Prayer Guide – Week 25 (February 20-26)

This week's prayer focus is for Niigata and Toyama

Niigita .
This area receives some of the heaviest snowfall in Japan and is also its second largest producer of rice.
Spiritually, Niigata has deep roots in Buddhism, which has functioned as the main means of organized religious thought and practice.
Despite some successful missionary work in the past, Niigata is today one of the least-churched areas of Japan.

Please pray for:

• The small number of Japanese in Niigata who follow Christ - that they would realize their responsibility to share the Gospel with their homeland
• Unity between the various churches in the prefecture
• Niigata to ultimately (and speedily) be lead to the feet of Jesus

"Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us." - Psalm 62:8

Toyama
The rough terrain of the Tateyama Mountains surrounds the highest concentration of Buddhist followers in Japan.
While most of Japan performs Buddhist rituals in hopes of material gain, the residents of Toyama often use Buddhism in hope of escaping from the corruption of the world and finding deeper spiritual fulfillment.

Toyama's church attendance and membership statistics are among the lowest in the country.

Please pray for:

• The 18 towns and villages with no churches - that believers would be faithful to bring the Good News to those who have never heard.
• The cities of Osawano and Yatsuo, which have populations over 22,000 and no churches.
• This hard-to-reach area to be saturated with faithful Christ followers and to be freed from deep bondage.
• King Jesus would be enthroned in the hearts and minds of the people of Toyama.

"For as the rain and snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes out from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it." - Isaiah 55:10,11

We pray often for more workers for the harvest.
This week we give thanks for over 3000 missionaries in Japan. There are at least 200 mission groups operating across Japan

Pray that missionaries would persevere in learning Japanese language and culture to communicate the gospel more effectively.
Pray for missionaries to be mindful of how they are doing spiritually, physically, and emotionally so they can continue long term.
Pray against discouragement, a common weapon of the enemy against missions work in Japan.
Pray continually what Jesus commanded us to do, “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.” Matthew 9:38
More workers across Japan we pray.

The prices of electricity, gas, food, and daily necessities continue to rise.
With the great impact on our daily lives, we are filled with anxiety about the future. Let us pray.
Pray that Christians will stand firm in their faith in the Lord in this time when it is so easy to be swayed by changing circumstances.
Pray that those who place value on things that disappear and things that are shaken may look to Jesus who is the unchanging truth at this time.
May Christians always witness to Him and proclaim Him.
Pray that those who are in great financial hardship will be given specific needs today. Pray that the brothers and sisters in the Lord and the ministries that serve them will be used for this purpose.
May the Lord influence the work of the legislators and responsible ministries who are working for this situation.