2015 April Prayer Powerlines

April 2015

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. -Philippians 3:10-11

1. CHILDREN’S MINISTRY. Children’s work plays a vital role in gospel ministry. Pray for a team in Cambodia that is considering starting a children’s outreach in a village in Snoul. Ask God to give the team discernment and wisdom as to the timing and appropriateness of this ministry.
2. CHRISTIAN PRINTING. Praise the Lord that, in Vietnam, publishing books on Christian topics and themes is now possible. Ask God for good distribution of materials, for quality translation work and for the creation of original material by Vietnamese believers.
3. TRANSFORMATION NEEDED. An unbelieving Chinese father who heard the gospel in the U.S. is hoping his daughter in China will become a Christian for moral reasons. Pray for the spiritual transformation of this entire family as they hear and respond to the good news of God’s grace.
4. VISAS DENIED. Christian workers who have been ministering in a Muslim village in Southeast Asia have been forced to leave because their visas were denied. Pray that God gives this couple wisdom and peace in their next steps, and provides Christian witness to this unreached village.
5. HE IS RISEN! Christians throughout East Asia and the world celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ today. Pray for the message of hope and salvation to be proclaimed in East Asia’s churches big and small this Easter weekend, when many believers will reach out to unbelieving family, neighbors and co-workers.
6. PERSECUTED HMONG. Please continue to pray for the persecuted Hmong believers in East Asia, that the Lord would continue to give them courage, strength, boldness and joy, as well as the ability to overcome evil with his good. Also pray that the Lord will bless every effort of theirs to share the gospel with their enemies.
7. MULTIPLICATION. A missional business in East Asia is dealing with a lot of turnover recently. One worker is returning—as a Christian—to her home village; another is hoping to establish a similar business in another major city. Pray for God to use these women to reach people in the communities they are moving to.
8. TRUE FAITH. A mother and daughter were recently baptized on the same day in China. It was unclear whether the mother’s faith was genuine, but in recent months she has renounced the influence of idols and evil spirits over her life and is meeting regularly with other believers. Pray for these new Christians’ faith to grow and overflow to others.
9. A SENDING COUNTRY. “God is moving the church in China towards cross-cultural mission within China and around the world,” writes a long-time Christian worker in China. Ask for God’s blessing and leading as Chinese believers find their roles in the Great Commission.
10. PD COURSE PREPARATION. Intercede for OMF International’s U.S. Partnership Development Training from April 13-16. There could be more than 20 people in attendance. Pray for the final planning and preparation details to be worked out as quickly as possible, and lift up the PD team as they prepare the training.
11. WELCOME PARTY. Sapporo International Church will host its International Welcome Party on April 18. Pray for leaders to emerge from the English Speakers Fellowship group who will be able to plan a fun and meaningful evening and that members will invite and befriend new students that arrive on the Hokkaido University campus in April.
12. LONG-AWAITED ANSWER. After 21 years of intercession for him, a Japanese math teacher came to faith in Christ just days before his death. Praise God for answering the persevering prayers of many and for the gift of salvation he offers to the Japanese people.
13. LEADERSHIP AND TEAMWORK. Praise God that more than 50 Union Bible Theological College graduates in Mongolia attended the recent Alumni Institute, where they were taught about leadership and teamwork. Pray for them as they take what they learn to their ministries, that God would help them to lead and serve well.
14. BIBLE SHIPMENT. Pray for a large shipment of Bibles in Myanmar to arrive at their destination and that the people group they are intended to reach will have their lives transformed by daily interaction with the Living Word.
15. HOLIDAY IN NK. Today is North Korea founder Kim Il-Sung’s birthday, a major national holiday in NK, where Kim Il-Sung, his son (Kim Jong-Il) and grandson (current NK leader Kim Jong-Un) are revered like deities. Pray for God to turn the hearts of North Koreans and their leaders to Christ.
16. CHURCH ANNIVERSARY. Tacloban Christian Church in Tacloban City in the Philippines, the site of Typhoon Haiyan’s destruction in November 2013, celebrated its 50th anniversary in February. Members united in sharing their gratitude for life and new beginnings. Praise God for their faith. Pray that the Lord continues to be their refuge.
17. UNEXPECTED INTEREST. Two Christian workers in the Philippines gave Bibles and a devotional to two security guards in their apartment building and shared about the Lord. One seemingly uninterested guard later asked the workers for another devotional for his friend, with whom he had been sharing his faith in Christ. Pray that the Spirit bolsters this man’s faith and draws his friend to Christ.
18. DECLINE IN WORKERS. The OMF Philippines field predicts that their team could decrease by 41 percent over the next four years if no new workers arrive, putting the team at 57 people where they once had 130 in 2009. With 29 million people in 21,000 villages without evangelical churches or witness in the Philippines, pray that God provides workers to bring the message of Christ to those without eternal hope.
19. FD SEARCH. OMF International’s Cambodia field is currently in the process of identifying its next Field Director. Please pray for wisdom and discernment for those involved in coordinating this appointment. Also ask God to confirm his calling to the right candidates.
20. PROSTHESIS GIFT. A young man in Southeast Asia was taken by some Christian workers to his country’s capital to receive a prosthetic limb. During his trip, he heard Bible stories in his local dialect. His community has been speaking well of the Christian workers who offered the help. Pray that God’s word would not return void and that this young man would come to faith, influencing all those around him.
21. BOARD OF TRUSTEES. The OMF International (U.S.) Board of Trustees will have their semi-annual meeting April 23-25, 2015. God has provided a wonderful team of board members who are committed to faithfully serve and monitor the work of OMF. Pray for clear guidance and direction as the board members meet together, pray and seek God for his answer to every item on the agenda.
22. PASSING THE TORCH. After 28 years of service in Taiwan, OMF International workers Randy and Janet Adams are retiring. Praise God for their investment in Taiwan’s people and WanHua Bible Church, now ready to function without the Adams’ leadership. Pray that members will take on leadership roles and continue baptizing and discipling new believers.
23. COUNSELING SEMINARS. OMF International worker Tina Keller has begun leading seminars on counseling-related topics at a ministry center in Taiping, Taiwan. Her seminar on the topic of depression was well-attended by the community, mostly non-Christians. Conflict resolution will be covered in her next seminar. Pray that attendees’ lives would be transformed through the Spirit’s work in these classes.
24. THA RUA CHURCH. “With many people come many opinions,” says a church leader at Tha Rua Church in Thailand. Praise God that the church is growing such that a larger sanctuary is needed, but pray for wisdom as the leadership structure changes to accommodate growth. Pray that the church becomes increasingly effective in outreach and in loving one another.
25. NOT GIVING UP. “We’ll just have to do more evangelism,” said a Thai church member in response to people dropping out of a cell group in Don Phut, Thailand. Praise God for this believer’s perseverance and evangelistic fervor. Pray that worldly “successes,” family troubles and spiritual apathy would not prevent the growth of this fellowship group.
26. VISION OF CHURCHES. “We envision at least 42 churches through 42 graduates,” says Daniel Kim, Director of Chiang Mai Theological Seminary of the February 28 graduates from CMTS. Pray that this vision will materialize, drawing Thailand’s people away from adherence to Buddhism, that they may embrace Christ.
27. BILLION-DOLLAR MOSQUE. The Jame‘Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque is Brunei’s largest mosque and was built in 1992 at a cost of one billion Brunei dollars. Pray for the thousands of Muslims who pray there regularly, that they would move beyond the Arabic ritual and hear from God in prayer.
28. PRESIDENT. Michael Littlefield, President and National Director of OMF International (U.S.) continues to speak at mission conferences, sharing stories of how God is at work in and through the ministry of OMF. Pray for opportunities in churches throughout the country to open so that the needs of East Asia will be known and the work of OMF will continue to expand.
29. INTERCEDE FOR LEADERS. Committed, faithful intercession for Christian leaders is the key that unlocks increased spiritual power to Christian ministries. Our leaders are chosen by God to move his kingdom forward and to release those bound by darkness. Pray for God to empower and protect our chosen leaders.
30. JUNE USOC. An OMF International (U.S.) Orientation Course is scheduled for June with about 16 people in application for candidacy and hopeful to attend. Pray that God would make a way for those who need to be there. Ask the Lord to guide OMF staff as they discern who God is calling to the field.

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