Aug. 4, 2010
NASHVILLE, Tenn. –Southern Baptist disaster relief workers are assessing needs in the aftermath of flooding that killed more than 1,400 people and affected at least 3 million more in northwest Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan. Baptist Global Response has authorized the release of an initial $20,000 in Southern Baptist disaster relief funds to provide food and temporary shelter to assist in the relief effort.
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by South Asia Staff
PAKISTAN — The worst flooding in 80 years hit Pakistan the last week of July. Over 200,000 people in the rural areas and towns of the Sindh province will be badly affected and thousands have to move to other safe places. Districts with a large Sindhi population are in danger of facing severe flooding. This will affect thousands of families living there. Pray for the few but faithful followers of Jesus who will be distributing food to those who are in need. Pray that God will show compassion to the hurting and reveal His glory in the midst of suffering.
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by South Asia Staff
PAKISTAN — In the final days of July, a worker wrote, “There have been torrential rains in northern Pakistan causing flooding, with the potential for severe flooding. Already houses have been destroyed and knee- deep water is in others. Drinking water is sparse and there is very little electricity. Looting is also becoming more rampant. Please pray for the workers there, that they can be salt and light to those in need as well as help to meet the real physical needs.”
As of August 4th, at least 1,400 people had died due to the flooding situation. Please pray that Father will “break thru”in this situation to bring Light into the darkness. The flooding has caused severe health hazards due to the lack of clean drinking water. Pray for protection from disease for the people of Pakistan and those who work there.
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August 9 : A Call to Prayer. There are approximately 400 million Muslims living within the countries represented in the South Asian peoples affinity group. The month of Ramadan in the Islamic calendar begins officially with the sighting of the new moon; thus, the actual starting dates may vary a day or so depending upon the location, but Ramadan is expected to begin around August 10-11 this year. Many Muslims around the world will be observing Ramadan, a month of fasting decreed by the Islamic faith as a time to seek special notice from Allah. Pray that Muslims’ waking thoughts will be to know God truly in all His fullness. Pray that the hunger pangs Muslims experience throughout the days of Ramadan will be echoed with spiritual hunger pangs – an insatiable appetite to read God’s Word, to know Him personally, and to know spiritual truth. Devout Muslims pray five times a day. As you pray today before meals, during your quiet time, or at other times, thank God for answering your prayers for Muslims. Ask Him to call out intercessors who will faithfully stand in the gap on behalf of the Muslims in South Asia and around the world.
August 10 : Discipleship Anticipated. “For two weeks in July, a volunteer tried to test the tract for Muslim women. Unfortunately, she was unable to meet English-speaking women who had time to go through it with her. Please continue to pray for this project. It is of the utmost importance that testing be done on this tract before it can be translated and used widely to share God’s love with these beloved women. One of the most exciting ‘praise reports’ involves an invitation from a local pastor. After spending months nurturing this relationship, he invited us to meet and begin discipleship efforts with 30 Muslim-background believers. Please join us in rejoicing over this opportunity. Since it will be six months before discipleship can continue, please continue to pray for these believers as well as others in this network. Ask God to continue to grow them and help them to read and understand His Word. Some of the church planters who were associated with our team and underwent persecution have relocated to another area. They want to continue reaching Muslims but need financial support. As we continue to encourage them to seek employment, it is a challenge for them. Please pray that they will find jobs that will provide for their needs and still allow time to be involved in ministry. Also pray that the Father will grow our relationship with them if that is best for the work here.”
August 11 : Shining for Jesus. During a recent retreat for Muslim-background believers, a young man from another people group in the valley was baptized. A couple of years ago, he was detained and intimidated by the police because of his relationship with foreign workers and his interest in the Gospel. When he came back from the retreat, his face was shining and he was filled with so much joy that he couldn’t contain it! He said that when he came out of the waters, everything was light, and he was finally free! That same day, when he went to buy vegetables at the market down the street, the family selling them started praying blessings upon him and talking among themselves, saying, “Look! He is a man of God! Give him good, clean veggies!” “Thank you, Father, that You choose the foolish to shame the wise and the powerless to shame those who are powerful, so that no one can ever boast in the presence of God. Thank you that You are using and will use this humble, simple man to bring Your Good News to the shepherds of this valley.”
August 12 : Seeking Truth – Seeking Peace. At her weekly Quran class, R, a successful upper-class doctor and a mother of two, asked her teacher about the Quran’s teaching on retaliation and violence. She had her doubts that the teacher’s broadminded interpretation was correct, and if it was, then why was there so much killing? The significance of these spiritual questions continues to gnaw at people seeking Truth in Kashmir as a new wave of strikes, violent protests, killings, and stone-throwing have broken out in the valley. Several young boys have been killed in the past months while fighting a military presence and demanding the right to self-determination, and many people suffer from anxiety and depression because of the prevailing situation. Pray that people will have the boldness to ask the hard questions of their book and, in their hunger for answers, turn to the Way of peace.
August 13 : Devouring the Word. One young Deccani Muslim-background believer, A, has been actively reading God’s Word in his own language and devouring whole portions of Scripture – from the Psalms to Old Testament stories to the Gospels and the Book of Acts! He has spent hours and hours talking about the Word with his discipler. Please pray for A, asking that God will continue to give him spiritual understanding and the grace to obey the Word. Pray that God will replace former beliefs and practices with biblical truth and obedience. Pray that A’s devotion to God will multiply to the others who have come to faith in Jesus.
August 14 : One in a Million. You have prayed often for P, a former Bihari Muslim who longs to see his own people follow Jesus as Savior. P longs deeply for his own family, Bihari Muslims, to trust in Isa (Jesus). In 2008, you prayed for P’s nephew, N, as he finished his tenth-grade examinations. This spring, N passed his twelfth-grade exams. He is now trying to obtain admission to an engineering college in southern India. Please pray for the salvation of N and intercede, as well, for his studies and plans for the future. Pray that N will meet Christian students at college who will share the Gospel with him. “Please pray also that his parents and his sibling can get salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ,” P writes. Approximately 17 million Bihari Muslims live in India. P is one of the few Bihari Muslims who have trusted Jesus as Savior. BihariBride@pobox.com
August 2 : Never Heard. You have been praying for those who saw a Christian play that was presented in a city this spring. During rehearsals for the play, all the cast members were given Bibles. One young man, S, a Hindu, has since read the complete Bible. He came to the director of the play, a worker in the city, and asked, “Why has no one ever told me any of this before?” He is meeting with the worker in Bible study. Pray that S will fully embrace all that he learns and will accept Jesus as his Savior. Pray that more believers will see the need to share Jesus so that no one has to ask why they haven’t been told.
August 3 : Family Fun in Canada. Last month you prayed for a volunteer team from North Carolina as they labored in the harvest among South Asian immigrants in Canada. Another North Carolina team arrived on August 1 and will serve through August 9! This is their first time to interact with South Asians of several different faiths. Please pray that God will use them as they hold family fun activities in neighborhood parks. Pray that He will give them the words to say as they meet people who probably have never heard who Jesus is and what He has done for humanity. The team will also stand near religious centers of idol worship and pray against “the world powers of this darkness . . . the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens” (Ephesians 6:12, HCSB). Please join them in this prayer, asking that many South Asians will be freed from Satan’s hold, and that the Holy Spirit will open their eyes and hearts to “the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4, HCSB). Please remember to pray for the team’s health and travel safety also.
August 4 : Creative Outreach. The hospital chaplains are making a planned, concentrated effort to present music and God’s Word in the outpatient clinics of the hospital in order to open the way more easily for individual conversations about Jesus. Almost 200,000 patients visit the clinics annually, plus those who accompany them. Pray that there will be many opportunities to lead people to faith in Jesus and spiritual healing.
August 5 : Spreading Seeds. Two pastors are doing work within a village in Punjab. This village has been apathetic to the message of the Gospel in the past. These two pastors have been sharing faithfully with the men, women and children throughout the area. Recently there have been several people who have come to know Christ, and a church is now meeting there. A team of volunteers recently shared and distributed literature to many of the people. Please pray for the seed of the Gospel to continue to spread throughout the village. Also pray for a strengthening of the current believers. Petition for strong leaders to rise up. pr4punjabis@topicbox.com
August 6 : Empowered to Teach Others. “The comprehensive teaching course that you prayed for some time ago is almost completed. At this point, the Hindi section of it is being proofread, and after that, it will be sent to a printer. So far, we have received three invitations from different places to teach the course. As we teach this material, please pray that God will speak through us so that others can be empowered to reach the Muslims of India.” http://www.IsaMasih-Lucknow.org
August 7 : On the Move. Praise God that He is moving in G-city and answering your prayers! Over the past three years, you have prayed about church planting in G-city. During that time, there have been many ups and downs, but God is faithful! Last fall, He called a master trainer to focus on the city, and the team thought that a church planter had been identified. However, that young man did not work out. God has since called out another church planter, and it looks like this man is working out. Praise God for that! In the past six months, he has started four groups of seekers in various areas of the city. He also has been meeting with seekers informally in a prayer center and a meditation center in the city in hopes of starting two more groups. Thank God for this young man! Praise God for what he is doing through him! Pray that God will open the hearts of the seekers to hear his call and respond in faith. Pray for them to have the courage to be baptized. Ask that these fellowships of seekers will develop into house churches and will grow and multiply. Pray for wisdom for this church planter as he teaches seekers, disciples believers, and mentors leaders in each group. Pray that God will grant a church-planting movement in G-city!