PRAYER GUIDE
Local Focus
GIBC
Pray for our Senior Adults. Pray that they will continue to be a source of wisdom, encouragement, and strength to our church family. Pray for the many who are suffering from various physical difficulties, that God would bring strength and healing. Pray for those who have lost loved ones, that God would bring hope and comfort. Pray for those who are unable to regularly attend worship, that they would feel connected to God and His people even in their absence. Pray that they would see their value to the body of Christ and embrace the ways God uses them in this stage of life.
Community
Pray for those who serve our communities as police officers and first responders. Pray that those who do not know Jesus would come to saving faith. Pray that God would protect them as they often encounter dangerous situations. Pray that their communities would appreciate and support their efforts. Pray that any necessary adjustments to make their jobs safer and more efficient and effective would be accomplished through wise and discerning leadership. Pray for specific police officers and first responders you know.
USA
Pray for our United States House of Representatives, particularly Florida Representatives Dan Webster, Maxwell Frost, Corey Mills, and Darren Soto. Pray that those who do not know Jesus will hear the gospel and turn to Christ for salvation. Pray that those who are Christians will have a strong walk with God through the Word and prayer, will walk with integrity and holiness, will stand firm in biblical morality, and be bold in their witness of Jesus. Pray that the work they do will lead our country to flourish and grow.
North America:
San Francisco Bay Area
More than 7.6 million people call the San Francisco Bay Area home. This West Coast metropolitan region consists of nine counties that include the anchor cities of San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland. It’s location along the Pacific Ocean makes it a gateway to the Pacific Rim, ideal for international businesses that want to stay connected to Asia and South Asia, where almost half the world lives. Known as “The City,” San Francisco is the Bay Area’s cultural and financial center, with more than 30 international financial institutions. Often compared to Paris and New York, it is a world-class tourist destination featuring a bustling cultural scene comprised of fine arts, gourmet food and trend-defining style.
The largest city in the Bay Area is San Jose. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, it is home to many of the world’s largest and most innovative technology corporations. Small business start-ups also play a major role in the commerce here; in fact, they account for one-third of the United States’ venture capital investments. With such a concentration on commerce, it’s perhaps no surprise to find this region has the most millionaires and billionaires in the U.S. per capita.
In Oakland, the Bay Area’s third largest city, you’ll find the Port of Oakland, one of the busiest container ports in North America. With many first-generation immigrants and refugees, Oakland is one of the most ethnically diverse large cities in the country and contributes greatly to the Bay Area’s minority-majority population.
Statistics for the Bay Area are favorable in regard to income and education. It has the highest median income and the highest concentration of technology jobs in the country. Known for prestigious universities such as Stanford and U.C. Berkeley, the San Jose/Sunnyvale/Santa Clara metro has the second
highest percentage of college graduates in the United States. A place of both affluence and influence, the San Francisco Bay Area is poised to impact the future like no other place in the United States. The Church has a vision for this area as well: to see it vibrantly transformed by Christ and thus become a major global exporter of the Christian faith.
“We are praying that the influence the Bay Area wields will be used to make Jesus known throughout the Bay Area, North America and the entire world,” says San Francisco Send City missionary Rich Johnstone.
There are also great needs on the ground level here. The homeless population in downtown San Francisco tops the national average. The reports of garbage piles and drug abuse have recently drawn comparisons to some of the world’s most infamous slums. Perhaps now more than ever in the Bay Area, the Church has an opportunity to provide hope and inspire change.
Pray for Send City Missionary: James Westbrook
James has a long history of leadership in the Bay Area in both ministry and non-profits. He is passionate about seeing healthy Gospel-Centered churches planted in the Bay Area. James graduated from Gateway Baptist Theological Seminary with a Masters in Theology. Currently he is pursuing a doctoral degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. In 2018, James and his wife, Desiree’, returned to the Bay Area to plant Realm Church; a multi-ethnic church in Oakland comprised of 15 different nationalities. In addition to planting Realm, James has been involved in Send Network leadership for past few years thru initiatives like leading GenSend in SF Bay Area. James is originally from St. Louis and has been married to his high school sweetheart Desireé for 19 years. They share three beautiful children together.
Send an encouraging email to James at
Informatin gathered from North American Mission Board
Every Country:
Portugal
Population: 10,412,000
Unreached: 1%
Christian Population: 94.4%
Lush green forests drape Portugal’s rolling hills, supporting its thriving logging and cork industries. Bound by a single language, the Portuguese people have maintained a strong national identity. During the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal was a powerful country with colonies in Brazil and other parts of Asia and Africa. At that time, it was one of the richest nations in the world. Over the years, these colonies became independent or were given up, which reduced Portugal’s power and wealth. In 1910, the monarchy ended, and following a period of political instability, a dictatorship was established in 1926, which lasted for several decades. In 1974, a bloodless military coup ended the dictatorship and led to important democratic reforms.
Today, Portugal’s democracy faces challenges, as many people have lost trust in the government. Corruption has been reported at local and national levels. Several high-profile scandals and slow progress on reforms have caused people to question the country’s leaders. Allegations of favoritism and conflicts of interest have weakened public confidence. Concerns about police misconduct, including official human rights reports citing racially motivated excessive force, have also decreased public trust. Portugal also struggles with addiction. Portugal also continues to battle heavy rates of substance abuse. Severe drug addiction places massive strain on families and the public healthcare system.
Christianity in Portugal is often more of a cultural tradition than a personal faith. More than 80 percent of the population identifies as Catholic, but only a small number regularly attend church. The Portuguese youth are often led astray by New Age ideals, Mormonism, and Jehovah’s Witnesses. Even so, God is greater than corruption, addiction, and the problems of this world. Portugal needs spiritual renewal now more than ever. As more people read and understand the Bible, Christians believe that the Holy Spirit can work in their hearts and bring lasting change.
- Pray for joy-filled relationships with the Lord, replacing widespread spiritual apathy.
- Pray for church planting movements that draw Muslims and Hindus to Christ.
- Pray for righteous leaders who serve with Christ-like integrity and humility.
Information gathered at operationworld.org & prayercast.com
Unreached Peoples:
Viswakarma Unspecified in India
Population: 2,937,000
Worldwide:4,944,000
Christian Population: 0-.1-2%
Main Religion: HInduism
Vishwakarma of India are also known as Vishwa Brahmin. They are followers of Vishvakarman, the Hindu presiding deity of all craftsman and architects, from whom all Vishwakarma claim to have descended. Hence, today the term Vishwarkama denotes a community or group of castes of artisans from India. These castes are the goldsmiths, carpenters, blacksmiths, copper-smiths, and stone-masons.
Their claim of Brahminism is based on their claims of lineage from the Hindu God, Vishvakarman who is believed to be the lord of creation. Also, they claim that it was the Vishvakarmas who are the real architects of the Indus Valley.
The Viswakarma made chariots for ancient kings. The Vishwakarma played a vital role in the Indian village economy where their communities are widely spread across the country. They considered themselves missionaries of civilization, culture and religion as they spread Hinduism through their arts and crafts. The Viswakarma have contributed greatly to Indian civilization and culture as city and temple builders, engineers, architects, and artists. In ancient India, Vishwa Brahmin were highly regarded. However, they are not as highly esteemed by the Brahmins, the priestly castes. The origin of this belief is largely unknown, but one reason was the refusal of Brahmins to recognize the status of the Vishwakarma to be at par with their own status. The Vishwakarma have also rejected the leadership and supremacy of the Brahmins and have set themselves up as Hindu spiritual guides and religious teachers.
The Viswakarma communal identity has always been strongly tied to their profession. With industrialization and more recently, globalization, the traditional artisan trade has been greatly affected. The economic and technological forces are bringing their traditional professions to extinction. This has contributed to a sort of identity crises, being unable to identify with the upper castes or the lower castes. They also have a rather unpopular history (until the 1980s) of identifying with the communists. Their socio-economic status varies from a very high level to the low level in different parts of India. The Viswakarma tend to earn high wages in cities because of their factory employment and lower wages in rural villages.
The Viswakarma claim of “Brahminism” is based on their lineage from the Hindu creator God, Vishvakarman. They worship and serve the gods of the Hindu pantheon. Hindus believe that by performing rituals and good works that they will attain “moksha” or freedom from the endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth. The Viswakarma visit Hindu temples and offer prayers, food, flowers, and incense to their gods in hopes of gaining protection and benefits. They do not have a personal or familial relationship with their gods as Christians do. There are many forms of Hinduism, each with its own deities and beliefs.
The main yearly holidays of the Viswakarma people are Holi, the festival of colors and the start of spring, Diwali, the festival of lights, Navratri, the celebration of autumn and Rama Navami, Rama’s birthday.
The caste system divides Hindus into four main categories. The lowest communities are outside of the caste system.
The Viswakarma people need to put all their trust in Jesus Christ. He alone can provide them with the forgiveness of their sins and the hope of eternal life.
- Pray for a spiritual hunger that will give the Vishwakarma a willingness to investigate the message of Jesus Christ.
- Pray for a disciple making movement that will bless the Vishwakarma this decade.
- Pray for the Lord to send out Indian believers to the Vishwakarma to tell them about Jesus.
Information gathered at joshuaproject.net