The COVID–19 outbreak has accelerated a shift in ministry in the Philippines, quickening kingdom growth. Native Christian workers in the island country are taking a more holistic approach than they did five years ago, making gospel outreach even more effective, a ministry leader said. The coronavirus outbreak in 2020 accelerated the new emphasis as workers were compelled to meet more physical needs.
“The type of ministries that are more effective than five years ago are the ministries that address the real needs of people,” said the leader, whose name is withheld for security reasons. “Poverty and sickness are prevalent. Addressing these needs together with the gospel is effective.” We pray for more villagers to hunger + know more about the Lord Jesus in their lives as about 300 people accepted Christ already during one of trips to the two villages said a leader.
(Do click onto this link – https://www.christianaid.org/missions-insider/2023-gospel-interest-grows-in-post-pandemic-philippines to read for further news by Christian Aid Mission, 9th March 2023)
Bangladesh:
The Bengali, or Shaikh, people (240 million globally) remain the largest unreached people group in the world. Even 200 years after William Carey came as a missionary to the Bengali they still honour his memory, but a breakthrough for the gospel has not come.
(Do click onto this link – https://operationworld.org/prayer-calendar/03-03/ to read for further news by Operation World Prayer News, 3rd Mar 2023)
Asia:
Praise God for the indigenization of Christian ministry and leadership in Asia. The recent growth of the Church has largely been through the work of national workers, local evangelists and ordinary believers. These churches are, more than ever, Asian in structure, style and leadership - taking forms relevant for those they are trying to reach. Beyond the continent itself, Asian Christian leadership is assuming a much greater role in the global body of Christ. This includes countries such as South Korea, China and India but also places such as Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Indonesia.
(Do click onto this link – https://operationworld.org/prayer-calendar/01-26/ to read for further news by Operation World Prayer News, 26 January 2023)
Africa:
Prayer movements have a remarkable impact in Africa. The Global Day of Prayer originated in Cape Town through Transformation Africa and involved tens, if not hundreds, of millions of Christians. The all-night prayer meetings of the Redeemed Christian Church in Nigeria - called the Holy Ghost Services - attract an average of 500,000, but this is merely the most well known of many such meetings. The familiarity of Africans with the reality of spiritual warfare, and their willingness to faithfully put in many hours of intercession, are possibly the most significant factors in the remarkable church growth on this continent. We pray for continued commitment to sustained intercession, and for the rest of the global Church to learn from this wonderful example.
Christianity has grown to become the religion of almost half of Africa's population, and nearly two-thirds of sub-Saharan Africa. From 1900 to 2010, Christian numbers grew from 9.1% of the population to 48.8%, and from 7.5 million to 504 million. Of the world’s evangelical Christians, over 33% live in Africa – a proportion that increases annually! It is very possible that within our lifetime, over half of the world's evangelicals will be from Africa. We pray that the spiritual vibrancy of Africa's believers will spread to the rest of the world's Christians.
(Do click onto this link – https://operationworld.org/prayer-calendar/01-13/ & https://operationworld.org/prayer-calendar/01-12/ to read for further news by Operation World Prayer News, 13th & 12th Jan 2023)
Venezuela:
Venezuela is unstable and deeply divided. Recent presidents (first Chavez, now Maduro) divided the country with their politics and policies. An attempt by Maduro to seize more power saw millions of Venezuelans respond by marching against the corruption of the government and against the poverty crippling the country. Even vast oil reserves have not been able to prevent economic meltdown. Corruption and poverty were both widespread even before this meltdown. 60% of city dwellers live in slums. Venezuela ranks as the 2nd most corrupt nation in Latin America (after Haiti). The results of the 2018 election were contested. Maduro claimed to have won, but the most influential nations in the Americas and Europe rejected the results and recognised the head of the National Assembly as acting president instead. Maduro’s refusal to step down, massive food shortages, and hyperinflation have caused millions of Venezuelans to flee the country, desperately seeking survival and opportunity elsewhere. Pray for God to bring relief to the suffering of the Venezuelan people.
(Do click onto this link – https://operationworld.org/prayer-calendar/12-16/ to read for further news by Operation World Prayer News, 16th Dec 2022)
