Loving the Lost 10th Edition

7/31/2019 Loving the Lost 10th Edition

1/19


2/19

Therefore if anyone is in Christ,

he is a new creature;

the old things passed away;

behold, new things have come.

(2 Corinthians 5:17, NASB)

A personal wordto our intercessors

As this, the 10th edition of IMBs 30-day prayer guide,goes to print, I want to take this occasion to express myheartfelt appreciation to IMBs overseas afnity groupprayer strategists who provided the enclosed prayerrequests, as well as to our volunteers in the prayer ofce

who received and edited them for publication. I also wantto express my appreciation to our graphic designer, whohas taken those requests and presented them so well in thisguide. This is indeed a labor of love from each of them.

Yours also is a labor of love as you love the lost of theworld through prayer. Please know that your prayers trulyare making a difference for unreached peoples aroundthe globe. What China Inland Missionary James O. Fraserwrote back in the early 20th century resonates deeply inmy heart:

I believe it will only be known on the Last Day how muchhas been accomplished in missionary work by the prayers

of earnest believers at home. Solid, lasting missionary workis done on our knees. What I covet more than anythingelse, is earnest, believing prayer.

Thank you for your labor of love!

Your fellow intercessor,

Eddie W. Cox, directorOfce of Global Prayer Strategy, IMB

Tweeting attwitter.com/imbprayerdir

Facebooking atfacebook.com/compassionnet

Posting atmissionaryblogdigest.com

Southern Baptists: a praying peopleimpacting a lost world


3/19

But the LORD is my refuge; my God is the rock of myprotection. (Psalm 94:22, HCSB)

Beautiful red rock forma-tions cover the landscapeof the Limpopo Province ofSouth Africa. This provinceis home to more than 2million Sekhukhune Pedipeople who build theirhouses in the shade ofthese rocks and followpaths which meanderthrough the large bouldersdown to streams. Thepicture is incomplete,however; they do not knowJesus, the rock of theirsalvation, or the streams of living water. Currently there isno one actively implementing a church-planting strategyamong the Sekhukhune Pedi, but that does not meanthere are no believers. Though the pervasive churchteaches falsehoods, there are a few scattered Biblebelieving churches around the province.

Prayer Starters: Lord, help Pastor C as he leads a small Baptist church

in Diphagane. Keep him from feeling alone. May Your

presence be very real to him Our God, may the Pedi come to know Jesus, trustingYou to be their solid Rock

Lord of the Harvest, please send a worker to serveYou and live among the Pedi

Of the 1.7 million Songhaiin central West Africa,approximately 900,000live in Mali. The Songhaiof Mali, if reached forChrist, would have theopportunity for a greatspiritual impact. Presentlythere are workers sharingJesus with the Songhaiin a neighboring country.Prayer is needed for theancient Songhai kingdom,whose members cantrace their origins backto around 1000 A.D. Even though their name wouldindicate otherwise, these people do not sing theyconsider singing the work of slaves. Yet has not our Godput a song in our hearts? Were they not, too, created tosing? Pray for the Songhai of Mali.

Prayer Starters: Dear God, please put Your song of love in the hearts

of the Songhai Father, may Songhai believers cross geographical

borders to share their faith in Jesus Lord, help these inuential people to be touched byGods Spirit, to dream and see visions of Truth

Day 1The Songhai of Mali

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts inHim, and I am helped. Therefore my heart rejoices, and Ipraise Him with my song. (Psalm 28:7, HCSB)

The Pedi of South Africa

Day 2


4/19

Sing a new song to the LORD; [sing] His praise from theends of the earth, you who go down to the sea with all thatlls it, you islands with your inhabitants.

(Isaiah 42:10, HCSB)

Coastal Swahili peoplesof Tanzania and Zanzibarare made up of severalgroups of people who alluse Swahili as a commonlanguage. Since they aretravelers, they could benatural carriers of the GoodNews should they becomeJesus followers. As theyare almost 100 percentMuslim, traditional Islamiccelebrations are observed,but the various groups alsohave dances and festivalsfrom their Bantu cultural roots. They are renowned assailors, traders and artisans. The Coastal Swahili are awelcoming and hospitable people who seem to enjoymeeting people from other places and cultures. Pray thatthis hospitality will cause them to welcome bringers ofthe Good News.

Prayer Starters: Almighty God, please cause these people to have

encounters with true followers of Christ

Lord, enable the Coastal Swahili to welcome thosewho share Christ with them Father, may the Coastal Swahili sing a new song to

the Lord.

The deant mountains ofTrabzon stubbornly resistthe relentless assault of thecold, dark waters of theBlack Sea with no sign oferosion. Spiritually speak-ing, the city of Trabzon is

just as formidable. Situatedon the northeastern coast-line of Turkey, it remainsan unyielding spiritualstronghold.

Well known as a seedbedof ultra-nationalism, theregion remains resistant tooutsiders. As a result, there are only six known believersamong the almost 1 million living in the province. Trabzonalso has the infamous reputation of being among theworlds most active human trafcking cities. The onlyhope for this region is the life-changing message of theGospel.

Prayer Starters: Dear God, may the strongholds of prejudice, misconcep-

tions about truth and nationalistic pride be broken Lord, grant to the handful of believers unity, boldness

and perseverance in the face of persecution Father, please send laborers to take the message to

those without hope

Day 3City of Trabzon

Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and Iwill give you rest. All of you, take up My yoke and learn fromMe, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you willnd rest for yourselves. (Matthew 11:28-29, HCSB)

Coastal Swahiliof Tanzania and Zanzibar

Day 4


5/19

So My word that comes from My mouth will not return toMe empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and willprosper in what I send it [to do]. (Isaiah 55:11, HCSB)

Best friends and worstenemies, loveable andterrifying, honorable yetdevious, poetic and alwayspassionate are words thatdescribe the Pashtun ofKandahar.

Kandahar is home to themost conservative Muslimsin the country, wherebeards, burkas and turbansare still the standard. It

would be easy to considerthese desperately lostpeople for whom Christ died unreachable. And yet it wasin Kandahar that a young man whispered to a Christianworker, We want your faith. We want your way. Thereare two of us. Those two later received this faith theysought, along with believers baptism, and continue toreach out to others.

Prayer Starters: Lord God, may this troubled city be penetrated with

the Gospel Almighty God, empower the few secret believers so

they will carefully yet boldly reach out to others andform house churches

Though most peopletoday know little of theancient city of Bukhara,Uzbekistan, this Silk Roadoasis was once a center foreducation, culture, scienceand religion in CentralAsia. Armies, as well asideas, battled in the heartof this grand city, and iteventually became one ofthe most signicant Islamiccenters in the world. TodayBukhara closely guardsits cultural and religiousidentity. While some of the Uzbek and Tajik people wholive there are interested in exploring other parts of theirhistory, such as Zoroastrian inuences, most do not feelany interest in Christianityprobably because most haveheard very little about Jesus.

Prayer Starters: O, Lord God, please provide for workers to have open

doors and opportunities to serve You long-term in thiscity

Father, bless and strengthen the small number ofbelievers who struggle with strong persecution Lord, enable Central Asian believers who visit this city

to evangelize the lost and encourage those who followJesus

Day 5Bukhara, Uzbekistan

Let the redeemed of the LORD proclaim that He hasredeemed them from the hand of the foe and has gatheredthem from the lands from the east and the west, fromthe north and the south. (Psalm 107:2-3, HCSB)

The Pashtun of Kandahar

Day 6


6/19

As I kept watching, thrones were set in place, and theAncient of Days took His seat. His clothing was white likesnow, and the hair of His head like whitest wool.

(Daniel 7:9a, HCSB)

Behold the dream of a newKashmiri believer: I wasin a beautiful garden, andan old woman dressed inwhite came up to me andsaid, Come with me. Shethen took me to a placewhere I saw Him Jesus dressed in white andglowing with love for me.He hugged me and tookme in his arms. He set acrimson red rose in my lapand then said to me, Youare my daughter. You aremy daughter. And all I could do was cry. Then I turnedaround and saw a huge crowd of hundreds, thousands,all coming to be baptized.

Prayer Starters: Lord Jesus, please reveal Yourself to the Kashmiri

Muslims living in the disputed territories betweenIndia and Pakistan

Our Father, empower Kashmiri believers to share theirtestimonies boldly and with the faith that many more

are waiting to hear Lord God, may young Kashmiri believers grow in theirfaith, be puried in their character and mature in unityand vision

Next time you place a loadof laundry in your washingmachine, pray for theDhobi people of India.The Dhobi are a largecommunity living in morethan 200 districts of India.They are the washermenof India. In Orissa, as wellas other places, they maybe called Dhobi (mostlikely taken from theSanskrit word dhav whichmeans to wash). Theyare non-vegetarian andlove to eat rice. Their literacy rate is approximately 31percent; however, most of the Dhobi have never readnor heard about the One who can wash their sins whiterthan snow.

Prayer Starters: Dear Father, help the Dhobi people to realize their

need to be cleansed from their sins Lord, call out volunteer teams to prayer walk among

the Dhobi in preparation for a great harvest

O, God, pour out Your Spirit so that indigenouschurches will multiply among the Dhobi and faithfulbelievers will share the Good News

Day 7Dhobi (Oriya) of India

Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, andI will be whiter than snow. (Psalm 51:7, HCSB)

Kashmiri Muslims of India

Day 8


7/19

For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, sincethe same Lord of all is rich to all who call on Him. Foreveryone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

(Romans 10:12-13, HCSB)

Ahmedabad, Gu-jarat, is more than600 years old andone of the fastestgrowing cities inIndia. Originallybuilt on the eastbank of theSabarmati River,it has expandedover the centuriesto span the river.The old city has a population that is mostly Muslim, whilethe new city has a predominantly Hindu population. Justas the river divides the city of Ahmedabad in half, thepeople themselves are divided rich and poor, Hindu andMuslim, high caste and low, traditional and progressive.The people of Ahmedabad do not realize that the biggestdivision is between those who follow Jesus (.02 percent)and those who do not.

Prayer Starters: Heavenly Father, may Your Holy Spirit and the love of

Jesus permeate this city Almighty God, in your power cause the walls of division

to come tumbling down Lord, help Your followers reach beyond the differencesto boldly share Truth with those who are lost

Lahore, the capitalcity of the Punjabprovince, is themost populousand politicallyinuential in thecountry. Althoughhistoric Christian-ity came to thesubcontinent asearly as the rstcentury A.D., more than 95 percent of Pakistanis andLahoris are Muslim. There is a small Christian minorityin Lahore who can reach out to the lost, but they facemuch persecution in doing so. The heart language ofmost people in Lahore is Punjabi, but Urdu, the nationallanguage of Pakistan, is also widely spoken. The peopleof Lahore need to hear the Gospel in relevant ways thatthey can understand and share with others.

Prayer Starters: Father, may Your Holy Spirit speak to the lost through

Your Word, media, dreams, visions and other avenues Lord God, help the followers of Jesus Christ be faithful

witnesses to their lost neighbors throughout Lahore

Lord, enable new believers to form new churches whichwill reach the entire city, state and nation for Christ

Day 9Lahore, Pakistan

Lift up your heads, you gates! Rise up, ancient doors!Then the King of glory will come in.

(Psalm 24:7, HCSB)

Ahmedabad of Gujarat, India

Day 10


8/19

I provide water in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert,to give drink to My chosen people. (Isaiah 43:20, HCSB)

Kumul, alsoknown as Hami, isa city of 485,000people wherefewer than one-half of 1 percentof the inhabitantsknow Jesus.Located in ChinasXinjiang UygurAutonomousRegion, Kumulshares a 365-mile boundary with Mongolia. Kumul ishome to many Han Chinese as well as some 24 minoritynationalities, including Muslim people groups suchas the Uygur and the Hui. Though Kumuls land is richand fertile, the spiritual condition of most of its peopleresembles the desert conditions that surround the city.Kumul desperately needs to be penetrated with the lightof Christ!

Prayer Starters: Dear God, please send Christian workers to take the

Living Water to this spiritually dry city Lord, may your Holy Spirit break the bonds that keep

so many of Kumuls people in spiritual darkness Our Father, bless the small number of believers sothat they will boldly share the Gospel with family,friends and neighbors

Kumamoto (coo-mah-moh-toh)City is located inthe heart ofKyushu Island andhas a popu-lation of 1.4million people.The city can becharacterized bythree primarycolors of light:red for Mt. Aso, an active volcano near the city; green forthe City of Forests mountains within the city; and bluefor the endless supply of pure water from underground.

Kumamoto Castle, known for its impenetrable stone walls,was featured in the movie Th Last Samrai. Just as thecastle was under siege during that battle, the souls ofmore than 1 million people are under siege by the one whowould keep them bound in darkness.

Prayer Starters: Creator God, may the people of Kumamoto City know

the Light of the World who dispels darkness Lord, cause the Gospel to penetrate hearts in Kumamoto

so that the inhabitants can be set free in Christ Lord of the Harvest, call out prayer advocates and

workers who will commit to reach the city for Christ

Day 11Kumamoto City, Japan

Then Jesus spoke to them again: I am the light of theworld. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in thedarkness but will have the light of life. (John 8:12)

Kumul (Hami) City, China

Day 12


9/19

For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost .(Luke 19:10, HCSB)

The Yinuo Nosu are asubgroup of the Nosupeople group and areconsidered part of the Yinationality. Only a handfulof the 587,500 Yinuo Nosupeople know Christ.

Intimidating mountains,rugged terrain and linguisticbarriers have preventedthe Gospel from spreadingto the Yinuo Nosu. Known

as aggressive and erce,they live primarily in SichuanProvince and Yunnan Province at remote elevations ofbetween 5,000 and 11,000 feet.

They are held hostage by the spirit world. Spiritual leadersmake sacrices on a weekly, sometimes daily, basis inmany villages. Once a powerful and proud people, theNosu have been reduced to among the poorest in China.

Prayer Starters: Heavenly Father, enable each Yinuo Nosu to hear the

Gospel as it is broadcast in the Nosu language

Dear God, help workers learn the Yinuo Nosu peoplesheart language for sharing the Good News ... Holy God, may Christians see beyond this peoples

erce exterior into hearts that are crying out for hopeand meaning

The majority of Buryatslive in southern Siberia,but approximately 78,000are located in northernChina in the Inner MongoliaAutonomous Region, nearChinas border with Russiaand Mongolia. The Buryatare closely related to theMongols, sharing similarhistory, culture, belief,lifestyle and language.

Traditionally the Buryat arenomadic herdsmen. Theirculture and economy isbased on raising horses, sheep, goats, cattle and reindeer.Some also make a living by farming.

The Buryat people follow Tibetan Buddhism but alsohave animistic beliefs. Living in geographical isolation,in a harsh climate, under a communist regime, they havelargely been prevented from hearing the Gospel.

Prayer Starters: God, please provide a way for the complete Bible to be

translated into the Buryat language Father, open doors so that Christians will have greatfreedom to live and work among the Buryat people

Creator God, may false beliefs and traditions give wayto a great openness to the Gospel

Day 13The Buryat People of China

Bring out a people who are blind, yet have eyes, and aredeaf, yet have ears. (Isaiah 43:8, HCSB)

Yinuo Nosu people of China

Day 14


10/19

1. The Pedi of South Africa

2. The Songhai of Mali

3. Coastal Swahili of Tanzania

and Zanzibar

4. City of Trabzon5. The Pashtun of Kandahar

6. Bukhara, Uzbekistan

7. Kashmiri Muslims of India

8. Dhobi (Oriya) of India

9. Ahmedabad of Gujarat, India

10. Lahore, Pakistan

11. Kumul (Hami) City, China

12. Kumamoto City, Japan13. Yinuo Nosu people of China

14. The Buryat People of China

15. The Malay

That all peoples may know Him (locate people groups featured by day number)

16. The Country of Laos

17. The Thai

18. The Mandar

19. Karapoto of Northeastern

Brazil20. Zoque of Mexico

21. Lima, Peru

22. Mordvin/Moksha

23. The Spaniards of Spain

24. Zagreb, Croatia

25. Portuguese of Porto, Portugal

26. Somalis

27. The Tihama Yemini Arabs28. Libyan Arabs

29. Syrian Sunni Arabs

30. Deaf Peoples of Mumbai


11/19

All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to theLORD. All the families of the nations will bow downbefore You. (Psalm 22:27, HCSB)

Language, historyand culture arethe threads thatconnect the Malayof Southeast Asia.Another unier isthat of religion.To be Malay isto be Muslim.Malay peopleslive in Malaysiabut spread intoIndonesia and other southeast Asian countries. It hasbeen said that Malay Muslims live in harmony with otherfaiths but there is a determination to remain protectedfrom the perceived threats of other ethnic and religiousinuences. God reminds us that He is working among theMalay. I had a dream last night are words spoken by aMalay woman.

Prayer Starters: Lord God, may many, like this Malay woman, come to

know Jesus as Savior All Knowing God, help Malays be drawn to read and

obey the teachings of the New Testament

Father God, give courage to believers living amongMalays to open their mouths, making known withboldness the mystery of the Gospel

Laos has been a battle-ground for many conictsand with many nations overthe years. Today in thisland-locked nation there isstill a battle that rages forthe hearts of the lost. Themajority of peoples inLaos adhere to Buddhism,strongly inuenced byancestor worship andanimism. There is a greatneed for multitudes ofunengaged, unreachedpeople groups to hear themessage of a Savior. A worker writes, The problem is thatthere isnt just one people group, there are many. Andnot only are there many, they are from different culturaland ethnic backgrounds. These unengaged, unreachedpeoples are a high priority for intercessory prayer.

Prayer Starters: Father, may believers from among the nations go to the

unengaged, unreached peoples of Laos with the GoodNews .

Creative God, inspire believers with creative ways toaccess unengaged, unreached peoples of Laos Father, replace hearts of stone with tender hearts eager

to welcome Your Holy Spirit

Day 15The Country of Laos

Dont you say, There are still four more months, thencomes the harvest? Listen [to what] Im telling you: Open

your eyes and look at the elds, for they are ready forharvest. (John 4:35, HCSB)

The Malay

Day 16


12/19

Who is this King of Glory? The LORD, strong and mighty,the LORD, mighty in battle . (Psalm 24:8, HCSB)

To be Thai is to beBuddhist. This culturalbelief reects one of themain aspects of the Thaiidentity. Other distinctivesexist. Most villages havea Buddhist temple. Mostrural Thais are farmers. AllThais highly revere theirking. In fact, the currentking of Thailand holds theworld record for being thelongest reigning monarch.How will the Thai know ofthe kingship of Christ andHis reigning kingdom? It will spread as Thai believers em-brace their role in Gods redemption of their countrymen.Thai believers have been challenged to this end.

Prayer Starters: Father, encourage all Thai believers to go, reaching

out to the lost in their homeland Lord of Hosts, may Your kingdom spread to every

family and village All Powerful God, please do above and beyond all

we ask or think among the Thai

Listen carefully and youmay hear the sound of arare Mandar bird who livesamong the rice elds ofIndonesia. Also living thereare the Mandar people.Listen and you will hear thecall to prayer ring out vetimes a day. The major-ity of Mandar are Muslimswith traditional animisticbeliefs remaining a strongpart of their daily lives.The Mandar have beeninuenced by neighboringpeople groups, former kingdoms and the existence ofsocial classes, nobility, commoners and slaves. Listenhopefully with your spiritual ears and you will hear theSpirit leading believers to share the truth of the Gospelwith the Mandar.

Prayer Starters: Lord, provide creative strategies to reach the Mandar

with Your Truth . Father, please burden the hearts of believers living

nearby to go to this harvest eld Lord God, may the Mandar hear a clear presentation ofthe Gospel and respond with open hearts

Day 17The Mandar

There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female;for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

(Galatians 3:28, HCSB)

The Thai

Day 18


13/19

This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in allthe world as a testimony to all nations. And then the endwill come. (Matthew 24:14 HCSB)

Hidden in the dusty moun-tains of the So FranciscoRiver Valley, the Karapoto(population 2,000) surviveby hunting, shing andsubsistence farming.Speaking a mixture of Por-tuguese and indigenousdialects, they practicesacred rituals and dances,calling on ancestral spirits,hidden in a dense, secludedforest of trees and vines.There are no known evan-gelical Christians in theirtribe, and they are currently unengaged by any nationalchurches or workers. Recent research indicates that theKarapoto are only one of many unengaged, unreachedpeople groups in northeastern Brazil.

Prayer Starters: Father, please convict the Karapoto people of their

sins and make them keenly aware of their need for anew life in Christ

Lord, please remove barriers and open doors so that

this people (and other unreached people groups) mayhear and receive the Gospel message

The Zoque people,numbering approximately27,000, live in the Chiapasstate of Mexico. They asktheir gods for bountifulrains during the growingseason. In a sulfur cavewith a subterranean lake,the Zoque people tossbundles of leaves that havea toxic paste added tothem. This has a powerfulanesthetic effect on themolly sh. The sh oat tothe top of the lake wherethey are scooped up and are considered to be a gift fromthe underworld gods. The eyes of the Zoque have beenblinded; their gods are unable to meet their deepestneeds.

Prayer Starters: Father, please raise up believers among the Zoque as the

JeSuSlm and New Testament are shared Lord, may the Zoque come to know You as the one true

God who loves them and desires a relationship with

them

Day 19Zoque of Mexico

Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth. For Iam God, and there is no other. (Isaiah 45:22, HCSB)

Karapoto of Northeastern Brazil

Day 20


14/19

Then He said to His disciples, The harvest is abundant,but the workers are few. (Matthew 9:37, HCSB)

Among the morethan 8.5 millionpeople in themetropolitan cityof Lima, one ndsnot only wealthypeople living inluxurious, gatedcompounds butalso a vast sea ofpoor living inhuman settlementson the city outskirts. Though generally only afliatednominally by family tradition, most people identify them-selves as Catholic, which is infused with the worship ofvarious saints. The upper class is falling into post-modernism due to prosperity resulting from one of theworlds fastest growing economies. In either case, thetruth of Jesus Christ is desperately needed among themore than 7 million who are being led toward self-sufciency or false religion but not toward the Way, theTruth and the Life.

Prayer Starters: Heavenly Father, may Your Holy Spirit reveal the truth

of salvation through Jesus Christ Lord of the Harvest, raise up Lima churches to reachthe millions who still do not understand and have notresponded to the Gospel of Jesus

Situated in thecenter of Euro-pean Russia in the

Volga River basinis the Republicof Mordovia.ThroughoutRussian history,the language andheritage of theMordvin/Mokshapeople hasremained intact as craftsmen have handed down to theirchildren the traditional folk arts involving textiles, woodand pottery. Families continue the agricultural practicesof yesterday. This unengaged, unreached people group(UUPG) is known for its artisans, colorful native costumesand horticultural achievements. Without a Bible in theirlanguage, they continue to believe as their ancestors didand consider nature to be sacred rather than God theCreator.

Prayer Starters: Father, help the Mordvin/Moksha replace their trust in

the power of nature with spiritual understanding and

trust in You, the Creator ... Lord, ll these people with the knowledge of Your willfor them and send believers to teach them about Yourson Jesus ...

Father, bring forth a Moksha translation of the Bible ...

Day 21Mordvin/Moksha

We are asking that you may be lled with the knowledgeof His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding

(Colossians 1:9b, HCSB)

Lima, Peru

Day 22


15/19

I now send you to open their eyes that they may turnfrom darkness to light and from the power of Satan toGod, that they may receive forgiveness of sins

(Acts 26:17-18, HCSB)

Spain is the 12thlargest country inthe world, with17 autonomouscommunities orstates. Of themore than 45million Spaniards,scarcely 1 percentconfess to beborn-againbelievers. Spanishis the ofcial language; however, Catalan, Gallego andEuskera are also spoken. Spain went through a radicalchange as it moved from being a dictatorship to ademocracy, from poverty to prosperity and from religiousoppression to religious freedom. Over the past threedecades, morality has plummeted through indulgentbehaviors and increased materialism. As a result, Spaniardshave experienced staggering increases in depression,addictions, debt and spiritual disarray.

Prayer Starters: Abba, the task of reaching the Spaniards seems over-

whelming, but with You, all things are possible ...

Father, tear down the barriers that are preventingSpaniards from receiving the Gospel ... Lord of the Harvest, send laborers to invest in the

unseen, to till the soil and to plant seeds in order toreap a harvest of spiritual fruit

Proud of theirculture yet inse-cure in their placein the world,the Croats ofZagreb have seendramatic changeover the pastgeneration. Aviolent war ofseparation fromthe former Yugo-slavia and a painful move from communism to democracyand capitalism have left an imprint on this city of almost1 million. While Croats have a long history of Christianity,their Roman Catholic tradition emphasizes a work-basedview of salvation instead of a personal relationship withJesus Christ. Today, as few as one in 500 residents (0.2percent) of Zagreb are evangelical believers.

Prayer Starters: Dear Lord, bring conviction of sin, repentance and salva-

tion to the people of Zagreb Father, lead believers to be unied and committed to the

proclamation of the Gospel to every person in this city

Mighty God, encourage Great Commission workers toremain faithful and obedient in proclaiming Christ, evenwhen there is little visible fruit

Day 23Zagreb, Croatia

for the land will be as full of the knowledge of theLORD as the sea is lled with water. (Isaiah 11:9b, HCSB)

The Spaniards of Spain

Day 24


16/19

At the same time, pray also for us that God may open adoor to us for the message, to speak the mystery of theMessiah (Colossians 4:3, HCSB)

With windingcobblestonestreets, charmingcafes and beautifulviews of both riverand sea, Porto isa city of proudpeople with a richhistory, wherereligion and societyremain uniquelyintertwined. Of the1.6 million residents, 97 percent profess to be Catholic;however, fewer than 20 percent claim to practice theirreligion. Many believe that to be Catholic is to be Christian,but are disillusioned by the Church and are searching withdeep spiritual questions. They know there is a God but do notunderstand the need for a personal relationship with Him.

Prayer Starters: Father, open the eyes of the Portuguese that they

may see their need for a Savior Dear Lord, Church traditions and materialism are in-

uencing life in Porto. Please bring the Gospel of lifeand hope to these people

Lord Jesus, embolden believers to be Your witnessesand to initiate the formation of new Bible studygroups

The world has recentlydrawn its attention to thegreat needs of Somalis dueto drought and famine.But Somalias problemshave been going on fordecades one warlord, onepresident, one ideologyafter another. InnumerableSomalis have ed thecapital city of Mogadishu inthe last two decades. Butwith the Horn of Africa inthe midst of drought andfamine, many have madetheir way back to Mogadishu to seek out food andmedical care. Babies and children are suffering fromdiarrhea, malnutrition, measles and cholera in largenumbers. And despite aid coming in from other countries,the services available there cannot provide for all thosewho are suffering.

Prayer Starters: Lord, please be near the brokenhearted. Give comfort,

hope and healing to those who are suffering

God, move in mighty ways to bring restoration to a dryand weary land Holy God, may Your name be made great among the

Somalis

Day 25Somalis

... for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and thedays of your sorrow will be over. (Isaiah 60:20b, HCSB)

Portuguese of Porto, Portugal

Day 26


17/19

All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to theLORD. All the families of the nations will bow down beforeYou (Psalm 22:27, HCSB)

The TihamaYemeni Arabs areaccustomed totheir livelihoodcoming from theland and sea.Agriculture andshing are theprimary industriesfor this peoplescattered amongdozens of tiny vil-lages and a few cities in the western coastal plain of

Yemen along the Red Sea. Just as these trades arehanded down through generations, strong family andcommunity ties propogate the traditions and beliefs ofIslam in the Tihama. There are only a handful of believersand no known churches among this people group of 5million, but God has promised that the families of thenations will bow before Him

Prayer Starters: Lord, draw extended families to You Father, may grandparents and parents become followers

of Jesus so that they leave a legacy of faith for children

and grandchildren Jesus, take these shermen, skilled in their trade, andteach them to be shers of men for You

From the day of Pentecost,Libyans began hearing thestory of redemption. Forcenturies though, LibyanArabs have been living indarkness with little accessto the Gospel. Politicalturmoil has created a desirefor hope and new begin-nings, but the past makesit difcult for the peopleto trust one another. Thereare only a handful of knownbelievers and no churchof Libyan Arabs. Recently,Internet sites have shown much interest in the Truth byLibyan visitors. However, there are very few workers livingamong them who can follow through with face-to-facediscipleship.

Prayer Starters: Father, encourage individual believers, and sustain them

through persecution from both their families and theculture

Lord, make a way for workers to live in Libya and

establish strong relationships that lead to many Libyanscoming to Christ Father God, break down barriers to the Gospel and

make Your Word available to the Libyan Arabs

Day 27Libyan Arabs

For look, darkness covers the earth, and total darknessthe peoples; but the LORD will shine over you, and Hisglory will appear over you. (Isaiah 60:2, HCSB)

The Tihama Yemini Arabs

Day 28


18/19

Christ has liberated us into freedom. Therefore stand rmand dont submit again to a yoke of slavery.

(Galatians 5:1, HCSB)

What is freedom?We have heardin recent monthsthat Syrians arecrying out forfreedom. As be-lievers, we knowthat our heavenlyFather denes theword freedom. Itis His freedom weneed to tirelesslyask Him to give to the Syrian majority. Christ revealedHimself to Paul on the road to Damascus. Let us intercedewith burdened hearts that Christ might again revealHimself powerfully to 11.5 million Syrian Sunni Arabs anddispel the darkness that covers Syria today. Pray that thispeople, loved by God, are not deceived into believingfreedom comes from anything other than knowing Christas Savior.

Prayer Starters: Father, as only You can orchestrate, use the political

turmoil in Syria to open hearts to the Gospel noth-ing is beyond You

Lord, may I feel love, brokenness and commitmentwhen praying for the Syrian Sunni Arabs Our Father, open doors among Syrian Sunnis for shar-

ing Truth that sets men free

Mumbai is a sprawling cityalong the northwest coastof India. It is home to adiverse population thatranges from the aristocratic,wealthy of some communi-ties, to the poorest of thepoor who live in the slumswhich are vividly portrayedin the movie, SlmdogMillionair.

Mumbai is also home to

more than 100,000 Deafpeople who continue towait on a message of Good News in their heart language.With Hinduism, Islam, secularism and a strong religiouscult dominating areas of the city, most Deaf have littleopportunity to know the joy and hope found in JesusChrist. It is sobering to think that so many Deaf have livedin spiritual darkness for so long.

Prayer Starters: Lord of the Harvest, send forth workers into this darkness

to bring Your Light to those who are waiting. Heavenly Father, may the Deaf people of Mumbai nd

joy and hope in Jesus Mighty God, prepare hearts to receive the Good News

Day 29Deaf Peoples of Mumbai

Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send outworkers into His harvest. (Matthew 9:38 HCSB)

Syrian Sunni Arabs

Day 30


19/19

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