PRAYER GUIDE
Local Focus
GIBC
Pray for our Gather/Connect teams that minister to our church (Baptism Helpers, Buildings/Grounds, Counting, Decorations, Flowers, Music, Security/Medical, Welcome, Fellowship Meals, Member Care, Recreation, Library). Pray that God will use them to strengthen the body of Christ. Pray that God will draw many to serve in our ministry teams. Pray that God will guide those who lead ministry teams to most effectively serve Him and His church with wisdom and love. Pray that God will bear fruit in the lives of all who serve and that they will remain faith to read the Bible, pray, and share the gospel. Pray that as we celebrate all who serve the Lord through our church, we will be encouraged and stirred to greater and faithful service.
Community
Pray for our ministry partner, Lake Cares Food Pantry. Pray that they would continue to share the love of Jesus through meeting physical needs. Pray that they would receive all the funds and resources necessary to meet the needs they serve. Pray that the staff and volunteers would have opportunities for gospel witness.
USA
Pray for our Southern Baptist Convention of churches. Pray that God would keep us focused on our mission. Pray that we would continue to press toward unity and cooperation. Pray that our combined efforts would result in the lost being saved, discipled, and sent out to reach the world for Christ. Pray for our six seminaries (Southern in KY, Southeastern in NC, Midwestern in MO, Gateway in CA, New Orleans in LA, Southwestern in TX), that God would continue to use them to offer affordable and high quality theological and ministry training. Pray for the North American Mission Board and the International Mission Board, that God would continue to use them to effectively spread the gospel and start new churches.
North America:
Atlanta
Home to the world’s busiest airport, a budding film and television industry, a sporting mecca and an outpost for most Fortune 500 companies, the city of Atlanta has become a major player on both local and global levels. Thousands of students attend universities within the city, and a growing international community contributes to the more than 100 languages spoken in the area. From the outside, the Atlanta metro area seems a bustling urban powerhouse, but a closer look reveals more of a contradiction.
The Atlanta metro area is collected into pockets of unique communities, each one with its own distinct characteristics and needs. Life here is a juxtaposition of megachurches, shopping centers, high rises and wealth set alongside gang violence, drugs, human trafficking and poverty. The challenge to reach such a diversified population for Christ is great.
For change to take place, it must begin on the neighborhood level. This will require church planters, pastors and partners to prayerfully find locations in dire need and creatively and diligently work toward connecting in the community. In addition to racism, poverty and crime, the negativity associated with Christianity is an obstacle that needs to be overcome, especially when the shadows of existing church buildings fall on bridges, beneath which the homeless take shelter. But there’s a unique opportunity for churches and believers to work together for a greater impact and a movement toward change.
Prayer Focus: North American Mission Board
Pray for those that help lead, coordinate, and equip church plants through NAMB. Pray that God will grant them wisdom and success as they strategize how best to reach Atlanta and work to equip & encourage church planters. Pray that God will give them all they need in this endeavor. Pray that God will keep their walk strong & that they would known by the Word, prayer, & evangelism. Pray that God will bless their family with all they need to thrive.
Information gathered from North American Mission Board
Every Country:
Peru
Population: 34,577,000
Unreached: 1%
Christian Population: 95.5%
Peru is one of the world’s most biodiverse nations, with almost 2,000 bird species, over 500 mammals, and around 25,000 plant species. Heavily influenced by both the Incan Empire and Spanish colonization, Peru’s people and culture are as vibrant and diverse as their colorful folk art, which blends these two histories. It is the third-largest South American country, encompassing the Andes Mountains and dry coastal plains to the west and the Amazon jungle to the east. The country is rich in natural resources such as copper, and its Amazon rainforest provides timber. The nation is free from decades of military rule and authoritarian governments, but continues to endure political instability.
Peru needs a stable government with just policies to rescue its people from poverty and exploitation. Unequal wealth distribution and limited economic opportunities trap many families in poverty. Children from impoverished families are vulnerable to labor exploitation and abuse. Human trafficking networks operate through routes connecting Peru with neighboring countries. Some youth are involved in gang violence, which contributes to other forms of violence such as rapes and homicides. Peru also ranks among the world’s largest producers of coca and cocaine, with some struggling farmers turning to coca cultivation as a source of income when legal crops aren’t providing enough money.
Peru has a strong history of Catholicism, but many Catholics, as well as mountain Quechua and Aymara people, are bound by a combination of Christianity and Andean paganism. Mountains are seen as both natural places and spiritually powerful beings. Alongside Catholic prayers are offerings and ceremonies for sacred mountain spirits, though the small evangelical presence has sparked transformation among Quechua and Amerindian peoples through missions work and Bible translations. Broadcasts from Christian radio stations preach the Word. Still, the nation is in need of pastors and teachers to disciple the next generation of believers. Several Peruvian tribal groups are awaiting Bible translations. May God rain down manna to feed Peru both physically and spiritually.
- Pray for righteous leaders who establish political stability and end decades of corruption.
- Pray for believers to bring hope and Christ-like justice to the poor and wounded.
- Pray for Spirit-filled churches that break free from cultural Christianity and pagan traditions
Information gathered at operationworld.org & prayercast.com
Unreached Peoples:
Deaf in Peru
Population: 99,000
Worldwide:27,763,000
Christian Population: 0-0.2%
Main Religion: Unknown
Unlike ethnic groups, Deaf people can be found in every country in the world and often blend in with the broader community around them. Deaf people are usually viewed as a disabled group, but a more accurate approach is to consider them as a distinct people group. They have their own unique languages and culture.
The Peruvian Deaf people can be found living in the poorer sections of the largest cities in Peru. Most live in Lima, the capital, where the majority of resources (though very limited) for the Deaf can be found. There are only two secondary schools in the whole country where the Deaf can learn through sign language, but after that, they are on their own. However, most Deaf Peruvians do not even finish school because they cannot afford to or they live too far away from established schools for the deaf. They need more interpreters who can assist them in hospitals, courts, churches, and schools.
When asked, the Deaf people in Peru said they adhered to the same religion as their parents, although they may not fully understand what that religion entails because they never had it explained to them through a language they clearly understood. The Deaf people who did understand their religious beliefs and practices were those who had been reached by the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Evangelicals, who teach using a form of Peruvian Sign Language. Deaf Peruvians need people who can tell them about God and his great love for them through Peruvian Sign Language.
Most Peruvian Deaf people are unemployed or receive lower than minimum wage. Their life is a daily struggle of trying to understand and be understood. They are often looked down upon by the hearing society. Sometimes, there is even discrimination within their Deaf community based on the variation of signing that is used. Despite this, there is still a great deal of camaraderie among the deaf, often more so than with their biological families. The Deaf people look out for each other and consider each other as family, even if they’ve never met. They are known to travel long distances for Deaf gatherings.
- Pray for the Lord to prepare and send out Deaf workers to the Deaf in Peru.
- Ask God to provide worship services in sign language in Peru.
- Pray for interpreters who love and relate to the Deaf.
- Pray for the Deaf in Peru to hunger for spiritual truth and find it in Jesus.
Information gathered at joshuaproject.net