Prayer Guide – Week 38 (May 22-28)

This week we are praying for two Prefectures in Kyushu – the most southern island.

The first prefecture is Kumamoto.
This prefecture s home to people who are more religiously inclined than most Japanese. Conservative in nature, many identify themselves as Buddhists.
Of its 75 towns and villages, 57 have no church presence at all. Kumaimakusa is a city of over 35,000 with no church at all.

Please pray for:

• The towns, villages, and cities where people have no access to Christian witness - that they would hear the Good News of great Joy.
• The missionaries and Japanese believers in Kumamoto - that they would be empowered by the Holy Spirit to reach out in courage and love to the lost around them.
• Kumamoto to be a place that calls on the name of the Lord.

"For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
- Romans 10:13

The second prefecture is Oita.
Being influenced by Kansai and Shikoku, the people of Oita are a bit more individualistic and relationalistic. Within the prefecture also lies a darker spiritual reality: there is divination and "magic" that are practiced, especially near the Usa shrine.

Historically, there are a number of people who became Christians with the preaching of Francis Xavier in the 16th century, but there is now little to show for it. Of the 47 towns and villages, 39 are without a church presence. The number of congregations has decreased in the last ten years.

Please pray for:

• The eyes of those in Oita to be opened to the one true Creator
• The believers in Oita, that they would be strengthened by the Holy Spirit to boldly proclaim the Gospel with humility
• God's Kingdom to come to OIta prefecture
• Pray for the YWAM team reaching out in Oita

"His radiance is like the sunlight;
He has rays flashing from His hand,
And there is the hiding of His power."
- Habakkuk 3:4

In Acts 2:17 Peter, quoting a prophet, explains what is happening at Pentecost. “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.”

Can you pray this week for the Church of Japan. That it would dream like at Pentecost and that God will pour out His Spirit on all Japanese people. Currently there are big visions that some young people have to bring young Christians from across Japan together to pray and worship. One Church is dreaming about taking over a whole School building that has closed. Could you pray for that. And pray that many Japanese Christians will see dreams and visions.

Pray for the Prayer movement across Japan. This coming week there is a prayer summit happening with key prayer leaders meeting together to try to hear what God is saying. Pray for the Church of Japan to be a praying Church

Give thanks for how in 2021 over a million hours of prayer was prayed for Japan. We want to see more prayer for Japan. Pray for prayer!

Let us look forward to the outpouring of the Spirit before Pentecost.　

• Pray that pastors will be encouraged and receive visions from the Lord.
• That the church would be filled with the power and joy of the Holy Spirit.
• That each believer would be filled with the Spirit and united with the Lord's heart.
• That people would respond to the Lord's promptings and be led to baptism throughout the country.
• Pray that the Holy Spirit would touch those who have left the Lord's fellowship after encountering Christ, and that they would return to the fellowship of the church.