DAY 01 Isa 43:18-19, NIV Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Pray that you will rejoice this month as you intercede for the peoples of Ghana, and take God at His word that He will do a new thing in Africa! MISSIONARY BIOGRAPHY, ADAMA leper first introduced Adama to Christ, and a A blind man led him to salvation. His reading braille captivated me, says Adama. I asked him where I will go when I die. In response to the young man s question, the blind man quoted from the Gospel of John. The power of God s Word left a lasting imprint on Adama s heart and propelled him to his future ministry. I didn t understand the cross or what my decision meant; but I went ahead and received Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. Raised in a Muslim home and community in West Africa, Adama experienced hostility, but took it in stride. Every true believer should experience opposition, he maintains. The important thing is the discovery of the life-given Spirit in Christ. I found a new life. Two years after his lifechanging conversion, he felt an overwhelming desire to share the good news. I saw my people were living in darkness, he says. Although he had little training, he began to travel from village to village for several weeks at a time. Nobody told me to go. I didn t know many of the scriptures, he admits, but I wanted to tell people that Jesus can give you eternal life. Pray for thousands of African Muslims to turn their lives to Jesus and face hostility in stride. Pray that Muslim antagonists will soon realize that they are fighting against the Lord Himself and repent. Joel News 50
IMB ADAMA BIOGRAPHY, CONTINUED Through eventual contact with SIM International, Adama received further training. In 1990 he went on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ (now called CRU) and served with them for a decade, utilizing the impact of the JESUS Film. In 2000, he started his own organization that targets Muslim leaders throughout West Africa. Adama comments, They are the custodians of the community of Islam, and only a few Christians are willing to bring the gospel to them. Adama and his team developed relational connections with Muslim scholars slowly and privately. It may take months of meetings before an Islamic scholar will discover the truth. We met with a Shi ite leader in one location for a year, he says. After Islamic services on Friday, this Muslim leader would drive several hours to spend the weekend with Adama. This imam actually stayed in the mosque, but his message changed dramatically as a follower of Christ. The man s changed perspective did not go unnoticed. They sent him to a psychiatric hospital. They said he was mad, Adama said. After his release from the psychiatric facility, Adama urged him to escape. We don t know where he is today. Quite a few of the leaders who converted have died. Joel News DAY 02 Isa 5:20-21, NET Those who call evil good and good evil are as good as dead, who turn darkness into light and light into darkness, who turn bitter into sweet and sweet into bitter. Those who think they are wise are as good as dead, those who think they possess understanding. Pray for a healthy fear of the One True God among Muslims and believers alike in West Africa. Pray for the Holy Spirit to pierce the hearts of Islamic leaders in West Africa in such a way that they will teach the grace, mercy, and salvation of Jesus. 51
DAY 03 Isa 8:13-14, NET You must recognize the authority of the Lord who commands armies. He is the one you must respect; He is the one you must fear. He will become a sanctuary, but a stone that makes a person trip, and a rock that makes one stumble to the two houses of Israel. He will become a trap and a snare to the residents of Jerusalem. Pray for a church to be established in Ghana that will joyfully submit to the Lord, and stand up for Him just as the prophets did in the times of Isaiah and Jeremiah. Create International ADAMA BIOGRAPHY, CONTINUED Another Muslim leader who met with Adama made regular appearances on national TV during Ramadan. He came to Christ because we proved to him that the Qur an is not the inspired word of God and is not in the program of salvation, he recounts. One Friday evening a mob of other scholars came to kill the recent convert, but were unsuccessful. He was fearless, Adama says. They gave his wife to his best friend and took his daughter away because he rejected Islam. This year he was poisoned and died. In the last 15 years Adama and his team have led thousands of imams, mullahs, and emirs to Christ in West Africa. We have led several Al Qaeda commanders to Christ, including some who penetrated our center as spies. We have developed a training program, Engaging the World of Islam that is bearing fruit in many countries where it has been employed. Today the gospel is penetrating Africa through people like Adama who are not afraid to lose their lives for the sake of the gospel. Are you ready to do the same in your part of the world? Are you ready to pray for Adama and others like him this year? Pray to be faithful and fervent for those who are willing to endure ridicule, hardship, persecution, and even death to make sure that the unreached have a chance to allow Jesus His rightful place in their hearts. Joel News 52
A DEAD MUSLIM WOMAN RAISED TO LIFE IN WEST AFRICA An African worker reported this to Joel News (https:// joelnews.org/) about his work among Muslims. Just before dark, the bike broke down in front of a harshly Islamic community. We tried to fix the bike, but had no success. We heard wailing. Someone walking by said, The chief s wife died, and people are wailing for her. We pushed our way through the crowd to the corpse. I had prayed for the sick, but never for the dead. I called her by name, asking God to revive her. I started to feel a weak pulse and warmth in her hand. I continued praying. The woman opened her eyes. Everyone started shouting! They were pushing against me to see the dead woman coming back to life. I kept praying. She sat up and asked, Water, please. All became quiet. I said: We are ordinary people; Jesus did this. I told them about God s gift of salvation. The chief said, We have a law that nothing Christian will be tolerated. I am lifting the ban. The whole village gathered and 76 men, women, and children received their Savior. When we went to check our motorcycle, it started immediately! Today the whole region is filled with churches. DAY 04 John 11:25-26, NIV Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this? Pray for the Muslims of West Africa to put their faith in the resurrection of Jesus as the beginning of new life for all to enjoy. Pray that they will put aside their head belief in resurrection, and put on faith in the God of the resurrection. Pray that the spiritually dead among these African Muslims will hear God s truth and live. Pray that they will gladly share the Living Savior with Muslims who need to know of Christ s resurrection power. KH 53
DAY 05 Isa 42:8-10, NIV I am the Lord; that is my Name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols. See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you. Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you islands, and all who live in them. Pray that as Kojo speaks to others, the Holy Spirit will give them faith to throw away their false gods and put on the only God worthy of praise and worship. Keith Carey THE WORK OF KOJO ISSAKA Kojo Issaka at a conference (This is based on actual events in Ghana.) The young Ghanaian man stared at Kojo Issaka, who had just preached about having faith in the all-powerful God. Sensing that the man had faith, Kojo asked him, My friend, what will you do now? Will you put your faith in the power of idols made of wood and stone? Or will you put your faith in the God who made everything you see around you? The man glanced at the amulet he held in his hand, and thrust it towards Kojo. Take it. I ll give you all my idols. Burn them all! From now on, everyone in my household will follow the Lord. Kojo was elated, but it wasn t the first time he had seen such a reaction. Kojo is a church planter who works in northern Ghana where most people follow a diluted form of Islam blended with idol worship. He often has to be away from his family, and sometimes has to go without enough food. Pray for the Lord to raise up many like Kojo Issaka who will give all for the sake of the gospel. Pray for them to be supported by African believers who are willing to sacrifice for God s kingdom. Pray that Kojo s work will result in a disciple-making movement that will transform people and communities in unreached parts of Ghana. Pray for divine protection for Kojo. KC 54
MISSION AFRICA, INCORPORATED BURKINA FASO BENIN Today we are praying for Mission Africa, an organization that is trying to reach out to Ghana s reached and unreached people groups. They have ambitious, holistic goals. Part of their mission is the following: We are a mission group that shows COTE Tamale TOGO D IVOIRE GHANA love to people. We work and pray to Accra bring changes for hope, peace, and prosperity to all, irrespective of tribe, color, or creed. We preach and teach by example the gospel of Jesus Christ. We establish churches, places of fellowship for prayer, Bible study and worship. We create an atmosphere for spiritual refreshment. We operate a Bible college where men and women are trained as future leaders in pastoral and community works. The Mission College of Information and Biblical Studies provides full courses leading to certificates and diplomas in Theology. Scholarship arrangements for every student are available. Some of their projects include financial empowerment seminars, medical team clinics, trips for school teachers, church planters and team builders, general missions and church planting, and HIV/AIDS preventive seminars. (http://www.missionafricainc.org/) They also have a Village Mission Program which is intended to prepare the way to plant churches where the people can receive a steady diet of God s Word. Practical Believers Bible College in Accra, Ghana, has started planting churches and providing pastors in the villages to feed the people spiritually. DAY 06 Isa 57:16-19, NIV I will not accuse them forever, nor will I always be angry, for then they would faint away because of me the very people I have created. I was enraged by their sinful greed; I punished them, and hid my face in anger, yet they kept on in their willful ways. I have seen their ways, but I will heal them; I will guide them and restore comfort to Israel s mourners, creating praise on their lips. Peace, peace, to those far and near, says the Lord. And I will heal them. Thank the Lord that He is using Mission Africa to change many from being objects of wrath to being objects of His great mercy. Pray that their workers will be true to God s Word and will be filled with the fruit of God s Spirit. KH 55
DAY 07 Isa 50:4, NIV The Sovereign Lord has given me a wellinstructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed. Pray that those being taught by Marikazal-Bishara workers will learn to listen to and hear the Lord s voice. MARKAZ AL-BISHARA WORK IN GHANA Learning from Markaz Al-Bishara teachers Somewhere in the city of Tamale, Ghana, several people sat at a table, looking at comic book pictures. With a puzzled look on his face an older man asked a younger man, Do you need help? The younger man responded, What is the word for snake in this language? The older man looked at the photo and said, I see that you are translating the story about the temptation of Adam and Eve. He gave him the correct word, and the younger man wrote it in the cartoon bubble. These people work with a Ghanaian mission agency called Markaz Al-Bishara. They are based in Tamale, Ghana, and strive to reach the people groups of West Africa with the message of salvation in Christ. One of the main ministries is distributing Bible story comic books. This ministry runs a network of schools that teaches reading and writing. Markaz Al-Bisharaalso runs an orphanage, digs water wells, and helps people start their own businesses through micro-loans. They also air gospel radio broadcasts. Pray that Markaz Al-Bisharawill see good fruit come from all their outreach activities. Ask God to thrust out qualified Ghanaians who are filled with the fruit of the Holy Spirit to serve with them. Pray that non-believers will see their good works and give praise to God. Pray that Markaz Al-Bishara missionaries will be safe wherever they work in the Lord s vineyard. WK 56
ANUFO PEOPLE OF GHANA GUINEA LIBERIA MALI COTE D IVOIRE Abidjan BURKINA FASO GHANA The Anufo people originally began as a group of mercenaries who left Cote d Ivoire to help the chiefs of two powerful tribes in Ghana during the mid 1700s; eventually they assimilated into the communities that they once raided! There are now about 140 Anufo villages, mostly in Ghana, with about 200,000 people. Gulf of Guinea The Anufo are over 98 percent Islamic. Nevertheless, there are several Anufo churches. They retain many African traditional beliefs, which are blended in with their Islamic beliefs. An example of their traditional beliefs, as explained by an older Anufo person, is: Before a child is born, an ancestral spirit tells Allah all that will happen during its lifetime. The child is born with a special destiny. if he has a good destiny, he will become an ancestor; if he has a bad destiny, he can change it to a good one through spiritual help. but without help he becomes a spirit of the wild, which is a spiteful thing, so the child s name must be forgotten by all. DAY 08 Isa 1:16-17, NET Wash! Cleanse yourselves! Remove your sinful deeds from my sight. Stop sinning! Learn to do what is right! Promote justice! Give the oppressed reason to celebrate! Take up the cause of the orphan! Defend the rights of the widow! Pray that the Anufo people will be transformed into disciples who will live for the glory of the Lord. Pray that the few Anufo believers will grow in dedication to Christ, leading lives that are a good testimony to their folk Islamic neighbors. The New Testament, the JESUS Film, and audio recordings are available in the Anufo language; pray that they will be shared widely with others. Pray for Christ s ambassadors to help the Anufo people alleviate malaria, an illness that plagues them. Victor Rosema, guest writer 57
DAY 09 Isa 65:20-22, NIV Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; the one who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere child; the one who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed. They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. Pray that the Dyula people will yearn for the day when the Lord will bring long life and righteousness into their communities. Pray that they will be willing to follow Him in ways that will bring about the abundant life He offers. DYULA (JULA) PEOPLE OF GHANA In the Spanish-speaking world, girls have a coming of age birthday, their quinciañera, at age 15. In Jewish cultures, a girl comes of age when she has her bat mitzvah at age 12 or 13. These traditions are holdovers from centuries past. Among the Dyula people of Ghana, girls usually get married around age 16, and the reason is not just because of traditions. The average life expectancy among this people group is 45, so they don t have the luxury of starting adult life late. The Dyula have been traders along the West African coast for centuries. They are well respected for their trading abilities. Muslim missionaries moved along these same routes in the days when Islam and trade went hand in hand, and today the Dyulas are devoted to the Muslim religion. Dyula people sometimes look down on less devout Africans as pagans. In addition to their religion, the Dyulas have high ideals about practicing obedience, honesty, and dedication to their community. However, these ideals fall short of what the God who created them wants for them. Pray for the Lord to give Dyula people in Ghana the gift of faith, especially as they come in contact with resources like Christian radio, the JESUS Film, and gospel recordings in their language. Pray that they will see how a relationship with Jesus will help them achieve the ideals of their culture as well as an abundant life. Pray for a disciple-making movement among the Dyula people that will spread throughout West Africa. KC 58
MAASINA FULANI PEOPLE OF GHANA A Fulani girl (This story illustrates truths about this people group.) Whack! Mobato fell to the ground from Harisobo s final blow. The two of them had been hitting each other with canes over and over again, and Mobato finally succumbed to the blows. He sputtered, You can have her. Harisobo smiled and walked away. What was this about? These two young men are part of the Maasina subgroup of the Fulani people. They are doing what their custom demands, a custom called sharo, which tests a youth s manhood. Both young men desired to marry the same woman, and the more persistent man, in this case Harisobo, won. Such trials by ordeal are common among these people who live the harsh life of a cattle herder. Life is very difficult, and to survive, one must be able to endure hardships and pain. The one who is able to endure pain the best would have what it takes to be a good husband, according to what the Maasina Fulani people believe. This is a subgroup of the Fulani people, who live not only in Ghana, but most other countries in West Africa. Though they are Muslim, they also have their own code of honor that includes not demonstrating strong emotions. DAY 10 Isa 40:6-8, NIV A voice says, Cry out. And I said, What shall I cry? All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever. Pray that this cattle herding people will understand that though we are as insignificant in ourselves as grass, the God who created us still loves us and can give our life meaning. Pray for a church planting movement among the Maasina Fulani people in Ghana that will spread throughout West Africa. KC 59