IFES Daily Prayer Guide DEC JAN 2017

IFES Daily Prayer Guide DEC JAN 2017

IFES is generations of students, staff and volunteers investing in the next generation. The legacy they left and continue to leave is new generations of Christian students enthused about making Christ s name known. With global student numbers forecast to expand significantly, your support is vital in reaching and discipling students, in pioneering, supporting and strengthening national movements. As you plan for the future, will you consider leaving a different kind of legacy to help future students? You can contact IFES at info@ ifesworld.org or at the address on the back of the Daily Prayer Guide to request a legacy pack.

DEAR FRIENDS Reflecting on the spiritual peace which Christ brings, and how that can change communities, I wanted to share one of the stories we heard on World Student Day. Evans Karanja from FOCUS Kenya, Nairobi shared: Ten years ago, Kenya experienced one of the worst election violence in its history. This year, being an election year, FOCUS students and Associates were mobilized to a peace building initiative that involved prayer for the nation, Bible study on ethnicity and peace walks. The Christian students in the colleges and universities embraced this initiative and have been proactive in praying for our country. We are grateful that God has kept our country intact amidst the political turmoil, praise be to His name! Praise God with us for the witness of students in Kenya who love the Prince of Peace. Thank you for your prayers for students to come to and grow in relationship with Christ. Jill Bain IFES Supporter Relations

01 05 DEC South Pacific 01/12 TSCF New Zealand students in Tauranga share: our campus is small, which is a challenge. Praise God that he has been helping us to build connections with the few people that are there. 02/12 AFES Australia s National Training Event starts today. Pray for students from across the South Pacific coming together to learn from God s word and be equipped for mission on campus. 04/12 SIU-CF Solomon Islands graduate volunteer Godfrey is pioneering the movement there. He shares: God is hand picking students to take up responsibility, although they have never done it before. Pray for more students, for lecturers to come. 05/12 Give thanks for PSFC Fiji s Annual Conference. One student who attended shared: the one thing I will take back from the conference is that Christ is the centre of everything. 03/12 The IFES Big Issues Project considers a Christian response to big questions in the university. Pray for IFES South Pacific s regional consultation this month.

06 10 DEC South Asia 06/12 UESI India thank God for evangelistic camps in Oct - Nov. Please pray for good follow up for students who attended. 07/12 Rumala, a FOCUS Sri Lanka student, praises God for Christian students who have the opportunity to meet and grow in faith. Please pray for those students who are isolated from other Christians. 08/12 BSFB Bangladesh are recruiting new staff for North Bengal. Ask the Lord to help us to choose the right person for His ministry. 09/12 Gracy, a student from a sensitive country, shares: I am Vice-President of my university s Student s Union. Almost all students there are unbelievers so it s really difficult to share the good news. Pray for us to keep faith and lead unbelieving students in God s way. 10/12 Ramakrishna, from UESI India s ICEU Srinagar group, writes praise God that we are able to share the gospel to Muslim students and to reach universities. Pray for me as I am facing doubts in my faith as I am interacting with Muslim students.

11 15 DEC Caribbean 11/12 Pray for those affected by hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Jose & Maria, as they continue to rebuild and recover. Give thanks for IFES Caribbean sending aid to two of the worst hit islands: Saint Martin and Dominica. 12/12 Give thanks for IS/CCF St Lucia s gospel concert I am God s Masterpiece at Anse Ger secondary school. Pray that attendees would have been touched by the gospel message. 14/12 IS/IVCF Belize part-time staff and former General Secretary, Lance, shares his five-year vision for the movement: that the movement would be much more visible in the country and that the ministry would have at least two staff workers. Pray for the movement as they work towards these goals. 15/12 Give thanks for the orientation for new general secretaries in the movements in Grenada, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. Ask God that it will have helped build skills and ongoing cooperation. 13/12 Praise God for IS/IVCF Cayman Island s partnership event. Pray that many would be inspired to support the work of the movement.

16 20 DEC Francophone Africa 16/12 UGBM Madagascar student Radomampionona shares: our group at Université de Toamasina, Madagascar, needs more staff and volunteers to support it, please pray for us about that. 17/12 Give thanks for GBUR Rwanda s Family Fellowship event bringing together GBUR students and graduates from different generations to make friends and share stories. training in Francophone Africa: these training sessions impacted my ministry and my life. In terms of ministry, I have improved in how I ask questions when writing Bible study guides. 19/12 Mounzimba, a GBG Gabon student in Libreville, asks us to pray about frequent strikes at universities in Gabon, making it difficult for student groups to meet. 20/12 UJC Chad student Aquilas shares: the majority of the population of this locality are Muslim. We testify about Christ to our Muslim friends through talks on the news. Pray that the gospel actually penetrates into this environment. 18/12 Salimou Traoré leads the Bible study department of GBEE Mali. He gives thanks for IFES Scripture Engagement

21 25 DEC North America 21/ 12 GBUC Canada ask us to pray for a good balance of guys and girls in the groups. 22/12 Ross, InterVarsity/USA staff at Kansas State University, writes we re seeing new students draw near to God, especially in the LGBTQ community, among Arts students, and in Fraternity and Sororities [student societies]. Pray that our students would embrace sacrifice for the sake of the gospel. God would show us what He wants to accomplish and we would do just that. 24/12 Praise God for GBUC Canada students starting a new Bible study group at the Cégep [pre-university college] Gérald-Goldin. Pray a committed group would start. 25/12 On the day he came, pray with InterVarsity USA students at UW Platteville for new students hungry to meet the living king Jesus, and student leaders willing to sacrifice for eternal worth on campus. 23/12 InterVarsity Canada student at Brock University, Ontario, Kylie, shares: we are a small group this year but already seeing growth. Pray that

26 31 DEC Europe 26/12 Praise God that VBG Switzerland s group in Zürich has grown to 70 people in the last seven years. Pray that students would be ambassadors for Christ in a context where faith is increasingly marginalised. 27/12 UBG Malta student Estelle is studying for a masters in inclusive education. She asks us to pray that students on campus would be open, listen and accept the good news. 29/12 Renata, a ChSA Poland finance student in Katowice, asks for prayer for wisdom and how to reach students with the gospel in these times of ignorance and relativism. 30/12 Pray for new believers in a sensitive country suffering persecution. One student shared: to openly follow Jesus is to risk all family and friendship relationships. 31/12 Join with Owen, UCCF Great Britain team leader for Wales, to praise God for so much wonderful creative mission on the university campuses. 28/12 Give thanks for International Student Ministry meetings in Marburg, Germany. Pray that God would grow this work across Europe.

01 05 JAN East Asia 01/01 CEF Taiwan student Kyle shares: in Taiwan some people think Christians are friendly, some think we are unfriendly to LGBT. Pray to God to let our group [National Chung Hsing University] have courage to share the gospel to our friends and classmates. 02/01 FCS Macao give thanks for the provision of a new office space. Pray for the staff as they settle into the new building. 04/01 At a recent missions conference, 250 graduates from a sensitive country committed to serving in full-time student ministry or cross-cultural mission. Please pray for them as they work through their commitments. 05/01 FES Singapore student Natalie studies psychology at Nanyang Technological University. She shares: pray that God would grant us wisdom to truly engage the campus in ways He wills. 03/01 SONOKO Cambodia ask us to pray for their student centers to be places of learning and sending into mission on campus.

06 10 JAN English- and Portuguese- Speaking Africa 6/01 Give thanks for the appointment of the new IFES EPSA Regional Secretary, Zelalem Abebe, formerly general secretary of EVASUE Ethiopia. Pray for wisdom and strength as he settles into this new role. 07/01 TAFES Tanzania student Victor studies science and management at Ardhi University. He writes I believe in reaching more people and transforming their life through technology. Pray that our technology is not destructive rather than a means to serve God. 08/01 Praise God for FOCUS Uganda s student leadership training in the Central, Northern and Western regions. 09/01 ZAFES Zambia student Favour gives thanks for ZAFES prayer sessions helping students pray for each other. Pray for finances and for more people to join the work. 10/01 NIFES Nigeria student Mary shares: key challenges faced by Christians on the campus are issues of false teaching, polytheism and cultism. Pray that God will grant us boldness to stand against false teachings.

11 15 JAN Middle East and North Africa 11/01 A movement in a sensitive country gives thanks for a mission trip to North India and asks us to pray for student leaders to bring back what they ve learnt to use in their ministry on campus. 12/01 Pray for students studying in areas with very few Christians and suffering from loneliness. Ask that they would know God s presence with them. perform the Mark Drama - a dramatic retelling of Mark s Gospel. 14/01 A movement in a closed country praises God for their first ever female staff members. Pray that: they will help expand the movement s ministry and reach more women. 15/01 FCSI Israel staff workers Kevin and Lavinia work in Jerusalem. They share: Pray that the Lord will help [national and international] students to be bold and grow deeply in faith. 13/01 Give thanks for CSPU Palestine and FCSI Israel s visit to Vancouver to meet with InterVarsity Canada students and

16 20 JAN International 16/01 Pray for the IFES General Secretary Discernment and Search Committee, as they work on the recruitment process for the next IFES General Secretary. 17/01 Give thanks for the IFES Senior Staff orientation program in Oxford in Nov. Praise God for this opportunity for them to build connections, deepen their knowledge of IFES and learn leadership skills. 19/01 Pray for the preparation of new online finance systems for IFES. Ask that the testing and implementation would run smoothly. 20/01 Give thanks for the appointment of IFES Latin America Associate Regional Secretary, Ricardo Borges, as Associate Secretary for IFES Scripture Engagement. Pray this new role will help grow the work of IFES Scripture Engagement - helping IFES students and staff to engage with God s word. 18/01 Praise God for three new staff joining IFES International Services (Asia) to work on IT and infrastructure projects. Pray they would quickly settle into their new roles.

21 25 JAN Eurasia 21/01 SKSK Georgia give thanks for new student leaders and new students. Please pray for: our students boldness and their commitment to grow as Christian leader students who can influence the campus. 22/01 Armine studies German and regional studies in a sensitive country. She shares: in my student group I like that everyone studies very well and all are very friendly. Please pray for universities to allow Christian students to run Bible study groups. 23/01 IFES Eurasia s regional team meeting starts today and runs until 27 Jan. Pray for wise decision making in their planning and preparations. 24/01 CCX Russia give thanks that for the first time in 10 years, they have three interns: Ksenia, Anya and Georgii. Pray they would use their gifts to serve the movement well. 25/01 CSC Moldova student Cristina shares: in CSC, we always look for chances to tell those around us about God. Pray for Christian students to develop good evangelistic relationships with their university colleagues.

26 31 JAN Latin America 26/01 Ruth, CCUH Honduras student in Atlántida, shares: our biggest challenge here is indifference. Pray for us, for more workers in our area, for growth and for finance. 27/01 Our college is Catholic, so is a challenge for us to share a different belief. Please pray for us to catch up with new members to share the word. - ADEE Dominican Republic student, Stephie. 28/01 MUC El Salvador student Fernando asks us to pray for sensitive hearts and a greater commitment to reach those who don t know him yet. 29/01 Give thanks for sub-regional student leader training this month. Ask that student leaders would be equipped to lead groups and encourage students in evangelism. 30/01 ECU Costa Rica student Karen asks us to pray for wisdom in dealing with current issues in universities and to know how to deal with the discrimination we often suffer. 31/01 CECE Loja (Ecuador) was set up to serve students from three universities six months ago. Give thanks for students taking on leadership responsibility.

Find out more... IFES International Services UK 5 Blue Boar Street Oxford OX1 4EE United Kingdom +44 (0)1865 263 777 ifesworld.org facebook.com/ifesworld twitter.com/ifes L IFES est une organisation déclarée à Lausanne, Suisse. IFES is a registered charity in England and Wales (247919), and a limited company (876229).