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.