In the middle of March, 50 believers will sit down with 50 Muslims for a meal in the mosque. The believers desire to build relationships with the Muslims they meet. Pray for God’s peace to conquer fear in the believers and wisdom in their approach to dialogue. Pray for open hearts and a willingness to pursue a relationships with the Muslims.
Awesome deeds
Ask God to answer the cries of the Nyang’atom with awesome deeds of righteousness so that they will turn to Him and that others living near and far will hear of His wonders (Psalm 65).
Receiving!
So many seeds have been planted in O land. Pray that God would draw and direct people’s hearts to RESPOND to the Gospel by receiving His Grace in all of it’s Truth!
Psalm 67
Pray that God would be gracious to the Lokwa, and that the Lokwa would turn and put their faith in Him so that all of the surrounding tribes may be blessed through them as they share the Gospel with those around them (Psalm 67).
Discipling MBBs
Pray for a forum to train church workers and missionaries in how to disciple Muslim background believers 9-14 April in Mombasa. Pray for many to come and be well equipped with vision and skills to disciple the many Swahili peoples along the coast. Ask God to bless and provide for all the preparations. Pray for 70 missionary couples to be sent out along the 700 km Kenya coast!
Refuge and Fulfillment
In the middle of a dusty, hot, and dry season, pray that the Kachipo find refuge and fulfillment in the shadow of their Creator (Psalm 36:7)
Rapid language learning
Please pray for a team of Christians who are now living among the Zigua and trying to learn their language. Pray that as they adjust and learn and make friends, God will give them amazing facility for learning the Zigua language and that through that process they can share the gospel with many people who are hungry for a Saviour. Ask the Lord to open many Zigua hearts and grant them faith to believe.
To go or stay?
A new believer who was in Europe attended church for the first time there. He did not understand the language but was overwhelmed with joy and hope in his spirit. He’s now back in North Africa and trying to decide if he wants to move somewhere his 5 kids can have freedom. Ask for wisdom for believers to know when to stay and proclaim truth at home and when to go.
Open Their Eyes Lord
Please pray that God would open many Alagwa eyes to their need to repent and turn to Jesus. Many eyes are blinded to sin, and people feel that somehow they will be ok with God. May they know the true freedom from sin and the joy of being God’s children.
Two Guards
Please pray for the salvation of two Nyamwezi night guards, who have been studying the Bible with a missionary for many months. Pray that they and their families will put their faith in Jesus Christ and follow Him.
Prayer in an Emergency
Mama Bird was scared … her 5 year old son had just thrown up a bowl full of blood when I walked by her home. Immediately I took the boy in my arms & asked if I could pray for him. She had seen effective prayers before in releasing our neighbor’s daughter from demonic bondage, witnessed her neighbor family’s salvation out of Islam, and had been hearing bits and pieces of God’s story. As I prayed, the boy became peaceful and rested in my arms as Mama Bird gathered their things for us to rush him to the hospital. The next day she came back with her recovering son to thank me for the prayer and emergency help. Please keep praying for opportunities to share with our beloved neighbors the hope of the gospel of Jesus Christ and pray that they would not only hear, but believe with a faith that endures the persecutions to come.
Rain Desperately Needed
We have had a three week stretch without rain. The crops here in Usandawe are at a critical point. Please ask Elohim, God of creation, to send rain again. There is much hunger this year because last year’s harvest was not good. As people hunger for physical sustenance, may they also have a hunger for the one true God.
Lovely Artist
A young South Asian came to decorate hands with henna in preparation for a Muslim wedding, and saw some Christians who continue to meet with her and her sisters. She is friendly but not yet hungry for God’s Word or anything other than her Islamic religion. Please pray for the Lord to work in her life in such a way that she begins to seek Jesus Christ.
Rendille Muslim Students Need Prayer
Still keep praying for our Rendille Muslim students. One in Form 4 shows much interest but no definite steps yet. I have a new Bible class this year with one Muslim student who shows zero interest. But God can open hearts and minds. Keep praying for His word to break through tough barriers and for me to teach clearly in ways they can understand!
Testimony this weekend
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.
Rain and more rain
We are so thankful for the rain and cooler weather. But, it has been raining for more than 10 days now and if it continues will destroy the maize that has been planted. Please pray for good harvests this year.
Unity shows He is God
Pray for Christians who live and share Jesus among the Digo people, that they will be so full of love and unity in Christ that the Digo people will be convinced without a shadow of a doubt that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world, and that He will save them, if they come to Him in faith.
A Prayer Summit
We give thanks for a special time of prayer for one of the villages in the area which is mostly Islamic. Please pray that the LORD will open doors for ministry in this village and the Sandawe Believers will be filled with a desire to reach out to their neighbors.
A Diaspora Christian’s Struggles
The enemy’s voice was definitely so clear: stop this Arabic-speaking community group- otherwise you will be hurt! But God’s sweet and soft voice encouraged us to keep trusting HIM and to keep doing it.
Things have gotten harder as we go on.
Our financial situation, being on the edge of depression, lack of sleep, things breaking, conflict, nightmares, threats-especially to our baby!
These have made us more on our knees and spiritually aware that the enemy is fighting and God is working for His glory. Still, sometimes, we have fear and thoughts that we just need to leave.
We know that in Islam I am an infidel and that by Islamic law I should be killed just because I am a convert and that my daughter is unclean.
I am not saying that this will happen and I am not afraid, but I also know that the mosque and its people aren’t happy with us. We definitely need more prayers. We feel discouraged and guilty that I am hurting the very people I love. Please pray for us.
Psalm 63:1
Pray that the Toposa community would one day be able to say “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” (Psalm 63:1)
Jesus video
Please pray urgently for the completion of the recording of the Jesus Video in M this week. There were some delays initially and the recording team only has a week to be there. Pray that God powerfully uses this video to help M people come to faith in Christ.
Repent!
Pray for all the listeners who heard the message to repent this weekend. They were told, ‘If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins and will heal their land.’ You have a choice today to choose the blessing of obedience to God or the curse of obedience to Satan.” Pray they will be doers of the Word and not hearers only.
wanting freedom
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.
We Grieve Differently
Our elderly mother recently went home to Jesus. We thank God for her godly example. Her death, though sorrowful, also filled us with such peace and joy in knowing she is where her treasure was laid. The local body of Christ has surrounded us with loving compassion. And our neighbors are watching! We mourn radically different from them. We have assurance of salvation in Jesus Christ! They fear that Allah will not accept their good deeds. We praise God for the open doors He has given us to testify to the hope and salvation there is in Jesus Christ. We know our mom is rejoicing in heaven that the seeds of the gospel are being planted from her life and death in Jesus Christ. Now please pray these seeds would bear the fruit of salvation in Christ that endures!
Music seminar
February 21-25 a music seminar is being held in Dukana, Northern Kenya, to which over 100 Gaabra, Daasanach, Borana, Rendille and Samburu church members will attend. This is a seminar to teach people to compose scripture- based songs in their own languages and cultural styles. Pray for God’s provision for the seminar, safety in travel over difficult roads, His blessing and inspiration for the song writers, and unity in fellowship.
Guide them to Truth
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.
Planting Season
Soon the Ik will celebrate ‘Itowes’- a holiday to celebrate the upcoming planting season with the worship of various spirits to help them in the next year. Please pray that the Ik see that the One True God has power over all the spirits of the world; that they see God alone as their provider of rain, sun, and a good harvest at the end of the year, not the spirits they worship. Pray they soon accept God as the Lord and Savior of their lives.
Attracted to God’s Word
Please pray that the Rendille people will not be deceived or swayed by the new teachings of Islam, but will instead be attracted to the truth of God’s Word. Pray that their hearts will be hungry to know the truth, and that God’s truth will set them free.
A Mother and Her Children
Pray for a S. Asian woman who is very influential in her family to become convinced that Jesus Christ truly is the only way to God. Pray that she will realise that all her good works will not save her. Pray for her to come to Christ in faith, and that her children who have become very interested in the way of salvation will feel great freedom to come to Christ as well.
Purposefully Sharing
Because so many of our team are purposefully sharing the gospel with their Digo neighbors through stories or language lesson, let’s pray that the hearts are prepared by the Holy Spirit. May the Digo people have sleepless nights where Jehovah visits them and shows himself real.
Pray for a church in Northern Samburu land
From a Samburu pastor: Pray the Lord will open up doors to plant a church in Baragoi, Samburu. This area has been a battle ground of cattle rustling between the Turkana, the Samburu and the Pokot tribes of Northern Kenya.
Pray that the Lord of harvest would bring the laborers to this field that is so ripe.
Pray the Lord would open up our eyes to realize that mission and evangelism is our primary call as Christians.
Pray the Lord would build mission- oriented churches and church leaders in Northern Kenya.
Pray for Humble Hearts
“…But I will leave in your midst a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord…” (Zephaniah 3:11-13)
In every people group, pride is a destructive stronghold which keeps people from looking to God. The Karimojong are no exception. But the people of God will have humble hearts! Please pray that God will humble the hearts of the Karimojong, so that they turn to Him and make Him their refuge instead of anything else! Pray that the Lord of hosts will conquer every stronghold of pride in hearts and in the land of Karamoja.
Surrender to God’s Loving Control
Pray for Nyamwezi to surrender to God’s loving control. Pray for Christians for boldness in giving an invitation to respond to Christ whenever sharing theological truths. Pray for non-believers to understand the Gospel, “Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He was raised again on the third day.” (1 Cor. 15:4) Pray for understanding that only God could do that for us. Pray that those who understand and believe these truths would offer their lives to Jesus, that they would allow Christ to change them in any way He wants. Pray for recognition of sin, no reluctance in confessing sin, and giving lives over to authority under Christ.
Intensified Illness
There are seasons of intensified illness & death here on the coast and we are in one of them now. There have been many funerals & hospitalizations & we have faced cases of malaria, nasty infections, and painful flare ups of chronic illness. Pray we would not grow weary in doing good and that God would fortify our bodies and hearts as we comfort the sick and mourning even in our own weakness. Pray as we show the loving compassion of Christ and share the hope we have in Christ with our dear neighbors, they would lay hold of the Hope of Salvation!
Sharing his heart
Missionary Jean-Baptiste and his family escaped on foot from their home in Central African Republic last summer when their town was attacked by militants. Thank God for protecting them as they traveled many miles, many on foot, and are now located in Banda, DRC. Pray that he will be able to share his vision for the Mbororo with Congolese Christians so that they will reach out to the nomads in their area.
Pastors mentoring program
We believe mainstream pastors and African church leaders in Canada have a lot to learn from each other, and from each others’ churches. In Toronto this winter we are launching a pastoral mentoring network that we pray will encourage the African leaders and strengthen their congregations, as well as give a vision to mainstream churches for Diaspora ministry. Please pray for God’s blessing.
May she see the beauty 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
Gospel is the power of God
Ask that the Somali believers would not be ashamed of the gospel but would remember and know it is the power of God for salvation to all who believe. Pray that each would know who to declare the gospel to and for the courage to obey.
A Year of Decisions
Please pray that in 2018 many Rangi who have been listening to the Word of God will choose to put their faith in Christ and confess Him openly. Pray that some of these will be influential leaders in the tribe, and that their example will encourage fearful people to be bold.
Pray for a Spirit of Hunger and Thirst among the Karimojong
Join in praying that the soul/heart hunger and thirst would garner more of the focus of these dependent people than any other hunger or thirst. That they would come to know Jesus as the Living Bread, as Living water.
John 6:35 when Jesus declared, “I am the Bread of Life. Whoever comes to Me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty.”
And pray 2 Cor. 3:16 – When one turns to the Lord the veil is removed.
