“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful,” (Colossians 4:22)
SUNDAYS • Taiwan’s urban and rural churches
Across Taiwan, there is great strength within the urban, middle-class churches. The workers ask for prayer that God would empower urban believers reaching out to neglected rural areas, to the working class and to the communities around them. Ask God to move them by his Spirit to spread the gospel throughout Taiwan.
MONDAYS • New workers learning the language
First-term workers devote their full energy to language learning and cultural adjustment. Pray for new workers like Simon and Hana settling into this strategic phase of missionary life. Pray that they find meaningful relationships and Christian believers who may support them in the journey. Also remember their four children adjusting to new schools, daily life, and expectations.
TUESDAYS • Wide scope of opportunities
Thank God for the strategic, effective ministries of Christian schools, hospitals and media organizations which continue to have an impact on Taiwan and Chinese communities abroad. Ask God for renewed vision to see more believers step forward to fill many opportunities for ministry.
WEDNESDAYS • Taiwan’s rural townships
Thank the Lord for mobilizing Taiwanese believers to multiply church planting ministries in rural townships. Join the team in praying that many more people will capture that vision and continue church planting throughout rural areas.
THURSDAYS • Resuming outreach ministry
Pray for missionaries in Taiwan who are returning to their ministries after short breaks. Pray for good times of refreshing, as well as meaningful reunions with family, friends and their churches. May their experiences shed light on the needs and opportunities out in the fields so that these needs may be met.
FRIDAYS • Kaohsiung student center
Praise God for an unfolding vision for a new student ministry center in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Missionary staff and local believers are excited for a setting where students may drop in for casual conversation and meetings. Pray for a welcoming atmosphere leading to friendships. Pray that Taiwanese students experience God’s love and truth.
SATURDAYS • Latin American recruitment
Pray for opportunities to engage with contacts made at a massive youth mission convention in Santiago, Chile. Pray for the team of OMF staff developing relationships both with Spanish and Portuguese young adults. Thank God for the growing mission vision throughout Latin American churches. Pray for sensitivity to the Holy Spirit’s guidance that enables mobilizers who encourage more workers for cross-cultural ministry.
Pray for breakthrough in Taiwan
Taiwan is situated between Japan and the Philippines. About the size of the Netherlands, Taiwan has a population of over 23 million people. While Taiwan’s population is predominantly Han Chinese (more than 95% of the population), there are also indigenous Malayo-Polynesian peoples and immigrants from all over the world. In recent years, there has been an influx of new migrants from China and Southeast Asia (over 520,000), mostly through cross-cultural marriages. Taiwan has three major language groups: Taiwanese, Hakka and Mandarin.
Most Taiwanese are strongly influenced by traditional Chinese folk beliefs (i.e. ancestor worship and the worship of various gods). Taoist, Buddhist and Confucian beliefs have combined with other beliefs. Although the church has seen growth a significant spiritual breakthrough has yet to come.
Christians are a small minority in Taiwan. The highest concentration of Christians is found in Taipei where the number could be as high as 10%, but in other cities of Taiwan the number is closer to zero. Most Christians in Taiwan are middle or upper-middle class, well-educated and comfortable speaking Mandarin. The working class, however, are less educated, less open to ideas from the outside and much more comfortable using Taiwanese; many have not heard the gospel.
Churches need God’s help in helping people busy with ancestor worship, gambling, growing materialism and opposition from family members. Although there is much evangelistic activity and many respond to the gospel, follow-up is often challenging and the attrition rate is high. New Christians are often looked upon as disrupting the family and not fulfilling their roles and obligations as expected in traditional Chinese culture, possibly alienating one’s family.
The “plague god”?
Pray through these concerns shared by an OMF couple prayer-walking in the city of Donggang, Taiwan. “As we walk systematically street by street, it’s hard to miss that the locals are steeped in their folk and Taoist practices. From the streets we see god shelves in homes, and the many temples that house various gods. One temple that is particularly popular in town is the Donglong Temple, dedicated to the plague god named Wengye. In the past, flooding was a common occurrence, hence illness and pestilence were real and grave concerns. People perform elaborate rites inviting the gods to be in their midst, offering them food, parading them around town and praying to Wengye for protection and good fortune. Pray that the people of Donggang will know the faithfulness and provision of The One True God of the Bible.”
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