PRAYER GUIDE
Local Focus
GIBC
Pray for our Men’s and Women’s ministry. Pray for those that lead, that God would give them wisdom, perseverance, and encouragement. Pray that their efforts in bible studies, discipleship groups, and special events, would draw our church family closer together, grow us deeper in the knowledge and commitment to our Lord, and be a place where the lost can experience the fellowship of the church and hear the gospel. Pray particularly for (Chris Moering, Frank Carr, & Dee Dee Kirby) as they lead these ministries.
Community
Pray for our sister church, FBC Mount Dora. Pray for pastor Thomas Jameison and the staff. Pray for the members, especially those volunteering in key roles. Pray that they would have a great impact on reaching the community for Christ. Pray that God would grow their fervor for telling others about Jesus, reading the Word, and prayer.
USA
Pray for those who are continually affected by violence in our country. Pray that God would bring peace, comfort, and hope to those who have lost loved ones. Pray that God would help our country to be a place where justice is pursued and rightly applied. Pray that God would affect the hearts of those seeking to cause violence. Pray that ungodly worldviews that encourage violence and destruction would be confronted and thwarted. Pray that communities will come together in unity to stand against violence and apply practical and wise strategies to keep their communities safe.
North America:
Philadelphia
For Americans, Philadelphia is of the utmost significance. Here in 1776, the Second Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence, stating that the 13 American colonies would no longer be under British rule but rather be independent states in a new union. Just 11 years later, the Constitution was written and signed to determine the laws that would govern the new country. Philadelphia was declared the first capital of the United States, and it served that purpose for nearly a decade, setting the precedent for government, religion and culture in the country.
Today that heritage is still a part of the city’s identity. The people who call Philadelphia home take great pride in the past accomplishments and future potential of their city to influence the rest of the nation. And they are correct.
Philly is the second largest city on the East Coast and the fifth largest in the country. Nearly 46 million people live within a 200-mile radius of this city that sits almost directly in the center of the Northeast region. The potential for influence is strong in Philadelphia, which is why the city needs church planters to put down roots and set to work loving the people and the city back to Christ.
Today there are only 204 Southern Baptist churches in the city, and they are trying to reach nearly 6,347,342 people in the Philadelphia metro area. This leaves one Southern Baptist church for every 31,114 persons, a ratio that must decrease to reach a population where only 6.2 percent identify as evangelical.
Those already at work in the city see great hope on the horizon for the start of new churches to influence the future of the city and its people. They hope more church planters and partners will soon join the efforts.
“There is such an opportunity for harvest that exists in Philadelphia,” Whitworth explains. “Church planters here have the opportunity to get to know the religious roots and culture of the city while at the same time working to move the people away from typical religion and into real relationships with Jesus Christ.”
Pray for Send City Missionary: Kyle Canty
Kyle Canty was born and raised in North Philadelphia and now resides in the West Oak Lane section of the city. He and his wife, Pam, have three children. Kyle received a B.S and M.S. from Cairn University (formerly Philadelphia Biblical University). He also has an M.Div. in urban missional leadership and a D.Min. with a focus on urban missiology from Biblical Seminary. He has over 27 years of ministry experience, most recently as assistant pastor at Great Commission Church where he served for over 13 years. Kyle has a love for incarnational urban ministry among marginalized communities.
Send an encouraging word to Kyle at:
Information gathered from North American Mission Board
Every Country:
Papua New Guinea
Population: 10,763,000
Unreached: 1%
Christian Population: 95.8%
11 million people speak more than 830 unique languages in Papua New Guinea. It is the world’s second-largest island nation and one of the most culturally diverse countries. Towering mountains and expansive swamplands keep much of the population isolated — only 15 percent of the country’s people live in urban areas. These geographic barriers have divided the nation into hundreds of tribes. The people of this diverse nation are fiercely committed to their own, working together as communities to provide food and shelter for one another. Even while their loyalty lies with their own people, they will gladly welcome foreigners into their villages and share their culture with those willing to listen.
The nation’s greatest challenge is reflected in its motto, “Unity in Diversity.” The motto carries a painful irony, as the nation has a history of tribal fighting and revenge killings. Today, “witch hunts” are increasing as those accused of black magic face torture and death at the hands of their neighbors. Anyone — but especially women — can be blamed for a sudden illness, death, or food shortage. The nation’s rugged terrain has also slowed the development of infrastructure. Little access to medicine means people die from diseases like tuberculosis that have simple cures. The nation’s struggles are not limited to rural areas. In the cities, people deal with the constant threat of crime. The nation’s youth are especially at risk as they deal with increasing gang influence in addition to limited education and low employment. Human trafficking is widespread, and little action has been taken to resolve it.
Statistics show that 95 percent of people claim Christianity, but few truly understand the Gospel. The name of Jesus is mixed with traditional spirit worship, and few people have a true understanding of the Gospel. God’s Word is still unavailable in the languages of numerous tribes. Besides Bible translation, audio Bibles are also a key need for the 40 percent of the population that is non-literate. By His grace, God has been working through His Church to fulfill these spiritual needs. Numerous organizations are translating the Bible into different languages. Missionaries are serving throughout the islands, providing physical assistance, planting churches, and raising up faithful disciples within Papua New Guinea.
- Pray for strong discipleship rooted in Scripture, protecting people from false teachings.
- Pray for true reconciliation in areas affected by tribal and occultic violence.
- Pray for complete Bible translations and Gospel audio resources across all 800+ languages.
Information gathered at operationworld.org & prayercast.com
Unreached Peoples:
Sunda in Indonesia
Population: 37,596,000
Worldwide:37,596,000
Christian Population: 0-0.2%
Main Religion: Islam
The Sunda are the largest unreached people group in Indonesia; their homeland is in the province of West Java. The area inhabited by the Sunda is called “Sunda Land”. The Sunda live near the Javanese, Banten, Betawi and the coastal Javanese of Kulon. The Sunda are also called Priangan or Parahyangan.
For many generations, the Sunda have lived in West Java. Traditionally, the Sunda have been farmers, both for their own needs and for commerce. Due to the fertility of the land, West Java is a great area for farming and plantations. This area has long been known as the “rice basket” of Indonesia. In addition to growing rice, there are also tea plantations, particularly in the mountainous areas. Secondary crops and fruits also grow well and abundantly. The Sunda are famous for their friendliness. They are similar to the Javanese, particularly in the way they dress and the way they farm. The Sunda people place more emphasis on family and openness, whereas the Javanese tend to be more formal and hierarchical. Another difference from the Javanese is that Sundanese have a stronger devotion to Islam. Sundanese people believe that having a Sundanese character (kasundaan) is the best path of life. This character can be summed up as cageur (healthy), bageur (good), beneur (right), singeur (introspective) and pinteur (intelligent). This type of character has been pursued by people of western Java since the days of the Kingdom Salakanagara (130-362 AD). Although they live on the island of Java, the Sunda do not consider where they live to be “Java”, but “tatar Sunda” (the land of Sunda), with its own culture. Someone who moves from West Java to Central Java or East Java is said to have moved “to Java.” Industrial development and large housing projects have begun to change the Sunda way of life. Many Sunda no longer work as farmers. Many hold influential positions in the government, while others have become competent business people. In Sunda society, there are three authorities with strong influence: (1)the Muslim religious leaders such as teachers, preachers, or worship leaders; (2) the local government officials such as the regent and the regent’s staff; (3) the shamans with supernatural abilities and the martial arts teachers.
Almost all Sunda are Muslims. In many areas, Islam is mixed with Sunda traditional customs. The Sunda seek to protect their harmony with the natural world. They do this through traditional ceremonies for spiritual life and through group work for mutual assistance. In the legend of Lutung Kasarung, there is a belief that God incarnated himself in the world to protect humankind. This incarnation is called the dewata (gods and goddesses).
Statistical data on the inhabitants of West Java shows a high poverty rate. Because of this, the Sunda need help and guidance to raise their standard of living. This can be done by better development of human resources through education and training. There is also a need for agricultural investment and modernization. Another area needing improvement is the development of small to medium-sized businesses.
Information gathered at joshuaproject.net