Prayer request from Bhutan

Today’s prayer request is from a post on my blog for kids, Exploring with Jake.

This morning in Sunday School, our teacher told us about the country of Bhutan. There are very few Christians living in Bhutan. We need to pray that God will help many people there hear about Him and learn about how much He loves them. I’m going to pray that there will be many strong modern witnesses who will take God’s love to every mountain and valley in Bhutan. Will you pray with me?

Our teacher also gave us a story to read so we could learn more about Bhutan. It’s not a true story, like the ones we’ve read about Christians who live in other countries, but it is a story about what life might be like for one boy whose father gets hurt while they are on a journey. I put a copy of it here so you could read it to! I hope you enjoy it!

Norbu’s Journey

“Dear God, please help all the people in Bhutan to hear how much You love them. Help them love You and share Your love with everyone around them. Thank You that You love every person and sent Jesus to pay for every wrong choice we make. Thank You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

*If you’d like to read the first post in the Modern Witnesses series, click here.

Prayer request from Indonesia

Surrounded by crops of chocolate and dried coconut meat, many of the Mamuju make their homes in what sounds like an abundance of plenty. In reality, many of the Mamuju children are malnourished, with high rates of child mortality. The Mamuju need to hear about health and nutrition. They need access to good medical care and help in developing the agricultural resources they have access to. Most also need freed from a life enslaved to religious practices that give them nothing but fear and rules, but no life or hope. Please pray that God would supply all of the needs of the Mamuju and pray for those seeking to find ways to bring those things to them in West Sulawesi in Indonesia. Read more at http://www.globalprayerdigest.org/index.php/issue/day/Mamuju-People/.

Prayer request from Iran

The Assemblies of God church in Tehran is facing a difficult question—do they remain open and try to serve a small portion of the people who speak the Armenian tongue, or do they continue to stand for their right to hold services in Farsi, a dialect of Persian, the mother tongue of the majority of Iran’s people. If they choose the former, their pastor may be released from prison and they may be permitted to continue as a church. If they choose the latter, the government will continue to try to force them to close and keep their pastor imprisoned, separated from his family and his church. Please pray for this church, and the churches across Iran who face similar situations. Please pray for each Iranian, of every language, to hear the truth of God and respond to Him in faith. You can read more at http://www.worldwatchmonitor.org/2013/05/2505357/.

Prayer request from Kazakhstan

What is life like for Christians in Kazakhstan? Today’s prayer request comes from my blog for kids, Exploring with Jake.

This week, our Sunday School teacher taught us about Christians who live in the country of Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan is a country in Central Asia that borders Russia, the Caspian Sea, China, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. There are over 17 million people living in Kazakhstan today; most of them do not believe in Jesus yet.

Life for Christians in Kazakhstan can be very difficult. It can be hard to find a place to hold church services. Two churches used to meet in a conference room at a university over the weekend, when the school didn’t need the room. But the government stepped in and ordered the school not to allow the Christians to meet there anymore, even though the university wanted to allow them to.

Pastors can get in trouble just for praying for someone who is sick. Sometimes the government even insists that pastors get a special license from the government before they can pray for someone to get well. They are often charged huge amounts of money and threatened. Their computers, Christian books, Christian DVDs, and other things are sometimes taken.

The government has tried very hard to control and limit Christian activity in the country. Why do you think some governments don’t want their people to know about Jesus?

Please pray that God would help the Christians in Kazakhstan to be brave and keep loving Him and serving Him. Pray that He would help them to love the people who are persecuting them and that He would help every person in Kazakhstan hear about His love for them and follow Him.

“Dear God, please help Christians in Kazakhstan to trust You no matter what happens. Please help the government to allow them to meet and pray for others. Please help those who don’t know You yet to learn and understand how much You love them. Thank You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

You can find out more ways to pray for Kazakhstan here.

If you’d like a printable version of today’s story, click here.

*If you’d like to read the first post in the Modern Witnesses series, click here.

Prayer request from North Korea

Tiny pieces of paper falling from the sky—yet the words on them are of such concern to the leaders of North Korea that they tell civilians they are covered in a kind of poison and dispatch the military to confiscate them as soon as they are spotted. What could be on the pieces of paper? The truth, the Gospel message that Jesus loves every person on earth and has made a way for them to know Him and be filled with hope and life now and forever. Please pray that the flyers that are dropped inside North Korea through balloon launches will reach the hands of those the message is for and that the message will reach their hearts. https://www.vomgroups.com/qry/forum/td_index.taf?_function=topic&tdttopc_uid1=101.

Prayer request from Myanmar (Burma)

Today, there is a special prayer service being held in the country of Myanmar (Burma) for its leaders and its people. Christians of many denominations are joining together to pray for the nation’s leaders, for the conflicts that exist between many of the ethnic groups living in Myanmar, and for peace. Christians in Myanmar face extreme persecution, even to the point of being hunted in the jungles where some try to survive. Will you join with the Christians of Myanmar today and pray for their nation? Read more at http://www.mnnonline.org/article/18577.

Prayer request from China

Your husband passed away last year in an accident. The church where you and your husband had ministered was surrounded by police last month. Everyone was expelled and the building was sealed. Now the government is pressuring you to lead your friends to join the authorized church, whose restrictions you do not support. Please pray for a widow and house church leader in Panzihua City, Sichuan province, China, who is struggling with these issues. https://www.vomgroups.com/qry/forum/td_index.taf?_function=topic&tdttopc_uid1=101

Prayer request from Turkmenistan

It wasn’t enough that they stole your most precious books, but they fined you more than you hope to earn for the next two months. Two Christians living in Turkmenistan had their Bibles and Christian materials confiscated, were taken before a judge, and fined a large sum of money. Please pray for them and for Christians throughout Turkmenistan, where following Christ is very difficult. Read more at  https://www.vomgroups.com/qry/forum/td_index.taf?_function=topic&tdttopc_uid1=101.

 

Prayer request from Indonesia

Thirty thousand people are waiting for someone who knows Jesus Christ to sit down with them and share a meal. But how can a meal make a difference?

There are 30,000 Pekal people in the nation of Indonesia. They work hard and they work together. They care for their families and the families of others. But they are missing the most important thing of all—the Truth. They don’t have a Bible to read, a church to attend, or even a Christian message on a radio they can hear. To be considered part of their community, all a person needs to do is cook a meal for them and share it with them. Such a small step to initiate a relationship. Will you pray that many will take it? Read more at http://www.globalprayerdigest.org/index.php/issue/day/Pekal-People/.

Prayer request from Bangladesh and Myanmar (Burma)

When Cyclone Mahasen struck Bangladesh, it left in its wake shattered homes and lives. Yet many are finding a reason to be thankful in the midst of the destruction—it could have been so much worse. Cyclone Mahasen was on a track to take it crashing into the shore of the Arakan region of Myanmar (Burma), into the shacks of more than 100,000 Rohingya refugees who lived there. They would have faced nearly death. But hours before the cyclone was scheduled to strike, it changed direction and weakened. By the time it struck Bangladesh, it was half of the size it had been formerly. Still, though many residents of Bangladesh were evacuated ahead of the storm, the damage is still quite severe, and one that will be very difficult for one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Please pray for all the victims and their families, and pray that those who have been given a second chance at life will discover true life in Jesus Christ. Read more at http://www.mnnonline.org/article/18553.