West Africa Advanced School of Theology

30 November 2012

Jumaa Prayer
for the Muslims of Africa and beyond
Intercede with Us for the Muslim World!
He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2Pe 3:9b). Let us show patience in our prayers and in our lives before our Muslim neighbors, for their salvation and for God's glory.

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

GHANA / SIERRA LEONE: An alumnus from Ghana asks us to pray for their upcoming national elections, to be held 7 December. Please pray that all is done in peace and fairness. We thank God for peaceful polls in Sierra Leone this past month. Both countries have growing Muslim populations, with more involvement in politics at every level. Please pray that the Lord will guide the leaders of these nations. SENEGAL: A missionary in Senegal asks us to continue to pray for two Brazilian missionaries there (a man and a woman). They were involved in an orphanage to help street children and were arrested 6 November when a father complained that his son had heard the gospel. They hoped to see a judge this week. The missionary reports that the imprisoned man has led four people to the Lord, and they had church this past Sunday! Pray for their witness and health, and for God's intervention. Pray also for the other missionaries in Senegal, who fear their work may be affected because of false accusations made in this situation. May the Lord be glorified! WEST AFRICAN SUB-REGION: Pray for an awakening in the churches in West Africa to the need to reach out to the growing Muslim population. An alumnus working with Open Doors (a ministry concerning persecuted Christians) points out, Given the situation in Mali, in Nigeria and even in Cte d'Ivoire, we believe it is urgent to reflect on strategies to strengthen the churches of the West African sub-region. To this end, he is working as a researcher. Pray for the Spirit's guidance and wisdom as he meets with churches and leaders.

In the News
NIGERIA: Attacks against churches and believers continue in Nigeria. In a suicide attack this past Sunday, a church at a military barracks in Jaji, north of Kaduna City, was rammed by a bus containing bombs. Minutes later, a car with explosives followed. At last count, 15 have died, including the 2 pastors, who were students at a Baptist seminary in Kaduna. (For more information, see http://tinyurl.com/cdtfv7z.) On Monday night, gunmen drove through a predominately-Christian village near Jos, in central Nigeria, shooting at least 10 dead. Pray for the pastors, churches, and Christians in Nigeria, that the Lord will help them to stand firm for Him and fill them with His peace. Pray that those who persecute them will come face to face with the living God and find their true Savior.

From Global Initiative*

Pray for Bangladesh. In the last 15 years, terrorists have detonated hundreds of bombs and killed thousands of people. Bangladesh has the fourth largest Muslim population in the world. Nearly 150 million90.4%of Bangladesh's people follow Islam. Fewer than 1% are Christians. A constitutional amendment passed in June 2011 names Islam the state religion, but still assures freedom of worship. Still, harassment of non-Muslims continues. For more information, see http://www.persecution.org/awareness/persecuted-countries/bangladesh/.

Prayer Resources
*Global Initiative is a ministry of Assemblies of God World Missions, USA. Visit http://globalinitiativeinfo.com/ for information about praying for Muslims and weekly requests. Muslim women need your prayers! You can join a prayer network and receive regular requests at http://sayhelloinfo.com/. Find information and prayer requests concerning Muslims around the world at http://www.30-days.net/. Information and prayer requests for each country are available at http://www.operationworld.org/. To learn more about unreached people groups, visit http://www.joshuaproject.net/. Praying for Muslims: A Guide for Effective Intercession offers many insights concerning Islam and a different prayer subject each Friday. For the request for 30 November, see http://tinyurl.com/cpvbbfk . How should we pray for those imprisoned for their faith? Read http://www.elam.com/articles/How-to-pray-for-those-in-prison/. For prayer requests concerning persecuted Christians, visit http://www.opendoorsusa.org/pray/. For news updates concerning persecuted Christians, visit http://morningstarnews.org/. Jumaa Prayer Alerts (breaking news and urgent prayer requests) are posted on the WAAST Facebook page as they arise: http://tinyurl.com/d4gm6uq.