Jumaa Prayer

for the Muslims of Africa and beyond

27 September 2013

West Africa Advanced School of Theology

Intercede with Us for the Muslim World!

As they go through the valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools (Ps 84:6, RSV). The valley of Baca was a dry, thirsty place, but those who are passed through it seeking God found refreshment. Let's pray this week that Muslims living in Islam's dry desert find refreshment in the true God when they sincerely seek Him.*

Today's Prayer Requests: From Students, Alumni, and Missionaries

MALI: Pray for the garibu boys. These youngsters, aged 4-15, live on the streets and collect alms to provide for themselves and to turn over to the Islamic leader for whom they work. They memorize the Koran in Arabic but receive no other education. Pray that they will learn of Jesus' love for them through loving believers willing to reach out. NIGER: As he returns home, a student asks us to pray that the Muslim members of his family will accept the Lord. Please pray for the families of other students who are returning to the same situation.

In the News
Please pray for those injured and for the families of 72 people killed in Somalia's Al-Shabaab's attack on the Westgate shopping center in Nairobi, Kenya. As the attack began on Saturday, terrorists allowed Muslims to leave and targeted non-Muslims. Pray that the Lord will work in the hearts of the bereaved and of the terrorists in custody. Update on Pasteur Saeed: Efforts continue to gain the release of Pastor Saaed, as he marks 1 year in prison on 26 September. His wife, Naghmeh, has traveled with her lawyer to appeal to the UN as Iranian president Rouhani visits. She discovered that the president and delegation are lodged in the same hotel as she, and was able to hand-deliver letters from her husband to two presidential aides. See the story at http://bit.ly/1bcdcKG. We thank God for Naghmeh's report that, to date, Pastor Saeed has led some 30 fellow inmates to the Lord. Pray for the Lord's favor and strength for Pastor Saeed and his family, for these new believers, and for Pastor Saeed's release.

From Global Initiative**

Please pray for MBBs (Muslim Background Believers) in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Christian persecution continues to be very harsh. The Taliban seems to be gaining strength and confidence in both nations. As the Afghan government notes a rise in conversions to Christianity and the growth of house churches, one legislator proposed this month that converts be executed according to sharia law. For more information, see http://bit.ly/15tG6Ou. This past Sunday's suicide attack on a church in Peshawar, Pakistan, killed 81 and demonstrates the Taliban's determination to eradicate Christians. See http://on.ft.com/1b6vute.

For Muslim Women***

Pray that expatriate Christian house-workers in Muslim countries would find favor in their workplaces and opportunity to live and share their faith with their employers and their families.

Prayer Resources
*Praying for Muslims: A Guide for Effective Intercession offers many insights concerning Islam and a different prayer subject each Friday. This week we pray for thirsty, seeking Muslims to find God in the valley: http://bit.ly/16IYUJK. **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/. Find information and prayer requests concerning Muslims around the world at http://www.30-days.net/. Information and prayer requests for each country are available at http://www.operationworld.org/. To learn more about unreached people groups, visit http://www.joshuaproject.net/. How should we pray for those imprisoned for their faith? Read http://www.elam.com/articles/How-to-pray-for-those-in-prison/. For news updates concerning persecuted Christians, visit http://morningstarnews.org/ and http://www.releaseinternational.org/. For prayer requests, visit http://www.opendoorsusa.org/pray/ and http://www.persecution.com/public/pray.aspx. Jumaa Prayer Alerts (breaking news and urgent prayer requests) are posted on the WAAST Facebook page as they arise: http://tinyurl.com/d4gm6uq. To help you answer Muslims' questions about Jesus and the Bible, explore http://unchangingword.com/index.php.