March 2016
By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. -1 Corinthians 6:14

  1. MINISTRY TRANSITION. Today Robert Nordstrom changes roles from the OMF (U.S.) Vice President for Mobilization to international student ministry in the Chicago, Illinois, area. Rodney Pennington will be the new VP for Mobilization. Pray for each of these men in their new roles, that God would use them to increase his kingdom and mobilize future workers.
  1. MONK OUTREACH. Lift up an outreach to monks in Cambodia. Monks and temple leaders have accepted or asked for Christian literature. There have been no conversions yet at the temples, but a number of monks now have access to the gospel. Pray for the Holy Spirit to stir their hearts as they hear truth. May they confess Christ as Lord.
  1. FEAR OF PERSECUTION. Pray for Prey Tia Church in Cambodia as its members grow in boldness in sharing the gospel. Though some acknowledge God’s call on them to be a witness, they fear the persecution it will bring. Ask God to strengthen their faith and confidence. Pray for encouraging interactions with nonbelievers that spur them on.
  1. BIBLE STORY RECORDINGS. Praise God for the completion of 35 Bible story recordings in the BY language to reach an unreached minority people in China. The recordings will be used to train BY church planters. Pray that God would provide people of the main BY dialect who are passionate to share with, disciple and shepherd others.
  1. 50 YEARS IN THE PHILIPPINES. The OMF Philippines homeside office will celebrate 50 years of sending Filipino missionaries today in Davao City. OMF General Director Patrick Fung will be the plenary speaker at the celebration. Pray for God to use this event to mobilize more missionaries and cross-cultural workers from the Philippines.
  1. INCREASING DIASPORA OPPORTUNITIES. The number of Mainland Chinese students coming to the U.S. surpassed 300,000 in 2015, up 10 percent from the previous year. Praise God for unprecedented opportunities for the U.S. church to reach other nations with the gospel. Pray that American churches would take interest in welcoming international students as a way of embracing God’s global mission.
  1. NEW FAITH. A team of local believers from a minority and majority people group in Southeast Asia recently walked and prayed through four remote villages. They shared God’s story and saw 14 people come to faith in Christ from 10 different households. Pray for continued discipleship of these new believers and for many more to come to faith through their testimonies.
  1. NK DEFIES WARNINGS. North Korea launched a rocket on February 7 in defiance of international warnings, and plans to launch more. Kim Jong-Un praises the launch as a move that will give confidence to his country (CNBC). Pray for peace in the North and that its leaders would submit to international guidelines. Pray that DPRK citizens would find confidence in the saving power of Christ.
  1. SHAN CHRISTIAN NETWORK. The Shan (or Dai) number 6 million and only 0.10 percent follow Christ. Pray for networks of believers in Shan State to be well-connected and able to encourage and build up one another. Praise God that the Shan Bible phone app is available and that many people are using it.
  1. MISSIONARIES NEEDED. In Japan, there is one missionary for every 64,244 people. The number of missionaries in Japan has gone down 34 percent in 20 years. Pray for the Lord to send Christian workers to Japan.
  1. AGING CHURCH. Seventy percent of pastors in Japan are over the age of 50. Pray for a revival of passion for Christ among Japanese youth. Pray that churches with a younger population would feel compelled to reach their peers in creative ways.
  1. IPPO IPPO IWATE. Pray for wisdom and discernment for those making decisions about the relocation of the Ippo Ippo Iwate ministry center in Yamada, Japan. They can no longer use the current site. Pray also for the right staff to work at the Ippo Ippo Café, where hurting people come to share their burdens. It is a challenging ministry and the current staff needs rest and refreshment.
  1. TCK CHALLENGES. It can be difficult for third-culture kids (TCKs) to see purpose in the isolating and unfamiliar environment of their new overseas homes. Pray that TCKs would find support in their lonely moments. Ask God to give them his perspective, helping them to trust that he will use their hardships for good.
  1. GENDER EQUALITY IN MYANMAR. Pray for anti-trafficking efforts and increased awareness of gender inequality in Myanmar. Domestic abuse is a chronic issue, and yet female victims fear shaming themselves and their families. Pray for women to receive fair and loving treatment. Pray for Myanmar’s government to implement measures to protect and promote women’s rights.
  1. FAMILY FELLOWSHIP. Lift up a large family in Vietnam that has decided to follow Christ. There are 20 believers in the family. They are learning how to be a fellowship and worship God. Pray for their growth in Christ.
  1. EMBRACING GRACE. Some churches in Vietnam demand commitment to belong before a commitment to Jesus has been made. Pray that there would be more emphasis on the grace of God rather than religious demands. Ask the Lord to raise up church leaders with solid theological training.
  1. WISDOM IN CONFLICT. Pray for a Christian business in China that employs women who have been brought out of work in massage parlors. The women come from difficult backgrounds and sometimes conflicts arise in the workplace. Pray for the Lord to encourage those in management and for the women to seek God’s healing.
  1. SUFFERING LEADS TO OPENNESS. Over the years, turmoil, suffering and rapid changes in the Philippines have prepared millions to seek a personal faith in Christ. Praise God that growth has been marked in all evangelical groups in recent years; pray for good discipleship to raise up mature followers of Jesus across the Philippines.
  1. CROSS-CULTURAL MINISTRY PREP. Several Christian schools in Indonesia offer cross-cultural ministry and church-planting programs. These schools play a significant role in preparing the future leaders of the church, as well as missionaries. Please pray that Bible schools around Indonesia will offer programs that equip their students to minister effectively in a church or mission setting.
  1. WITNESSES TO MALAY? At a recent missions conference in North America, a number of Malaysian Christian students came asking about resources on how to witness to Muslims—which is quite a challenge since to be Malay typically means to be Muslim and witnessing to them can be risky. Pray for these students as they hear the call to witness to the Malay.
  1. ESTABLISHING CHURCHES. Pray that God would establish communities of believers among Muslims in Southeast Asia. Pray for these communities to worship God in culturally and biblically appropriate ways, to care for one another and to reach out to their own people groups and beyond.
  1. PRAYING FOR GUESTS. Don and Sandy Graham, managers of the guest home at OMF’s international center (IC) in Singapore, note that, “A listening ear and a praying friend are treasures to those passing through.” Pray for the Grahams’ ministry to the many guests who pass through IC, that they would be a means of encouragement and spiritual refreshment.
  1. NEW BIBLE STUDY. OMF worker Rachael Lu is starting a Bible study for college-age girls at WanHua Bible Church in Taiwan. Please pray for wisdom for Rachael as she disciples these young people. Intercede also for those attending, that their hearts and minds would be open to what the Lord has to teach them.
  1. TEAM PREPARATION. Hengchun Bible Church in Taiwan is preparing for several children’s camps and a churchwide retreat in the coming months. Please pray that God will be preparing children’s hearts and that many will respond in faith to the Good News of the gospel. Ask also that the retreat would be a blessing to the church and spur them on in their pursuit of Christ.
  1. UNFINISHED TASK. Reaching Southeast Asia’s Muslims with the Good News remains a huge “unfinished task.” Pray for a significant multiplication of workers, both expatriate and national, to be positioned among every unreached people group across the region.
  1. NO CHURCH IN MAE WONG. Pray for the district of Mae Wong, Thailand, that God would open doors for a church plant there. Recently, Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes along with New Testaments were passed out there. Pray that this and other efforts would lead to an openness to the gospel.
  1. EASTER.Christ is risen! Praise God for the gospel we have that tells of a Savior who left heaven, lived a perfect life, died a horrible death and rose again, triumphing over sin and death and giving us a new and living hope in Christ. Pray this joyful, eternal reality would capture people’s hearts today around the world, that many would embrace Jesus and all that he is for us.
  1. S. FINANCE TEAM. Praise the Lord for the OMF (U.S.) finance, administration and IT team. The year 2015 was a time of major transition, but the team has found joy in its new structure and the current team members. Pray for the team to continue to establish itself in 2016.
  1. PRAYER FOR CANDIDATES. Please ask God to raise up qualified and spiritually disciplined workers who desire to take the gospel message to East Asia. Please also pray for the OMF (U.S.) Candidate Department, that God would grant them wisdom as they evaluate the readiness of each applicant the Lord brings us and that they would trust his timing in getting each one to the field.
  1. SERVE ASIA TRANSITION. This past fall, OMF (U.S.) Serve Asia Manager Cheryl Eichman announced she would be stepping down in 2016. In her place, Matt Whitacre will assume the role in August. Please pray for a healthy transition over the next several months and that God would continue to grow the number of Serve Asia (short-term) workers sent out each year.
  1. 2016 GOAL. Pray for the implementation of the OMF (U.S.) 2016 thematic goal: “We believe God is calling us to embrace and advance ‘Facing a Task Unfinished.’” Pray for God to use the 2016 thematic goal to bring awareness of the needs in East Asia and to send more workers into this harvest field.

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