Sunday, 10 September 2023

By Justin Long

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

1. We pray for the over 20 million who participated in the Islamic Arbae’en pilgrimage this past week. While this pilgrimage is not in honor of the Lord, nevertheless many who make it do so with a sense of spiritual hunger in their hearts. In the same way that many pray for Muslims during Ramadan, pray that the Lord will bring many of these pilgrims to Himself. Pray especially for dreams and visions of Jesus, and that many will come into contact with earnest believers who can help disciple them.

2. We once again pray for the many who are caught in the conflicts that span Africa, and especially for those in the violence of Sudan. We pray for laborers who can be a blessing among them, providing water, food, shelter, clothing, aid, and counsel to the traumatized. We think especially of the children so heavily impacted by the warfare, who have lost loved ones, and pray that God would bring peace and justice to this region. We pray for peace and justice to reign.

3. We are thankful the coups in Gabon and Niger so far have not erupted in violence. We pray these situations will be resolved peacefully, and for continued space for believers to make disciples among the unreached. We pray for the Kingdom to expand into the lives of radicals, fundamentalists, and the spiritually famished.

4. While reading articles about Turkey and South Korea intentionally courting Chinese tourists, we pray for workers who position themselves to bless tourists and spread the Kingdom into people groups through ministries to tour groups, students, and other migrants. We pray for the Spirit to lead workers into more unconventional and yet effective access ministries.

5. We pray for the Pashto in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Millions in Afghanistan face hunger. Millions more have fled into the surrounding countries and are trying to find better lives. Thousands and perhaps hundreds of thousands have come to follow Jesus. We pray more would seek the Lord, and would come in contact with faithful believers.

6. We pray for the church in China, which is coming under renewed persecution. We pray for the many believers and pastors who must try and discern the line to walk between the government’s regulations and being faithful to Jesus—where can they, like others under foreign rule (Daniel, and Jesus himself), obey the government, and where must they make a stand? (1 Peter 2:17)

7. We pray for the safety and health of Great Commission laborers around the world, who are traveling and ministering in the context of a Covid resurgence. Many work in places with degraded and less capable health facilities. While this surge does not seem unduly contagious or deadly, it can still disrupt ministry activities, conferences, and travel.

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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.