7 Days of Prayer for the Unreached: September 24, 2023

By Justin Long

Join us in beseeching (δέομαι) the Lord of the Harvest this week for…

1. for the safe release of the 18 aid workers with the International Assistance Mission, who were detained in Afghanistan. Most of them are reportedly Afghanis, and therefore could face far harsher consequences.

2. for the future of Libya. It’s possible (even likely) over 20,000 were lost in the recent, terrible flooding in Derna. Reconstruction will be difficult, especially in the context of political division and violence Libya continues to find itself in. However, there are also indications compassionate work, aid, and relief is traveling across the various political lines—although active work in and around Derna is very difficult, due to the security situation. Pray for the families who have lost loved ones, for the workers who are trying to be a blessing, and for Libya to finally be at peace.

3. for the future of Somalia. The fighting has continued and intensified. Many teams have had to withdraw and concentrate their effort on refugees outside the country. Absent an unlooked for change in the conflict, the only two routes to the war’s end are a cruel, grinding conflict (a prolonged stalemate), or international intervention (which is unlikely). Sudan now has the highest number of internally displaced people (5.25 million) of any country in the world. Pray for the workers laboring among the refugees.

4. for innovative access to and ministry in Saudi Arabia. Changes in the kingdom are leading to significant new openness to the world. Tourist visas, pilgrimages, and new business openings are bringing more outsiders in. Pray these openings will be widely but wisely embraced by Kingdom workers.

5. for the people of Iran, and the future of the nation. The government has passing new laws, especially with respect to women; many in Iran are miserable and seeking to move abroad. The church is growing rapidly amongst Persians, both inside the country and outside. Pray for workers who risk their lives to bring the Gospel inside the country, and for workers who labor among the Persian diaspora.

5a. for possibly new door-openings in China. A new article says Beijing is easing the visa application process, desiring to attract foreign visitors. Pray that this will lead to more possibilities for the Kingdom to enter the country.

6. Praise God for the growth of the Kingdom amongst the Lisu people. A new article in Christianity Today detailed “how the Grand Canyon of China became a Christian land.” Some of these believers are having a direct impact on the unreached, in places that Westerners could not reach on a sustained basis. Pray for more workers for the harvest from peoples like the Lisu.

7. for the growth of the Kingdom in South Korea. The nation is aging—see this article about Korea’s Senior Subway Riders (“some retired people spend their days riding the trains to the end of the line”). And, a third of Korea’s households are made up of single people (Korea Herald: many men in their 30s, many women in their 70s). These two articles, alone, point to an incredible isolation. Pray for wisdom for Kingdom workers to be able to bring the good news of the Gospel into so many different, disaparate, disconnected lives, and for gatherings into communities of ekklesia to become possible.

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This is a weekly guide to beseeching (δέομαι/deomai, Matthew 9) the Lord of the Harvest for the unreached peoples and places of the world. Written by Justin Long, it’s based on the events listed in his Weekly Roundup, as well as on information received from disciple-making movements and other sources around the world. If you’re interested in his Weekly Roundup (out each Friday), you can see a sample and sign up for it here.