April 18 : Great Commission Challenge. Everyday 65,000 people are born in India and 15,000 die, resulting in a net population increase of 50,000 per day. A Christian leader in India teaches his new believers the “Great Commission,” challenging them to make disciples, baptize and teach all the commandments of Jesus. His goal from April 1 through May 20 is to baptize one million. Pray that the Holy Spirit will move throughout India, convicting men and women of their sins. Pray that Christians throughout India will capture this “Great Commission” vision and be faithful witnesses of Jesus Christ. Pray that those who follow Jesus will become obedient disciples, faithful in word and deed. http://www.go2southasia.org/
April 19 : Family Pressures. Pray for one of our health training teams, made up of national believers, that has been visiting a Muslim village for the past eight months. The team members, young unmarried women, have been facing pressure from their families to stop the work because it is preventing them from generating any income. The women want to continue the work but need to be able to contribute financially to their households. Pray that funding will come from the team’s local Baptist association. Pray that the women will not become discouraged and that their compassion for this Muslim community will grow. Pray that they will choose to continue in the work. Pray that the villagers will hear many stories about Isa alisalam (Jesus) from these women, and that the health training team will soon move forward into the next stage of the community-transformation process. http://www.go2southasia.org/
April 20 : Discipleship Begins. In answer to your prayers, eight discipleship groups made up of 12 to 15 new believers are now engaged with Bible study and discipleship training at the hospital. These are students and staff members who chose to follow Jesus during the time of the revival and prayer movement at the hospital that concluded at the end of January. Pray for growth in faith, and pray that each one will tell others about Jesus. http://www.go2southasia.org/
April 21 : Unreached in South Asia. Please intercede for O, who represents an unreached people group in the city. He is the first contact among this group that needs to hear the Gospel. Pray that God will draw O to Himself with His lovingkindness and that O will be a witness to his people. Pray for those who will be sharing about Jesus with him. http://www.go2southasia.org/
April 22 : Watching Closely. Bhutanese believers are watched closely – sometimes by government representatives looking for some reason to ostracize them, more often by their neighbors who just want to see how they are different. Pray that our Bhutanese brothers and sisters will exemplify the life described in Psalm 15: “Father, enable Your Bhutanese children to walk blameless before You and before men, giving them wisdom to do what is righteous, to speak the truth from their heart. Keep their tongues free from slander; keep them from doing any wrong toward their neighbors. Let them be men and women who keep their oaths even when it hurts. Steer them away from bribery and unfair business practices. As they live out the Christian life, let them dwell constantly in Your sanctuary and enjoy Your holy presence….” http://www.go2southasia.org/
April 23 : “People of Peace.” “Pray for a new opportunity to share the Gospel and open new relationships through the local tourist industry and wildlife preservation group. We have several short-term groups coming, and our long-term team is getting the chance this month to host several events. Pray for ‘people of peace’ (Luke 10:6) who will hear and respond to the Gospel and want to begin Bible studies.” http://www.go2southasia.org/
April 24 : Women Hearing Stories. Thank you for praying for a group of non-literate Bihari Muslim women who gather regularly to hear Bible stories. The women listened to a series of stories about the Christian life. When it was time to talk about the Lord’s Supper, they learned that this celebration is a special time of fellowship exclusively for those who have decided to follow Jesus. This led to an interesting discussion about whether the women in the group would be able to participate in the Lord’s Supper. Only one of the women had taken water baptism at that point. Praise God that it is not too hard for Him to reach Muslim women deeply involved in their worldview and culture. Pray for these Bihari women as they try to identify for themselves where they are in their spiritual journeys. Please pray that they will make true commitments to follow Jesus. Pray also for the salvation of their families. BihariBride@pobox.com