"It's a beautiful time of year in the 'City of Light.' Store shelves overflow with decorations and gift ideas, malls are bustling, holiday treats line the shelves of pastry shops, and streets sparkle with thousands of twinkling lights. Yet, too many people will celebrate Christmas without knowing about the Light of the world. Pray that our churches here in Paris will focus on the special opportunities to share the gospel during this season. As we seek to reach out to those who are far from their home countries, may the Spirit open doors this month to share with lonely hearts. Join with us in giving thanks to God for His abundant provision during this year through the giving of Southern Baptist churches. Our team members have been able to receive needed medical care, funds for language learning, a vehicle to expand ministry possibilities, relocation for new team members, and training and equipping for the task at hand. Please pray for wisdom for our team as we finalize our plans for 2024 and seek to reach the West Africans in our city."

Thank you for giving to the Lottie Moon offering. Did you know that your gifts help to send missionaries to places where people have never heard about Jesus? Many Africans are friendly and hospitable, appearing joyful on the outside, yet they do not know the true joy that comes from knowing Christ. Ask the Lord to send someone to these places so that the gospel can be proclaimed and these people can learn about eternal spiritual joy.

Please pray for kingdom-focused workers in a city in South Asia to have good rhythms in their abiding time and their focused time in strategic thinking. Pray that the Lord will give them a heart to reach the huge number of diverse unengaged, unreached people groups that have been brought to the city. Pray that the kingdom will advance in the grace and power of God.

(ru-ME-lee-an) - "A God-fearing woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, was listening. The Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying" (Acts 16:14 CSB). As God's Word is proclaimed among the Rumelian Turks of the Balkans, pray that God will open the hearts of God-fearing Rumelian Turks to respond to the salvation message. Pray that they will see Jesus as the fulfilment of their hopes and prayers. May they discover the joy of knowing not a distant, transcendent God, but Immanuel--God with us!

(soo-MAH-trah) - This month please pray for the Ring People. The Ring People are an unreached people group in River City. Please pray that believers will connect with many people from this people group and have the opportunity to share the hope of Jesus during the Christmas season!

(RYN, RUE-er) - Thank you for praying for Peter and Stacy, Global Missionary Partners in Frankfurt. They have found a good place to live in their ministry area and are adjusting very well! May their home be a light in the darkness, and many come to know Jesus as Savior in Frankfurt.

Please pray for more opportunities for missionaries and coworkers to provide 1-day trainings for "2 Ways to Live" in churches in central and north central Taiwan. This is an effective evangelism tool, especially in Asian cultures, addressing many questions and challenges to following Christ. It can also be used as a discipleship and follow-up tool for new followers of Christ.

There are at least six major ethnic groups and at least 77 languages spoken throughout the country of Pakistan. Many of these people groups and languages do not have followers of Christ. The Southern Punjabi are a group of over 23 million people living mostly in the Sindh province. There is no known church among these Saraiki-speaking people. Please pray that the Lord will pour out His Spirit among the unreached Southern Punjabi. Ask that millions will come to know the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, putting their faith, hope, and trust in Him as their Lord and Savior. "And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent" (John 17:3 ESV).

While visiting a nearby city, some believers met an amazing couple who speak several North African languages as well as the local language. These believers have been praying for more than a year for the Lord to send them helpers who are deeply committed to Jesus and are familiar with North African culture and fluent in North African languages, and He has answered their prayers! The couple lived in North Africa for many years before immigrating to Europe, where they have lived in a neighborhood surrounded by North Africans for several years. They also share the same desire to see "a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb" (Revelation 7:9 ESV). Please ask God to use what He has begun to bring many North Africans to His throne of grace. Pray for the couple's neighbors to continue to open their doors to them and for God to open their neighbors' hearts and minds to the Savior. Ask the Holy Spirit to bring a great harvest through the faithful, persistent work of these new friends.

In recent years, many in Israel have enjoyed seeing the Christmas celebrations, with even those from the majority religion enjoying the festivities, decorations, and secular traditions. However, few have heard the good news. Pray that in this land where Jesus lived, His life will be more than a story or tradition; may it be "good news of great joy that will be for all the people'" (Luke 2:10 ESV).

(DER-bun) - "The Durban Team of South Africa and the team serving in the country of Lesotho will be meeting together on December 11-15 for a prayer retreat. December and Christmas can be a difficult time for missionaries to be away from their stateside families. It will be especially tough for our two new missionary families. Pray for us as we gather, asking that it will be a time of building 'family' as we celebrate Christmas, pray, worship, play, and encourage one another. Pray 'that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord' (Acts 3:20 ESV) and petition for renewal so that we may be spiritually prepared to engage in ministry in the new year."

"Last month, you were asked to intercede for some new teammates. Please persist in lifting them up, as they are in the beginning stages of language learning and continuing to adjust to life in a new country. They will take several weeks off during the holiday break and the 'summer months' in South America. (It's now summer in the Southern Hemisphere.) Pray that they will be able to make progress in language learning, even during the break."