2017 January Prayer Powerlines

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! -2 Corinthians 5:17

1. HAPPY NEW YEAR. Happy New Year! The new year is often marked with renewed hope and expectation. As this new year begins, lift up the nearly 2 billion people in East Asia who live without Christ and the lasting, firm hope that he provides. Ask God to soften hearts and move in a mighty way to bring many to faith despite cultural, family or political opposition.
2. FIELD CONFERENCE. Pray for OMF’s Philippines Field Conference planned this month. Field conferences are an important time for reconnecting and strategizing in the new year. Pray that each goal of the conference would be fulfilled: Prayer, Fellowship, Spiritual Refreshment, Training and Consultation.
3. MARRIAGE PROBLEMS. A couple in Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia, is having marriage problems. The husband drinks and is violent. The wife has a self-righteous attitude. Pray for both to repent of their sins and turn to God. Pray for protection for the wife, but also that she would win her husband over to Christ by her example (1 Pet. 3:1-2).
4. BROU SONG BOOK. Pray for the committee that is continuing work on the song book that was recently translated into the Brou language for believers in Cambodia. The song book has been in use for several months, but the review will check the translation for accuracy and ease of understanding. Pray for unity and humility as the committee works together.
5. BRAVING BAPTISM. In China, publicly proclaiming faith in Christ through baptism is a big deal. Christians worry that their jobs, education or family relationships are at risk. One student, Felicia, struggled with these concerns, but took the leap of faith and was baptized. Pray for Chinese university students like Felicia to make a public proclamation of faith in Jesus through baptism.
6. MANDARIN SPEAKERS. An increasing number of Mandarin speakers from churches in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia are sending workers to China. Praise God for the fervor in Asian churches for cross-cultural missions. As OMF welcomes more Mandarin speakers to our teams, pray for unity and good communication, that God would be glorified through our ministries.
7. HUDSON TAYLOR MOVIE. Lift up some meetings regarding the Hudson Taylor Movie Project in Singapore from today until January 11. Pray for God’s leading regarding creative content and other development steps, as well as possible meetings in other parts of East Asia this month.
8. LEADERSHIP TRAINING. After following Jesus for one year, Mark started leading a house church. Though young in his faith, he had been following Christ longer than any of his house church members. This is a common scenario in China, where leadership training is not always accessible. Pray that God would provide different avenues for training and equipping new church leaders in China.
9. A SUDDEN LONELINESS. Returnees (specifically East Asians who come to Christ overseas and then return home) may seem like confident, adaptable people, but often the changed relationship with family and friends once they go home creates a sense of isolation and loneliness. Pray that new returnee believers would know the power of Christ to break down barriers, heal relationships and restore marriages.
10. EQUIP NEW BELIEVERS. A Christian worker in Southeast Asia says he has seen a stagnation in groups of new believers because they are exposed to traditional church programs, which are difficult for them to understand and reproduce. Pray for this worker and his team as they carry out simple trainings to equip believers to share the Good News of Jesus.
11. TALKS WITH NORTH KOREA. As President-elect Donald Trump soon takes office and establishes relationships with world leaders, pray for U.S. talks with North Korean President Kim Jong-Un. Pray that God uses this new relationship to benefit the North Korean people. Pray that both leaders act with restraint and respect.
12. NEWS FOR THE NORTH. BBC World Service plans to broadcast regular news programs for North Korea. Praise God for another avenue of outside information for the North Korean people. Pray that North Korea’s citizens would be able to access these programs and open their minds to new ideas.
13. A LONG WAIT. A church plant in Nayoro, Japan (population 30,920), has been waiting several years for a full-time Japanese pastor or evangelist to partner with them. Simultaneously, churches without pastors are increasing as the church ages. Pray for an increase of trained pastors in Japan who can help disciple the Japanese church and equip them for mission.
14. EMBRACING THE FREE GIFT. In Japan, doing your duty and not going into “debt” when receiving favors from others are important concepts. Pray that Japanese people would be willing to receive the gift of salvation that is freely given through Christ.
15. NATION STRUGGLES. Malaysia has been in the news frequently over the past year for Zika virus, kidnappings, smuggling, corruption, an earthquake and various airline tragedies. Pray for a clear godly testimony from the Malaysian church to the leadership of the nation, that their hearts would seek after God.
16. WISDOM FOR LEADERS. The new government of Myanmar faces many challenges: ethnic and religious tensions, environmental issues, the need for reform in education and healthcare, and more. Pray for wisdom, justice and a real commitment to the people as the government addresses these challenges.
17. MONGOLIAN MISSIONARY. Sarnai was the first Mongolian long-term missionary. She started a church in a difficult-to-reach place in East Asia, then returned to Mongolia to translate discipleship studies into the local language. On a recent visit back, her materials were confiscated by border guards. Pray for God to provide a path for Sarnai to continue her ministry abroad.
18. PRAYER SUMMIT. Lift up the Great Commission Prayer Summit taking place in Thailand, January 19-22. The overarching objective is to “listen to God and grow in effectively aligning intercessory prayer toward the fulfillment of the Great Commission.” Pray for God to move powerfully during this focused time of intercession.
19. OPENNESS. Pray for openness to the gospel in areas of the Philippines that were hit by Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. After some openness to the Lord, it now seems that doors and hearts are closing. Pray for Christians there as they face illness and spiritual oppression. Ask that believers there grow in Christ and bear much fruit.
20. NEW ERA BEGINS. Today is expected to be a highly emotional day in the U.S. as President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated as the new President of the United States. His campaign and election have been marked by controversy, but pray for him and other U.S. government leaders as they begin their terms of service. Ask God to help them govern wisely and justly.
21. CHILDREN’S BOOK. Pray for God to use OMF worker Jennifer McIntyre’s new children’s book, Ping Ping and the Very Hairy, Slightly Scary Man, to plant seeds of future missions mobilization. The book is a 39-page watercolor children’s book with a focus on helping kids better understand missions and raises awareness about the needs of Taiwan.
22. HEALTH ISSUES. Some seekers in Taiwan have not been able to meet with OMF workers recently because their mother is having mental health issues. Pray that God would use this couple as they show compassion to this family and that God would bring healing in this woman’s life.
23. PRAY FOR VIETNAM. Next month marks the beginning of an exciting prayer initiative for Vietnam—a country of 94 million people. Among the majority Vietnamese, less than 2 percent follow Christ. The gospel is spreading rapidly among minority groups, but many are still unreached. Lift up Vietnam’s unreached people and learn more about this prayer initiative by contacting prayer@omf.org.
24. NATURAL LEADER. Intercede for a Thai Christian university student who has shown some natural leadership abilities among peers. Pray that he would stand firm and continue to mature in his walk with Christ. Also, pray for four of his Thai friends whom he brings along, that they will hear the message of love, forgiveness and new life with open hearts.
25. NAMPU PROJECT. Praise God for a recent $4,000 grant award for OMF’s Thailand Nampu Fountain ministry project. This ministry is a counseling and crisis pregnancy center that helps young women practically and spiritually. Pray for God to use this center to further his kingdom among these women who often come from broken backgrounds.
26. MORE CANDIDATES. Join the OMF (U.S.) Candidate Department in praying for more new applicants to join God’s work in East Asia. Currently, we have five people in application, though another nine are delayed for personal reasons or to receive Bible training. Ask God that all of them would be ready to finish the application/candidate process in 2017.
27. DIFFICULT PLACES. Sowing the gospel in places like East Asia is no easy process. Much of the work we do requires years of focused prayer and consistent effort by our faithful workers in the field. Lift up efforts regarding prayer mobilization for OMF’s work in the U.S. Ask God to raise up more intercessors (like you!).
28. CHINESE NEW YEAR. Today is the first day of the Chinese New Year, the biggest holiday of the year for Chinese communities throughout East Asia and the world. Lift up Chinese believers who often return home to families who do not believe in Christ. Intercede for them to be faithful, loving witnesses during this time.
29. IT RESTRUCTURING. IT work is often overlooked in missions work, but it plays a crucial role. Intercede for OMF’s IT team as they go through a server room restructuring. Pray for all our IT systems to run smoothly during this transition.
30. SWITZERLAND. The OMF Switzerland office is praying for 40 long-term workers and 200 short-term workers to join OMF by 2020 and go to East Asia. Join them in asking God to provide these workers for the harvest in that time frame.
31. MOBILE MISSION SCHOOL. In recent decades, South Korea has become a major missionary-sending country. Pray for OMF South Korea to have more opportunities to form good relationships and partnerships with South Korean churches through the mobile mission school. Ask God to raise up a full-time worker to visit mission training centers and seminaries regularly to foster such partnerships.

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