PRAYER GUIDE – WEEK 6 (Oct 10th – 16th)

After the greater Tokyo area, the Kansai region is the most populous. It includes well-known areas like Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, and Nara. Two of Japan’s ancient capitals are in this region, and many significant religious-historical places have their roots there.

• Pray for the greater Osaka area, which is home to more than 20 million people. Pray for a convicting witness of Christians and churches in this megacity amidst its attractions and busyness.
• Churches may seem small or weak in comparison to the many beautiful and ancient shrines and temples in this region. But pray that people who visit churches would be convicted and moved by Jesus, the Word, and by the worship offered to him. Pray that Christians would have eager and humble hearts to invite others to church.

In 2019 more than 1.3 million Japanese were living abroad. It is estimated that every year nearly 1,000 Japanese people become Christians overseas. This is a high percentage compared to those living in Japan. Churches and Christian home-stay families around the world have an amazing opportunity to welcome Japanese people and share the gospel with them.

• Pray for churches and ministries outside Japan as they seek to reach out to Japanese people. 
• Pray that Japanese people living overseas would be open to the gospel and meet believers who can lead them to Christ.

There are approximately 4,360,000 physically handicapped people in Japan. Pray that their physical disabilities will not be an obstacle to the gospel and that they will be able to encounter Christ.

For the disabled to be able to encounter Christ without physical disability being an obstacle to the gospel. Pray that the church will be ready to receive the physically challenged. Not only physical preparation, but also "understanding.

• Pray that disabled Christians who already believe in the Lord will be able to witness to the Lord in their own places. Pray that they will be able to fulfill the mission that the Lord has given them.
• In Japan, physical disabilities are classified into the following five categories. Please remember to pray that the gospel will be preached to all people.
  1) Visual impairment
  2) Hearing and Balance Dysfunction
  3) Speech, language, and masticatory dysfunction
  4) Limb/Trunk Dysfunction
  5) Internal disabilities due to diseases of the internal organs, etc.

For those praying around the world could you please pray for Japanese communities.

• Pray Christians would be salt and light as they meet and interact with their own community.
• Pray for Christians to share their faith with friends and neighbors.
• Pray for local Churches that they would leave the building and reach out to the community and that Churches would want to work together with other Christians.
• Pray God will move powerfully in communities across Japan