Prayer Initiatives

Brazil

Brazil is one-half of the land surface and population of South America. The world’s fifth largest country in both area and population. It is a melting pot of nations, with much intermarriage and blending of the many immigrant ethnicities. Most Brazilians have at least some mixed ethnic heritage.

Sustained strong growth has stabilized the economy. One great challenge will be to increase agricultural space without traumatizing the Amazon and Pantanal ecosystems, stewardship vs exploitation. There remains a vast gap between rich and poor, but is has improved significantly. The residual bias to Catholicism in government circles is decreasing as the influence of the evangélicos grows.

India

Geographically and politically, India dominates South Asia and the Indian Ocean with 28 Union States and 7 Union Territories. Kashmir is a contested area administered by Pakistan and China.

India’s constitution provides full religious freedom of worship and witness for all religions. The rise of Hindutva extremist resulted in a hate campaign against Muslims in the early 1990s and against Christians in the late 1990s as followers of ‘foreign” religions. Due to mass-conversion movements by Dalit groups away from Hinduism, and to evangelistic activities by Christian groups, issues of conversion and anti-conversions laws are high importance and sensitivity. Persecution levels range widely, depending on the strength of Hindutva groups from one state to the next.

Israel

The state of Israel is 20,700 sq. km, with an additional 7,540 sq. km. from the West Bank, Gaza, and Golan Heights which has been controlled by Israel since 1967. Six wars with surrounding states in 1948, 1956, 1967, 1973, 1982-1985, and 2006, plus the Gaza War in 2009 have kept the country on a war footing. Repeated military engagement in Lebanon, the rising pressure of Palestinian civil unrest, the intifada, civil unrest, and increased threat from Iran have sapped Israeli stamina. The Israeli society remains deeply divided.

All religions are free to minister within their own communities. Reform and Conservative Jews are often marginalized by ultra-Orthodox influence, which applies constant pressure to limit freedom of religion through anti-conversion laws and persecution of Messianic Jews.

Palestine

The Palestine Authority is 6,243 sq. km. comprising of two separate parts, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The Palestine Authority controls the main towns and scattered enclaves. Jewish settler enclaves and Israeli military authorities control the rest. Much economic activity is limited to small family businesses. Restricted travel and access to water and power supplies undermines industry and foreign investments. The Palestine administration has offered few economic solutions thus far.

International efforts to achieve a compromise settlement of the bitter confrontations between Israelis and Palestinians have only a small chance of overcoming the deadly stalemate. Political struggles continue and Israeli occupation and Islamist persecution is squeezing out the Christian minority. 

la Chapelle

Top 3 prayer requests:

1. Please continue to pray for Pastor Josias Laporte and the church plant in Gatineau. Please pray for the core group who is eager to launch after the delay of Covid. We want people to be passionate of Jesus and passionate to build the church.
2. Please pray for our worship pastor in Gatineau. He is now in France and we are waiting on his Visa for him to come to Canada. Everything is ready for him. It’s a huge change for him.
3. Please pray for a future part-time operations pastor based in Gatineau. (A person who is the right arm of Josias and who is in charge of operations, all the service team, logistics, etc.) We need one person who is a servant-leader and good in management with a pastoral heart. Probably a volunteer at the beginning.

Marissa's House Projects

 Top 3 prayer requests:

1. Pray for Ugandans as they struggle with the effects of COVID-19 throughout the country. Just because we do not hear about it in the U.S. does not mean it is not a huge problem. Many people are continuing to contract it and die.
2. Pray for the kids at the church homes (Marissa's House, Bakka, Bukasa-Buloba & Kyengera) as they are very disheartened by all of this. As of now they are almost 2 years behind in their schooling and the government just extended the lockdown on schools and churches, indefinitely. Our kids are growing, getting older and are going to be so far behind when this is over due to the fact that they started school later in life in the first place. Pastor John says they are anxious, bored and depressed.
3. Ethiopia's civil troubles continue. Please pray for peace to be restored among the differing tribes. Pray also for wisdom in how to move forward with the Zenebe-Work Landfill project in light of COVID.

Legacy Church Preschool (LCP)

Top 3 prayer requests:

1. Prayers for enrollment.
2. Safety and health for our teachers and families.
3. Prayers that we would be a light to our families, leading them towards Jesus.

Legacy ESL Program

Top 3 prayer requests:

1. Pray that the people who need to learn not only English, but also that Jesus loves them, are led to our program.
2. Pray for open hearts as we share the love of Christ, and that our students will know we love and care for them.  
3. Pray we not only make an impact in their lives, but also in their circle of influence. 

Belle & Sparrows

Top 3 prayer requests:

1. Moving into our new Stella Job Training Center and praying for volunteers to help with painting and finish out as well as praying for the women that will be coming to the center - for their salvation and for them to regain dignity and feel worthy!
2. Upcoming Boots & Belles event - sponsors and attendees to help raise funds for the The Stella Center
3. Grant Writer to join our team and help us with a few grants that will benefit the women coming to the center.

Emily's Place

Top 3 prayer requests:

1. We are moving in 7-9 new families. Please pray for their transition.
2. We are working on our 20th anniversary gala. Please pray for us to show the story of what God has done at EP in the past two decades.
3. We are in our most expensive season of the year for residents with Back to School, Halloween, Fall Coat/Clothing, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Please pray for a strong North Texas Giving Day and support for our residents (especially with the additional 9 families!)

Real Options

Top 3 prayer requests:

1. Please pray for Real Options 7th Annual Fundraising Banquet coming up on September 10th. Pray for all of the details to come together and for our table hosts as they are inviting individuals to the banquet. Pray that just the right people would join us at the banquet to hear about this life saving ministry.
2. Please continue to pray for more phone calls and foot traffic to come into Real Options. Pray for new ideas and as we continue to navigate with our marketing company how to reach more women who are seeking abortions.
3. Pray for our patient advocates as they are counseling many abortion minded clients. Pray that they would not grow weary and that they would be encouraged and uplifted by the Lord.

The Seed Company

Top 3 prayer requests:

1. Please pray for the thousands of translators around the world. May God fill them with wisdom and understanding as they translate God’s Word into their language.
2. There are still 2,000 people groups who do not have a single verse of Scripture in their language, please pray and ask God for the wisdom, strategy, and resources to engage all of these people who are loved by God.
3. Please pray for the church in the US to catch a vision for the mission of Bible translation. May the needs of Bible translation be known among every church in the US.