May 2 : Obedient Pastor. Recently one local pastor stood and taught more than 40 others how to share Christ among the D Muslims! This is an answer to prayer – to see others trained and rise to the challenge to train still others to make disciples from the D Muslim communities. This has been a rare occurrence due to the historic “separateness” between religious communities in India. Many Christians remain passive towards the Muslim community – but not this one pastor! God has given him a growing passion to see God’s glory cover the D Muslims as the waters cover the sea (see Habakkuk 2:14). Praise God for His answer to prayer: raising up others from within His church as laborers for the field – even training others to do the same!

May 3 : A Long Bus Ride. On the outskirts of a major city, with slum children playing nearby, 40 believers gathered for leadership training. Most had traveled by bus, some for as many as 12 hours, to receive training on church-planting strategies. Thank you so much for praying for these leaders. It was a new experience for many of them, as they were challenged by things they had never heard or thought of before. Please continue praying that they will apply all that they learned about things such as the priesthood of the believer, releasing ministry to the hands of believers, and making things simple so that they can be reproduced and lay leaders can plant churches and train others to do the same.

May 4 : Carpenter Seeks Jesus. Bijoy* is an 18-year-old carpenter who was building some kitchen cabinets when a Christian worker had an opportunity to share with him. After hearing the workers’ story and reading a tract about the Good News, he wanted to know more about Jesus. “He told me on the last day of their work that he wanted to have the kind of relationship with Jesus the Son that I was describing. We made plans to meet again Easter Sunday. That day we knelt at my living room sofa as a symbol of our worship during the most important decision Bijoy would ever make. Right before our eyes, the Easter message came alive! The Son who rose from the dead, conquering sin, and who lives today became a living hope to Bijoy 2,000 years later. He could have continued a pattern of worshipping idols and could have easily chosen to follow any guru of his former faith. Yet, the powerful drawing of God and the desire for internal peace beckoned him to the Resurrected One!” As you offer praise for this young man’s decision, please petition on his behalf for strength and peace in his new faith and for an Indian Christian man who can disciple him.

May 5 : Obedient Followers. This month, please pray for some new followers of Christ in Pakistan who are going back to their homes and villages throughout the country with a heart’s desire to tell their families about their new life in Christ. Ask for wisdom and boldness and for a faith that is lived out daily. Please pray that they will hold steady to the foundation of Jesus. Intercede that their families will come to make this same choice to follow Christ completely.

May 6 : Insight to Action. Please pray for five volunteers who will be coming to SL in May to train 15 to 20 national believers in house church-planting principles. Pray that they will be effective in sharing cross-culturally, in a way that connects with the trainees. Pray that the new insights that are learned will translate into action and that healthy, reproducing house churches will result all across the island.

May 7 : Dirty Water. T planned a baptism for a small group of about 10. He was going to baptize them very near where they live, but they all complained that the water was “dirty.” T asked them where they would like to go. They agreed that a not-too-far-away temple would be best. T told them that if they were not afraid to go there and be baptized, then he surely was not afraid. They went there and took baptism at the temple’s lake/bathing area, as many looked on. Pray that those choosing to follow Jesus throughout South Asia will continue to be bold witnesses for Him in all that they do and say and that many more will follow the Master obediently.

May 8 : Breakthrough. One urban church in the area where the D Muslims live has focused much time in prayer and energy to see them reached. This is an historic breakthrough in the body of Christ in their area. There is much to be learned – how to proclaim the Gospel without turning off the D Muslims is just the beginning – yet they are showing love to the Muslims in their area. They are praying for them. They are sharing the Gospel with them. Many believers tend to be apathetic, but not this church! Give thanks to God for the obedience of His church! Pray that He will lead them to “people of peace” (Luke 10:6) in their community. Ask God to bring a large harvest from that community into loving worship and obedience to God and His Word. Pray that those in the community who desire to harm the church will be thwarted in their efforts. Pray for victory for the church in the urban and rural areas, as they are in the midst of the struggle to obey Jesus, no matter how uncomfortable it may be to share the Gospel with others cross-culturally.