Monthly Archives: September 2011

Week of October 2, 2011

October 2 : Bihari Children in Camp. Thank you for praying for Bajiha (pseudonym), the 7-year-old Bihari girl whose father struggles to get by as a tailor. October is a hot month in Bangladesh. When the electricity goes out at night, it is hard to sleep. Often people get coughs and fever during this season. Mosquitoes can transmit a painful and dangerous tropical disease called dengue fever. Please pray for Bajiha and her family, as well as for other families in the Bihari camps. Ask God to protect them against dengue fever and other diseases that are prevalent during this season. Pray that the government will be faithful to spray all the open drains regularly to kill mosquitoes. Thank you for your continual prayers for the Bihari children. God hears them all. He knows these precious children in Bangladesh very well and stands ready to touch their lives. May Bajiha learn to bask in His love. BihariBride@pobox.com

October 3 : Need Harvesters. ‘The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest’ (Matthew 9:37-38, HCSB). We desperately need co-laborers, especially South Asian partners, to reach the many South Asian immigrants in the Toronto area. On October 3-8, a training event called is being held in a Toronto suburb. Please pray for the participants and the trainers, asking that their travel will be safe, their communication will be clear, and their vision will be from God. Ask the Lord to prepare these participants to take the Gospel message to thousands of South Asian immigrants who are still worshipping false idols.

October 4 : Catalyst 2011. Pray for an event called “Catalyst” that will take place on October 5-7 in Atlanta, Georgia. Pray the Father’s blessing upon “10 Days of Sacrifice,” a tool that has been developed to call individuals and churches to sacrifice through prayer, giving and going so that the 1.5 billion people of South Asia may be reached with the Good News.

October 5 : Day of Prayer for Jat Sikhs. October 5 is the “Day of Prayer and Fasting for the Jat Sikhs.” Today, please pray for the Jat believers whose families are not yet followers of Jesus Christ. Many of these believers, like Syd, Param, Aanand, Suk and Jaspreet (pseudonyms) have faced ridicule, ostracism and persecution from their families. Pray that their families will see the difference Christ has made in their lives and turn to Jesus. Ask that entire families of Jat Sikhs will find salvation in Christ. Pray for the ministries of these Jat believers and others like them who are taking the Good News to their people. pr4punjabis@topicbox.com

October 6 : Adoption Needed. Personnel serving in the Mid-South Cluster ask: “On October 5-7, Christians from all backgrounds will gather [for Catalyst 2011] in Atlanta, Georgia, to be challenged in their walk with the Lord. Many representatives will be there to promote involvement in the reaching of unengaged unreached people groups (UUPGs). Pray that God will use this time to connect more churches with UUPGs of the Mid-South Cluster as well as UUPGs all across the world. We ask you to pray especially that these five groups from our top priority list will have at least one adoption for prayer. These five Hindu groups are as follows: Nayinda, Kabliger, Rama Kshatriya, Marati, and Knakku Pillai. The Nayinda are a group of more than 200,000 barbers living in Karnataka, India. The Kabliger are a people group who are traditionally fishermen and number more than 150,000. The Rama Kshatriya are a people group who are significantly more wealthy, with a population close to 150,000. The Marati are another poor people group who live in the same area as the Nayinda, with a population of more than 100,000. And last is the Knakku Pillai, with close to 100,000 people who live in Andra Pradesh, India. Pray that the Lord will lay each of these groups on the heart of at least one person for adoption.” http://prayerthreads.imb.org

October 7 : Mountain Trainings. Please lift up travel to a northern city this month for a cross-cultural worker and some partners. They will meet in a mountain city for trainings. Please pray that the trainings will be fruitful and honor the Father, and ask for a good time of fellowship and accountability. Mountain roads are dangerous at any time in this country, but particularly at this time of the year, which is the end of the rainy season, the roads are typically at their worst condition. Please lift up this worker and partners as they travel on mountain roads to reach this training.

October 8 : Prayer walking the Cities. The religious center of a large South Asian city had long been in the grip of the evil one. Very few churches or believers were located in that area. Over the past year or so, international Christians have been prayer walking some of the major temples in the area. Earlier this year, national pastors and church planters were challenged to focus their efforts in the same area. Last month, a lead worker in that city was introduced to a new house church – yes – in that same area! God is working to break down the strongholds in this city. Please pray that this new house church will continue to grow, discipling new believers and establishing more churches there. Ask God to continue making His name known, and draw “people of peace” (Luke 10:6) and influence into His kingdom. Pray for a complete spiritual transformation of the entire city.

 

A South Asian Summer: The Gospel is for sharing with others, but also for our daily lives

By Clive Lazenby*

DELHI, India — North India is one of the darkest places on the earth. They need to hear the Gospel. As a Christian, I know truth and I am dying to share it. So, when the opportunity came up to go to India, I jumped at it.

We were basically sent out to be creative and just live in India. Build relationships. Encourage believers. Share the Gospel. Just live. Just be. No gimmicks. Basically, just be Christians in India.

Being in India helped me learn more that the Gospel is good. This trip also involved personal work that God wanted to do in my life as well.

I distributed tracts and shared with people I met on the street. I got to share the Gospel and my testimony with two guys, Swaran* and Bandhul.* When I shared that there really is only one way to God, I got to see Swaran’s eyes perk up as he started to soak in the Truth. I got to hear Bandhul pray to God and ask for forgiveness of His sins in his simple, sincere English.

I even got to preach. With only about 20 minutes to prepare, I found out that I would be sharing a short message. This opportunity helped me realize that I’d been studying, reading and growing in my understanding of what the Gospel really is for the past three years.

One author I’ve read says that we need to preach the Gospel to ourselves. And I agree with him. I forget that I walk with power and authority along with Jesus, that I’m a mouthpiece for the Gospel. I need to be reminded — everyday.

The Gospel never gets old. God chose to save us by crushing His Son. He poured out His blood for our sins. And that never gets old. So, I was able to talk about that. And, I walked away from it as a culmination of what God has been teaching me about His Gospel, His plan to save us through His Son, Jesus Christ.

It’s all because of Jesus. In Ephesians 1, it says that in Him we have all this grace. Grace upon grace we have in Him. The phrase, “in Him,” is repeated over and over in that passage. If I’m not meditating on that daily, I forget. I get watered down. I start going through the motions.

I learned to never walk away from the Gospel — to never advance beyond the Gospel and keep it central at all times, in all things, in all ministry. Keep the Gospel center, and preach it every Sunday. Preach it hard. Share it in every conversation.

—30—

Clive Lazenby is a student at Southeastern Louisiana University and a member of Crossroads Church in Hammond, La. He recently spent six weeks in India as an SA101 volunteer. For more information on SA101, visit the website for South Asian peoples, http://southasianpeoples.imb.org/special-interest/sa101/.

Indians ask ‘why’ following 6.9-magnitude quake

By Tess Rivers

INDIA (BP) – Ekanpreet Malik* couldn’t sleep after the 6.9-magnitude earthquake shook his home in northeastern India Sunday night.

“Is today the last day?” the 10-year-old boy asked his mother. “Are we all going to die?”

Christians, Hindus and Buddhists throughout the city are asking similar questions following Sunday’s earthquake, reports Rita Tozer,* a 28-year-old Christian worker whose Himalayan city is just 30 miles from the quake’s epicenter.

Tozer and her two preschool-aged sons were on a blanket on the floor eating popcorn and fresh vegetables when the quake hit at 6:10 p.m. Sunday.

“I grabbed the boys and ran to the hallway,” Tozer said. “Things were falling off the walls, the tables and the cabinets.”

While Tozer’s apartment building remained intact, smaller homes less than a mile away collapsed. An historic church in the city lost one of its spires.

“Most everyone is all right,” Tozer said. “But there is significant loss of life and property damage in nearby villages.”

As of Tuesday, the death toll climbed to 81 as helicopters airdropped emergency supplies to isolated villages, news agencies reported. Soldiers in the northeastern Indian state of Sikkim cleared a path to the town of Mangan, about 10 miles from the epicenter. Other communities remained cut-off from rescuers.

A team from Brook Hills Church in Birmingham, Ala., will arrive within the next few days. The team has been planning the trip — originally designed for outreach —for six months. Tozer contacted the church on Monday and asked them instead to provide disaster relief to the hardest hit areas.

“The greatest needs are medical supplies and medical care,” Tozer said. “A paramedic and a physical therapist were already part of the (Brook Hills) team. Others will begin digging out rubble and delivering medical supplies, food, blankets and other survival items.”

A group of Oklahoma Baptists also plans to arrive later this year. Last year, the team adopted one of the Himalayan towns and anticipated returning this fall for follow-up.

As communities assess damage, recover victims and begin to rebuild, Indians are asking, “Why?” Tozer is grateful both the Brook Hills and Oklahoma teams will be able to provide relief to the victims along with answers to their deeper questions.

“People are looking for meaning,” Tozer said. “They tend to spiritualize things (Westerners) might see as only physical. They are open to spiritual conversations.”

PRAY:

For workers to gain access to areas most affected by the quake.
For workers to have opportunity to share God’s love with those who are hurting.
For the team from Brook Hills as they travel to the quake area within the next several days.
For the team from Oklahoma as they prepare to follow-up on relief efforts with longer-term solutions.

–30—

*Name changed

Tess Rivers is a writer with the International Mission Board based in Southeast Asia.

Week of September 25, 2011

September 25 : Christian Ethos. Please continue praying for the medical staff to contribute positively to the Christian witness and ethos of the B hospital. This remains a great concern. As a result of your prayers, it has been possible to begin Bible studies among the medical staff. These are taking place every two weeks in smaller groups. Pray for non-believers among the staff who may attend, asking that the Holy Spirit will draw them to Jesus. Pray for the chaplains who are leading these studies. Continue to pray that Christian doctors may be found to join the staff.

September 26 : Leadership Training. “You have been praying for a group of men who were chosen in March to be leaders within our national work. We have conducted one formal meeting with these men and have begun to plan another meeting. In several cases, the leaders have been experiencing various attacks from Satan. At the same time, their spiritual knowledge is not extremely high. Please pray for them as they express and experience their new faith.” http://www.IsaMasih-Lucknow.org

September 27 : Reaching the Students. In one of the largest cities in India, there are many colleges and universities, and yet very few of the local churches are engaging the college students. Pray that our Father will burden the hearts of the local believers for the students in the city. Ask God to pour out His Holy Spirit upon the college campuses, and pray that His Name will be glorified. Pray that the Father will provide national partners for local workers who are engaging with students. Ask Him to provide “people of peace” (Luke 10:6) on each college and university campus. pr4punjabis@topicbox.com;

September 28 : Evaluation Needed. “Pray as we begin reevaluating the tract we have been developing for Muslim women. There is a possibility that a national woman will be able to help us begin testing this with English speakers. Please pray for editing efforts as well as clear guidelines for the testing portion of this project. Ask God to open many doors for any possible testers to find Muslim women who speak English and will give honest feedback. Pray that some will even come to faith or show an interest in learning more about Isa (Jesus) through this.”

September 29 : Couple Starts Over. A year ago, you prayed for D and S, newly baptized believers who had finished an intense discipleship course and were interested in serving in full-time ministry. At the time, the couple was unable to minister because of their responsibility to care for family members. S has been working in a Christian business office for the past year, and they have decided that now is the Lord’s timing for D to join the small team ministering among Bihari Muslims in Bangladesh. D is a Bihari Muslim-background believer. Please pray for D as he “learns the ropes” in this ministry. Give thanks to God for the faithfulness of this couple. Ask Him to guard their testimonies and their marriage in Christ Jesus. Pray also that their obedience to follow God’s call will lead to the harvesting of much fruit among Bihari Muslims in Bangladesh. BihariBride@pobox.com

September 30 : Prayer Makes Difference. The team from a university who recently worked among people in Varanasi, India, were able to see the work of the Lord as they prayed for the people of Varanasi. Give thanks to God that hundreds were prayed for and several accepted Jesus or were healed physically. http://prayingforvaranasi.blogspot.com

October 1 : Safe House. In July you prayed for P, a former Bihari Muslim who lives with his family in a small rented house that has no bathroom. P has withdrawn his pension early and has taken a personal loan to purchase a small piece of property on which to build a more suitable home for his wife and three daughters, one where they will no longer need to use a community toilet. He writes: “Now I am in search of piece of land for housing purpose, but still no success because rate of the land is very high. Please pray that God provide the land/house within our capacity.” As P’s daughters grow older, it will become more urgent for them to have a safe home. Please join P in praying that God will show him where they should live. Pray also that it will be a place through which they can continue to minister to Biharis and other Muslims. BihariBride@pobox.com

 

 

Catalyst East conference welcomes South Asian peoples booth

By Torie Speicher

When Micah Watson came to India for the first time, he never thought he’d be back. The devastating poverty among the 22 million people in Mumbai was overwhelming, along with the daunting task of sharing Jesus with them.

Watson, a singer/songwriter who tours with Micah Watson Band, will be at the first-ever South Asian peoples booth at the Catalyst East conference in Atlanta on October 6 and 7. Rumor has it: he may even bring his guitar and sing a few tunes.

The Catalyst conference (catalystspace.com) is a gathering of young leaders who love Jesus, see things differently and want to influence the world. One of those young leaders is David Platt, pastor of the Church at Brook Hills and author of Radical and Radical Together.

Platt doesn’t just talk about South Asia — although he will at the Radical Dinner on October 5. But, he’s been there. He’s been sick and uncomfortable. And, he’s seen worshipers bow down to deaf and dumb idols.

“Talk about culture shock. When I think about culture shock, I think about South Asia,” Platt said at the 2010 South Asian peoples summit.

There is a sacrifice. But, Platt said if Christians really believe the Gospel, their sacrifices will pale in comparison to satisfaction in Jesus.

“Jesus is someone who is worth losing everything for,” he said.

The Radical Dinner is not about the food. Ten dollars toward beans and rice will benefit a project serving rescued prostitutes in India.

And South Asia isn’t just about a cultural experience. It’s the place where the greatest concentration of lost people in the world live.

“I don’t think anybody really feels that they can do it,” Watson said about sharing the Gospel one-on-one. But, when he came to Mumbai, God did something with him.

Since that first trip, Watson has shared about India at every concert he’s given throughout the southern United States. His song — Your Hands, Your Heart, Your Voice — is the result of a year’s worth of talking about what God is doing in India.

And, now he’s encouraging others to do the same.

“God has done something in your life that’s worth telling people about,” Watson said.

Is God calling you to a new kind of sacrifice? Gather 10 friends and commit to 10 days of prayer for South Asia. Resources and other stories of sacrifice can be found at willyoucare.org.

—30—

Torie Speicher is a writer, serving among South Asian peoples with International Mission Board. Micah Watson Band can be found online at www.micahwatsonband.com.

Week of September 19, 2011

September 19 : Learning to Communicate. A Bengali-speaking Christian couple has served among Bihari Muslims in Bangladesh for nearly eight years. Finally, the couple had an opportunity this summer to begin studying Urdu with a Bihari tutor. Most Biharis in Bangladesh speak Urdu in the home and consider Urdu their heart language, though many have had to learn the national language Bangla (Bengali) to trade and work in the country’s urban centers. Being able to converse in Urdu will allow this Bengali-speaking couple greater access at a deeper level into the homes and hearts of the Bihari Muslims with whom they are trying to share the Good News of Isa (Jesus). Please pray for this couple as they try to learn a language that is foreign to them, though it is spoken in their same country. Ask the Lord God also to work through their language studies to reach with the Gospel the Bihari man who is tutoring them. BihariBride@pobox.com

September 20 : Nervous Breakdown. Earlier you were asked to pray for R, a young man from Bangladesh who has been listening to the words of Jesus for two years. His father dissuaded him from baptism, advising him to attend the mosque every week, and later R had a nervous breakdown. Ask for our Father’s healing hand to be on his emotions and mind. Pray that R’s heart will become good soil, that the seed of the Word will produce fruit, and that he will have the faith to follow Christ in baptism. Please pray also for R’s father, asking that he will also be attracted to the words of Jesus, repent, and believe the Good News.

September 21 : Total Care. Pray for the community health services of the B hospital that cover approximately 35 villages some 30 miles north of the hospital, as well as works in urban slums. Pray for the team to have safety in travel. Intercede for them as they provide care, create health awareness, counsel families, and share Christ. Pray for the provision of all that is needed for ongoing work and expansion.

September 22 : Standing Firm. “We will not move! Jesus is with us.” Despite persecution and recent police complaints from the community against several new believers, they remain strong. They refused to flee to a different town, relying on the promised presence of their Savior, Jesus Christ, to be with them. Praise God for this depth of faith and reliance upon Jesus! Pray for continued boldness and avenues for the Gospel to win the hearts and minds of Muslim men, women and children. Hindus in the area have also heard of the faith of these former Deccani Muslims! Pray for them, too, asking that Jesus will have His way in their hearts and minds. Pray for other brothers and sisters in Christ to encourage and care for this small fledgling group of believers from that Deccani Muslim community.

September 23 : Equipped for Service. Pray for the four students currently studying at the Center for Contextual Theology. These students are new believers in Christ who come from Sikh and Muslim backgrounds. Pray that they will be adequately discipled and equipped for future ministry through their one-year program.

September 24 : Peace Equals Wealth. Abram (pseudonym) said, “We have all the wealth that we need in this world, but without peace in our hearts, it’s nothing.” Please continue to pray for upper-class families in Kashmir to come to faith in Christ and spend their wealth for the cause of the Gospel. Pray for a new house church to be birthed this year that will be comprised of these educated, leading families of the valley. Ask God to pour out His Spirit on this close-knit community so that men, women and children will not be afraid to make a stand for the Truth.

IMB resources point to ‘Loving Muslims’

Baptist Press, Aug 23, 2011: http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=35981

By Ava Thomas

RICHMOND, Va. (BP) — Cade Rutledge* used to wave his American flags and get really fired up about “getting those terrorists.”

From most people’s viewpoint, he had a right to feel that way. His brother was working in the Twin Towers nearly 10 years ago on Sept. 11, 2001. He made it out alive, but the attack was still way too close to home physically and emotionally for Rutledge to consider the idea of loving terrorists, or loving any Muslims for that matter.

Until Jesus showed him a different way.

“I asked myself, ‘How can we possibly love the lost — the Muslim terrorists — who attacked my city?’ Our answer should always be yes because our Jesus-centered faith demands it. Our Christian response must never resemble the world’s,” Rutledge said.

A heart of love for Muslims is something the International Mission Board hopes to cultivate through the new “Loving Muslims” resources, which are being released in conjunction with the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The resources include free study guides for small groups to use for one session the week before Sept. 11, 2011, and one on the anniversary itself, as well as an eight-day prayer guide for use the week in between.

The first session focuses on loving Muslims, and the second on reaching Muslims with the Gospel. The prayer guide leads believers through praying for their Muslim neighbors and ways they can show hospitality to local Muslims.

The website, lovingmuslims.com, also includes a sermon outline for pastors to use on 9/11, feature videos, stories, photos and other resources for learning more about Islam, Muslim culture and ways to reach out to Muslims and share Jesus Christ with them.

–30–

*Name has been changed. Ava Thomas is an International Mission Board writer/editor based in Europe. www.bpnews.net. Used by permission. For more information and free downloadable resources, visit lovingmuslims.com.

Their eyes were watching Facebook

By Caroline Anderson

Clemson students and Crosspoint volunteers, Sage Watson* and Karli Jacksbury* share their faith with their peers in a central Indian mall.

INDIA-The American college students came to India expecting to find more traditional Indian culture than they experience in the U.S. Instead they found iPhone users, Justin Bieber lovers, a real-life example of NBC’s “Outsourced” as well as a widespread addiction to social media — not a far cry from their own U.S. culture.

Ten college students and two short-term volunteers from Crosspoint Church, Clemson, S.C., came to India as part of a six-week missions and discipleship program. They came to partner with a local house church and IMB representatives Dave and Caroline Tucker.*

The students are from Clemson University in Clemson, S.C. This is Crosspoint’s second year to serve in India. Prior to coming to India, the Tuckers worked at Crosspoint and Caroline graduated from Clemson.

The Clemson students spent many of their days in shopping malls — sharing the Good News with anyone who’d listen. Malls are where Indian youth spend their free time. Justin Bieber’s latest hits play on the mall’s playlist.

Teenagers text message each other with the day’s latest gossip.

Little did the students know, they’d be continuing conversations once they left India thanks to Facebook.

After meeting someone new, the first question many short-term teams and IMB representatives get is asked, “Are you on Facebook?”

On one of the student’s mall visits, Rose Radcliffe,* a junior nursing student at Clemson, and Mandy Barner,* a one-year volunteer from Ridgecrest Baptist Church, Durham, N.C., met Radha Behari.*

Behari is an Indian 22 year old who works at an AT&T call center that outsources to India. Behari works the night shift, so she’s awake during work hours in the U.S. She talks to Americans from Virginia to California every day but never met one before meeting the Clemson students.

Behari invited Radcliffe, Barner and several other Clemson students to her home.

“Guests are like gods for us,” Behari said, as she made sure everyone had a plentiful supply of chai.

The Clemson students shared about God and how He’s proven Himself real in their lives.

“Can I share a story?” Cali Mendel,* a junior nursing student at Clemson, asked.

When they first arrived, the Tuckers briefed the students on what stories they’ve found have gotten good responses.

Mendel shared from Mark 5 about the woman who bled for 12 years and how she found healing when she touched Jesus’ robe.

The women talked about God and other gods. Behari believes in all religions, she said, but mostly Hinduism.

Clemson students on a six-week volunteer trip to central India include a visit to the orphanage in their plans. "Simon Says" becomes a whole new experience with Aubrey Neely playing Simon.

The women also bonded over Bollywood movies and music. Behari enjoys listening to western artists like Shakira; Mendel enjoys listening to Indian music when she studies.

Though she heard the Gospel from the Clemson students, Behari didn’t believe. But, thanks to Facebook, Behari and the Clemson girls are able to keep in touch. The girls made sure to exchange contact information and now they already have a “wall-to-wall” conversation on Facebook − connecting South Carolina and central India.

Barner’s husband, Clark* met Prakash Achari* in a mall. Dressed in designer jeans and a crisp button-down shirt, Achari listened intently when Clark shared about a God who doesn’t require good works to save a soul.

Later that week, in the Barner’s hotel room, Achari brought his cousin to hear more about the Gospel from Clark and the other summer volunteers.
“I was so fascinated,” he said. Achari said he knew Clark and the college students spoke truth.

Both Achari and his cousin decided to become followers of Jesus that evening.

The Barners plugged them into a local house church. The church utilizes modern contemporary worship songs in English and most of the people read their Bibles on iPhones and Blackberrys. The church studies the Bible in a group discussion format and emphasize small group discipleship.

The house church members are all friends on Facebook. They are quick to pull new members into their social media circle. It’s how they stay in touch and up to date on the everyday happenings in their friends’ lives.

Whether it’s America or down the street, Facebook connects new friends.

“Hi Hannah, How are you hope everything is fine. Enjoyed your trip to India. Missing you. Hope to see you soon. Nice pics,” Behari posted on Hannah Kaller’s* Facebook wall. Kaller is a senior nursing student at Clemson.

“I’m good! Miss you too!” Kaller responded on Facebook.

Everyone’s on Facebook. Even in India.

-30-
*Name changed.

Week of September 11, 2011

September 11 : Hard Places. Can the Gospel penetrate one of the most dangerous and darkest places on the planet? Although we might hesitate to respond, God’s answer in Christ is an unwavering YES, as the last few months have shown in Pakistan. God continues to draw people to Himself, and then save and sanctify them by the power of His blood on the cross. Pakistan has seen a lot of bloodshed in recent years, but our Savior’s blood speaks a much better word than the blood of Abel. It silences the voice of violence and revenge, and instead speaks forgiveness and freedom. Continue to pray that Pakistanis from north to south and east to west will listen and obey the voice of mercy.

September 12 : Birthday Celebration. This month, Hindus throughout India will celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi (the birthday of Ganesh). To millions of people, Ganesh is the elephant-headed god that represents wisdom, success, and the overcoming of obstacles. Large and small statues of Ganesh will be seen throughout India. In many cities, huge statues of Ganesh will be stationed at major locations so that thousands of people can bow before him. Vendors will sell the clay Ganesh images in a variety of sizes and colors so that everyone can afford to  purchase one for their home. The idols will be washed and cared for and then, at the end of the celebration, the image will be taken to a body of water, immersed, and washed out to sea. Please pray that the more than 900 million Hindus of India will encounter the Living Word – the source of wisdom and the only One who said, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33b, ESV). Ask the Father to show you how to share love and Truth with Hindus whom you may encounter this month.

September 13 : Doors Opened. Praise the Father for opening doors for films to be shown in one state during Ramadan. Pray that those who want copies of the films or Bible portions will receive them and be drawn into a relationship with Jesus.

September 14 : Gadaria Shepherds. Traditionally known as shepherds and blanket weavers, the 4.5 million Gadaria people are scattered throughout northern India. Very few of them have ever heard about the Good Shepherd who gave His life for them and rejoices in rescuing even one lost sheep. The Gadaria are primarily Hindu, and their views of God and man are based upon several ancient Hindu myths about shearing sheep. Literacy levels are low, and belief in ghosts and witchcraft is common. Pray that the Gadaria will hear stories in their own language about the Good Shepherd who sacrificed His life for the sheep. Pray that fear will be overcome by love and that many Gadaria will choose to follow Jesus–the Way, the Truth and the Life. http://prayerthreads.imb.org

September 15 : Ansari Muslims of Bihar. An Indian church planter serving among the Ansari Muslims of Bihar writes regarding the recent persecution of new believers, “We need prayers. . . . The villagers keep watching the activities and making trouble with the believers by focusing on their properties, and our believers are asked to leave everything. Another problem is that no one would want to marry our new believers’ sons and daughters, and this troubled our new believers; it is difficult for them to remain strong in their faith. Some of them directly avoided us or asked us to stop coming. It discourages us . . . but we thank God that the team still works hard. While we share with them about growing in the Lord, they would share about their worries for the future of their children. Sometimes they would say that they would fully follow the Lord after their children’s marriage. Please pray that God may help us to preach His Word effectively.” The Ansari Muslims of Bihar are a segment of the 12.5 million Muslims who live in Bihar and Jharkhand states. BihariBride@pobox.com

September 16 : Bless Them Lord. Give thanks to God for more workers sent into the harvest: volunteer teams! In July, new connections were made as teams from North Carolina went door-to-door, using the B-L-E-S-S (B-Body, L-Labors, E-Emotional, S-Social, S-Spiritual) method to pray for people. Please pray for the local church as they follow up with invitations to come to Jesus. Please ask the Holy Spirit to open ears and hearts, and pray that many will have the faith that comes from hearing the message (see Romans 10:17). Pray that home Bible study groups will be started in three cities in one area of Canada this year.

September 17 : Pray for Peace. Pray for the city of Karachi, where many Sindhis live. Law and order is a concern, as there have been many killings and injuries. Pray that in the midst of the uncertainties of life, Sindhis will find in Christ a security and peace that transcends the present situation.

September 18 : Gathering of Truth. “Satsang” means “gathering of truth.” For centuries, Hindus have gathered together in homes to sing “bhajans” (devotional songs) and talk about their beliefs and how to apply them in their lives. It sounds a lot like church, doesn’t it? Personnel all across India are beginning to apply this concept by holding “Yeshu satsangs” (satsangs focusing on Jesus) in friends’ homes and even their own homes. Pray that Hindus across high and low castes will choose to worship only Jesus when they attend these satsangs, sing bhajans about Jesus, and learn stories and Scripture that can apply to their lives.