Neighbor Prayer Update

“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”
(Proverbs 22:6)

Going to Madrasah

On my way to work this morning I saw a precious neighbor woman walking hand in hand with her three beautiful children, all dressed in their cultural outfits….on the way to their local madrasah (a school where they teach both Islamic religious studies and the typical reading, writing & arithmetic). I was both blessed and burdened. Blessed by the vitality, joy and hope found in youth. Burdened by the fact that these kids, like millions of others, do not have access to the truth of Isa al Masih — the one who calls all children to “come unto me.” May our prayers this week be focused on the needs of Neighbor children around the world.

1. Pray for our workers moving this Summer to a key gateway city to work as teachers. Pray that all of their paper work, visas, housing be worked out without any hassles. Ask God to give them great relationships with the children and youth that they’ll be teaching, and with their families…that through these relationships, they might be able to share the love of Jesus.

2. Pray for A & T as they continue to meet with neighbor boys in their community on Saturdays to coach soccer. May these sports-based relationships build trust with the families so that the Gospel can be shared. Pray that the boys and their parents will be curious to ask questions about God, and that A & T will have wisdom to know how to respond.

3. Ask the Lord of the Harvest to raise up more Christian educators to meet the rising demand for teachers in neighbor countries. Places like Indonesia, Malaysia, China, Bhutan are openly inviting English, Math, Science and Computer teachers to come. Doors are wide open. Opportunities are great. If you are a teacher or know of teachers, encourage them to write to “praying neighbor” for more information about these opportunities.

4. Val and Kel are tutoring Malay children in English and Math. Their students and parents are beginning to ask questions about Val & Kel’s religious beliefs. They have had opportunit to share clearly with these families about who Jesus really is. Pray that hearts will be open to truth.

5. From this week’s Intercede Magazine….please pray:

• …for the Church in Azerbaijan. Pressure from the government is continuing. May believers be strong, courageous, forgiving and respectful…winning people to Christ by their love.
• …for new believers in Morocco. The numbers are not substantiated, but the Gospel of Jesus Christ is definitely reaching neighbors in Morocco. May they be rooted and grounded in the faith, and LIVE Godly lives amongst their families and friends.
• …for the tense situation in neighbor areas of the Philippines, especially in Mindanao. The past 40 years of violence has seen thousands of deaths. May believers gain a new burden to reach out to their neighbors with love and compassion.

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he took up our infirmities, and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
( Isaiah 53:3-5 )

On this Good Friday, in many parts of our world it remains a dark day, as many find themselves in situations of unbearable sorrow, turmoil, brokenness and despair.    It is for these places and these precious people that Christ came, suffered, died, and rose again.    Let us lift up neighbors all over the world today, and in our own communities, with the hope that by Christ’s wounds they too will be healed.

• In the past several days, new waves of violence have struck Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq… with numerous attacks and suicide bombings in mosques and market places, wounding and killing many.  May we not become callous to the suffering of neighbors in these difficult places.   Only Christ can set them free from this cycle of violence and bring them true peace.   Pray that Christ’s church continues to be an instrument of peace in these strife-torn areas

• Thank God for young people like Marni, in Indonesia, who is involved in a non-traditional ministry group designed to reach neighbors.  These teams travel into areas steeped in culture and tradition that is often quite unfriendly to Biblical truth — places where traditional forms of ministry were likely to grow.  She and her team walk long distances and cross cultural and language barriers in order to build friendships with those they meet. On one of her team’s recent visits they were disappointed to find that one of their long-time contacts was not at home.  After they had walked quite a distance from his house, he came from behind on his motorcycle, honking his horn at them.  He hoped they would come back to his home.  He had missed seeing them for the last few weeks.  They returned to his home and shared a verse of Scripture with the family.  In the past he has frequently debated what they read in an effort to justify his way of life.  This time he sat quietly.  The Word was causing him to think new thoughts.  He admitted that he had been living only for himself.   Pray for Marni and her team, and for this man and his family who are close to the Kingdom

• Pray for Sam as he continues to serve up noodles from his street-corner stall, in a neighbor community in Indonesia, that through his loving service and kind words many of his customers would become hungry for the Living Bread and Water.

• Continue to lift up our colleagues in transition to a major gateway city to live and work amongst a key Unreached People Group.   Between now and August they have much to do, securing work visas, full-time employment, learning the language, strengthening relationships with men and women of peace

• Pray for believers ministering to Neighbors this Easter weekend.   Colleagues in Singapore are inviting neighbors over for a meal, egg hunt, and opportunity to share the “Resurrection Eggs” story.   Pray that their friends will be open to the truth of the Gospel.

From this week’s Intercede Magazine, please pray…..

• …for the Neighbors of Somalia. Fighting continues to destabilize the region, and daily life is a struggle for millions of Somalians. Approximately one-third of the population is dependent on foreign food aid.
• …for the Neighbors of Gaza to hear witness of Jesus Christ. Pray that despite political turmoil, the gospel would be heard in this troubled spot.
• …for radio and satellite broadcasts reaching Saudi Arabia. Pray for a genuine move of the Lord in this closed country.  Read about the ways God is already answering this prayer through World Mission Broadcast
  ( http://www.ncnnews.com/nphweb/html/ncn/article.jsp?sid=10000008&id=10007001 )

Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Isaiah 40:28-29

Though my body, mind, emotions and spirit may often grow weary….I never grow tired of this passage in Isaiah 40. It’s encouraging to know that even when I may not be as faithful or perfect in my performance, God is always perfect and always faithful. As you have noticed, PrayingNeighbor has been fairly inactive lately, due to some technical problems with the blog site, and due to my inability to update the content. But we are back on track now. I thank God that in spite of our absence on the internet, He has continued to prompt YOU to faithfully pray for neighbors around you and neighbor ministries around the world. May God increase our powers today to intercede for others. I invite your comments and requests in the weeks to come.

TODAY’S REQUESTS:

1. Colleagues in a creative access nation continue to make plans and preparations for their move to a key gateway city in August. They continue to visit there regularly for language study and relationship-building. Pray that God will open all the doors they need and provide for their work visas, employment opportunities, housing, and above all men & women of peace who will become followers of Jesus and disciple makers amongst their own people.

Serving Noodles with Love

2. Sam, a new MBB in Indonesia was encouraged by his mentoring pastor to attend a missions training event focused on reaching people from his former faith. After the training, this layman consulted with his mentor about his burden to reach his people. Together they developed a strategy utilizing his unique cooking skills and background. Sam  has intentionally relocated to a community of neighbors to open a street corner noodle stand. His special noodle recipe has become a favorite amongst his new neighbors. Pray for Sam that through warm food and friendly service he may be able introduce his regular customers to the Bread and Water of Life.

3. Lift up a key couple (and their two children) serving in Indonesia as they pray about relocating to another strategic city to mentor CP leaders. They will also be teaching short module courses at one of our schools. May the Lord provide for them the right place to live, men and women of peace to disciple, students who are eager to learn and serve, and ease of transition to their new location.

4. Please pray for pastor Al of Asian Center for Missions. He and a team are preparing for a ministry trip to a creative access area to reach out to minister to an unreached people group. He and his family are seeking God’s additional provisions for their trip.

5. Pray for Jay as he begins his level 2 missions training under Asian Center for Mission. His program starts in May and will last for 6 months.

6. Pastor Guy of Frontiers is mobilizing a team to minister to a UPG in Southern Thailand.

7. Jun is currently volunteering at Frontiers. May God grant him the provisions and open the door of his heart for understanding neighbor ministry.

8. Pray for Ron and his development team at 30 Days of Prayer (http://www.30-days.net) as they work with a new Spanish translator to complete their 30-Days prayer material in Spanish by next week! Their current Spanish translator was recently sidelined by illness.

From this week’s Intercede Magazine:

• …for Christian workers ministering to North African neighbors in France and Spain.
• …for Neighbors in Germany. Islamic influence in the country continues to increase: The largest mosque in Germany is now
  open in Cologne. Pray that German Christians will reach out with Christ’s love.
• …for the people of Kyrgyzstan.Their parliament recently passed a restrictive religion law, and if the president signs it, a
  church will need a minimum of 200 members to register. Pray for freedom of worship….and for believers to think of creative ways to gather and worship regardless of government laws…in homes, coffee shops or street corners.

But Nineveh (name your city) has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people (what’s your population) who cannot tell their right hand from their left…
Should I not be concerned about that great city?” (Jonah 4:11)

“….seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile.
Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” (Jeremiah 29:7)

An inspirational song by Chris Tomlin, “God of this City” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmC44K0xQLE&feature=relate) expresses well God’s desire for the cities. Every day millions of unreached people continue to migrate to the cities to escape war, poverty and despair….to seek employment, education and hope. We need to join God in praying for and working in the vast urban harvest fields.

Consider some of these amazing statistics from the Asia-Pacific Region:

• Asia has 10 of the world’s 20 largest cities…. (1/3rd of the world’s largest 100 cities).
• By 2030, Asia’s urban population will double, rising to 2.6 billion.
• Over 100 cities on the Asia-Pacific region with more than 1 million people…with less than 3% Christian population

1. Today lets focus our prayers on one of these major gateway cities (“Urbania”) in a creative access nation, and other cities to which GOD directs YOUR attention.

• “Urbania” has 2,081,834 people.
• 24.7% are “Neighbors” and less than 1% are believers.
• Reaching this city with the love of Christ is the key to unlocking many other surrounding cities and nations.
• Pray for one of our colleagues who is preparing to permanently move to “Urbania” in 2009. Below are some excerpts from recent correspondence:
  • Praise God, I have recently experienced a major step forward in language learning. Fluency is still a dream , but the Lord is helping me to converse more and more in short sentences. I called my language teacher to ask about the health of her mother. We started in her heart language and continued longer than ever before! I am rejoicing.
  • I had ten days in the northwest recently. I struggled with great culture shock for a couple of days. Then, following meals with many friends from three different people groups, I started to settle in.
  • We are rejoicing that we truly felt at home before we left Urbania the last time.
  • Continue to lift us up as we seek employment and visas. We have deep heartfelt peace when we consider these and many other issues.

Seeking refuge.

2. Also pray for the Rohingya people…. According to a recent Reuters report, “The Rohingyas, a Muslim minority fleeing oppression and hardship in Buddhist-dominated Myanmar, have been called one of the most persecuted people on earth. But they have seldom hit the headlines — until recently, that is. More than 500 Rohingyas are feared to have drowned since early December after being towed out to sea by the Thai military and abandoned in rickety boats.” The Joshua Projects lists the total Rohingya population at 895,000 people — ALL Neighbors.

• May God raise up some compassionate Christian organizations, individuals, churches to adopt these precious people and care for their immediate needs.
• May God provide (through His people) safe haven, medical care, employment opportunities for the Rohingya.
• May the surrounding governments of Thailand, Indonesia and Myanmar look upon these people with compassion and open their doors to them.
• Protection for those who are still lost at sea.
• During this time of crisis – starvation, thirst, unemployment, isolation, persecution, lostness — may the Rohingya people be drawn to Isa al Masih and cry out to Him from the depths of their despair.

3. From this month’s issue of “Intercede Magazine” — please pray…..

• …for an Indonesian pastor threatened with death by radicals. His small congregation has been forced to stop meeting in his home.
• …for seven Christians arrested in Yemenand charged with promoting Christianity and distributing Bibles.
• …for MBBs in Somalia and Kenya.They face death and threats of violence as they testify about Jesus.
• IN EACH CASE of persecution, may God grant grace, strength and endurance to those being persecuted AND the capacity to love and forgive their persecuting neighbors….and through their Christlike responses, may their neigbbors be won to Christ.

Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.
I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth -
everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.
Lead out those who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf.
All the nations gather together and the peoples assemble.
(Isaiah 43:5-9)

In a time of global financial crisis, political instability, religious and cultural tensions, civil and international wars…..God’s word for us is still “Do NOT be afraid!” In the realm of things that really matter, God is at work amongst the nations, opening eyes that are blind and ears that are deaf, gathering in his sons and daughters from the north, south, east and west. As we pray today for neighbors, lets see our world through the eyes of hope — hope in the promises…in the realities of God.

1. Pray for the pastors and members of two or our churches in Indonesia that have recently been confronted with opposition from some radical leaders in the community who are trying to close their churches. Praise God that our fellow believers in both locations have responded with a loving, forgiving attitude. They had already previously built strong relationships with several leading neighbors in the community and God is using these friendly neighbors as advocates for the church. Lets focus our prayers on those who are opposing the work that they will be drawn to Isa al Masih through the love and respect being displayed by these followers of Christ. May these events lead to a spiritual awakening in this community.

2. Continue to lift up colleagues (a young couple and their children) in one of our sensitive areas who are developing a network of disciples whom they are training to be church planters. May the Lord bless and strengthen these relationships and empower these new disciples to effectively witness amongst their families and friends, leading others to Christ, establishing the church in these communities.

3. One of our colleagues in a key gateway neighbor city has just completed another short language immersion trip. They are preparing to move to this area permanently later this year. Pray that God opens all the right doors for their move and provides them with all the key contacts (men and women of peace) that they need to establish the church in this very challenging area.

4. During their Saturday morning soccer (football) practice, and the lunchtime afterwards, A & T were able to get much better acquainted with two young neighbor boys (brothers). The boys shared that their father is involved in a folk-animistic dance club. When they perform these “cultural” dances, they invite spirits to take control. The boys are expressing interest in following their father’s footsteps in joining this club. Pray with us that the boys and their father will have their eyes opened to the emptiness (even the dangers) of these folk-islamic practices, and be drawn by the Holy Spirit to Jesus Christ.

5. Pray for Luis, who wants God to take over his business so that he can be used as a servant of God’s people and help them. Luis also asks for God’s direction and provision in his relationships. May he find contentment first in his relationship with Christ, to be the man that God wants him to be, and be a light and witness to his neighbors.

6. Continue to intercede for the troubled Middle East, particularly Palestine. Pray for lasting peace, that will only come as Prince of Peace controls the hearts of people on both sides. Pray for both the Jew and the Palestinian who both equally need Christ.

7. From this week’s Intercede Magazine — Please pray…..

• …for Neighbors in Lebanon. Pray that the Lord would continue to use MBBs to reach Neighbors with the love of Christ.
• …for the gospel of Jesus Christ to be heard by Neighbors in Chad.
• …for a Jordanian MBB labeled an apostate by his own father. His marriage has been annulled and he has left the country. If he returns to Jordan, he’ll lose his wife and children.

“We are confronted with insurmountable opportunities!”

When Walt Kelly penned this now famous quote, he probably wasn’t thinking in terms of Kingdom opportunities, but the idea certainly reflects the positive (“I can do all things through Christ”) spirit found in Scripture. We are faced with many seemingly impossible crisis situations in our world today, from the troubled economy to tragic natural disasters to increasing turmoil in the Middle East. But through PRAYER, Almighty God invites us to see every problem as an open door of opportunity for God to work — as only God can work. So as you intercede today for the following requests for Neighbors, be encouraged by God’s Word:

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Luke 11:9)

“…a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.” (1 Cor. 16:9)

“And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.” (Colossians 4:3)

“See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.” (Rev. 3:8)

• Pray for the Jesus Film team in community “B”. Praise God they already have a good contact, a Nazarene Bible College alumni, in this area from when they showed the JF several years ago. However, the challenge (opportunity) is that they are located right next to a religious school of the majority religion! Pray for them that God will open a door for them to shart a new post in this area this year. Especially pray for the one family there who is already being discipled intensively, that they may be instrumental in planting the church in this area.
• Praise the Lord that our team members have received renewal of their multiple entry visas to continue working in their creative access country. This will allow them to work in a strategic gateway city up to 30 days at a time as they prepare to move their permanently in August. From January 15-24 they will be in that city to continue language study and take more steps toward their August move. May their language skills continue to improve as they develop deeper relationships with local neighbors.
• Pray for Steve who is teaching this week in the Western part of his country. He’ll be returning to his home and family on the Monday (19th). Ask God for a successful time of teaching and fellowship at the first district assembly ever to be held in this place.
• Remember the situation in Israel and Palestine as these event have repercussions in other neighbor countries. May believers in each of these troubled areas be strengthened to live according to Christ’s teaching from the “Good Samaritan” story and the Sermon on the Mount–love your enemy, pray for those that persecute you, and BE a neighbor to those you meet along lifes path. [Interesting note--the Samaritans lived in and around what is now Palestine].
• Lift up Pat and his work amongst neighbors in Mindanao and in South Asia:
  1. For favor with the potential donors of the construction of the computer literacy centers in Isla Verde and
  Tukanalepau.
  2. For discernment for our upcoming Pakistani trip to follow up on the pastors and church workers of the 13
  Pakistani Christian Churches we trained during the end of 2008. Seven of the thirteen Churches are actively sharing
  the love of Christ with their neighbors. Our medical outreach will bring about 200 people per church with whom they can pray with, offer the Gospel to and follow-up on once we leave.
• From this week’s Intercede Magazine…
  • for the Church in Kazakhstan. Pastors are still being fined for leading unregistered churches. The fines are severe, often
    many times the minimum monthly wage. May these hindrances become opportunities for believers to trust in God’s provision alone.
  • for government leaders in Qatar.They have recently given Christians permission for a second “church” to be built.
  • for MBBs in Iran.The government crackdown on MBBs continues unabated.

Often times our prayer lives and our intercession can grow dry, repetitive, even lifeless. That’s why we are told to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions.” One of the best ways to pray in the Spirit — to pray according to God’s will — is to use God’s word as a guide for our praying. A friend recently sent the following prayer guide which has been very helpful as I pray for my neighbors.

I encourage you to once again, fresh and new, get out your intercessory prayer list of the people and nations that you are praying for and use the following Scriptures to intercede for them.

And this week, especially remember the Palestinian (Hamas) / Israeli (Gaza) conflict. It has begun to have a ripple effect in some other Neighbor countries. May God’s people all around the world rise up in these desperate times and be peacemakers and ambassadors of reconciliation.

Praying Scripture for Unreached People

What was Jesus’ purpose in coming?
· Luke 19:10 “…For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”
· Matthew 20:28 “…just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life–a ransom for many.”
· John 6:38 “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”
· John 10:10 “A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and have it in abundance.”
· John 12:46 “I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me would not remain in darkness.”

AS YOU PRAY, INSERT THE NAMES OF PEOPLE AND NATIONS AS THEY COME TO MIND:

• Ask God to draw them to Himself. (John 6:44) “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.”
• Ask God to convict them of their sin (John 16:8) “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me;”
• Ask God to open their spiritual eyes (2 Corinthians 4:4) “in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
• Ask God to set them free from spiritual bondage (2 Timothy 2:25-26) “with gentleness correcting thosewho are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.”
• Ask God to give them opportunities to hear the word of Christ and faith to believe in Him (Romans 10:17) “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”
• Ask God to help them believe (Acts 16:30-31) …and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
• Ask God to give them the gift of faith and the willingness to accept that gift. (Eph 2:8) For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift…
• Ask God to send a witness in their life (Matthew 9:38) “Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”
• Ask God for ways to connect with them (1 Corinthians 9:22) “To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.”
• Ask God for opportunities to witness to them (Colossians 4:3) “praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned;”
• Ask God for boldness to witness to them (Eph 6:19) “And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence,”
• Ask that we would share the gospel fully in words, deeds, miracles and Spirit’s power. (Rom 15:18-19) “Yet I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me, bringing the Gentiles to God by my words and my deeds among them. They were convinced by the power of miraculous signs and wonders and by the power of God’s Spirit. In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ.”

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving
be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority,
that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
This is good, and pleases God our Savior,
who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time.

I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Pray also for me,
that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me
so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel…
(I Timothy 2:1-8; Ephesians 6:18-19)

These words of the Apostle Paul are appropriate reminders / challenges for a New Year. If there’s anything we (I) need to resolve to do more of, it is prayer. As Oswald Chambers wrote, “Prayer does not fit us for the greater work, prayer is the greater work.” When we look at the news headlines regarding unrest and violence in places like Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, etc or hear about political corruption and injustice….we may be tempted to either give up hope and do nothing, or rise up in social / political activism. But the most powerful form of activism is prayer, which brings us in touch with the heart and mind of God. Only when we know God’s heart for any given situation in our world can we effectively act.

If we want to live in a more gracious, less greedy world, then we need to LIVE with a constant attitude of “thanksgiving”.

If we want PEACE in our world, then we need to pray for peace and then LIVE “peaceful and quiet lives.”

If we want justice and righteousness in our world, then we need to pray for justice and then LIVE “in all godliness and holiness.”

If we want good governance, then we need to pray for “ALL those in authority” (whether we like them or not) and then LIVE according to the values of a “higher KINGDOM.”

If we want reconciliation in our world, we need to pray that “all men be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth…that there is ONE mediator between God and men…the man Christ Jesus.”

And then LIVE in such as way that our words and our actions will “fearlessly make known the GOOD NEWS.”

May each of us know and experience the abundant blessings of God in our lives, families, communities and nations this year……and let it start with me (and you) today in prayer.

Jesus is the Light!

The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
A LIGHT HAS DAWNED !
(Isaiah 9:2)

As you pray for neighbors this week, may this prophecy take on a new reality for you….and for those whom you are interceding for!

1. Our friend Vicky has developed a close friendship with her Pakistani neighbor, Mrs. R, who recently had a miscarriage. Val was there for her during this time of loss, and now Mrs. R is really asking alot of questions about “the meaning of life.” She is seeking truth and very open to the Good News. Pray that the light of Christ will dawn very soon on Mrs. R.

2. Several of our colleagues will be inviting neighbors into their homes for Christmas parties in the coming days / weeks. Pray that these opportunities to celebrate the birth of Christ will open doors for further dialogue. May neighbors around the world have an increasing spiritual hunger and desire to know more about Isa al Masih as they are exposed to Christmas celebrations.

3. Pray for our home groups that are gathering in pre-believers for Bible studies. God is moving amongst these seekers, revealing Himself. This past week one of these seekers testified “I am this close (motioning with her fingers) to accepting Christ!” She is from a city where a major unreached people group is the majority. Pray that she will soon choose to follow Christ, and that she will be used by God to reach her people when she returns home.

4. Rejoice with our Sealands team that Mr. S just came to knowledge of truth two weeks ago! Pray for the student who is mentoring him in the way of Christ. Ask God to give Mr. S an increasing hunger for and delight in God’s Word as he reads his first Bible!

5. Riris’s family lives by their neighbor Mr. B. Mr. B is a well-known and sought-after religious figure in his neighborhood. However, in recent days Mr. B. has been stepping out of his house to listen to preaching and the Sunday School stories. Pray that hunger for God’s truth will grow, that Riris’s family will have opportunity to share this truth with him in person, and that the Holy Spirit will draw Mr. B to the Savior.

6. We thank God for providing opportunity for eight student ministers to become a blessing to their neighbors. Pray that these weekly contacts and relationship building opportunities will produce fruit. Pray that these students will continue to be welcomed and trusting open friendships will grow.

7. From this week’s Intercede Magazine, please pray:

• ……for MBBs living under tremendous physical danger in Saudi Arabia.
• …for the tense situation in Algeria. In spite of the governments efforts to prohibit Christian activity, may the followers of Christ be bold, sensitive and loving.
• …for the Neighbors of Zanzibar. They make up 97 percent of the population, and tension is consistently high between the Neighbor community and the Christian minority.

Jesus is the Star of Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

On this second week of Advent, may we all be reminded of, continue to pray, work and live for the continued fulfillment of the ancient promise given to Abraham so long ago in Genesis 12:2,3 – “…you will be a blessing…. and ALL peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

1. These past weeks have been marked by renewed violence and terrorism in places like Mumbai, India and Jos, Nigeria remind us that we must “fight the battle for a broken world on our knees,” until the Prince of Peace rules in the hearts of men and women. May true followers of Christ in places of unrest “act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with their God.”

2. Rejoice with our Sealands team that Mr. S just came to knowledge of truth one week ago! Pray for the student who is mentoring him in the way of Christ. Ask God to give Mr. S an increasing hunger for and delight in God’s Word as he reads his first Bible!

3. Riris’s family lives by their neighbor Mr. B. Mr. B is a well-known and sought-after religious figure in his neighborhood. However, in recent days Mr. B. has been stepping out of his house to listen to preaching and the Sunday School stories. Pray that hunger for God’s truth will grow, that Riris’s family will have opportunity to share this truth with him in person, and that the Holy Spirit will draw Mr. B to the Savior.

4. We thank God for providing opportunity for eight student ministers to become a blessing to their neighbors. Pray that these weekly contacts and relationship building opportunities will produce fruit. Pray that these students will continue to be welcomed and trusting open friendships will grow.

5. Following are some great testimonials from Jesus Film team leaders who serve in various Neighbor communities. Praise God for his mighty works amongst these precious people and pray for an explosion of church planting movements amongst them.

• “One of our teams with a pastor on the team had the opportunity to teach Christian, religion at the middle school. It was decided that he would show the JF as his method, of teaching. Normally only the Christian students come, but they had invited some of their neighbor friends and so there were several non-Christian middle school students watched, the film. FIVE students accepted Jesus! Pray that we will find a good way to disciple these kids.
• “This past month, a new family moved into our neighborhood. As our culture dictates, this new family made the rounds coming to each of their neighbor’s homes to introduce themselves. They came to our house too and it just so happened that when they came, we were showing the Jesus film and so they stayed and watched it. We did not feel it was the right time to talk to them that day, but the next day one of their children came back to our house to ask us more about the Jesus that they saw on the film at our house. Pray for us that God will open the doors for us to be able to witness to them about Jesus.”
• “During the recent month of fasting, as usual, many people returned to their home villlages. These returning people represent a new group of people that we can reach with the JF and although we thought beforehoand that this would be difficult to do, it turned out not to be so and we were able to reach a number of these returnees with the gospel!”
• “Even though this month is the fasting month, we were able to continue to show the JF and a good number accepted Christ and we are discipling them. One of these has already talked to us asking when the next baptism service will be.”

6. Recent reports from a colleague serving in a Neighbor majority region confirm that thousands of Neighbors in that area are coming to Christ! In fact five entire communities have decided to corporately follow Isa al Masih! But these decisions come at a great price. In the past year at least eight new pastors have been martyred for their faith in Christ. Pray that our new brothers and sisters in Christ will be firmly rooted in their faith in spite of persecution.

7. Continue to lift up our partners at “30-Days of Prayer.” Their latest email update says — “Thank you for your commitment to pray during our latest prayer effort in September. Besides the e-mail and web prayer effort about 300,000 prayer booklets for adults and children were produced and distributed this past year in over 25 languages. We believe that this effort was a significant step toward bringing many many Neighbors into the Kingdom of God. We encourage you to continue to pray throughout the year. The recent Mumbai attacks certainly show us that the need for prayer has not ceased! Millions of Neighbors still have not heard the Gospel. Many of them are very frustrated and are asking questions about their own faith.” Please pray for their 30 Days of Prayer 2009 efforts. The dates for the 2009 prayer project are from August 22nd to September 20th.

• Pray for wisdom as editorial decisions are being made at the present time so that the prayer materials for adults will be available to the coordinators and translators around the world in mid January. Materials for children will probably follow soon after that.

8. From this week’s Intercede Magazine, please pray:

• …for Neighbors in Jordan. Pray that the Lord would continue to use MBBs to reach their own communities with the love of Christ.
• …for the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be heard by Neighbors in Guinea Bissau.
• …for Neighbors in Senegalto have the opportunity to read the Serere translation of the Bible. 1.2 million Sengalese speak Serere. The translation (which has been ongoing for 30 years) is now complete!