"And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” (Rev 5:9-10)
On this Lord's Day, Christians all over the world regardless of where they are, what language they speak, what kinds of socio-economic backgrounds they come from, gather to sing praises to the one who is worthy of all praise! Isn't it wonderful that we have brothers and sisters in Christ who come from all over the world? Praise God that in His wisdom and sovereignty, the gospel came to our shores through faithful men and women of the faith! Pray that we will also be faithful and have a heart for the nations, even as we watch the various matches.
Pray for England
According to this Telegraph article from 2017, "more than half of the population has no faith and the share of the population who say they are Church of England Christians has fallen to just 15 per cent - the lowest ever recorded". In the 18 to 24 age group, only 3% say that they belonged to the Church of England. However, proportions in other denominations have stayed relatively stable.
Pray for the Church of England as they reach out to the young people of England. Pray that Christians will hold fast to Rom 1:16, to not be ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.
Praise God for the many Christians in Singapore who have a chance to study in universities across England. Pray that they will be bold in their witness and be able to find opportunities to share their faith with their classmates!
Pray for Panama
Fidel Escobar of Panama and Romelu Lukaku of Belgium were photographed praying on the pitch after the Belgium-Panama match. Escobar is reported to be an evangelical Christian. Praise God for a brother in the faith! Pray for Christian footballers playing in Russia now, that they will continue to live in a manner worthy of the gospel in and off the pitch.
Pray for Japan
As the nation of Japan faces the problems of an aging population, many of their young people struggle with finding hope for their future. Pray for the churches and pastors there, as they try to reach out to the Japanese and share with them a greater hope beyond the comforts that this world can offer.
Pray for the efforts by the Acts 29 church planting network, which has currently established 3 churches -- Soma Fuchu, Grace Harbor Church, and The Bridge Fellowship. Although this network is based in the US, they're intentional about training and raising native pastors to lead the churches. Pray for God to send missionaries and pastors to partner alongside these churches!
Pray for Senegal
Pray for the Wolof people in Senegal, who are classified as an unreached people group. Numbering about 6 million out of a country with a population of 16 million, the percentage of Christians in this people group only amounts to 0.01%! Pray for the translation of the Old Testament in their language. Pray for our Christian brothers and sisters among these people, that they will be strong in their faith amidst persecution.
Pray also for the Senegalese that travel overseas, that they may be able to meet Christians and hear the gospel preached! In this article by IMB missionaries, they've also shared how some of those that sell souvenirs at the base of the Eiffel Tower are from West Africa and could possibly be from unreached people groups! Pray that as Singaporeans have the privilege of travelling so much, we will also think of bringing the gospel to anyone we meet!
(P.S. I commend this article to everyone!)
Pray for Poland
Pray for the Polish to have a better understanding of the beliefs of Christianity and to know the God of the Bible. Poland has exposure to Roman Catholicism, but the percentage of evangelicals only number 0.25%. Krakow has a population of about a million people, but only 4 Baptist churches exist. Pray for missionaries and church planters in Poland that they will not lose heart, and continue to serve, preach, teach and love the people faithfully.
Pray for Colombia
Praise God for the Colombian church and their faithfulness. Pray for the young people in Colombia as they also discover the truth in God's Word and learn what it means to own their faith and trust God in their own ways.
Pray for the Wiwa, Malayo people group, who are only reported in Colombia. This is a tribe that numbers only 7000 people, and live in the valleys of the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Colombia. According to information from the Joshua Project, this people group struggle with poverty and malnutrition is a problem among their children. These people lack a writing system for their language, and this certainly affects Bible translation work. No missionary is working in their land at the moment. Pray that God's Word will also be able to reach them, people that were meant to be made in the image of God (c.f. Gen 1:26-27).