2016 July Prayer Powerlines

Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day. -1 Chronicles 16:23

1. END OF RAMADAN. The Muslim holy month of Ramadan ends on July 5. Pray that physical thirst and hunger will lead to a sincere spiritual thirst and hunger among East Asia’s Muslims to know God in the fullness of his character and an insatiable desire to seek the peace that comes from knowing Isa al Masih (Jesus).

2. CHURCH MULTIPLICATION TRAINING. From June 27 to July 1 in Manila, a five-day training in church multiplication movements was held with tracks for both English and Tagalog speakers. Pray for this training to be applied to the lives and ministries of the many Filipino pastors who attended, that the Philippines would see the birth of new evangelical, gospel-centered churches.

3. BY FAITH, NOT SIGHT. “I am still sick, so God didn’t forgive me,” says a Cambodian woman whose body is failing. From a Buddhist perspective, pain and sickness are the result of wrongdoing. Christ’s forgiveness is hard to understand in the face of physical pain. Pray for this woman and other Cambodian believers to live by faith and not by sight.

4. CHURCH REVITALIZATION. A literacy project in Thun village in Cambodia brought many villagers to Christ and a church formed. However, over time, attendance dropped and people returned to sacrificing to spirits. In 2013, renewed efforts in teaching and discipleship began. Lives are transforming and the church is growing. Praise God for his work. Pray that church members continue growing in faith.

5. DIASPORA LEADER FOR CANADA. Pray that the Lord would raise up a Diaspora Returnee Ministries (DRM) team leader in Canada. Praise God for providing someone to fill the role temporarily. Pray for wisdom for David Sorteberg, who leads the DRM team for North America, as he encourages growth of the returnee ministry in Canada.

6. PRISONERS. In December 2014, 76 people from China and Taiwan were arrested by Kenyan police for suspected criminal activities. As of April 2016, the prisoners’ fate was still undecided. Local African and Chinese churches are ministering to them. Pray that Chinese who travel to Africa for work would find ethical, well-paying jobs. Pray also that the local church would welcome and serve Chinese migrants.

7. GOSPEL SHARING. Lift up 15 believers from three different people groups in Southeast Asia who were recently equipped to share the gospel story and witness to their family members. Praise God for these leaders, some who are new and others who spent nearly two years in prison for their faith. Pray that spiritual fruit would result from their sharing.

8. NUCLEAR TESTS. North Korea remains committed to carrying out nuclear tests, despite criticism from the international community. In May, the DPRK made its fourth failed launch attempt of the intermediate-range Musudan missile. Pray that God’s peace would cover North Korea and that DPRK leadership would cooperate with U.N. sanctions.

9. ROOM FOR GROWTH. A worker in China notes that Chinese churches have many more resources and foreign connections than they did a decade ago. Though churches are embracing more social and world missions responsibilities, she notes that they have room for growth. Pray for churches in China to continue raising up missions workers and taking on social burdens.

10. UNIVERSITY STUDENT MINISTRY. Lift up fmZERO, a ministry to university students in Japan, as it continues through the summer months. More than 40 students attended each of the first couple meetings of the academic year; most attendees were not Christians. Pray for spiritual openness and opportunities for these students to study the Bible.

11. FIELD DIRECTOR HEALTH ISSUES. Pray for the OMF team in Japan. The Japan Field Director is facing serious health issues and stepping out of his responsibilities for 6-12 months. Pray for his healing and recovery. Mike McGinty is taking over field leadership for at least six months and postponing his family’s home assignment. Ask God to strengthen and refresh Mike as he transitions.

12. SPACE TO PROCESS. “When they are in the U.S. they seem to feel that they have to act like they don’t enjoy their host country,” says a missionary mom about her third-culture kids (TCKs). TCKs can be sensitive to assumptions made about their lives overseas. Pray that family and friends would create encouraging spaces for TCKs to process their experiences.

13. RELIGIOUS TENSIONS IN MYANMAR. In some villages in Myanmar, Buddhist residents are warning Muslims to stay away. Millions of Rohingya Muslims live in displacement camps in western Myanmar. Anti-Muslim sentiments are intensifying among some nationalists in Myanmar’s Buddhist majority. Pray for protection over the persecuted Rohingya population. Ask God to draw the nation of Myanmar to himself.

14. OBSTACLES TO SHARING. The Nung and Tay people, two of North Vietnam’s unreached minority groups, face obstacles to sharing the gospel once they become believers. Lack of food and electricity and busy farming routines consume day-to-day life. Difficult roads can require hours to travel just a few miles. Pray for perseverance and wisdom for the few Nung and Tay believers.

15. GROWTH IN THE WORD. Lift up a family of new believers in Vietnam. They know little about the Bible and the closest Bible teachers live several hours away. Reading is difficult for them; they will learn scripture by hearing Bible stories and asking questions. Pray for their growth in knowledge of God’s word and obedience.

16. BRAND NEW START. “It felt like my old self went away and I had a brand new start,” said a Tibetan man about what it felt like to accept Jesus. His grandmother had just been healed of pain in Jesus’ name. Praise God for healings that are leading Tibetans to Christ. Pray that God would raise up the Tibetan church.

17. YI PEOPLE. The Yi people (Nosu) in the mountains of southern Sichuan Province, China, have seen the growth of the church in recent years. However, many Yi people are poor and in bondage to shamanism. Pray that gospel light will shine on them and break them free of their dependence on shamans.

18. NEW PRESIDENT. Lift up the nation of the Philippines, where new President Rodrigo Duterte took office recently. The 71-year-old former mayor of Davao City is known as a “tough talker.” Pray that he would lead well and wisely as he oversees the people of the Philippines.

19. BUDDHISM IN INDONESIA. Although Buddhism is the smallest of the six officially-recognized religions in Indonesia, Borobudur, the largest Buddhist temple in the world, is located there. Most Buddhists in Indonesia are Chinese Indonesians. Pray for the many Chinese Indonesian Christians to share the gospel boldly with their Buddhist family members and friends.

20. GOSPEL CENTER OPENING. Praise God that a new Gospel center has opened in Zhongpu, in southwestern Taiwan. Since it has opened, church attendance has improved both for Wednesday night worship and for a kids’ club. The center will host a variety of ministries, including English classes and a mom’s group. Ask God to use this center as means of blessing to the community, that Jesus’ name might be glorified throughout Zhongpu.

21. LEARNING BENGALI. Although English is an official language in Singapore, OMF worker Don Graham is trying to learn Bengali so that he can better relate to some of the Bangladeshi workers living there. Pray for Don to be able to pick up the language quickly and for God to use Don’s efforts to draw these workers to the Lord.

22. DORM FIRE. In late May, a fire at a dorm claimed the lives of 18 young girls attending the private Pitakiatwittaya School, a Christian elementary school in Thailand’s northern Chiang Rai Province. Lift up the grieving families, as well as the school, which ministers to many poor families from the hill tribes nearby.

23. STS TRAINING. Three gospel storytelling workshops were recently held in Thailand. In total, 175 Christian leaders were trained in the oral storytelling methods. A group of 180 Thai convicts on probation asked for an OMF missionary to share a story with them as well. Pray for the storytelling method to be an effective tool in introducing many to Jesus in Thailand.

24. INTERIM DIRECTOR. Lift up long-time OMF missionary Larry Dinkins, as he assumes the role of interim director at Chiang Mai Theological Seminary in Thailand. “Pray that I’ll understand how to lead the seminary during this year, but more importantly how to follow closely under Jesus’ headship,” Dinkins writes.

25. RETIREES While most people think of retirement as a time of completely “ceasing” from something, most OMF retirees see it as an opportunity to move into whatever God has next for them. Pray for OMF’s retired missionaries to finish well in their remaining years and to be fulfilled in their ministries, including prayer support of work in East Asia.

26. CANDIDATE COURSE FOLLOW UP. The OMF (U.S.) team recently hosted 15 new missionary candidates. Pray for them as they now begin the process of raising prayer and financial support teams. Ask God to raise up the needed funds so that these new workers can get to the field as soon as possible.

27. U.S. ELECTION YEAR. The United States is going through a tumultuous time politically this year. Both the Democratic and Republican Party conventions are being held this month. Rhetoric on all sides tends to be heated. Pray for Christians in the U.S. to show a different way, balancing grace and truth, as they interact with nonbelieving neighbors, co-workers and friends.

28. BUDGET SEASON. Every OMF missionary makes a new budget each year because ministry or family needs may change from year-to-year. The process has now started with preparation and ends in late November/early December. Please pray for the OMF (U.S.) Finance team as they seek to serve our missionaries well during this time.

29. SERVE ASIA. The OMF (U.S.) Serve Asia team is in the midst of transition as outgoing manager Cheryl Eichman hands over the reins to Matt Whitacre. Pray for Matt as he assumes this new leadership role. Ask also for God to raise up two new team members to fill vital coordinator roles.

30. FACING A TASK UNFINISHED. It’s been several months since Keith and Kristyn Getty launched an updated version of former CIM director Frank Houghton’s hymn, “Facing a Task Unfinished.” Pray for commitments made then and ask that the Lord would continue to use this song to drive people into deeper, wholehearted commitments to the Lord and his mission.

31. AUSTRALIA CONFERENCE. Lift up preparations and planning of the OMF Australia National Conference in early September. The theme of the conference is “Worth It” and it will focus on the peoples of Myanmar and Vietnam. Pray for God to use this conference to stir a passion and commitment among Australian churches to send workers to East Asia.

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