Prayer Updates
Get the latest news from the front lines
Every Saturday we send out five prayer requests to equip you for the coming week.
Prayer Team Update — December 1-5
Pray for Margaret as God Opens the Next Door in West Africa
Monday, December 1
Canadian Margaret Meed serves in West Africa. Praise God that she recently tested at “capable high” in her national culture and language acquisition (CLA). Missionaries must reach “capable high” in the CLA program before moving on to the next stage of ministry. She will “continue to do language classes a bit longer, but less intensively” as she prepares for long-term ministry placement. “I’m waiting for my leadership to give me their suggestions and recommendations, but I’m also thinking and praying: where does God want me?” Pray that God will begin to make it clear to her where she should serve.
Givingtuesday: Help Take the Gospel to Billions Who Are Waiting
Tuesday, December 2
“All our brothers and sisters and cousins and uncles and aunts who don’t believe, they are still under God’s wrath and are enemies of God. Who will help them? Jesus has given us the work of taking this Good News to these people.” — Jon, an elder of the Iski church in Papua New Guinea
Today, December 2, is GivingTuesday. This global day of giving — which started in 2012 — is recognized the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and Black Friday and is meant to encourage people to give generously to good causes as we kick off this Christmas season. What better cause is there than to share the gospel with the billions of people who are still under God’s wrath, enemies of God and unaware of the Good News that they have a Saviour who gave His life for them? How will you give today to make sure they get to hear?
- Dedicate time in prayer for unreached people groups: joshuaproject.net/pray/unreachedoftheday
- Help fund a project: ethnos.ca/projects/ Need help choosing a project? Consider helping fund the Arctic Canada Ministry Opportunity Assessment, the next step in Ethnos positioning ministry teams into remote Inuit communities: ethnos.ca/projects/arctic-canada-ministry-opportunity-assessment/
- Offer your skills by serving in missions: https://ethnos.ca/go
Young Emberá Believers Lead Thriving Children’s Ministry
Wednesday, December 3
Doug Schermerhorn, serving itinerantly, ministers to the Emberá people of Panama. Praise the Lord that “the Emberá Church is continuing to mature. There have been several professions of faith in the last couple of months. Also, many young people are now meeting together for teaching one or two nights a week. On Saturday, the youth group is leading a Saturday morning children’s Sunday school with as many as 50 children attending. Both the youth group and the children’s Sunday school group are eagerly attended. On Saturday mornings, many children are gathered outside the door waiting for their teachers to come and begin class. The young people are reaching other young people, many of whom I do not really know. Pray for all of them because we know that the evil one will try to discourage them or cause divisions.”
Seven Taliabo Believers Baptized in Joyous Celebration
Thursday, December 4
Payton and Grace Downing minister among the Taliabo people of Asia Pacific. The church has struggled with understanding the purpose and meaning of baptism, and “a lot of different denominations have attributed strange significance to it, thereby muddying the waters around what it means.” So, the Downings were pleasantly surprised when, after learning about baptism in a lesson on Acts, two believing women immediately declared that they understand baptism now and want to be baptized. A few days later, the church had an impromptu baptism, and seven believers, including the Downings’ son, were baptized. “It was such a joyous time to hear their testimonies. Pray for Finn, Eldrian, Yepina, Wisti, Rina (Yuni Nina), Melani and Diana as they continue to walk in obedience to Christ.”
A New Church Planting Team in Papua New Guinea
Friday, December 5
Ray and Jessica Willett serve in Papua New Guinea. Their family was recently given approval to team up with another family, Mike and Lauren Shaiebly and children, to begin church planting work among the “V” people of Papua New Guinea. Praise God for bringing this new team together. Pray that if it is His will, God would bring a third family to join the team. “Please pray for the details of some surveys to ‘V’ to come together quickly and in His perfect timing, … [and pray] for the surveys to make it clear if the people are still desiring missionaries to come serve there on their island.”
The Shaiebly family did their missionary training with Ethnos Canada. Learn more at ethnostraining.ca