An Arab woman just chose to follow Jesus last week. Ask for growing hunger and for consistent discipleship. Ask that she and each new believer courageously identify with Jesus and boldly discern how to testify of grace to their community. Ask also for fellowship with local believers.

Praise Jesus for a new sister who heard the gospel first through a new Berber believer. Praise Jesus that He speaks across people groups! Ask that this Arab woman would continue to read with her Berber sister and that each would grow in the knowledge of Jesus.

Continue to ask for courage for new believers. Each one who has told family and friends has received threats. Pray against a spirit of fear. Ask that each recognize that nothing can separate them from the love of Christ. Ask that they would not fear him who harms only the body. Pray for peaceful hearts that choose to be anxious about nothing but in everything give thanks and turn to Jesus in prayer.

Ask for humility and a willingness to receive by faith the clear truth of the gospel along with the mysteries of God that in our finiteness can never be fully understood.

Two sisters in a large family hungrily listened to the gospel and marveled at the resurrection of Jesus. Later one met up with a Berber believer and said sometimes it was difficult to talk about Jesus in front of the neices. Pray that their hunger for righteousness will be greater than their fear. Ask that this Berber believer would read the Word with the Arab sisters. Pray that these sisters would receive salvation and for increased boldness for new believers.

A young woman was afraid that believing in Jesus would make God angry… and asked for revelation. That night Jesus came to her in a dream smiling and joyful. She wrote another local believer on FB: I have embraced Jesus but I don’t know much yet and have no one to study with. Praise Jesus for his merciful revelations and ask that this young woman and others like her would receive fellowship and discipleship.

A young man was asked by another local believer who lives abroad to share his story of persecution with a group who prays for North Africa this weekend. Ask that the beauty and power of Jesus would be clear and his testimony used for God’s purposes. Another group is planning to meet to write Arabic worship songs. Ask that each believer would walk in humility and be clean vessels for the Masters use.

Two Arab colleagues are quite frustrated with the lack of freedom they experience, especially as women. One asked about Jesus’ view of women. She also said she’d like to study the Word. Pray for her Tuesday as we plan to read the story of the woman at the well. Ask that she and those like her would see how precious she is to Jesus and receive living water.

One woman was confused by a ‘pastor’ who did not speak the truth online. Pray for all those who are looking online, that they will discern truth from lies, and that those posting the Word and songs and answers will be walking in the light of the Spirit.

A woman and her sister came to the international church with questions. She’s writing a paper on the Holy Spirit. Pray that those who disciple her would be clear and that she would see the beauty of the Spirit of God breathing life throughout history and be drawn to the Spirit of Christ… and become one who hears His Spirit testify to her spirit that she is a child of God

A young man at university has been reading chapter by chapter from the beginning and is now at Deuteronomy. Ask that he would see the depth of our sin and the beauty of God’s deliverance throughout the Word.

Ask for faith for a young man who loves Jesus but isn’t sure of the whole gospel. He is planning to meet believers this week to talk. Ask that he will believe the Word and show his love in the obedience of faith.

A Pakistani believer and an Arab believer are meeting with a young Arab woman to study the Word regularly. Praise Jesus for her courage to meet despite opposition and ask for the gift of faith! Pray for others who are seeking that they would meet bold believers.

A young woman (who came to Jesus in January) is planning to share her testimony on Dec 24 at a Christmas celebration. Pray for courage for her and that each will see how mighty Jesus is to save!

The small group of believers has begun to meet again and pray for and encourage one another. Thank you for praying! Pray for courage and sweet fellowship.

Believers that used to meet and encourage each other are now not meeting because of persecution, people leaving, and fear. Ask that God would embolden His children and that they would have fellowship with one another.

The house of a recently orphaned teenager burnt down. A new believer was filled with compassion and shared her clothes, dishes… and also the Word with her. A brother in Jesus wrote a song about God as Father to be sung for her. Ask that the believers would continue to speak the Word as they minister in love.

One Arab woman saw her Berber friend reading the Word and began to read with her. Later she texted: ‘I love to read the Word; will you study with me too? I love the Lord Jesus.’ Ask that she follow Jesus wholeheartedly as Lord and that those who believe will continue to hold out light to friends!

An Arab man is married to a new Berber believer. He is open to the gospel and asked to meet with another believer last night for coffee. He asked many questions, listened to the gospel, and accepted prayer, but he is not yet ready to surrender. Pray he would bow his knee and be given faith to receive Christ’s gift of life! Ask for the salvation of his family… including all 5 children.

As an Arab woman listened to the story of how a friend had heard of Jesus and come into the light. She said that she was interested but frustrated when she heard about the Trinity. Please pray for the veil to be removed and for God to reveal Himself to her and others like her as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

“If I deny Jesus only with my mouth, he knows my heart, right? I am so weak. I love my family. ” An Arab man texted heart-wrenching questions in fear, knowing the threat is real. Ask that he and other Arabs would set their hearts on Jesus and remember His worth.

As they discussed the Night of Power and visions, an Arab woman described how her mother had seen a dove come from heaven and touch her head. A blind woman was walking with her and when told about it said, ‘You should have let me know! I would have asked for my sight.’ Yet right after the story when they heard of Jesus…they rejected him. ‘We ask for visions, but not of the Messiah.’ Ask that in their longing to see, they would not reject the only One who gives sight!

A 16 year old Arab girl asked to see and read the gospel in Arabic. She read chapters at a time and asked insightful questions. Her 13 yr old brother came up and said, “Of course, you are talking of Jesus, right? And have you spoken of Peter or John the Baptist yet?” He had read for hours on the net! Pray that young Arab children would hear and believe!

A man who has believed for years was baptized last week. He has tasted persecution and fear but in great courage chose obedience. There were many tears. Ask for many more to believe and obey.

When Zainab’s foreign believing sister-in-law in America persevered in love in her marriage to Zainab’s alcoholic brother, her view of Christians changed. She sought out Christians in her home city and said she wanted to read the New Testament. Pray that Arabs who have contact with believers will communicate the beauty of Jesus to other family members. Ask that they would be drawn to study the Word.

Please pray against discouragement among the new believers when older believers shrink back. Ask for repentance, and pray that believers would stand firm and that their love would not grow cold.

Please ask that brothers and sisters would be willing to partner together in suffering. May they rejoice in others’ boldness rather than distancing themselves in fear.

Pray that each one would love Jesus above all else- above families, jobs, acceptance, safety. Ask for courage to speak truthfully especially as pressures increase during Ramadan.

One Arab brother said, “What kind of Father would put his son in danger? God would not want this for me.” God the Father sent His Son into danger that led to death; and the Son with all authority laid down His life only to take it up again. Pray that each one would value Jesus more than safety and would know that the most loving act of all is to tell others of eternal hope.

This Saturday a few brothers and sisters will gather together for only the second time in years in this huge city with millions of people. While they were before Jesus in prayer last week, they were bold, but after they separated, fear crept in again. Pray for boldness in proclamation and boldness in gathering.

Ask for brothers in the battle of the unseen that they would stand strong fully armed (Eph 6) and would honor Jesus above family and safety.

As friends discussed Islam at university, a young believer was simply quiet. When others asked about the silence, she said, “I don’t know much about your religion.” This raised questions in the mind of another student. She has since given a Bible to the student and they have been reading and studying beginning with Adam. Praise Jesus for the courage of our sister. Pray that she will also receive the certain coming suffering as fellowship with Jesus.

Several young men who used to want to ask questions about Jesus are now more concerned with building houses, finding wives, and getting jobs. Pray that these men, and others like them who have just graduated from university, will be stirred again to ask questions of Jesus.

Friday about 10 Arab women are attending a Resurrection Tea at a believer’s home. They will hear the story of Abraham and of the cross and resurrection. Ask for the gift of faith.

He has been a believer for years, and has been drawn close to the heart of Jesus, feeding continually on His Word. However, there has been much fear, and he had distanced himself from the lost. This week, someone recognized the words he spoke as coming from the NT and asked him if he could receive a copy. With great new courage, this brother gave a stranger the Word of God. Pray for continued boldness and that this believer and others will disciple others!

“Rachel” had been given a Bible a while ago. She said, “I was reading about Abraham and I looked for Ishmael and I couldn’t find him. Isn’t he in the Torah?” Her eyes don’t work well, so her daughter read aloud the passages in Arabic of Hagar and Ishmael. When we continued to sacrifice of Isaac, she said, “In the Koran, it isn’t Isaac; it is Ishmael.” She still spoke in amazement of Abraham’s obedience and said that even today, they offer sheep on the Eid so that their children can live. When I explained that Jesus’ death paid for our sin and allowed us to live, she told me that this is another place the Koran and Injil disagree. Even after hearing about how Jesus lovingly chose to die for the purpose of our life, she shook her head. Pray for Rachel and her two daughters to continue to read the Word, and to believe in our only hope: Christ’s death and resurrection.

“Seraj” has been persecuted for his faith in the past and is unwilling to risk meeting with other believers. He has walked with Jesus for years, and is using his life in defense of the oppressed and abused. We are thankful for his faithfulness. Pray for him and others like him who know the truth, but live in fear.

God answered your prayers for fellowship! The brother who has been a believer for 14 years (“Yohanna”) but had never met another local believer face-to-face, met “Ivan.” Ivan has been a believer for 2 years and does not live in the same city, but was traveling through when my husband sent him a text about connecting! It was a gift of encouragement for Ivan to see 14 years of Yohanna’s faithfulness and it was a gift of courage for Yohanna to hear that Ivan had told his wife and children of his faith! They spent a few hours rejoicing in fellowship and have been sending Scripture to each other via phone now that they are apart. There is another mature brother in the city that is still afraid to meet the others, and a fourth who is young and willing to meet anyone but the older ones feel he is a risk. Pray for increased love and boldness.

He is a believer, but has never been to a church building. The church building here is for foreigners only. He also has never met with a local believer, so has no local house church. When we offered to introduce him, the other believer was afraid to meet. He has worshiped with our family in our home. My husband and he were studying language together just as I was headed out the door to practice for choir and he asked if he could just go to see the church. We all headed out the door together, and I thought he would just take a tour. Instead, he and my husband sat and prayed together. And as the odd crew from three continents came in to practice singing, he joined in, asking if he could come just for practices. Continue to pray for courage and fellowship for our brothers and sisters here.

“Mary” has said over and over, “I feel so at rest when I am with any of your ‘group’.” As we walked last week, another friend joined us, and they discussed the differences they see in the lives of Christians. “Mary” has a Bible; the friend that joined us, “Naomi,” has asked for a Bible, but has canceled each time we were officially planning to meet. “Mary” said that she is too busy to read it. “Naomi” says that she wants to read and study it, but with her husband traveling, transportation is difficult. Pray for each of these women that they would recognize that any beauty in believers is all and only Jesus and that they would be drawn to faith and the Word.