December 13 :  Obedient Disciples. Please pray for a training that will take place on Dec. 14-16. Five national workers are scheduled to attend. Pray that all five will be able to come, and ask for safe travel. These workers will be trained in church planting and church formation principles, spiritual warfare, a biblical view of money and possessions, and basic biblical doctrine. Pray that these five workers will be obedient in practicing the spiritual disciplines of prayer, meditation, Scripture memory, sharing their faith, and church planting. Pray especially for S, who has been dabbling in underworld activities. Ask that he will make a clean break with his past, be delivered from temptation to greed, and learn to follow Christ faithfully.

December 14 :  Families of Peace. As you have been asking God to call out laborers to serve among the Muslims of Karnataka, He has slowly been answering this prayer. It has been challenging to find qualified and capable language teachers for those workers who must learn a new language to minister here. Please continue to pray that these needs will be met and that language proficiency will come quickly for all who are studying. There are a handful of national church planters throughout the state who have a burden for Muslims. Some are meeting weekly for discipleship and accountability. These church planters have seen a limited number of Muslim households come to faith. Continue to pray for them as they try to disciple these groups, using what they are learning. Some workers are already experiencing persecution and threats. Please pray for their safety and continued boldness. Please ask God to prepare “families of peace” (Luke 10:6) in Muslim communities where workers serve. Ask Him to provide part-time jobs and other creative access opportunities into these areas. There is a need for other church planters in the state to receive training to reach Muslims. Pray that God will help workers to develop a plan to get this training to them using those who are learning it now.

December 15 :  “Jammin Jamaats.” Thank you for your prayers! The Holy Spirit led a group of Muslim-background believers to a special outreach to their “oikos” (family members, friends and acquaintances), and He has gifted them with fruit beyond what they imagined possible. More than 1,000 Muslim seekers are meeting weekly in 78 meetings across the city to hear more of God’s truth. Please continue to pray that these Muslims will respond to what they hear, have their questions answered, and become as those who shared so faithfully with them: Muslim-background believers in Jesus. Praise God for the priesthood of the believer, and His indwelling Holy Spirit!

December 16:  Faithful Followers. While the global economic downturn has affected the ability of missions organizations to provide funds, God is raising local believers for the task! The local body of Christ in and around the Deccan is beginning to rise to the occasion. This response still remains small, but God is using those small amounts for the increase of His kingdom. The need of money for food and travel of local evangelists is being met by local believers. Also, some of the new believers themselves are freely using their vehicles and taking time off from their jobs to travel across their state to meet with seekers to proclaim Jesus! Most of those coming to faith are poor, but some are not. God is pairing some of these poorer believers with others and is reaping a harvest. Mission funds have been used for Bibles, tracts and “JESUS” films, but the rest is coming from the new believers themselves. This still seems to be an exception to the norm, but it is a beginning. It is where this is happening that the most fruit among the Deccani Muslims is occurring! Please pray for the continued indigenous work, asking that it will multiply as God matures the new believers into solid disciples and laborers for the Deccani Muslim harvest field.

December 17 : Displaced Receive Good News. Thank you for your prayers for the “displaced peoples” of Pakistan. Because of recent relief projects being carried out by cross-cultural workers and national partners, there are two households that are seeking Truth. They each have a New Testament and have seen the “JESUS” film. Each household has approximately 15 people. Please pray that these groups will become two strong fellowships of believers.

December 18 : From Curses to Blessings. Pray that Y, a local believer, will grow in faith and knowledge of God through effective discipleship.  Recent attempts to distribute literature in the local language have been thwarted. Pray that God will turn the “curse into a blessing” and use the incidents to accomplish His purposes.

December 19 : Open Hearts. On Dec. 20, Jat Sikh pastor S will get to speak to approximately 200 young professionals. Many Jat Sikhs will be among this crowd. S will share his testimony and the Gospel. Pray for S as he prepares to speak and for the others involved in organizing this event. Please lift up these young men and women as they hear the reason we celebrate Christmas. Pray that their hearts will be open to the Savior of the world.