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Prayer requests from Global Diaspora Forum participants
Please lift up the Refugee Highway Partnership’s European regional roundtable in Budapest from February 5-11. Over 130 participants from many countries are expected to attend. Please pray that this gathering will help compassionate attitudes be channeled into loving and godly effective action (see Matthew 9:35-10:1). Pray that churches and organizations who are ministering among refugees will draw closer to the Lord and renew their strength (see Isaiah 40:31).
Ask our Heavenly Father to provide the resources for the Global Nepali Speaking Christian Leaders Conference to be held in Siliguri, India, in March. Pray that this gathering will demonstrate the beauty and blessing of unity in the Christ (see Psalm 133).
Changes in US policy regarding refugee admissions, visas and other immigration issues are changing the abundant opportunities for diaspora mission in the States. Pray for government leaders to submit to Christ’s authority as they develop and implement policies (see Daniel 4:34-35). Please pray that the Church will make the best use of the time (see Ephesians 5:15-16).
Please invite the Holy Spirit to lead the preparations for the diaspora-focused track of the Amplify Conference to be held in late June near Chicago. Pray that many attendees will be inspired and equipped to engage in fruitful cross-cultural ministry. Pray that the Kingdom may be proclaimed without hindrance among every people group in the States (see Acts 28:31).
Pray for wisdom and guidance as GDN develops and strengthens partnerships with existing church networks, such as Missional International Church Network. Pray that brothers and sisters working together for the advancement of Christ’s kingdom will be eager to keep the unity of the Spirit (see Ephesians 4:1-3).
Please pray for Chinese Filipinos to be disentangled from false beliefs and superstitions and to solely trust in God and His Word. Pray that Chinese Filipinos of all religious backgrounds will know the truth and be set free (see John 8:31-32).
Pray for the Lord to make a way for efforts to develop business-as-mission platforms to employ and minister among refugees in USA and Uganda. Pray that these platforms will lead to many refugees and unreached peoples knowing the love of God (see Psalm 72:12-14).
Please pray for clarity of thinking and insight as Borderless Prayer, the diaspora-focused prayer guide, is translated into Korean. As we agree in prayer, may our Father in heaven let us see His answers (see Matthew 18:19).
People Going: Russians
One of the largest diaspora groups are Russians, with at least 20 million people identifying as Russians living in around 70 countries besides the Russian Federation. When the Soviet Union ceased to exist, tens of millions of ethnic Russians found themselves as minorities in former republics. Most Russians in diaspora today live in Eastern European and Central Asian nations, particularly in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine, including the disputed territory of Crimea. Other countries with significant Russian populations are the United States, Israel and Germany.
Praise the King Eternal, who is building a kingdom which cannot be shaken (see Hebrews 12:28). Thank God that many Russian Jewish people in Israel have recognized Yeshua as the Messiah and pray that many more will submit to God’s righteousness (see Romans 10:3). Pray for the renewal and revival of the Russian Orthodox Church; pray that these churches will not just be cultural centers for diaspora people but also pillars for vibrant, spiritual communities (see Revelation 3:11-12). Pray for Russian brothers and sisters in Central Asia to be ministers of reconciliation, seeking to bring God’s healing among many different ethnic groups (see 2 Corinthians 5:17-19). Pray against jealousy and strife among Russian Christ-followers, abroad and in Russia, so that God’s handiwork may be more clearly displayed in the Church (see 1 Corinthians 3:3, 9).
Diaspora Hub: International Airports
Air travel is one of the major ways people are literally on the move. Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest by international passenger traffic, recorded nearly 7 million travelers in 2015. At DXB, like many other airports, business leaders, refugees, tourists, migrant workers and relatives reuniting with families can be found at each gate. Large groups of hajj and umrah pilgrims, often clothed in simple white garments, gather as they wait for their flights to Saudi Arabia. The nations are also represented among the flight crews, airline representatives, store clerks and restaurant staff. Where else but at an airport is there such a mixture of ages, cultures, languages and religious backgrounds?
Pray for the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth, to watch over the going out and coming in of air travelers (see Psalm 121). Ask our merciful Father to extend a hedge of protection around airports and airplanes for the sake of the people on the move (see Job 1:10). Pray that air travelers will experience joy, peace that surpasses understanding and spiritual rest as they journey (see Acts 8:26-39).
Pray that every interaction at airports will display mutual respect, reflecting the truth that all people are made in God’s image (see Genesis 1:27). Pray for those who work at airports and who follow Christ, that they may view their work as worship to the Lord and serve Him in greater measure (see Colossians 3:23-24). Pray for brothers and sisters in Christ to frequently gather in His name at airports to welcome His presence there (see Matthew 18:20).
(Information gathered from Joshua Project, Operation World, Airports Council International & World Bank)