PRAYER GUIDE – WEEK 2 (Sep 12th – 19th)

Hokkaido is the northernmost region in Japan, and is also the largest of Japan’s 47 prefectures. Hokkaido is a largely rural area, with industries such as agriculture, forestry, and fishing. 

• Pray for churches without pastors, and those facing hardships due to severe winters, population decline, and economic difficulties. The average church attendance is 32 people.
• There are many areas of Hokkaido without a church, including 84 towns/villages. Pray that the gospel can spread through online Christian media and the radio. Pray for Christians and churches to have wisdom and creativity to reach people living in remote areas.

Churches in Japan are predominantly small and aging. During the pandemic, many of them struggled with transitioning to online services or finding other creative means to reach their congregants. However, churches thought of ideas such as mailing paper copies or CDs of sermons, doing Bible studies over the phone, and more. 

There were theological essays written on topics such as a keener understanding of the church as the body of Christ. Missionaries and pastors started meeting on Zoom every other month for nationwide prayer calls. Many pastors learned to use Zoom or livestream on YouTube for the first time. 

• Praise God for the way that he sustained pastors and churches in Japan (and around the world) during the COVID pandemic.
• The long-term effects on the church in Japan are yet to be seen. Pray for God’s grace and help in each of the challenging circumstances to come.

There have been a series of sad news stories about children, such as "a young child died of heat stroke in the car" and "a lost child was found in the water. Now is the time to pray for the protection and blessing of children.

• Pray that children in pain from bullying, abuse, etc. will have a place to escape to and relationships to receive help.
• Pray that children will receive the protection they need and live with peace of mind and hope. Pray that churches will serve this purpose.
• Pray that each children’s heart will be protected from negative influences by the media (TV, internet, social networking, games, etc.). Pray that the Word of God will influence the hearts and lives of each one of us.
• Pray that the work of serving children will expand in the church. And that workers will be raised up.

There are about 8,000 Protestant churches in Japan. About 1,000 of them do not have a pastor, and most churches have aging congregations. 

The current number of churches equals out to about one church for every 16,000 people in Japan. It’s estimated that more than 50,000 churches are needed to truly reach every community. 

There is a need for renewed worship, fellowship, and outreach in many existing churches. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s life-giving ministry. May church members seek and love God with all of their heart, soul, mind, and strength. May churches receive from God all that they ask for in Jesus’ name!

Pray for the Holy Spirit to lead church planters to specific areas in Japan that need a church. Pray for God to provide the people, vision, faith, and resources necessary for new churches.