(JAH-vuh) - "Father, we lift up the house churches meeting among the Javanese people and the Volcano people, both unreached people groups (UPGs). We pray for strong local leadership that will help guide these churches to grow, abide, and multiply. Lord, utilize the new connections with local seminaries who will be sending students to these UPG's. Empower them with your spirit to share the good news and see many come to Christ. We pray that you would bless these churches and daily add to their number those being saved."
A Baptist university annually provides a summer service project for interested students to spend three weeks on the field with missionaries doing ministry. A student team was recently formed and is preparing for their trip to Busan, South Korea, in May 2025. Please pray for good preparation and for a good transition into the culture, language, and ministries they'll be doing. Please pray for God to go before the team, preparing people's hearts to hear and believe the gospel so that many people can be transformed through faith in Christ. Please pray for the students to catch a vision for how God can use them as missionaries to share the gospel, making a positive difference in this world and an eternal difference in heaven.
Many years ago, Shafiq and Salma moved to Europe after fleeing their unsafe home country. Shafiq has been granted residency status, but Salma is still waiting to hear from the government if she can stay permanently. They wrestle with conflict and tension in their marriage despite having several children together. Shafiq and their oldest son decided to follow Jesus after having opportunities to hear the gospel. Salma continues to walk in her Muslim faith. She appreciates the community she has with other Muslim women from her home country. She describes herself as still seeking for answers and attends an outreach service at an Arabic fellowship once a month. She recognizes that faith is a choice each person must make on their own. Please pray for this family in their many needs. Pray for Salma to receive residency status, for there to be reconciliation in their marriage, and for Salma and the other children to believe in Jesus. Praise God that His Word does not return void (Isaiah 55:11)!
"Please continue to pray for healing for a member of our church," workers ask. "He had his appendix taken out a month and a half ago. The surgery was an emergency, and he almost lost his life during the surgery."
(EH-kwuh TOR-ee-ul GIH-nee) - After the miracle of Pentecost (Acts 2), the new followers of Jesus were baptized, and then they devoted themselves to prayer, fellowship, worship, generosity, and learning more about Jesus from those who had known Him. They grew in number, and they enjoyed the goodwill of the community. Pray for churches in Equatorial Guinea to follow the example of the early church and grow in number and enjoy the goodwill of their communities.
Pray that God will give wisdom to Central Asian pastors about the right time to baptize professing new believers and the appropriate discipleship steps to take in preparation for baptism. Pray that new believers will have clarity about what baptism is and what it is not. Ask that new believers will walk in obedience in the act of baptism and that they will grow in faithfulness even when faced with temptations and trials.
"We ask for prayer that our local Canadian churches will take up the biblical mandate to share the gospel with the nations, both here and overseas," IMB team members said. "Over 50% of the population in Toronto is foreign born. We can reach the world at our doorstep as well as internationally, since IMB has made a path for Canadians to now go to the nations in partnership with the IMB."
(BAH-soo-too) - Stan and Angie Burleson, Basotho Team members in the highlands of Lesotho, ask for prayer as they visit a Great Commission Christian organization in Mohale's Hoek district on January 21-23. They will be meeting with them to observe, strategize, and plan to see how they might partner with them to train the churches in orphan care. This organization is Basotho led and run. It will be an opportunity for the Basotho to train the Basotho. Pray for discernment as they seek God's will in possibly partnering with and learning from this organization. Also pray for travel safety as they drive to and spend a few days in this different area of Lesotho. "Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause" (Isaiah 1:17 ESV).
(BANG-ah-lohr) - Bangalore Baptist Hospital will be celebrating its 52nd anniversary this month. It will be a time of thanksgiving for all that God continues to do through the physical and spiritual ministry of the hospital and its community outreach and academic programs. Pray for all the staff and the leadership as they renew their commitment to the vision of healing and wholeness in the spirit of Jesus Christ.