Prayer Focus for Japan – Sunday, March 19

 

Japan, Asia: The missions vision of Japanese Christians is noteworthy. There are up to 300 Japanese serving in 34 lands around the world. However, churches generally have little vision for missions and little understanding of the challenges facing cross-cultural missionaries. Mission training programs for prospective Japanese missionaries are increasing, both in Japanese and in English. The Japanese Overseas Missions Association has a membership of over 20 Japanese agencies.

Mission to Japan – Japan is the largest un-evangelized nation that is completely open to missionaries. Yet, due to spiritual, socio-cultural, linguistic and financial difficulties, becoming an effective minister of the gospel is a long, hard process of adaptation.

For more information, go to www.operationworld.org.

Prayer Focus for Jamaica – Sunday, March 12

Jamaica, Caribbean: The country finds itself in the midst of moral and social collapse. Powerful South American drug cartels, using Jamaica as a transshipment point for cocaine destined for the USA, wield great influence. This fuels violence, putting Jamaica fourth globally for murders per capita. Rape and domestic abuse are widespread. As part of an anti-corruption drive, the government has invited greater participation from churches. Pray that government and church leaders may reject compromise. Pray for courage, moral integrity and determination to turn the country back to God. The National Leadership Prayer Breakfast brings church leaders together with leaders in politics, business and the security forces to address and pray for these issues. For more information, go to www.operationworld.org.

 

Prayer Focus for Israel – Sunday, February 19

Israel, Asia: Followers of Jesus in Israel are likewise a mix of Messianic Jews, foreign believers and Arab-Israeli Christians. All three groups have grown recently – especially Messianic and expatriate believers – the result of both immigration and conversion. There are over 120 Hebrew-speaking gatherings. Russian-speaking congregations are the next-largest number (as many as 50), followed by eight Amharic-speaking (Ethiopian) congregations and a smattering of fellowships in various European languages. Israeli-born Messianic Jews are around 1,000. Pray for:

  1. a) Boldness in witness and perseverance of faith despite difficulties and opposition. The Haredi regard evangelicals as subversive and a threat to Judaism, and therefore malign and occasionally harass them. Tolerance of Christians and Messianic Jews is high, but proselytism is increasingly opposed, especially by the ultra-Orthodox.
  2. b) Full legal rights of immigration and social acceptance in the face of national, social and family pressures. Israeli law states that national identity and religious identity of Jews are one; secular Jews can become citizens, but Christian Jews cannot. For more information, go to operationworld.org.

 

Prayer Focus for Iraq – Sunday, February 5

Iraq, Asia: The Church is characterized by fragmentation – denominationally, ethnically and politically, despite the great opposition all Christians face. The majority are in the Catholic-linked Chaldean Church, but others are part of the Assyrian Church of the East, Syriac Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, Protestant denominations or even a Muslim-background believers’ network. Some in the historic denominations are being impacted by revival; others resent and oppose what they perceive to be aggressive proselytism and a money-spinning focus of the newer Protestant groups. Outreach to the Muslim majority remains a terrifying prospect to most, although compassionate ministry by some Christians to all in need sees many Muslims profoundly touched. Pray for unity among believers, with a Christ-centered front that responds to hatred and persecution with boldness, forgiveness and love. Evangelicals are growing at an unprecedented rate. Many are coming from Muslim and even extremist backgrounds, touched by the peace, love and hope Christ offers. They are Arab and Kurd, in the north and south, within Iraq and scattered abroad. However, they come nowhere near offsetting the loss endured by Christianity as a result of the flight of the ancient confessions from Iraq. Pray for these believers, for their witness to non-Christians and for their faith to endure despite many difficulties. For more information, go to www.operationworld.org.

Pray Focus for Iran – Sunday, January 29

Iran, Asia: The Iranian Diaspora is around four million. Most have found refuge in the USA, Canada, Western Europe, Turkey, Gulf States and other lands – where they can be evangelized. Western countries are making it harder for Iranians to immigrate. Pray for: a) Diaspora churches. There are probably about 800 Persian-speaking Iranian churches and house fellowships, totaling around 200,000 people. Unity is frequently a challenge. Yet these diaspora Christians are highly active and generous regarding ministry into Iran and among other Iranians abroad; their contribution in this regard is crucial. b) Young people are particularly responsive to the gospel. With nearly two-thirds of the population under age 30, with disillusionment at an all-time high and with frustrated desires for freedom, there is a unique window of opportunity to impact this generation with the liberating good news about Jesus. Political, economic and social frustrations are often expressed in resentment against the regime and in increasing hedonism and materialism. Pray that the unmet longings of their hearts might be fulfilled as they meet Christ. Already, much of the underground church is made up of this younger generation. For more information, go to www.operationworld.org.

 

Prayer Focus for Indonesia – January 22, 2017


Indonesia, Asia: A spiritual conflict rages for Indonesia. Ancient and strong occult powers seek to oppose the influence of the gospel, while modern Muslim stratagems seek to eliminate Christianity and remove the presence of the good news. Pray specifically for the binding of these powers and for continued growth of the Church in the midst of intense opposition and growing persecution. For more information, go to www.operationworld.org.

 

Prayer Focus for Haiti – Sunday, December 18

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Haiti, Caribbean: Evangelical Christians have steadily grown in number over the decades, through evangelism, love in action and by openly standing against voodooism and the spiritual forces behind it. Vision Haiti (HAVIDEC), a concerted prayer movement that includes many denominations and organizations, is determined to see deliverance for Haiti through prayer. The power of the gospel over the spiritual forces of evil has been clearly demonstrated in several instances. For more information, go to www.operationworld.org.

Prayer Focus for Guyana – Sunday, December 11

guya-mmap-smGuyana, Latin America: Most Afro-Guyanese and mixed-race Guyanese are Christian, but nominalism is widespread, stable two-parent families rare (a legacy of the time of slavery) and syncretistic and deviant beliefs common. Obeah Spiritism and witchcraft, Rastafarianism and foreign sects as well as the racist Nation of Islam are influential here. Pray for the true and uncorrupted gospel to radically impact these communities. For more information, go to www.operationworld.org.

Prayer Focus for Guinea – Sunday, December 4

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Guinea, Africa: The Christian population is still a small minority and concentrated in Conakry and the southeast forests. It is overwhelmingly Kissi, Kpelle and Toma in composition. The Evangelical Protestant Church (EPEG) – primarily affiliated with the CMA and MPA – has long been the largest Protestant group. Pray that their influence might be toward Spirit-led godliness, outward focus and genuine unity. Over 37 peoples are still unreached; pray for their evangelization. For more information, go to www.operationworld.org.

 

Prayer Focus for Guatemala – Sunday, November 27

guat-mmap-smGuatemala, Latin America: The future of evangelicalism is uncertain. While there has been great growth since the 1960s, especially among Pentecostals, much of this growth is superficial, impressive only in number. Discipleship is sorely lacking as a deep value in most evangelical churches. Syncretism is nearly as common in many evangelical churches – particularly among Amerindians – as it is in Catholicism. If serious efforts are not made to build disciples on a solid biblical foundation, the next couple of decades will see stagnation and possibly a disastrous decline in evangelicalism. Some claim this decline has been occurring for over 10 years, obscured only by strong growth in a few churches and zealous over-reporting in most others. Pray that this crucial issue of turning converts into disciples might be rightly addressed by evangelicals as the key to Guatemala’s spiritual future. For more information, go to www.operationworld.org.