Jumaa Prayer

for the Muslims of Africa and beyond West Africa Advanced School of Theology 7 September 2012
Intercede with Us for the Muslim World!
...a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me (Jn 16:3). Jesus warned His disciples that those in the world would hate them, and He explained why: they have not known the Father or Jesus. Islam's animosity toward Christians is nothing new or surprising. The solution? Muslims need to know the Father. They need to know Jesus. Who will tell them? Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to guide us as we testify about Him. This week let's pray for the Spirit's guidance in our words to and prayers for these people who desperately need to know Father and Son.

Today's Prayer Requests: From Students and Alumni

MALI: Please continue to pray concerning the political / religious divisions in Mali. An alumnus writes, The situation in Mali remains worrisome. Both side are preparing for eventual war.... Continue to pray for peace. President Traore has made an official request to the West African Economic Community for military assistance. The extremist group MUJAO is moving southward and threatens to take Bamako if the military intervenes. NIGER: Pray for those affected by floods in Niger. Thousands have lost their homes and crops. Pray for opportunities for churches and believers to minister to spiritual as well as physical needs. Pray for a student's family, that they would be able to return to their flooded home. SENEGAL: Recent flooding in the capital, Dakar, has killed at least 9 people; many are seeking refuge in the city's stadium. Pray for open doors for Christians to share God's love. Also, a student asks for prayer concerning the mounting tension between Senegal and neighboring Gambia, also a Muslim-majority nation. To mark the end of Ramadan, Gambia's president announced the execution of death-row prisoners, some of whom are Senegalese. As dark animosity is expressed on both sides, pray for opportunities to speak of God's Light, justice, and love.

In the News
IRAN: Please lift up these four pastors being held for their faith, and for their families and witness. (1) Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, imprisoned since 2009 and sentenced to death 3 times, faces the court again for undisclosed charges on Saturday, 8 September. Please pray for God's wisdom and boldness as he stands before the judge. (2) Benham Irani has been in prison and is suffering with an ulcer. He has been denied needed surgery and needs God's healing touch. (3) Farshid Fathi is serving 6 years in a notorious prison, but is said to be a shining beacon for Christ. Pray that others will turn to Christ because of his witness. (4) Saeed Abedini, detained on a visit to Iran, is awaiting questioning.

From Global Initiative*

Pray for God to work a miracle in the lives of Algerias 35 million Muslims. Fewer than 0.3 % of the people are evangelical Christians. They are watched and sometimes harassed, and it is difficult for a church to receive legal status. Pray for churches and believers as they encourage one another and reach out to their neighbors. See http://www.persecution.org/2012/08/02/christians-face-ongoing-battle-to-legalize-churches-in-algeria/.

For Muslim Women**

Pray for women who are afraid to initiate friendship with Muslim women. Pray that the Holy Spirit will give them courage and insight to lovingly reach out to their Muslim neighbors.

Prayer Resources
*Global Initiative is a ministry of Assemblies of God World Missions, USA. Visit http://globalinitiativeinfo.com/ for information about praying for Muslims and weekly requests. **Muslim women need your prayers! You can join a prayer network and receive regular requests at http://sayhelloinfo.com/ This site, http://www.30-days.net/, provides information and prayer requests concerning Muslims around the world. Find information and prayer requests for each country at http://www.operationworld.org/. How should we pray for those imprisoned for their faith? Read http://www.elam.com/articles/How-to-pray-for-those-in-prison/. Praying for Muslims: A Guide for Effective Intercession offers many insights concerning Islam and a different prayer subject each Friday. For the request for 7 September, click here. Jumaa Prayer Alerts (breaking news and urgent prayer requests) are posted on the WAAST Facebook page as they arise: http://www.facebook.com/pages/West-Africa-Advanced-School-of-Theology/177906542299157?bookmark_t=page.