In November, the world will travel to the Brazilian city of Belém, and YWAM will be there ready for the nations!
Topic suggested and written by the Creation Care Hub team at YWAM Paisley, Scotland.Photo of a prayer time with students at an elementary school run by YWAM Belém. Photo from YWAM Belém.
The occasion? The massive annual United Nations climate talks known as “COP30,” which will have around 50,000 participants from almost every nation. In Belém, YWAM is organizing outreach events to present the gospel in all its richness to the colorful cross section of humanity who will be visiting. Please pray with us for these outreaches and for the COP30 event.
Pray for effective communication of the gospel with such a wide range of peoples on the streets of the city. Pray for wisdom and grace as the outreach team members interact with each person they encounter, be it delegates, locals, security personnel or other visitors.
Pray for unity in relationships between YWAM Belém, the participating churches and the YWAM outreach teams during this two-week event. For their unity to be glorifying to God.
Pray for the COP30 negotiations, complex though they are, to bring outcomes in line with God’s nature and character for the peoples of the world.
Pray for life-changing encounters with God, both during evangelism and for the YWAMers themselves, who will be engaging with God in intercession for the city and the COP30. The teams are inspired not only by the opportunity to talk with unreached peoples but also the growing awareness that, because God is interested in reconciling all things in Christ (Col. 1:19,20, Eph. 1:10b), so the gospel has specific relevance to many of the issues discussed in a climate conference.
Take Action
Learn more from YWAM’s Creation Care Hub about how God intends us to relate with His creation. Attend their online Forum in January, or come to their in-person Foundations of Creation Care seminar. Find out more at ywamscotland.org/creation-care-hub.
Join The Invitation.
Sign up for prayer emails and find translations in many languages at ywam.org/theinvitation. Please contact us at prayer@ywam.org to let us know how you prayed, to recommend a prayer topic, or to request an advance copy of the prayer guide.
In the Bible we see artistic acts being done as prophesies to warn and correct a nation. For example, Ezekiel was told to draw the city of Jerusalem on a clay tablet and then create siege works against it (Ezekiel 4:1-2). Today, Christian artists and arts ministries also seek to bring God’s revelation to society. Christian artists face the challenge of ministering in a sphere that often contains a lot of impurity. Like the prophets of old, Christian artists also are often misunderstood.
Topic suggested by Daniel Leones in Mexico and written by Jimmy and Elizabeth Huertas in Colombia. Photo from a dramatic performance created by an arts ministry at YWAM Cartagena, Colombia.
Please pray with us right now as we lift up arts ministries in YWAM and in the body of Christ. Please also pray with us on October 9, the prayer day for YWAM’s prayer initiative called The Invitation.
Pray for people with a calling to the arts sphere, that they would be supported, discipled and trained. In Christian churches, the arts are often not seen as a means to disciple nations but as something nonspiritual or even sinful. Sometimes those who feel called to the arts don’t receive encouragement or can’t find people to collaborate with. Pray that churches and ministries would see the value of the arts.
Pray for moral purity and integrity for people in arts ministries. Everybody is attacked in these areas, but those who grasp their calling to the arts sphere might face a greater attack. The arts environment can be quite corrupt, where integrity is seen in other perspectives.
Pray for an understanding of Christ-centered principles and a biblical vision to bring God’s kingdom to earth. Pray that as people sense God’s call into the arts that they would not give up but would be obedient to pursue their dreams and their vision of a different society.
Take Action
YWAM has many opportunities to pursue arts ministries and to get training in this area. You can search these options on ywam.org by clicking the Explore button at the top and then selecting arts-related passions like performing arts, fine arts, cinematography or music. To search in Spanish, Portuguese or French, click on the globe icon on the top right.
Also, you can browse about arts on the site for YWAM’s University of the Nations: uofn.edu.
In addition, you can contact the writers of this prayer focus:
Sign up for prayer emails and find translations in many languages at ywam.org/theinvitation. Please contact us at prayer@ywam.org to let us know how you prayed, to recommend a prayer topic, or to request an advance copy of the prayer guide.
In a recent talk to a group of YWAM staff, Darlene Cunningham, co-founder of YWAM, said, “We’ve had a wonderful past, but it’s just a drop in the bucket of what God wants for us.” She said YWAM is not in a time where we can pat ourselves on the back for what we’ve accomplished, because “the job is nowhere near done.” She urged her listeners to keep on being obedient, and ask like Elisha for more, for a double anointing. “God wants to use us like never before,” Darlene declared. YWAM continues to grow, but there is so much more to do. Please pray for YWAM at this time that more young people will come to us, and more people of every age will join the mission, so that we can see more and more transformation around the world. As Jesus challenged his disciples to do in Luke 10:2, please join YWAM this month as we pray for laborers.
Topic suggested by a participant in the survey for The Invitation; written by Bryan Bishop in the USA. Photo of a YWAM Bible distribution outreach in South Asia.
Pray for young people to discover their place in God’s purposes for the world. Pray that YWAM will continue to meet, inspire and disciple young people. Pray for YWAM’s work with local churches in countries around the world, for the discipleship that takes place in YWAM’s short-term mission programs and Discipleship Training Schools, and for YWAM’s partnership with The Send. Darlene said, “There are so many creative ways to do what God has called us to. It’s going to be an amazing future as each of us walk into our individual giftings.”
Pray for people who want to work among the unreached and those with no access to the Bible. Many people around the world still have never met a Christian and still do not understand the message of Jesus. Many do not have access to a Bible in their language. As Darlene said, the unfinished task is huge. Please pray for God to raise up people with a passion to reach the unreached and the Bible-less. Pray for people willing to get trained, to join teams, to develop skills, and to persevere.
Pray for God to raise up people who will seek godly transformation in every sphere of society. Pray for businessmen and businesswomen, for educators, for artists, for athletes, for entertainers, for legislators, for scientists, for childcare workers, for families, for counselors, for church leaders, and for communicators.
A YWAM family on a mission in Asia
Take Action
If you or someone you know wants to get involved with YWAM, here are a few ways to take a step.
Do a six-month Discipleship Training School (DTS): learn more and investigate specific programs at ywam.org/dts.
Get trained through YWAM’s University of the Nations (UofN): explore at uofn.edu or ywam.org.
From Almena C.: Please also pray for YWAM’s prison ministry in Puerto Princesa, Philippines. They conducted a Discipleship Training School inside the prison. They have a weekly service inside the prison. Pray for provision for the YWAM staff to continue the work.
Join The Invitation.
Sign up for prayer emails and find translations in many languages at ywam.org/theinvitation. Please contact us at prayer@ywam.org to let us know how you prayed, to recommend a prayer topic, or to request an advance copy of the prayer guide.
Prisoners come in many shapes and sizes. One of YWAM’s prison ministry workers says he meets old and young, male and female, foreigners and locals, beggars and professionals. YWAM’s ministries to prisoners also come in many forms. They share the good news of forgiveness and restoration in Jesus. They provide vocational training, teaching skills like barbering and starting businesses. They provide books with inspiring Christian stories. And they help men and women after they are released. Please pray that these ministries among prisoners will flourish. Pray that it would be true that “God…leads out the prisoners with singing” (Psalm 68:5-6). Please take a moment to pray with us right now, and please also pray with us on August 14, the prayer day for YWAM’s prayer initiative called The Invitation.
Topic suggested by a participant in The Invitation’s survey. Written by Joanna Parada in South Africa, Cris and Nando Rosa in Bali, and Nicolas Rojas in Colombia. Photo of YWAMer Cris Rosa at a women’s prison in Bali, Indonesia. Photo by YWAM UofN Bali.
Please take a moment to pray with us right now, and please also pray with us on August 14, the prayer day for YWAM’s prayer initiative called The Invitation.
Pray for prisoners and YWAM’s prison ministry worldwide. Pray that more Christians would start prison ministries so that prisons would become places of transformation for God’s glory. Pray that prisoners who have been converted would truly change and become good examples for others. Pray for comfort for victims of crime. Pray for families of prisoners, who often are ostracised in their communities, that they would not reject the prisoners for their mistakes. Pray for good networks of support for prisoners after their release.
Pray for YWAM’s work among six prisons in Bali, Indonesia. They are seeing prisoners come to faith and are providing training in hair cutting, cooking, and how to start a business. Some of the prisoners are from unreached people groups. Pray also for boldness in sharing the gospel, for empathy toward the prisoners, and for prisoners to come to faith and become witnesses to their families and communities.
Pray for Hope Prison Ministry, a partner ministry of YWAM in Muizenberg, South Africa. They provide a six-day restoration program in nearby prisons. This program allows healing to take place as inmates are reconciled to themselves and to God through Jesus, and ideally to their victims, families, and communities. Pray that participants would take the message to heart. The YWAM team has seen how prison ministry can literally be a matter of life and death. Xolani, one of the graduates of their program, was happy to receive early parole. But soon after he was shot dead as he walked to visit his children. Joanna, one of the members of the YWAM team, said, “This is the sad reality for many prisoners, as they have a lot of enemies in their communities. Even though their lives may have changed in prison, the lives of most people in their communities have not changed, and these people still hold a grudge. That is why it is important to reach people with the gospel while they are still in prison.”
Pray for YWAM Publishing’s donations of books to prisons. They have given over 130,000 Christian Heroes books in both English and Spanish to over 2,000 prisons in the USA, making them available to over two million inmates. Pray for hearts to be open to what God wants to say through these books. Please also pray for open doors to expand the program in Mexico. Also pray for continued donations to fund these programs.
Also, consider if God might be leading you to prisoners near you. Nicolas, who has worked for many years in YWAM prison ministry, said, “Many biblical figures, such as Joseph, Paul, Jeremiah, Peter, Silas, Samson, John the Baptist, and Jesus were in jail, but there was a purpose for their lives. God had a plan to use them. In the jail nearest to where you are reading this, there are people whom God wants to redeem and use, because He has a purpose for them.”
Join The Invitation.
Sign up for prayer emails and find translations in many languages at ywam.org/theinvitation. Please contact us at prayer@ywam.org to let us know how you prayed, to recommend a prayer topic, or to request an advance copy of the prayer guide.
Please join us in interceding for Turkmenistan, one of the least reached and most closed nations in Central Asia. Though the borders officially reopened in 2023 after a prolonged closure, the country remains difficult to access and spiritually resistant. Yet even here, we believe God is quietly at work. In recent years, doors have opened for small numbers of people to visit and pray, often forming surprising connections. One such relationship is with a local man who has repeatedly crossed paths with people of faith. He is respected in his community and has welcomed conversations about spiritual things. Those who have met him believe God has placed a unique calling on his life.
Topic suggested and written by H. and A. in Central Asia. Photo by YWAM Central Asia of a man in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
Please take a moment to pray for Turkmenistan right now, and please also pray with us on July 10, our prayer day for the YWAM prayer initiative called The Invitation.
Pray for greater openness. While Turkmenistan remains one of the most challenging nations to enter, small but hopeful changes are emerging. Pray that the new e-visa system is fully implemented and that it will eliminate the need for a letter of invitation to the country—removing a barrier that has long restricted access, not only in logistics but also in hearts. Ask the Lord to continue opening both practical and spiritual doors so that His love and truth may freely flood Turkmenistan.
Pray for laborers. There are very few Christian workers in the country, and the local church operates under great pressure. Many believers are isolated and weary. Pray that the Lord would send workers into this harvest field and strengthen those already there. Ask for long-term strategies that would allow teams to move into the country, begin new ministries, and sow seeds of the kingdom in sustainable and creative ways.
Pray for spiritual revelations. Please pour out focused prayer for the man mentioned earlier. Though he does not follow any religion, he has shown openness and spiritual hunger that many believe is part of God’s drawing on his life. He has heard the gospel several times and has welcomed deep conversations. Pray fervently that he would encounter Jesus in a supernatural and undeniable way—through dreams, visions, or divine appointments—and that he would come to fully surrender his heart to the Lord. Pray that this man, so uniquely positioned, would become a vessel for God’s purposes in his nation. Then pray that many others across Turkmenistan would encounter the Lord in similar ways and turn to Him with open hearts.
Pray for the local church. Fear and fragmentation have hindered the growth of the body of Christ in Turkmenistan. Pray for unity among believers, courage to share their faith, and a deepened awareness of God’s presence with them. Also pray for strategic ways to train and equip Turkmen believers for missions.
Pray for justice and hope. Widespread corruption has left many without opportunities or access to basic resources. Pray for godly transformation in leadership and for hope to rise among the people.
Take Action
As you pray, we invite you to listen to God’s voice about this nation. Please share any impressions with us at turkmenistan@ywam.org. We believe God is speaking and calling many to stand with this nation in prayer and purpose.
Join The Invitation.
Sign up for prayer emails and find translations in many languages at ywam.org/theinvitation. Please contact us at prayer@ywam.org to let us know how you prayed, to recommend a prayer topic, or to request an advance copy of the prayer guide.
