July 18 : Medical Work Opens Doors. Dr. J, for whom you have been praying, continues to grow in her faith and is actively leading others to faith. The group that meets in her house is considering conducting some medical clinics in villages where there is no church or witness at present. Pray for wisdom in their planning, and ask that a volunteer medical team will come to work alongside them in the near future. Pray that this medical work will open many more doors in this rural area.

July 19 : Obedient Gurungs. There is a group of local Gurung believers who meet weekly to worship and make plans for their next trip into the villages to share the Gospel. Pray that they will continue to obey Christ in their passion to reach their own people for Jesus. Pray that those who accept Him will grow strong and share in their own villages, as well as those villages neighboring theirs.

July 20 : Family Follows Jesus. In May, you prayed for some new followers of Christ who were going back to their homes with a heart’s desire to tell their families about their new life in Christ. God heard this cry! Multiple people in one of these families made decisions to give Jesus full control over their lives. Please pray for this family as they learn what it means to live daily as a disciple of Jesus. Ask that they will have a strong foundation, and pray that many more members of their family, as well as neighbors around them, will make this same decision.

July 21 : Lost Souls in Sri Lanka. It was the Day of Prayer and Fasting for World Evangelization. Three children in an international Christian family sat around an outline map of their island. As they listened to Psalm 67, “May God be gracious to us and bless us; look on us with favor so that Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations. Let the peoples praise You, God; let all the peoples praise You” (Psalm 67:1-3, HCSB), they began to list the names of everyone they could think of whom they knew in SL who did not praise Jesus. From former neighbors to guesthouse workers, tuk-tuk (a passenger motorcycle) drivers, Montessori teachers and classmates, soccer-field buddies, restaurant waiters . . . the list grew and grew. At one point, one of the children said, “That sure is a lot of names!” But it wasn’t just names, the mother explained. It represented souls of people who, should Christ come that night, would live an eternity without Jesus. Just as the children lifted up these names before the throne, would you call out to God on their behalf as well? You cannot see the names, but our Creator God knows each one of these whom He has been pursuing. Pray that seeds that have been planted along the way will produce a harvest that causes this nation to know the salvation of their Redeemer. Continue to pray for international Christians to learn the language in a way that better equips them to speak to the hearts of the lost.

July 22 : Overcoming the Fear Factor. A cross-cultural representative in Gujarat reports: “I was in a town Sunday of approximately 80,000 people that, until recently, had no believers. I met in a small room with 80 people, with another 70 people on the outside. We sat on the floor and sang spiritual hymns in their heart language, and then a pastor and I taught. Not all attending were believers, but many were, and most of those were fairly new in the faith. One challenge we face is the fear factor. Pray that these people will have a strong faith in God that overcomes fear and leads them to tell others the Good News.”

July 23 : Play Produces Fruit. Last month you were asked to pray that those who saw a play about the crucifixion of Jesus would seek to know more about Him. Give thanks to the Lord that those involved in the production of the play report that a Bible study group has formed from those who saw the play and asked for a deeper understanding. Also, they are continuing to receive phone calls and email messages from seekers who are asking to meet and learn more about Jesus. Please continue to pray for fruit to come from this sharing.

July 24 : Openness in Village. “In April, a team of volunteers conducted water testing and water health programs in a North Indian Muslim village. This is a community that our health-training team has been working in for the past year. Because the health-training team is made up of women, they interact primarily with the women and children in the village. Male volunteers were able to have good discussions with many of the men in the village, including community leaders. Many of them seemed to be seekers of the Truth and were very open to stories of Jesus. We rejoice in the openness of this village! Please pray that our health-training team and community-development workers will continue to be bold and wise witnesses in this community. Pray that families in this community will be restless until they know the Truth. Pray against opposition that has already arisen. Ask the Holy Spirit to work in the hearts of these villagers, and pray that soon we will see a church of new believers planted in this village.”