(suh-POHR-oh) - "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8). Some believers can have a stronger love for justice than mercy because it doesn't feel natural to love those who wrong us. We all need the Lord to help us forgive and be merciful to others. Pray that this Christmas season, believers in Sapporo will be newly amazed at God's mercy towards them and let that overflow into their relationships with others. Pray that as those who don't know Christ in Sapporo visit church, attend events, or interact with believers, they too will be in awe of Christ's mercy and grace towards them, seeing Christ reflected in the church community of Sapporo. Pray that this will spur on their hearts to trust in the Lord as their Savior.
pray4APAC@imb.org
Like most Central Asian peoples, the Persians of the Western diaspora come from an Islamic cultural background, so what they do know of Jesus is often tainted. Being immigrants and refugees in the West, many will be coming to church for the first time this month out of curiosity of what Christianity is all about. Some of their beliefs about Jesus' birth are true. For example, they believe that He was born of the Virgin Mary. However, there is much about Jesus' birth in the Quran that leaves them confused. "Why do Christians think that Jesus was born in a stable when the Quran says that He was born under a date palm tree?" "Why do Christians not mention Jesus speaking as an infant, confirming His miraculous birth?" The biggest hurdle is that they are taught that He is only a prophet. Pray that this Christmas, many Persians in the West will be confronted with the truth that Jesus is the Son of God, born to be the Savior of the World. Pray that they will put their faith and trust in Him alone.
centralasianpeoples@protonmail.com
(PEH-dee) - The problem is not unique to Africa, but it is significant there. Honest, believing, sincere, and humble spiritual leaders are hard to find and harder to retain. Because of the patriarchal culture of many South African people groups and the power that secular leaders are given over people, many men and women seek positions of leadership in the church because they are greedy for power and prestige. Many church leaders are not shepherds who have a genuine concern for the sheep and are willing to lay down their lives so that Christ can be formed in them. Please pray: "Lord, we pray for two Pedi pastors, Peter and John. Lord, You know how hard these true pastors work as they travel to small church plants and encourage believers. Jesus, please protect them from greed. Do not let any seed of greed take root in their hearts. Protect them from a love of power or position. Please raise up godly, trustworthy men and women who can help them in their shepherding. Jesus, You gave Paul so many helpers: Timothy, Silas, Aquila, and Priscilla. Please provide fellow helpers, friends, encouragers, and partners in ministry for Pedi pastors Peter and John."
mrsskyscott@gmail.com
http://www.imb.org/sub-saharan-africa/
Pray for a new sister in Christ and her daughter. As this single mother and her daughter face growing persecution in their area, ask God to keep and protect them, surrounding them with His love and care. May they experience the peace and comfort that comes only from Him, even in the midst of challenging circumstances. Psalm 119:105 (ESV) says: "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Pray that this sister's desire to be in the Word will grow stronger despite the pressures around her. May she find strength, encouragement, and guidance in Scripture, and may her daughter be blessed by her example. Pray that God will give them both courage, wisdom, and a deepening faith as they navigate these difficult times. May Christ be their Rock and Refuge, now and always.
(mon-GOHL-yun) - Christmas is not celebrated by Mongolian people, except for followers of Jesus, and it has only been in recent years that others have really taken notice of it. Many of the traditions that surround Christmas were brought from Russia during Soviet times and transferred to the New Years holiday, as not to put emphasis on anything "religious." From December 18 to 29, a team of at least three students from universities in Hattiesburg, Mississippi will brave the cold of Mongolia to bring the light of Jesus to those in darkness. They will spend their time sharing the true meaning of Christmas in various settings. Please ask God to provide all of the needed materials for their outreaches in a timely manner. Also, please ask God to give the students favor in the eyes of those that He brings to them, and that He will grant repentance to those who hear the gospel and give them saving faith to believe.
pray4APAC@imb.org
(MOP-lah) - Please pray for a young woman named Hadil who recently came to faith. She comes from a Muslim background and is part of the Mappila people group located in Kerala, India. Praise the Lord for saving her by calling her to Himself! Her journey of faith is still very young, and Muslims who come to faith often face persecution from family and friends. Ask the Lord to protect Hadil through any trials she may face. Pray for Hadil to grow strong in her new faith so that she can stand firm in the Lord. "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing" (James 1:2-4 ESV).
Please pray for a prayer group of 10 local churches who are praying for an unreached people group (UPG) that is not far away but a challenge to meet. Join us in praising God for how He is at work. God brought the churches together and burdened them with the spiritual and physical needs of the people group. They are united in their vision. Please pray God will mobilize and guide this prayer group in reaching this UPG with the gospel.
(kuh-MY) - Rina is a young Khmer woman in her late twenties. She's been a devout and faithful follower of the Lord since she was a young child. But recently, she turned away from the Lord and decided to date an unbeliever. Now she is engaged to marry him. Many attempts have been made to witness to the young man, but he says he does not want to follow Christ. Despite counsel and appeal to her heart to be faithful to the Lord's ways in not being yoked with an unbeliever, she has decided to marry him and follow his family's wishes to conduct a Buddhist ceremony. Hearts are broken in the church family. Please pray for conviction that would cause Rina to return to the Lord. Please pray for wisdom for the church family.
pray4APAC@imb.org
(CARE-ah-muh-jong) - The Karamojong Team writes: "Join us in giving thanks to God for the seven people in Morulem who are new followers of Christ! A missionary recently traveled to this rural village with Ugandan partners for an intense day of evangelism, followed by a day of following up with those who expressed a desire to become Christians. Please pray for one man who was honest and admitted that while he believes, he is not yet ready to follow Christ because he's not ready to give up alcohol. He understands that to follow God truly means to follow Him fully. Pray also for the witch doctor in Morulem who wants to hear more stories from the Bible. We are encouraged to hear of new believers there. Pray for them and for those who have not yet believed!"
http://www.imb.org/sub-saharan-africa/
Hanukkah, or the Feast of Dedication, is the Jewish holiday that commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple through the lighting of candles. For eight nights, people are reminded that God provided exactly what was needed to make something that had been defiled into something holy and acceptable. Hanukkah is not one of the Old Testament feasts ordained by God, but it is mentioned in the New Testament when Jesus went to the temple to teach during the Feast of Dedication (John 10:22-39). There, He declared Himself to be the Messiah and one with the Father. Pray that each candle lighted this year will turn someone's mind to Jesus, the Light of the world.
Among the Island Pearl people of South Asia, a teen secret believer recently felt compelled by the Holy Spirit to share her faith with her best friend, a devout Muslim. Her friend got scared and shared the news with her mother, who is also a very devout Muslim. The teen believer's family was terrified for three days, not knowing if the mother would report the family to the authorities. They prayed and prepared for the worst -- but the worst did not come. Miraculously, the friend's mother told her daughter to keep the teen believer's secret. The mother warned her that if she exposed her friend, both her friend and her friend's family could go to prison. Praise the Lord that He let this teen believer and her family have favor with their friends! Pray that the Holy Spirit will be working and that the Muslim family will want to hear more about Jesus Christ.
(soun POW-loo) - The Sao Paulo Global City Team writes: "We're excited to share that our local church has officially voted in a new lead pastor! We look forward with joy and expectation to all that God will do through Igreja Batista da Familia (Family Baptist Church). Please pray that this church will faithfully reach the residents of Higienopolis, an upper-class neighborhood in Sao Paulo, with the hope of the gospel."
Praise God that a group of young college students from Christian backgrounds have grown tired of going through the motions of church. They have been discipled for over a year and have decided to form themselves into a new missional church. The passion and dedication of this small group is spreading throughout the province, and pastors from other cities are asking how they can train groups to meet and study the Bible in a similar fashion. Pray for David, their leader, to cast vision for healthy churches. Pray that the young church members will be missionally focused and see the majority religion around them as field in which to share the gospel and start more churches. Pray for the potential of these small, healthy churches to be realized and become a revival movement.
pray4APAC@imb.org
