“Jesus once rebuked a crowd for failing to understand the signs of the times (Matthew 16:3). For those with eyes to see, the last few months has been marked by many signs that should stir us to pray with expectancy and urgency. We have had the second deadliest cyclone of all time hit Burma, killing hundreds of thousands. A week later the world joined hands with the biggest prayer meeting in world history (The Global Day of Prayer). Just 24 hours later, an earthquake in southwest China killed 70,000 and made an estimated 5 million people homeless.
Alongside such extreme environmental and spiritual turmoil, the governments of many nations are also being shaken by God. This all demands a specific response from the people of God. This is the season
to stop business-as-usual in order to seek God’s face. Let’s see an explosion of new prayer rooms, prayer vigils, nights of prayer and special prayer meetings in order to worship, intercede for the nations and pray for the glory of the Lord to cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.”
These insights from an article by 24/7 prayer leader Pete Grieg remind each of us that we are living in tumultuous and challenging times, and yet we have the incredible opportunity to see His glory cover the earth. May you diligently pursue His face this month and pray with fervency for great spiritual breakthroughs in the lives of people throughout the world.
1. Bible Distribution in Turkey
2. Burma (Myanmar)
3. Japan and G8 Summit
4. Short-term Missions
5. Zimbabwe
6. Church in the Near East
7. Nepal
8. Education in India
9. Children’s Recordings in India
10. Arabian Peninsula
11. Sudan
1. Massive Bible Distribution in Turkey On April 23, a team of about 30 foreign and Turkish believers distributed 10,000 New Testaments to pilgrims walking up a hill to an Orthodox church near Istanbul. Although this date is an Orthodox holiday, many of the pilgrims were from Muslim backgrounds. They came to the church because they believe God magically answers prayers prayed on that day.
“Besides the joy of giving out so many New Testaments, our team was able to share the Gospel personally with interested people, and hundreds stopped for prayer,” said one of the team members. For some of the
participants, this was the first time they had done public outreach and were amazed and encouraged by how well it went. OM Turkey worked with local groups to organize the outreach.
In 2007, over 19,500 people requested free literature from the BibleCorrespondence Course—the biggest year since the course started in1962. Eighty-five percent came from Internet advertising. There is encouraging progress as the number of people attending Protestant churches throughout Turkey is growing at about 8 percent per year.
Many e-mails, phone calls and letters come into the BCC office, and this is an encouraging testimony from a woman who watched one of the Christian TV stations for which the BCC does follow-up. A woman from the
south part of Turkey called the BCC number. She had never been to church and knew nothing about Jesus. For about a month it seemed like her remote control always would go to the Kanal Hayat TV channel. She was surprised by the programs and impressed by what she heard about Jesus.
Then she had a dream where she saw Jesus in a small room and He told her to go into the other room. There she met a doctor who touched her chest and she felt heat in her chest. When she woke up she went to the hospital and they found that her breast cancer, which she had for seven years, was completely gone. Now she has been going to the local church in recent weeks.
*Prayer Points*
1. Continue to pray for the ministry and outreach of the BCC in Turkey.
2. Pray for signs, wonders, dreams and visions to continue to reach the
hearts of the Muslims and point them to Christ.
3. Pray for strength, endurance and protection for each team member
working with this highly effective BCC ministry in Turkey.
2. Burma (Myanmar)
Although foreigners are not able to go into the Delta area, some of the
nationals are able to continue to visit villages, bringing food,
buckets, shower cups, blankets, bamboo hats and gas lights. One of the
most affected villages in the Delta had over 800 people before the
cyclone struck and now only has 100 inhabitants because over 700
villagers died.
The villagers surviving only on donations cannot get from their village
to other places because of the cost of the boat trip. The village leader
goes to the port town once a week to obtain supplies from charities
there; yet the food received falls far short of the need. He is given
just eight cans of milk to nourish 100 people.
The team is seeing that in many villages’ people are crowded into
inadequate housing. In one house 70 people are now living together while
they rebuild their own houses. The team donated tarpaulin as a temporary
roof to keep out the rain for one house until tin roofing was obtained.
Tarpaulin was given to five other families who were in the process of
rebuilding their houses. Still the team came across villages where no
relief work has yet reached the needy.
In the area known as the “rice-pot of Myanmar,” most of the people are
farmers or fishermen working in the waterways. Their greatest need is
for rice seed to plant and tractors or buffalo to work the land. The
government has given some tractors on loan to be repaid in installments.
However, many more are needed. Many fishermen have lost their boats and
nets, and with it their livelihood.
*Prayer Points*
1. As these relief trips have given rise to many discussions about God
and His love, pray for open doors and open hearts to share the love of
Christ with the Burmese.
2. Pray for the spiritual, emotional and physical strength of the
ministry team as they work tirelessly to meet the many needs.
3. Pray for the provision of the items needed to sustain the families
and communities as they try to rebuild and move forward with their lives.
3. Japan and the G8
Japan will host the annual meeting of the G8, July 5-9 in Sapporo.
Though originally established to overview global economic developments,
the “Group of 8” has extended itself to cover almost all aspects of
global affairs. The G8 forms the most powerful annual gathering of heads
of State. Between them, they form the majority of the Security Council.
They are the main financial givers to the World Bank and International
Monetary Fund. They control 95% of the world’s nuclear arsenal and can
dominate all the other global governmental organizations.
The group of eight consists of the heads of State from the USA, Russia,
France, Germany, Italy, Canada, United Kingdom and Japan. Also attending
this annual summit is the President of the European Commission and the
head of State from the nation that currently holds the Presidency of the
Council of Ministers of the European Union. Sometimes the President of
the World Bank and IMF and the Secretary General of the UN also attend.
They have freedom to invite other heads of State as they wish.
Alongside such an important forum is a prayer initiative that will pray
about the agenda and issues that they are dealing with. I have the
privilege to go and participate in this initiative. In the words of I
Timothy 2, we are mandated to pray for those in authority. Only Jesus
has the answer to the problems facing the world and these leaders as
they meet.
*Prayer Points*
1. Pray for righteous and just decisions to be made during the G8 Summit.
2. Pray for a cooperative attitude and not a self-serving agenda among
the leaders.
3. Pray for wisdom to flow as these leaders address the pressing
problems facing the world today.
4. Short-term Missions
July is a key month for OM’s short-term outreaches. This year over 850
people from the USA will be going out through our office to places all
over the world. The main thrusts during July will be in Eastern Europe
and our U-Turn outreaches in the Middle East.
*Prayer Points*
1. Pray that the Gospel will be presented clearly during the outreaches
and that people’s hearts will be open to the truth of the Gospel. Pray
for safety in travel as the teams travel through Eastern Europe and the
Middle East.
2. Pray for divine appointments and for a mighty outpouring of His presence.
3. Pray that God will work in the life of each short-term missionary and
each person will see his calling and mission with even more clarity as
long-term laborers are greatly needed.
5. OM Zimbabwe
All NGOs (non-governmental organizations) in Zimbabwe have been ordered
to cease operations. OM Zimbabwe had to close its day-care center which
helped children affected by HIV/AIDS, as well as a mobile clinic. Those
who were distributing food aid are no longer permitted to continue.
Millions of people in rural areas are dependent on food aid after the
harvest failed, despite the excellent rainfall. OM has not been
forbidden to preach the Gospel or pray but may not help any needy person
or meet in groups larger than 15.
The OM team began a 21-day Daniel fast to worship and praise God daily
in readings and worship, to repent of personal sin, the sin of the
church in Zimbabwe, and the sin of the nation. OM Zimbabwe says, “We are
turning to God, so he will turn to us. It is He who will judge and heal
our land, not we ourselves by our own efforts.”
*Prayer Points*
1. Pray for the government leadership, and pray that the forces of
darkness trying to destroy the nation will be exposed and restrained.
2. Pray for the violence to cease and for a restoration of the economy.
3. Pray for safety and a supply of provisions for the team, and for
creative ideas and ways to return to ministry.
6. A Small but Mighty Church–Near East
Recently, a group went on a prayer drive in part of a Near East city
that desperately needs prayer. In the area of about 20,000 people, a
small evangelical church faces opposition and problems. This small
church is surrounded by at least 20 mosques. The main mosque’s leader
often causes problems for the church with the local authorities and the
Muslim brotherhood. The pastor has been called in for interrogation many
times and has also been threatened by local Muslims. The pastor and his
wife have been laboring in the church for nine years and need renewed
strength and financial provision.
*Prayer Points*
1. Please pray for this small church to be able to stay true to God and
for spiritual and material provision for the pastor and his family.
2. Pray for the young people in the church who face pressure to become
friends with and even date young Muslim girls and boys.
3. Pray against witchcraft in the city as many nominal Christians are
involved in magic; pray for the spirit of Islam in the area to be broken.
Please go to www.cryoutnow.org <http://www.cryoutnow.org> to sign up to
join the prayer team for these lands
7. Miracles Waiting to Happen–Nepal
As plans of a care center and outreach to vulnerable people come
together, the newly established AIDSLink Nepal waits in anticipation to
see the miracles the Lord will do. Nepal’s first case of HIV was
reported in 1988, and it is estimated that 75,000 people are already HIV
positive, and by 2010 there may be 1 million cases (UNAIDS). Gender
inequality, low levels of education, poverty and human trafficking make
prevention and care difficult.
Those suffering from AIDS in Nepal are often abandoned and left
destitute. AIDSLink Nepal helps them to access medical treatment, takes
them to hospitals, lobbies on their behalf and counsels family members.
People infected by HIV need not only the spoken love of Christ, but also
the “touching” love of Christ. HIV-positive lives are being transformed
through this love, and desperate people are beginning to find hope.
There are many more people in need of love, and Nepal is truly a place
where miracles are waiting to happen.
*
Prayer Points*
1. Pray for the ministry and impact of AIDSLink Nepal.
2. Pray that people respond to God’s call to support this ministry both
financially and prayerfully.
3. Pray for many people to come to Christ through this new ministry
outreach in Nepal.
8. Changing Lives Through Quality Education–India
Five-year-old Jyoti comes from a poverty-stricken Dalit home. She and
the other Dalit children in her village have been trained to believe
that they are second-class citizens with no worth. Three years ago,
Jyoti’s father committed suicide because of the pressures of high
financial debt. The debt he incurred was just to pay for food, clothing,
shelter and water. Jyoti’s mother, Maria, now a young widow supporting
three daughters, did not know what the future would hold. In spite of
the financial challenges Maria faced, she wanted her daughters to
receive an education and was glad when the Dalit Education Center (DEC)
opened near their home.
Maria says that Jyoti has improved in her language and mental abilities
since joining the school. Her older daughters attend the government-run
school, which requires no school fees, but delivers substandard
education. Maria says that Jyoti is performing better in academics than
her sisters and she is certain that this is because of the quality of
education Jyoti receives at the DEC. A video clip of one of the Dalit
Education Centers is available at
http://www.usa.om.org/omindia/agadndomvideo.htm
*Prayer Points*
1. Pray that the number of Dalit Education Centers would continue to
grow to serve the Dalit community.
2. Pray that Dalit children would have much brighter futures due to
quality education.
3. Pray that the centers would continue to be spiritual lights in the
communities, as well.
9. Children’s Recordings Launched in India
“No one like you. No one like me. There’s no one in the world like you
and me. I’m special, I am unique.” So begins one of the songs that will
be taught soon to the thousands of Dalit children across India that
attend one of the 70 OM India Dalit Educational Centers. This song is
part of an “eight values” project that will be featured on the first of
10 children’s recordings for these Dalit children. The songs are meant
to instill values and restore worth and dignity to kids who have been
downtrodden and mistreated, as well as to give them a chance to learn
English.
A team of 10 people came together at the YWAM base in Lonavala to review
songs that had been written for the project. The team included musicians
from OM India, YWAM India, a couple from the United Kingdom and two OM
staff from the USA. Also on the team was Jackie Peters, a famous model
who had become a believer and received training at the YWAM base. Jackie
worked closely with Davita Maharaj, one of the coordinators of the
children’s recording project. Together they helped polish the songs and
wrote the final songs needed to complete the eight values.
*Prayer Points*
1. Pray for God to anoint the “Eight Values” project and for it to
accomplish its goal to instill values and restore worth and dignity to
downtrodden children.
2. Pray that God mightily uses the lives of the Dalit children in the
days to come as they come to understand their value and potential.
3. Pray for wisdom and creativity for the team of musicians as they
continue to work on projects that reach the hearts of people.
10. Prayer Requests for the Arabian Peninsula
Please remember a man in a city who has been detained for his faith. Ask
that he be strong and that he will know that the Father is with him. Ask
that his physical needs are being met. Also remember a couple who know
him well, who are being watched by the authorities right now. Ask that
they will be wise in their actions and not be afraid.
Through the Internet, many Muslims are able to access Christian websites
in their own language and engage in discussions through chat rooms. Pray
that those who seek to know the Truth will be led to the right websites
and pray for ways to do follow-up on conversations that started in chat
rooms.
*Prayer Points
*1. Pray for a particular man to stand firm in his newfound faith
2. Pray for perseverance in the face of pressure to return to Islam.
3. Pray that this expatriate Arab returns good in place of evil by
blessing those who curse him, praying for those who mistreat him, and
doing good to those who hate him.
11. Sudan
For more than 11 years, Operation Mobilization has been rescuing boys
off the streets of Sudan by operating three residential centers and a
day center. For many years, Sudan has been torn by civil war and unrest,
and there are many displaced people within the country. During the years
of turmoil, many boys were kidnapped to be used as slaves, and others
were separated from their families through various circumstances. These
boys live on the streets and try to survive by begging and stealing.
They are often beaten by older boys and face threats of imprisonment and
military recruitment.
Through OM’s program, currently 150 boys are loved and cared for in
three residential homes, and another 100 had been spending the day at
the drop-in center in Darfur. At the live-in centers, boys are provided
with three meals a day, an educational program, medical care, and a safe
place to sleep and store what possessions they have. In addition, we
make an effort to reconnect boys with their families and monitor these
relationships. The changes in these boys’ lives have been incredible.
Almost all of the boys have come to know Christ as their personal
Savior, and some have even gone on to study at a local university after
“graduating” from the center school.
In early June, the director of our Street Boys Centers sent us an urgent
message: “If we don’t get money coming in by August, we will have to
close down … and put the kids back on the streets.” They already had
to close the day center in Darfur just last month due to a lack of
funds. She wrote that they need $18,000 per month to keep the centers
open after July.
*Prayer Points*
1. Pray that God would supply funds to keep this ministry operating.
2. Pray for peace for the ministry staff and the boys as they wait on God.
3. Pray that these boys will be strong witnesses for God in Sudan.
