Prayer Guide – Week 10 (Nov 27-Dec 03)

Made up of the 60 Ryukyu Islands, Okinawa is populated by people who are racially and linguistically the same as the rest of Japan. Yet because of the isolation from the mainland, their culture developed differently. Okinawans have the strongest prefectural pride in all of Japan.

Okinawans also differ religiously. Believers in Buddhism only make up 1.7% of the population and Shintoists only 0.3%. Popular folklore beliefs based on ancestor worship are central to Okinawan life. Despite this, Okinawa has the highest rate of church membership and worship attendence (only 0.01% and 0.005%, respectively) in all of Japan - nearly three times the national average.

Okinawa also has many scars from its past. Early government discrimination, horrific WWII battles, and American occupation are some of these.

Please pray for:

• The Gospel of hope to spread through all 60 islands
• Okinawan believers to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to make disciples who make disciples
• Strong church leadership unity throughout the prefecture
• More workers to enter this harvest field
• The people of Okinawa to come to know the One True God

"We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks,

For Your name is near;
Men declare Your wondrous works."
- Psalm 75:1

There are almost three million university students in Japan. University is a unique time when Japanese students are flexible in their schedule and open to new people and ideas. They are becoming adults and have hopes and anxieties about themselves and the future.

Pray that God will open doors for Christians to build relationships with university students, many of whom have never heard the gospel. Praise God for ministries like KGK (Japan’s chapter of InterVarsity), Campus Crusade, the Navigators, and YWAM that reach out to students.

Pray for Japanese Christian students and professors to have courage in sharing the gospel with classmates and coworkers.

Pray that the Holy Spirit will lead students to use the season of university life to mature in their identity in Christ. Pray they will build lifelong relationships with Christian friends and mentors.

We are entering the season of year-end parties. Let us pray that it will be a time of protection and testimony.

• Pray that newcomer Christians will be able to stand confident of the Lord's clear guidance.
• Pray that they will be able to witness wisely in the places where they are used.
• That they will be protected from all temptation.
• That they may be protected from accidents and troubles.
• That people would see each person's behavior and conduct and worship the name of the Lord.
• That Christian managers and supervisors would receive the Lord's wisdom and use the end of the year as a time to witness to the Lord.