(is-tan-BULL) - Believers made the most of opportunities this fall to reach out to people with the gospel. Please pray for those who heard the good news. Ask God to soften their hearts to the Word. Pray that the Word fell on good soil that will produce a harvest.
Just like in the United States, there is an enormous need in Malawi for women to be trained in theological education and for female leaders to participate in leadership development so that they can understand God's Word more deeply and biblically serve as leaders within their local churches. Please pray for more resources, teachers, and opportunities to be made available to these God-called women in Malawi.
Pray that women throughout Sub-Saharan Africa who profess Christ will abide in Christ daily through reading or listening to God's Word, praying fervently, and serving their local churches with joy. Pray that they will present their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, and not be conformed to this world and what their culture tells them, but instead be transformed by the renewing of their mind in Scripture so that by testing, they may discern what the will of God is for their lives. Pray that they will use the gifts God has given them for the growth of His kingdom, and ask that their love for the church will be genuine. Pray that they will rejoice in the hope of Christ, be patient in tribulation, constant in prayer, and seek to show hospitality (Romans 12:1-13).
"Praise God with us for two young adult refugees who became believers and were baptized recently at a retreat. God worked through Christians loving, witnessing, and studying the Bible with them for four years. Please pray for their spiritual growth and for them to become strong and faithful disciples of Jesus. During this same retreat, one of the young adult refugees who was baptized last year shared with a big smile that "it was a really good decision to be baptized." This youth suffered from a personality disorder due to trauma. She attended a trauma healing program for four years while dealing with depression and often changing jobs. God was at work in her life through providing Christians to love her and providing the healing that she experienced through the trauma program. She became emotionally stable, studied the Bible, and gained confidence in her faith, which led to her baptism. Currently, she is consistently working at the same job and says that her interpersonal relationships have become much better. Please pray for her to continue to grow in her faith. Pray for many other young adult refugees with personality disorders to be saved and live new, healthy lives in Jesus."
(BUHN-duhl-kand) - Pray that the Lord will convict the hearts of those who live in the Bundelkhand region. Ask that they will seek out the truth and follow Him through repentance and faith.
A longstanding weekly Bible study group has continued to grow over the past year. A special one-day meeting was held recently that included time together in worship and prayer, group meals, and training in different spiritual disciplines. The leadership of the group has begun to seek out a biblical definition of a healthy church and share that with the other members. The group is questioning what further steps they might take in that direction. Praise the Lord for His presence among these believers as they seek to better understand His Word each time they meet and how to apply it to their lives! Pray that this group will continue to grow in faith and love, unified by the Spirit, and grow into a healthy church. Pray, also, that through this group, the name of the Father may spread further into their community.
Please pray for an IMB representative who will be attending her last women's group before spending several months in the U.S. The women's group is going through a book titled "12 Extraordinary Women" by John MacArthur, which has been recently translated into Finnish. Pray for the women in this group draw nearer to Jesus as they study about women of the Bible.
(muh-RAH-kan) - A small group of believers met a family of women and young girls at a local park. The women invited the believers to share their picnic. While they were chatting, one of the women asked what their new friends believed, and the believers had the opportunity to share the gospel. Before they parted ways, the women invited the believers to a wedding that was happening the following week. Two believers attended the wedding and shared more with their new friends. Pray that as these friendships grow, these women's hearts will be open to the gospel and they will receive the invitation to the greatest wedding feast of all time. "Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; . . . And the angel said to me, 'Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.' And he said to me, 'These are the true words of God'" (Revelation 19:7-9 ESV).
(ma-COW) - In the body of Christ, members need each other. Churches around the world are a huge part of Great Commission work as they give, pray, send, and even go themselves. Pray for a group of visiting believers who will look for ways they can partner in the future. Ask God to give them open eyes and hearts to see where He is at work and how they can join Him. As they return to their homes, ask the Lord to press the people of Hong Kong and Macau into their hearts and that they would pray diligently for a mighty move of God.
"Most universities in Europe begin classes in October," workers shared. "As school resumes, many students from mainland China will board a plane and begin their studies abroad for the first time. Our prayer is that, more than anything else, their time abroad will be marked by spiritual rebirth! Please pray for brothers and sisters in England, Italy, France, and Spain who are engaging these newly arrived Chinese students. May the Lord bless the work of their hands and prepare a spiritual harvest among the next generation.
(BANG-ah-lohr) - Thank you for praying for the Jana Priya Clinic (translation: Love for People Clinic) at Bangalore Baptist Hospital, which provides low-cost care for the poor. If care is needed in the main hospital, then it is given either free or at a small cost and the Jana Priya staff help these patients navigate the big hospital. Jana Priya Clinics are also conducted at remote rural churches. Pray for the staff as they give physical and spiritual care, showing the love of Jesus.
(ab-i-JAHN) - Workers in Abidjan see many injustices, and their hearts are broken for the people because of them. Pray for wisdom in knowing when and how they might intervene. Pray that they and other believers will put their hope and trust in the Lord who will one day bring justice.