Need laborers

Pray the Lord of the Harvest to call laborers into this harvest field. We need wisdom and help knowing how to reach the South Asians people group.

Focused on Making Money

A young S. Asian mother was raised in a Hindu family but is mostly busy with business and making money. She is open to friendship and seems to want advice about raising her teens. Pray for the Lord to deepen her friendship with a believing woman and that through that friendship she will come to know the Lord.

A Wedding

Please pray for a young S. Asian woman who is engaged to be married this month. Pray that as she and her parents go through the wedding, the Lord will speak to their hearts and help them see that marriage is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Church. Pray that Jesus’ great love and grace will be clearly revealed, that they will put their faith in Him.

The Sermon on the Mount

A group of S. Asian women are receiving short devotional text messages from the Sermon on the Mount. Pray that through these messages they may be convicted that their righteousness falls far short of what God expects from them. Pray that they will respond to the messages with their thoughts and questions, opening the way to share the gospel with them. Pray that they may be convinced that Jesus is indeed the Savior and their only hope.

Trapped and Unhappy

The young S. Asian woman is devoutly Muslim. But her religious beliefs are not bringing relief from the problems and stresses in her life these days. She feels trapped, unhappy and frustrated. And she is talking to her Christian friend about it. Please pray that her stress and distress will lead her to consider whether there is anywhere to find love, joy and peace in the world, and that she will come to faith in Jesus Christ.

A Healing in Jesus’ Name

A Muslim S. Asian woman recently saw Jesus heal her elderly parents from the coronavirus. In the past she has said she wants to know whether Islam or Christianity is the truth. However, even when she sees evident answers to prayer in Jesus’ name, and reads Scripture that directly contradicts Muslim beliefs, she clings to her religion. Because she clings so devotedly, her family follows her. Everyone seems reluctant to let the others down by following Jesus. Please pray for a breakthrough.

A Strategic Opportunity

My South Asian friend sent me an inspirational message about trusting Allah because he is going to work everything out. I said that was similar to what the God of the Bible has revealed about Himself and then I asked if she would like to know more, and she said yes. Please would you stop and pray that the Holy Spirit will help me as I send her a message this week with some Bible verses. Pray for the eyes of her understanding to be enlightened.

Young South Asian Women

Young Muslim S. Asian women are typically interested in getting married and having families, but they are also unwilling to settle for the limited roles and confined circumstances they saw their mothers accepting. As more of them become university educated, they search for satisfaction and fulfillment in careers and professions as well as in their families. But this can bring them in conflict with parents and in-laws, even with husbands and brothers. It can bring them in conflict with the Umma, the Community. They ask themselves which of their values are coming from their culture, and which are coming from Islam. Pray for this internal and external struggle to bring them to faith in Christ, who made women and understands their full possibilities, both their potential and their fulfillment.

Stuck at Home

A young S. Asian woman is living with her husband’s family. They have one bedroom for all their belongings, and a private bath and balcony. Otherwise they share the house with the husband’s parents and five brothers. Their baby is a few months old; her husband is starting a business so he is gone from morning to night. A few years ago the young woman was a university student, studying psychology. Now she spends hours in the kitchen, cooking with her mother-in-law for a large family. She does not leave the house most days. She has begun asking herself what is the meaning of life, what is the purpose for which she was created, and how she can be happy again. Please pray that she will find Jesus Christ as her Savior, her freedom and her happiness.

A Family Under Stress

Please pray for a S. Asian woman whose unemployed husband is unkind and depressed, and whose only daughter is stressed by the job she holds that is providing for the whole family. The mother is fearful and anxious. Their situation has gotten steadily worse, and it seems to the mother there is no hope for their future. Please pray that this family will no longer cling to Islam and that they will see that Jesus is a Savior for every life situation.

Following Up

Please pray for three African Christian women to follow up on two families of S. Asian women who need the gospel. There are social, economic, educational, cultural and religious barriers, but when they met recently, the women connected and exchanged phone numbers. Pray that they will continue to visit one another, and that through their love and witness the Muslim families may come to faith in Christ.

Loss

I want to ask for prayer for one of my friends from the coast of Kenya. Her mother-in-law, who was an influential family matriarch, passed away very unexpectedly last week. My friend shared that her whole family is struggling to process the loss. Please pray the Holy Spirit will use this opportunity to reveal His Truth to them, and that Jesus might even visit her, her daughters, and her husband in their dreams.

Bored and Lonely

A young Muslim South Asian woman has been hearing the gospel for about five years, since she was fifteen. Recently she asked questions for two hours and eagerly received a Bible of her own. Her parents both work all day, and she is home alone, studying online. She said she is very bored and lonely. Please pray that she will find God’s Word fascinating, and that Jesus will cure her loneliness with His friendship. Pray that she will want to continue to ask questions and become a disciple of Jesus.

Not Understanding

A young S. Asian woman comes from a divorced home. Her father is Saudi and her mother is Tanzanian. She was married as the second wife to a middle aged man, whose children from his first marriage are her age and disrespect her. She miscarried her first two babies and has not been able to get pregnant again. Recently she heard the gospel and read Scripture. She asked good questions, but seemed not to understand the spiritual concepts at all. She received a Bible. Please pray she will read it and that the Holy Spirit will give her an understanding of the deep things of God. Pray that she and her family will be rescued from the domain of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of God’s beloved Son.

Resistance

A S. Asian woman has heard the gospel a number of times and received a Bible. She loves to spend time with people of other ethnicities and religions. In fact, she prefers outsiders to Muslims. But she resists putting her faith in Jesus as her Savior and says she is trusting her religion to save her and does not want to change. Please pray for a breakthrough.

Suffering Greatly

A South Asian Muslim mother is suffering extreme loneliness and depression. Her husband lost his job and is in poor health. He is often unkind in how he talks to her. Their only daughter is a preschool teacher whose income goes to cover rent. The mother is asking for Bible stories to be sent daily to her through her phone. Please pray that she will call out to Jesus and discover that He is truly a strong and sufficient Savior.

Sick with Covid

A South Asian Muslim family have gone to be near their in-laws who are sick in the hospital with Covid. They have heard the gospel repeatedly and received Christian literature and Bibles. The fear is that the family will have much interpersonal conflict if the in-laws pass away. There are many inheritance issues to settle. Pray that the Lord will speak to them during this time of heightened stress and anxiety, showing them that Islam is a false way and that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.

My friend Z

Please pray for my new friend Z. A Hindu friend of ours introduced us to Z and her family. At the time Z’a father-in-law was very sick, and our Hindu friend took us to Z’s house saying, “These people will pray for your father in the name of Jesus. There is power in the name of Jesus!” How interesting that the Lord used our Hindu friend as a person of peace to open the door into this Muz family. Z welcomed us and was happy for us to pray for her father-in-law. Her father-in-law improved, and we thanked the Lord for that. A few weeks later, however, her father-in-law declined again…and soon after passed away. We went to visit Z a couple of days ago and shared the 2 Kingdoms story with her. She listened well and shared that she had learned some about Jesus in high school. She is now very lonely as she has been putting all of her time and energy into caring for her father-in-law while her husband works and kids are at school. Pray that in this time of loneliness, she would seek and find Jesus. Pray that we would know how to lovingly care for her and point her to Him!

Turn and Be Saved

Pray for a South Asian family that needs Jesus Christ. They are hearing the gospel from believers, and considering whether it is true. Pray that they will turn and be saved.

Loving Jesus

A S. Asian Muslim man received the gospel of Luke. Pray he will read it and that as he thinks about the life of Jesus, he will recognize who He is. Pray that he will come to love Jesus and put his faith in Him. Pray for Christians in his life who will converse with him about the things he is reading.

A Family Reunion

A S. Asian family is reunited for a visit. Now that two daughters married, they live far apart. The father and mother have received Scripture and say they are reading it. Please pray that the Holy Spirit will use this time together to draw the family members to Christ. Pray that as a family they may be able to discuss spiritual matters and that the difficulties with Islam and the glories of Christ may be made clear to all of them.

Reading the Word

Please pray that the S. Asians who have Bibles and Christian literature in their homes will be motivated to read them, and that as the Word enters in, they will see the light of Christ. Pray that they will find the Word of God authoritative and compelling. Pray also that they will see the difference between faith and works, grace and law.

Who Will Follow Up?

A number of S. Asian Muslim women have learned much more than they previously knew about the Bible and Jesus in the last few months and years. Their Christian friends have shared the gospel repeatedly with them. But now a number of those Christians are moving out of those neighborhoods. Who will follow up on these women who have softened to the gospel? Who will visit in their homes, have conversations, read Scripture and pray with them? Please pray for the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into the harvest.

Opened Eyes

A S. Asian woman insists that the Bible has been changed and following Allah is the only way to paradise. Pray for her eyes to be opened during the month of Ramadan as she fasts. Pray she will see the hopelessness of earning her salvation through good works. Pray for her to see Jesus as the only Savior.

Self-Improvement

Pray for a Muslim family keeping the Ramadan fast, who are trying earnestly to “self-improve” through denial of the flesh. Pray that the futility of their efforts will be made crystal clear to them. Pray that they will despair of ever attaining holiness. And pray that despair will lead them to want a Savior, who grants us His holiness.

The Right Clothes

A S. Asian woman attended a party and heard about Jesus’ parable of the wedding where one guest was put out because he was not wearing the right clothes. She heard how to “get dressed for Heaven” through wearing the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Please pray that she and the other unsaved women who arrived later will come to know that Savior.

Satisfaction

This week I got a message from a Mslim friend. I had invited her to hear a series of recorded stories on the gospel of John. She refused, then said, “I am listening to these Youtube videos that help me learn Quranic Arabic.” How to answer? I did not want to scold her. She is hungry for spiritual nourishment, and still hoping her religion will satisfy. Finally I reflected back, “You want to learn more Quranic Arabic.” She answered, “To understand the divine word better and this professor explains it so well.” Now what? I wrote, “I am glad you seek understanding. I like having you for my friend. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.” She answered, “That’s why we click together.” Please pray with me that the Lord will reveal that the satisfaction she seeks, that hunger she feels, will not be satisfied through her religion. Pray that she will one day find that all her hunger and thirst for righteousness is satisfied in Jesus Christ.

Cleansing for Sins

A S. Asian woman thinks that suffering expiates sins. She constantly tries to find ways to do good deeds so that in the day of judgment she will not have so many sins to pay for. Please pray that this week the Holy Spirit will help her realize it is not suffering nor good deeds that cleanses sins, but the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Pray for a great breakthrough in her understanding of salvation.

Interested but Afraid

A S. Asian woman is always interested in the Bible when she is with me but resists meeting regularly to study it more systematically. She is afraid to find out too much about it, even though she is drawn to it. Pray for a breakthrough.

Meeting for coffee

Pray for a couple of S. Asian young women who are meeting regularly with a missionary woman. Pray that they will be willing for this social time to become a time when they can read the Scriptures together. Pray that they will have a deep hunger to have peace with God through Jesus Christ. Pray that all attachment to Islam will be broken in Jesus’ name.

Exceedingly Abundantly More than we are asking

God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think. That is, He hears what we are asking, and He is able to do more than that. We don’t know what to ask, but the Spirit asks with us, and Jesus who searches the hearts knows what the Spirit is really asking. Then He does more, much more. Please pray that the responsiveness and openness to the gospel among the S. Asians of East Africa will continue to grow and that there will be a great movement to Christ among them in 2021.

Acceptable to God

It is not outward washing that makes our prayers acceptable to God. It is not keeping rituals or rites that opens God’s ear. Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. Please pray that our S Asian friends will realize the only washing that cleanses hearts is the blood of Jesus. Prayer that is through Jesus is how we come into the very presence of the living God, the most holy place. Pray for our S. Asian friends to come to faith in Him.

Set Free

Pray for the South Asian community to begin to be infiltrated by Christians who love them, listen to them, pray for them, and share the gospel with them. Pray that as they meet and get to know more and more people who are committed to Jesus Christ, they will see that Islam and Hinduism offer no answers and no power to those who are lost and bound. Pray that they will be set free to come into the community of those who worship the true and living God.

Insecure

The uncertainty of these times is causing S. Asians to feel insecure. Pray that they will realize the cornerstone and firm foundation is the Lord Jesus Christ, and that they will put their trust in Him.

Lonely Woman

Pray for a young S. Asian woman who miscarried her first child a few months ago. She is lonely and unhappy in her marriage. Pray for opportunities to spend time with Christians and for her genuine interest in friendship will turn into a desire to enter into friendship with Jesus Christ.

God’s Spirit Gives Life

Elijah prayed first. Then Elijah stretched himself on the widow’s dead son three times, and God’s Spirit restored life to the boy. Pray that South Asians will come into contact with believers who love them, and that by the power of the Holy Spirit they will be brought to life in Jesus.

Glory

Pray that the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ will shine in the hearts of S. Asians so they will recognize who Jesus is and come to the Father through Him.

Comparing the Books

Please pray for South Asians who are beginning to understand that the Bible and the Qur’an are teaching very different things. Pray that they will research to find out which book is reliable and trustworthy. Pray for the Holy Spirit to give them a desire to know and follow the truth.

Longing for More Than Rules

Pray for S. Asians who are trying to keep all the rules of Islam to find that their efforts are in vain. Pray that they will realize the Law makes nothing perfect. Pray they will long for more than rules and regulations, and that they will be led to Jesus who can give them the Spirit to write His laws on their hearts and enable them to do it.

Confusion and Trouble

Pray for the salvation of a S. Asian lady who received a gospel of John. Her husband has lost his job and the family is experiencing many difficulties. In their confusion they are asking a “Koranic expert” to discern who has an evil eye against them. Pray that they will turn to Jesus instead of to Islam for answers and protection.