2016 November Prayer Powerlines

Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. -1 Chronicles 16:28-29

1. RUMORS. A Cambodian believer from a minority people group is spreading the message that foreigners are controlling and that Cambodian believers should “stay far away from them.” Pray that OMF workers who are ministering to her people group would know how to respond in wisdom and love, and that believers would not be hurt or harmed by her message.
2. INTERNATIONAL CRITICISM. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s political party is receiving international criticism for its harassment of political opposition parties and human rights NGOs who have peacefully dissented. Pray for God’s peace and protection to cover politicians and activists in Cambodia. Pray that Cambodian leaders would come to know the God who loves them and their nation’s citizens.
3. SHAN LEADERS. The Shan people of Myanmar, Thailand and China are predominantly Buddhist. Expat workers, near-culture Christians, and most importantly Shan evangelists and church leaders are key to building the kingdom of God among the Shan. Pray that God would provide training, anointing by his Spirit and protection from pride and spiritual attack as they minister.
4. VIOLENCE ESCALATES. Pray for peace over Rakhine state in Myanmar, which has recently seen fatal attacks on Burmese soldiers. Some suspect that the attacks are a continuation of the long-running tensions between Myanmar’s Buddhist majority and the mostly Muslim Rohingya minority of Rakhine state. Pray that Myanmar’s leaders respond with wisdom to this hostile situation.
5. HOPE FOR THE IU MIEN. The Iu Mien of China, a Daoist people who worship their ancestors, number 1.2 million. In the last few years, 1,000 Iu Mien people in Yunnan Province came to Christ because of a Far East Broadcasting Company gospel radio broadcast in their language. Pray that radio broadcasts would continue reaching more Iu Mien with the message of their Creator.
6. IDOP. Today and next Sunday, November 13, have been designated as International Days of Prayer for the Persecuted Church around the world. Lift up believers in East Asia who face persecution of various kinds, including imprisonment, estrangement, and financial and career pressure, to name a few. Pray they would be steadfast and joyful in the midst of being maligned for Jesus’ sake.
7. DIVERSITY IN THE CHURCH. “Each week we are amazed at how God uses former drug addicts and demon-possessed individuals to build his kingdom,” says one worker among a minority people group in Southeast Asia. Pray for new believers in this people group to be discipled and raised up as church leaders.
8. ELECTION DAY. Today is Election Day in the U.S., when Americans will go to the polls to elect the next U.S. President. It has been a tumultuous, controversial and frustrating election season for many. Pray for U.S. Christians to display a different kind of hope and joy that is not dependent on the success of a particular political candidate.
9. NK FOOD RATIONS. The Korea Times reports that North Korea’s daily food rations to each of its citizens during the second quarter of 2016 fell to the lowest level in five years and far below what is recommended by the U.N. Pray that God will provide both physical and spiritual nourishment for North Korea’s citizens.
10. CARE FOR CHILDREN. A U.N. report released on June 1 reveals that North Korea’s mortality rate for children under five has declined from 26 to 20 per 1,000 since 2008. However, the improvements are still small compared with international benchmarks. Pray that the DPRK leaders will invest more in children and maternal care; children are the North’s future leaders.
11. A TOUGH RETURN. Pray for a new Chinese believer who came to Christ through a Chinese diaspora ministry in Pennsylvania. He was baptized and discipled during his time in the States but recently returned to China, where he is struggling to get connected to other Christians. Ask God to provide both motivation and opportunity for this young believer to continue growing in his faith.
12. ENGLISH PROFICIENCY. OMF has formed an English Proficiency Work Group to better understand the need for English proficiency among candidates who come from non-English-speaking countries. English proficiency is not just a matter of communication, but also the sense of belonging, church partnership, ministry effectiveness and leadership potential. Pray for the work group as it deliberates and proposes a way forward for OMF in this area.
13. LANGUAGE LEARNING. Often, teaching language to cross-cultural workers through traditional educational methods leaves them with an academic knowledge of the local language, but without the skills to actually understand and engage with what others are saying. Pray for a worker in China who will soon begin his official role as language coach for the co-workers in his region. Ask God to use him.
14. STUDENT MINISTRY. Lift up fMzero, OMF’s university student ministry in Japan, as it reaches out to Japanese students. Pray for good attendance at events. Pray also that students would thirst for truth and a meaningful life instead of merely work achievements and material gain.
15. POPULATION DECLINE. Fewer Japanese men and women are pursuing marriage and having children. A report from Japan’s National Institute of Population and Social Security Research estimates that by 2082, Japan’s population will shrink to half its current size. Ask the Lord to raise up godly families in Japan who are witnesses for Christ in their communities.
16. YOUNG LEADER TRAINING. Recently, 21 young leaders from Laos and Vietnam were trained in oral storytelling as a way to reach out to nonbelievers. There are a number of unreached people groups living near these leaders. Pray for God to empower these leaders to reach out to the unreached around them, even as some face persecution from authorities for their faith.
17. HEALING FOR BABY. A non-Christian Tibetan couple has sought help for their baby who has a serious eye illness. They have been journeying with Christians through the difficult process and though no immediate cure has been found, they have noted the care and compassion of the believing community. Pray for healing for the baby and for the couple to be drawn to Christ through the believers’ love.
18. WITHOUT GOSPEL WITNESS. Although the Philippines has been influenced by Christianity in many ways, there are still 29 million people speaking 26 languages in 21,000 communities without gospel-preaching churches in the country. Please pray that OMF Philippines workers will have opportunities to share the good news of Jesus Christ in all its fullness in areas currently without a gospel witness.
19. NEW BELIEVERS. Praise God that 34 people from two villages with no gospel-preaching church have recently been baptized in the Philippines. Pray for these new believers who are now being discipled to be the core of two new churches. Ask for them to be grounded in biblical teaching and have a passion for the lost.
20. ARAB PEOPLE IN INDONESIA. There are pockets of Arab people around Jakarta and in South Sumatra in Indonesia. Sometimes, they are deemed as outcasts by other Indonesians because they practice nikah mutah, a kind of contract marriage. Pray for Indonesian Christians to reach out in friendship and love to those who are looked down upon by the rest of society.
21. CHRISTIANS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA. Lift up the Christian community in a certain country in Southeast Asia. Believers have to cope with legal and social restraints against sharing their faith with others. Pray for the fragrance of Jesus to spill over believers’ lives into their communities.
22. EVIL SPIRITS. A Thai child asked an OMF missionary recently, “If I told the evil spirit to go away and the spirit asked me, ‘Why?’ then what do I do?” Spiritual battle is an ever-present reality in Thailand, where evil spirits are appeased as part of Buddhism. Pray for this child to find victory in Jesus and experience his power over demonic forces.
23. SIMPLY THE STORY TRAINING. Fifty Thai believers attended a Simply the Story training at the Northeast Bible Seminary in Khon Kaen, Thailand, recently. Pray for these biblical stories to be shared effectively throughout Thailand, that people’s hearts would be ready to receive the good news of Jesus Christ.
24. THANKSGIVING DAY. “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good!” wrote the psalmist (Psalm 107:1). Today is Thanksgiving in the U.S. As believers in Christ, we have much to be thankful for—most of all, the salvation and new life we can have in him. Thank God for his grace and for how he is drawing people throughout East Asia to himself.
25. 2017 SERVE ASIA. OMF’s 2017 Serve Asia trips have been posted online at org. Please pray God would fill the teams and that OMF (U.S.) Serve Asia staff would be able to disciple the participants well on their missions journey.
26. BAPTISM. A Taiwanese woman who had been attending church sporadically for two years recently decided to become a Christian and be baptized after she saw true love and happiness in a Taiwanese Christian family she knows. Pray for this new believer to be able to understand the Bible and to grow in her newfound faith in Jesus.
27. TASK UNFINISHED FUNDING. Facing a Task Unfinished has been a key mobilization theme for OMF during 2016. Please pray for God’s provision of financial support needed for The Task Unfinished funds.
28. TWO WINGS FLAPPING. A former OMF leader described mobilization and evangelization as two wings of a bird, which cannot fly unless both wings are flapping. In the coming years, OMF hopes to mobilize 1,000 new workers. Ask God to help current members who might have to die to their own desires to help mobilize the next wave of OMF missionaries.
29. PLATT’S QUESTION. “What is it going to take for even the concept of unreached people to become intolerable to us?” asked David Platt recently at the Lausanne Younger Leaders Conference in Indonesia. Pray for the North American church to get a renewed passion for sending missionaries to proclaim the gospel among those who have never heard.
30. HUDSON TAYLOR FILMS. Pray for a Hudson Taylor movie that is in the development process. Pray for sharpened vision, additional prayer partners, kingdom networkers and resourced relationships to help make the movie production a reality.

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