2018 June Prayer Powerlines

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. -Colossians 4:2

1. LOVING JESUS. Thank God for the joy of communion with him in prayer, rejoicing in his provision and grace. May the many millions across East Asia experience that same place of forgiveness and salvation in Christ.
2. THE TASK UNFINISHED. Join us in praying for the most neglected, unreached, unengaged people groups of East Asia. Pray for God’s work in both urban and rural areas and for the growth of church movements throughout the region.
3. WELCOMING THE DISABLED. For people with disabilities in Taiwan, rain is not just a minor inconvenience; it can derail their normal life activities, such as grocery shopping or Bible study. Pray that people with disabilities will feel welcomed and important in the church. Pray for their safety also, as Taiwan’s infrastructure is not built to accommodate the handicapped.
4. STUDENT MINISTRY. Praise God for the Hokkaido Spring Camp in Japan. Some non-Christians came and moved closer to knowing Jesus. Christians were challenged to live for Jesus. Pray that students will be bold in delivering leaflets and inviting first-year students to their campus Bible study groups.
5. PRAYER WARRIORS. A couple completing their long-term ministry in Japan writes, “It is our desire that you continue to be prayer warriors for Japan so that we might one day witness a spiritual breakthrough in the darkness that lingers over this country.”
6. BUILDING FRIENDSHIPS. Ask for God’s blessing on believers living and working in Laos, that they will be able to build friendships with nonbelievers who are open to the message of the gospel.
7. PIONEERING VISION. Pray for a family serving in Cambodia as they consider a new ministry opportunity within an unreached district capital. The area has steadfastly resisted the gospel. It is not an easy or comfortable place in which to live. Pray for clear direction.
8. FAMILIES IN TRANSITION. The beginning of summer means many missionary families are visiting supporting churches and sharing about God’s work. Their children are preparing for changes in the next school year. Pray for their adjustments.
9. URBANA 2018. InterVarsity Christian Fellowship has opened Early Bird Registration for its December 2018 missions conference in St. Louis. Pray that the OMF Advocacy team would experience God’s clear direction as they prepare for this significant event engaging with hundreds of college students.
10. SILK ROAD PEOPLES. China’s Silk Road Peoples are traditionally Muslim. Each group has its own language and culture. Pray for the Hui, Uyghur, Kazak, Dongxiang, Kyrgyz, Salar, Tajik, Bonan, Uzbek and Tatar. Please pray that God will reveal himself to them.
11. CANDIDATE COURSE. Today begins the weeklong OMF (U.S.) Candidate and Orientation Course. Pray for staff as they carry out many responsibilities. Pray also for candidates, that God would give them clarity and direction in their ministry paths.
12. DEEPLY-ROOTED TRADITIONS. Pray for breakthrough in hundreds of rural villages across China. A worker writes, “Recently we traveled to a friend’s house. The trip was about 300 miles one way. One of my main impressions from the trip was the difference between rural and urban China. China’s cities have changed dramatically in the past 20 years or so, and so has the countryside. But the deep-rooted cultural traditions of ancestor worship and Chinese-style Buddhism (folk Buddhism) are alive and well.”
13. EQUIPPING BRAZILIANS. God is mobilizing believers around the world to partner in The Task Unfinished. Many Christians in Brazil have been challenged to pray for the DPRK (North Korea). Pray for them as they receive OMF prayer materials and updates.
14. REVIVAL AND RENEWAL. Pray that missionaries will be able to work with the nearby existing churches, stimulating them to begin new church planting initiatives in the surrounding Buddhist communities of Thailand.
15. EID AL-FITR. Today, Muslims around the world will begin their celebrations for Eid al-Fitr, a three-day festival that marks the end of Ramadan. Pray that God’s hope, love and peace would surround Muslims as they go about daily life after their month of fasting.
16. CHINESE ETHNIC GROUPS. Pray for a movement to Christ among the Tai/Dai people, including the Zhuang, Dong, Bouyei, Tai Lue, Shan/Tai, Tai Dam, Shui, Lao, Tai Yuan, Tai Khao and Tai Deng. Pray that God will equip Chinese believers empowered by the Holy Spirit to be culturally sensitive serving and working among these different groups.
17. TEAM GROWTH. Praise God that a team serving in Southeast Asia has added two new families and one single lady. Please pray for each of these special individuals and their children as they prepare to become part of the expanded team. Please pray that their leader would be given wisdom to journey with everyone well and that the team would receive these new workers well.
18. SETTLING IN. New workers face typical adjustments. Pray for families who share these requests: “We continue working on getting settled in our new city and up to speed with our new team. We are searching for more permanent housing that will help us to be effective in reaching out and continuing to learn the language and culture. Please pray that our settling phase goes well, so that we establish a good foundation for long-term success.”
19. SCRIPTURAL INSIGHT. A family working among unreached people of Thailand writes, “Lord, we echo the prayer of Isaiah 52:15 that those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” Pray for more workers to share Christ’s love.
20. MEMBER CARE COORDINATOR. The team serving in Vietnam is looking for God to provide a member care coordinator. A qualified applicant has expressed interest and is seeking God’s confirmation. Pray for clear wisdom and needed direction moving forward.
21. TCK ADVOCATE. Pray for Harmony Niphakis as she begins her new role as a Third-Culture Kid Advocate in September. She is trusting God for full support through partnership development. Thank God for this new opportunity to serve children of missionaries.
22. BRUNEI MALAY. Pray that God in his mercy would reveal himself to the Brunei Malay, a Muslim people. Ask the Lord to strengthen believers in Brunei and that they would develop good relationships with their Malay neighbors.
23. PHUNOI OF LAOS. The Phunoi people group number about 40,000. Pray that God would equip believers to take first steps in bringing the Good News to these people. Pray for breakthrough that opens hearts to the message of Christ.
24. BREAKTHROUGH AMONG THE MABA. Pray that the Maba of Indonesia will have the opportunity to learn more about who Jesus is. The majority of Maba are Muslims, but they are influenced by traditional animistic beliefs and traditions.
25. GOD’S FAITHFULNESS. “How good is the God we adore!” On this day 153 years ago, J. Hudson Taylor prayed for “24 willing, skilled workers” while on Brighton Beach, England. As we rejoice in God’s faithfulness, join in praising God for the work he has done in East Asia. Also ask the Lord of the harvest for more workers to reach the unreached.
26. PERSEVERING PRAYER. “Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see,” says Hebrews 11:1. Although we cannot be physically present in the DPRK (North Korea), we can still pray for the country and trust that God is working in ways currently unseen. Continue to lift up this nation to the Lord, by faith.
27. MOVING THROUGH THE FOG. Uphold a family who seeks guidance and writes: “I feel like I am in the midst of the fog. The problem with fog is that you cannot see what is around you. This means that it is wise to slow down to avoid crashing. This has been my experience so far this year. What I also know about fog is that it burns off when the sun is out. We trust the Lord to lift the fog. Until he does, we will seek to understand what he is teaching us in the midst of this trial. Thank you for praying.”
28. GOD’S GUIDANCE. A veteran worker serving in Southeast Asia has reflected on her current home assignment ministry in the U.S. Her impressions apply to many of us. “My prayer, dear friends, is that we would express all our fears to God and allow him to be our Guide, even to take us to where we may reluctantly go, knowing it’s for our good and most likely for the good of others too.” Pray that would be our experience as well.
29. REASSIGNEES MOBILIZE. Pray for OMF (U.S.) retired missionaries (“Reassignees”) with significant opportunities to mobilize for The Task Unfinished. A couple in Connecticut and another in North Carolina want to spark interest in God’s global purposes.
30. NATIONAL CONFERENCE. Pray for the OMF (U.S.) National Conference coming soon, July 26-29. 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.

To download the pdf version of our Prayer Powerlines newsletter CLICK HERE.