Neighbor Prayer Update

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.