2016 August Prayer Powerlines

“I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.” Ephesians 3:17-18

1. PRAY FOR CAMBODIA. This month, join us in prayer for Cambodia, a predominantly Buddhist country. The church there is growing, but its leaders need training and discipleship. Ask God to send workers who will patiently invest in the church to see sustainable church movements in Cambodia.
2. HUMAN TRAFFICKING. Cambodian women and children are often trafficked to Thailand and Malaysia for forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation. Men are often sent to Thailand for labor exploitation in the construction and fishing industries. Pray for human trafficking in Southeast Asia to stop. Ask God to use a variety of means—governments, non-profits, churches etc.—to stop this modern-day slavery.
3. PERSECUTION. Christians in Laos still face persecution. Pray for freedom for evangelism, church planting, for the effective use of present freedoms and for changes that will open Laos up for the preaching of the gospel. Pray that Christians would reach out, especially to the ethnic minorities.
4. PRAYER JOURNEY. A group of Chinese believers is going on a prayer journey in an unreached area of China this month. Pray for wisdom for the Christians who are preparing to host them in the area and for the journey to result in God moving among an unreached people group in a remote, hard-to-reach area.
5. FAMILY AND JOY. Recently, a group of believers in China hosted a conference for families. Outsiders who observed the worship sessions commented on how joyful the group was and that “more Chinese families should learn from this.” Pray that God would take this positive impression and use it to spread the whole gospel message throughout the area.
6. BREAKING THE WALL OF HOSTILITY. A Chinese couple recently became believers and overcame their prejudice toward local Kenyan believers in Africa. “The Kenyans in the Bible study group are good people,” the husband recently said. Praise God for this breakthrough and pray for manmade “walls of hostility” to be broken down in the body of Christ among Chinese in Africa.
7. TRAVEL PLANS. OMF (U.S.) President Michael Littlefield has a ministry trip planned to the Pacific Northwest in August. He will be connecting with colleagues, ministry partners and churches, retirees and volunteers. His travels will cover thousands of miles by air and by car. Pray for safety in travel and meaningful connection opportunities.
8. SERVE ASIA WORKERS RETURN. The OMF (U.S.) Serve Asia (SA) team is welcoming back participants who have served in Taiwan, Singapore, the Philippines, Japan, Thailand, Mongolia and more this summer. Pray for the Spirit to move in each participant’s life as the SA team debriefs them in July and August. Pray also for Matt Whitacre as he transitions into the Serve Asia Manager role.
9. GENUINE FAITH? Several local churches in Thailand coordinated a neighborhood evangelism effort. One of the sharing groups reported 12 professions of faith. There is concern that the group’s gospel presentation may have been incomplete. Pray for Wiset Church as they follow up with these new believers.
10. SPORTS MINISTRY TRAINING. In June, 20 participants received sports ministry training in Thailand. Roughly eight churches were represented. The sports ministry model has been effective in planting churches in other areas, but has not yet seen success in Thailand. Pray that people will faithfully carry on the training to see churches planted in Thailand.
11. OFFSITE SUPPORT. Adaptability is a crucial trait of the OMF (U.S.) IT department, but introducing new technology can have its challenges. The team is currently transitioning to an offsite support system that will better assist the OMF office’s work. Pray for minimal obstacles and good problem-solving.
12. SEVERED RELATIONS. In retaliation to U.S. sanctions over human rights issues, North Korea severed direct diplomatic relations with the U.S. at the United Nations in New York in July and stated that it would deal with the U.S “under the wartime law of the DPRK.” Pray for North Korean leaders to treat their people justly and with compassion.
13. 1,000 NEW WORKERS. As a Fellowship, OMF is asking God for at least 1,000 new workers over the next seven years (counting from Summer 2015). As we move forward with the vision of “Facing a Task Unfinished,” pray that God would help us discern what the future of mission looks like and how OMF should position itself to serve effectively and relevantly.
14. RETURNING TO CHURCH. Praise God that several people who had been away from a Japanese church for months have come back. They had left the church for various reasons, including hurt feelings and health issues. Ask God to provide the teaching, encouragement, and spiritual growth they all need.
15. NEW SEEKER. Give thanks for Mrs. Ishitobi, a new seeker who attended a weekly women’s outreach in Japan.  She attended with her daughter, who refuses to go to school and is idle at home most days.  Pray for Mrs. Ishitobi and her daughter to become new creations in Christ Jesus.
16. FULFILL THE MISSION. Lift up the efforts of Christians working in theological education and helping to train the future leaders of the church in Malaysia. Ask that God would use these believers to help the Malaysian church fulfill its mission and challenge more Malaysian Christians to commit themselves full-time to God’s mission in East Asia.
17. HOW WILL SHE RESPOND? “When she is surprised to learn that Wal-Mart is also in America, I wonder if we are not preparing her well enough to function in the U.S.,” writes an OMF worker in East Asia. Pray for OMF workers and their children to know how to balance life in East Asia and maintain relationships in their home country.
18. URBAN POOR. Poverty is a major problem in Myanmar, where many families have had to leave the countryside to find work in the cities. Pray for these families to find safe, home-based industries to work within. Pray that God will protect them from physical harm and disease and provide reliable income for their families.
19. RECORDING PROJECT. The Nung people of Vietnam number just over 1 million, with less than one percent who know Jesus. Please pray for a recording project that is going on right now that is recording several Bible stories in two dialects of Nung.
20. 25-YEAR-OLD CHURCH. This year the Mongolian church celebrates 25 years of existence. Following the birth of a democratic Mongolia in 1990, there were less than 10 known Christians in the country. Praise God that in the time since, the church has grown to approximately 50,000. Pray for continued growth, that many in Mongolia would turn from idol worship to the living God.
21. OPEN UP. Lift up a Bible study for young women seekers in East Asia. Pray for opportunities for the women to get beneath the veneer and share heart to heart. Pray for them to become safer people for each other to share deeper struggles together. Pray for spiritual hunger for all of the girls and the Spirit to move.
22. REACHING URBAN VIETNAM. Vietnam’s capital of Hanoi, with a population of 7 million, has less than 0.1 percent evangelical believers, while Ho Chi Minh City, with a population of 8-10 million, has nearly two percent. Pray for the challenges and opportunities that these very different situations bring. It is increasingly easy for foreign workers to be based in Vietnam; pray for people of faith to go.
23. SEMINARY GRADUATES. Pray for the 32 recent graduates of Biblical Seminary of the Philippines. As these trained men and women continue on to life and ministry wherever God calls them, pray that they would lead faithfully and rightly handle the word of truth. Ask God to give them discernment in next steps and trust in his provisions.
24. EVANGELISTIC MEETING. In June, an evangelistic meeting was held in the Philippines to commemorate the nation’s Independence Day. The gathering was intended to reach out to warehouse Filipino workers. Roughly 20 workers and their families attended; half accepted Christ. Praise God for his work! Pray that the new Filipino believers would grow in faith and share God’s love with their co-workers.
25. NEW SHARING TOOL. The Any-3 (Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime) method is spreading throughout Indo-Malaysia. It is a simple five-step sharing tool helping believers share their faith with neighbors cross-culturally. Pray that new believers would remain strong in faith amid the persecution they often experience.
26. INDO-MALAYSIAN MUSLIMS. Indo-Malaysia is comprised of Brunei, Singapore, the southern Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia. There are 282 Muslim people groups in this region with a total Muslim population of 201 million. Pray that God would make himself known to these beloved people.
27. FORTUNE TELLING. Suanmang, or fortune telling, is a common practice in Taiwan. People may stop for a quick reading at a night market, near subway stations, temples or various businesses. Fortune tellers often act as personal mentors or business consultants. Pray that the Taiwanese would seek God and his wisdom, understanding that he has power over their lives and longs to give them good gifts.
28. SEARCH FOR SATISFACTION. Many of China’s Silk Road People dream of getting rich quickly, which can lead them into unwise business deals, or cause them to keep switching jobs in search of better pay. Pray for contentment and that people will find satisfaction in things other than money.
29. WORKERS FOR THE HARVEST. A new group of candidates have joined OMF. They come from all over the U.S. and will be sent to places including Taiwan, Thailand, Japan and Southeast Asia. Pray that they will retain their excitement and energy as they begin partnership development, and that the Lord will pour out his provision on them through his people.
30. PROVISION FOR BUDGET. Pray that God would provide for the work he has called OMF (U.S.) to do. The 2016 budget is on target but additional revenue is needed for a balanced budget in 2017.
31. CHURCH RELATIONSHIPS. Several Link Asia (Church Partnerships) team members and volunteers are on short-term trips sponsored by their churches. Pray that these opportunities will strengthen relationships and build trust for future missions collaboration.

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