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Become a Daily World Christian
3
What is the Global Prayer Digest?Th e Global Prayer Digest is a unique devotion-
al booklet. Each day it gives a glimpse
of what God is doing around the world
and what still remains to be done. Daily
prayer for that still-unfi nished task is at
the heart of the Adopt-A-People move-
ment. Condensed missionary stories,
biblical challenges, urgent reports, and
exciting descriptions of unreached peo-
ples provide a digest of rich fuel for your
own times of prayer for the world.
Become a Daily World ChristianTh e Global Prayer Digest is a key tool in a
movement to help fulfi ll Christ’s com-
mission to make disciples of all the peo-
ples of the earth. Th is movement involves
a daily discipline of learning, praying, and
giving to help reach the world’s nearly
10,000 unreached people groups. Un-
reached peoples are those groups which
do not yet have a strong church in their
own cultural and social setting.
Myanmar, Mothers and the Frontier Fellowship MovementTh e Frontier Fellowship Movement
is an adaptation of a custom among
tribal Christians in Burma (now called
Myanmar) and elsewhere. As the
mother in each family prepares meals
for her family, she sets aside a hand-
ful of rice in a special container, and
prays for their church’s missionaries to
unreached people groups. Rice from
families in the church is sold to support
their frontier missionaries.
Loose Change Adds Up!In adapting the Burma Plan to our culture,
we have simply substituted loose change
for rice and have added this educational
and inspirational Global Prayer Digest. One
person’s loose change will average about
$100 per year exclusively for frontier
missions! When the national goal of one
million Adopt-A-People Prayer Partners is
reached, that will mean $100 million more
per year for the frontiers!
Devotional IdeasHow can you make the most of this prayer digest:
• Some people use it as a supplement to their regular devotional time.
• Others enjoy reading and praying around the dinner table with the entire family.
• We encourage you to gather monthly with other Christ friends who are involved in this movement.
• Join the “Frontier Fellowship movement” (left), a version of the Burma Plan, to fi nancially support frontier missions.
Every day at the top of the page you’ll fi nd the name of an unreached people group for which to pray. Th e small maps will help you locate the day’s feature.
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RECORDS AND SUBSCRIPTIONSU.S. Center for World Mission1605 East Elizabeth StreetPasadena, CA 91104-2721Tel: (330) [email protected]
MANAGING EDITORKeith Carey
ASSISTANT EDITORPaula Fern
WRITERSGlenn CulbertsonPatricia Depew Patti EdigerWesley Kawato Arlene Knickerbocker Esther Jerome-DharmarajChristopher LaneAnnabeth Lewis Charles NewcombeTed Proffi ttLydia ReynoldsJeff Rockwell Jean Smith Jane W. Sveska
DAILY BIBLE COMMENTARIESDave Dougherty, Director of Plans and Training, OMF Intl.Keith Carey, Managing Editor, GPD
CUSTOMER SERVICEDan Eddy
GRAPHICSAmanda Valloza
PRINTERDiversifi ed Printers , La Mirada, CA
WEB SITEwww.globalprayerdigest.org
ISSN 1045-9731Contents of the Global Prayer Digest © 2013 U.S. Center for World Mission1605 East Elizabeth StreetPasadena, CA 91104
Contents of this booklet may be reproduced if appropriate credit and subscription information are given.
For subscription information, call (330) 626-3361.For comments on content, call (626) 398-2241.
EditorialDear Praying Friends,
Th ree days before receiving the preliminary issue of this GPD for editing, I heard two talks on Matthew chapters 5-7 from the Sermon on the Mount. Th en I received these GPD stories from the fi eld contributors, and all the Bible verses are about the Sermon
on the Mount! Could God be telling me something?
One of the points I heard in church is that the Sermon on the Mount is the perfect part of Scripture for witnessing. Th ese verses cut deep into the diff erences between how the world views life and how Christ’s followers should live. Th ere is something shocking about the holiness displayed by those who follow what Jesus taught us in these three chapters. Th e rest of the world is seeking power and control, while Christ’s followers remain meek. Our Lord demands that we love our enemies. No one can live up to His teachings except by relying solely on Him!
Meanwhile, the teachings of Christ are slowly being propagated to the Qiangic Tibetan Speakers (QTS) that we will pray for this month. Th ese people are Tibetan in culture and religion, but they speak various languages based on what is called the Qiangic (pronounced chee-ang-ic) language. You will hear this term many times in this issue. We last covered these unreached people groups in November of 2003. Th is is the month to hear about some of the things that God is now doing in this remote part of China’s Sichuan Province.
In His Name,
Keith Carey, managing editor, GPD
PS—For security reasons, the fi eld missionaries will only be identifi ed by their initials at the end of the prayer entries.
July 2013
Feature of the Month
5
Pray for a Strong Fellowship for Every Qiangic
Speaking Tibetan People Group in
China’s Sichuan Province
SichuanTibet
CHINA
Bac
kgro
und
6
To Help You Pray Better
Who Are the Tibetan QSTs?
Who are the Tibetan QSTs? Lying on the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau
in Western Sichuan Province is a series of steep
high mountain ranges that run north and south.
Historically these mountains formed the geographical
border region between the Han Chinese culture to
the east and the Tibetan culture to the west. Over
time at least 18 diff erent ethnic groups of Tibetans
migrated to these mountains. Some researchers now
call this area the “Ethnic Corridor.” Over one million
Tibetans live in this part of Sichuan. One third of
these Tibetans do not speak Tibetan as their fi rst
language. Th ese are the Qiangic speaking Tibetans
(QST) which means that they speak languages
that are related to the language of the Qiang, a
neighboring people group cluster. However, they have
adopted the Tibetan culture and customs, and most
of them would identify themselves as Tibetan, having
that classifi cation on their id cards. Unlike other
Tibetans and unlike the Qiang, the Qiangic speaking
Tibetans (the QSTs) are still largely unknown. Most
Chinese citizens have never heard of these languages
or the names of these people groups, much less
anyone from the wider Western world. Many things
remain to be discovered about their history, culture,
and languages.
To the West of Sichuan lies the Tibetan Plateau, a
huge area of mountains and high altitude grasslands.
Th is is the home of the Tibetan farmers and nomads
with their herds of yaks and sheep. On the Plateau,
the main languages spoken are Amdo, Kham, and
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77
the Central dialects of the Tibetan language. Th e central city of infl uence and
importance is Lhasa, the historical center of Tibetan culture and former political
capital of the Tibetan nation. Th e QSTs also live in Western Sichuan Province.
Each of the Qiangic Speaking Tibetan groups living in both the eastern and
western part of Sichuan Province has its own history and customs. Each one is
unique. Yet they all share some common characteristics.
What are the common characteristics of Qiangic Speaking Tibetans?Isolation. Qiangic Speaking Tibetans are isolated in several ways. Th ey
are isolated by tall mountain ranges, and they have survived for possibly
thousands of years because their mountain fortresses were so diffi cult to
reach. Even today in the age of jet planes and high-speed trains, many
Qiangic Tibetan villages are only accessible by steep mountain footpaths.
Th ey are also isolated because of language diff erences. Qiangic Tibetans
speak languages that are not written. Th ere are no newspapers or textbooks
in their languages, and there are no schools that teach these languages.
QST children need to learn a second language to go to school. Th ey are
educated in either Mandarin or Tibetan. Education for Qiangic Tibetans
is harder to obtain than for people who speak Chinese as a fi rst language.
Adults need to know Sichuanese or Tibetan for communication with
people outside their community.
Th ey are also isolated from the prosperous east coast of China. Th e entire
western region of China is isolated from the economic boom on the east
coast. Because of diffi culties in travel and communication, it is even more
diffi cult for Qiangic Tibetans to gain access to the kind of economic
advantages enjoyed by people in the larger cities on the east coast.
Subsistence farming is still the normal lifestyle for a majority of QSTs.
However the Qiangic speaking Tibetans are rapidly becoming less
isolated. Aggressive infrastructure development on the part of the Chinese
government, particularly after the Sichuan earthquake in May 2008, has led
to much improved roads and tunnels throughout the region. Better roads
mean that it is easier for people to travel and look for work, and it is easier
for those carrying the good news to get in!
An emphasis on tourism is also opening up new areas to development.
Areas that were previously little known and rarely seen are now regular
destinations for tour buses. New hotels and restaurants are transforming
Who Are the Tibetan QSTs?
continued on next page
88
Who Are the Tibetan QSTs?
some of the small stone-house farming villages. In areas that have electricity,
satellite TV dishes can be seen on the roofs of farmhouses. As the outside
world becomes more familiar with these isolated groups, the QSTs are also
learning much about the world outside their valleys through television and
radio programs. Although it is still diffi cult to travel to many of their villages,
Qiangic Tibetans are more accessible now than ever before in history.
Another common characteristic of Qiangic Tibetans is that they are mostly
subsistence farmers or herders. Th ey farm the narrow valley fl oors, and
terrace the mountainsides that are not too steep. Th ey graze yaks, sheep,
and goats on the mountainsides and the high alpine grasslands. Th ey grow
enough to eat. In order to make money, the men work on city construction
crews as truck drivers, and on road building.
Probably the most outstanding characteristic of Qiangic Speaking Tibetans
is their common practice of Tibetan Buddhism. Because of their intense
devotion to their religion, Tibetans have been called the most religious
people in the world. Most Tibetans feel that to be Tibetan is to be a Tibetan
Buddhist. Th eir racial and cultural identity is intertwined with their religion.
What do Tibetan Buddhists Believe?Tibetan Buddhists believe that after death animals and people come back in
another life form. People spend a lifetime accumulating merit in hopes of a
better next life. Common ways of gaining merit are spinning prayer wheels,
walking in a circle around holy sites like temples, and repeating prayers.
Pilgrimages to holy mountains and to the holy sites in Lhasa are also ways
to gain merit.
Qiangic Speaking Tibetan homes all have a place where they pray to
the gods they believe are living in the local mountains, rivers, trees, and
earth. Th ey burn incense and juniper as a way of worship. Centuries-old
commitments to these gods are renewed in yearly festivals.
Tibetan Buddhist lamas are consulted for all aspects of daily life. Children
are brought to lamas to be named. Lamas diagnose spiritual causes for
sicknesses, and prescribe treatments like repeating certain Buddhist writings
or certain Buddhist prayers. Lamas have various ways of telling the future in
order to advise people in their aff airs. People consult lamas on things such
as when to marry, where to build a house, or how to conduct business. Th e
lama’s most important role is guiding the soul after death on the journey to
the next life. Th e ultimate hope for a Buddhist is to not return to life, but to
99
escape the circle of death and rebirth and the suff ering encountered in life.
Tibetan Buddhist lamas and monks live, study, and worship in monasteries.
In the past up to 20 percent of the men spent their lives in the monasteries
as monks. Although many monasteries were closed during the Cultural
Revolution, many are now open again and growing. Monks have the
chance to devote all their time to gaining merit and to study.
What Does God Want for the Qiangic Speaking Tibetans?Revelation 7:9 (NIV) says, “...Th ere before me was a great multitude
that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language,
standing before the throne and in front of the lamb.” Th is is a promise
that in the future there will be some people from every nation, tribe, and
language that choose to worship Christ and follow Him. It is a promise
that people from each group of Qiangic speaking Tibetans will be part of
the multitude gathered around the throne of God in worship.
However, at this point most of these people have never heard the Name
of Jesus. Most of their languages have never yet been used in prayer to the
one true God. Most have no one to tell them about Him. None have a
local church with people from their own language. None have a Bible in
their own language yet. Th ese are people that God has promised will be
represented in that great crowd of worshippers around His throne. But
they still have not even heard about Jesus, who gave His life to cleanse
them from sin and bring them into God’s family.
In Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV) Jesus told his followers to “Go and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I
commanded you.” Qiangic Speaking Tibetans will hear about Jesus when
His followers leave their homes and go to them and tell them about the
one true and loving God.
Romans 10:14 (NIV) “How, then can they call on the one they have not
believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not
heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And
how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful
are the feet of those who bring good news!’”
Pray that God will speed the day when His Word and His people will go
out to the Qiangic Tibetan peoples. GPD
Who Are the Tibetan QSTs?
10
… John the Baptist came,
preaching in the wilderness
of Judea and saying,
“Repent, for the kingdom
of heaven has come near.”
This is he who was spoken
of through the prophet
Isaiah: A voice of one calling
in the wilderness, ‘Prepare
the way for the Lord, make
straight paths for him.’”
Since the earliest days, there has been a call to take the gospel where it is not known. It is always easier to stay comfortable than to push out into areas where the light of the gospel has not yet reached. This is true whether we are talking about suburbia USA or inland China. There are so many who have no access to His gospel, and we know that He is not willing that any should perish.
Pray that the Lord will help
us to push out of our comfort
zones. Pray that the Holy
Spirit will help us to know
what “wilderness” we are to
walk into, to prepare the way
for the Lord.
The Tibetan horse bucked, reared, and tossed its
rider! Th e unfortunate rider’s foot was caught
in the stirrup, and he was dragged over rocks and
trampled by the animal until he was almost dead.
Only the sudden breaking of the stirrup saved his
life, though he was left with a badly skinned back,
multiple bruises, and several cracked ribs.
Such was the experience of James H. Edgar on one
of his many trips out of his home base in Kangding
(then called Tatsienlu) in Sichuan Province in China.
Edgar, born in 1872 in Australia, was raised on a
pioneer farm in New Zealand. As a young man he
heard two women who had been to the edge of Tibet
speak about its need for the gospel. He immediately
decided that bringing the gospel to this area must
be his life’s work. He was accepted by the China
Inland Mission and sent to China, arriving in time to
experience the Boxer Rebellion.
About 1902 he was sent to Kangding where he lived
until his death in 1936 and where he is buried. He
was one of the fi rst to encounter and reach out to
people in Ganzi and Aba prefectures who, though
they were Tibetan Buddhists, did not speak the
Tibetan language. He traveled widely in ethnic
Jiarong areas and was the fi rst to study that language,
the largest in the Qiangic language group.
Pray that many believers will answer the call to take the
gospel to these precious people groups that need to hear
God’s redemptive story in their own languages.—BM
Day 1Missionary Biography of James EdgarMatthew 3:1-3
11
Produce fruit in keeping
with repentance.
It is easy to think that just because we “know” the right answers to the questions of life or even ‘know’ the meaning of the Scriptures that we are not in need of help. However, new life comes not just from the words themselves, but rather the words illuminated by the Holy Spirit of God, which brings repentance resulting in obedience. Obedience leads to a transformed life!
Pray that the Holy Spirit will
work in our hearts so that
conviction and repentance
would cause total life
transformation.
E dgar hired a wild-looking old man to help him
learn the Gyalrong language. Th e old man
agreed, and they set to work. Together they translated
a Tibetan-English lexicon into Gyalrong.
Th ey composed a tract about the love of God, and
then they produced a Tibetan Christian catechism.
Edgar added a chapter on the devil, at which point his
assistant became very excited, saying he knew much
about the devil because he was a devil worshipper.
When they translated the Lord’s Prayer, the man
was very interested in the Christian concept of the
Creator being the father of all mankind. Th e idea of
an Almighty God being pure and holy also impressed
him greatly, as did the prayer that God’s will should be
done in earth as in Heaven. But when they came to the
petition, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them
that trespass against us,” the man began to tremble.
Putting down his pen and rolling up his writing
materials, he said, “Th is is holy; I am a sinful man; I
dare not translate that.” He was afraid because he had
been a robber and had killed many of his enemies.
Such is the power of the written Word of God to
convict hearts. Each year Edgar distributed about
30,000 copies of Scripture, and many were carried
into Tibet.
Much of this translation work was lost when the commu-
nists took over China in October 1950, so pray for new
translation eff orts into the mother tongue of every group
on the Tibetan Plateau.
Missionary Biography, ContinuedDay 2
Matthew 3:8
12
John tried to deter him,
saying, “I need to be
baptized by you, and do
you come to me?” Jesus
replied, “Let it be so now;
it is proper for us to do this
to fulfi ll all righteousness.”
Then John consented.
As we seek to live out our faith, many times there may be areas where fulfi lling the traditions and customs of our culture come into confl ict with what it means to be a Christian. Sometimes this may mean rejecting certain practices, but other times it is all right for us to continue to celebrate them. Easter, Christmas, Halloween—all have elements requiring discernment and wisdom to navigate.
Pray that the Lord will give us
wisdom to know when the
obedience of faith leads us
to keeping the ways of our
culture, and when obedience
would lead us not to participate
in certain practices.
The Bemo, the local shaman practitioner, was
chanting on as Vugamu fed the fi re and stirred
the pot. Th eir family was obligated to perform
this ceremony to honor the spirit of her deceased
grandfather and make sure he had a good afterlife.
But as a believer, she felt uncomfortable participating
in a ritual performed by a Bemo. However, if the
family did not do the ceremony, the whole village
would consider them terrible people who dishonored
their ancestors. What should they do?
Th e eight million Yi people are an ethnic group
cluster in China, Vietnam, and Th ailand. Th ose
Yi who live primarily in the rural mountainous
provinces of Sichuan are traditionally animistic.
Similar to the Levites which were the priestly tribe of
Israel, only one of the Yi tribes supplies their people
with shaman practitioners called “Bemos.” Th ese
men use rituals to heal, change “luck” and offi ciate at
weddings and funerals through interaction with the
demonic realm. In some of the Yi regions there are
pockets of Tibetans. In these areas, their culture and
religion have become mixed together. For example,
like the Tibetans, the Yi serve butter tea to guests
and practice Buddhism.
Recently, a fl edgling church has emerged among the
Yi. Some of these have begun to be burdened not
only for their own kinsman, but also for the Tibetans
in their midst. Yet the Yi face many diffi culties
including systemic poverty, alcoholism, increasing
drug addiction, prostitution, and AIDS.
Pray that salvation would bring new life and break the
bonds of the Yi people and all the Tibetans who live in
their midst!—RW
(www.odeslumbre.blogspot.com/)
Yi PeoplesDay 3Matthew 3:14, 15
13
The people living in
darkness have seen a great
light; on those living in
the land of the shadow of
death a light has dawned.
Today, we see darkness of every kind around us. But darkness is not new. Murder, envy, and hatred are as old as Cain. Selfi sh ambition and lies were introduced in the Garden. But today, the tidings of great joy remain the same! Light has penetrated the darkness! Jesus, the Light of the World, has come! The realm of God’s reign has invaded this world! Some will shrink back from the brightness of that light. Some will hate us because we carry that light and feel exposed. But others will be drawn irresistibly to Christ IN us, the hope of glory!
Pray that God will let the
light of His gospel shine
through us to illuminate this
dark world.
Amdo Tibetans are
semi nomadic herders
of sheep, yaks, and goats.
Although the vast majority
of Amdo are Tibetan
Buddhists, there has also
been a revival of interest in
the pre-Buddhist religion
of Bon. Interestingly, the
Dalai Lama is himself an
Amdo, born in Qinghai
Province. Historically, the
Amdo have had confl ict with the Muslims from the
north who massacred large numbers of them, driving
them south. Th ey have also suff ered from problems
with the Han Chinese to the east. Violent clashes
with the Chinese have resulted in massive loss of
life both in the 1940s with the original “liberation”
of the Tibetan areas, as well as in recent years since
the uprising in 2008. Many of the monks who have
protested the occupation of their towns in these years
through public self-immolation (setting themselves on
fi re) have been Amdo.
Pockets of Qiangic Speaking Tibetans live among the
Amdo in southern Gansu, Qinghai, and northwest
Sichuan. In these areas, the QSTs are often bilingual
with Amdo, particularly those among the QSTs who are
herders. Written and recorded materials developed in the
Amdo language could be used in these areas. However,
with the political protests in Amdo areas, Internet, phone,
and road access are highly restricted and sometimes
completely shut down. (Source: Joshua Project)
Pray that somehow a miracle would happen that causes the
government to withdraw their military forces from Amdo
areas. Pray that there will be new leaders who want to
serve rather than oppress the people. Ask that the avenues
for the gospel would be reopened.—RW
Amdo People Day 4
Matthew 4:16
14
“You have heard that it was
said, ‘An eye for an eye, and
a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell
you, do not resist an evil
person. If anyone slaps you
on the right cheek, turn to
them the other cheek also.”
There is no place or people on earth where this teaching is not radically counter-cultural. Every fallen natural impulse leads us to react to pain by wanting to respond in kind. What Jesus is teaching here is a way of life that is impossible without His life living within us. It was Jesus who said in the Gospel of John, “No one can take my life from me. I sacrifi ce it voluntarily.”
Pray that His strength may
indwell us and make us like
Him so that we can willingly
submit to His purposes, even
to injustice if it is for the sake
of His Name.
K ham Tibetan men
stand tall and
proud. Th ey are warriors,
fi erce fi ghters whom the
Chinese fear and with
whom the great Mongol
leader, Genghis Khan,
chose to make a treaty
instead of conquer. Th ey
have a saying, “If a
Kham draws a knife and
someone doesn’t die, then
he is not a Kham.”
Like so many others in their part of the world, the
Kham’s national identity is deeply rooted in their
religion. To be Kham is to be Buddhist. Many Kham
make the grueling long journey on foot, sneaking
over the Indian border to go and hear the Dalai
Lama whom they revere with utter devotion. Like the
Amdo, many of the Kham live in areas where access
is tightly controlled by the Chinese, or it is nearly
inaccessible. As in the Amdo and Yi areas, Qiangic
speaking Tibetan tribes live in scattered pockets
within the Kham areas. For instance, many of the
Muya, Queyu, Zhaba, Xiangcheng and sTau are
bilingual with the Kham language.
In recent years some monks among the Kham have
come to faith in Christ. Th ey have brought many
other Tibetans out of faith in Buddhism and into faith
in Jesus! Some individuals from Qiangic speaking
tribes within Kham areas have also come to Christ.
(Source: OMF)
Pray that God waters the seeds of this fl edgling church, and
that the gospel would sweep through all the Tibetan people
groups in the Kham areas.—RW
Kham People Day 5Matthew 5:38-39
15
Give to the one who asks
you, and do not turn away
from the one who wants to
borrow from you.
There can be tension between our principles and the demands of the kingdom of God. We read this verse and immediately object that perhaps someone who asks us for a loan might be a fraud or going to use it for something we do not approve of. This is why this verse needs to be taken in the context of the whole of Scripture. And yet, the question is still there: When someone makes a demand on us, how do we respond?
Pray that God will give us
wisdom to perceive when
it is right to say no to those
making demands, and when
we should not only say yes,
but also go the extra mile.
May we engage people as
Jesus would.
“I know you’re in there!” Th e pounding on the
door continued as Gumbo muted the TV and
pretended not to be home. After three surgeries, his
health was fi nally stable, but there was no way he could
repay all the debts from money he had borrowed from
his neighbors and relatives. Initially, there had been
an outpouring of goodwill when his life was in danger.
Now recovered but unable to work, the goodwill was
gone, and angry neighbors who wanted to be repaid
kept coming. He had no job, no money, and no ability
to repay anyone anytime in the near future.
Rongbrak Tibetans like Gumbo live in an area
historically ruled by Gyalrong kings. Th eir mountain
farms are dominated by Murdo Mountain, the most
important “god mountain” for the Gyalrong and one
of the four most important “god mountains” for all
Tibetans. Th e Rongbrak are culturally related to their
Gyalrong neighbors.
As with many Tibetans, most Rongbrak are
subsistence farmers. Some, however, contract out to be
manual laborers working in construction or carrying
ore for mines. Th e modest income from these jobs will
give them enough cash to survive, but leave no margin
for emergencies. One accident or serious injury is all it
takes to drive a family into ruin.
Pray that believers will soon come among these Rongbrak
Tibetan people to bring them the word of God. Pray that
they will receive not only spiritual help, but also physical,
fi nancial, and emotional blessings.—RW
Rongbrak Tibetan PeopleDay 6
Matthew 5:42
16
“You have heard that it was
said, ‘Love your neighbor
and hate your enemy’. But I
tell you: Love your enemies
and pray for those who
persecute you, that you
may be sons of your Father
in heaven.”
One mark of believers is their ability to love those that the world tells us to hate. If we only love those it is natural to love—those who love us, people we like, we still have not exceeded what the ‘pagans’ do. What sets us apart as ‘sons of our Father’ is loving the unworthy, the unrighteous, and the unwanted.
Pray that the Father will
open our eyes to the people
in our lives that He wants us
to love with His extravagant,
undeserved love. Pray that we
will have compassion even
for those who make our lives
diffi cult. May we be channels
of His grace to them.
“Does your God have more power than the
fearsome god who lives in the lake above
our village?” “Yes,” answered the aid worker. Th e
Heishui man continued, “If we change our allegiance
to your God, can He protect us from the lake
god?” “Yes.” “… Can you tell me how to change my
allegiance to your God?”
Heishui Tibetans live in an area once ruled by
Gyalrong kings. Th ey speak a language closely
related to their neighbors, the Qiang. In fact, they
may have originally been descended from the Qiang
people who came under the rule of a Gyalrong
Tibetan king and adopted their practices of Bon
and Tibetan Buddhism. However, if you talk to a
Heishui person, they will forcefully affi rm that their
identity is Tibetan. In modern history the Heishui
Tibetans were one of the last pockets of resistance for
the Nationalist army against the Red army. After the
fall of the Nationalists, the Heishui were excluded
from the outside world by the victorious Communist
Chinese regime until 2002. At that time their
homeland was fi nally opened up to tourism.
Th e 2008 earthquake and the eff orts of workers to
bring in aid led several Heishui Tibetans into the
family of God. Signs and miracles that have happened
among them have caused many others to be open and
seeking the true and living God for the fi rst time.
Pray that the Holy Spirit will continue the good work He
has begun among Heishui Tibetans and bless all eff orts to
bring the good news to them, whether through humani-
tarian, linguistic, or supernatural means.—RW
Heishui Tibetan PeopleDay 7Matthew 5:43-45a
17
Situ Gyalrong PeopleDay 8
Matthew 5:45
Like the rest of the Qiangic speaking Tibetans
(QST), the Situ Gyalrong are waiting for the
Word to be translated into their language. However,
we are thankful that there is some progress. A
Gyalrong word for “God” is being tested, the fi rst
draft of several Bible stories has been written, and
the fi rst Gyalrong worship song has been written by
a Gyalrong Tibetan believer. Praise the Lord for light
dawning among this people!
Th e 125,000 Gyalrong are the largest QST group,
and they speak at least four separate closely related
languages. Th ey live on the eastern edge of the Tibetan
homelands, and are near neighbors to the Han Chinese.
Gyalrong were historically cultural intermediaries
between the Han and other Tibetans. Stone ruins stand
as memorials to the once powerful Gyalrong warlord
kings who ruled large expanses of this region.
Many people in this group farm small plots of land,
and often the men take seasonal work. Th ey engage
in trade, learn languages of other groups, and have
natural abilities to culturally adapt to new places. What
potential they have to be bridges of blessing! Currently,
there are only a handful of isolated Gyalrong believers
needing to be nurtured into maturity.
Pray for the Father to continue to anoint workers and
translators. Pray that He will bless young Gyalrong be-
lievers to grow strong, establish families of faith, and bring
other Tibetan families of nations into His kingdom!—RW
“.. . that you may be sons
of your Father in heaven.
He causes His sun to rise on
the evil and the good, and
sends rain on the righteous
and the unrighteous.”
As the sun shines, God radiates His love. God does not love because the objects are worthy; God loves because He is love. His love radiates from Him to all. We respond like fl owers turning their faces upwards towards the sun’s light. We can only love because He fi rst loved us. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:6-8). Our love is limited and conditional; His love is limitless and unconditional.
Pray that we will become
His agents who will tell the
world of His unconditional
love, inviting the people to
respond as we have, with
gratitude and joy.
18
Be perfect, therefore, as your
heavenly Father is perfect.
Perfection is an impossible standard. And yet we have this Scripture exhorting us to be perfect as our Father is perfect. How can we obey this verse? Another verse says, “Be imitators of God as dearly loved children.” The bad news is that any human eff ort will fall short. Every religion in the world stubbornly refuses to accept this. We who are in Christ have already let go of trusting in our own eff orts. We have received Christ’s fi nished work on our behalf, and we are now indwelt by His Holy Spirit, who works in us to will and to act according to His good pleasure. Hallelujah!
Trust the Holy Spirit to
“perfect” us—to bring the
good work He has begun in
us to completion!
S onam reverently entered the temple chamber. She
often visited various temples, but this one was
special. Th is was the most powerful temple in the
area, the one in her mother’s home village. It was a
Bon temple, so she reminded herself to go counter-
clockwise around the stupa. Once as a little girl, she
dropped her dolly and went back a few steps in the
wrong direction to pick it up. Th e lama had yelled at
her so fi ercely. “Stupid girl! Don’t you know you wreck
the fl ow of the karma when you do that? Th e gods
will be angry and punish you if you don’t do it right!”
Th e Zbu Gyalrong are one of the QST groups
that still have no Christian workers specifi cally
focusing on their language. Th ey have no Christian
gatherings, no Bible materials in their language, and
no translation project started.
Like most of the other Qiangic speaking Tibetan
(QST) groups, they live in spectacular surroundings:
high snowcapped forests, terraced farms, and alpine
grasslands with deep blue skies and clean air. Th ey
also face the challenges of making a living in such a
remote place.
Pray that the Lord of the harvest would send his workers
to the Zbu Gyalrong, and that He would already be pre-
paring them to receive the good news. Pray that the Zbu
Gyalrong will soon have the Word of God in their own
language.—RW
Zbu/Tshobdun GyalrongDay 9Matthew 5:48
19
“Blessed are you when
people insult you, persecute
you and falsely say all kinds
of evil against you because
of me. Rejoice and be
glad, because great is your
reward in heaven…”
Do you pray for those who are persecuted for their faith? Hopefully you do; is right to pray for them. Jesus brings up something that we should remember when we pray for the persecuted: God will reward them. This is one of the rare times in the “be” attitudes when Jesus tells us about personal rewards. There can be joy in their suff ering.
Pray that those persecuted
for the Name of Christ
may be refreshed by joy in
suff ering for His Name. Pray
that the way they suff er will
draw others to the Kingdom
of God.
Rinchen shifted his weight from one leg to
another. For months he had been preparing for
this festival. Th is was the fi rst year that he would be
able to participate in the god dance, wearing a mask
and dancing the slow, deliberate steps illustrating
how Buddhism subdued the demons oppressing the
Tibetan people. When he was young, those garish
masks of bright colors with bulging eyes and teeth-
bared grimaces terrifi ed him. Later when his parents
gave him to the temple to be a monk, he saw where
they were stored, covered in cloth and dust, and he
stopped being afraid.
Southern Gyalrong people like Rinchen live in pockets
across a large area that includes several mountain
ranges and many rivers. Th ere is still much to
understand about their language, and it is possible that
there are actually two languages being spoken there.
One of the Gyalrong festivals celebrates the arrival of
a hero who subdues demons that had been oppressing
the Gyalrong and restores peace and wholeness to
the region. Th e story of this hero has been handed
down for generations. Could this be a seed within the
culture pointing to the Savior, Christ? One Southern
Gyalrong man, teaching a traditional song that honors
the Earth as the source of life, connected the song to
the way Christians honor God before meals.
Pray that the Gyalrong would recognize how God has
been preparing them for His good news. Pray that many
would gladly receive Him with joy as their true and only
Savior.—RW
Southern Gyalrong PeopleDay 10
Matthew 5:11
20
“And when you pray, do not
be like the hypocrites, for
they love to pray standing
in the synagogues and on
the street corners to be
seen by others. Truly I tell
you, they have received
their reward in full.”
Proverbs says that a man will be tested by the praise he receives. The praise of man indeed appeals to all of our needs for signifi cance, to be validated or appreciated. We can easily succumb to the lure of seeking these kinds of affi rmation to get our own needs met rather than acts of service and worship to please our Lord.
Pray that the Lord will help
us to learn to live like Jesus
did –not indiff erent to man’s
opinion, but so consumed
with pleasing the Father,
that man’s opinions cease to
matter in comparison with
the joy of His approval.
Langka had never liked
the fat lama who had a
big house. He charged such
high prices to say prayers
for people. He made her
schoolmate Dawa’s family
give him a whole yak when
everyone knew they only
had two yaks left in their
herd. Th eir family had
already sold all the yaks to
pay the medical bills for
the treatments for Dawa’s
mother. Th e lama had a
brand new iPhone and
drove an SUV. But if what
he said worked this time,
Langka swore she would put her faith in him and
follow everything he taught forever.
Langka’s people, the Japhug, live in the eastern edge
of the Tibetan area in the province of Sichuan near
an important Tibetan Buddhist monastery. Chinese
logging companies in the 80s and 90s logged
intensively in this area. Th e Japhug have no house
fellowships, no Bible portions in their language, and
there are no believers.
Pray that translation workers would seek out this remote
group so that the Japhug could fi nally get the Word of God
in their language. Pray that those who put their trust and
hope in the lamas and their rituals would see the empti-
ness and futility of this religion. May they meet the One
who gives to us freely, not because of what we can do for
Him, but because of His great love for us.—RW
Japhug Gyalrong Day 11Matthew 6:5
Qinghai
Yunnan
Sichuan
GansuShaanxi
Guizhou
Chengdu
21
“This, then, is how you
should pray: ‘Our Father in
heaven, hallowed be Your
Name.’”
Abba, Father, Daddy! This is the word that rings through the centuries - the aff ection of a human being in an intimate relationship with the Holy God! Prayer is simply a conversation with a very special and particular Person. How we approach Him, the language we use when we speak to Him, the kinds of things we ask for, all depend on what kind of a Father we think He is.
Pray that Papa God will
teach us how to interact
with Him in ways that honor
the splendor of His holiness
but also recognize that all
obstacles to intimacy were
obliterated by what Jesus did
on the Cross. May we truly
learn to pray as Jesus did
“Abba, Papa God.”
Pensuk squinted up at the peak of Murdo
Mountain. It was the home of the most famous
and important mountain-god in the region! One
walk around the mountain would add a year to one’s
life. Last year Pensuk had a string of bad luck; he
was certain that making the pilgrimage around
the mountain this year would make next year more
auspicious. Just to make sure, he was walking the long
loop, not the short one.
Th e Geshenzha have been blessed with visitors who
have boldly witnessed to them, and for several years
they had Christian workers living with them. One
Geshenzha family spoke warmly about the Christians
they had met, especially admiring their kindness to
the poor and their gifts of clothing and medicine.
But they expressed reluctance to become Christians.
Th ey said, “Th ose Christians want us to stop circling
the stupa and doing Buddhist rituals. But we are
Tibetans, so of course we must do those things.” Th ey
also said, “Th ose Christians have a book, but we don’t
understand it.” And then the uncle said, “Why don’t
you come live here, and I’ll teach you our language,
and you can teach me about your faith.”
Pray that the seeds planted would bear fruit. Pray that the
Geshenzha people would lift up their eyes to the moun-
tains and realize that the Maker of mountains is the
only One to whom they can truly turn for help. Pray that
there will soon be translators called to the Geshenzha
Tibetans.—RW
Geshenzha PeopleDay 12
Matthew 6:9
22
“For if you forgive other
people when they sin against
you, your heavenly Father will
also forgive you. But if you do
not forgive others their sins,
your Father will not forgive
your sins.”
Forgiveness is one of the most basic areas of Christian life, yet few of us practice it as much as the Word requires. Unforgiveness, grudges, and bitterness can poison our relationships, harden our hearts, and steal our joy. Our Father warned us that if we hold others’ sins against them, then our sins will be held against us. We are not allowed a double standard; either we live by grace or we live by law.
Pray that we will walk in
grace, not only for others’
sake, but for our own!
Tsering watched her mother and carefully
copied each movement. Hands at chest, palms
pressed fl at, then kneeling, extending the body until
stretched all the way out, facedown, releasing the
rock in her hand at the place of her outstretched
fi ngertips, then rising, walking to the rock, picking
it up, and beginning again. Her mother’s movements
were unhurried, but quick and sure from long
practice. Tsering’s father was sick, and the lamas
had cast auguries for him saying that if they went to
the temple prostrating themselves in a certain way
as they walked down the road, then papa would get
well. It seemed like such a long way! But if it would
save A’Pa, it would be worth it. Breathe, palms
together, kneel, stretch out, dust, release the stone,
stand, step, pick up the stone. Begin again.
One of the most important temples for all Tibetan
Buddhists is dedicated to the goddess of mercy and
is in the main town of the Lavrung. Pilgrims from
Qinghai, Gansu, and Tibet come on long prostration
trips to this remote town just to visit this famous
temple. Few of these people have ever even heard the
good news about Jesus dying for their sins; they have
never had a chance to understand or receive forgiveness.
Pray that these devout followers will be introduced to the
One who is truly worthy of their devotion!—RW
Lavrung PeopleDay 13Matthew 6:14-15
23
“But store up for yourselves
treasures in heaven….
For where your treasure
is, there your heart will
be also.”
Where have we invested ourselves? On what have we spent our money, our time, our energy? What is our heart’s desire? It is natural and not wrong to take pride in our work, to enjoy watching programs fl ourish, to grow a business, to decorate and make a house a home. Yet all those things could be gone in an instant. A fi re, a lawsuit, a pink slip, a storm… sometimes calamity brings clarity to the things that are really important. In all our tasks, jobs, projects, and programs, we come in contact with people headed for glory and some headed for destruction.
Pray that He will help us to
treasure the things He does,
so that we can spend our
lives on what is important
to God.
I t’s fun to be a boy! No one expects much of boys.
Everybody agrees – boys are wild and naughty, but
girls are obedient and hardworking. His parents scold
him, but he doesn’t care. After all, his parents never went
to school. Th ey couldn’t even read. He preferred running
down the mountain paths winding through their village,
climbing fences to sneak fruit from the neighbor’s tree,
or chasing the cows up the mountain to graze.
None of the Qiangic Speaking Tibetan (QST) groups
have schools that teach classes in the language of the
sTau people; they have to learn a second language
to get an education. First grade students often don’t
understand what their teachers are saying. Th ose that
persist eventually learn, but they are disadvantaged,
starting off behind the other students that know the
teacher’s language. Many quit school because they feel
stupid. Some drop out and return to farming because
their families cannot aff ord school fees, perpetuating
the cycle of poverty. Th ose that succeed in the system
often fi nd themselves living and working far from
their home villages. Th e sTau people encounter the
same pressures as the other QST.
Pray for this generation of children. Th e culture, language,
and values of the world they are entering are vastly re-
moved from that of their parents. Th ey have great poten-
tial to help connect their people to the rest of the modern
world. Pray that God will use these bridges to bring their
people into the Kingdom of God.
sTau PeopleDay 14
Matthew 6:20-21
24
The eye is the lamp of
the body. If your eyes are
healthy, your whole body
will be full of light.
What we take in through our eyes aff ects us just as surely as what we take in through our mouths. When we say, “Magnify the Lord!” we are not saying that we make Him bigger—that would be impossible! But we can so focus our gaze that our perspective of Him is clearer and takes up more of our scope of vision, much like looking through a microscope. We can choose to direct our gaze in such a way that we magnify our problems and magnify our challenges—or we can magnify the Lord.
Pray that you will turn your
eyes upon Jesus, and look
full in His wonderful face so
that the things of earth will
grow strangely dim, in the
light of His glory and grace!
Lobsang, a member of the Zhaba people, worried
about his little girl. She had been fi ne up until
about age six, but it soon became apparent that she
was not growing normally. She would run a few
steps, and then she would slow to a stop and sit
down, feeling dizzy. She was much shorter than the
other children. Th e doctor said that it looked like
she might have a heart condition common in high
altitude areas that involved a valve in the heart that
failed to close. He wanted to take her to the big city
to have the necessary surgery, but the lamas had
forecasted that she would “die in a far-away place”,
and his wife and in-laws were afraid to let him take
his daughter away. But if he did nothing, she would
surely die anyway!
Like many of the Qiangic Speaking Tibetans (QST),
the Shang Zhaba live in remote, high-altitude farm
villages with beautiful grazing lands. In recent years
there have been a number of believers periodically
visiting and sharing Christ with the Zhaba, encouraging
them and giving generously to the poor. Th e response
has so far been very sparse. One of the key factors
hindering the Zhaba from responding to the gospel is a
lack of Bible materials in their heart language.
Pray that workers who are preparing to learn this lan-
guage and eventually to bring God’s Word to these people
will be protected by the Lord.—SP
Shang Zhaba PeopleDay 15Matthew 6:22
25
“No one can serve two
masters …. You cannot
serve both God and money.”
What rules our decision-making? What shapes our values? When we submit to the King and His kingdom’s priorities, both the spendthrift and the miser in our personality will be challenged, as will the lazy and the workaholic. At the root of many issues is fear—fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of lack, fear of harm—and we use fl eshly methods of coping with those fears rather than letting the Father free us from them. His lordship over every area of our life means our freedom!
Give God the Father
complete lordship over every
area of your life. Unlike the
bully fear, He is a kind and
loving Master! Pray that
He will help us to submit in
trust to Him.
Day 16Matthew 6:24
Gezar was frustrated.
Several years ago,
the government had
come and explained that
they would be building
a hydro-electric dam
in their valley, thereby
fl ooding the lower areas
and displacing everyone
currently living by the
river. People would be
compensated for their
losses, and new houses
would be built for them in another area. Th e men
in their family thought of a great scheme: quickly
build some cheaply made houses, and then claim
compensation for them when the time comes. Th at
was three years ago, and they were left with cheap,
empty, uninhabitable houses, and no compensation.
Th e Xia Zhaba people are the neighbors just down the
valley from the Shang Zhaba. Like many of the Qiangic
Speaking Tibetans (QST), they face great challenges
when trying to make a living, often seeking temporary,
seasonal work away from their small farms. Th is adds
great pressure to marriages and families. But it gives them
a wider experience of the world and gives them a chance
to encounter new ideas and new people. Many of the men
who work outside the home learn the neighboring Kham
dialect. Th ere are already Bible portions translated into
Kham, which presents an opportunity for the few that
have heard the gospel to grow.
Pray that the Zhaba people, who are so concerned about
money-making schemes, would learn about the treasures
of the Kingdom of Heaven. May their lying and cheating
ways be transformed by the gospel into lives of integrity
and righteousness!—RW
Xia Zhaba PeopleO
pera
tion
Chin
a
A Zhaba young man
26
“… do not worry about
your life, what you will eat
or drink; or about your body,
what you will wear. Is not
life more than food, and the
body more than clothes?”
The degree to which we trust that this promise is true has very much to do with the kind of Father we believe Him to be. Throughout the gospels we can see Jesus bringing revelation of the Father. In His teaching we hear Him say in essence, “You only thought you knew what the Father is like! See, He is far kinder, more merciful, more loving, more patient, and more compassionate than you thought! Look at me and see Him; I am here to show you what He is like.”
Thank Him that He is the
perfect Father. Pray that He
will keep teaching us who
He really is, so that we can
believe all of His promises.
W hat a disaster! Huardan had decided at last to
try to sell his guns. He had known for quite
some time that they were illegal, and that if he was
caught with them he would be in big trouble. His
family had hidden them for years, but in recent
days this member of the Nyarong people had been
getting more and more concerned that he would be
discovered. He found a buyer, and everything looked
great—but then the buyer sold him out to the police!
Now he was facing a two-year prison sentence.
Recent research by the linguist Suzuki has confi rmed
the whereabouts of around 1000 speakers of
Xinlong-Muya, the language of the Nyarong people.
Th ese people live in remote western Sichuan, adjacent
to the Queyu people and surrounded by the Kham.
Th ere is a large and important Tibetan Buddhist
monastery in this area where many monks study, live,
and do their work. Th ere are no known believers, no
portions of the Word, and no one currently focusing
on this people group there.
Although the Nyarong people are remote and hidden
from the world, they are not hidden from God. He
knows every hair on their heads and each of them
by name.
Pray that He will send them believers to tell them about
His great love and His passionate desire to be in relation-
ship with them.—RW
Nyarong (aka, Xinlong Minyak)Day 17Matthew 6:25-27
27
“If you, then, though you
are evil, know how to give
good gifts to your children,
how much more will your
Father in heaven give good
gifts to those who ask him!”
Here is a picture of a child asking his father for things he needs. It is perfectly appropriate for the child to expect the father to meet his needs. Yet when we come to our Heavenly Father, often we come with fear and uncertainty in our hearts. The Israelites, Gideon, Moses, the disciples… and us! He is not put off by our needs, nor by our fears.
Pray that God will help us
to believe that we really can
come to Him without fear or
shame and ask Him to meet
our needs, trusting Him to
give good gifts.
Choempel was disgusted. Mother had been
experiencing pain for quite some time. He had
wanted to take her to the doctor, but the lamas said,
“If her karma is bad, it won’t matter what the doctors
do, she will die anyway. But if her karma is good, then
she will get better without doctors. Let us perform
chants for her.” Th ey gave the lamas a large sum of
money to do the rituals. She seemed to improve for a
time, but then the pain came back. When he asked
the lamas, they said, “Give us some more money and
we will chant some more.” Nonsense!
Th e Queyu are a Qiangic Speaking Tibetan (QST)
group of around 10,000, deep in the mountains of
Western Sichuan Province. As with the other QST
groups, their language is oral with no written script.
Th ey live in a world swirling with Tibetan Buddhism,
shamans wielding power to curse, demon possession,
family feuds, revenge murders, and ancient cultural
practices. Th e majority still only speak their own dialect.
A handful have come to Christ and are holding fast
to Him despite persecution and hardship. With every
hardship they have been mocked. People say, “Where
is your Jesus now?” Yet slowly their community has
come to accept their faith.
Pray that God continues to strengthen them not only with
the grace to stay faithful to Him, but also with the power
to share Him with others. Pray that their perseverance will
lead other Queyu people to Him.—RW
Queyu PeopleDay 18
Matthew 7:10-11
28
N amcuo’s family
walked through the
forest on the well-worn
trail. She looked up ahead
at the stupa (a shrine for
meditation) next to a small
furnace. Colorful strings
of prayer fl ags printed with
Tibetan scriptures fl apped
in the wind, carrying the
prayers of the family who
hung them in the treetops.
Articles of clothing also
hung from various branches; fl ags were often hung
for the sake of a loved-one experiencing sickness. For
afterlife concerns, their family went to the temple, but
for earthly needs they went to the god mountain.
Namcuo’s favorite part was when A’Pa lit the fi re
in the furnace. Once the smoke began to rise, they
would take a stack of small, square papers called
wind horses, which represent their prayers. Th ey
would throw the whole stack high into the air. Th e
hot smoke caused the wind horses to rise, carrying
their prayers up to the sky. It was beautiful to watch
the papers fl y up, up, up and then slowly fl oat down
around them like rainbow snowfl akes. Namcuo
wondered if there was anyone listening to the prayers.
Th e Shangzhai, like the other Qiangic Speaking
Tibetan (QST) groups, are mostly farmers, living
in steep mountainous areas with stone houses and
terraced farms. Like their neighbors, they have no
believers, no Bible portions, and no one focused on
telling them about the wonderful God who really
loves them.
Pray that God will raise up people to care about and pray
for this little group of unreached Buddhists.
Shangzhai PeopleDay 19Matthew 7:12
“So in everything, do to
others what you would
have them do to you, for
this sums up the Law and
the Prophets.”
One of the values of the Kingdom is that everyone treats others the way they would want to be treated. So the question changes from, “Is it right or wrong?” to “Is the way I’m treating this person the way I’d want to be treated?” Jesus is saying if we are governed by this one principle, we will naturally fulfi ll His Law. In some ways it is so much simpler than the Law of Moses, and yet, the requirements of this principle are much more diffi cult to live out!
Pray that we will learn to
really live by the standard
God has set. Pray that the
Holy Spirit will remind us to
frequently ask the question,
“Is this what I would want?”
A prayer fl ag
29
“Not everyone who says to
me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the
kingdom of heaven, but only
the one who does the will of
my Father who is in heaven.”
Jesus’ teaching is always thought provoking. Here He seems to be saying that it is not the act itself, but the motivation of the act that is important. It is the will of the Father and being known by Jesus that counts. We can all think of times when we have fallen into the danger that we are so busy working for the Lord, that we neglect spending time with Him. Yet none of us have perfectly pure motives in what we do.
Pray that our actions will
fl ow from His will in such
a way that they will come
from love for Him.
Warjap, a Guiqiong-speaker, slowly creaked his
way down the row of prayer wheels. He was
spinning each one with just enough force to make sure
it made a full rotation, as he kept moving at a steady
pace without missing one. After spinning the rows of
wheels at the temple, he would prostrate himself seven
times at the holy stone. Later at home he would say his
mantras and use his prayer beads.
Th e young people put off dealing with their sins until
tomorrow; the old people with death looming need to do
all they can to eliminate the bad karma they have accrued
right away. Th ey are hoping to earn a better next-life.
Th e 7,000 Guiqiong-speakers live mainly in arable
farming communities in mid-western Sichuan
Province. Guiqiong is a Qiangic language, with four
tones and no written script. Due to their relative
proximity to Han civilization, it’s fair to say that of
the various Qiangic Speaking Tibetan (QST) groups,
the Guiqiong are the most Sinocised (meaning
that they are strongly infl uenced by the Chinese).
However, since the terrain of the Guiqiong is so steep
and rugged, it is possible that there are places where
their language is spoken widely which are, as yet,
untouched by researchers and linguists. Th e older
women, in particular, wear traditional embroidered
tunics and headdresses, and the Guiqiong still proudly
adhere to their traditional cultural identity.
Ask the Lord of the Harvest to use the Han Chinese Church
which has already begun to reach out to the Guiqiong to
bring the good news to this people group.—RW
Guiqiong PeopleDay 20
Matthew 7:18
30
“Therefore everyone who
hears these words of mine
and puts them into practice
is like a wise man who built
his house on the rock.
Sometimes in the Church we are raised to think that hearing and understanding the truth means that we “believe” in Christ. But the storms in life expose the true nature of our belief … or our doubt! It is not simply hearing Jesus’ words, but putting them into practice that plants that house on a rock, not sand. Sometimes it is the storms that solidify untested truth into solid conviction. Do not fear the shaking; let it take you to the place with the Father so that the “sandy” areas become the solid “rock!”
Pray that we will believe
everything in His Word so much
that we will never be shaken.
Wangmu thrashed back and forth making
guttural noises in her throat. Her eyes rolled
in her head, and her father and brothers struggled to
keep her fl ailing arms pinned down as she bared her
teeth and convulsed. Th e lama brought the Tibetan
scriptures and the medallion of the Panchen Lama to
her and pressed them to her forehead. Eventually she
calmed down. Th is was not the fi rst episode, nor would
it be the last. But her family believed that the relics
of Tibetan Buddhism helped to subdue the evil spirit
when the fi ts came. It was frightening, but manageable.
Speakers of Muya like Wangmu are dispersed in an
arc around the mighty 7,556m Gongga Mountain,
the king of Sichuan’s mountains. Th e large ethnic
group inhabiting that area today is still known as
the Muya people, though only about 15,000 of them
still primarily speak the Muya language. Th ese Muya
only speak the Sichuan dialect of Chinese or Kham
when they need to communicate with outsiders.
Th ey are mostly farmers, though a few are nomads.
Th e eastern and western dialects are linguistically
related, but are suffi ciently diff erent as to be mutually
unintelligible to those who speak them.
Th e Muya generally are very devout Tibetan
Buddhists, and there is a monastery at Bajida where
the monks all speak Muya.
Pray for the Muya people who are accustomed to suff ering
from spiritual bondage and fear. May the light of the gospel
defeat all the powers of darkness that hold them!—RW
Muya PeopleDay 21Matthew 7:24
31
… He taught as one who
had authority, and not as
their teachers of the law.
The scribes taught the Word of God. Jesus spoke the Word of God as God incarnate. And from the previous verse, we know that the crowds were astonished. This is a reminder that Jesus proved Himself to be God’s Son, not only by His teachings, but also by His authority. Perhaps people were beginning to wonder if this was the long-awaited Messiah. From there, Matthew moves into the miracles of Jesus, which proved His divinity to many others who saw His power.
As they hear the Word of
God, pray that Tibetan
Buddhists will put their faith
in the One who taught with
authority and power.
“Here people live and die without the slightest
knowledge of the outside world,” commented
National Geographic explorer Joseph Rock of Muli
in 1929. Rock’s writings of the Kingdom of Muli
inspired the world’s fi rst paperback novel, Lost
Horizon, written about a mysterious lama-king ruling
magical “Shangri La.” Nearly a century later the
ancient Kingdom of Muli has only recently been re-
discovered by western anthropologists and linguists. It
remains one of the most ethnically diverse and isolated
regions in China.
Muli County is home to a complex web of languages
and cultures. Located in southern Sichuan’s Liangshan
Prefecture, Muli is offi cially a Tibetan Autonomous
County. Tibetan religion and culture pervade this
area, but it is also home to large numbers of Yi (Nosu)
and other unreached people groups like the Sichuan
Mongols. During the next few days, fi ve unreached
Qiangic-Speaking Tibetan peoples found in Muli will
be highlighted: the Namuyi, the Mosuo, the Ersu,
the Shixing, and the Northern Pumi. Th ough Muli
County is considered backwards and forgotten, its
peoples are like a beautiful tapestry designed for the
glory of the Lord and the beauty of the Bride of Christ.
God is raising up a group of His children to bring the
Word of God to the ancient Kingdom of Muli!
Pray that God would send believers from many nations to
tell the good news of God’s love to this needy region. Pray
that God would use the few young Muli believers there as
the seeds through which He grows His church.—KH
Muli (moo-lee) County Day 22
Matthew 7:29
32
When Jesus heard this, he
was amazed and said to
those following him, “Truly
I tell you, I have not found
anyone in Israel with such
great faith.”
The childlike trust of children, new believers, and even pagans can challenge us in our cynical or pessimistic views of God’s promises. Here Jesus praised the Gentile soldier’s faith—a rebuke to the unbelieving Jews who should have been the fi rst to believe God’s promises in Jesus. In John 6, God said that the work of God is to believe the One He sent, Jesus!
Pray that the Holy Spirit
will weed out all areas of
unbelief in our lives. Pray
that we will have faith like
the centurion—the kind of
faith that impresses the Lord
of lords!
“L ater, water really came bubbling.” Th is
strange sounding sentence is from an ancient
story about a worldwide fl ood which is told to the
Namuyi people of southwest China from generation
to generation. In the story, similar to the biblical
account of the fl ood, almost all the earth’s inhabitants
are destroyed. God has already made an inroad to
bring biblical messages to the Namuyi people!
Th e Namuyi believe they came from Lhasa around
400 years ago. Th ey are found in the area their
ancestors originally came to, a land spreading across
much of southern Sichuan Province. Th ey live side
by side with Ersu, Kham, Nosu, and Han Chinese
people. Th e Namuyi people are offi cially classifi ed
as Tibetans. Th ey are one of the groups of Qiangic-
Speaking Tibetans found throughout this region.
Only 5,000 people still speak their Qiangic language.
Th e Namuyi are often conversant in Kham Tibetan,
Pumi, Chrame, and/or Nosu, as well as the local
dialect of Chinese.
Most of this group are farmers in the rugged,
mountainous terrain, and the Namuyi people have
developed rituals to appease the spirits in these
mountains. Th ey have also been heavily infl uenced
by Tibetan and Nosu culture and religion. Th ese
beautiful people have no gospel witness, and there
are no known believers.
Pray that God would send His workers into this un-
touched harvest fi eld. Pray that Christ would be revealed
to them in dreams and visions, and that their ancient sto-
ries will soon help to open their hearts to the gospel.—KH
Namuyi (nah-mu-yee) People Day 23Matthew 8:10
33
When evening came … He
drove out the spirits with
a word and healed all the
sick. This was to fulfi ll what
was spoken through the
prophet Isaiah: “He took
up our infi rmities and bore
our diseases.”
Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And He lives! Jesus is still doing the same things today that He did when He walked on the earth. He took up our infi rmities and bore our diseases on the cross! He off ered up His body to be broken so that we could be made whole.
Thank the Lord that He is
our redeemer and restorer.
Thank Him that the power
of His blood will break
every bondage and heal all
brokenness in our lives.
Before sunrise comes
Dashi quietly slips out
of the house and follows
the long trail back to his
mother’s home. Nine
months later Dashi’s lover
gives birth to his child who
will be cared for by the
mother’s family. Th e child may never know who his
father is.
For centuries the Mosuo people have practiced
“walking marriage” as part of their matrilineal culture.
Like the scenario described above, Mosuo men are
invited by their lovers to visit them at night. If a child
is born from these unions, the mother and her brothers
have complete responsibility for raising the child.
Leadership of the family is the role of the women.
Th e Mosuo people speak the eastern dialect of Naxi.
Mosuo are offi cially classifi ed under the Naxi people,
but they deeply resent this classifi cation. Th ey think of
themselves as being diff erent than their neighbors.
Th e Mosuo people practice a combination of their
own religion and Tibetan Buddhism. Th ough they
are largely unreached, in recent years God has been
drawing hundreds of Mosuo to Himself.
Pray that the church among the Mosuo would continue to
grow in size and maturity. Pray that the entire Mosuo
people would be reached with the gospel. Pray that Mosuo
believers will live victorious lives in Christ that will chal-
lenge their neighbors to embrace the ways of the Lord so
that His Kingdom will be extended.—KH
Mosuo (mou-soo) PeopleDay 24
Matthew 8:16-17
Susa
n H
owe
A Mosuo couple
34
Ersu (ar-soo) People Day 25Matthew 8:25
Imagine an ancient pictographic script in which
meaning changes with the color of the word! Th e
shaba script, used by religious practitioners among the
Ersu people of southwest China, uses this remarkable
way of conveying meaning, according to Wikipedia.
Th e Ersu are a unique people classifi ed as a Tibetan
minority. Along with the neighboring Namuyi
people, the Ersu believe they migrated from
Lhasa around 400 years ago. Th e 35,000 Ersu are
interspersed over a wide area among other minorities
such as the Tibetans and Nosu. In addition to its
unique pictographic script, there are three dialects of
the Ersu language which contain three tones.
Although they have no temples or monasteries
of their own, the Ersu are culturally Tibetan and
practice Tibetan Buddhism. Ersu shaba priests
use their unique script to practice divination and
rites on behalf of the people. Th e shaba religious
system shares similarities with the Naxi people’s
dongba priests, who also use a pictographic script in
practicing a variation of Tibet’s ancient bon religion.
Th e gospel has begun to penetrate the Nosu people
living among the Ersu. Nosu and Han believers are
being equipped to reach them. However, the Ersu
remain almost entirely unreached with no known
fellowships among them.
Pray that God would burden Nosu and Han Chinese be-
lievers to take the gospel to the Ersu people. Pray that the
Lord would prepare their hearts to hear and receive the
good news.—KH
The disciples went and woke
Him, saying, “Lord, save us!
We’re going to drown!”
Jesus scolded them for their lack of faith. Yet notice that it was Jesus whom they went to when the waves were high and the sea was treacherous. We don’t know for sure, but it’s very possible that they understood that Jesus was the Messiah, an all-powerful savior. It’s no wonder that those who tell unreached peoples about Him often include this amazing story.
Pray that when the Tibetan
Buddhist peoples hear about
Jesus calming the sea, that
they will understand that
no one but the One true God
can do such a thing.
35
Some men brought to him
a paralyzed man, lying on a
mat. When Jesus saw their
faith, he said to the man,
“Take heart, son; your sins
are forgiven.”
Sometimes, the stories say that Jesus said, “Your faith has healed you.” Sometimes we have faith to come to Jesus for what we need; other times when life is devastating, we have no strength or faith to come to Him. In those times we need friends who will bring us before the Throne of Grace. Other times when we are strong, we can help those whose faith is weak, and we can be the ones who help them get to Jesus.
Pray that we will have the
grace to be the kind of friend
who will carry those in need
to Jesus.
How do you decide what ethnic group you are
from? Is it by where you live, what language
you speak, or something else? Th is is a question that
puzzles those who are trying to determine where one
Qiangic speaking Tibetan (QST) group begins and
where another ends.
Th e Duoxu and Lizu are two Qiangic speaking
Tibetan (QST) people groups that were previously
thought to be a part of the Ersu group. But they
have recently been classifi ed as having two separate
languages. Th ese two groups are a perfect example of
the challenge represented by evaluating the unreached
people groups in China’s ethnic corridor, hidden deep
in rugged mountainous territory the size of Nepal. Th e
fi rst estimate by researchers was 12 QST languages.
Th e most recent count is 22, with research still
continuing. Th ey will probably fi nd others by the time
they are done.
Because they have just recently been identifi ed as
being separate groups, very little is known about the
Duoxu and Lizu peoples except their proximity to
the Ersu group in Southern Sichuan Province. Survey
work needs to be done to determine where they live
and how many of them there are. Linguists and
translators are needed who will dedicate their time and
eff ort to learning these newly discovered languages.
Pray that there would be no QST group left unnoticed
and unengaged by the people of God. Pray that God would
move mightily to touch the heart of the worldwide Church
so that members will be aware of these peoples and cry out
on their behalf before the Father.—RW
Duoxu and Lizu PeoplesDay 26
Matthew 9:2
36
“Why does your teacher
eat with tax collectors and
sinners?”
Jesus had just called Matthew—a tax collector, a despised “sinner,” an outcast—to follow Him. This disturbed the Pharisees, who would not associate with such people. But Jesus’ response was as convincing as it was clear: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.... For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” This is the state of countless millions in our world today. Outcasts, despised minorities, oppressed peoples: are they within God’s scope of concern? In fact, our Lord focused His concern on them. Should we not do the same?
Pray that the Savior will give
us His sacrifi cial love for the
despised and oppressed.
S u Ling is now 18 years old, but her life is vastly
diff erent from most urban teenagers. She has
had two children since her arranged marriage at age
13. Su Ling’s day begins before sun up and fi nishes
late into the evening as she cares for her children, the
home, and works in the fi elds. She is determined that
both her children will be educated and one day will
have the opportunity to follow their own dreams.
Su Ling is part of a small tribe of people known
as the Shixing. A tiny people group of only 3,000,
the Shixing live in six villages. Compared to other
smaller Qiangic language groups, the Shixing
language has been studied extensively. Many Shixing
people also understand those who speak Gami
Tibetan, Pumi, or Mosuo, in addition to the local
dialect of Chinese.
Th ey observe Tibetan Buddhism, and some boys
are sent to a large monastery a day’s travel away.
Th e Shixing teach their children to appease local
mountain gods, and they often practice polygamous
marriage. Gospel proclamation has only recently
started, but a few Shixing are already following Jesus!
Pray that more of the Shixing people would soon have
the opportunity to hear the good news. Pray that those
beginning to follow Jesus would grow in their faith.
Pray that they will be used by the Lord to establish a
Christ-centered Shixing Church that will shine His light
throughout southern China.—KH
Shixing (sher-shing) People Day 27Matthew 9:11
37
Sichuan Pumi (aka, Chrame) People
“Dried legs of mutton and rancid yak cheese…
not the preferred meal after a long trek
through the wilderness.” So stated Joseph Rock, a
famous botanist, anthropologist, and explorer, who
described the meal he was given upon his arrival at the
home of the King of Muli in the 1920s.
Until the 1950s, Pumi kings ruled the Kingdom of
Muli. Th e kings were regarded as the incarnation of a
Buddha, and thus they maintained absolute spiritual
and political authority on behalf of Tibet.
Th e approximately 50,000 Northern Pumi live
primarily within Muli County, but also have
signifi cant populations in northern Yunnan Province
and Sichuan Province. Offi cially classifi ed as Tibetans,
the Pumi identify themselves as Pumi Tibetan or
simply Tibetan, distinguishing themselves from the
offi cial Pumi minority in Yunnan. Th e true divider
between the Pumi in Yunnan and the Pumi Tibetans
is the eff ect religion has had on their cultures. While
the Pumi of Yunnan are primarily animists, Pumi
Tibetans have largely adopted Tibetan Buddhism.
Only a few Pumi believers are known to exist, but
they are currently establishing partnerships with other
believers in order to further reach the area for Christ.
Pray that eff orts being made to reach the Pumi would re-
sult in a strong Church. Pray that the Pumi church would
take up the mantle of bringing the Kingdom of God to the
surrounding peoples.—KH
Day 28 Matthew 9:12-13
… Jesus said, “It is not the
healthy who need a doctor,
but the sick. But go and
learn what this means: ‘I
desire mercy, not sacrifi ce.’
For I have not come to call
the righteous, but sinners.”
So many of us struggle with feeling unworthy before God. We are ashamed, and we hide just like Adam and Eve in the Garden. We forget that God loves sinners, and Jesus came specifi cally for the “sick,” for “sinners.” Our need, our failures, our shame—these are exactly what qualify us to seek Him!
Pray that the Father will
help us to realize that
we can really approach
His throne of grace with
freedom and confi dence and
every time we fi nd mercy
in time of need. Thank Him
that our brokenness does
not keep us from Him, but
qualifi es us to come to Him,
our Savior and Sanctifi er.
38
When he had gone indoors,
the blind men came to
him, and he asked them,
“Do you believe that I
am able to do this?” “Yes,
Lord,” they replied. Then he
touched their eyes and said,
“According to your faith let
it be done to you.”
The gospels show us various reasons for healing. Sometimes it is simply for the benefi t of the sick person. Sometimes it is to strengthen the faith of the needy person’s friends. Sometimes it is because someone persistently sought Jesus and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Regardless, we know from Hebrews that “without faith it is impossible to please God.” All of us can seek to grow in faith. We pray like the dying girl’s father did, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
Pray that the Lord will
increase our faith until the
strength of our faith matches
His ability.
D harma angrily gritted her teeth and swung the
fl ail violently at the stalks of broad beans, dried
and spread out, ready for threshing. Usually she
hated this job because it was monotonous hard work.
Today, she relished swinging the long wooden rod
over her shoulder and then smashing it down on the
dried stalks, knocking the beans loose.
She and Namgyal had been best friends for years.
Th ey grew up playing together, walked to and
from school together and even boarded at the
same middle school in town. Th ey had talked
and dreamed of marriage. But Namgyal’s parents
opposed the marriage, wanting him to have better
connections in the city. Th ey had forbidden him from
communicating with her anymore. Life was so unfair!
Hallelujah, there are some Yunnan Pumi who have
begun to follow Jesus. Th ey are part of a small, but
solid, growing fellowship of mixed people groups. It
is a small, but signifi cant beginning! Th eir language is
being studied, and eff orts are underway to give them
materials with which to nurture and grow their faith.
Pray that God would blow on the embers of this fi re, and
that His kingdom would kindle and spread throughout
the whole Pumi language cluster! Pray for wisdom for be-
lievers struggling to understand how to follow the teach-
ing of the Word, and yet honor their parents and culture
which are often in confl ict. Pray for linguists and transla-
tors to dedicate their lives to spreading the gospel to this
people group.
Yunnan Pumi PeopleDay 29Matthew 9:28-29
39
Local Pioneer and Cross-cultural Workers
Brother Sun and his wife Rose are a Han Chinese
couple who have moved up into the mountains.
For years, they made trips into the Tibetan areas,
sharing and establishing relationships with Tibetan
families, some of whom are believers in Christ. Th ey
had to fi ght with their local fellowship for years to
get support to move. After all, there were so many
needs at home in their own church fellowship, and so
many lost people in their own city. Eventually they
were released to go and serve the QST people they
had been called by God to love. Th e young Tibetan
believers desperately needed discipleship. Brother Sun
and Rose praise God for making the way!
Emily is a QST believer who has been sent out from
her home fellowship to move to another province where
there are people who speak her language. It is hard
for her to live so far from her family as a “sent one,”
especially since the church among her people group is
still very young and growing. Yet she was compelled
to go! If she did not, who would tell them? And how
much better for them to hear the Word of God from
her, someone from the same ethnic group who could
explain to them the gospel in their own language.
Pray that God would provide everything necessary for all
local pioneer and cross cultural missionaries. Pray that they
will be supported by their home fellowships and have great
fruitfulness among the unreached.—RW
Day 30Matthew 9:36
When he saw the crowds,
he had compassion on
them, because they were
harassed and helpless, like
sheep without a shepherd.
Jesus knows our loneliness. Jesus is the Good Shepherd! He is not indiff erent to our needs, but has great compassion for us. He Himself cares deeply for everyone, and He wants to teach us how to care for one another as we enter His kingdom family and learn how to love.
Pray that the Holy Spirit will
help the new believers to
realize that the Lord God
Almighty is now their Abba
(Daddy). Pray that they will
understand that they are not
alone and no longer unwanted,
but chosen and cherished.
40
Then he said to his disciples,
“The harvest is plentiful but
the workers are few. Ask the
Lord of the harvest, therefore,
to send out workers into his
harvest fi eld.”
Jesus told his disciples to pray for workers. Then He sent them out into the villages. In short, they became the answer to their own prayers. The word “compassion” in Greek actually has connotations of concern that wrenches the heart and compels action. Once we allow our hearts to be touched through prayer, the compassion of the Lord often comes to compel us into being part of the answer. As you have labored in prayer for the QST throughout this month, is there something more the Father might be calling you to do for them?
Thank the Father that He is
able to raise up workers for
every group. Thank Him that
you can contribute through
your prayers.
T here is so much work to be done, and so few
workers! None of the 22 QST groups have Bible
portions, and only three have translating projects
underway. Two more have linguists who have begun
to engage the language, but that leaves 17 completely
unengaged language groups. Questions need to be
answered for each group as to the scope and breadth of
each language spoken. How many dialects are there?
Even for the three projects already underway, there
is still an urgent need for more local believers from
these people/language groups who are passionate
and committed to seeing the Word translated into
their language. Th ere are so few believers among
these groups that fi nding one who is fl uent in their
language, bilingual (so as to be able to work with
linguists and translators), literate (so as to be able
to understand the Word in an existing language),
responsible, and willing to devote themselves to this
work (as opposed to fi nding careers where the pay is
higher and there is a career path) is a very diffi cult
prospect! Yet our Father is a God of wonders, and
there is nothing too diffi cult for Him.
Pray that God will soon call and anoint exactly the right
people for this task. Pray that each one called to this work
will have the faith to take up that call and will experi-
ence His provision and protection.—RW
Native Speakers Day 31Matthew 9:37-38
Day 7 Where Have All the Babies Gone?
Day 14 Maoism and Green Hair Clash in Hunan Province
Day 20 Opium is Satan’s Tool to Destroy Suodi Youth
Day 24 What Is Marriage? Mosuo Youth Ask
Day 30 Which Way Will the Younger Tai Pong Generation Go?
July 2008 • US Center for World Mission • 27:7Digest
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Global Prayerwww.globalprayerdigest.org
August 2013 • US Center for World Mission • 32: 8 Digest
Day 5 Brahmin Carpenters Who Need to Know THE CarpenterDay 10 Hajjams Keep Their Dignity in a “Unclean” ProfessionDay 18 India’s Best Soldiers and Farmers Flourishing in GurgaonDay 23 Superstition Holds Them BackDay 27 They Dare to Sneer At the Brahmins
NEW DELHI’S GLITTERING SUBURB
GURGAONCITY
46
RECORDS AND SUBSCRIPTIONSU.S. Center for World Mission1605 East Elizabeth StreetPasadena, CA 91104-2721Tel: (330) [email protected]
MANAGING EDITORKeith Carey
ASSISTANT EDITORPaula Fern
WRITERSGlenn CulbertsonPatricia Depew Patti EdigerWesley Kawato Arlene Knickerbocker Esther Jerome-DharmarajChristopher LaneAnnabeth Lewis Charles NewcombeTed Proffi ttLydia ReynoldsJeff Rockwell Jean Smith Jane W. Sveska
DAILY BIBLE COMMENTARIESDave Dougherty, Director of Plans and Training, OMF Intl.Keith Carey, Managing Editor, GPD
CUSTOMER SERVICEDan Eddy
GRAPHICSAmanda Valloza
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ISSN 1045-9731Contents of the Global Prayer Digest © 2013 U.S. Center for World Mission1605 East Elizabeth StreetPasadena, CA 91104
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For subscription information, call (330) 626-3361.For comments on content, call (626) 398-2241.
Editorial August 2013
Dear Praying Friends,
If you have been praying with us for some time, you will notice that we often have editions where we pray for people groups in a par-ticular city. In the last few years we have prayed for
unreached groups in Mumbai, Berlin, Paris, and London. All of those cities are well-known, and whenever it became tough to fi nd out information about them, we could always turn to the Internet. In this issue, however, we will be praying for groups in the emerging, but lesser known city of Gurgaon in India and groups in the Indian state of Haryana. Th e only information I had on hand about this area was a list of spiritually-needy unreached people groups.
Gurgaon City is near enough to New Delhi to be considered by some as a suburb of that huge me-tropolis. It is in located in the state of Haryana, one of the few north Indian states we have never focused on. Prayer entries for days 19-31 will discuss groups in other parts of Haryana, a state where only one in 1,000 people confess Christ as their only Savior.
Please pray for this spiritually needy part of India. When you are done, why not pass along this Global
Prayer Digest to someone else who will continue to pray for the unreached groups in Gurgaon City and Haryana when August is over?
In Christ,
Keith Carey, managing editor, GPD
Feature of the Month
47
Haryana
RajasthanUttar Pradesh
Gurgaon
Punjab
New Delhi
Pray for a Fellowship of Believers Among Every
People Group in Haryana State and Gurgaon City
Bac
kgro
und
48
To Help You Pray Better
Gurgaon: India’s 21st Century Boom-Town
by Keith Carey
Have you ever heard of Gurgaon City in
India? I have been learning about India’s
unreached peoples and regions for 27 years
but I did not hear about Gurgaon until I went to a
conference in South Korea in November of 2012. It
is a city in Haryana, a northern Indian state where
about one in 1,000 people follows Christ, according
to Operation World. Gurgaon has been called a suburb
of New Delhi, India’s capital city. But it is much more
than that. It has been described as a “bustling corporate
hub,” an “industrial city,” and a “fi nancial center.” Th ese
descriptions are all true. It also boasts many shopping
malls, call centers, industries, and skyscrapers.
A Short HistoryDuring most of recorded history, what is now Gurgaon
was a place of temples and military forts built to protect
Delhi from invaders. Th ere was nothing spectacular
about Gurgaon for many hundreds of years. Even India’s
independence from Great Britain didn’t aff ect things
very much.
48
4949
What really brought change to Gurgaon City was when India moved from a
socialist economy to a market-driven economy in the early 1990s. India’s tax
laws became more private business-friendly. Th e automobile company Maruti
was now located in Gurgaon City. Delhi was (and still is) one of the world’s
most populous and crowded cities in the world. Th ere was a desperate need for
a satellite city. Only 30 kilometers away, Gurgaon had much open farmland. Th e
real estate developer, DLF Group, bought farms owned by local people, making
some of the farmers millionaires. Private companies representing many diff erent
industries began to move to Gurgaon including Motorola, Nokia, Nestle,
Microsoft, and Oracle. Industries represented there also include the software
industry, telecom, outsourcing, auto production, clothing manufacturing, and
many others.
Th ere are infrastructure challenges for every boom-town, and Gurgaon City
is no exception. Th ey have made much progress with providing electricity, but
the roads and public transportation systems have failed to provide satisfactory
service to the inhabitants. According to an article in Wikipedia, some people
in Gurgaon are fl eeing to New Delhi for a better standard of living. Th ere are
eff orts to improve the situation, but with migrants pouring in from all regions of
India, the infrastructure problems will remain for many years.
Ethnic Gurgaon CityTraditionally, this part of north India has been home to many unreached Rajput
and Jat subgroups. Almost all of the castes have made their home there, from the
priestly Brahmins to the untouchable Dhanuks. Th e vast majority of the people
are Hindus, though there is a sizable Sikh population. As mentioned before, this
is a part of India with only a very small Christian population.
Being a new urban center, Gurgaon is home to thousands who are living in
a state of fl ux. In such a situation, two things happen. People tend to be open
to new ideas, and there are fewer community pressures to conform. Such a
situation might make Gurgaon City a place where Hindus, Sikhs, and other
unreached communities could fi nd their Savior. But it will require believers to
reach out to them.
Let’s Pray!• Pray for the Holy Spirit to raise up Christ-like ambassadors to reach the
lost in Gurgaon City.
• Pray for spiritual openness among every Hindu, Sikh, Jain, and Muslim
people group in this burgeoning city. GPD
Gurgaon: India’s 21st Century Boom-Town
Bac
kgro
und
50
To Help You Pray Better
50
by Keith Carey
Haryana has a population of only 25 million; it is
one of India’s least populous states. Th is is one of the
reasons why it has not been featured previously in any
GPD issue. Only 32,000 people living in Haryana
identify themselves as Christians.
Until 1966
Haryana was
part of Punjab,
the state to its
immediate north.
At that time
the government
of India was
beginning to
re-draw state
lines by language.
Haryana became a separate state from Punjab (where
Punjabi is spoken) because in Haryana most of the
population speaks the Haryanavi dialect of Hindi.
Th is language is sometimes associated with the Jat
groups. Th e Jats have traditionally been among the
most powerful communities in this state. We will pray
for the Jat communities seven days this month.
Haryana is made up of four distinct regions: the
Yamana-Ghaggar plain is the largest part of this small
state; the Shivalik Hills are in the northeastern part of
the state; there is a sandy desert plain in the southwest;
fi nally, the Aravailli Mountain Range is in the south.
Haryana is primarily an agricultural state, although
it surrounds the capital city of New Delhi on three
Haryana State: Miscellaneous Facts
5151
sides. In the 1970s Haryana was
heavily involved with eff orts to improve
agricultural production which was
called the Green Revolution. Th ey
are now a leading producer of grains
and dairy products. Rural populations
are often less open to new ideas than
people from urban centers. Th us, most
people from Haryana are less likely to
embrace the gospel than those from
Gurgaon City.
Let’s Pray!• According to Operation World,
Haryana has some serious prayer
needs. Th e 650 churches there are
weak, small, and often threatened by
Hindu militants. Pray for the Lord to
protect His children in Haryana.
• Th ere are 15 Christian training institutes in Haryana. Pray that God will
protect and equip the many new students with spiritual strength.
• Th ere are few Bible portions available in the local Haryanavi dialect of
Hindi. Pray for Bible translation projects to provide the resources needed
for these people to understand and embrace Christ and His ways. GPD
Haryana State: Miscellaneous Facts
52
Paul, a servant of Jesus
Christ, called to be an
apostle, separated unto the
gospel of God.
Here Paul introduces himself to his readers in Rome as a slave (doulos) of his Master, Jesus. He has heard and heeded his Master’s call to set himself apart for God’s good news as announced in the Old Testament (v. 2).
Paul had been en route to Damascus to arrest the followers of Jesus when Jesus “arrested” him and commissioned him to evangelize Gentiles, non-Jewish peoples. That “arrest” set Paul apart from the Sanhedrin, the Jewish council which had commissioned him with the bad news, the arrest of Jesus’ followers. But now, as a slave of the Master, Paul was set apart to do Christ’s will.
Pray that missionaries would
humble themselves as slaves
of Jesus, and that they would
hear and obey God’s will to
communicate the good news
to the nations.
I t felt like a gust of wind had entered the room.
But E. Stanley Jones and three other Asbury
College students continued their prayer meeting in
1905. Th ough they had been praying for a while, it
felt like the Holy Spirit had really arrived around 10
pm. Students confessed their sins and made deeper
commitments to the Lord who sent His Spirit that
night. More students came to the room to bask in
this emerging revival.
One student who was aff ected was Eli Stanley
Jones, born in Baltimore in 1884. Th e Holy Spirit
liberated him from a sense of superiority that night,
which helped prepare him for the mission fi eld.
Jones graduated from Asbury College in 1906, and
joined their staff for a year before God called him
to India as a missionary. Th ere he married a fellow
missionary, Mabel Lossing in 1911.
Th ough he began his ministry with the despised
lower castes of India, God gave Jones a ministry of
reconciliation that often involved some of the most
powerful men of his day. He worked with American
President Franklin Roosevelt’s eff orts to avoid war
with Japan before WWII. His friendship with
Mahatma Gandhi and other key Indian leaders
right after they achieved their independence helped
establish religious freedom as one of the pillars of
India’s constitution.
Pray that God will direct today’s seminary students to
know exactly what His will is for their lives.—KC
Day 1Roman 1:1 Missionary Biography, E. Stanley Jones
53
Concerning his Son Jesus
Messiah our Lord, which
was made of the seed of
David according to the
fl esh; ......
Jesus is central to Paul’s new understanding of the Old Testament. The prophecy of Jesus ties it together and unites it with the New Testament. Jesus is God’s Son, the promised Davidic king. Here in verse three, Jesus is central and Christology is of the utmost importance. Christology defi nes the good news. If Jesus is simply a good person whose example we are to follow, why not follow another? If the Christ is but one of many gods, then why not worship others? If Jesus is only one of the prophets, then why not listen to Mohammed? But if Jesus is the Lord’s anointed One of David’s line and Son of God, then He alone is worthy of our devotion. He is God incarnate.
Pray that missionaries will
be true to who Jesus is.
“W e may not agree with what Dr.
Jones is saying, but we can certainly all try to be like Jesus Christ.” Th us said an Indian leader as E. Stanley Jones began to speak before a crowd in urban India. Jones took the message of Christ to India’s major cities at evangelistic crusades as well as universities. He initiated “round table conferences” where people from diff erent religious persuasions gathered to give their testimonies of how their religious experiences changed their lives. Some came to refute the gospel or to explain
why their religion was the best, but others came to accept Christ.
In 1925 Jones wrote a book called, “Th e Christ of the Indian Road” that sold over a million copies. It was the fi rst of 30 books that he wrote. According to one web site, his books have been “read around jungle fi res, studied by armies and governments, quoted in parliaments, and banned and burned by Communists.” Jones commented, “If reconciliation is God’s chief business, it is ours—between man and God, between man and himself, and between man and man.” He did much to reconcile diff erent religious communities, but the Communists were a diff erent matter. Perhaps part of their objection to Jones was his 1935 book entitled,
“Christ’s Alternative To Communism.”
Pray that today’s missionaries will understand their role in bringing about reconciliation between man and God.—KC
Missionary Biography, ContinuedDay 2
Romans 1:3
Uttar Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Uttaranchal
AgraJaipur Lucknow
AllahabadKanpur
Bhopal
NewDelhi
Rajasthan
CHINA
NEPAL
Bay ofBengalArabian
Sea
Haryana
Punjab
54
I am debtor both to
the Greeks and to the
Barbarians…. So as much
as in me is, I am ready to
preach the gospel to you...
For I am not ashamed to
preach the gospel: ... the
power of God unto
salvation ...
Later in Romans 12: 8, Paul instructs us to owe no one anything except love. That is the epitome of Christian indebtedness. Because of the gospel’s power to save and change lives, there is no shame in preaching it.
Pray that today’s missionaries
will recognize the gospel’s
power to save peoples and
societies. Pray for good
strategy and boldness in their
witness, especially for those
working with hard-to-reach
Brahmin peoples.
Perhaps Jones’ most important contribution was
establishing ashrams, or spiritual retreat centers
where Hindus and Christians could discuss religious
matters in a non-threatening environment. Like the
Hindus who fi rst began ashrams, people came for
several days to study in depth their spiritual natures
and to come closer to God. Th ough he established
them all over the world, the most important one was
in Sat Tal, meaning “seven lakes.” Th is key ashram
was in Uttar Pradesh, northern India.
In December of 1971 Jones suff ered a stroke at one of
his ashrams. Th is stroke weakened him considerably,
but he managed to dictate his last book, “Th e Divine
Yes” onto a tape recorder before he died a little more
than a year later.
Th anks to E. Stanley Jones’ infl uence, many prominent
Hindus have had the chance to really understand the
gospel. He went out of his way to learn to use Hindu
cultural forms, which he called “indigenization.” Th ough
few have followed his diffi cult path, Jones showed
us good ways to present Jesus to Hindus in a non-
threatening, non-Western manner.
Pray that many others will take up the challenge of pre-
senting Christ to caste Hindus in an understandable non-
Western way.—KC
Taken from:
www.asbury.edu
www.whoisthisjesus.googlepages.com/jones
Missionary Biography, ContinuedDay 3Romans 1:14-16
55
For there is no respect of
persons with God. For as
many as have sinned apart
from the law shall also
perish apart from the law;
and as many have fallen
short of the law shall be
judged by the law …
In verse three, Paul notes that those who judge men will themselves be judged by God. In verse 12, he says that with or without the Law of God, people shall be judged. We know that all come up short of God’s will and glory (3:23). Everyone needs Jesus and the forgiveness of our sins He provides them.
Pray that the Brahmins
will seek salvation in Jesus
and not rely on keeping
any kind of law as a way
to righteousness. Pray they
will realize that the Law
is a judge, not a means
towards salvation.
T he punishing August
sun in Gurgaon City
drove people into the
shops and offi ces that
fl anked the thoroughfare.
Opposite the colorful
window display of a sari
store stood the imposing
municipal offi ce. Th e dull red Victorian building, with
its white columns and wide verandas, was a relic from
British colonial days.
Out of its grand entrance emerged a twenty-
something man. He sighed, forced himself to raise
his head, and threaded his way around the hawkers
that lined the street. One persistent vendor on
wheels, seeing the sweat run down his ruddy cheeks,
beckoned him to buy a bottle of “ice-cold-juice.”
Tempted as he was, the young man looked away. He
felt the coins clanging in his pocket. He knew he
could either buy the juice and walk home or he could
ride the bus. Murmuring under his breath, he thought
he should not have to make such a choice.
Even though he was born into a poor Brahmin family,
he had worked hard in school. He was now a college
graduate. However, he was still not able to fi nd a
decent job. Everywhere he applied, he was turned
down because he was from a privileged caste. Even
though Brahmins are socially privileged in India, they
are sometimes economically marginalized and have
trouble fi nding work.
Pray for believers to reach out to the Brahmins of Gurgaon
City, a people who remain isolated from other communities
on account of the belief in their own superiority.—EJD
Brahmins of Gurgaon CityDay 4
Romans 2:11
Crea
te In
tern
atio
nal
This high caste youth is underemployed
56
God … is my witness how
constantly I remember you
in my prayers at all times;
and I pray that now at last
by God’s will the way may
be opened for me to come
to you.
Imagine how busy Paul must have been. He was a premier missionary, a spokesman for the Church, and he traveled constantly. He must have had many things to pray about, not the least of which would have been his own health and protection in the midst of persecution and prison. But his praying didn’t stop with his own concerns. He prayed for the churches he had planted as well as the ones he hadn’t planted. Even more signifi cantly, he prayed for people he had never seen. One of the purposes of this devotional is to help you to pray for people you have never seen—the world’s unreached peoples like the Khati people.
Pray that you will be faithful
to pray for the lost, even those
you may never see in person.
R enu ran her fi ngers
over the intricately
carved wooden column. Th e
fi gurines in the wood—a
tree, a dancing woman, and
children playing—evoked
memories of a bygone age.
“Renu, when did you arrive?”
yelled a toothless old man
from across the street. Renu
turned, shielding her eyes
from the slanting rays of the
setting sun. She instantly
recognized “Chacha” (Uncle)
Manu. Th e kindly old man
has been her grandparents’ neighbor and co-worker
for as long as she could remember. Renu’s grandfather
was a skilled carpenter. It was a trade he had learned
from his father, a renowned Khati carpenter. However,
with industrialization and the subsequent mass
production of furniture, the delicate expertise of these
traditional carpenters and sculptors soon became
obsolete. Hence, Renu’s father, an intelligent student
who was always inclined to building and making
things much like his father and his grandfather, chose
to study engineering. He attended the university in
New Delhi, near Gurgaon City where most of his
extended family resides. Whenever he brought his
family to visit his parents, grandfather would tell
Renu stories of the Khati people who were fabled
craftsmen who could almost make wood come to life
with their skills.
Pray for the Khati people of India who are Brahmins,
members of the top tier of the Hindu caste system. Pray
they fi nd the love of Jesus Christ, the carpenter, who is also
the Lord and Savior of all nations.—EJD
Khati People of Gurgaon CityDay 5Romans 1:9-10
Bay ofBengal
ArabianSea
HaryanaNew Delhi
Gurgaon
57
S lipping into his long
saff ron robe, Giri
went to the front door and
lifted the latch. Th e bright
morning sun streamed
into the house. Th e world
outside was abuzz with
the noises of the morning.
Women were talking
loudly as they collected
water at the communal
water pump, chickens
were clucking, and there
was a shrill bell from a cyclist who was trying to get
the attention of boys engrossed in a game of marbles.
Children laughed merrily as they made their way to
the only school in this section of Gurgaon City.
Giri brought out the small black board with the
announcement, “Fortune Telling for fi ve rupees.” He
sat cross-legged on the front porch, and tuned his
radio to his favorite station. As the Hindi music
wafted over the din of the morning, he waited for his
fi rst customer to arrive.
Giri is a Jogi, a people group residing predominantly
in northern India. Some of them live the life of an
ascetic, relinquishing all worldly comforts, while
others practice fortune telling and such. Jogis form
a very exclusive group and have remained closed to
the gospel of Christ. Although they believe in the
supernatural, they have not encountered the life-
altering transforming power of Jesus Christ.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to touch the hearts of the
Jogis of Gurgaon so that they can encounter the Risen
Christ.—EJD
Is he not the God of
Gentiles too?
The passage of Romans 3:21-29 is a glorious one, proclaiming that we are justifi ed not by the outward performance of the works of the Law, but by an inward heart of faith in Jesus Christ. The path to becoming righteous in God’s sight is the same for all men—the gift of His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (v.24). Meditate on this great truth today. The very God that we worship is the same God over the entire human race. He’s the God of the Jogi people as well as all others. They may not know it, but He is their God. How He longs to be their Savior, too! What a wonder it is that He has entrusted us with the gospel to share with them.
Pray that the Father will
help us to see the unreached
peoples as He does.
Jogi People of Gurgaon CityDay 6
Romans 3:29
Indi
a G
ospe
l Out
reac
h
58
Blessed is the man to whom
the Lord will not impute sin.
Did this blessedness then
come upon the circumcised
or upon the uncircumcised
also? For we say that faith
was reckoned to Abraham
for righteousness.
Abraham’s sin was not imputed to him while he was uncircumcised because he believed God prior to the circumcision. Here Paul looks back to Genesis 17:23-27. Being uncircumcised, Abraham was outside of the covenant which circumcision symbolized. God also saves the Gentiles apart from circumcision (vv. 11-13). From this, we may deduce that the salvation of the nations was part of God’s original plan. Just as Abraham’s faith was counted as rightousness before he was circumcised, so people like the Gujjars today can have a personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ alone.
Pray that the Gujjars will
soon hear the good news
and be reconciled to God.
Mandeep’s fi ngers fl ew as she embroidered the
traditional cone-shaped cap for her Gujjar
husband-to-be. If the community council (called
panchayat) permitted, she would be married soon.
She glanced up as a shadow fell across her work.
“Javaid? Is that you? What did the council say?” A
grin spread across Javaid’s face, “Th e council has
wisely decided that people wanting a dowry here
among our people in Haryana will be excluded from
the community. Th e dowry system is fi nished. We
can marry!”
Th e panchayat council, which makes the rules and
laws for the community, had spoken. And thus brides
from poor families are now not left unmarried when
potential in-laws demand more than could possibly
be paid for marriage to their sons.
Th e name Gujjar means “to graze cows.” Th e people
used to be nomadic, but they are now mostly settled
in or near towns. While agriculture is still their
primary livelihood and most Gujjars are farmers or
herders, many young Gujjars are now receiving an
education, and some hold high degrees. Th e majority
of Gujjars are Hindu (68 percent), while the rest are
Muslim or Sikh.
Pray that the Gujjar people will fi nd the loving
Bridegroom who requires no dowry to belong to Him
and become their Lord and Savior. Pray that believers
will fi nd favor among the Gujjar people as they tell them
about their wonderful Creator. Pray that the Holy Spirit
will lift the veil from their eyes so that they can recognize
the gospel of Christ as truth and will accept Him.—PE
Gujjar PeopleDay 7Romans 4: 8-10
59
Dhanuks from Gurgaon CityDay 8
Romans 4:17
S haheena trotted along the path from the edge of
Gurgaon, making her way to work as a servant for
a large landowner. Although Dhanuks like Shaheena
are of a low caste, they are considered clean, so higher
castes can accept water and services from them.
She stopped to stare at the main gate to her neighbor’s
house. It was littered with jujube branches and castoff
shoes to scare away the ghosts. She mumbled, “Th e
baby was born! Mother must have delivered him, so
I’ll ask her about it when I get home tonight. I want to
sacrifi ce a male goat and chant spells over the baby so
he will have good luck.”
Shaheena is infl uenced by Hinduism, but she relies
heavily on her traditional beliefs in magic, witchcraft,
and ghosts. She has no knowledge of the Savior
who loves her, and she has no believing neighbors
in Gurgaon to tell her the good news. Child labor,
poverty, illiteracy, and alcoholism among the men are
all part of the hopelessness of her world.
Pray that the dark spirits that oppress their lives will be
bound and cast down in Jesus’ name. Pray that Dhanuk
hearts will be opened to the promise of the gospel as it is
presented to them. Pray that God will call His children
to go to the Dhanuks, and that His light will come to this
dark place.—PE
As it is written, “I have
made you a father of many
nations.”
This was God’s promise to childless Abraham. Abraham believed God and had many sons, although the covenant went only through Isaac and his descendants through Jacob (Israel) and his sons. But God’s promise went way beyond the patriarchs Isaac and Jacob. It went to the nations, to “us also to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe in him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.” It is not enough to say, “We have Abraham for our father.” One must believe that Father Abraham’s God raised Jesus from the grave to reconcile us to Himself (verses 24-25). That is incumbent upon all nations.
Pray that the Dhanuk
people will come to believe
in the resurrected Christ as
their Savior.
60
Wherefore, as by one man
sin entered the world, and
death by sin, and so death
passed upon all men, for all
have sinned.
Here Paul refers his readers to Genesis and the fall and to the disobedience of Adam in the Garden of Eden. It is through Adam’s disobedience that death came upon us because all of us sin. Mission eff orts seek to reconcile mankind to God and call all of us to repentance and faith in Jesus. Mission eff orts exist because of the fall.
Pray that the Mahtam
people will overcome pride
and fear and will embrace
Jesus as the cure for sin in
a fallen world. Pray for the
story of the fall and salvation
from it to be read or heard by
all members of the Mahtam
community. Pray for God
to give them faith in Jesus’
salvation from sin.
S arla swayed, trancelike, to the words of the Adi
Granth. Called “the fi rst book,” it is the collection
of nearly 6000 hymns of Sikhism. She is pursuing
her salvation by meditating on the name and message
of her god as revealed in these writings. She pushes
down the underlying sense of fear that she is not
meditating enough and therefore won’t fi nd salvation.
It never seems enough. What shall she do?
Sarla is part of the 700,000-member Mahtan clan.
Th ey have been known as cultivators and clearers of
the jungle, and there are many diff ering stories of
their origins. Th e majority of the group is Sikhs like
Sarla, although Mahtan members are also found in
the Muslim and Hindu places of worship.
Th e JESUS Film, translated into Sarla’s Western
Punjabi language, collects dust on a shelf next to
translated Bibles and gospel recordings. Th ey hold
the answer for Sarla and her people, but there is
no ambassador of Christ available to off er them.
Th ere has been no church planting work among the
Mahtan for two years.
Pray that God will call His workers to this fi eld. Pray
that they will be willing to take the message of salva-
tion through Jesus Christ alone that will free the Mahtan
people from sin and death. Pray that the message will
be received as the Holy Spirit pierces the hearts of the
Mahtan people with the truth of the gospel of Jesus the
Christ.—PE
Mahtan People in Gurgaon CityDay 9Romans 5:12
61
... even so by the
righteousness of One the
free gift came upon all men
unto justifi cation of life.
... so by the obedience of
One shall many be made
righteous.
Paul says here that justifi cation is a free gift due to Jesus’ sinlessness and His substitutionary atoning death. With justifi cation comes righteousness, and that righteousness leads to eternal life (v. 21). Thus Christ is the Second Adam-- what the First Adam should have been—obedient. In another letter, Paul says Jesus was obedient in allowing Himself to be crucifi ed. In India, Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists deny Jesus’ sacrifi cial death. Some Muslims claim Jesus was never crucifi ed, while Buddhists and Hindus sometimes say Jesus’ bad karma killed him.
Pray that the peoples of
South Asia like the Hajjams
will come to accept and
embrace the reality of Jesus’
sacrifi cial death on their
behalf, and thereby obtain
eternal life as a gift.
Badiah served the steaming beef and vegetables to
her husband and two sons with an irritated sigh.
“My sons, you are going to the shop. Don’t complain,
for it is your blood-destiny.” Th eir questioning eyes
turned to their father.
Arif leaned back, looking at them squarely. “God
himself ordered Gabriel to shave Adam in order
to teach him the art. Adam passed the skill to the
prophet Solomon who is the father of the Hajjam.
Th at is why our people are barbers and hairdressers.
Ours is a respected caste, and you are lucky to be born
into it.”
“How do you know this, father?” blurted out one of
the boys. “Because it is written in the manual of our
art. You must not complain about going to our shop
every day and learning our occupation. Next to being
good Sunni Muslims, the most important thing you
can do is respect our traditions. Just think, we used
to be alongside dusty roads, but now we are in this
glorious Gurgaon City with electricity, skyscrapers,
and wide highways. Some day you might go to
business school to better run our shop.”
Pray urgently for this strategic people group. Th eir connec-
tions among all Muslim groups is far-reaching and infl u-
ential. Th ey have the ear of politicians and powerful people
as well as the common man. Pray that the bonds of Islam
will fall away in the presence of the gospel, and that they
may hear it, believe it, accept it, and share it with other
Muslims.—PE
Hajjam People of Gurgaon CityDay 10
Romans 5:18-19
62
Do you not know that
as many of us as were
baptized into Jesus the
Lord’s Anointed One, were
baptized into his death?
Therefore we are buried
with him into death (and)
raised up from the dead (to)
walk in newness of life.
Baptism can be a powerful witness to the unsaved. In baptism believers participate in and act out the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. They thereby identify with Him in a rite of passage from spiritual death to spiritual life. In entering into a new way, they reject the old. In many places, however, public baptism is dangerous; it can cost one their life or family affi liation. In some cases, people postpone baptism until they are dying. In other cases, baptism is done in secret if at all.
Pray for wisdom for pastors,
missionaries, and believers
concerning when and where
to be baptized.
“Today we are privileged to celebrate and honor
the birthday of a great Sayyid Muslim, Sir
Syed Ahmad Khan, born in 1817. Th is remarkable
man changed India! Founder of the Aligarh Muslim
University (AMU), his vision for education was
the key that allowed Muslims in India to meet
new challenges in many areas, especially science.”
Dr. Talat Hasan, a Sayyid, from Gurgaon City
was addressing the prestigious crowd at AMU
made up primarily of Sayyid’s Muslim educators.
He commented, “Sir Syed knew that for India to
change, its people would need to be educated. He
often said, ‘Do not show the face of Islam to others;
instead show your face as the follower of true Islam
representing character, knowledge, tolerance and
piety.’” As a Sayyid, I seriously believe that this is the
heart of Islam and what Allah wants from us!”
Th e Sayyid people claim that they are descendants
of Mohammad, which gives them status as one of
the most honored groups in Muslim society. Th ey
commonly take prominent positions in the spiritual
leadership of their Muslim communities, and the
majority will not marry outside of their group. With
an estimated population of 7,100,000, they are the
largest group of Muslims in India and very resistant
to spiritual change.
Pray that God will allow Christian educators to meet
with the Sayyids and show them the power and glory of
God found in the Bible. May many Sayyids soon know
the eternal hope found in Jesus as their Savior.—PD
Sayyid Muslims Day 11Romans 6:4-5
63
For without the law, sin
was dead.
Paul says the law is not sin (verse seven), and it is holy (verse 12). The law is spiritual (verse 14); yet we fail to do what is right and do what is wrong despite ourselves (verse 19). How is that? I do wrong and fail to do right, not because of the law, but because of sin, the sin that is in all of us. So what good then is man’s law or God’s law? The law sets parameters and identifi es sin (verse seven). The law, therefore, is like iron rails are to a train: the law keeps us on track. Sin, however, derails us. Jesus is the Engineer who brings peace and deliverance (verse 25).
Pray that the Julaha people
in Gurgaon City will soon
hear about the path that
leads to Jesus and a personal
relationship with God.
A Julaha man in
Gurgaon began to
write in his blog about
matters that desperately
need to be addressed.
“I will never forget the
heartbreak and tears of my
daughter when her engagement was broken because
her fi ancé’s mother discovered I was a Julaha. It did
not matter that I was a Muslim in good standing, had
my own business in which I manufacture silk, and was
well respected in our Julaha community in Gurgaon.
My family has worked hard to gain this respect.
We are not low caste Julahas begging to survive
and weaving a few coarse bedspreads. I made up my
mind then that I would take a stand. I organized and
founded the All-India Muslim OBC Front, which is
leading the battle against upper-caste discrimination
against lower-caste Muslims. I have been under
attack from other Muslims who say that there is no
discrimination in Islam. When we attempt to convert
people to Islam, we tell them that Islam has no castes.
My response is that there are no castes in Islam,
but there are castes among Indian Muslims. I know
because I have been discriminated against many times
over. Th ey become quiet and do not answer me.”
Pray that Christ’s followers will befriend Julaha Muslims
and show them how much they are loved by God through
His saving grace found only in Jesus.—PD
Julaha (aka, Ansari) People in Gurgaon CityDay 12
Romans 7:8b
KACW
M
An Ansari weaver
64
I thank God through Jesus
Christ our Lord. So then
with the mind I myself
serve the law of God; but
with the fl esh the law of
sin.
Here is the answer to Paul’s dilemma: Jesus the Messiah with His death, burial, and resurrection. Jesus promised to send His Holy Spirit to be with His followers. Paul is mentally alert to the power of a Spirit-motivated conscience (verse 25b). He can therefore serve the Lord. He himself, however, will still suff er temptation, frustration, and sometimes defeat in his spiritual life. The victory is through the Holy Spirit, even if physical death will still be his lot. But Paul had victory in His Savior, Jesus Christ.
Pray that the Khumhar
people will come to know
that victory as they come to
know Jesus and grow in His
grace and love.
Since he was a small child Raj, a Kumhar, has
been collecting clay and kneading it with his
feet. He learned the diffi cult and laborious job of
turning the potter’s wheel when he was older. Th ese
wheels are made from old tires fi lled with cement,
and they weigh about 220 pounds. Th e spinning is
so fast that Raj is able to make two or three pots in
about fi ve minutes.
Rosa, a Salvadorian potter visiting with Raj, was
amazed at the beautiful pots the Kumhar were able
to make on such a crude wheel. She commented,
“Th e pots must be perfect. When they are fi red,
it is not unusual for over 50 percent of them to be
destroyed. Raj still piles the good ones on a cart
pulled by his donkey and delivers them to stores.”
Raj told Rosa about recent changes. “It is a challenge
to survive because many people don’t want the pots
anymore.Th ey buy the cheaper kitchenware made of
steel and plastic. My own children are working as
tailors and in rug factories.”
Th e Kumhar people living in Gurgaon City and
other regions of India, Nepal, and Pakistan are
known for their hard work, beautiful pottery, and
pleasant nature. Also known as Prjapti people,
they claim to be descendants from the Hindu Lord
Prajapati, son of Brahma. Th ere are only a few
followers of Christ among them.
Pray that God will soon send committed believers to ef-
fectively lead the Kumhar people to the saving grace of the
Lord.—PD
Kumhar (aka, Prjapti) PeopleDay 13Romans 7: 25
65
“I am the good shepherd;
I know my sheep and my
sheep know me … ”
In a sense, shepherd peoples like the Gadarias understand our relationship with God better than we do. They deal with sheep, the very same animal that God compares us with. Like sheep, people wander away from their master, and often face serious consequences as a result. Could it be that when such unreached peoples come to their Master, they will be able to teach the rest of us what it means to know Him?
Pray that the Gadaria people
will embrace their Master.
Pray that they will soon work
with others who do not know
the Good Shepherd.
H elping his father with some stonework, the boy
asked why they had to live in Gurgaon City. Th e
boy wanted to go away to the green pastureland where
his uncle still lived and took care of sheep. His father
replied, “You are Gadaria, and that means ‘sheep.’ In
the past all of our family were shepherds. Your mom
used to make beautiful blankets from their wool, and
she helped me take care of the animals. We lost our
land and had to fi nd new work. Th is is why we live
here in the city. Maybe someday you will be able to
return to being a Gadaria shepherd. Pray that Allah
will show you the way.”
Th e 3,000 Gadaria people in northern India are
Muslim. Th ere are 6,000 others living in the southern
states of India that are Hindu. Th ey are from the
Bania caste, which means they are just above the
servile castes. Th ey lack education, and many do not
receive basic medical attention.
Pray that believers will build good relationships with the
Gadaria, helping them with physical needs, literacy, and
introducing them to Christ. Pray that both Muslim and
Hindu Gadaria communities will respond to the calling of
the Holy Spirit. May they soon understand what Jesus said,
“I am the good shepherd. Th e good shepherd lays down his
life for the sheep . . . I know my sheep and my sheep know
me” (John 10:11-14).—PD
Gadaria People in Gurgaon City Day 14
John 10:14
66
Or why do you look down
on your brother? For we
will all stand before God’s
judgment seat.
Caste is a very strong part of Hindu cultures. The Brahmins are at the top, the Sudras are at the bottom, and one is destined to serve the other. But God sees things very diff erently. In His kingdom all are equal and all will stand before His judgment seat. For the lower caste groups this is good news, and many have embraced it. But for people groups with higher status like the Rajput peoples, there is strong resistance.
Pray that Christ’s followers
in India will fi nd a way to
reach Rajputs, Brahmins,
and other communities of
high caste status. Pray that
they will understand the
ramifi cations of rejecting
His way and thinking that
they are better than those of
lower status.
“I am a simple and
easy going person.
I am witty, realistic,
honest, organized,
dedicated, helpful,
gentle, and I try to make
things perfect. I expect
my partner to be the same.” Darsha took a deep
breath and pressed “send.” She would see what kind
of response she would get. Hopefully she would fi nd
the man of her dreams. It was a given that he would
be from the Rajput caste and speak Haryanvi. She
could never do what her cousins did—marry a Dalit
and a Christian at that! Her family disinherited
her, and with good reason! Th ese Christian Dalits
(outcastes) were becoming bolder and bolder. So
many had abandoned Hinduism for Christianity. She
had even heard of a few Rajputs doing so, though
that is very rare. Darsha would only consider a good
Rajput Hindu man for her husband.
Haryanvi Rajputs are concentrated in India’s state
of Haryana. Even though India’s constitution no
longer recognizes the caste system, culturally it is
still very much in eff ect. Matrimonial web sites cater
to diff erent castes and have increasingly become the
preference for young Indian singles to fi nd appropriate
matches. Th e average Hindu associates the gospel
with the under classes of society.
Pray that there will be a mighty moving of the Holy
Spirit preparing the hearts of the Haryanvi Rajputs to
accept and embrace the gospel and leading believers to seek
them out for the Kingdom of God.—JS
Harvani Rajputs in Gurgaon CityDay 15Romans 14:10b, c
Cale
b Pr
ojec
t
A Rajput baby dedication
67
How beautiful are the feet
of those who bring good
news!
We so easily forget the value of what cross cultural workers have done to spread the gospel to every tribe, tongue, and nation. The Reach Punjab 2000 eff orts have enriched the lives of thousands by introducing unreached Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims to the Lord of lords! They now have a personal relationship with Christ. Thanks be to God! Though there is still much work to be done and spreading the gospel in Punjab is diffi cult, it is nowhere near as diffi cult as trying to reach neighboring Haryana where only one in 1,000 inhabitants believe in Christ.
Thank God for the harvest in
Punjab! Pray that this will be
the decade when the fi elds
will be reaped in Haryana.
Day 16Romans 10:15
“W e have an
exciting history,
serving as a warrior class
and ruling as kings in
Delhi through several
dynasties. Just consider
how much the term raj
is associated with kings.
In fact, raj putra means
the son of a Raj or king
in Sanskrit. Yes, we Punjabi Rajputs have royal blood
running through our veins!”
Th e animated speaker was talking with a tourist who
had asked him questions about the ethnicity of the
Punjab region. He continued, “During the great
division in 1947 when the British left and granted
India its independence, most of the Muslim Punjabis
migrated to Pakistan. Few remain today in the
predominantly Hindu Punjab.
“I am proud of my royal heritage, but I am even
prouder of my new king!” Th e visitor looked confused.
“Yes, I have a new king, Jesus! Ten years ago my entire
family was introduced to Jesus, and now my goal is
that every household in my zip code will hear of Him.”
Many churches participated in a saturation church-
planting project called “Reach Punjab 2000.”
Christian workers went to every one of Punjab’s 491
zip code areas, and in only two years its goal was
reached. By 2000 every zip code had at least one
church. Now the goal is to reach every people group,
including the few prestigious castes such as the
Rajputs which have not been reached.
Pray for a Rajput church in all 491 zip code areas to wel-
come the King of Kings.—JS
Punjabi Rajputs in Gurgaon CityCa
leb
Proj
ect
68
But if we hope for what we
do not yet have, we wait for
it patiently.
What do you hope for? Do you hope for Jat communities to fi nd their Savior so they can be part of His Kingdom? Today we are praying for Hindu Jats living in Gurgaon City, but we will be praying for seven diff erent Jat communities by the time the month is over. The reason is that there are very few Jats who have bowed their knees to Jesus Christ among any of their nearly 100 communities. Are you willing to hope for what is not yet, and pray for it patiently?
Pray for more missionaries
and lay leaders who will
hope for what we do not yet
have—a Church for every
Jat community!
G urgaon City is not exactly a household word
in the Western world. New Delhi, Kolkotta,
and Mumbai are very well known, but Gurgaon City
is only the sixth largest city in the Indian state of
Haryana. It is situated close to New Delhi and only
10 kilometers away from Indira Gandhi International
Airport. Its rapid growth resulted from a real estate
boom that converted this former little farming
village into a global IT destination. And it has
emerged as one of the most prominent outsourcing
and off -shoring hubs in South Asia.
All of this rapid growth started in the 1990s, and
much was made possible when Jat farmers sold their
farmlands close by Gurgaon City for hundreds of
thousands of dollars per acre, turning many into
instant millionaires. Th ousands of professionals have
recently made their homes there. Th e outsourcing
boom has led to rapid growth in employment and
local wages, but it has also widened the gap between
Gurgaon’s new rich residents and its relatively poor
native population. Th e former pastoral Jats have
suddenly been thrust into a cultural upheaval.
Pray that God will use the dynamic change in the lives of
the Jats of Gurgaon City to seek the stability and salva-
tion found in the solid rock, Jesus. Ask God to connect
seekers with those who can lead them to the Savior.—JS
Jat Hindus in Gurgaon CityDay 17Romans 8:25
69
So in Christ we who are
many form one body, and
each member belongs to all
the others.
One of the most exciting things happening in the world today is the partnership between the older and the younger churches in mission outreach. Older churches have known the gospel for many centuries, and have been the traditional missionary-sending churches. Though the Jat Sikhs are still an unreached people group, the gospel has penetrated many Sikh communities in the past 30 years. Today Indian mission groups like India Gospel Outreach send out turbaned Sikh background believers to share the savior with their neighbors.
Pray that these Sikh
background believers will
make inroads into Jat Sikh
communities so that this
people group can enjoy
fellowship with their true
Lord and Savior.
J at Sikhs, like their
cousins Jat Hindus,
have traditionally
been associated with
agricultural pursuits
and land ownership,
owning possibly as
much as 95 percent of
available agricultural
land in Punjab. With
Gurgaon City’s
transformation from a
small farming village into
a technological hub and
bustling city near Delhi, many Jat Sikhs have been
able to parlay their holdings near Gurgaon City into
fi nancial windfalls. Besides being pastoralists, Jat
Sikhs have also constituted an important source of
recruits for the Indian Army, and they are known as
particularly loyal soldiers.
Perhaps it is the warrior mentality of the Jat Sikhs that
contributes to their positive and receptive ideas about
a host of new things in every fi eld. Th ey have adopted
modern technology in agriculture and households
at a swift rate. Th ey have a favorable attitude toward
education, and since women have traditionally played
an important part in all spheres of life, they readily
send their daughters to cities for higher education.
Jat Sikhs are among the young urban professionals
fl ocking to Gurgaon City. Like many other Indian
communities of good standing, the Jats have a negative
view of Christianity. Th e only Indians they see
embracing Christ come from low caste groups.
Pray for God to provide opportunities for Jat Sikh professionals in
Gurgaon City to meet and interact with believing peers who can
introduce them to Jesus, the One who can provide real meaning and
fulfi llment in their lives.—JS
Jat Sikhs in Gurgaon CityDay 18
Romans 12:5
Indi
a G
ospe
l Out
reac
h
Sikhs are famous for their turbans
70
“I n the beginning,” the
old man said, “there
were two brothers—
Chhaju and Raju.” “I
remember Chhaju,”
blurted out one of the
boys. “Yes. Th ese brothers
lived in Sargodha…” “Pakistan!” the other boy said
brightly. Th e old man nodded. “Chhaju married and
had a daughter. As the daughter grew up, she began
to beg and scavenge. When the other people saw this,
they were greatly off ended, and they felt that this
was a disgrace. Soon Chhaju and his family were sent
away.” “And they became us!” the fi rst boy announced.
“Th ey became the Deha,” the old man continued. “We
are the Deha!” the other boy said proudly.
Despite several colorful folktales, the origin of the
Deha people is uncertain. It is possible that they came
from Pakistan. What is certain is that they were
nomads before settling in Haryana, northern India.
It is also a fact that few, if any, are followers of Christ.
Although the Bible was completed in their language
in 2000, the Deha continue to practice Hinduism.
Pray for the hearts of the Deha people to be open to God’s
Word. Pray for the gospel to be preached among them and
for many to respond to it, putting their faith in Christ. Ask
God to send workers to the Deha to demonstrate His love.
Pray for the spiritual eyes of the Deha to be opened to see
the emptiness of Hinduism and recognize the truth and
saving power of Jesus.—CL
Deha People in HaryanaDay 19John 4:24
God is spirit, and His
worshipers must worship
Him in Spirit and in truth.
It is very easy to forget a couple of basic things concerning how people come to the Lord. God is spirit, so we cannot win people to Him with only facts and fi gures. In fact, no one will come to Christ unless they are drawn by the Holy Spirit. Yet they must worship Him in truth. This means that they know who He is.
Pray that the Deha people
will soon worship the only
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,
in spirit and in truth. May
His truth penetrate deep into
their hearts.
71
The Lord had said to Abram,
“Go from your country, your
people and your father’s
household to the land I will
show you.”
This verse which precedes the Abrahamic Covenant would resonate with nomadic peoples like the Sansis. For a nomad like Abram or like the nomadic communities today for that matter, identity is not found in the land where they dwell. Instead, their identity comes largely from their community and their relationships. In the case of Abram, God provided the primary relationship. Perhaps today’s nomads understand what really matters better than any of us!
Pray that soon the Sansis
will give their hearts to the
One who is worthy of their
total devotion. Pray that
other communities in South
Asia will learn from nomads
how crucial are God-
centered communities.
“Why don’t we have a home?” the nine-year-
old girl asked her mother.
Her mother looked at her with a puzzled expression.
“Th is is our home,” she answered, gesturing to their
surroundings. “But we never stay for long in one
place.” Before the mother could respond, the girl
added, “Are we really criminals?” Her mother made a
face and hissed, “What are you talking about?” “Asha
said we were criminals and that the British wanted
to put us all in jail.” “Sit down,” her mother said
patiently. “You are hearing lies about our people.”
Part of what the girl said is true. Th e Sansis were
under the Criminal Tribes Act during the British
rule of India, and it was a source of disgrace for their
community. Th ey lived in Rajasthan before being
ejected by Muslims in the 13th century and taking
up residence in nearby Haryana. Th e Sansi are not
homeless, but neither are they landowners. Th ey are
a nomadic people. Th ey are a lower caste community
with most people working on farms as laborers.
Although some have converted to Islam, most
continue to follow Hinduism. Th ey also hold onto
their tribal religion. Th e Sansi are not highly valued in
India, but they are highly valued by God!
Pray that they will hear the message of God’s love for them
in Christ and respond to God’s off er to become part of His
Kingdom. Ask the Lord to bless these people and turn the
story of the Sansi from rejection to acceptance.—CL
Sansi People in HaryanaDay 20
Genesis 12:1
72
… in order that I might
have a harvest among you,
just as I have had among
the other Gentiles.
In this verse Paul reminds the Romans of his primary ministry—preaching the gospel to the Gentiles. Many Christians set out on the path of bringing the gospel to the nations, but become sidetracked by good, perhaps even urgent tasks, such as other forms of church work or ministry. But who will go to the unreached nations? We need thousands of new workers who, like Paul, will focus exclusively on the task of reaching the nearly 8,000 people groups that have no church of their own. Jesus, the Lord of the Harvest, wants us to pray that thousands will go as new missionary recruits to the unreached peoples.
Ask God to send some from
your church to unreached
nations like the Kamboj.
“F ather, the
man from the
government agency said
that we could increase
our crop yield by 50
percent if we adopted
the modern ways of
farming. We could make
more money that way!”
Th e young man looked
hopefully into his father’s
stern face. “No! Th is is the way we have always done
things. My father taught me ways that he learned
from his father. Th ese ways were good enough for
our ancestors and they are good enough for us. If
we had more money, you would just squander it on
liquor and cell phones anyway.” Th e younger man
turned away dejected. He would have to wait until
his father died and he was head of the family before
he could make any changes.
Th e 1.5 million Kamboj people are mostly farmers
and herdsman. Most are vegetarians. Th eir diet
consists of wheat, maize, rice, potatoes, turnips, and
carrots washed down with lots of milk and tea. Only
the largest landholders have tractors and use modern
methods of farming. Th ey prefer small families;
women are often sterilized after bearing two or three
children. Th ey are Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Buddhist
or Jain, but almost none of them follow Jesus Christ.
Pray for more workers for the Lord’s harvest to reach the
Kamboj people. Pray for this large and diverse people
group to hear of the One True God who died for them and
left an empty tomb as proof of His divinity.—JWS
Komboj People of HaryanaDay 21Romans 1:13b
73
Not only is this so, but we
also rejoice in God through
our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have
now received reconciliation.
The wonderful news is that He has made provision to reconcile us to Himself through the blood of Christ. Peoples all over the world are not only un-reconciled with their Creator, but also with other communities and people. It takes an understanding of our sin and our need for reconciliation with our Creator before we can understand our part in creating confl ict with our neighbors.
Pray that the Rayeen people
will soon understand that
they are sinners in need of
salvation given to them by
faith in Christ. Pray that an
appreciation of this will lead
them to the God who loves
them, and reconciliation
with other communities.
“Wheeee!” Supa squeeled as his grandfather
lifted him high. Th e two of them were glad
to see one another whenever the younger half of the
family came home from New Delhi. Supa enjoyed
hearing Grandfather’s stories about their people, the
Rayeens. Th ey soon went into the house for another
round of stories.
“Can you say, ‘Ghaggar River?” Grandfather asked
the six-year-old. Th e boy struggled through it, the g
sound got caught in his throat, and they both laughed.
Grandfather continued, “Th at is where our ancestors
fi rst settled in Haryana. We were once part of the
powerful Rajputs who protected this land from any
invaders who dared to come with swords. Some of our
people converted to Islam and betrayed their Hindu
ancestors. We are spread out all over some of the best
farmland in India. In Punjab and here in Haryana we
make sure there is plenty of milk for everyone in India.
Do you want a cup of milk now?” “Yes!” the boy said,
and he ran into the kitchen to pour himself some milk.
Th e Rayeen people are part of the larger Arain
community. Th ough most are Hindu, there is a large
Muslim minority and a smaller Sikh minority. Almost
none of them have found their true Savior.
Pray for the Rayeen people, be they Hindu, Muslim, or
Sikh, to fi nd out about the only One who can give them
abundant life. Pray for clear radio broadcasts in Haryana
that will send the message of the gospel.—KC
Rayeen (Arain) People in HaryanaDay 22
Romans 5:11
74
The God of peace will soon
crush Satan under your feet.
Missionaries and Christian tourists often report that they have a deep sense of heaviness and oppression when they visit certain countries or regions. And they sense a real uplift in their spirits when they leave those areas. It is no coincidence that such areas are often those that have very, very few Christians—if any—and are generally considered closed to the gospel. But we can have the same assurance that Paul expressed in his letter to the Christians in Rome. We can be confi dent that God will crush Satan under the beautiful feet of those who bring the good news to peoples in bondage.
Pray for the Lord to grant
protection and victory to
frontier missionaries who
are directly challenging the
dominion of the evil one.
A bullock shakes his
head vigorously to
get rid of fl ies, and the
Makrani farmer runs
away. Another Makrani
farmer erects a pole with
a tattered shoe on it after
harvesting a good crop of
wheat. Two Makrani men
start on a journey, and
their third partner must
wait before joining them.
What is happening?
In each of these cases
members of the Makrani
caste are trying to prevent
bad luck. Th ey are
courageous people; originally their community was
hired as mercenaries. Ironically however, fear rules
their lives, and they do not know the one who can
help them conquer this fear and deception. Th ough
caste and superstitions are usually associated with
Hindu communities, the Makranis are Muslims.
Ethnically they are related to the Baloch people of
western Pakistan and Iran. In India most Makranis
live in Gujarat, though there are also many who live
in Haryana. Th ey are unreached with the gospel no
matter where they live.
Pray that the Makrani people will be freed by the power of
Jesus Christ from fear and deception. Pray that they will
soon understand that they can depend on Him to deliver
them from the evil eye. Pray for many of them to put their
trust in Him.—KC
Makrani CasteDay 23Romans 16:20
Bay ofBengal
ArabianSea
Gujarat
75
f
Do not be arrogant, but be
afraid. For if God did not
spare the natural branches,
He will not spare you either.
Though this is an exhortation to Gentile believers to not look down on their Jewish brethren, it also applies well to people in other parts of the world today. In India there has been hostility between Muslim and Hindu peoples for hundreds of years, and there is no sign of it stopping. Unfortunately, neither group is part of a “natural branch,” nor are Hindus or Muslims “grafted in” to God’s family.
Pray for both Hindu and
Muslim communities,
particularly the Mirasi people,
to be “grafted” into the family
of God when they hear of His
great mercy and forgiveness.
What does it mean to have a better life? In
Haryana, a better life for many means having
a higher income than other parts of the country.
Haryana was created in 1966 as a separate state based
on language. Before that time it was part of Punjab,
a state to their north with a diff erent language and
culture. Since becoming its own state, Haryana has
developed into one of the wealthier states in India,
having India’s third highest per capita income.
Th e Mirasi people who live in Haryana are not
an ethnic group, but rather a caste. Th ey are the
traditional genealogists in a number of their
communities. Th ey are also well known as traditional
musicians. Most Mirasis are no longer employed full
time in these occupations, and instead, they are highly
marginalized wage laborers. Th e Muslims among
them are believed to have turned to Islam under the
infl uence of Amir Khusro, an 11th century Sufi poet.
In fact, the name Mirasi derives from the Arabic
Miras, meaning “inheritance” or “heritage.”
Pray that the Mirasis will fi nd their heritage in Christ.
Pray for the spiritual hungry among the Mirasis to hear
God’s Word and respond by putting their trust in Him
alone. Pray that their life circumstances will cause them to
call out to their creator.—JR
Muslim Mirasi in Haryana Day 24
Romans 11:20b
76
Do not conform any longer
to the pattern of this world,
but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind.
Then you will be able to test
and approve what God’s
will is—His good, pleasing
and perfect will.
A major reason for the existence of the Global Prayer Digest is to deepen your understanding of God’s will. This booklet is meant to help you to fi ll your mind with Scripture and information that will challenge your faith and prompt further involvement in the Great Commission. It is also meant to encourage you and stimulate you to pray. By contrast, the world would have us conform to its priorities—self-preservation, self-gratifi cation, and self-security.
Pray that Jesus will renew
our minds today by His Word
so that we may discover
what He would have us do
to join in the task of reaching
the unreached.
Vaddar Muslims in Haryana Day 25Romans 12:2
“Aghh!” Vascoon
just pulled
a muscle in his back
while digging on a road
construction project. He
was so dehydrated that
he became vulnerable to
such injuries. Th e foreman
told him to leave and come back when he was better.
Fortunately, the injury was temporary, but it meant
losing much needed income. It could have been worse.
What would he do if it were a permanent injury?
Most Vaddar people are earth workers, digging canals
and wells, as well as building roads and railway tracks.
Th ey have few choices; the education level of most
Vaddar Muslims is disappointingly low. Th e economic
opportunities are better in Haryana than in much of
the rest of the country. Of course the greater one’s
education, the better are the chances for meaningful,
solid employment. Education is one thing that is
severely lacking among the Vaddar Muslims.
Many customs are handed down in a family line, and
not all of them are good. In the case of the Vaddar
Muslims in India, superstition, fear of evil spirits,
and Islam are some of the major things that have
kept them in spiritual bondage for many generations.
Pray for spiritual, physical, and material freedom to come
to the Vaddar Muslims. Pray that their life circumstances
will turn them to Jesus.—JR
The Vaddars work hard with little reward
77
Those who live according to
the sinful nature have their
minds set on what that
nature desires; but those
who live in accordance with
the Spirit have their minds
set on what the Spirit
desires.
Our world abounds in things of the fl esh that compete with the things of the Spirit for our attention. Television, magazines, and the Internet—not inherently bad in themselves—often contain material which takes our minds away from the Spirit and onto the things of the fl esh. One major reason for this devotional is to help us to set our minds on the things of the Lord. We daily read of God’s concern for unreached nations, what He has done in the past for them, what He is doing now, and what still needs to be done to bring the gospel to every one of them.
Ask God to help you keep
your mind on the things of
the Spirit today—including
prayer for Faqirs and other
unreached peoples!
What is in a name? So often in the West we give
our children a name simply because it sounds
nice, it’s popular in the broader culture, or we name a
child after someone we know and admire.
In the East, specifi cally in India, a name carries much
more than a sound. It has a meaning. For example, to
be known as a “Faqir” is to be known for being poor.
Th is is a name and a condition that its bearers are
well aware of. Faqir is also a popularly known caste
of Muslim magicians. Th is can quite often be a strike
against them, as they are despised and discriminated
against because they practice magic.
Another strike against this group is that they have
never had an opportunity to place their faith in Christ
and His fi nished work. Th ere are no known believers
among this population. Th e Faqirs are Muslim; they
have blended in many Hindu beliefs, making it a
signifi cant challenge for those who would bring the
gospel of Jesus to them.
Pray that their poverty, both physical and spiritual, would
cease to defi ne the Faqir people. Pray that God will give
them a heart that will strive for physical and spiritual im-
provement so that they will be open to embracing the Word
of God. Pray that the church will take seriously the needs of
the Faqirs in India by committing themselves to impacting
them with the gospel.—JR
Faqir (Muslim magicians) in Haryana Day 26
Romans 8:5
78
Accept one another, then,
just as Christ accepted you,
in order to bring praise to
God.
Chapter 14 and the fi rst few verses of chapter 15 deal with issues of conscience in the life of the Church. Those strong in faith are instructed not to do anything that would disturb the faith of those not so strong. Paul warns them against putting stumbling blocks in the way of others. Believers are to accept one another as Christ has accepted us: unconditionally. Those who are mission-minded often fall into temptation to be critical of those who don’t yet have a concern for all nations. Mission-fanatics should be careful to win their brethren to the cause through love and acceptance.
Pray that the Holy Spirit
will teach us to accept
other believers who do not
share our concerns. Pray
against any form of self-
righteousness in your heart.
S ushantha, a 16-year-old Jakhar Jat girl, looked
alarmed as she put down the copy of Punjab
Newsline she was reading. She asked her mother,
“Why is this guy demanding that Jats get reservations
for government jobs and places in the universities?
He says that most of us are ‘other backward castes
(OBC)’ because most of us live in villages and we are
‘educationally backward.’”
Her mother put aside the chapatti that she was
frying, and began to laugh. “One thing about
everyone in India is that we all want the status of
high caste members, but we also want the privileges
of being OBCs. I can tell you some great stories my
grandmother taught me. Our people once fought the
Muslims and drove them away. And yes, we did fi ght
the Brahmins. We slaughtered them, and took their
sacred threads and burned them.”
Th e girl really looked alarmed now. “What audacity!”
Her mother calmly replied, “All Jat groups tend
to sneer at the Brahmins and their eff orts to use
religion as a means to gain profi t.”
Sushantha has good reason to be confused about
her people, the Jakhar Jats. Th ey are trying to gain
the privileges of OBCs, though offi cially they are
Kshatryas, the important caste block just below
the powerful Brahmins. But one thing she is not
confused about is religion. Jakhar Jats are 100
percent Hindu.
Pray that the Holy Spirit will take the blinders from these
people’s eyes so they can see Jesus.—KC
Jakhar Jats in HaryanaDay 27Romans 15:7
79
W ikipedia describes the Makiwal Jat
communities as “non-elite” tillers and herders
in northern India and Pakistan. Th ey were originally
pastoralists in what is now Pakistan’s Sindh Province,
but they have since wandered all over this vast region
of South Asia, including Haryana.
Th ere are 55,000 Makiwal Jats, and they face many
of the same issues as other Jats throughout India and
Pakistan. Th ey are known as great fi ghters and great
agriculturalists. Like other Jat communities, known to
them as “gotras”, the Makiwals are part of the Kshatrya
caste cluster, just beneath the high caste Brahmins.
A March 8, 2012 editorial printed in “India Today”
tells us that Jat communities have dominated Haryana
since it became a state in 1966. As mentioned in
yesterday’s entry, Jats in Haryana are demanding
“other backward caste” (OBC) status, which gives
them preferential treatment in government job
placements. According to the writer, Rohit Parihar,
those who actually need these jobs don’t get them
because the positions are already taken up by relatively
privileged groups like the Jats. Ironically, politically
powerful communities can use their power to get what
should be reserved for marginalized communities.
Jats can be Hindus, Muslims, or Sikhs depending on
where they live. Th e Makiwal Jats are entirely Hindu.
Living in Haryana, they have very little chance to hear
the gospel.
Pray that Makiwal Jats will hear and embrace the life-
giving Savior of all mankind. Pray that they will put their
faith in Christ rather than in lesser things.—KC
Makiwal Jats in HaryanaDay 28
Romans 16:27
To the only wise God be
glory forever through Jesus
Christ! Amen.
Romans is a book which demonstrates in every chapter God’s concern for all nations. There is no more appropriate way to end this month of prayer than the way Paul ends the Book of Romans: by giving glory to our Lord Jesus Christ. We need to remember why we are concerned about taking the gospel to the nations: to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ! Pastor John Piper wisely said that missions happen because praise does not occur. We want to hear all heaven echo with praises of people from every tribe, tongue, and nation. That is why we learn, pray, and give every day on behalf of the unreached peoples!
Stop and give glory to the
One who deserves praise
from all nations!
80
For the wages of sin is
death, but the gift of God
is eternal life in Christ Jesus
our Lord.
This verse is the gospel in a nutshell! Our sin has separated us from the Creator, resulting in eternal death. But eternal life is off ered through Christ Jesus! This eternal life is a free gift to all who will receive it. But we must remember that it wasn’t free for Christ; it cost Him death on the cross. We must freely, willingly, and zealously off er God’s gift to the unreached. The Great Commission may cost us our money, our children, or our church leaders, but obedience is the only reasonable response to God’s wonderful love.
Thank the Father for His gift
of eternal life through Christ.
Pray that He will give us the
courage and selfl essness to
do whatever it takes to off er
His gift to unreached peoples
like the Hinjra Jats.
C arlos was having trouble getting his team of
Argentine intercessors to settle down and pray,
but it was worth it. Today they were praying through
the Guia Mundial de Oracion (the Spanish language
version of the GPD) for the Hinjra Jat people in
Haryana, India. It was very hard to fi nd additional
information on the Internet. One person mistook
them for India’s Hijra caste, which is a group of
cross-dressing eunuchs. Wrong. Hinjra Jats would
belt anyone who compared them to that group.
Finally, Maria found something on Wikipedia that
described them as being herdsmen indigenous to
Gujranwala, a place that is now on the Indian-
Pakistan border. Th ey now live in 37 villages spread
out in various parts of Pakistan’s Punjab Province
and four Indian states, including Haryana. Th ere
are 66,000 of them in India, and 80,000 of them in
Pakistan. Not surprisingly, the ones in India are all
Hindu and the ones in Pakistan are Muslim. Carlos
called their attention to the Prayerguard web site,
which included these prayers for this unreached
people group:
Pray that the Hinjra Jats will be set free from any spiri-
tual counterfeit that binds them and keeps them away
from the Savior. Because the Holy Spirit can do more
than we can imagine, pray that He would touch Hinjra
Jat hearts in a way that no preaching could ever do. Pray
that the Holy Spirit would “ invade” Haryana Jats with
truth and light so that they can have a personal relation-
ship with God.—KC
Hinjra Jats in HaryanaDay 29Romans 6:23
81
Parihar Jats of Haryana
K amal eyes the opposing team. Th e kabbadi match
has just begun. Which of his opponents seems
most vulnerable? Kabbadi, a popular South Asian
sport, pits teams of four to seven members against
each other. One at a time, a contestant crosses the
middle line to face the other team. He must tag one
of them and return to his side safely—while holding
his breath. If an opponent tackles Kamal, the other
side gets a point. Kabbadi, as well as Indian mud
wrestling, kushi, can pave the way for a Parihar Jat
youth like Kamal to escape his family’s centuries
old life of poverty. He can vault from common life
to civil service, guaranteeing him a job for life. So
while Kamal eyes his opponents, he also eyes a future
hoping to rise above the limits his ancestors knew.
Kamal is part of the tiny Parihar Jat community.
Determined and known for their competitive skills,
the Parihars have risen above many of the other Jat
groups. Th eir history even includes rulers of past
centuries. But they have yet to meet the King of kings.
Pray that young leaders like Kamal will encounter the One
who can lift them out of their bondage to sin. Pray that
Parihar leaders will meet Christ followers who demon-
strate the joy and compassion of our Savior. Pray that the
Holy Spirit will prepare Parihar Jat hearts with a thirst
for Christ.—GEC
Day 30Romans 15:21/Isaiah 52:15
… but as it is written:
To whom He was not
announced, they shall see;
and those who have not
heard shall understand.
Neither Isaiah nor the disciples had any idea how far the fame and glory of Christ would go at the time this was written. A few short years before Paul quoted this verse, the idea of sharing the gospel with a Roman soldier was very strange to Peter. Could any of them even imagine what we are now seeing in the world? It once seemed unthinkable to all of us that people would come to the Lord in places like the Punjab, Mongolia, and Nepal. Where will the Lord move next? Keep this in mind as you pray for unreached people groups in Azerbaijan next month.
Pray as if He is waiting for
you to intercede for the
unreached.
82
Therefore, since we have
been justifi ed through
faith, we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus
Christ.
We who are unrighteous sinners have been justifi ed by faith through our Lord Jesus. And that justifi cation has given us peace with the God of the universe, the Ruler and Lord of all. Yet all around us we see a world that has no peace. Countries fi ght over islands in the ocean, religious groups fi ght over the hearts and minds of their adherents, and families fi ght over what TV programs to watch. If Jesus Christ is the key to individual peace with God, He is certainly the key to peace in families, within countries and between countries and peoples.
Pray that the Pawania Jats
will embrace and obey the
Prince of Peace who alone
can teach them forgiveness.
S ubhash called his sons to his bedside. “Sons, I
am dying. I must tell you about our friends and
enemies.” He proceeded to list people who had helped
him across the years. “We stand in debt to them.
Promise me that you will repay that debt,” he said as
the young men nodded. Th en his face turned sour as
he named others who had off ended him. He spat out,
“Th ese people you can never allow as friends. Promise
me that you will take revenge on them.”
Subhash is a Pawania Jat. Like Jats generally, he
cannot die in peace until he explains to his family
the friendships and enemies in his life. Does this
sound similar to part of King David’s instructions to
his son Solomon in 1st Kings, chapter two?
Like the other Pawania Jats and the other Jat groups
we have met, Subhash is dying without hearing the
message of forgiveness through Christ. Th e Bible and
other Christian media have been available to him
for some time. But no one has come to the Pawania
Jats to tell them about receiving God’s forgiveness
through Christ and passing that forgiveness on to
those who have off ended them.
Pray that the “Glorious Freedom” of Christ will reach
the Pawania Jats wherever they live. Pray that the Holy
Spirit will create in them a hunger and thirst for forgive-
ness and reconciliation.—GEC
Pawania Jats of HaryanaDay 31Romans 5:1
