January 31 : Spiritual Nourishment. “Thank you for praying for a weekly study of the Gospel of John for upper-class Kashmiris. It is going surprisingly well, and more people are coming each week! There are several hungry people in the group who continue to comment on how they are being ‘spiritually fed’ by the words and life of Jesus. One man’s wife has taken almost every religious book on our shelves to take home and read. There are many signs that the Lord is working in the hearts of several upper-class teachers and doctors. Please continue to lift up these families, asking that what they have seen and heard will become a reality in their hearts by faith in Christ.”

Feb. 1 : Visa Granted. Last June, you were asked to pray for J, a Great Commission Christian who had pioneered ministry among Bihari children in Bangladesh. J had gone home to her own country to rest and spend some time with her elderly mother. When she tried to return last year, Bangladesh authorities denied her application for a visa. You were asked to pray specifically that the authorities would reverse their decision and allow J to come back to Bangladesh. Praise God that He has answered your prayers! J finally has a visa. Give God thanks and glory for His power and provision. Please pray now for J as she adjusts again to life in Bangladesh and reconnects with the Biharis she was serving among in Bangladesh, both seekers and new disciples.

Feb. 2 : Ansari Need Jesus. Thank you for praying for the two Baptist churches in Asia who jointly adopted the Ansari Muslims of Bihar approximately 11 years ago. These churches continue to send teams to Bihar regularly to minister there and to encourage Indian church planters who serve there. During a trip to India this past fall, four team members received community-development and disaster-relief training for the first time. Give thanks to God that this training became available and that these church members were willing to receive it. The churches ask you to pray that when the opportunities arise, those who have been trained will use the skills they have learned among Ansari Muslim villagers who have not previously welcomed a Christian presence. The Ansari Muslims of Bihar are a segment of the 12.5 million Muslims who live in Bihar and Jharkhand states.

Feb. 3 : Draped in White. February in Bhutan can be bitterly cold. The mountaintops are buried in snow, and the valleys, where most homes are located, are also draped in white blankets. Pray that Bhutanese women will learn to trust in Jesus to provide for their family during the winter season, like the Proverbs 31 woman: “She is not afraid for her household when it snows, for all in her household are doubly clothed” (Proverbs 31:21, HCSB). Pray that Bhutanese women will give their hearts to Jesus as Lord and Savior, and lead their families to do the same.

Feb. 4 : Spiritual Water. A volunteer team is coming to Pakistan to bring both physical and spiritual water of life to the people. They will be working on a medical and water project. In John 4:13-14, Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. . . .” Please pray for this team to have open eyes to see where God is working, and ask that the people they meet will drink of the spring of eternal life.

Feb. 5 : Shelter from the Cold. For those experiencing below-freezing temperatures in the United States, 44 degrees might seem balmy. However, for Indians who have no shelter and little clothing, 44 degrees can be deadly. As of Jan. 5, cold temperatures had taken the lives of eight people in Bihar, according to news reports. Across the country, more than 125 people had died. Many Bihari Muslims sleep on their bicycle rickshaws or in unfinished concrete buildings and are exposed constantly to the elements. Pray for the families of those who lost loved ones and have no hope of ever seeing them again. Pray especially for those families who lost their breadwinners. Pray that the 12.5 million Biharis who live in Bihar and Jharkhand states will find protection against the cold, wind and rain. Pray that all of India’s 17 million Bihari Muslims will learn about Jesus and look to Him for salvation, abundant life, and everlasting shelter.

Feb. 6 : True Rest. A two-year worker in South Asia writes: “Last night I slept at least nine hours and awoke rejuvenated and peaceful. Praise the Lord! This reminded me of how He has been teaching me in the last six months the practice of resting in Him. To truly rest, your mind must become at peace, giving up the worries of the day and of life for at least some amount of time. Rest is coming to a place of trusting that while we need sleep, the Father doesn’t, and that He can and will take care of us and of all that’s on our minds. After coming to this place and receiving the respite He offers, we awake with renewed energy to travel onward. Usually we wake up in exactly the same spot where we had plopped down, but with less weary bones and hearts. I pray that you will look for rest in Him when you need it.” Pray that the workers in South Asia will truly find “rest in Him.”

FIRST-PERSON: Bad news & eternity

By Jerry Rankin

http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=31818 

RICHMOND, Va. (BP)–We have always thought of the Gospel as good news. In

fact, the Greek word evangelion, which is translated “Gospel,” literally

means “good news.” And certainly the fact that Jesus Christ died and rose

again to give us salvation and victory over sin is good news, indeed!

However, for many people in the world, the Gospel will be bad news. They

will discover that Jesus Christ is the standard of judgment for whether or

not one receives salvation and enters into eternal life in heaven.

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Daily more than 300 people migrate to Mumbai from across India in search of a better physical life for themselves and their families.
Scattered along Mumbai’s coastline, sandwiched between multi-storied flats and commercial buildings lie ancient Koli villages.

In existence since before the city began, these distinct, unreached communities are a significant link in the history of Mumbai.

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Daily more than 300 people migrate to Mumbai from across India in search of a better physical life for themselves and their families.

Thousands believe they have found what they are looking for. Millions have not.

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“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor freeman, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ.”

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Daily more than 6 million people travel through Mumbai via commuter rail system.

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January 24 : Cell Groups Multiplying. Give thanks to God for the work that is taking place in one city in North India, in answer to your prayers. Within the past month, several new cell and outreach groups were started by Pastor A. Several people have come to faith in Christ through these groups and will continue to grow in God’s truth. Pray for these new believers as they begin to grow in their faith. Ask God to raise up leaders among them to further His work in this city.

January 25 :  Hospital Revival. Indeed, there is evidence that revival has begun in Bangalore Baptist Hospital! In November, a series of special chapel services were held daily for one week, with the hospital chapel filled to capacity. Prayer groups are meeting. Bible studies are well-attended. Pray for the culmination of this movement at the end of January. Ask that the hearts of staff and students will be open to the work of God’s Spirit. Pray that non-believers will choose to give their lives to Jesus Christ.

January 26 : Anointed One of God. Please pray that Muslim-background believers will abide in God’s Word, seek the lost through evangelism and entry, apply God’s Word through discipleship and training, and plant house groups capable of reproducing themselves. These past few months, workers have received excellent new materials for reaching Muslims using the names for Jesus and Scripture stating that He was the Anointed One of God. Please pray for positive responses from seekers who want to know the Truth.

January 27 : On-line Training in “the Arts.” “Please keep praying as we try to figure out how to implement the trainings God wants us to do. One goal is to develop online trainings for personnel – not just in South Asia, but all over the world – to educate them on how to use the arts to reach the nations. Pray that this course will be completed this year.”

January 28 : Obedient Followers. Thank you for praying for the two Indian evangelists who have been traveling extensively for the spread of the Gospel among the Deccani Muslims. They have been able to locate several seekers over the last few months and have given their time to them, seeing them come to faith in Christ and begin to study God’s Word. During a recent Bible study, one of the women who has come to faith discussed with her husband what they had been studying, explaining that she should not put off her baptism any longer, as delayed obedience is disobedience. Please pray for these new believers, asking that they will retain such an attitude, clinging to Christ in loving obedience. Pray for the evangelists, asking that they will continue the discipleship process with these young believers, leading them to maturity and fruitfulness (see John 15).

January 29 : Open Eyes. Please pray that all Nepali peoples’ eyes will be opened and they will see that they are following false gods that cannot fulfill them in this life, nor give them eternal life. Pray that national believers will rise up and boldly share the truth with their friends and loved ones so they can know the true hope that is found in Jesus.

January 30 : Growing in Faith. Give thanks to God for the new group meeting in the home of J. A year ago, her family and one other woman were the only believers in their village. Now, in answer to your prayers, there are a couple of other families who have decided to follow Jesus. These new believers meet each Friday to worship Jesus and study the Bible. Pray for them as they continue to grow in their faith. Pray for other Jat Sikhs in J’s village to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

Bangladesh imitates China’s 1-child policy

WASHINGTON (BP)–Bangladesh is following in the fatal footsteps of China’s one-child policy.

The densely populated Asian country will introduce the new population control initiative but will not make it mandatory, according to a December report by the Chinese news agency Xinhua.

Bangladesh will promote the policy with the slogan “No more than two children, one is best,” said Mohammad Abdul Qayyum, director general of the country’s Directorate of Family Planning, Xinhua reported. Qayyum acknowledged China’s program “influenced us in framing our policy.”

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In flood-stricken India, Christians love the afflicted with more than words

By Marcus Rowntree*

INDIA–Disasters are blind in their cruelty.

When the worst floods in more than 100 years swept through a village in southern India, the water did not ask about the rich landowner’s social status before it washed away his soil, drowned his cattle and destroyed his house.

“For all these years, I was a landowner,” he said. “But from now on, I must go work in another man’s field.”

Brought low, like everyone else, he needed food so he would not starve.

Such was the sudden swiftness with which torrential rains turned the first week of October into a nightmare of overflowing rivers, flooded fields, and demolished houses. About 300 people lost their lives, and the flooding left at least 2 million homeless in the states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

Thousands fled for safety with only the clothes on their backs as the floodwaters dissolved their mud dwellings. In his haste to escape death, one man even abandoned his mother.

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January 17 : Muharram Outreach. Muslim-background believers in the city are committed to reaching the Muslim communities from which they have come with the Gospel. Desiring that all Muslims come to know Jesus as He is, their Redeemer, they are planning an outreach for the Shia Muharram festival that began in December and will continue through February. This is the fourth year that they have been involved in reaching out to Muslim seekers during these significant days of the Islamic calendar, which has yielded hundreds of believers in past years. Pray that God will lead these committed Muslim-background believers again to be wise in their outreach and protected from the persecution that is always near. Pray that God will again woo thousands of Muslim hearts to the “new Truth” that will be shared with them during these days, and that those thousands will commit themselves, as others have, to meet weekly to learn more and ultimately to receive their Savior and, beyond that, to become true disciples. Let’s see what God does as we all pray.

January 18:  Healthy Church. Please continue to pray for the training that took place recently in one city in NE India. The team from the Strategy Coordinator (SC) church led trainings for house church leaders, and the topic was “Healthy Church.” The men learned principles from Scripture to guide them in leading the house churches so the house churches will grow and multiply. The women learned how to study the Bible and how to use chronological Bible storying and health lessons to open doors to share about Jesus. Please pray that these leaders will be obedient to practice what they have learned. Ask God to bring about one or more church-planting movements in this city through these men and women.

January 19 : Salt and Light. Please continue to pray for S, asking that God will deliver him from the love of money and that S will walk in integrity in all areas of his life. Ask God to “Keep deception and lies far from him, give him neither poverty nor riches; feed him with the food that is his portion” (Proverbs 30:8, NASB). Pray that God will use S and the others who were trained recently to be salt and light in their villages.

January 20 : Testimonies, Bible Stories and More. It was a cold night. Eight people huddled on a bed, all facing in with two blankets covering their feet. One of the teen-aged boys picked up a Bible lying at the head of the bed and began to flip through it. His mother listened intently as her friend talked about the meaning of Christmas and Easter. Earlier in the day, a worker had shared her testimony with this family. They had begun to show an interest in Jesus after hearing Jat pastor S share at the funeral of an old man. They were impressed with his story about how he had come to know Jesus. Their Jat neighbors, the first followers of Jesus in the village, have continued to share the Good News with them. Pray for this family to come to a personal, saving faith in Jesus Christ. Pray that many other Jat Sikhs in their village and the surrounding villages will also hear the Good News and respond in faith.

January 21 : Intensive Discipleship. In one area in the northern parts of South Asia, it is extremely cold in the months of January and February. Life slows to a near halt, and those who can migrate to other cities of India or to the southern capital of the state. For the past several years, local believers in Christ have used this time to move south together and spend the winter months in intensive discipleship, worship and fellowship. Please pray that young believers will grow in their faith, be purified in their character, and mature in unity and vision during this time. Also pray that new leaders will be developed among them who will begin new house churches in their villages upon returning in the spring.

January 22 : Faithful Disciples. “Thank you so much for praying for our first follow-up meeting from a training that took place in September. The 12 who came to this meeting reported that they had been able to start 119 churches and do 181 baptisms in the four-month period. Continue to pray for these brothers as they seek to reach the lost in their areas. Pray for workers as we begin trainings with new partners this year. Pray that the teaching will produce a new urgency and vision for reaching unreached people with the Gospel. Pray that the truths of God’s Word will be hidden in each person’s heart. Ask God to send the harvesters that He has called.”

January 23 : Family Comes to Jesus. Thanks so much for your prayers over the last couple of months. God has answered by providing much-needed language tutors. Please continue to pray for these tutors as they prepare lessons and try to help their students learn to communicate in another language. Also pray for the students to be diligent and to develop lots of relationships for language practice and sharing the Gospel. As you have prayed for church planters throughout the state, God has opened the hearts of Muslims, and during November, approximately 50 made decisions to follow Jesus. At least one family of six made a decision after hearing the Good News only once. Please continue to pray for more stories like this one. Also ask that church planters will be able to disciple these new believers and help them meet together in churches in their homes.