International Mission Board - Pray

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Monday, February 8, 2010

“I will put My laws into their minds, and I will write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they will be My people” (Hebrews 8:10b, HCSB).

Dear Intercessors, this is Eleanor Witcher of the Office of Global Prayer Strategy, asking you to pray for the unreached.

With a population of 1.3 million, the Nuer people of Sudan are totally unevangelized. Nuer boys undergo a rite of initiation, at which time they receive six marks on their foreheads called “garr,” which represent laws they take with them into manhood: 1) Don’t bother yourself with childish things; know you have reached manhood. 2) Don’t be afraid of anybody. 3) Don’t steal, and deal well with the family. 4) Don’t just eat anywhere; be an honorable man. 5) Do not covet, or be greedy or glutinous. 6) Do not commit adultery. The Nuer, with no evangelical history, have laws similar to what God told Moses to pass on to each generation!

In one rural county in southwest China are the La Jiao (pronounced lah jee-OW) people. Because they are so isolated, they are largely unreached by the Gospel. The La Jiao are friendly, hospitable, and maintain a close-knit family relationship. They believe that there are spirits behind objects such as a specific tree in a village, a rock or a mountain. They seek to appease these spirits through sacrificial rituals in order to resolve misfortunes, cure illnesses, or bring prosperity and good fortune.

One-and-a-half million Southern Zazas live in eastern Turkey. Most people lease farmland, paying rents up to 50 percent of their harvest. Electricity and water are often disrupted, slowing economic development. Villages often lack schools. Many young people see no future locally, and emigrate to major cities in Turkey and Europe, especially Germany.

* Please pray for these three people groups that they will have opportunity to hear the Good News.

* Intercede for those who follow a system of law without knowing the One who can help them keep them.

* Ask God to guide your congregation or small group in praying for unengaged peoples.

To learn more about praying for unengaged unreached people groups, contact prayerthreads@imb.org.


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