2018 April Prayer Powerlines

He is not here; he has risen! –Luke 24:6

1. EASTER OUTREACH. Pray for the many Easter outreaches that are taking place throughout East Asia this week. At many of these events, the gospel message is being shared with those who have little to no knowledge of who Jesus is. Pray for fruitful follow up and for seeds of the gospel to take root.
2. PRAY FOR CHINA. This month, join us in praying for China, a nation of vast economic, political and social influence. Pray for God’s work in both urban and rural areas and for the growth of church movements throughout the country.
3. INTEREST IN THE GOSPEL. Despite increased religious restrictions in China, Christian workers are seeing a growing interest in the gospel among a particular minority people group. The prevalence of social media, increasing educational levels and the mass migration to factories are removing barriers to the gospel. However, the risks are high. Pray for an indigenous movement of the gospel in this people group.
4. BOLD FAITH. After multiple people shared the gospel with him, a man from a particular minority people group in China finally came to faith in Christ. Now, despite police raids on a local church in January, he has been openly professing his faith, even confronting some of those who raided the church. Pray for his continued spiritual growth and strength in Christ.
5. TOMB-SWEEPING DAY. Today, people across Taiwan are celebrating Tomb-Sweeping Day (also called the Qingming Festival). In observance of this holiday, people will visit the graves of their ancestors to request blessing and offer gifts. Pray that Taiwanese people will come to know the Lord, who offers hope for life after death and blesses us with the gift of salvation through Christ.
6. FINANCE TEAM. Our Finance Manager, Brett Kuntz, and his family are out of the office for partnership development. Pray that his family has encouraging meetings with partners and that the finance staff who are covering his responsibilities would be able to carry a greater workload while he is gone.
7. NEW APPLICANTS. The Candidate Department recently received six new applications for people (couples and singles) hoping to come to the June Candidate and Orientation Course. Their attendance depends on successful review of applications, references, doctrinal papers, and medical and psych exams. Pray for wisdom as our team assesses each candidate and for good attendance at the course.
8. PRESIDENT SEARCH. As we continue the U.S. President/National Director selection process, pray for the right candidate to feel confidence and peace in God’s calling on their lives. Pray also for the U.S. team as they transition to having new leadership.
9. COUNSELING. An Introduction to Christian Counseling and Pastoral Care course is underway in Cambodia. The course is being taught in Khmer by OMF workers along with people from different countries and mission organizations. Praise God for uniting this team to invest in the 37 students who signed up. Pray that God uses this course to shape each person into instruments of his healing and love.
10. DIASPORA. Pam, the mother of a Chinese international student in the U.S., gave her life to Christ over a year ago but didn’t get plugged into a local church in China. During a recent visit to her daughter, Pam connected with OMF’s Diaspora Ministries Team and got baptized. She has since returned to China. Pray for steady spiritual growth and a good church for Pam back home.
11. CHURCH TRAINING. Recently, an OMF team in Southeast Asia held their largest training to date for local Christian leaders and missionaries. A local leader from every province in the country gathered to learn healthy practices and principles for sustained church multiplication. Pray that God uses this training to strengthen and multiply his church throughout the country.
12. TAOIST FAMILY. A Taoist monk and her family were visited by an OMF team in Taiwan. After their visit, the monk’s daughter invited the team back. Since then, the mother and her two daughters have been attending weekly Bible studies. Pray that God shines his light on them, showing them the way to life and healing in Christ.
13. CHINA VISION TRIP. Pray for the Serve Asia participants going on a China vision trip April 16-23. Pray that the Holy Spirit would use this trip to make it clear how they should be involved in global missions.
14. ELDERLY CARE. Responsibility for care of the elderly in the DPRK (North Korea) largely falls on their children, who often find the burden to be too great. Seniors are difficult to employ, plus the cost of medicine is high. Pray for the elderly in the DPRK to be cared for well by society and for them to know God’s love for them.
15. TRAINING CENTER. The Japanese Language and Culture Center (JLCC) in Japan exists to help new missionaries understand Japanese worldview and cultural values in order to meaningfully express the gospel. Pray for those who come to this center to be well-equipped for life and ministry in Japan to the glory of God.
16. NEW WORKER. Lift up Christina Winrich, who has finished language school and will begin working under a local Japanese pastor and his wife at a church that OMF planted in 1984. The church has a vision of planting several more churches in the rural farming area around Obihiro in northern Japan. Pray for her transition and for God to open doors for new church plants in the region.
17. PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. In Myanmar there are over 1 million people with disabilities. They are often disadvantaged due to a lack of educational opportunities. Pray for a small group of Christians who have established a project to help provide life skills and work training for people with disabilities while also sharing God’s love with them.
18. BUDDHISM IN THAILAND. Thailand has one of the largest populations of Buddhist people in the world, with 95 percent of its 70 million people identifying with the religion. Christians still number less than 1 percent, and many of that 1 percent are tribal believers. Pray for the evangelistic vision of churches, that there would be a revival of strong outreach and church planting in every governmental district and village.
19. BUDDHISM IN MYANMAR. Out of a population of 52 million in Myanmar, 76 percent are Buddhist. The majority Burmese (or Bamar) people have very few Christians among them. Pray for breakthrough among the Buddhist Burmese.
20. CHRISTIAN BROADCASTING. Christian radio programs have had a remarkable impact on some groups within Vietnam. More than 350,000 Hmong in the country have professed faith in Jesus Christ, many through Christian radio broadcasts. Pray for the Hmong to reach out in mission to other minority groups in Vietnam, and pray for continued effective broadcasting.
21. SKYLANDS PEOPLES. Fifteen million people of the Skylands region (Mongolia, Western China and Bhutan) have been deeply influenced by Tibetan Buddhism and are difficult to reach with the gospel. Their languages are challenging and dialects vary from valley to valley. Pray for believers to develop the language and culture skills needed to build relationships and share the Good News with the Skylands peoples.
22. EVOLVING SOCIETY. Society is changing at a fast pace in the Skylands area. This is putting pressure on traditional social structures and families, but with this evolution comes open doors for the church and the gospel. Pray that this change opens hearts to the message of Christ.
23. SELF-SUSTAINING. Decades ago, the Ata Manobo tribe of the Philippines lived in fear of the spirits, but since then, they have heard the message of Christ through missionaries and Christian workers. Now, the Ata Manobo churches have grown and multiplied such that a self-sustaining church movement has formed. Praise God for his work. Pray that the Lord sustains and grows the Manobo church in years to come.
24. INDONESIA. Indonesia is home to 229 unreached people groups with a total population of 165 million people. Pray for Christian witness in this nation, that believers would be an example of love, compassion and understanding to their neighbors regardless of religious affiliation or ethnic background.
25. J.O. FRASER CENTER. The J.O. Fraser Center in Thailand provides biblical training to around 20 Thai and Burmese students per semester, which empowers them to minister among their own people groups. Pray for the upcoming class of graduates. Ask God to use them in powerful ways to teach his word and disciple others.
26. SERVE ASIA TRIPS. Each year, more than 700 Serve Asia workers from 25 different countries serve among East Asia’s peoples. Pray for the short-term trips happening this summer. Ask God to use them to move each person further along in their mission discipleship journeys.
27. NEW SURROUNDINGS. Missionaries are often uprooted and moved from place-to-place, even within the countries they serve. This can happen because ministry roles change, more strategic opportunities arise elsewhere, or training is needed. Pray for individuals and families as they leave relationships they’ve built and adjust to new surroundings. Ask God to give them perseverance and grace.
28. PARTNER HUB. OMF (U.S.) launched the Partner Hub website seven months ago to give donors an easier way to connect with, pray for and support workers and ministry projects in East Asia. Pray that donors and workers will take advantage of this tool and that it would be a blessing to both parties.
29. LONG-DISTANCE PARENTING. “I think sometimes the most difficult part of our life here is being parents.” Some OMF workers in East Asia shared this after experiencing a health scare with their daughter who serves in India. Pray for Christian workers who are caring for loved ones long-distance. Pray God’s protection over their family and for trust in God’s provision.
30. NATIONAL CONFERENCE. The OMF (U.S.) National Conference will be held July 26-29, 2018. May God use this time to help our team come together and have a greater vision for what God is calling us to: strong faith, strong vision, strong team.

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