Author: bbyrd

Many Team Expansion workers serve in Muslim lands. Pray for God’s servants to have boldness, courage, and wisdom to engage in conversation with Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan.

Once the sun sets below the horizon, mosques (sometimes with cannons) announce the break of the day’s fast. The streets are empty and quiet, all shops are closed, and you can literally hear the rattle of plates and silverware as families eat together. O God, we pray that one day many of these same families will worship together in their homes, to the Lamb who was slain and is worthy of all praise!

“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?” (Isaiah 58:6). LORD, let this kind of grace and justice break into the landscape of Libya as they fast from physical things during their holy season of Ramadan.

Praise God for drawing people out of Islam who are now followers of Jesus. Pray for national believers from Muslim background new and old who struggle through Ramadan as they relate with family members, decide whether to participate in fasting or not, and often are isolated from other believers when with their families.

Iraq has been involved in 3 major painful, ugly, costly, divisive and destructive wars in the last 32 years. In addition to wars, there were murderous dictatorial oppression, uprisings and nationalist actions, causing tens of thousands of deaths. There are about 1,000,000 widows in Iraq, living in society which restricts female work and social activities. Having enough well- paying work to raise a family is beyond their ability or possibility. Pray for Iraqi widows to be given opportunity to hear and respond to the Gospel. Ask God to supply their daily needs and give them hope in their deep despair.

Ramadan (May 13-June 14) is a month of fasting for many Muslims. It is a time of self-examination and increased religious devotion. Followers of Islam are encouraged to read and recite the entire Qur’an through special prayers known as ‘Tarawih’, which are held in mosques every night of the month. Ask God to reveal Jesus to Muslims during this season of Ramadan. Ask God to create a hunger for His Word and a devotion to memorizing and obeying His inherent Word.

Memorials are set up in honor of those who have died. Jesus instituted a memorial of Himself to remind us of His sacrifice, His love, His commission and His return. He knew His children would need help to remember. His blood covers our sin and that is represented in the juice of a grape, the fruit of the vine. His body suffered beatings and excruciating pain until He died, and that is represented in the bread. God raised Jesus from the dead, and He lives today! Jesus is the Vine, and He is the Living Bread. Praise God for this memory of His Resurrected Son and anticipation of His promise to return.

A shortage of food and petrol (due to a strike) in Brasilia perpetuated the cancellation of a training of over 300 pastors and youth this week. Please pray that this training could be rescheduled for another time.

Praise God for what He is doing among Brazilians in preparing to establish a missionary sending base. Pray for disciple making movements to explode and the Gospel is taken to peoples who have not heard it yet.

Praise God for partnerships that enable disciple making movement training to be taken to Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Brazil. Ask God to ignite DMMs in these cities for the glory of His name.