31 days of prayer for. China s Silk Road People. during Ramadan

Transcription

1 31 days of prayer for China s Silk Road People during Ramadan 26th May- 25th June 2017

2 10 people groups: Hui, Uyghur, Kazak, Dongxiang, Kyrgyz, Salar, Tajik, Bonan, Uzbek, Tatar. 23+ million We long to see China s Silk Road people blessed by the abundant love of God.

3 1 May 26 th Beginnings Ramadan begins at sunset tonight. Pray for Silk Road people who are preparing to fast food and water during daylight hours for the next month.

4 Ramadan 2-6 May Pray for Businesses Societies tend to take on the flavor of their business people. If the traders are honest, the people will respect truth. But if they are corrupt, the people will love dishonest gain. For the next five days, pray for Silk Road businesses, and those involved in them.

5 2 May 27 th Opportunity Thank God for the strong, and growing opportunities for Silk Road people to engage in business, and to access training.

6 3 May 28 th Ethics Jesus teaches us to deal fairly and honestly, even with our enemies. Pray that Silk Road business people will hear more about the ethics of Jesus.

7 4 May 29 th - Cultures The majority Han Chinese often clash with minority Silk Road people over business habits and style. Pray for grace and understanding on both sides.

8 5 May 30 th Money Pray that Silk Road business leaders will use their influence to promote justice, rather than just to make a profit.

9 6 May 31 st Life Balance Most Silk Road business people work long hours, and have little time or energy to invest in their children or elderly parents. Ask God to help them find balance.

10 Ramadan 7-11 June 1-5 Pray for Families Families are the backbone of any society. Healthy families raise healthy children, who form healthy families of their own. Investing in prayer for families is a great way to invest in the future of a society. For the next five days, pray for Silk Road families, for God s grace to fill them with love and truth.

11 7 June 1 st Evenings Devout Muslims in China fast during the day, and feast each evening after sunset. Pray that God will bless relationships as families spend extra time together each evening.

12 8 June 2 nd Respect On the Silk Road, honor comes with age. Pray for wisdom for Silk Road elders as they lead their family and their community.

13 9 June 3 rd Left behind kids Many children are left with grandparents while their parents live elsewhere for work. Pray for these children to learn about the God who cares for them.

14 10 June 4 th Tensions Family relationships are highly valued in Silk Road society, but disagreements are not usually handled well. Pray for opportunities to learn healthy conflict resolution.

15 11 June 5 th Marriages Seeing your child married is a sacred responsibility for Silk Road parents. Young people can be pressured into unsuitable matches. Divorce rates are high. Pray for struggling marriages.

16 Ramadan June 6-10 Pray for Government Government leaders exercise control and influence over society in any country, but in China their influence is especially extensive, and growing. Strategic prayer for Silk Road government leaders will grow God s blessing and justice on the Silk Road. For the next five days, pray for blessing and justice in the Government departments on the Silk Road.

17 12 June 6 th Stability China s government strongly desires peaceful and stable development. Praise God for their noble intentions. Pray they will recognize that peace and stability are gifts from God.

18 13 June 7 th Justice Since 2012, China s government has been carrying out a rigorous campaign against corruption among government officials. Pray for a love of justice and integrity among the civil servants and government leaders of the Silk Road.

19 14 June 8 th Reconciliation Some Silk Road ethnic groups are affected by friction, especially with the majority Han Chinese. Pray for government leaders to handle the tensions well.

20 15 June 9 th Control The Chinese government longs to have full control in China, especially over the troubled northwest. Pray that government leaders will understand the power and authority of God.

21 16 June 10 th Atheism Officially, China s government is atheist. In an effort to bring more stability, they are increasing pressure on religious groups. Pray for freedom of worship.

22 Ramadan June Pray for communities Mosques are a focal point of Silk Road communities. Major festivals are celebrated there. Births, marriages, deaths and other important life events are blessed by the mosque leaders. God longs to demonstrate his love in Chinese Muslim communities. For the next five days, pray for the grace of Jesus to bless China s Muslim communities.

23 17 June 11 th Washing Muslims wash themselves as they prepare to pray, to show their desire to be clean before Allah. Pray that they will learn more about the cleansing that Jesus teaches.

24 18 June 12 th Dreams Sometimes Muslims have dreams of Jesus during Ramadan. Pray that they will want to learn more about him.

25 19 June 13 th Purity Purity of mind and actions is taught in Islam. Muslims try to live especially pure lives during Ramadan. Pray that Silk Road people will learn more about what Jesus says regarding purity.

26 20 June 14 th Isa Isa (the Arabic name for Jesus) is honored in the Qur an. Pray for Silk Road people to be curious about Isa, and to learn more about him.

27 21 June 15 th Web resources There are growing numbers of resources online that give Silk Road people access to books about Jesus in their own languages. Pray for people to find and use these resources.

28 Ramadan June Pray for Friends All of us need friends who will share our joys, challenges and adventures with us. A society becomes richer and more filled with joy when the quality of its friendships increases. For the next five days, pray for friendships on the Silk Road to be filled with grace and truth.

29 22 June 16 th Trust Building trust in Silk Road communities can be challenging. Forgiveness for past hurts is rare. Pray for Silk Road Christians to honor God by being trustworthy friends, who model godly forgiveness.

30 23 June 17 th Help Many Silk Road people are under pressure, whether financial, relational or spiritual. Pray for friends to offer help, and that they will learn about Jesus, who helps us in our times of need.

31 24 June 18 th Patience As Ramadan progresses, tempers can become frayed by lack of food and sleep. Pray for friends on the Silk Road to speak with patience and gentleness, even when tempers are short

32 25 June 19 th Tradition Tradition and conformity are valued on China s Silk Road. Pray for those who are exploring nontraditional ideas that will bless their communities. Pray that God will give them good friends to support them on their journey.

33 26 June 20 th Food Friendship on China s Silk Road means sharing food together. Pray for conversations to be seasoned with grace and truth.

34 Ramadan 27-30, Eid June Reflections We have spent the last 26 days praying for God s glory, love and justice to fill China s Silk Road. As we enter the final days of Ramadan, let s reflect on what God would have us learn from China s Silk Road people. As we call out for God s grace on them, is God also desiring to pour out his grace on us? For the next five days, reflect on what God is teaching you through this month of prayer for the Silk Road. How is he asking you to respond?

35 27 June 21 st Power China s Muslims believe tonight is the night of power, when prayers are especially powerful. Pray that Muslims will learn more about the love of the creator God tonight. How much do we recognise God s ultimate power over our lives?

36 28 June 22 nd Fasting Muslims show their devotion to Allah by fasting for all daylight hours during Ramadan. How devoted are we to our God? How can we show our devotion?

37 29 June 23 rd Holiness Silk Road Muslims are trying their best to live holy lives this Ramadan. Pray that they will learn more about Jesus as they seek holiness. How are we, who know Jesus, seeking to live holy lives that honor him?

38 30 June 24 th Feasts China s Silk Road people will have breaking the fast feasts tonight to celebrate the end of Ramadan. Pray that many will also celebrate the life of Jesus. How can we celebrate the life of our Savior today?

39 31 June 25 th Celebrations Today is the KaiZhaiJie Festival. Men worship at the mosque then eat a feast with family. Pray for conversations to turn to the joy that Jesus brings. How can we talk today about the joy that Jesus brings to us?

40 Next steps Pray for the Future How has God been speaking to you as you have prayed for China s Silk Road people? What is he calling you to do next? Here are some ways you can get involved: Learn: visit or type Chinese Muslim into your favorite search engine. Pray: Contact us on silkroad@omfmail.com to sign up for our quarterly prayer letter. Could you form a prayer group that meets four times a year to pray for the information in this quarterly letter? Welcome: Are there Muslims in your community? Have you welcomed them or prayed for them? Why not ask them about their lives, or invite them to share an appropriate meal with you? Serve: Could you use your gifts and skills to bless China s Muslims directly? Visit go.omf.org/silkroadopps or follow the links from to find out how you could be a part of the amazing things that God is doing.

41 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Timothy 1:17 Thank you for blessing China s Silk Road people through persevering prayer. Contact us: silkroad@omfmail.com