July 4 : Attacker’s Heart Softens. S graduated from the Leadership Equipping and Development (LEAD) program years ago and has become a well-known and well-respected Christian leader. He has been instrumental in equipping many young men to serve the Lord as pastors and church leaders. In late 2008, he and a team were showing a film about Jesus in a village when a group of radical Hindus attacked them, damaging the vehicles and equipment and physically beating S and his co-workers. They were charged with converting people and faced the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence. The court proceedings have dragged out for months, but in the meantime, the heart of the leader of the attackers has softened and he has become friends with S. The charges may be dropped. Praise God for how He has used this situation to His glory, and pray that all the attackers will come to know and love the Jesus whom S loves and serves. Pray for S and his wife as they continue to serve the Lord faithfully without reserve.

July 5 : Perseverance Needed. There are more than 25 million Sindhi people in Pakistan, but there are very few believers in Jesus bringing the Good News to those who are lost. There are Sindhi seekers who want to meet and study the Bible but who live far from believers. Please pray for access for laborers and for more like-minded co-laborers for those involved in the Sindhi harvest. Please pray for perseverance for the laborers, who often are enduring power cuts for 13 hours a day in temperatures of up to 125 degrees. Praise God that Sindhi believers are meeting together for a special fellowship this month, in answer to your prayers!

July 6 : Pakistan Landslides. Landslides are a common occurrence in North Pakistan in spring and summer as winter snows begin to melt. On Jan. 4, a major landslide occurred near a remote mountain village. The landslide took the lives of 20 villagers and left many more homeless. The Karakorum Highway leading to China remains blocked while teams work to clear the debris and repair the road. The landslide blocked the flow of the Hunza River, and a lake currently more than16 kilometers long and 100 meters deep has formed upstream of the site. Engineers have constructed a spillway to reduce the possibility of a sudden outflow of water, which potentially could cause severe damage to villages located downstream. For the time being, the spillway seems to be working and is not eroding as quickly as officials first thought. But there will continue to be a possibly catastrophic flow of water throughout the summer and fall of 2010. Please ask the Father to use this for His good purpose and draw many to Himself. Pray that those who have lost loved ones will seek out the one true Comforter. Pray for believers in this area to have the wisdom to know how to help and show the love of Christ to those who are hurting.

July 7 : Summer Students. Pray for the 40 students who have committed to serve throughout India this summer. Ask the Father to strengthen them, speak through them, change them, and use them for His glory in this country. Pray that the seeds planted by the students will grow to fruition in His time, and petition for good follow-up in the months to come. Pray that these students will return to the United States as ambassadors for the King among South Asians living in the United States.

July 8 : Stories for a Purpose. Everybody loves a good story, and in South Asia, stories are the very heart of the culture. That is why telling and training nationals to share stories from the Bible is so well-received. In the month of July, one national, A, will be conducting two different story trainings. He will share Bible stories and teach others to share Bible stories and, in so doing, share the greatest story ever told. Please pray that much fruit will come from these trainings. Pray that the lost will be found and churches will be planted among the V.

July 9 : Guide Their Steps. Summer in the United States always brings teams to Mumbai. But Mumbai is in the midst of the monsoon season, with a potential for flooding and days without the ability to move through the city. Please pray for those whom God has called to come to Mumbai on short-term teams this monsoon season to be entirely submitted to the leading of the Holy Spirit – from the moment they say yes to the team. Ask God to lead each one to “men and women of peace” (Luke 10:6) in whose hearts God has already been at work. The city is filled with people who are Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Jain, Parsee or Buddhist . . . filled! Regardless of where the teams travel in the city, or who their planned contacts and focus people are, pray that God will place them face-to-face with those who have been waiting to hear the Truth. Pray, too, for follow up, for without someone to return to those who hear, much fruit may simply disappear.

July 10 : Tumbling Walls. When you look down the street, do you see men wearing turbans, strolling with women in saris? In three new suburban housing areas west of a major city in Canada, approximately 25 percent of the new residents are expected to be South Asian immigrants holding to one of three major world religions. There are spiritual walls separating immigrant people from Christ, and even from simply hearing the Gospel of Christ. By keeping mostly within their own ethnic and religious networks, they have minimal contact with those who love Jesus and are His witnesses. On July 9-17, a volunteer team from North Carolina will sow seeds by distributing multi-language “JESUS” film DVDs and Bible portions to the 5,000 new homes. They also will serve neighborhoods by providing “family fun” activities at the parks. Please pray for these volunteers to be given physical and spiritual strength, safety in their travel, and opportunities to share the words of Jesus and what wonderful things He has done for them. Please pray that as God did at Jericho, He will again cause “walls” to crumble and fall, and that each home will receive the Good News of Jesus. “Finally, pray for us, brothers, that the Lord’s message may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you” (2 Thessalonians 3:1, HCSB).

June 27 : Farmer Follows Jesus. As the result of a larger “evangelism push” from several people, a D Muslim farmer and his son came to Christ recently! They willingly received baptism after doing Bible study, too! There are small, spread-out, receptive pockets of D Muslims this year – more so than in years past. Many areas still remain hostile or uninterested, while others appear to be having a surge of God’s work in their hearts. Please pray that as D Muslims come into contact with the Gospel, God will draw them to Christ. Pray that they will become strong, true disciples, abiding in Christ through prayer, Bible study and obedience to God’s Word. Pray that they will be filled with a love for God and a love for others and a filling of the Holy Spirit that will trump their fears of telling their family and friends about their Lord Jesus Christ! Pray for this farmer and his son, asking that their faith will deepen and that they will bear much fruit.

June 28 : Lives Changed Thru Drama. Recently a believer in a major city in Gujarat, India, directed a play on the crucifixion of Jesus. As far as anyone knows, this was the first play about Christianity ever to be performed in this city. The cast was made up of followers of four different religions, as well as an atheist, and their lives were changed. Approximately 500 people saw the play when it was performed, and countless others saw it when it was televised. Please pray that those who saw the play will think about all that they saw and heard, and will seek to know more about Jesus.

June 29 : Change of Plans. “The past three months have brought about several changes in the work in G city. While we don’t always understand why some things happen, praise God that He is in control! In February, the Strategy Coordinator (SC) church received word that the national believer who was our main contact in G is no longer working with our representatives. Also, the national believer who was supposed to be working as the church planter in G for the SC church did not work out. However, God has provided for both of these needs! Two short-term volunteers in the city will provide the needed communication. Pray that this new arrangement will work out and that they will provide the information about the church-planting activity to the SC church. Also, the master church planter has committed his time to focusing on G for this year, and he has already identified a local believer in the city who desires to plant house churches. Praise God for His faithfulness to provide for these needs! Thank Him for providing a believer who does not have a commitment to another organization – this means that he is free to follow the reproducing house-church model. Ask God to work in the life of the new church planter to help him to learn the principles quickly. Petition for open doors of opportunity to share the Gospel and for ‘persons of peace’ (Luke 10:6) who are ready to hear the Gospel. Pray that God will use him to start many house churches.”

June 30 : Cooperation for a Cause. Thank you for praying for the media project focusing on Sikh people groups. A group of people from various Great Commission Christian organizations worked together to make this project possible. God provided a talented media team, Jat Sikh believers to play roles in the films, and locations for filming. Please continue to pray that God will use this project to reach many Jat Sikhs with the Good News of Jesus Christ. pr4punjabis@topicbox.com

July 1 : Deepening Commitment. “F recently accepted a position as a librarian at a Bible college and met a woman named R, an older Muslim-background believer who loves Jesus but has yet to be baptized. F has agreed to meet weekly with R and other believers for prayer, worship and Bible study. Please pray for F as she meets with secret Muslim-background believers and tries to encourage them in their faith. Also pray that God will help them to understand the Bible and obey it – especially in regards to baptism and other commands that might bring about persecution. F believes that Muslims are most open to the Gospel when they are facing intense hardships. Please pray as Muslims struggle with illnesses, suicidal thoughts and other life traumas. Ask Jesus to reveal Himself to them in the midst of their hopelessness. Pray for believers to be available to share with them, minister to them, or provide Christian literature to them. Ask God to reap a large harvest among the Muslims of K. There is a ministry phone number that has been used in tracts, which Muslims can call for more information. Currently there is no one to answer that phone. Please pray for F as she considers taking on that responsibility and also broadening the use of that ministry phone. We have been praying about developing a tract that will share the Gospel specifically with Muslim women. Pray for this project as we finalize an English version and test it with educated Muslim women.”

July 2 : Training Produces Fruit. “Thank you for praying for the two important meetings that we had with the different organizations working in Kolkata. Two of the groups have begun church-planting training this year. Pray that God will use these trainings to reach the numerous unreached people groups in the state with whom no one is working.”

July 3 : Doors May be Opening. Give thanks to God for answering your prayers by providing amazing opportunities to interact with several government agencies and tourism groups in the area through a visiting expert. After visiting several new areas in the K valley, representatives believe that a new project might open doors in new villages for local believers to earn a livable wage, and for lost families living in poverty to hear the Good News.

June 20 : Honored to Share. A cross-cultural representative studying the Nepali language writes from Nepal: “Why do I follow Jesus? I answer that question with a short story: My life before Christ, how He won my heart, and finally, what life has been like since then. I have written it, had it interpreted, and have it written in my Nepali notebook. The problem is that numerous words and structures are very new, but does that stop me? Unfortunately for my language coach, no way! It is usually pretty choppy, but when I get embarrassed and flustered, my helper has to correct every other word. I usually sound like a complete idiot, and it never feels good; but still, I’m a long way from experiencing the humiliation God suffered on my behalf, so in the end it is an honor.” Please pray for those trying to learn Nepali so they can share the Good News with the people of Nepal.

June 21 : Sindhi Families Need Jesus. There are many Sindhi seekers who want to meet and study the Bible but who live far from other believers. Pray that God will provide cross-cultural representatives there with wisdom and provide more representatives to meet the spiritual hunger of these seekers. Continue to pray for the salvation of women and of mothers, sisters, wives and daughters of believing Sindhi men. Pray for the new believers, asking that they will meet together regularly to encourage one another. In March you were asked to pray that entire families would seek after the one true God. Praise God for one Sindhi man who has seen family members come to faith in Christ this month!

June 22 : Change of Plans. The national family for whom you have been praying left in mid-May to move way up to the northern part of this country. Their plan has changed a bit, though. They will not be running a student dormitory but rather returning to their home village. Their desire is to share the Truth with their family and friends. But since they are believers now, there could be much persecution. Their faith is strong and solid. Please pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to guide them, teach them, and strengthen them. Plead to the Father that very soon there will be many house church groups started in this spiritually difficult area. httpHYPERLINK “http://www.prayforpak.com/”:HYPERLINK “http://www.prayforpak.com/”//www.prayforpak.com/

June 23 : Winds of Change among Punjabi. About 20 years ago, an established church in the provincial capital of the Punjab witnessed a mighty movement of the Spirit as 20 young men were discipled by their pastor and equipped as evangelists, pastors, teachers and missionaries. The heart of this church has since grown cold. However, that is changing. Fresh winds of the Spirit have begun blowing in the hearts of the members, especially the younger generation. A renewed emphasis on missions has taken hold. The pastors are finding their planned sermons being changed at the last moment to ones that are Spirit directed – powerful and passionate. A recent sermon defined God as a “Mission God” and His people as “mission driven” out of the “love and fear of God.” The purpose of the elect was given as “to know God and to make Him known.” Pray for this church, asking that its “reawakening” will explode beyond its walls and into the anemic, name-only, generational Christians in this country who have no sense of personal commitment to the claims, call and commands of the Lord God Almighty. The redemption of the peoples of the Punjab will be greatly influenced by such an awakening!

June 24 : One Choice Only. Recently an international Christian teen, along with one of his national friends, had the opportunity to lead another teenager in his village to the Lord. L had heard the Gospel before from C and from a local church, but being a Hindu, he felt like he could just add Jesus to his myriad of gods that he worshiped. Sitting near the local milk bar, C explained that following Christ wasn’t like choosing strawberry milk or chocolate milk. It was a decision for life, and it was a choice to put aside the other gods and follow only Jesus. After seeing the Gospel presented through the EvangeCube, L gave his life to the Lord! C began that week discipling L. The “tuk-tuk” (auto rickshaw) drivers who had seen C and his friends sharing have made threats to L, saying that if he continues studying the Bible, he will be beaten. Pray for L to live unashamedly for his Savior. Ask for him to study the Word faithfully, to grow in his understanding, and to be a light in his family and village. Pray that C will faithfully continue to pour into this “baby believer” and walk with him in this journey. Pray that because of their relationship, many people – including the “tuk-tuk” drivers – will come to Christ.

June 25 : Snatched From the Flames. A cross-cultural representative writes: “On my last trip to India, I discovered a city in crisis. Jharia is a city of 100,000 people in India’s Jharkhand state. Under the ground that Jharia sits on, fires are raging. Literally, coalmines are burning underneath the city. These burning mines give off heat that you can feel aboveground in certain areas. Noxious fumes drift from these mines into homes, and black soot covers large portions of Jharia. It was surreal. My eyes saw the filth, the smoke, and the horrible situation – but my mind could not fully grasp the reality of it.” There are few Christians in Jharia, and no churches or church-planting efforts. Area pastors say that Jharia has many strongholds and that it is very difficult to share the Gospel there. “To do church planting in Jharia, someone has to walk through the fire. At this point, Indian pastors are not willing to believe that the flames will not consume them. Jude 1:23a (NASB) says, ‘Save others, snatching them out of the fire.’ Approximately 100,000 people need to be snatched from fire. Pray that a church will be planted in Jharia in 2010.”

June 26 : Miles Apart. “Too much time has passed since we last sent you an update about S, a Bihari Muslim-background believer who married another Bihari Muslim-background believer in May 2007 to form what is thought to be the first marriage of Bihari Muslim-background believers in India. Once again, we are asking you to lift up this couple in prayer. S’s husband is going to go work in the United Arab Emirates, leaving S and their 2-year-old son in India. Many husbands make such a move to provide better incomes for their families. Still, the separation can be a great hardship on a family. The work contracts usually require two years abroad before the worker can return home. Please ask the Lord to provide other believers in the workplace who will encourage and edify S’s husband. Pray also for the Lord to protect S and her son as they remain in India.” BihariBride@pobox.com

June 13 : Faith Like Potatoes. “One time . . . what would it take for Bangladesh’s millions of Muslims to have the opportunity to hear the Gospel just one time? We need access, we need bold witnesses for Him, we need materials, but most of all, we need a move of God. There is a great movie entitled ‘Faith Like Potatoes.’ In the movie, the main character says, ‘The condition for a miracle is difficulty; however, the condition for a great miracle is not difficulty, but impossibility.’ It is impossible for us to get to each of Bangladesh’s millions with the Gospel. However, with God, nothing is impossible and, thus, we are praying for a great move of His Spirit to cover Bangladesh. Pray with us that the millions lost in their sins will have at least once chance to hear of the awesome God who died for their sins and came to rescue them from the clutches of death. Pray Isaiah 60:1-3 for Bangladesh: ‘Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.’ May Bangladesh rise out of the darkness and into His light. May the harvest be ripe and the workers be plentiful, for His glory.”

June 14 : Tharu Need Jesus. Followers of Animism, Tharu families will offer the blood of pigeons or chickens as a sacrifice to their gods. Many also use the blood of a male family member; in ritual ceremonies, superficial cuts are made to the forehead, arms, throat, legs or chest. Pray that the Holy Spirit will convict the Tharu of their need for a Savior so that they may fall on their knees, crying, ‘What must we do to be saved?’ (Acts 16:30, NASB). May God’s Word be the light for their paths to reveal to them that it is through faith in His Son that they are saved.

June 15 : Spirit At Work in the Slums. A group of new believers has started to gather together in a slum area outside of a major city. The pastor who began working with them lives in another state and is unable to meet with them consistently. Please pray for the quick development of leaders within the group. Also pray for many other groups to form as these believers share throughout their area. pr4punjabis@topicbox.com

June 16 : Fruit in Bangladesh. In recent years, a few Bihari Muslim men and women have come to faith in Jesus and confirmed their faith by following the Lord in baptism. Considering the hard ground of a 100-percent Muslim people group in the Indian subcontinent, this is a miracle. Each new believer has his or her own story, and each has paid a price for his newfound faith. For several reasons, it is difficult for them to meet together or even to keep in touch with those who have led them to Jesus. Many have very little knowledge about God’s Word. Please pray that their hearts will not grow cold. Ask that they will find opportunities to meet with other believers. Pray for faithfulness and creativity as Christian workers try to bring encouragement and teaching to the new believers wherever they are.

June 17 : Bangladesh or the Beach? Summer 2010: College students with a mission halfway around the world. Multitudes of people, millions of rickshaws and a Muslim majority make Dhaka, Bangladesh, a little off the tourist circuit. However, to those whose hearts are sold out to God, it is a field ripe for the harvest. Two groups of university students have answered the call and are coming to spend their summer investing in the lives of Dhaka’s university students. Though Bangladesh is known for poverty and Islam, its university students are seeking an opportunity to spread their wings and fly. They have one foot in their homeland and tradition and the other foot in the West, where they believe anything is possible. It is a moment in their lives where they are open to new things and willing to test the waters to find out what is real and true. They are the nation’s future, and now is the time to influence them for Him. Student volunteers will brave the crowds and stares to befriend these young people and show them the love of Christ. Please pray that God will do God-sized things through their obedience and willingness to follow Him to the ends of the earth. Pray that doors will be opened for future university ministry in the city. Pray that God’s Spirit will bring these university students to Himself and that a nation will be changed because of it. Summer 2010: An opportunity to influence a nation for Christ. Wow! Who needs the beach?

June 18 : Undivided Mind. “Teach me Your way, Lord, and I will live by Your truth. Give me an undivided mind to fear your name” (Psalm 86:11, HCSB). Pray for new believers in Bhutan as they learn more about God and His ways. Pray that they will understand His Word and apply it to their lives. Ask God to give them undivided minds so they will ever and only worship Him.

June 19 : Seeking in Canada. He hopes to be a medical doctor someday. His family emigrated from Pakistan when he was a boy, and now H is a pre-med student at a university. Brought up to follow a major world religion, he is wary of Christians who try to “convert” him. However, at the urging of R, a good friend of like faith, he dropped into a small-group Bible study and discussion on campus. The topic was “Who is Jesus? What did He say?” from the Gospel of John. The mixture of spiritual and intellectual ideas discussed in an informal atmosphere attracted H. Off and on for the past six months, he has visited the weekly study and discussion. He recently said, “I thought the main idea of the Christian message was to embrace a religion. Until I joined this study, I never knew that it was about following Jesus. I want to learn more about Jesus.” Please pray that both H and his friend R will be given the faith that comes from hearing the message about Christ (Romans 10:17). Pray that their eyes will be opened to see Jesus as the only way to the Father. (John 14:6)

June 6 : Lukewarm to Hot. “We praise God that we are discovering some Muslim-background believers in K, but many are secret believers who have grown lukewarm in their faith. Please ask God to rekindle the fire in their hearts for Him and to provide them with opportunities to meet with other believers for encouragement and accountability. Also pray that they will become bold witnesses to others. Again, God has answered our requests in a somewhat unexpected manner. Many of the trainings we asked you to pray for last month were canceled. We trust that God is using these cancelations to keep us focused on His priorities for our time. We are still planning to train 14 church planters the first weekend of June. Please continue to pray for this trip and the opportunity to teach these men how to share with Muslims. Ask God to soften their hearts towards their Muslims neighbors who many may have prejudices against.  F, the believer for whom you have been praying, is currently visiting her family for a couple of weeks. Please pray that this will provide many occasions for her to share her faith with her family. Pray for spiritual and physical protection during this trip. F is continuing to seek God about her future ministry focus. Please continue to pray for direction and the ability to hear God.”

June 7 : New Nurse Selection. Pray for the selection of the new class of nursing students this month. Pray that during the next five years of study and internship, each of these young women will learn professionally, mature personally, and develop a strong personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

June 8 : A Cup of Cold Water. “All they asked was they should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do” (Galatians 2:10). Please pray during the month of June for one community living in extreme poverty in the city, with little access to water and hardly any access to clean drinking water. As clean water is being shared with families, please claim Matthew 11:5: “The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.” Ask that this community will be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit and that God’s glory will be made known.

June 9 : Seeking Truth. “What did you mean by ‘sin’? Where do you learn what sin is, and how can we be freed from it?” the woman asked on the other end of the cell-phone line. There are several K women from an upper-class English-speaking background who are seeking truth and grappling with the message of forgiveness through Christ. One of these hosts a weekly Quran class in her home for approximately 30 people, separated into men and women, and taught by a progressive-thinking scholar. Please pray for these women and their teacher. Pray for a chance for them to interact with the Gospel, a sincere believer, and a New Testament scholar. Also ask that K Muslims who believe that the New Testament is textually unreliable will become convinced that not only is it reliable, but they have the freedom and the right to read it! Pray that an opportunity to offer New Testaments to this Quran class will open up this month

June 10 : 2010 South Asia Summit. “We are excited about the South Asia Summit coming in October this year. This can be a critical event in developing partners and partnerships. Thank the Lord for First Baptist Church-Concord in Knoxville, Tenn., who will be hosting this event. Ask the Father to give wisdom to all those who are involved in the various aspects of planning, as well as to those who will be leading sessions. Pray that the Father will work through this summit for His glory in South Asia.” (For more detailed information, visit the website and ask the Lord how He might want you to become more involved with South Asia and the 1.5 billion people who do not know Him.) httpHYPERLINK “http://www.fbconcord.org/southasia/”:HYPERLINK “http://www.fbconcord.org/southasia/”//www.fbconcord.org/southasia/

June 11 : South Asians in East Africa. Millions of South Asians are scattered around the world. They are “without the Messiah . . . foreigners to the covenants of the promise, with no hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12, HCSB). One of God’s promises is in Acts 2:17 (HSCB): “And it will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out My Spirit on all humanity. . . .” Pentecost was the beginning – but what about today? Please pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the South Asian community of East Africa! God’s servants are organizing prayer networks in Nairobi, dividing the city into seven areas, each led by a prayer chairperson. Please join these brothers and sisters in Christ as they cry out to God for many South Asians to be drawn to Jesus. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send more workers, and show them where He is working in the hearts of people. Pray that the Holy Spirit will open many doors for the Gospel, and that His message will spread rapidly and be honored by those who hear (2 Thessalonians 3:1, HCSB).

June 12 : English as a Tool. “English is a tool we can use to share the Gospel and start new churches among the occupants of Kolkata. This summer, as international workers come to conduct two English workshops, pray that God will open up hearts and homes in two unchurched areas of the city. Ask God to draw those to whom He is speaking to the workshops so they can hear the Gospel and receive Christ as Lord.”