disheartened by organized religion, but she wants her daughter to read about Jesus in the Bible. Pray that through this curiosity and seeking, she will find the true life-changing power of the Lord Jesus Christ as her Savior! \"For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it\" (Isaiah 55:10-11 ESV).
A Baptist representative in the Black Sea region writes: \"Join us in giving thanks to the Lord that a 'person of peace' (Luke 10:6) has been discovered in a new village! We have been praying for more opportunities to reach villages in a particular region of the country. While one of our team members was working with a volunteer team, a former mayor of the village invited a local church planter to help him begin a new church! Although this man is not a believer, he sees the light of Jesus and desires for a place of worship to be provided for his fellow villagers. Pray specifically for Steve and his wife, Kate, as the Lord continues to draw them to Himself, and intercede for team members and local partners as they encourage them and begin this new work.\"
In the Forgotten Sunlanders' community, women lack freedom; their lives are often dictated by fathers or husbands, and most of their time is spent at home. While some have been able to pursue an education and even earn a college degree, many others have not. A growing number yearn for new opportunities abroad. For example, Fatima has waited for years to obtain a visa that would allow her to move to a country with greater prospects. After numerous rejections, she is now overjoyed to have finally received that visa! May her heart -- and the hearts of countless other Forgotten Sunlander women who place their hopes in freedom -- be lifted. May they discover the ultimate liberty that is found only in Christ.
Thank you for praying for Alan, a Fulani evangelist who has gone to rural areas for many years. Terrorist activity in the area where he was working forced him to stop going. Recently, a chief from a village in a new area invited Alan to come to his village. Praise God for this new open door to share with Western Niger Fulani! Pray for those who will hear about Jesus, and ask that Alan will find physical and spiritual openness. Give thanks for Alan's obedience.
Pray for journeyman Mallory Sherrill, who is working in a human settlement alongside a small congregation. Pray that she will have wisdom in knowing how to reach the lost in that community and how to support and equip the local body of believers. Ask the Lord to sustain her strength and guide her steps as she labors in that hard place.
Mara, a longtime Chilean pastor's widow, recently moved to Sector Oriente, the upper- and upper-middle-class northeastern sector of Santiago. As she has attempted to share the gospel with the people around her, she has been surprised by how resistant she has found their hearts to be and how slowly the new relationships have progressed. Will you pray along with her for hard hearts to soften to God's truth? Pray that gospel seeds will find good soil even among this more difficult segment of Chilean society.
On April 10-12, Alison, Charlotte, and missionary Kelli Frealy will teach a group of church planters' wives and pastors' wives in southern Chile during a \"Basic Training\" weekend. Pray that the reminders of gospel truths will pull their hearts more tightly toward their Savior, and pray that this training will multiply as each of these women return to their communities inspired to share gospel truth with others.
\"We live in a huge, densely populated city where the gap between the rich and the poor is very wide, leading to many challenges each day,\" writes the Sao Paulo Global City Team. \"Please pray for protection -- both physical and spiritual -- for the missionaries in our city, including our young children. Pray that we will love people well, build strong relationships, and faithfully share the gospel.\"
\"Upper-class and urban professionals often carry preconceived notions about Christians,\" writes the Sao Paulo Global City Team. \"Many see little need for God or have had negative experiences with the church in the past. To break down these barriers and build trust, we have been intentionally cultivating friendships by spending time with them and inviting them to share meals with us. Through these relationships, the Lord has opened doors for spiritual conversations and opportunities to share the gospel. Please pray for this lost group of people, asking that God will soften their hearts, continue to build trust, and allow these conversations to deepen so that many will ultimately place their faith in Christ.\"
Like all major cities, Sao Paulo has many areas where the poor live in slum dwellings. Sadly, violent criminal gangs control many of these areas. Pray for God's power to protect and move among His people as they courageously go to share the gospel message so that thousands living amid this vast lostness will hear and choose to follow Christ.
\"We have a need for field workers with healthcare experience in so many areas -- everything from community health workers to clinical medicine providers, from people to care for our field personnel and their children to those who can incorporate strategic church planting using their healthcare skills. There are so many needs! Ask the Lord to continue to call out the called and to mobilize workers for the harvest.\"
\"With the increase in sending from the Global South, we are getting an opportunity to help mobilize healthcare workers from Latin America. In September, in partnership with one of our International Baptist Hospital Consortium hospital partners, we will host a MedAdvance conference specifically to mobilize Latin American healthcare providers to the nations. Ask the Lord to bring those who need to attend. Also ask Him for clarity of communication and for many opportunities to plug such workers into our global work. What a privilege it is to join with the global Baptist community to reach the lost!\"
Women are marginalized in so many areas of the world. From not getting appropriate hygiene education for teenage girls to not having access to robust care for healthcare problems as adults, women are often left out of the healthcare system. Pray for a team reaching out to women in rural, hard-to-reach villages with a message of health and hygiene and, most importantly, a message of hope in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
\"In many restricted-access countries, healthcare is a great way to get a visa, help the hurting, and share the gospel with the lost. We have a need for all kinds of healthcare providers to join the team in one such country as they seek to reach lost people throughout their region. Please ask the Lord to call physicians, dentists, mid-level providers, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, etc. to fill this need.\"
Annie is a Global Partner serving a second term in the same country of service, but among a different people group. She has grown familiar enough with the work and ministry that she is leading foreigners coming for mission/vision trips. Recently, Annie led a group of seminary students from a country where persecution regularly occurs. Sending missionaries from this country can be challenging due to financial and visa logistics, yet churches still want to send. This trip with the students went very well. The students were able to see the local ministry work and, in partnership with local churches, to reach out to informal communities and see the initial missionary tasks firsthand: entry, evangelism, and discipleship. Bible studies and kid's clubs in these areas have yielded several candidates for baptism. Annie was able to challenge these seminary students to consider missions: both going and sending. Please pray for Annie as she continues ministering to under-served communities. Praise God for her passion and willingness to serve internationally. Ask God to continue to give her the energy to lead foreign mission teams and help them see beyond their current trip to generational possibilities.
A local body of believers has been praying that the Lord would add to their number, and recently, Oumaima, who has been a believer for several years, joined them after moving to their city. Since her arrival, however, there have been some issues in the group. It seems that she struggles with a critical spirit and also has not fulfilled a commitment that she made within the body. Pray for a more mature believer to come alongside Oumaima and disciple her. Pray that Oumaima will see in Scripture how her attitude is sinful, and ask that her heart will be softened to repentance. Petition for unity within the local body as they come alongside Oumaima and love her well.
After interacting with a delivery man several times, a believer invited him to have coffee, and Umar shared his story. He lives in a poor area of town, and although he has a high school degree, he doesn't have very many opportunities to better himself. He has two aging parents who are both sick and can't work. He's the oldest child and is expected to care for his siblings and also for his parents. He is under so much pressure and just wants to escape. His dream is to go to Europe, but apart from immigrating illegally, he doesn't really have an opportunity to leave his home country. Pray that as his believing friend shares the gospel with him, Umar will realize that his only real hope is in following Jesus. Pray for provision for Umar and his family.
Pray for God to give strength, endurance and joy to Christian Hakka, many of whom are former Buddhist adherents, to maintain their faith in Christ. Intercede for their protection, encouragement and deep faith amid pressure. Pray that their lives would shine and draw others to Jesus.
Praise God that Mrs. Nora, a woman who attends a local church in Hero City, reached out to her neighbor and shared the gospel. Her neighbor, Mrs. Alice, has believed and has since invited her three sons to learn about Jesus. Pray that Mrs. Alice will be baptized, her sons will believe, and that they will all be fully engaged in following Jesus, desiring to learn God's word.
Pray for a disciple of Christ who suffers with severe illness and now has had to leave her job. Pray that she be strengthened in her faith, her hope, her walk with Christ as a witness to the lost around her. Also, pray for another woman who is in the hospital due to severe brain issues. Her daughter, Imuzak, who is also a non-believer, met a Christian in her community who has checked on how her mother is doing and assured her that believers are praying for her mom. Plead with the Lord of the universe to grant miracles of complete healing to both ladies so that He will be praised from the heart by a Japanese Christian sister and two Japanese not-yet-believers. Intercede for these two that they will call on Jesus as their Lord and Savior. To God be the glory!
Binh was driving down his usual route; looking down the road, he saw a billiard hall for rent. The wide building was just the size he had been seeking. Binh is not wanting to open a billiard hall but a church. His group is currently meeting in an apartment, which they are quickly outgrowing. The process to open a church in Vietnam requires the landlord to agree to the space being used for religious purposes. There are many administrative processes involved in order to open a new church. Pray for Binh as his group continues to search for an acceptable, available space in the city, work out all of the details, and launch a new church in the next several months.
A devoted Honey People sister named Tsnite has been meeting with a support group in a conflict-ridden region of the Horn. She continues to study the Word together with this group. Despite the challenging circumstances, Tsnite radiates joy. However, she has a wish: She would love to have a study Bible! Unfortunately, study Bibles are not available in the Honey People's language. Progress is being made, but the translation of the Bible into that language is not yet complete. As Tsnite disciples and encourages others in their faith, pray that she will also grow and be discipled by godly individuals in her community. Additionally, pray for translators who are working diligently to complete the entire Bible in the Honey People' language. May the completion of this Bible translation strengthen people's faith and build God's kingdom as Honey People are forever transformed by the power of God's Word.
The celebration of Buddha's birthday will take place on May 24 this year for many around the world who adhere to Buddhism. For some, it is only a public holiday while for others it has meaning. Buddhism teaches that enlightenment is the ultimate state of happiness, offering peace and liberation from suffering. As this day is observed, pray that the light of the gospel would shine on those who follow those teachings. Ask the Lord to open their eyes to see Christ for who He truly is, and to bring them to a genuine understanding of our Savior's death, burial and resurrection -- the only truth that sets us free and offers the hope of eternal life, where joy, peace and true freedom from suffering are found in the King of kings.
Final exams are underway for many students across the city, bringing increased anxiety and intense pressure to succeed. This pressure comes not only from external expectations, but often from within -- a striving to meet exceptionally high personal standards. Pray that Christian students would be continually reminded that their worth is found in being created in the image of God and that His unconditional love for them is not dependent on academic performance. Ask that non‑Christians, amid their anxiety, would begin to seek God -- crying out to Him for help and salvation. May they recognize that their deepest need is forgiveness from their sin, see Jesus as Lord, and come to know Him personally. Pray that many would turn to Jesus and discover their true value and identity in Him.
\"The church plant in Tiszafured, which we partnered with a Hungarian pastor to start, will be voted on in the annual meeting of the Baptist Union of Hungary on April 25. They will be deciding whether to recognize it as a fully constituted member church of the convention,\" shares a member of Team Hungary. \"Please pray that they will be accepted. It would be a big encouragement to the Hungarian mother church to see happen, as well as to the many volunteers and co-workers who helped through the early, formative years of the church plant. Join us in praying for the new church as they continue to grow and also as they take on the responsibility of missions work in some of the surrounding towns. To God be the glory!\"
We live in an ever-changing, increasingly digital world. Isaan, Thailand, is no exception. Members of the Isaan Team are currently learning how to use social media ads to engage people then share the gospel. Two team members will be attending a digital engagement lab this month. Please pray that the information will help increase the team's ability to learn, implement, and plan toward engaging lostness in the Isaan region. Also, please pray that resources will be adequate for placing ads.
\"This month, the Isaan Team will be having a retreat, as well as attend a conference for all missionaries in our cluster. The purpose of the retreat is to develop our strategy to reach the lost in Isaan, get to know one another better, and strengthen our team relationships. Afterwards we will all attend a conference that our cluster provides every 4 years. It is a time of rejuvenation and encouragement as we hear teaching and worship together in our heart language, reconnect with co-workers, and obtain fresh ideas for reaching the lost in Isaan. Please pray for these two events that we would use the time for His glory and for His purposes.\"
Fahid has lived through years of war, watching jobs vanish and desperation settle over his town like a heavy fog. The latest clashes have only deepened the despair -- every siren, every distant boom from a rocket feels like a reminder that peace is a distant dream. Yet his neighbor offers a quiet smile, a prayerful word, and a new kind of hope. Pray that Fahid will no longer flinch at the sound of sirens or the flash of rockets, but instead turn his eyes to Jesus, finding steadfast courage and a hope that steadies his heart. Ask the Lord to provide for his needs, to open a way for honest work, and to let the neighbor's faithful witness become a steady beacon that draws Fahid deeper into God's peace and purpose.
The Feast of Weeks (also known in Hebrew as Shavuot and in the Book of Acts as Pentecost) is traditionally a time for Israeli Jews to gather to celebrate the harvest of the first fruits of spring and the giving of the Law of Moses. Jesus is the fulfillment of both: He fulfilled the Law of Moses, and He is the first fruits of the resurrection (Jeremiah 31:33 and 1 Corinthians 15:20-23). This Feast of Weeks found its fulfillment in Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit was poured out and thousands of Jews put their faith in Jesus, the Messiah. Please pray for the many millions of Jews who still need an encounter with Jesus. Ask that hearts will be responsive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and that many souls will be added to the body of Christ. Pray for the believers in the country, asking that they will be empowered by the Holy Spirit and share the good news of the resurrected Messiah who seeks to gather His lost sheep \"as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings\" (Matthew 23:37 NKJV).
Asaf and Tamar had been attending a local congregation for a few months. They both were new believers, delivered from a dark life and seeking to follow the Lord. They both wanted to follow Him in baptism, and, though not extremely uncommon, this certainly pointed to their inward change and desire to be faithful. The day arrived, and everyone gathered by the water. Before entering, they both shared their testimony. To the surprise of those present, immediately following their testimony, Asaf got down on one knee and proposed, to which Tamar answered, \"Yes!\" What a picture of the gospel -- the Lord has taken for Himself a less-than-faithful bride and made us one in His body, which is the true heart of baptism. Please pray for Asaf and Tamar's continued growth in the Lord, and ask that their dramatic, transformative testimony of God's redemption will bring many to Christ. \"That he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish\" (Ephesians 5:26-27 ESV).
Michal is a gifted young woman with big plans for her life. From a young age, people have pointed out how bright she is and how much potential she has. She has received many accolades and scholarships, so most people think she has everything she could ever want. In her day-to-day life, even though she participates in the traditions and religious celebrations of her people, she is convinced that there is no God. When a new student arrived in her class, Michal was surprised to find out that she was a believer in Jesus, as most of Michal's people reject Jesus as their Messiah. Recently, Michal's parents divorced, and that has shaken her world. As a result, she has found herself reaching out and spending more time with her believing friend. Please pray that Michal's eyes and heart will be opened to the realization that there is a very real and true Most High God, and pray that through their conversations, her friend will emanate the aroma of Christ that will bring Michal to salvation. \"For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing\" (2 Corinthians 2:15 ESV).
Rejoice and give thanks to God that volunteer teams from the United States are praying, planning, and preparing to come to Italy in June and July to support believers and reach out to the lost! Ask that as preparations are being made, the needed permissions for various outreaches will be granted. As God directs the steps of all involved, pray that they will continue to say yes to Him and that they will have \"divine appointments\" with those whom God has for them to meet. Pray that many people in Italy will have their lives changed for eternity when they come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Almost every person in Italy passes by a church building every day, but many are only aware of cultural Christianity and not a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Pray that true followers of Jesus in Italy will be strengthened and grow in maturity in Christ. Ask that churches and ministries will grow in lifestyle evangelism and that many new people will say yes to the Holy Spirit.
Japan has long been known as the \"missionary graveyard.\" It is a place where you can invest your whole life with relatively little fruit. But recently the Kyushu has been on fire! Somebody call the fire department ASAP! No, better yet, let the Spirit burn and let's fan the flame until the entire nation is ablaze in the Spirit. As a direct result of fervent prayer and extensive preparation, pastors are coming to the Fukuoka team and asking for training in evangelism and how to do Bible studies that are targeting the salvation of family members, friends, and work associates. Churches in the Osaka area are asking for deeper partnership relationships as well! Please join us in calling for an official end to the \"missionary graveyard\" reputation of Japan and let's declare a new day in Japan! When people get up out of the grave and walk around declaring Jesus, by definition, it can no longer be called a graveyard!
Osaka Jogakuin is an all‑girls junior/senior high school and full‑time university, founded in the late 1800s by early Protestant missionaries. Though the number of Christian students and staff has declined over the years, the student body continues to grow. Recently, missionaries on the Osaka City Team met the school chaplain. They were unsure what to expect, but God clearly went before them. The chaplain invited them to serve on campus by helping lead chapel services in Japanese and English, and he had other suggestions of how they could interact with the students as well as the faculty and staff. Pray for God's blessing as they step through this remarkable open door to share the gospel.
Recently, the Japanese high court called for the dissolution of the Unification Church in Japan. This cult was found to have unlawfully solicited financially ruinous donations from its members. Thank the Lord that one more cult that preys on the Japanese has weakened. The Japanese have a difficult time distinguishing between cults and saving faith in the One True God. Pray that the Lord God will open their eyes to truth and close their eyes and hearts to false teachings that abound, where so few people know the truth of the Living God. Ask that millions will come home to the One who is called the Way, the Truth and the Life, the One who leads His lambs to the living water and places of safety.
The school year in Japan begins the first week in April as compared to a lot of places in the U.S. where children begin their new school year following Labor Day. The Japanese school year that begins in April ends in March which means that the children in Japan go to school just about all year round. During the first week of April, you will often see many parents proudly taking photos of their kids smiling in front of their elementary schools. The boys will be wearing a new suit with a necktie and a large backpack, and the girls will be wearing a new dress with a large backpack as well. Pray that the students of Japan would be exposed to Jesus during the time they are in school. Ask that they would meet or encounter a child from a Christian home. Children from Christian homes are all too few and yet they are there and include children of pastors and missionaries. Pray for classmates to be invited to Christian homes, and through play and other activities. experience the difference that being in a Christian family can make.
\"Central Uganda contains the country's capital city, Kampala,\" writes the Kampala Urban Team. \"The population of central Uganda is 16 million people, and Uganda's population is the second youngest in the world. Throughout central Uganda, and especially in Kampala, there are university students from many different nations. There are students from some countries that are considered closed to a traditional gospel witness, and many other students from neighboring East African countries move to central Uganda for their studies. Not to mention, central Uganda is home to millions of teenagers and children! All these people need to hear, understand, accept, and walk in the gospel. We need a single person or a married couple to come to Kampala and coordinate 'next generation' ministry for central Uganda. 'Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest' (Matthew 9:38 ESV). Pray that God sends us laborers!\"
Kampala, Uganda, is home to many beautiful and diverse communities, with different tribes, languages, cultures, and traditions that together form a vibrant city. It is also full of people in desperate need of hearing the saving truth of the gospel. Pray for those facing poverty, illness, displacement, or hardship, asking that they will receive hope, provision, and care. Lift up the churches and local ministries that are serving their communities faithfully. Pray that compassion, justice, and reconciliation will be poured out from believers and lead others to come to faith in Christ. Ask God to raise up wise, humble, and servant-hearted leaders for Baptist churches in Kampala.
Join the North Coast Colombia Team in giving thanks to God as they write: \"Please celebrate with us on April 30 as we dedicate a missionary training center aimed at sending more local workers to serve among the Katio and other groups! We also will be using this center to train Katio believers along with believers from other indigenous groups.\"
Please pray for Kunthea, mom of two school-age children and a Buddhist. She is open to hear about Jesus Christ and the gospel but believes that all religions are good. Please pray that the Holy Spirit would open the eyes of her heart to the truth that there is only one true God and only one way to salvation. Please pray that believers will continue to reach out and share with her and her family. Pray that they would all come to saving faith in Christ Jesus.
Sam and Sina are a young married couple who are faithful servants of Christ. They love the Lord deeply and serve wholeheartedly. Recently, they have decided to leave their jobs where they are being asked to do things that are against their conscience. They are scared about the future, but they have peace in upholding integrity before the Lord. Please pray that they will have courage and trust in the Lord to provide them with a new way to make an honest living.
\"In June, the Kobe team is planning to start a new gathering, called ABC Café, at Amagasaki Church, where a recent partnership has been established. ABC Café is a ministry where the church offers an English song class for local residents. Through this, we hope to lower the barrier to the church and create opportunities for people to connect with the gospel. We are meeting with the pastor regularly to pray and prepare. We are thankful that he has willingly accepted this plan and is joining us. Please pray for that the pastor and church members will have strong conviction and a sense of ownership about ABC Café. Pray that many people, who are open to the gospel, will attend, come to church and grow in faith in Jesus.\"
Throughout the month of March and April multiple trainings have been held to equip the local church to journey with believers from a Muslim background. This is a groundbreaking training series! God is using it to soften the hearts of many churches to be open and prepared to love and disciple these new believers. This is a sensitive topic and there are many complex issues that will arise when they decide to follow Christ and join a church. The trainings provide a space where churches can begin to learn from Muslim-background believers and others who have been walking with Jesus in this context. Pray that participants will begin to overcome their fears, prejudices, and unbelief. Pray for both attendees and trainers to be led by the Holy Spirit in their conversations in order that the local body will be edified.
In a country filled with dozens of minority people groups that have been oppressed for decades lives a majority people still finding their place in the world. As conflict in Libya continues in sporadic bursts and the inhabitants strive to live life as best they can despite these circumstances, many are holding on to generations-old prejudices against the different people groups who are not like them but who share the country they all call home. Many Libyan Arabs work, go to school, and interact with individuals from several different people groups every day. Please pray that they will observe believers caring for and showing love to those who are not like them. Ask that they will notice these acts of kindness and attitudes of love and that the Father will soften their hearts to follow Him and, in turn, reach out to others who are not like them. May the love of His people continue to draw more Libyans to the Father.
\"Malawi is among the five poorest countries in the world, and the situation continues to worsen. It's currency has sharply declined in value, and the economic infrastructure is steadily crumbling. Ongoing global conflicts have only intensified these challenges. At the same time, regional flooding in some areas and severe drought in others are impacting the majority of the agricultural production and overall well-being. As a result, many families are finding it increasingly difficult to meet even their basic daily needs, let alone afford school fees for their children or tuition and supplies for higher education, including pastor training and leadership development. Please join our Malawi Team in praying that God will have mercy on Malawi, provide for its people, and bring stability, provision, and hope in this season.\" \"Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself\" (Matthew 6:31-34 ESV).
\"Please pray for our ongoing efforts to map the city of Lilongwe -- identifying places of worship, places of play, and places of work -- to better understand how we can reach every people group segment with the gospel. Our Malawi Team is actively working across the city, and we are training several Malawian partners to join us in this strategic task. Pray for: 1) diligence and accuracy as we map and collect information, 2) opportunities for gospel conversations as we move throughout the city, 3) open hearts among those we meet so they may hear and believe the good news, 4) growth and confidence for our Malawian partners as they learn and participate, and 5) lasting spiritual fruit from these efforts so that many will come to know Christ and churches will be strengthened. May the Lord guide our steps and use this work to bring many in Lilongwe to Himself. 'Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved' (Romans 10:1 ESV).\"
Give thanks for a month of community engagement between summer young people and those living in two Malong areas. They were able to build relationships, share God stories, and show love to the people through their service and acts of kindness. Pray for JB, Gracie and Becca as they follow up with groups of Malong men and women who have heard the gospel. Also, pray for a local fellowship which has connected with these Malong communities and is also following up. Ask God to bring continued peace in the area so these servants will be able to easily move about during their times of extended visits with those who have expressed an interest in learning more.
In recent years in Malta, there has been a renewed effort to reach out to university-age students. However, there are more than 10,000 post-secondary school-age students (ages 16-19), who have little to no access to the gospel in small groups or ministry outreaches. Pray for the few believing students in this age group to reach out to their peers. Ask that more laborers for the harvest will either come to Malta from another country or be raised up from among the existing believers. Pray that in the coming year, there will be a focused ministry for this age group.
Workers write: \"Please pray for a young single mother who is a member in our church. She is a good mother to her daughter but is struggling to raise her alone. The father is abusive to both and causes the family many problems.\"
Thank you for praying for the indigenous Baptist church and for the believers in Christ. The Map People are faithfully preaching and teaching God's Word and sharing Christ's love with their family and friends on the reservation. Please pray that they will be united as a body of Christ and that they will be a bright light in the dark areas of their culture.
Missionary Heddy Kim writes: \"Please pray that the members of our Mbya Team (four South American brothers and ourselves) will work together in unity and love, further remembering God's call among the Mbya people and diligently sharing the gospel message of Jesus, using the methods that God wants us to use while also respecting their culture.\"
Please pray for all government and non-government schools in Mebo Land. Because of economic challenges and poor infrastructure, education has not always been prioritized by families and communities. As times have changed, parents have seen the value of education and are sending their children to school. However, schools are experiencing a shortage of qualified teachers. In some cases, colleges have more teachers than students in the higher-level programs. Please pray especially for one school in Mebo Land that is run by Christians; they are currently looking for seven new local teachers. Pray for wisdom as the new school year starts. Will students have to be turned away? Pray this is not the case, and that God would provide the resources for all students and schools in Mebo Land. May the Lord provide workers for the harvest and open doors for every student seeking a brighter future.
May brings graduation from college, high school, elementary school and even preschool. It's a time when young people are making transitions. They ask themselves, \"Should I get married? Should I join the workforce in another country? Should I continue my education?\" But … are the Mebo people asking the right questions? They should be asking, \"Is my eternity secure?\" Are they following biblical principles for making decisions? Pray for non-Christians, as they question the meaning of life. Will they seek the Creator God or some materialistic or Buddhist tradition? Pray that spiritual barriers are broken down so that more people in Mebo Land come to faith in Jesus Christ. Please also pray for God's wisdom and direction for Mebo Christians as they graduate. \"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths\" (Proverbs 3:5-6, ESV).
Recently, on a Saturday evening, Leyla, a 10-year-old Turkish girl, told her believing father that she was \"ready to believe.\" He was thrilled that she wanted to make her profession of faith at church. When Leyla arrived at church the next day, she ran up to her small group leader and said excitedly, \"I am going to believe!\" That Sunday's lesson was about God destroying Jericho's walls. Afterward, the group discussed how Jesus can destroy the things in our lives that keep us from Him. This was the perfect transition to the gospel. In front of five other elementary school-age children, Leyla boldly proclaimed her faith in Jesus, saying, \"He died on the cross for me and rose from the dead three days later.\" When asked if she had accepted Jesus as her Lord, she enthusiastically replied, \"Yes!\" After reading Romans 10 out loud together, the class prayed together. As soon as they said, \"Amen,\" the whole class jumped to their feet and began clapping to celebrate Leyla's new life in Christ. Pray for Leyla and the other children in her class. Ask that this next generation of Turkish believers will grow up to follow Christ wholeheartedly.
Chinese churches in a city in Korea are preparing a One Day Evangelism Retreat together. As they prepare, each church is inviting unbelieving friends with whom they have built relationships, desiring to share the gospel with them. Please pray that the churches will be united in heart and purpose as they work together, and that God would go before them to soften and prepare the hearts of those who will attend. Pray that on the day of the retreat, many would clearly hear the gospel, respond in faith, and receive Jesus Christ as their Savior.
Emma and Ayan are a faithful Christian couple. One day Sahro, a Muslim friend, asked Emma why her husband has an Islamic name. Emma explained that Ayan was born into a Muslim family but began to read the Bible and spent several years wrestling to find the truth about God. Ayan knew that the cost would be great, but he decided to follow Jesus even if it meant that he would die that very day. He believed that it would be better to die for the truth than to live a lie another day. Sahro was shocked by the news that Jesus is the only bridge between us and God because of His blood sacrifice on the cross, which defeated death. Please pray for Sahro's spiritual eyes to be opened, and pray for her salvation. Pray that Ayan's name and story will be used to open up conversations with others who are seeking the true path to God.
Missionary explorer Emmie Johnston shared that one of the people groups they are seeking follows the Baha'i faith. Her team learned about a Baha'i temple in their city and decided to go. \"We went but we didn't even have time to go inside because of the awesome conversations we got into. My partner and I got to talk with a young woman who started following Baha'i faith only a year ago. She gave us some good info, but we also got to ask her about what she believes. My partner did a great job asking about what happens when we die and sharing the hope of Jesus! At the same time, my teammate and her partner were able to share with an older man who has worked at the temple for 30 years but believed what they told him was true! We were able to bring him a Bible. Please pray for this man and young woman to be changed by the Word and for the truth of the good news to be clear for people of the Baha'i faith!\"
Please pray today for Josh Davidson, a missionary explorer who has been seeking to share the gospel with a Muslim unengaged, unreached people group (UUPG). His team found it difficult to share the gospel with them because of their strong beliefs. Josh wrote, \"I tried to share, and one man would interrupt, and he didn't want to listen to me. But before we left, my national partner knew that he wanted to share with him, so he did! I'm just excited that he is being so bold, taking initiative, and not feeling like he has to follow my leadership to follow the Holy Spirit. We are having so much joy.\" Please pray for Josh and his partner to have more open doors to share among this UUPG.
\"While looking for one people group, we missed one of our connecting buses,\" missionary explorer Dean Missier shares. \"So we decided to walk around that village. Not two minutes after asking the Lord for an opportunity to meet our group, we hit the end of a side street where a man came tearing out of his home adamantly telling us to come inside with him and his family (it was well over 100 degrees). After this family shared their lunch with us, we discovered that they were the group we were looking for! We spent all evening with them and shared the complete story (creation to Christ), which they had never heard before. They were friendly but not interested in hearing more. This people group is very proud, even arrogant, of their work and beliefs. They said that they are the gods' gift to humanity. Please pray for humility without which none of them can believe.\"
\"I asked if you would pray while I'm learning the local language so that I could understand the locals and express myself. I see progress and am grateful for your prayers! Recently, I was able to practice sharing the story of Joseph in the local language during class time. After I stumbled my way through, my language teacher shared the story in perfect language. The whole time we talked, our house helper was listening. Our house helper then shared how the previous day she had a dream and woke up being prompted to pray and ask the Father to preserve her life. As she went to work that morning, she stopped to buy a prayer candle used in her religion. As she was there, a car lost control and hit a wall. A few other people died as a result, but she walked away with no injuries. She sees this as the Father protecting her. Please pray that God will open her eyes to see that salvation is not earned by traditions or good works, but is a gift of grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. Pray that she will have a true relationship with Jesus.\"
\"In obedience to our calling and mission, workers around the world value local bodies of believers and work to help build and support healthy churches. Please pray for our team as we prepare to begin the next cohort of local pastors and church leaders who will spend the next two years learning and studying the Bible together. These church leaders are committed to growing in their faith and understanding of Scripture. Join us in praying for discernment and wisdom as we lead them in their theological education journey. Pray that these local leaders will be bold in leading their congregations to grow and take the gospel to their communities.\"
Pray for a local non-government organization in Ulaanbaatar that is carrying out three community development projects -- helping women support their families through small businesses, guiding youth to navigate life changes in healthy ways, and providing basic necessities to those living in poverty. Ask God to prepare each heart to hear the good news and to become a catalyst for change for His kingdom in Mongolia.
Pray for a pastor and his wife from California as they prepare for and make their first trip to Mongolia, arriving May 6 and departing May 14. Ask God to speak through them as they facilitate a leadership retreat for RB Church in Ulaanbaatar. Also, ask God to speak through the pastor as he preaches on Sunday, May 10, and through his wife as she addresses a special women's event that same afternoon. With her unique background -- being born in Russia to a Kazakh mother -- pray that God would use her to deeply encourage and connect with the women she meets. Ask God to grant the translators clarity, understanding and strength throughout the week so that His message is communicated clearly and powerfully across languages.
\"Teams of students from American universities come and spend time each summer on university campuses in the city of Nairobi. These student teams have given our Nairobi City Team entry and continuing access to campuses and student dorms throughout the year. We thank the Lord for this example of faithfulness to gospel proclamation in this young generation! Local churches have seen a significant increase in university students not only coming to church and attending Sunday services, but also becoming members and being equipped to do the work of ministry. Some of these students are now leading evangelistic Bible studies, alongside other church members, in their dorms. We thank God for healthy church partners both in Nairobi and abroad! Please pray that this work in the lives of university students will be multiplied across the city. Pray, also, that many church members from healthy local churches will see the need to reach the next generation with the gospel and become involved.\"
Every year, teams of university students travel to Nairobi for seven to eight weeks in the summer. Each team stays in student housing and is partnered with a local church in the city. Each partner church identifies one or more universities in the area that they'd like to reach with the gospel. The students spend their summer on those campuses or around student hubs in the area making friends, sharing the gospel, and connecting students to the local church. United States International University is arguably the most secular university in Nairobi. That university is also full of students from all over Africa and even the Middle East. University outreach provides opportunities to share the gospel not only with Kenyans, but also with people from all over the globe. Pray for these student teams as they prepare to travel to Nairobi and pour out energy and love. Ask that the gospel will be clearly shared and that many people will seek to know God and the hope found in Christ. Pray for a spiritual awakening among students on university campuses this season. Pray that the student teams will be prepared to preach the word faithfully with great patience and careful instruction (2 Timothy 4:1-2).
There is a great need for strong discipleship and leadership development for leaders of new churches that have been planted in the past three years. Much spiritual warfare goes on in this area due to a strong adherence to Africa traditional religion within the general population and the longstanding presence of the Roman Catholic and Islam religions. Ask the Lord to make a way for this need to be met. Pray for Him to guard the hearts of these leaders against syncretism within their own faith.
Pray for the Ngoni people to turn from their sins and personally believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior. Most of them are committed to and followers of religious traditions, but very few have repented and believed in Jesus for forgiveness of sins and received the gift of eternal life. \"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life\" (John 3:16 ESV).
Give thanks to the Lord that another set of 32 wells have been dug in areas of northern Nigeria that are arid and barren, both physically and spiritually. There has been great rejoicing in the past two years as Send Relief has provided funds for a total of 120 wells sited in needy communities. The wells serve both Christians and Muslims, refugees and local people, across a number of unreached people groups, and they enable both better health and a chance to hear the good news of Jesus Christ, the Living Water!
In December, you were asked to pray for Rose, who works hard to support her mother and her siblings. She has a lot of family concerns that seem to weigh her down. Rose has heard the truth many times from believers whom she has worked alongside, but since Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting (which ended in mid-March this year), she has been uninterested in hearing more. Over Easter week, Rose was invited by a friend to watch \"The Passion of the Christ\" movie. She and several women who have not yet followed Christ watched the movie with some others who do follow Him. Rose walked out in the middle, claiming that it was too scary for her. Please lift up Rose and her friends as they consider the truth portrayed in the movie -- the part or whole of the movie that they saw. Pray that, together, these women will seek to understand what is true and follow Jesus. Pray that Rose will be open to hearing and talking about what she is thinking. Intercede for her family, asking that God will be glorified in the difficult situations through which they are walking.
After tragically losing family members a few years ago when her hometown experienced complete devastation, Nisreen made her way to a new country all alone. When severe medical concerns arose requiring further care, she then found herself in yet another new place. Determined to adjust to a new culture and language, she is thankful for a class that led to her making some friends who seem different than others she has known before -- believing friends who sincerely listen to and care about her needs and challenges, rather than simply gossip about and to others. When they share about the personal relationship they have with God, she is intrigued. Give thanks to the Father for the genuine friendships that Nisreen has been able to build with believers who are committed to sharing the gospel message through both words and actions! Pray that alongside physical healing, she will experience the spiritual healing found only in Christ. Pray that Nisreen will understand that the relationship she admires her friends having with God is offered freely to her, as well.
Dina, an older woman, has been attending a local house church fairly regularly for just over a year now. It's located one town over from the refugee camp in which she lives. She is thankful to have found a community of people who not only care about her, but also share incredible stories from the Bible in her native language. Dina has been hesitant to share with others she knows much about her experience. Leading up to Easter, however, the house church had spent much time in prayer and speaking about their desire to invite many people to join them, so Dina decided that she would ask a friend, Samara, to come with her that Sunday. Praise the Father for His ongoing work in Dina's life, and thank Him for her boldness in inviting someone to come to church with her! Pray that both women will come to faith in Christ and be open to sharing with more people whom they know. Pray for the continued faithfulness of this house church as they meet together each week in worship and seek to reach the Arabic-speaking community around them.
University-age student Deyana is trying to improve her language ability in order to be able to enroll in nursing classes. She recently met a new friend in her language class, and one day while studying together, she opened up about her life and the different opinions she has on religion, based on past experiences that led her family to leave their home country. Deyana was intrigued when her friend shared about the personal relationship she has with Christ. She showed Deyana verses about how much God cares for each and every person, and she explained how being filled with that love has transformed her heart. Pray for Deyana to understand the difference between empty traditions and religious teachings versus a life marked by a relationship with the one true God. Pray that Deyana will read more of God's Word and come to saving faith in Jesus.
Living in a refugee camp in a new country far away from family or familiar community for the past few years has been challenging for Masa. When she and her husband learned last year that they were expecting a new baby, they were very excited. However, complications arose, and sadly, the baby passed away, devastating the parents. Some new believing friends rallied together to help the family in different ways, while also sharing with Masa how sincerely they were praying for them. While Masa is thankful that these friends care so much, it's not the same to her as going through this experience with the support of close family members or those whom she identifies with culturally or religiously. Pray that Masa will allow herself to be comforted by her friends and the Father about whom they have shared so much. Pray that this couple may see, even in the midst of sorrow, the peace and hope that comes from a relationship with Him.
Soukaina, a young North African woman living in Europe, has consistently asked questions about her religion ever since she was a little girl. However, whenever she has searched for answers, she has been told not to investigate or has been disappointed by the answers that she has received. Soukaina longs to know God and is actively seeking answers to those questions that she has held for so long. She recently encountered some believers, and she listened intently as they shared about Jesus. As she continues to meet with these friends, pray that God will reveal Himself to her through His Word, through their conversations, and through her search for truth. Ask Him to give her clarity to see and experience Jesus as \"the way, and the truth, and the life\" and the only way to the Father (John 14:6). Pray that Soukaina will find new life in Him.
Aleyna had lived in North Africa all her life. She married very young, had a son, and felt very controlled by her mother-in-law. Her sisters helped her get out of the marriage; she divorced her husband and moved back in with her parents, along with her baby boy. Her son is now a teenager, and Aleyna herself is still very young. Having felt like she'd missed out on living her life, she took the opportunity to move to Europe when it arose, making one of the most difficult decisions she'd ever had to make: leaving her son in North Africa for her mother to raise. Fortunately, Aleyna didn't come to Europe alone; she's living only minutes from a few of her sisters. Aleyna quickly found work helping a European family in a home where she also lives. She hasn't been able to meet other Europeans because her days are filled with work or preparing meals with her sisters. She also doesn't have as much contact with her son, either from guilt or because she's living a different life than before. Please pray for Aleyna. Ask God to draw her to Himself and replace any guilt she feels with Jesus' forgiveness and hope.
Ibrahim lives in a large city. While on his way to the market, he encountered some believers and stopped to talk with them. He had recently accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, so Ibrahim was delighted to see that one of the believers had a New Testament written in his mother tongue, a Berber language of North Africa! Expressing his joy, he immediately took the book and opened it to the Epistle to the Romans. Ibrahim and one of the believers quickly engaged in a thoughtful discussion about God's Word. Ibrahim read verse by verse from Romans. He translated it for the believer and shared how profound and timeless the verses were. Ibrahim explained how the faith of his homeland had always been difficult for him, but added that Christianity and the gospel message encouraged him to stay strong. Pray for Ibrahim, asking that he will be strengthened and matured by the Word of God. Ask God to bless him and deepen his faith. Pray that North African believers will proclaim truth to all the peoples throughout the region. Pray that God will draw many to salvation through faithful witnesses.
It's impossible to see, yet it affects everyone. For those who live in the desert, it shapes and alters their lives. Often, they can hear it from a distance, as this mighty force makes its way across the dunes. It might merely portend the changing of the seasons, but it could also be the edge of a storm. If the force is fleeting or relatively mild, it might just produce a need to bathe along with some stinging as the grains of sand pelt the skin and irritate the eyes. If it's a weather system, then the consequences could be much graver. One caught out in a real windstorm might find himself struggling to breathe as the wind, filled with sand, creates an almost suffocating wall of dust that envelops him. Knowing how powerful the wind is and the consequences it brings, the people of the desert not only alter their lives to adjust to it, but also teach their children and guests to do the same. Please pray that, likewise, the Holy Spirit will sweep across the desert, causing people both to alter their lives and to teach those around them to respond to Him, as well.
\"He did not die,\" Muslim theology states. Muslims are taught that Jesus was switched with someone else. During the Easter season, Christians had the opportunity to share with their friends why the truth that Jesus died is so foundational to their faith. Thank God for these discussions! It was a new concept for some Muslims on the Arabian Peninsula and elsewhere in the Middle East. Pray for people who are thinking about this information. Ask that they will begin to understand the amazing concept of God coming to earth to die and breaking the power of sin to give us eternal life. Pray for many to come to faith in Christ in the coming months. Pray John 3:16 (ESV) over these dear people: \"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.\"
The Kanga people are one of the many ethnic groups that live in the Nuba Mountains. These mountains, which may more accurately be described as hills, are situated in the southern part of Sudan, near the border with South Sudan. The Kanga people's language is also called Kanga. There are no known Scripture resources available in that language. The Kanga people are walking in darkness. Please pray for God's Word to be translated into Kanga. Ask for the few Kanga believers to share the Word in their communities clearly and courageously. Pray for the Kanga people to accept God's Word and walk in the light. \"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path\" (Psalm 119:105 ESV).
Almost 29,000 Assyrians live in Turkey, and although they're traditionally from a Christian Orthodox background, many do not follow the teachings of the Bible or have decided to follow other religions, sometimes because of persecution and pressure from their surrounding cultures. Assyrian people are proud of who they are, their traditions, and their unique Aramaic language. They are currently not being engaged with the gospel in Turkey, but God sees them and is pursuing them. He desires that none should perish and that all will come to repentance, following Jesus (2 Peter 3:9). Pray for believers to connect with the Assyrian people in Turkey and joyfully share with them the hope and salvation that is found in Jesus. Pray that the Assyrians will hear the Word of Christ and believe in Him, calling upon the name of the Lord to be saved (Romans 10:14). Ask that they will be saved through faith in Jesus alone and understand it is \"not a result of works, so that no one may boast\" (Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV). Pray that the Assyrians in Turkey will be transformed by the power of Christ and the Word.
The population of Somali people in Canada grew significantly in the late 1980s due to civil war, instability, and violence in their home country. Many were seeking refuge and a stable environment, and Canada provided both in a new home for them. The Somali community continues to grow in Canada, numbering approximately 66,500 today, with the largest group found in Toronto, Ontario. They are still seeking ways to assimilate into the Canadian culture, such as learning the language and finding jobs, and several organizations are set up specifically to aid Somalis. Among all the ways that they are being helped, they are, unfortunately, not being engaged with the life-changing gospel of Jesus. Most Somalis are Muslim and follow the religion of Islam. Give thanks to God for providing the Somali people with a safe place to live in Canada! Pray for open minds and curiosity among the Somali Muslims in Canada to seek the truth of God. Ask God to give them dreams and visions that lead them to the Savior. Pray that local Christians will have eyes to see the Somali people and boldly engage them in conversations about the Bible and how to truly know and follow God through Jesus.
The Kalik people live in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan. They live off the income they receive from farming. The farmers raise primarily sorghum to sell as well as maize, okra, and other vegetables to feed their families. The seed of the gospel needs to be sown among this population of 31,000. Ask God to call out believers, both neighbors and those from the nations, who will obediently go and plant the seed of the gospel among the Kalik people. \"And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold\" (Luke 8:8 ESV). Intercede for hearts prepared by God's Spirit to hear and accept this good news. Pray for a harvest of a hundredfold among the Kalik people.
The Negev Bedouins live in southern Israel. They are Arabs, among the poorest in the country, who have struggled over land ownership due to their history of being a nomadic people. Most are now settled in towns, but some still herd sheep and goats. These hospitable Muslim people still live by the code of family honor and tribal allegiance. Pray that every Negev Bedouin family will hear about the love of Jesus and the stories of Him that describe how much He cares for the poor and the marginalized. Pray that they will meet believers in Him who can clearly tell them the way of salvation and fulness of joy even if life is hard for them. Pray that whole tribes of Negev Bedouins will come to faith in the Savior!
Please pray for the Tai Nua people of the Northern Plateau, an unengaged community deeply rooted in their traditions yet still waiting to hear the good news of Jesus. Ask God to break through spiritual barriers and open doors for His Word to reach them in their heart language. Pray for relationships to form between believers and the Tai Nua, that believers might learn to share Christ's love in creative ways. May this be the season when the Tai Nua experience the hope and joy found only in Him.
Several opportunities will be coming up for Team Norway as they continue to explore new population segments of their harvest field. Pray for good partnerships and a clear vision from the Lord.
Please pray for meeting between a member of Team Norway and a pastor from western Norway on April 14. They will come together to talk about a future partnership in western and southern Norway focused on engaging university students.
Miriam has had a life full of tragedy. She has struggled to find work and provide for her children as a widow. But despite hardships, she has come to follow the Lamb. She is smart and capable. She reads the Word and puts it into practice. No one else in her family has decided to follow Jesus, but she shares with them and loves them. Recently, she has been moved to fight and advocate for poor villages as a government official so that she can speak to higher-level leadership who can mobilize resources. Please pray that she will remain firm in her faith and know how to balance her authority as an official with her desire to share her faith. Pray that Miriam will be a light to those who live in a dark place.
\"As the new school year is underway, please be praying for university students in Panama City who don't know Jesus. Pray for our Panama Mobilization Team and our Panamanian partners as we plan the on-campus ministry taking place this year. May the Lord give us unity, wisdom, and open doors to share the gospel.\"
\"Please be praying for the churches throughout Panama that are connected with the Baptist Convention of Panama as they faithfully love and serve their communities while sharing the hope of Christ. Ask the Lord to encourage and strengthen pastors and leaders, build healthy and growing congregations, and open doors for the gospel in neighborhoods and families across the country. Pray also for us as missionaries with the International Mission Board, asking that we will walk alongside these churches with humility and a servant's heart, partnering in ways that truly support, equip, and bless them as we work together to see more people come to know Him.\"
The Panama Mobilization Team writes: \"Please pray for open doors as we visit local churches in the Chiriqui province and develop relationships with pastors whom we will be working with in the future. Also pray for success, as we are in search of our eventual Panamanian partners who will serve with us as translators and drivers to help us reach those who don't know Him. Lastly, pray for us to find adequate lodging and eateries for future volunteer teams.\"
\"As we build our ministry here on the east side of Panama City,\" writes a member of the Panama Mobilization Team, \"please pray for the partnerships we are forming alongside several different schools and churches in the area. Pray that God will use these partnerships to open doors for the sharing of the gospel to reach many, to help churches to grow in health, and to see many Panamanian lives transformed by Christ.\"
What if you were tasked with ensuring that 4 million people, spread out over an area the size of the states of Florida and South Carolina, heard the good news of Jesus in a way that they could understand and respond? What would be the best strategy? Please pray with missionaries Daniel and Sky Scott as they seek Jesus' strategy and Jesus' way to let all the Pedi people in South Africa have an opportunity to hear and believe. Ideally, the believing Pedi people should tell their own! \"Yes, Lord! Would You encourage, convict, and move those Pedi who know You as Lord and Savior to be bold witnesses to their families and neighbors? Jesus, help identify Pedi 'people of peace' (Luke 10:6) who will open gateways for the gospel into Pedi communities. Lead the Scotts to affluent business people (like Lydia in the Book of Acts!), people of influence, heads of families, needy people, spiritually hungry people . . . anyone who will open the door to the gospel. We ask that many Pedi people will have a new revelation of who You are as Christ, the Lord!\"
\"What Would Jesus Do?\" Before it was a popular youth slogan, printed on millions of plastic wrist bands, it was a moving novel, written in 1896 by Charles Sheldon. The book relates the story of believing church members who took a serious pledge to let all their actions for one year be done only as they believed Jesus would do. It revolutionized their town. Oh, that Pedi pastors and Pedi believers in northern South Africa would experience a similar move of the Spirit and commit themselves to doing only what Jesus would do! Please join in praying: \"Lord, we pray for the Pedi believers, 'for to this [they] have been called, because Christ also suffered for [them], leaving [them] an example, so that [they] might follow in his steps' (1 Peter 2:21 ESV). Please convict Pedi believers of the thoughts, words, attitudes, and actions that they harbor that are not following in Your steps. Bring them to a godly sorrow and repentance. And then raise them up to walk as Jesus did! We ask for revival among the Pedi believers that leads them to share the gospel with all those around them!\"
For the past two months, workers have been gathering a small group of young adults and university students in their home to study God's Word. Their prayer is that this group won't stay small but will multiply quickly into a movement of disciples who make disciples. Ask God to plant the biblical DNA of multiplication deep in their hearts. Pray for seekers to join the group and encounter Jesus and for current disciples to take ownership early: leading, inviting and reproducing what they have learned. Pray that this simple beginning sparks a ripple effect of gospel-centered communities across the city.
Please pray for local partner, Sheila, and her ministry to Nepalese migrant workers in the city. Through her faithful witness, a few have already chosen to follow Jesus! Pray for discernment and wisdom as Sheila seeks the best ways to serve them, and for boldness as she shares the gospel. Ask that new churches for Nepalese speakers would begin to gather in the city.
Pray for open gospel doors across central Taiwan -- for hungry hearts of peace prepared to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, that hearts would encounter the beauty and holiness of the Living God, for Christians and central Taiwan Baptist churches to boldly, wisely and compassionately share their faith, for God's glory to be revealed, and that the name of Jesus would be glorified and clearly known.
\"Oh God! You know that our faith is often weak when we see others at temples in Eastern Taiwan, when people reject the gospel. Pray for us to listen to the Holy Spirit, so that when we preach the gospel in the streets, we will grow in patience and gentleness, and then always have a heart of hope to bear spiritual and gospel fruit. We hope because the gospel is powerful. 'And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us'\" (Romans 5:3-5 NKJV).
Across Incheon and Gyeonggi provinces, many pastors are serving faithfully in their local church contexts while sharing a common burden to reach those who do not yet know Jesus. There is a growing desire to work together in deeper unity and cooperation for the sake of the lost. Please pray that these pastors would be unified in their efforts, becoming like-minded and sharing the same love. Please ask that they would be one in spirit and of one mind, as described in Philippians 2:2, and that this unity would shape how they pray, plan and serve together. Pray that God would use their shared vision to open doors for the gospel throughout the region.
Please join us in praying for campus fellowships in Incheon. University is such a critical time in students' lives as they form convictions, relationships and life direction. Student leaders involved in these ministries carry a lot of responsibility as they serve their peers while navigating academic pressure and personal growth. Please pray that these leaders and other believers on campus would be encouraged and strengthened in their relationship with Christ, finding steady joy and renewal as they walk with Him. Ask that their love for Jesus would overflow naturally into their friendships and conversations on campus. Pray that they would share their faith with joy and confidence and that many students would be drawn into community and deeper trust in Christ through their witness.
\"Teach me how to pray,\" she said to two college students. Those students had just arrived in Bali, still learning themselves how to intentionally seek those far from God, pray with them, and share the love of Jesus. Over the past six months, through consistent follow-up, Mrs. Amy has encountered Jesus in a real and personal way. She now expresses a desire to follow Him wholeheartedly. Please pray that she will grow deeply rooted in the Holy Spirit, grounded in God's Word, and connected to a strong, supportive community of believers. Ask that she would stand firm and courageous in the face of the spiritual opposition she is already beginning to experience.
Bible story videos, created by local believers, are spreading further and reaching more people each day. Pastors and lay leaders are using the story of the Prodigal Son to connect with their communities in meaningful ways. Please pray that hearts among those who are lost would be open and receptive. Pray for true understanding, that the message would be clear and life-changing for all who hear it.
Praise God for leading a volunteer team from Texas to North Sumatra this March. After 6 days of sharing the gospel alongside the local church, 55 people prayed to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Now, the follow-up work begins for the local Baptist church. Please pray for the pastors who are leading this follow-up effort. May these pastors and their follow-up teams find that the seed of the gospel has taken root in good soil and that it will reproduce 100-fold, for the honor and glory of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. May this amazing harvest bring transformational change to the body of believers in North Sumatra and beyond.
Please pray for Alicia, who has been coming to a Bible study on the Book of John and has been asking questions about what Christians believe. She recently asked if she could have a copy of the Book of John and wanted to know which translation of the Bible would work best for her. She is consuming the Bible and is attending every Christian gathering that she can!
\"We recently saw three people come to faith and were having trouble doing discipleship with them because they kept bringing more people to hear the gospel! The past couple weeks, local believers have been able to find and disciple these new believers one-on-one. They were engaged and excited to learn, and these small groups have been able to meet multiple times. Please pray that they will develop into resilient disciples who bring others to Jesus, too.\"
The Pearl Island team is experiencing some major changes, adding two national partners, but a long-time national worker and friend has decided to serve elsewhere. There is excitement to have new teammates but also sadness in losing a dear friend as a coworker. Please pray for the team as they reorganize, and for their friend as she strikes out on a new adventure. She is excited to use her gifts in a new way to serve the Lord. Give thanks for her obedience, even though it will be hard to move and start over.
We recently shared about Wayne, who came to faith in January 2026. The typical rhythm is for local believers to go back to visit and start discipleship lessons with him. However, every time they've been back, Wayne has brought more people to the meeting to hear about Jesus! Because of this, two more people have trusted Jesus. When the believers went to follow up with those guys individually, they had each brought more people to hear about Jesus! While it's frustrating that attempts to do discipleship have been diverted, it's truly the best kind of problem to have! Plans were changed so that more people could hear about Jesus. Pray that this group, called the Coffee Church, will continue to grow both in number and in depth of faith in the Lord.\"
Please pray for believers who will arrive in Pearl Island mid-April to seek the lost. Volunteers can be very effective in reaching the lost as they prayer walk and share the gospel broadly. Please pray that they will walk in bold obedience and that many people come to faith as a result of their efforts.
\"Thank you for praying in January for an American university student who is studying in Scotland. She then volunteered in the southeast region of Korea and God answered. She spent 150 hours ministering to youth and university groups. Her enthusiasm and diligence not only greatly helped to strengthen relationships with local partners, but it also helped to expand their English ministries to more young people and students. Please pray for the salvation of the many youth and university students that they will become believers and live for Him.\"
Please pray for another medical clinic that is an evangelistic outreach event to international migrant workers in the Southeast region of Korea. Last year 120 workers from 10 different countries received treatment and a gospel presentation. This year, at least 80 are expected to attend. A local partner's medical mission team provides a variety of medical services for the event. The international migrant workers are from areas of the world that are unreached with the gospel, so some will hear the good news for the first time. Please pray for these who will receive medical care that they will also receive Jesus as their Savior. And please pray for their physical and spiritual healing.
Socio-economic and political changes have reshaped the roles of Taiwanese women in many ways. For years, Taiwan had a female president, and many women are in places of great influence. However, the traditional role of being the main caretaker in a multi-generational home is still the norm. Taiwanese women work hard. They are the caretakers in the home. They are the ones shaping the beliefs of young children, informing the morals of teenagers, and giving direction to the next generation. Pray that churches will find creative and effective ways to reach women from all walks of life. Pray church members will share in their joys and burdens, letting women know that they are loved and valued. As women open their hearts to God's truth, pray that their changed lives will speak profoundly to their husbands and that they will instruct their children in the ways of the Lord. May these women be the bridge to their parents' and grandparents' generation so that entire families will know, love and honor God.
Aya became a follower of Jesus about four years ago. Her father, who is terminally ill, recently had a vision in which he saw a believing friend of Aya's with some gold utensils. Aya was taking the gold utensils from her friend and giving them to her father, but when he touched them, they would transform from gold into cheap metal. This kept happening until finally, Aya had some gold coins that she gave to her father, and this time they remained gold. After hearing about his vision, Aya and her friend decided to visit the family at the end of the Islamic month of Ramadan to share the gospel with her father. Aya's friend began sharing with him the day they arrived. At one point during their visit, they were able to share with Aya's entire family! Continue praying for Aya's father's health, asking that the Lord will sustain his life so that he might believe in Jesus. Pray that the rest of her family will also continue pondering the things they heard, especially one of her brothers, who is asking questions. Pray for future opportunities to continue sharing with her father and the rest of her family.
Please pray for entire families to come to faith so they have community straightaway. For all the significant differences, Islam does create a strong community among its adherents. Local believers have been sharing the gospel in a village area about two hours outside of the city for years. A few days ago, Mr. H confessed Christ. Mr. H was checked for thorough understanding, affirmed his confession, then he was challenged to go and share his new faith with his family. Shortly after, he came back and said his wife wanted to follow Christ too and they both want to be baptized! Pray for Mr. H and his wife as they study the Word about baptism and begin to follow Christ in an intolerant cultural context.
Please pray for the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan as fighting continues along the border. The ongoing conflict has led to the closure of key crossings, halting the flow of imported goods and causing prices of essential items to rise sharply. Many families on both sides of the border are struggling with uncertainty, fear, and growing economic hardship. Pray for peace to take root where violence now stands. Pray for protection over innocent civilians caught in the middle, and ask for humanitarian relief to swiftly reach those most affected. Ask God to open pathways for stability, cooperation, and the restored movement of goods so that communities can have their daily needs met. May God bring comfort, provision, and lasting peace to the region.
It doesn't take long when speaking with friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors in Wales to see the tragic effects of sin. Christians desperately want to share the good news of Jesus Christ with those around them so that those hearers can be set free from slavery to sin. The desire to share the gospel is there, yet believers are often tempted to shrink back in fear instead of boldly and confidently proclaiming the good news. Please pray that believers in Wales will become more effective evangelists. Pray that their evangelistic efforts will begin with prayer to God, who alone brings life to the spiritually dead. Ask that they will take advantage of opportunities to be trained in evangelism. Pray that outreach events will be used by God to share the gospel with those who will repent and believe. Please pray that churches in Wales will see a great harvest of souls this year as they faithfully proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ!
Please ask the Lord to send qualified local professionals who can serve as teachers in the educational services business. There is a significant need for these positions to be filled in a timely manner so that more language students can be accepted. Some of these are language students that need to learn the local language to be equipped for ministry on the island. Ask the Father to send the right people, at the right time, to fill these roles The need is great right now, but the options have been quite limited. Please ask for the Father to provide in ways that only He can.
Please lift up a team of volunteers coming to serve among the Peoples of Crownland Province this month. Their goal is to connect with university students, professors, and the students that attend a local educational services business. Please ask the Father to direct the steps of these volunteers and grant many opportunities for the good news to be shared in conversations among the locals they will meet. May the eyes and hearts of the local people be opened and prepared to hear and believe the truth of the only One who can offer true salvation.
A member of the Ghana Team recently shared the 'Roman Road' evangelism method with two women's groups. One of the reasons that she encourages women to share the gospel in this way is because most of them are familiar with or have already memorized the verses used in that presentation. This helps the women to feel like evangelism is something they can begin doing relatively easily as opposed to being overwhelmed by learning something new. Please pray that the Lord will help these women boldly proclaim the gospel to those around them, and pray that those with whom they share will put their faith in Jesus.
Larry and Faith continue their faith journey of advancing a family Bible study group into a house church. How can they take these steps? With guidance from local believers and with your prayers. Pray for each step from belief to Bible study to church to starting another church!
\"Praise God for what He has done in March through fifteen house fellowship members who went on short term mission trips to three different locations. They came back and reported seeing God do amazing things. They also explained the spiritual darkness and strongholds in these areas. Pray that Jesus would bring people to Himself in these three locations. Also pray that the house church members will use this newly found zeal to reach those in the city.\"
\"Our Southern Choco Team works with displaced people from the southern part of the department (state) of Choco, Colombia. Many of these people have left their homes and have come to the city of Bogota due to violence. When they come to the city, they have little to nothing and life is very different than in their territories. Our team is beginning a new ministry to have a more consistent presence in their community. We will be sharing the Bible with them, and we will also provide practical life skills to help them survive and thrive in the city. Please pray that as our team begins to offer these technical and basic life skills classes while sharing the Bible during each class, many people will desire to come and listen to God's Word.\"
\"Many people in the southern Choco region do not speak Spanish. Therefore, most have no way to listen to or read the Bible for themselves. Please pray for an aligned vision and strong relationships as a member of our Southern Choco Team works with translators and local people to record Bible stories in two of the indigenous languages of the southern Choco peoples. Pray that the translations will be accurate, the recordings will be clear and natural, and these stories will communicate God's truth effectively for evangelism and discipleship.\"
The Southern Choco Team writes: \"Pray that we will have wisdom and be united as a team in our efforts to love well and reach the Embera people for Christ.\"
\"After Mrs. Sue's recent passing, friends went back to her village to visit a few times in hopes of encouraging her daughter, Nina, in her faith. They went again in March to try to meet with her and study the Word to help her understand baptism. Pray for these believers as they return once again to Nina's village and study with her further. Pray that she will follow in obedience and with courage and that she will desire to identify herself as a follower of Christ.\"
Dana, who confessed to believe last year, after studying baptism, chose to be baptized! This is an incredible leap of faith, and she continues to meet and study the Word with other believers. Pray for Dana as she still fears persecution from her family. Pray that she continues to grow in courage to take opportunities the Lord is giving her to share her faith with her father. The Lord seems to be working in his heart.
Please pray for David and Zoey as they travel to the Seychelles for 12 days in May, alongside 10 Malagasy partners. The team will engage in evangelism through the singers' band, Tarika Ndriana Ramamonjy, and lead training sessions on sports-based evangelism. Pray that God will open the hearts of people in Seychelles to receive the gospel message. The local Malagasy churches there are willing to participate in evangelism and discipleship. Pray that the sports ministry team being trained will continue faithfully in this ministry.
\"I was teaching at a women's Bible study in Uganda, and a visitor to the group openly expressed doubts about her salvation,\" writes missionary Sonya Herron. \"I stopped the teaching and asked the woman if I could share how we can be assured of our relationship with God. Using the 'Roman Road' method of evangelism, we went through the plan of salvation. This woman clearly heard the gospel presentation and openly professed faith in Jesus Christ! The other women in the study rejoiced. Within a Bible study, it is easy to expect that those in attendance are believers and miss the opportunity to share. Give thanks to God that the women in the Bible study were encouraged to always be ready to tell others about Jesus!\"
\"Boda-boda riders provide the primary source of transportation throughout the country of Uganda. These are motorcycle taxi operators, and there's an estimated total of 300,000 riders in the capital city of Kampala alone. They're mostly men aged 25-45 who provide essential and quick transportation for people and goods in every sector of the country. The industry is poorly regulated, with many riders lacking valid licenses or national IDs and being associated with criminal activities. Despite these concerns, boda-boda riders are a major source of employment for males in Uganda. Missionaries James and Sonya Herron write: \"We have focused on the boda-boda riders stationed near our home since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. We recently expanded our emphasis to include riders at four other stages within our community. We have hosted twice-monthly Bible studies for the past six months and have seen 31 of these men, many of whom were Muslims, make professions of faith in Jesus Christ. At our final Bible study, each man received a personal Bible. Please pray that they will carry the message of Christ and show the light of His promises to those they transport in Uganda. Pray for wisdom as we prepare the next study for these boda-boda riders.\"
Pray for the group of around 20 young adult students who heard the clear gospel presentation during an Easter English activity. Pray for these seeds to be planted deep in their hearts, producing genuine questions, and a desire for spiritual truth. Pray that they sense an urgency to find out more about Jesus and grasp the powerful impact of the resurrection. Pray for Lao believers around them to reach out, invite them to church, and share more about salvation with these students.
Each week, some believers hold literacy classes for children and families that are members of two people groups upriver. These classes take place in the language school. They teach a Bible story, teach praise songs in the indigenous languages, help with hygiene, and then spend time teaching the students to write in Portuguese. Please pray that these classes will help to bring joy and life to the upper-river people groups. Pray that the gospel will be understood and then taken upriver to new villages and river systems.
There are members of at least five different unreached people groups who come in and out of a city that is home to some believers. Most live days upriver and are difficult to access. They are enslaved by the fears of animism and superstition, depending only on luck and sufficient witchcraft to find peace with God and man. The Great Commission of our Lord Jesus calls transformed children of God to take the good news of salvation to these people -- making disciples, baptizing disciples, and teaching disciples the commands of Christ. Lostness is pervasive in the area, but Jesus came to seek and to save the lost! Please pray that they will be able hear the gospel when they are in the city and that believers will be able to travel to their villages to share with those people groups.
About a four day-trip upriver, the people of \"Pepper Village\" have been listening to stories about Jesus, who brings people back to God. It is a new village with a few families who desire to believe in God and obey His commands. They pray together, sing praises to God in their heart language, and strive to walk in God's truth as described in Scripture. Please pray for them, as their people are largely lost. They have no biblical model to follow, no other church for fellowship, and few opportunities to be discipled. God knows where they live, and He loves them!
The Persian Church in Canada and elsewhere around the world is not large, but it is growing at an amazing rate -- all praise be to God, who is mightily at work! It is a small, young, and passionate Church led primarily by faithful yet untrained leaders. God has been using mature Persian Christian leaders to train and equip young Persian pastors in the task of shepherding the flock. These young pastors meet with these more experienced leaders for training in Bible study, ministry skills, prayer, and worship. Please pray for these trainings that take place randomly throughout the year. Ask God to use these mature, faithful Persian brothers and sisters to powerfully equip the Persian Church for fruitful ministry to the flock. Pray for the young pastors to be encouraged and faithful as they serve among their people for the sake of the gospel and the love of Christ. Give thanks to God for all that He is doing and has done!
\"Easter Sunday was quite a day for Beverly! God answered her prayers. While her family members are not yet believers, they were willing to join her for worship! Please continue to pray for God to work in their hearts. Beverly has a big personality and she was over the moon excited to see how God is working. This is indeed the miraculous movement of God's grace.\"
\"In March, the ELM Pregnancy Ministry in Thailand welcomed a lactation nurse from the United States. She came through a Health Strategies initiative that the IMB promotes. What a great joy and huge blessing she has been for the team! One struggle the ELM Team has is new moms not knowing how to keep their milk and giving up for the easy – but expensive -- option of formula. Care Teams have been praying about how to support new moms so that they continue nursing. Praise God the volunteer lactation nurse not only taught at each of the three ELM locations in Thailand, but she also connected with one of the moms who recently had twins and had stopped nursing. With her help, this new mom successfully started lactating again which is a huge answer to prayer. We praise God for her expertise in this area. The team feels more equipped to help moms in Thailand which is one way the gospel is then advanced!\"
Praise God for a new educational presentation the ELM Team has been able to create and present at a local Thai secondary school. Two years ago, the ELM Team presented the simple Life in the Womb presentation at this school. Then before this past Christmas, the school asked if the team would come back and share an abstinence message with just the secondary kids. The ELM Team is a cross-cultural team and brought curriculum together from Thailand, the U.S. and Korea to develop what they presented. The school loved the presentation and asked them to come back with more material in the fall. Praise God as He always goes before. So often things happen without the team doing any type of inquiry. God puts it on people's hearts and they call ELM asking for things. Beth, the founder, says that the team is experiencing the phenomenon called, \"Look what God did while I stood back and watched.\"
\"As I read through the New Testament,\" writes missionary Sky Scott, \"I see something I have never seen before. (Isn't God's living Word amazing?) I see Paul praying repeatedly for believers. So often in my own life, I tend to focus on just praying for the lost. But as I read Paul's prayers for the saved, I realize that if the saved are abiding in Jesus and Jesus is abiding in them, then they will be faithful and obedient, and the lost will hear the gospel. 'Lord, we pray for all the people in Pretoria who are Your chosen, born-again ones. We ask that they will be filled with the knowledge of Your will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding! We ask that You empower them to walk in a manner worthy of You! Let their lives be fully pleasing to You. Holy Spirit, let their lives bear fruit in every good work that they do. Would You please strengthen them with all Your power and help them endure with patience and joy! Thank You that You have delivered these Pretorians from the domain of darkness and transferred them to the kingdom of Your Son (Colossians 1:9-14). Let Pretorians proclaim Your praises to Pretorians!'\"
Has the Holy Spirit ever kept you from doing something? Perhaps He has graciously kept you from sin or from foolishness. But has He ever kept you from ministry? In Acts 16:6-7, the Spirit of Jesus would not allow Paul and his companions to enter Bithynia for ministry. Strange, isn't it? We don't think of the Holy Spirit keeping us from ministry. Truth is, missionaries Daniel and Sky Scott in Pretoria need what Paul and his companions needed. They need supernatural direction to know where not to start new ministry and where to start it. The Scotts have ministered in Pretoria for 10 years, and they sense that a season of new ministry is upon them. But the doors haven't opened up. Please pray: \"Where, Lord? With whom, Lord? Holy Spirit, You are the same Spirit who guided Paul. Please lead Daniel and Sky to a 'person of peace' (Luke 10:6) who is hungry for discipleship and training in godliness. Holy Spirit, please give them vision to see who is saying, 'Come over . . . and help us!' (Acts 16:9 ESV).\"
Six believers -- three couples -- sit squished into a booth at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in a neighborhood in Pretoria. Lunch after house church provides an extended opportunity to fellowship for these white South Africans. The conversation constantly switches between English and their mother tongue, a language similar to Dutch called Afrikaans (pronounced ah-frih-KAHNS). Their words are ones of desperation. These white Pretorians feel the future for their children in South Africa is quite bleak. Opportunities are slim. Even with the best grades in school, their children may be overlooked for entrance into universities. Even with the best work ethic, Afrikaaner sons and daughters are passed over in job interviews simply because of the color of their skin. The parents talk through the implications of raising their children in this country. Should they emigrate to the United States? Where does God want them? Please pray for somber families like these who are seeking the Lord's direction for their lives. \"Lord, as you led the Israelites in the wilderness with a cloud by day and a fire by night, so lead these people. May Your word be a lamp to their feet and a light to their path (Psalm 119:105).\"
\"Here in the city of Montreal, we have a training session once a month for some of our university students,\" writes a member of Team Quebec. \"This allows us to give them the tools needed to be disciples of Jesus who, in turn, disciple others. We train them how to lead their ministries well, with abiding being the foundation of everything. Will you ask God to grow, strengthen, and equip these young future leaders? Pray that He will place mission and vision in their hearts and protect them from the evil one. Here in Montreal, the language is French and the culture is a beautiful mix of North America and Europe. We have students from all over the world. Some come here, meet Jesus, and then take what they learned back home with them. Will you pray specifically for Mike and Anna, who've been with us from the beginning? God has truly equipped these two, and it blows me away with how much God is working through them! They are getting married this summer. Please pray that God will bless their marriage, that they will establish healthy patterns, and that they will continue to be a shining light to everyone around them!\"
Please pray for Jared, a refugee who hosts and leads a refugee small group every week. He prepares a meal for the refugees who attend, fellowships with them, and prays for them. Please pray that God will encourage and strengthen Jared as a leader. And please pray for the relationships between Jared and those he leads to deepen and that he will grow closer in his own walk with the Lord as well. Jared also desires to connect with friends, neighbors and coworkers who do not yet know Jesus by inviting them to participate in the small group. Please pray for many opportunities to extend these invitations. Also, please pray that non-believing guests will feel welcomed and encounter the love of Christ when attending the small group.
Noura is a single mother seeking refuge in a foreign land with her son, who has a disability. She encountered the Lord during a food distribution hosted by a local church. Since then, she has developed a growing awareness of the deep thirst in her soul for the Living Water. Praise the Lord for drawing Noura to Himself! Pray that she will grow in her faith and that she will trust and take refuge in the Lord in all seasons. Pray for physical healing for Noura's son, and pray for her sisters to come to know the Lord.
A small group of believers among the Riverside People carry a deep burden for their homeland. Their country has been greatly affected by conflict and political instability, but the Father has placed a desire in their hearts to return and share His hope, peace, and love with their own people. Pray for discernment as they consider what obedience may practically look like in the coming months. Pray for endurance and steadfastness while in the waiting.
In August 2025, you were asked to pray as Baptists churches joined in the effort to visit each home on the islands and give the residents a copy of the New Testament that had been provided by generous donors. Give thanks to God that many homes have been reached with the gospel and many individuals have been invited to become involved in a gospel-centered church near their home! Pastor Tiago asks for continued prayer for these churches to receive visitors well and to faithfully proclaim to them the Word of Truth.
\"God has been gracious to provide for the needs of Sapporo team members who are either in full-time language study or in the next phase of deepening language abilities. New tutors have been found, and Christian Japanese have been willing to work with teammates to provide vocabulary to speak and understand the church culture and its members. God has provided space in a church kindergarten for one of the children on the Sapporo team, and Japanese friends and neighbors have stepped up to help young parents navigate the world of elementary school. God has blessed with friendships in apartments and neighborhoods. These friends help team members better understand the way Japanese individuals think about the spaces they call home. Praise the Lord for so many answered prayers during these past few months as He again shows that He truly knows what we need before we even open our mouths to request.\"
Most households mark their calendars for the first week of May as \"Golden Week.\" Schools will be off for almost a week, and many working Japanese will take time to travel with their families. Several holidays make up this special time in the rhythm of Japanese lives. Sitting together with friends under cherry or plum trees full of blossoms or going to a nearby temple to celebrate Children's Day on May 5 are some of the simple pleasures Japanese enjoy. Pray for churches to seize opportunities to plan outreach events or have parties and barbecue get-togethers at their buildings. Also, pray for student volunteers who are coming mid-May for outreach activities on various college and university campuses. Pray for open doors, welcoming hearts, and for many gospel presentations to be given with boldness. Pray for partnering churches to welcome these students with open arms and hearts so that God can use all of them in reaching out, and working with, this generation of Japanese. Ask God to provide good health and good weather the entire time the volunteers are in Sapporo. Pray for the Lord to touch their hearts to reach the nations in life-long ministry.
Ask God to raise up more people to serve in the house churches of the South Mongolic peoples.
vIn South Korea, many young people focus on improving their physical appearance. Roughly 20% of Korean young adults turn to plastic surgery to change their appearance. South Korea has the highest rate of plastic surgery use in the world, with most clinics located in the Seoul neighborhood of Gangnam. Others use diet pills to become thinner and more \"beautiful.\" Recent studies show that about 60% of diet pill users in South Korea are not even overweight. This focus on looks comes from a desire to fit in with social norms and beauty standards. It also comes from a desire to experience love and acceptance. Please pray for the young people of Seoul to turn away from the idol of beauty. Please pray for young local believers to stay focused on Christ as they live and work in such deep social pressure. Please pray for missionaries to show empathy as they share the unconditional love of Jesus.
\"Heavenly Father, we thank You for the joy and privilege of sharing Jesus wherever we are. Thank You for providing teams who are willing to go overseas to serve alongside workers and local partners. We pray for one group who will be in Malaysia for about one week. We pray for Your power as they share. We pray for Your wisdom, as they gain a greater understanding of student life and ministry in this very diverse country. We pray for Your provision and protection each step of the way. We are excited at what You have in store, all for Your glory! In Jesus' name, Amen.\"
Just as was warned about in Matthew 24:24 (NKJV), the evil one is working hard \"to deceive, if possible, even the elect.\" Many of the deceptions come through the Scriptures being taken out of context or interpreted through the lens of traditions, where the weight of culture and traditions are heavier to the listeners than the Word of God itself. There are a number of leaders within fellowships who lead with a \"strong man mentality,\" making sure that the spotlight is on them and not on God, while speaking from the pulpit and twisting the Word to meet their desires. This type of leadership appeases many, as it's the norm coming from African traditional religion and the culture as a whole. There's a strong lack of servant leadership from the pulpits and a lack of reverence for the Word. However, there are those who are diligent to hold to the Scriptures and keep the Word and God as the focus. Pray for these diligent believers to gain respect and have a hearing with those who have strayed. Pray for leaders who are not leading well to be convicted of their sin and become the servant leaders that God desires them to be.
There are currently several countries in West Africa where it is challenging for Westerners to receive visas. In places where instability had already created difficulties in allowing the gospel to reach those who have not had the opportunity to hear, this additional obstacle has reduced the number of incarnational witnesses significantly. Thankfully, there are still those in the countries who know the gospel and can share it. Pray for the witnesses who remain to be faithful to go and make disciples. Ask the Lord to strengthen them in the task. Pray that He will allow visas to be granted once again so that more witnesses will have the ability to reach those who have not heard.
Pray for International Mission Board personnel serving in the Indian Ocean islands who will be gathering this spring for a time of prayer, planning, and encouragement. Intercede for safety as they and others travel to their prayer retreat. Lift up these personnel as they offer one another wisdom, encouragement, love, and care during this time. Pray for God's guidance in their planning. Ask for needed training time as well as time for strategizing. Pray for their children to have fun together. Pray for the refreshment that only God can provide to these missionaries serving in the Indian Ocean islands!
Nafisa was invited to a gathering of local believers where she had the opportunity to hear the gospel. She appeared to those around her to be closed off to the story, but later that night, she had a dream. In her dream, she saw a Man with a long beard, dressed in white, surrounded by sheep. He told her, \"You need to follow Me.\" The following morning, she shared her dream with a believer she knows, and together, they looked at the Book of John, where Jesus says, \"I am the good shepherd\" (John 10:14 ESV). Nafisa's friend told her that Jesus is the one who calls us to follow Him. Nafisa chose to believe, put her faith in Christ, and follow Him as her Good Shepherd. Praise the Lord! Pray for deep roots of faith to grow in Nafisa's heart and for her to follow through in obedience with baptism. Pray that her believing friend will come alongside her and disciple her.
\"Her husband died on January 1. She misses him. Her body aches with pain at her waist and in her legs. She is often dizzy and walks with a cane. But she is always ready to serve God, sharing the gospel in her home village on Tuesdays. She has led many to Christ where she formerly lived. Yom had a dream in which she saw her husband dressed in white, surrounded by angels. She said she wanted to join them. But they told her it was not her time yet; she had more work to do for the Lord. Whenever we invite Yom to go with us to share the gospel in her home village, she reports her aches and pains but is prepared to go out to serve God. God has blessed Yom as she fights through challenges to serve Him. Pray that God will continue to strengthen her body and spirit. May many more believe in Jesus because of her witness.\"
Last month, you were asked to pray for Bidea Church. Give thanks to God for the church's easy acceptance of the newly added pastor! Pray that God will continue to give each church member the desire for sanctification, obedience, and evangelism. Also pray for the many young people whom God is drawing to Himself. Pray for wisdom in the opportunity to rent a new church meeting space.
A missionary and a professor at Cape Town Baptist Seminary, Jonathan Baker shared recently about a student who, when he began taking classes at the seminary, learned that the health and wealth theology/prosperity gospel was not of the truth! Because this student has a great influence through social media, he went back through his posted sermons and took them offline if they did not line up with the truth. Praise God that His Holy Spirit has the power to reveal what is not pure and holy! Would you pray for this student and others like him? This misleading belief is prevalent in many places in Africa as well as in the United States. In seminary classes, in discipleship, in time with the Word and with other believers, please pray that God will continue to strip away what is extra and man-made and illuminate only what He purposes through His Holy Word. Pray that God will have much influence in and through the lives of these students as they take what they have learned to those in faraway places as well as to those across the street.
Students at Cape Town Baptist Seminary learn evangelism through a series of courses over four years: Theology of Evangelism, Muslim Evangelism, Evangelism in an Urban Context, and Church Planting Methodology. By the time students learn Evangelism in an Urban Context, they have already mapped a community, determined needs, and become alert to God's moving in communities. These students witness and note which people's hearts God has been softening to hear and receive the gospel. Students anticipate the fourth year and church planting. One student now teaches a Bible study in a community. It began with two women professing faith in Jesus. Those women attended a new Bible study. They then brought two more, who also professed faith in Jesus. These then brought two other women to the study who became believers during the first time they attended the Bible study. Will you answer God's call to pray for the seminary students as they share the gospel? Will you pray for God to soften more hearts? God wants all people to hear the gospel. These students are in the harvest field. Will you join them? \"And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved\" (Acts 2:47 ESV).
Pray that Liberian believers will be \"the aroma of Christ to God . . . among those who are perishing\" (2 Corinthians 2:15 ESV). Cultural Christianity is commonplace in Liberia. Pray that believers will live wholeheartedly for the Lord and be bold witnesses to their neighbors and friends.
Give thanks to God for a godly Liberian pastor who is faithfully preaching the gospel, teaching the Bible, and shepherding his congregation! Pray that he will abide deeply in God's Word each day. Pray for his holiness and perseverance in ministry. Ask God to bless his family and provide for all their needs.
\"Please pray for the upcoming six-week session of the distance theological education program under the Baptist College of Malawi and the Baptist Convention of Malawi, beginning this April,\" writes the Malawi Team. \"Our International Mission Board colleagues have been invited to help teach several of the classes. Each session will be attended by 6-10 Malawian pastors who are already faithfully serving their churches and eager to deepen their theological understanding so they can better lead their congregations. Pray for sound, biblical teaching from all instructors; successful learning and spiritual growth for every pastor attending; wisdom, clarity, and strength for these men as they balance ministry responsibilities with their studies; and for this session to further strengthen local churches throughout Malawi. 'He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it' (Titus 1:9 ESV).\"
\"Baptists in the Philippines have sent us a new couple!\" writes the Theological Education Team. \"The husband and wife are now in language study. Pray for them to learn well and adjust to the new culture. They will be involved in education and discipleship.\"
In early March, you were asked to pray for the Lord to bring rain to drought-stricken northern Tanzania. He answered! Praise Him! Good rainfall began falling during the last week of February and continued into March. The rainfall has been widespread across Tanzania and into Kenya, as well. Surface reservoirs are catching runoff. Polyethylene storage tanks are filling up. People are planting seeds for a hopeful harvest. The Send Relief emergency water assistance project was a great encouragement to hundreds of people. Water provided by the Lord from the rains is far better. Pray that the people will give thanks to the Lord daily for His abundant provision of water. Ask the Lord to allow the rain to continue regularly until crops can mature.
\"Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest\" (Matthew 9:38 ESV). A few weeks ago, more than 50 East African church leaders came to be trained theologically, intentionally, and lovingly by seminary faculty and staff. The adult students leave their home communities, their families, their churches and their ministries once per quarter to be equipped for the glory of God. These pastors, church leaders, men, and women have been called to be workers in the harvest. Their stories are real and poignant, joyful and challenging, faithful amid suffering. Yet, they persevere, they struggle, they wrestle with the task to which that Jesus has assigned them. Pray for the health, safety, perseverance, sound doctrine, energy, love, compassion, and tenacity of all East African theological students who are making East African churches biblically healthy.
Last month two volunteer teams came and handed out Easter bags containing tracts, the gospel of John and an evangelistic booklet for children and young adults. During this time, they had many spiritual and gospel conversations. Churches also had Good Friday and Easter services where people heard the gospel message and the true meaning of Easter for the first time. Pray that each piece of literature that was handed out would be read, hearts softened and an understanding of the truth gained. Pray for seeds that were sown to sprout into many new believers in Christ.
Most Japanese have no concept of a daily walk and relationship with a living God. Christianity's claim to absolute truth is very difficult for the Japanese to understand. Because religious words are rich with Buddhist and Shinto concepts, the Japanese language is a barrier. Pray for the hearts of the Japanese to soften to the truths of the gospel. Pray that they would have understanding and that language barriers would be broken down. Pray that they would search with all their heart for truth and that they would become followers of Jesus. Pray that they would enjoy a daily walk and relationship with the Living God.
Pray that the churches among the Tonga will be strengthened and that they will have a desire to see other churches started.
Pray for two groups who are currently going through sets of Bible stories, one through Old Testament prophet stories and the other through the life of Jesus. Many participants are asking good questions, and there are even a few who are reading more stories on their own outside of the group. Pray for open minds and hearts. Pray for dreams and visions that will confirm the truth of the stories. Pray that the Holy Spirit will use the Word to pierce their hearts with the truth and that many will decide to follow Christ. \"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened\" (Matthew 7:7-8 ESV).
Give thanks to the Lord that a local church recently voted in and installed a local elder -- the result of many years of prayer! Pray that the Lord will use this man and his family to continue to serve this church in humility and with joy.
A believer was inspired to start sharing evangelistic articles about Jesus on an instant messaging app. After a few posts, Sarah realized that this allowed her to reach more people than other kinds of social media did. Denise, whom Sarah had met a year ago, reached out to her. They'd met when Denise visited a church for the first time. After seeing one of those articles, Denise asked if she could have a Bible and also asked for prayer. They agreed to meet at church the following Sunday. At church, Denise confided that she was depressed and described how it was affecting her life. Sarah and a brother in Christ then shared truth with Denise. Sarah was able to relate some of her own testimony, which resonated deeply with Denise. Before departing, the believers prayed for Denise and showed her how to download a Bible app on her smartphone so she could listen to it while working. Pray for Denise to read and listen to God's Word and be changed by it. Ask the Spirit to draw her to Himself. Pray that God will give believers in Istanbul continued creativity in using resources like instant messaging apps to reach more people.
Like many young adults in Istanbul, Issac has walked away from Islam. He strongly believes in New Age beliefs and holds that all roads lead to everyone's personal happiness, which he considers to be the most important thing in life. A few months ago, Oscar started sharing the gospel with him. Issac has attended church and a few Bible studies with Oscar's small group, but he still does not believe that Christianity is true. Pray that the Lord will open Issac's eyes to see his need for Jesus and that he will understand the truth of John 14:6 (ESV): \"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'\"
It's been three years since Let's Talk opened in a Uighur neighborhood. Unfortunately, this education center, which was started by believing non-Uighur Central Asian families, has not been as successful as was hoped. Give thanks to God for the lives that have been touched in small ways through the center and through the classes taught in a nearby Uighur school, but pray for more to be done. The center has yet to have the amount of students needed to financially support the families of the Central Asians who have come to run it. Students come for a semester and then drop out. That's very discouraging! Not all hope is lost, however. Pray that the Lord will bring students, specifically Uighur students, since they are a minority people group and can be hard to find. Ask that there will be no fear toward the non-Uighur teachers and their possible \"intent.\" Pray that all involved will also be introduced to family members of students -- mothers, fathers, grandparents, etc. -- so that the gospel can go forth.
Praise the Lord that new believers have come to Christ from an unengaged, unreached people group in the Maluku islands! Join in praying for spiritual growth in Grandma Anna, Hannah, Isaac and Sammi. Anna's daughter has experienced mental health concerns for eight years. Believing that, through prayer, this woman can be healed and that her healing would bring glory to God, pray for her life to be a testimony of God's power throughout the community.
Batman might have come from a people group in the Maluku islands! There are old stories that say they once believed their people turned into bats at night. While they don't really believe that now, they are still very animistic, trusting in wood, cloth, swords, and other items blessed by the witch doctor to protect them. This people group has welcomed local workers into their village, even saying one worker who has returned multiple times is \"now one of their people.\" They are willing to hear the gospel, but their main objection is that they don't believe in a God that they cannot see and that God would never become human. Please pray for continued favor in this village, that workers may continue to enter and explain the good news of a God who took on human form to redeem us. Pray the Holy Spirit would illuminate their hearts and minds to accept and believe this gospel message and that many Bat people would gather to worship Him.
Genet is ethnically the same as the majority of people in Urban Rose, but she grew up in another country. Because of war, she and her daughter had to flee their homeland and ended up moving to Urban Rose. In that city, believers lead a weekly girls' group for older girls. Girls from a poorer community in the city come to a place where they can play games safely, do crafts, and spend time with other girls their age. Most importantly, each week, the girls are learning stories from the Bible. In recent months, Genet and her daughter have started coming to the girls' group. Genet is Orthodox, and she reads the Bible in her heart language and is very engaged with what is being taught in the group. Currently, the group is studying the Gospel of Mark. Pray for Genet and her daughter and the other girls who attend the group. Ask that they will be open to the gospel and respond to Christ in faith. Pray that like Genet, other families will encounter the gospel because of their daughters' involvement in girls' group.
Please pray for the ongoing translation of a church-planting curriculum that one of the local believers, alongside a few others, is translating into the Vax language. Pray God would give them endurance, wisdom, clarity, joy and remembrance of words as they translate. Pray, too, for Pastor Luke and the leaders of Elephant Mountain Church. Pray that the church would experience unity, love for one another and boldness in sharing the gospel. Pray that through their witness, the lost Vax people around them, and in the broader Vax state, would be drawn to salvation. Also, intercede for Lanna Village. Lanna village is made up of about 80 families, with only one believer in the village. In the last year, due to new village leadership, national believers are no longer allowed to enter and share about Jesus. Pray God would reveal Himself to this village through dreams and visions. Pray that God would help the one believer stand strong in his faith and open opportunities for him to learn and grow in God's Word.
Please pray that God would do a mighty work through adults and youth who are coming from the U.S. to partner with a group of believers, and one Vax fellowship, at the end of June. Pray that this group would be unified and encounter spiritually sensitive people. Intercede for the lost to be drawn to salvation and for the Vax church to grow. Pray that, even though there are language and cultural barriers, the love of Christ would shine through in powerful ways. In the middle of August, a group is coming from Taiwan to serve the Vax. Pray that, even now, God would begin transforming Vax hearts to be willing to die to self, be discipled and to grow in leadership abilities. Pray that God would provide everything the group needs and that their hearts would grow in wanting to share the gospel. Finally, please pray for another U.S. group coming to help the end of October with a Vax youth camp. Please pray this group of visiting believers would help these Vax youth see that God can use anyone, no matter the age, for the sake of the gospel. Pray God would give both the team and the Vax youth a spirit of power, love and a sound mind.
Several indigenous Wassulu workers are laboring diligently with a young Christian videographer -- and with others, as needed -- to write, develop, and film videos that share Bible stories in natural conversation and community settings to which any Malian can relate. In turn, they are being distributed by memory cards for use in cell phones and can be shared between people, as well. Give thanks to God for this opportunity! The fruitful use of their time in a season when other types of ministry activities are limited due to the spread of terrorist activities in the Wassulu region and difficulties getting fuel for travel is a blessing. The Wassulu workers ask you to pray for all the stages of these simple productions and for the equipment's reliability. Most importantly, pray that all who may hear the gospel of Jesus through them will repent, believe, and come into a saving relationship with God through Christ.
\"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face . . .\" (2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV). \"If only the believers in Jesus who live in Windhoek would begin to experience God's heart for those who do not yet know Him, perhaps the Holy Spirit would move across Namibia in ways like we have never seen before!\" writes Team Namibia. \"Please pray for God to break believers' contentment and awaken in them a holy burden for the lost. Ask the Holy Spirit to remove indifference and ignite in them a deep urgency to pray, to love boldly, and to speak the name of Jesus without fear.\"
\"Every Friday evening, more than 100 youth gather for a youth outreach event,\" writes Team Namibia. \"Most come from fatherless homes, and the boys, especially, struggle with anger and rebellion. They all, both genders, seek attention through causing disruption and chaos during the worship and Bible teaching times. We thank God that they choose to spend their Friday nights with us, but we need prayer warriors to fight in the spiritual realm against Satan's plans to hinder and to destroy what God wants to do in these young people's lives. If it is you whom God is asking to join us in this ministry, please pray that the Holy Spirit will cover the event with His peace and block Satan's chaos from entering through the doors. Ask Him to prepare the youth's hearts to receive Jesus as their Savior and choose to be His disciples. We thank God for you as you join us in fighting against the darkness in order for the light of Jesus' salvation to be able to flood this nation!\"
Farhat, who lives in Window City, has turned away from Islam and has long been uninterested in conversations related to faith and religion. However, one day recently, Farhat and a friend of his were in a conversation with a follower of Jesus, and Farhat began to express an interest in seeking the truth. The follower of Jesus shared the gospel with him, and since their initial meeting, they have started reading the Word of God together. Farhat is open and interested. Pray that he will see the door that is open to him and believe in Christ.
Please pray for a Bible study that is taking place weekly in the town of \"Rose.\" There is a lot of confusion in the area about the Trinity. Pray for the participants as they continue to discover who God is as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
God has answered prayers! The Student Strategist Team promoted a 1-month mission opportunity for Filipino young believers to join. These teams will go out to areas of the Philippines where there is little gospel presence. And God has answered prayers to raise up many to join these teams! There are 68 participants spending 1 month sharing the gospel and teaching from the Word. May God bless their efforts and may His Word spread and bring forth fruit!
\"Please pray for our Mexican global missionary partner who is serving among the Zenu on the main reservation,\" writes the North Coast Colombia Team. \"There are thousands upon thousands who have never heard the gospel, and thankfully, he has received invitations to share with new families. Pray that God will use him as he works among the Zenu.\"