Prayer For Japan
Lord, may whole families believe in Jesus, from small children to elderly grandparents
Sometimes only the wife believes pray for non-believing husbands. Pray for teenagers in the Japanese education system where the pressures are great and it's easy to drift away from church.
Lord, encourage and envision pastors; may churches overflow with love, joy, and hope
Many pastors struggle in small churches with little growth and financial stresses. They need encouragement. Remember pastors' families. Pray for churches you know and those you don't.
Lord, may your people worship you joyfully, serve you wholeheartedly, and witness boldly
Pray that where church is a chore, there would be joy. Where Christian living is legalistic, may there be a fresh infilling of the Spirit. Where there is a fear or reluctance to witness about their Lord, may there be boldness and power.
Lord, show us clearly what we should be and do as we are here for such a time as this'
We implemented a new structure in 2015 and decided on a new vision and mission in 2016. We are waiting on the Lord to show us the next steps we should take to begin to see that vision fulfilled. Pray we would be sensitive to and patient with one another.
Lord, may churches work together, seek to overcome differences, love one another
It is sad when churches or denominations are divided. Many churches are small could they work better together? Pray for reconciliation where there are broken relationships.
Lord, raise up missionaries, pastors, evangelists, lay leaders, witnesses in the workplace
Recently we have seen a decrease in the number of new workers coming to Japan, but we need to see a significant increase. Pray to the Lord of the harvest for new workers and that the workers we have would have health and strength to do the Lord's work. We also want to see Japanese Christians becoming pastors/evangelists as well as Christians seeking to be salt and light where they work.
Lord, help your people to fight with spiritual armour and shine as lights in the darkness
The spiritual battle here is very real. We need to recognise that and pray accordingly. Pray for protection for missionaries and Japanese Christians. Pray they would really know and experience he who is in us is greater than he who is in the world.
Father in heaven, you are the absolute Sovereign over the shaking of the earth, the rising of the sea, and the raging of the waves. We tremble at your power and bow before your unsearchable judgments and inscrutable ways. We cover our faces and kiss your omnipotent hand. We fall helpless to the floor in prayer and feel how fragile the very ground is beneath our knees.
O God, we humble ourselves under your holy majesty and repent. In a momentin the twinkling of an eyewe too could be swept away. We are not more deserving of firm ground than our fellowmen in Japan. We too are flesh. We have bodies and homes and cars and family and precious places. We know that if we were treated according to our sins, who could stand? All of it would be gone in a moment. So in this dark hour we turn against our sins, not against you.
And we cry for mercy for Japan. Mercy, Father. Not for what they or we deserve. But mercy.
Have you not encouraged us in this? Have we not heard a hundred times in your Word the riches of your kindness, forbearance, and patience? Do you not a thousand times withhold your judgments, leading your rebellious world toward repentance? Yes, Lord. For your ways are not our ways, and your thoughts are not our thoughts.
Grant, O God, that the wicked will forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Grant us, your sinful creatures, to return to you, that you may have compassion. For surely you will abundantly pardon. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord Jesus, your beloved Son, will be saved.
May every heart-breaking lossmillions upon millions of lossesbe healed by the wounded hands of the risen Christ. You are not unacquainted with your creatures' pain. You did not spare your own Son, but gave him up for us all.
In Jesus you tasted loss. In Jesus you shared the overwhelming flood of our sorrows and suffering. In Jesus you are a sympathetic Priest in the midst of our pain.
Deal tenderly now, Father, with this fragile people. Woo them. Win them. Save them.
And may the floods they so much dread make blessings break upon their head.
O let them not judge you with feeble sense, but trust you for your grace. And so behind this providence, soon find a smiling face.
In Jesus' merciful name, Amen.