United Arab Emirates:
Oil
wealth transformed much of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from a poor,
rural region to a haven and playground for the world’s ultra-rich. Now
it branches out to business and finance, as well as tourism. While those
at the top live with incredible wealth, millions of migrant labourers
often work in terrible conditions for low pay. Injustice, human rights
violations, and human trafficking are significant challenges. Pray for
God's compassion for the poor and downtrodden to be powerfully conveyed
to all migrant labourers who endure oppressive conditions in the UAE.
Increased
numbers of people coming to Christ from other backgrounds; This is
shifting from a trickle to a flow as more and more Arabs, South Asians,
East Asians and others meet Jesus in a personal way. Some ministers are
overwhelmed by responses to the gospel - praise God for such a
challenge! Expatriate Christians have opportunities for discreet sharing
as the nation becomes more open and international. However, arrests,
imprisonment and deportation still occur for those who evangelize or
distribute Christian literature unwisely.
(Do click onto this link – https://operationworld.org/prayer-calendar/12-03/#united-arab-emirates to read for further news by Operation World Prayer News, 3rd Dec 2022)
Thailand:
Thailand
was traditionally a stable country in a troubled region. From time to
time, power struggles emerge between political parties. Occasionally
these bring the nation to a halt, until the military steps in.
Traditionally, the royal family enjoyed highly revered status - a status
quickly eroding under the current monarch. Violent activity among
Muslims in the south at times brings further upheaval. Widespread
corruption in business, politics, the military, and the police allows
dishonest people to make themselves rich by oppressing others. Thailand
means “Land of the Free”, because it remained free when Western powers
colonized the countries around it. Yet the land remains captive to
Buddhism, traditional culture, spirit worship, and even occult
practices.
(Do click onto this link – https://operationworld.org/prayer-calendar/11-18/ to read for further news by Operation World Prayer News, 18th NOV 2022)
Deeper Discipleship Transforms Lives in Indonesia:
Since
putting his faith in Christ, Dimas Sinurat* has left his drug habit and
the theft that supported it, but his wife and children have yet to
return to him. His family still does not trust Sinurat, who is in his
late 40s. He used to steal and also attacked people for their money. His
wife and children left him because they couldn’t stand his way of life,
the leader of a native ministry said. “He had stopped mugging when he
was in his mid-30s because it involved a high risk of being killed in
action,” the ministry leader said. “However, he continued to steal and
abuse drugs until late last year, when he met our church planter.”
By the time Sinurat accepted Christ, workers at the native ministry
had discovered conventional ways of discipling new Christians were
impractical and largely ineffective; villagers were usually working such
long hours in order to survive that they rarely had time or energy to
meet for Bible study and prayer.
“The average believer works
long and irregular hours to provide for his family, and it makes it
difficult for our workers to schedule meetings for discipleship.” And,
“The average believer works long and irregular hours to provide for his
family, and it makes it difficult for our workers to schedule meetings
for discipleship,” the leader said. On the occasions when it was
possible to schedule times for discipleship, too often the villagers,
many without phones, didn’t show up. Workers concluded that they needed
to find ways to get to know them better and create space for new
Christians to ask questions.
We pray for local missionaries to
be proactive involving themselves in new disciples’ daily lives and for
them to create space for new Christians to ask questions.
We praise God for the former Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu who headed Likud party and leading a coalition of political parties – Religious Zionists, Shas, and United Torah Judaism, has secured a super majority of 64 of the 120 seats in the Knesset on 1st November giving him the strong mandate to form a strong right-wing coalition government and make a comeback as the nation’s Prime Minister. We pray for Netanyahu to lead coalition talks wisely and for God to bless his firm hand as he shapes the most right–wing government in Israel’s history. We pray for the unity in Israel as she continues to serve the interests and welfare of all groups including minorities groups.
(For more info, do click the link https://www.jpost.com/israel-elections/live-updates-721259 by Live Updates |3rd Nov 2022 – inside the jpost on Israel–Elections)
Spain:
Spain has experienced a profound transformation since 1978. It abandoned a dictatorship for democratic rule, moved from poverty towards wealth, integrated into Europe, and increased religious freedom. But economic progress and increasing secularization seems to have deeply eroded moral foundations, and has accelerated a rapid decline of spirituality. Spain's younger generations are among the most spiritually disengaged in Europe. Materialism and hedonism have brought about widespread prostitution, alchohol over consumption, and illicit drug use. Gambling addictions are a serious challenge to society, as are depression and other mental health issues. These factors and the easy access to abortion makes it no surprise that Spain's birth rate is one of the world's lowest.
(Do click onto this link – https://operationworld.org/prayer-calendar/11-02 to read for further news by Operation World Prayer News, 2nd NOV 2022)
Singapore:
The Church in Singapore has grown steadily since 1970, especially among evangelical and charismatic groups. And while there are notable megachurches in Singapore, more remarkable is the impressive number of large, stable, growing, multi-congregational churches across the entirety of the denominational spectrum. Mission schools and effective campus ministries draw many of Singapore’s educated people to faith. As a result, many believers have influence in society, as well as good opportunity as missionaries to work in professional roles around the world. Praise God for the positive impact of the Church in Singapore!
(Do click onto this link – https://operationworld.org/prayer-calendar/10-25/ to read for further news by Operation World Prayer News, 25th Oct 2022)
Senegal, Seychelles:
Dakar, the capital, is the most strategic location for evangelizing the entire country. It hosts over 25% of the nation's population as well as representatives of every ethnic group. From 15 evangelical groups meeting in 1990, there are over 60 today. But while Dakar itself is blessed with many congregations, the outlying areas have only a few small churches - for the nearly three million dwelling there. Dakar is the mission base for most agencies, but only a few missionaries are actually committed to church planting there.
(Do click onto this link – https://operationworld.org/prayer-calendar/10-22/ to read for further news by Operation World Prayer News, 22nd Oct 2022)
El Salvador:
Praise God that peace has held since the end of the civil war in 1992. Since then, corruption in politics has been a big problem in El Salvador, but multiple free elections have occurred, with different parties prevailing at different times. El Salvador’s main struggles are now against poverty and gang violence. Money sent home from Salvadorans working abroad is the largest part of the economy. Nearly 40% of the country lives below the poverty line. Violent criminal gangs known as “maras” keep the nation among the global leaders for murder rates and juvenile delinquency. Overcoming these two giants will take more than just good social and economic policy – El Salvador needs a spiritual awakening that transforms the nation!
(Do click onto this link – https://operationworld.org/prayer-calendar/05-14/ to read for further news by Operation World Prayer News, 14th May 2022)
Egypt:
A decade has passed since the upheaval of the Arab Spring. Some of the change protestors hoped for has arrived, but much remains the same as before 2011. President Sisi appears to be instilling authoritarian rule once again, but many – including Christians – feel this is necessary to curb Islamist movements from regaining control. Christians still live in a precarious situation regarding religious freedom and persecution. Many Muslims would prefer Egypt did not have such a large Christian population.
For over 1,000 years, Egypt was a majority-Christian country, even after the Arab Muslim conquest in AD 640. Egypt gave to the Christian world some of its greatest theologians and the monastic movement. Egyptian Christians may be more clearly linked to the original Egyptian civilization that pre-dates the coming of Islam. Some efforts have been made to minimize Egypt's great Christian heritage, to downplay the size of the Church and to marginalize its contribution to society. But the Church survives.
(Do click onto this link – https://operationworld.org/prayer-calendar/05-12/ & https://operationworld.org/prayer-calendar/05-13/ to read for further news by Operation World Prayer News, 12th & 13th May 2022)
