Prayer Guide – Week 49 (Aug 07-13)

This week's prayer focus is for Yamanashi and Shizouka Prefectures.

Yamanashi
The mountains surrounding most of the prefecture have led the people of Yamanashi to have a strong sense of community. This sense of intimacy between family and friends is the strongest the nation.

There are a number of denominations present in Kufu City, Yamanashi's capital, but rural villages have a very limited number of churches. According to the Operation Japan prayer guide, there are only 7 missionaries working to reach Yamanashi's population of 882,678.

Please pray for:

• The 32 towns and villages with no churches, that God's people would be obedient in love by bringing them the Good News.
• The believers in Kofu City, that they would have a burden for the people of their own city and prefecture, leading them to go out and reach the lost.
• God's love to rest upon the hearts of the people of Yamanashi and that many would come to know their merciful Creator.

"Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and exult, because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you." - Isaiah 60:5

Shizouka|
This week's prayer focus is Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.

Shizuoka is Japan's leading producer of tea and is home to a bustling fishing industry. The strong economy in this area has helped materialism take root, causing the people of this prefecture to have less religious awareness than much of Japan. They do not rely as strongly on Buddhism or Shinto.

Please pray for:

• The people of Shizuoka, that Christ will lift the veil from their eyes to see their need for Him
• God's Kingdom to come to this prefecture, breaking down any strongholds that the enemy has
• The four Christian schools in this prefecture, that their students would discover who their God is and be used to share His love with the people of Japan.

"The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." - Luke 10:2

Pray that the Father will call out a new generation of pastors in Japan, where many pastors are already beyond retirement age.

Japan is a nation of hardworking people. Pray that they will find rest for their souls in God’s unfailing, everlasting arms.

Pray that Japanese in the cities where missionaries are located will be unable to resist or reject His love that is so awesomely and yet so tenderly given.

Japan is at a point in its history where it is experiencing unprecedented social upheaval. Pray that the uncertainty will cause many to seek God who never changes.

Despite all the beauty and efficiency of Japan, there are wide barriers between the Japanese people and the True God. Pray that all will have a chance to know our Creator God.

Ask God to strengthen workers as they continue to minister following the earthquake of March 2011. Pray His blessings on the Japanese who are still recovering and living in temporary housing.

Pray that the land of the rising sun will become the Land of the Risen Son in our generation as Jesus Christ is worshiped throughout Japan.

• More than 80 years have passed since the end of World War II. Let us pray that the atomic bombings, which inflicted terrible damage, and other conflicts that caused tragic destruction and hatred in various parts of the world will never be repeated.
• Let us pray that the Lord's hand will reign over the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and that peace will be realized.
• Let us pray that this nation, bound by sin and blind to the truth, will accept the salvation of Christ's love and be led to the blessing of bending the knee and worshipping His name.
• Let us pray that the heat will continue, that each person's health will be sustained, and that as many people as possible will encounter Christ.