(TAH-jeeks) - As they enter a new year, would you pray for Tajik believers to become confident in living out their faith and quick to seize opportunities that arise? Ask for them to be intentional about meeting with others, bold to share the gospel with unbelievers, and eager to seek out opportunities to serve. Pray for them to find their rest and peace in Christ.

(KAHN-kin) - Pray for a family living near a local rail station who believed in Jesus several weeks ago. They have had one discipleship lesson. Pray that the seed was planted in fertile soil and will not be snatched away (Matthew 13:1-9).

The Kuka (pronounced KOO-kuh) people live in the landlocked country of Chad, which is in the center of Africa. They have a population of around 232,000. The heart language of the Kuka people is called Naba, which is also spoken by the Bilala and Medogo peoples. There are no Scripture resources in the Naba language. The Kuka people have an oral society, in which storytelling is an important part of their culture. Scripture stories in the Naba language would benefit them as well as their "cousins," the Bilala and the Medogo peoples. Pray for the translation of many Bible stories into the Naba language. Pray for the few Kuka believers to learn those stories and eagerly share them in their communities. Ask for the stories to be recorded and distributed among the people. "My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in your word" (Psalm 119:81 ESV). Pray for the salvation of the Kuka people. Pray for them to put their hope in God's Word.

Reyhan has been living in a new country for almost two years since she and her husband moved away from North Africa for his work. Considering herself to be a very open person, she has quickly learned the local language and has made many friends. However, she is unsure how much longer the family will stay, as she feels that her preschool-age daughter would miss much not growing up closely attached to their home culture, land, and extended family. Never very religious before, a number of her friends now are believers, and she weekly hears stories and teachings from the Bible. She spends a great deal of time pondering and researching her questions both online and by asking others in her life. Recently, she confided to one friend that she gets confused when she reads information in the languages she grew up using, as they seem to say different things than what her friends share with her. She knows that if her friends are correct, then everything she grew up hearing and assuming to be the truth cannot be accurate. Pray that Reyhan will find the courage to believe despite how it might change her life and relationships.

(van-COO-ver) - The Punjabi-speaking Sikh people are a generous and hardworking people, with strong family ties and an acute sense of justice for the oppressed. They are also proud of their Sikh identity and are difficult to evangelize. Usually, only 0.2% who hear the gospel respond to it in faith. Recently, a training was held in Metro Vancouver on how to share the gospel with these precious people. Pray for those who attended this meeting, as well as others, who are sharing Christ with their Sikh friends and neighbors. Pray for the patience to build relationships and mutual trust. Finally, pray that the hearts of the Punjabi speaking Sikh in Vancouver will be softened by the Holy Spirit, and whole families will come to faith in Jesus.

"Japan has long been known for pottery. Shiga Prefecture, located in the Kansai region, is famous for its production of Shigaraki pottery. There are kilns here that have been in use since the Edo period (1603-1867). One such kiln is producing snake figurines because 2025 is the year of the serpent, according to the Chinese zodiac. These soft white ornaments are known for their warm appearance and are used for decoration. When snakes are mentioned in the Bible, they can be symbols of temptation and cunning and serve to remind us of the battle between good and evil. Or, they can also represent healing and a way to wholeness. The serpent enticed Adam and Eve to sin. But, at another time, Moses made a bronze snake which he mounted on a pole. When someone was bitten by a snake, if they looked at the bronze snake, they were healed. In John 3:14, Jesus promised that all who look to him would be saved from the penalty of their sins. Pray that multitudes of Japanese would look to Jesus, the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world by taking our judgment upon Himself."

(DER-bun) - "Each January, missionaries are tasked with creating strategic goals to guide their ministries for the coming months. Please pray for the missionaries on the Durban Urban Evangelism Team in South Africa to be led by the Holy Spirit as we seek God's will and direction. Pray that like Jesus, we will recognize our inability to do God's work on our own accord, but patiently watch to see where the Father is at work and join Him (John 5:19) to expand His kingdom in Durban."

The vision of those serving among Sub-Saharan African peoples is to see African churches sending African missionaries to the ends of the earth. Last April, two Congolese pastors joined with hundreds of other pastors from around the world in a conference focused on preparing the church to be a missions-sending agency. On January 21-23, these two pastors have invited other local leaders to a training in which they will learn how to identify where their church is and how to move forward on the path to becoming a missionary-sending church. Please pray for much fruit from this training.

Cities in the Asia-Pacific Rim are full of diversity. Economic, ethnic, religious, and linguistic diversity are just some of the many areas by which communities may form. Megacities provide great opportunities for people to broaden their worldview, find others like them, or live anonymously among the masses. Sharing the gospel will need to occur in various ways. It will be affected by people's free time, cultural background, and exposure to believers. As we begin 2025, pray for Christian workers in these cities to develop comprehensive plans for reaching the multitudes of people, making disciples, planting churches, and growing God's kingdom.