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.”