Here are the prayer requests for this week from our IMB missionaries in Japan. There are more requests at Prayers for IMB. Thank you for praying.
Many Japanese are exposed to the gospel and relationships with Christians for the very first time while spending time abroad in the US for work or student exchange programs. Pray for three families such as these as they return to Japan, that they would come to believe in the gospel.
DAY OF PRAYER AND FASTING for the East Asian Peoples and Japan’s city of Kamaishi. Kamaishi is a small, historic city located on the Sanriku coast of Iwate Prefecture in northeastern Japan. The city was founded in 1937 and expanded in 1955 with the addition of four neighboring villages. Sadly, much of the area’s God-given beauty was destroyed in the 2011 tsunami and earthquake. More than 1,250 residents of the city were killed or are still missing, including 200 people who prematurely went to a designated post-tsunami evacuation center, only to be washed away. Kamaishi City is slowly recovering from the devastation of the 2011 tsunami. More and more people are moving into permanent housing. Pray many would find their true home in Christ.
Pray that the seeds sown during the different evangelistic outreaches of the Love of Jesus Church done in December will germinate and take root. A Japanese brother will start leading the church in January. Pray that the church will continue to grow under the new leadership as they focus on Jesus and His mission.
Pray for the Buddhist friends that one of our missionaries has made that they will read, think and discuss in depth the gospel literature he gave them and they discussed. Pray the Lord leads them to reject Buddhism and receive salvation through Jesus Christ alone.