“Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.” (Isaiah 60:3)
SUNDAYS • East Asian Diaspora
Praise God for Thai fellowship groups meeting monthly in the UK, seeking to build up the faith of believers and to bring unbelieving Thai to Christ. Pray that these fellowships would equip members to stand for Jesus. Pray that returning believers would also connect with believers in Thailand. Pray for their families to embrace Christ.
MONDAYS • Infectious faith
Living in California, Kai is part Thai and part Japanese. He leads prayer and worship for other young Asian Americans. His passion for the lost is evident. Several Southeast Asian nationalities join these meetings. Pray that Kai would disciple others to disciple others, so that there is a movement among the peoples of Southeast Asia. Pray for other young workers for the harvest among Southeast Asians.
TUESDAYS • Fearless witness
Daeng, a Thai immigrant to the U.S. who is now over 70 years old, occasionally returns to Thailand to visit his relatives. Every time Daeng visits, he takes along his Bible to speak with his relative who is a Buddhist monk. The monk reads the scriptures regularly and allows Daeng to pray for him even in the restricted domain where the monks reside. Pray for other Thai believers to be fearless and obedient to speak God’s truth at appropriate times.
WEDNESDAYS • Creative outreach
Dae, a Thai graduate student working on her master’s degree in America first connected with Christians when she attended an event at a local apple orchard. She was excited to visit an American family’s house for dinner and greatly enjoyed making her first ever apple pie! This family then invited her to worship and Bible study. Pray for Dae and students like her to follow Christ. Pray that students would continue to attend outreaches.
THURSDAYS • Fast and furious
Brian, a university student in the U.S., lives life fast and furiously. Yet Brian’s heart has been drawn to the message of a loving God. Brian’s best friend in China is a Christian, so when Brian came to the U.S. to study, he already had some interest in learning about God. Pray that Brian would give his heart to his heavenly Father. Pray that many students like Brian would learn about their loving heavenly Father while studying abroad.
FRIDAYS • Returnee leaders
A few years ago, a group of Chinese international students who were finishing their studies overseas met at a conference for returning believers. They decided to support each other upon their return to China. Most of them took up leading roles in their local churches. Pray for Chinese Christian returnees who are becoming church leaders. At times their churches can place heavy burdens on these young believers. Pray that the Lord would be their strength.
SATURDAYS • Connecting through language
Jay was surprised to meet an American couple who spoke Thai fluently at a dinner where he is a visiting scholar. East Asians are often surprised when they meet someone speaking their language, an effective bridge to the gospel. Pray that visiting scholars like Jay would be open to the Gospel.
Intercede for East Asia’s Diaspora
People are often more open to the gospel when they are in a new land. Pray that East Asians would hear the gospel while they are overseas and believe.
Churches can show Christ’s love through welcoming internationals and helping them adjust to their new environment. Pray for divine appointments for those arriving and for churches to be strategically bold in witness.
Pray that East Asians would not just be introduced to Christ while they are in another land, but would be soundly discipled and hear God’s calling to their own people as well as to other groups in need of the gospel.
An estimated 80 percent of new Christians from East Asia who return to their home countries (“returnees”) do not continue in the church. Pray against all efforts of the enemy to snatch away the word of God that has been sown in the hearts of East Asians as they return home.
Pray that the fear, suspicion, misunderstanding and prejudice that often divide different groups would not infect the church. Praise God for efforts to build the unity of the body of Christ across racial and cultural divides.
Vision for the diaspora
Vietnamese in Macau. Chinese students in Kansas. Japanese students in Oxford. Whether voluntarily or involuntarily, East Asians are moving across borders and the global church is reaching out to them. Many of these East Asians will return to the country of their birth. Before they return, will they be prepared to thrive as Christians back home?
Mobility among the diaspora
There are over 250 million migrants around the world today and 85 million of them are from East Asia. Five million international students bring diversity to universities; forty percent of all international students come from China alone. Many leave their homeland for economic or political reasons. Some are the victims of human trafficking. Others are tourists. People are often more open to the gospel when they are outside of the comfort and pressure of their home.
Opportunities with the diaspora
East Asians tend to be open to the gospel while overseas and many make a commitment to Christ through campus ministries. However, there is a great tragedy about ministry to the Asian diaspora. Experience shows that eighty percent of new Christians do not continue in the church when they return to their home countries. Family, societal pressure, high work demands, and failure to connect with a local church are among some of the reasons for this problem. Pray for God’s abundant grace and breakthrough.
Lord, you know the needs for East Asia’s Diaspora. We pray that Asians on the move would hear the gospel and believe. Please help believers all over the world to welcome the stranger. We ask that you would help Asians return home with Christ, prepared for the pressures they will face, and to continue growing in their faith.
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