2018 March Prayer Powerlines

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need  –Hebrews 4:16

1. SERVE ASIA. Join us in praying for Serve Asia, OMF’s short-term missions discipleship program. Serve Asia trips have proven to be an integral step in many people’s journeys into long-term missions. Pray that God uses Serve Asia to support long-term ministry on the field and to see participants grow deeper in faith.
2. BRAO BIBLE. A few years ago, a young Brao church in Cambodia had no Brao Bible, but now the church’s congregation has 10 books of the Bible in their language and more continue to be translated. The number of house churches in the area has also increased. Praise God for his work in Northeast Cambodia. Pray for the continued growth of the church in this region.
3. ACCIDENTS. A missionary in Cambodia has asked for prayer for the wives of two Cambodian church pastors. The women were each involved in separate accidents that caused them serious injuries. The women serve God joyfully despite their trials. Pray for full recovery for them and strength for continued ministry.
4. MIRACLE NEEDED. A local believer in Cambodia was recently rushed to the hospital for kidney failure but a transplant was not an available option. Instead he needs dialysis every four days (if he can afford it) or miraculous healing. He has two children. Pray for his immediate healing, that he could continue to support his family and serve the Lord.
5. EARTHQUAKE. The February 6 earthquake in Hualien County, Taiwan claimed 17 lives. Pray for the families that continue to grieve the loss of loved ones. Pray that the people of Taiwan would seek and find the Lord in the midst of tragedy.
6. VOLUNTEERS. OMF missionaries Mark and Ruth McDowell are requesting more devoted volunteers to help with their children’s ministries in the Philippines. Right now they don’t have the facilities to divide children by age group. Praise God for the 130 children participating in their programs. Pray for more workers and space to facilitate the teaching of God’s word to these little ones.
7. CHILDCARE WORKERS. An annual OMF conference taking place in Thailand this June is looking for 25 childcare workers to invest in the 130 children in attendance. Ask God to provide the right team of people to love and care for the children of OMF missionaries during this time.
8. FUNDS NEEDED. Please pray for the Yu family, who wants to do diaspora ministry among the Chinese in Germany. We are praying for needed finances to allow them to go this summer.
9. HART. Praise God that 18 missionaries with their 16 children made it for our Home Assignment and Reunion Training in February. Pray that they will assimilate the information they learned and find time for rest and refreshment while also casting vision among individuals and churches with whom they have the opportunity to share.
10. WITNESS. When a local church in East Asia was raided by police and its leaders brought in for questioning, one official asked, “What is this gospel? See if you can convince me to believe it.” The believers shared God’s word and after 15 hours, were released. Pray for wisdom for this church as they continue worshiping the Lord with newfound government restrictions.
11. MORE APPLICATIONS. Pray with us for more people to respond to the call of ministering in East Asia. We are hoping for more applications for long-term missionaries before the July Candidate Course.
12. SEANET. In February, 180 national church leaders, missionaries and theologians from more than 20 countries gathered for the SEANET conference to strategize around the theme of “Ritual in the Buddhist Worldview.” Praise God for a fruitful time. Pray that he would use this time of learning and fellowship to enhance and equip ministry to the Buddhist world.
13. CHRISTIANS IN CHINA. A leading expert on religion in China has said that by 2030, China’s total Christian population could exceed 247 million. Even still, 1 billion Chinese would be living without the hope of Christ. Pray for foreign and local believers to be bold in sharing God’s love with the Chinese people.
14. MINORITY GROUPS. China has 56 officially recognized minority people groups, but over 400 unrecognized groups. Each group speaks their own language and has their own distinct culture. Pray for God’s word to be available to each minority people group, that all minority peoples would have the chance to hear about Jesus in their heart language.
15. OLYMPICS. The Unified Korea ice hockey team was the only Olympic team made up of athletes from South Korea and the DPRK. The team didn’t win any medals in the 2018 games, but the camaraderie between the two countries was apparent. Pray that their Olympic experience will spark broader possibilities for peace and reconciliation between the two nations.
16. MALAYSIA’S ELECTIONS. Malaysia will hold its general election this year. Pray for fair elections and for wise and God-fearing men and women to be elected who will benefit all people in Malaysia’s multi-cultural, multi-lingual and multi-faith society.
17. NATIONAL MISSIONS. Last year, a team ministering to an unreached people group (UPG) in East Asia was able to mobilize six short-term house church teams from the UPG’s country. They also mobilized a national believer to become a long-term missionary to this UPG. Pray for a continued movement of national believers that desire to share God’s love with minority people in their nation.
18. CULTS. Some OMF diaspora ministry workers in the U.S. are noticing the prevalence of cults on college campuses where they’re reaching out to Chinese students. While this trend is disturbing, it is also good preparation for the cults these students will encounter when they return to China. Pray for Chinese students to find Bible studies and churches with solid gospel teaching.
19. INTERNATIONAL STUDENT. A university student in Taiwan has been meeting with an OMF missionary for Bible study over the past five years but does not yet know the Lord. He plans to study in Germany for six months and coincidentally, another OMF worker lives in the university town and leads an international Bible study. Pray for this student to stay connected to the word and for him to come to faith in Jesus Christ.
20. CREATION CARE. Plans are in the works to send a group of engineers and environmental specialists to Mongolia to help train local people in water and renewable energy solutions and to teach churches more about creation care. Pray for the development of this trip and for the right people to be available to go.
21. BUNU PEOPLE. The Bunu are an unreached minority people group in China. Their population is comparable to the city of Atlanta, Georgia (roughly 420,000), except there are no known churches among them—just a few scattered believers. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers into this harvest field so that the Bunu might know eternal hope in Christ.
22. MISSIONS TO JAPAN. Five people who visited Japan on a short-term trip with OMF staff last October are considering future ministry in Japan. The young child of one couple even wrote his parents a note saying, “I think God wants us to be missionaries in Japan.” Pray that God makes next steps clear for these families through prayer, good counsel and even sticky notes from children.
23. GOSPEL CHOIR. Christians and non-Christians alike participate in gospel choirs in Japan. In one OMF missionary’s choir, a testimony is given midway through practice even though half the members are not believers. Pray that God uses gospel choirs to draw Japanese people to Jesus.
24. BIBLICAL WISDOM. In Vietnam, Christian workers must grapple with situations that are less common in the States, such as what to do when your dinner host offers you food sacrificed to their ancestors. Pray for Christian workers in Vietnam to respond with biblical wisdom and love to their neighbors.
25. SOCCER TEAM. A soccer team that started up in Southeast Asia with the help of Christian workers has seen intra-community conflict, making the future of the team unclear. Recently, however, parents came together to organize another successful event. Pray that this soccer team would be a unifying force in the community.
26. VISIONS OF JESUS. A language helper in Southeast Asia began having dreams of a man dressed in white. She has come to understand that the man is Jesus and that he is the way to God. Her family members practice other religions. Pray for God’s love to shine brightly in her life as she studies his word.
27. SINGAPORE. Recently, over 700 pastors gathered to seek God’s will for the future of Singapore. A large Christian gathering has been approved by the government to call believers to the task of proclaiming the gospel message. Pray for Singapore and its bold stand for Christ in a society that is seeking truth.
28. FAMILY WITNESS. Pray for Jackie, a Thai believer who is maturing in her faith. Her husband is not yet a believer, but he is becoming increasingly open to God as he sees the changes in her life. Pray for her witness, that her husband and all her family would come to faith in Christ.
29. TRIALS. An OMF family serving in Thailand says, “Our most fruitful season of ministry thus far has been counterweighted by intense family trials.” Among other things, they have suffered blood poisoning, a motorcycle accident and a miscarriage. Pray for the name of Jesus to be exalted in their trials and for God’s Spirit to bring renewal and healing.
30. MISSIONARY CARE. Missionary families often struggle to prioritize rest and self-care when ministry demands press in. Pray that missionaries receive the support they need for long-term health and wellness on the field while balancing family life and education. Pray that they find spiritual refreshment on a regular basis as well.
31. NEW IT PERSON. We have just hired a new IT Technical Support Specialist, Lori Williams, who will assist with the IT needs of our U.S. team. Pray for her to adjust well to OMF and her role.

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