Prayer Guide – Week 20 (January 16-22)

This week's prayer focus is firstly for Yamagata Prefecture, Japan.
Because Yamagata is so mountainous, development of adequate roads and train lines is difficult. 
Because of this, the culture remains deeply rooted in village mentality and there is a strong emphasis on personal relationships. 
This can be very difficult for Christians in Yamagata due to the intense pressure that this type of village culture creates.
This very conservative area is a major challenge for Japan's evangelization. 
Buddhism and Shinto play an important role in people's lives and folk religious practices, such as the use of spiritual mediums, are common. 
Church members account for 0.004% of the population.

Please pray for:

• The city of Obanazawa, which has a population of 21,534 with no church at all.
• The perseverance of believers in this prefecture who face intense social pressure to abandon their faith in Christ.
• The few missionaries in this area - that they would stand strong and abide in Jesus.
• The Good News of salvation, that all in Yamagata would have a chance to hear and understand.
• Many in Yamagata to come to know their Creator.

The second is Tochigi Prefecture,
This region contains many famous hot springs and beautiful scenic spots while it is a mostly agricultural economy. 
The people are known to be conservative and adhere to a strict code of ethics. 
After the Toshogu Shrine (pictured below) was transferred to Nikko, Tochigi, the whole area became a sacred religious site. 
Because of this, the people of this prefecture possess strong religious convictions which are often related to material blessing.

Please pray for:

• The people of Tochigi, that they would hear the Lord's voice and find life
• The Asia Gakuin, which trains missionaries to reach rural areas. There is often up to 35 people being trained at a time
• The Hiki Christian Hospital, which has workers who share the Gospel and provides a chapel service
• The towns of Tanuma and Ishibashi that appear to have no churches

"...Your Kingdom come." - Luke 11:2b

(1) Asian Access is moving toward its vision of 2% Christians in 2023, so that this year the Japanese church can go and receive twice as many blessings.
More than 50,000 meetings, including home churches and online meetings, have been held in the midst of the Corona disaster, and unchurched areas are being prayed for and looked to.
Let us pray that we, as Christians, will receive the double blessing that God is giving us!　

http://www.asianaccess.or.jp

(2) Pray for missionaries who have been called by God, love Japan, give their all for Japan, and are settled in Japan!
There are cultural differences, differences in thinking, and they may be struggling with loneliness at times.
Pray that their lives will be protected.
Pray that the Lord will use them in their work.

(3) The time of harvest is coming. It is not the time of sowing, but the time of harvest. Let us pray that our eyes will be opened to see the harvest everywhere!

Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.
John 4:35

Pray for those who are at a major turning point in their lives, such as university entrance examinations, high school entrance examinations, and junior high school entrance examinations.

Pray that Christian students will be able to face these examinations through prayer and the Word of God. Pray that they will be used for the Lord's glory.
Many people seek God's power, but may we use this as an opportunity to know the one true God.
Pray that we will be protected from unexpected disasters.
Pray that the Christians who are sent around the students will support them through prayer and love. May they be used as people who convey the Lord's will.
Pray for the candidates you know by name.