The Invitation, May 13, 2021

By any measure, the trafficking in men and women for forced labour or sexual exploitation is an enormous and increasing tragedy. The extent of the problem can feel overwhelming. According to Polaris Project, there are 40.3 million victims of human trafficking globally. A United Nations study showed that sex trafficking is the fastest-growing business of organized crime and the third-largest criminal enterprise in the world. Many individuals are passionately opposed to human trafficking and would love to help in some way but have no idea how. This month, you can take action against human trafficking by joining a YWAM prayer day called The Invitation. On May 13 we will pray along with Isaiah 61:1: “To proclaim freedom for the captives….”

Topic suggested by: Matt Peterson in USA.
Prayer content by: G.K. Pierce in Poland (ankyrapublications.com).

Listen to the Letter

Prayer Points:

1. Pray for survivors of trafficking.
   Pray that those caught up in trafficking would be freed from the chains that bind them and that they would encounter God’s love. Pray that they would heal, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. Pray for fair and honest employers to offer them jobs and training. Pray that they would find hope for their futures and strength and grace to forgive.
2. Pray for traffickers.
   Pray that traffickers and pimps would have a profound, life-changing Damascus-road type of encounter with God (Acts 22:6-10). Pray they would repent and leave the sex trade and would use their knowledge of the industry to fight for freedom of people caught in slavery (John 8:32).
3. Pray for those battling against trafficking.
   Pray Galatians 6:9: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Pray for supernatural protection from evil. Pray for courage, wisdom from God, and a passionate heart for God and people. Pray that they would see the fruit of their labour.
4. Pray for the Church and society.
   Pray against the use of pornography. According to the organization Rescue:Freedom, in nine countries 49 percent of sexually exploited women said that pornography was made of them while they were being sold for sex. If Christians at large would stop using porn, it would have a significant impact on both the pornography and trafficking industries. Consider the following statistics: 57 percent of pastors say porn addiction is the most damaging issue in their congregation (a Barna survey, 2016); 76 percent of 18 to 24-year-old Christians actively seek out porn (Barna, 2016); 68 percent of church-going men and over 50 percent of pastors view porn on a regular basis (Pure Desire Ministries); and only seven percent of pastors say their church has a program to help people struggling with pornography (Barna, 2016). Pray for anti-porn programs to be set up. Pray for a re-dedication to biblical marriages. Pray Leviticus 20:26: “You are to be holy to me, because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.” Also pray for a commitment to “remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners” (Hebrews 13:3).

Suggestions for Group Prayer:

Divide the group into four subgroups, one for each of the categories mentioned in the prayer points: survivors, traffickers, those battling against trafficking, and the church and society. For a moment, put yourselves into the shoes of the people you represent. Note what might motivate them and the challenges they face. Note what God is saying to you about who you represent. Pray as you are led, using the prayer points from above and what you hear from God.

Take Action

1. Spread awareness. Invite a specialist to speak at your church, school, or organization. Share information about human trafficking on social media, a blog, or YouTube.
2. Volunteer, support, or fundraise for an anti-trafficking organization you have researched. Shop for products made by exploited people (one example is kairostraders.com). Help exactly where you are. Businesses can provide internships, training, and jobs to trafficking survivors. Attorneys can offer free services. Medical professionals can get educated on how to spot and help trafficked victims.
3. Consider prevention. Traffickers typically target vulnerable populations (for example, homeless youth, foster kids, persons in abusive situations or poverty, etc.). Mentor and support these sorts of at-risk individuals.
4. Recommend the use of anti-porn programs in your church. Covenant Eyes is one such program.
5. Keep praying. A good prayer guide on the subject is called “15 Days of Prayer to End Exploitation” (kairostraders.com/collections/resources-1).

How We Prayed

April 2021 – Myanmar

1. A former YWAMer of the Shan people group was deeply moved to hear that YWAM was praying for Myanmar.
2. YWAM Bangkok, Thailand prayed for those isolated by Covid and God led them to make phone calls to those in isolated/remote areas.
3. YWAM Yverdon, Switzerland gathered via zoom to stand in the gap for the nation of Myanmar. They sensed God leading them as they prayed.
4. A Korean message was received regarding prayer for stability in Myanmar.

Join The Invitation

Learn more about this YWAM prayer day, called The Invitation, at ywam.org/theinvitation. Please let us know how you prayed at prayer@ywam.org. Please also tell us if you would like to recommend a prayer topic for The Invitation.

The Invitation, April 8, 2021

This month, please join the YWAM prayer day called The Invitation, as we pray for the country of Myanmar. Mass protests have been taking place since the military seized control on February 1, following the election of Aung San Suu Kyi. Civil unrest continues and over 500 protestors have been killed.

Listen to the Letter

Myanmar is in southeast Asia and borders Thailand, Laos, Bangladesh, China, and India and has a population of about 54 million people. The main religion is Buddhism.

Topic suggested by: J.H. in SE Asia.
Prayer points from: B.K. in Myanmar

Prayer Points:

1. For the powers of darkness to be defeated by the blood of Jesus, so that truth, justice, and love can reign in Myanmar. That the resistance movement will continue to operate in the opposite Spirit to the violence.
2. For God’s protection of all our YWAM workers and the peaceful protesters. Pray for protection for men, who are being picked up from their homes and drafted into the military. Pray for safety for ethnic minorities who are fleeing air strikes.
3. Pray for believers and Christian leaders to not lose hope, but to continue to do good by providing help, comfort, and safety, and to be a positive witness in their grieving communities and in the jails. Pray for simple forms of Christian worship to mushroom into multiplying movements all over the country and among the Myanmar diaspora.
4. Pray for a political solution that will not end in civil war.

Suggestions for Group Prayer:

1. Find Myanmar on a map, noting surrounding countries. Review recent news from a trusted source.
2. Identify people that might be impacted by this conflict. Discuss what it would be like to live there during this unrest. Discuss how God might be working in the midst of the conflict.
3. Listen to the Holy Spirit and share as a group what His message is regarding Myanmar.

Take Action

Follow news updates on Myanmar and continue to pray for Myanmar as a group or individually.

Join The Invitation

Learn more about YWAM’s prayer day, called The Invitation, at ywam.org/theinvitation. (Let us know how you prayed at prayer@ywam.org.)

The Invitation, March 11, 2021

This month, please join YWAM’s prayer day, called The Invitation, as we lift up the city of Tripoli, Libya. In Tripoli, cafes are places where the elderly and the young meet to socialize, gossip, argue and plan. Hassan is one of Tripoli’s 1,165,000 Muslim residents, and he goes to a café to visit a group of friends, international students he met at university. They talk about politics, sports, and religion. Several of them are Christians and Hassan is interested in their beliefs, having never met a Christian before. Please pray for the Muslims in Tripoli, and for the growing number of Christians.

Listen to the Letter

1. Islam is the state religion in Libya. Pray for greater freedom, socially and legally, to talk about different faiths so people can learn about Jesus (John 16:33).
2. Tripoli remains always on the edge of conflict, with ongoing violence from civil war. Extremist groups surround the city. Pray for peace (Psalm 2).
3. Pray for cafes to become centres of discipleship, with many more Muslims coming to follow Jesus (John 8:31-32). Cafes are a place people go to exchange ideas and get to know new people. This makes them an ideal environment for discipleship.

Suggestions for Group Prayer:

1. 1. Before praying, discuss the things you would want your Muslim friends to know about Jesus. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you who to share this with.
   2. Set up an area for prayer that mimics a café that might be found in a large city like Tripoli. Have people sit 2 or more at various tables. Before you pray, discuss what it might be like to be a Christian sitting among friends sharing your faith. Discuss what it might be like to be a Muslim hearing about your Christian friend’s faith.
   3. Assign a small group to conduct basic research on Tripoli including facts, statistics, maps, pictures and to present this information to the group before praying.

Take Action

1. Find out more about YWAM in North Africa.
2. Find out more about the region around Tripoli at gosahara.org.
3. Participate in 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World April 13 – May 12, 2021. The information about Tripoli was adapted from the upcoming 30 Days guide. This prayer movement began at a YWAM meeting in 1992. This year, the guide focuses on a different city every day. You can go to pray30days.org and get prayer guides in 40 different languages.

How We Prayed  

February 2021 – Loneliness

1. An individual from Jeju, South Korea was led to pray for single male ministers.
2. YWAM Bangkok, Thailand prayed for those isolated by Covid and God led them to make phone calls to those in isolated/remote areas.

Join The Invitation

Learn more about YWAM’s prayer day, called The Invitation, at ywam.org/theinvitation. (Let us know how you prayed at prayer@ywam.org.)

Join YWAMers around the globe in praying and hearing from God. He is inviting you!

This season of consecutive lockdowns, brought on by the Corona virus pandemic, has been a lonely time for many of us. Some have been living alone during weeks of home confinement. Many have been unable to be with family or friends for the celebration of birthdays or Christmas. Some have experienced the illness of loved ones, and have been unable to be physically together at that time. May this month’s prayer time offer you a sense of connection with many others around the world, all joining together to pray!

Listen to the Letter

Social isolation has been a particular characteristic of this unusual season. But loneliness can also be part of what we consider more ‘normal’ life. Indeed, some would say that loneliness is not just a common consequence of life in missions, but also rife in our modern societies. You have probably read something about loneliness among the elderly in Western societies, or loneliness among young people who are connected online but have few real friends, or the loneliness of stay-at-home moms, or the loneliness of single people living alone, or the loneliness that hits us even when we live in a busy city. The truth is, all of us are likely to experience loneliness at some time in our lives.

Those who choose to make a long-term commitment to working overseas are perhaps especially likely to experience the distress of social isolation at some point. Someone who is relatively new to the language and culture may find it difficult to have meaningful relationships with the nationals. When missionaries repeatedly change location, or their team members change often, it can become hard to make connections that cause us to feel known by others. For these and many other reasons, even when we work in teams it is not unusual to experience seasons of loneliness in missions.

Whatever our current experience of loneliness or connection, together we acknowledge that our need for friends, community and intimacy is legitimate and good. During this time of prayer, we may find ourselves invited by God to grieve the absence of this longed-for connection in this season. Ask yourself how God is inviting you to bring these unmet individual or community needs to him.

Testimonials

There are many personal experiences of loneliness that we could include here, and you will know of others. Since loneliness can be hard to talk about, here we quote two YWAM staff members who are willing to share their experience of loneliness.

M writes:

‘I think 2020 might go down in my mind as The Great Exodus. Most of the people I was close to in my community left our location in the past year. As someone who is an extrovert and thrives within community, I felt disoriented as though my equilibrium were off. On top of these changes, we have all been navigating a global pandemic so people have gone into survival mode! I am single and a bit of a novelty because I am older than 25. Many people don’t understand my context. So here I am…alone. The culmination of this loneliness, along with the expectation that I should be able to work 24/7 because I do not “have a family” became almost unbearable.”

B writes:

‘A big part of being single and living cross-culturally is the area of loneliness. We don’t have a built-in social network of family. I remember back to my days when I lived alone, and I was in a team with two other couples. It was very lonely at times. Even with local friends and other relationships, I realized that I wasn’t cut out for living on my own.”

Loneliness in Scripture

Psalm 27:10 begins with a statement of utter dejection: ‘My father and my mother have forsaken me,’ but it ends with the ultimate reassurance of, ‘but Yahweh will take me in.’ Loneliness is the opportunity to let the truth penetrate deeply into your heart that when the worst happens, when those who should love you reject and abandon you, you are never alone.

Please join us for YWAM’s prayer day on February 11 called The Invitation as we pray about loneliness. If you only have a few moments to pray, pray for YWAMers to resist the lie that we are alone and to embrace our home in Him. And if you have a moment, please let us know how you prayed: prayer@ywam.org.

Prepare to Pray:

Before coming to prayer, take some time for self-reflection by considering these questions. You might like to journal your responses.

• To what degree are you experiencing loneliness in this season? Give yourself a number between 0 and 10, 0 = not at all, 10 = it is extremely/very challenging at the moment.
• How is loneliness affecting you emotionally (feelings), mentally (your thought life/ability to focus and stay motivated), and physically (sleep patterns, eating, exercise, general health and well-being)?
• How is loneliness impacting your social life (relationships with family, friends, co-workers, nationals) and ministry (ability to reach out to others)?
• How have you been dealing with your loneliness? What has been helpful? What hasn’t?  Do you notice any unhealthy patterns developing?
• Consider to what extent you may need to walk through this season with the support and companionship of a godly friend or mentor?

Turn your attention to the way God is present to you by reading slowly through Psalm 139:7-18. Pay special attention to the words or phrases that jump out for you.

• As he gazes upon you, in love, today, seeing the extent of your loneliness, what does God feel toward you? What is His heart for you?
• If you could picture God actually being with you today, what would He do or say? How would He respond to you?
• What happens for you, as you encounter God in that place? How do you want to respond?

Pray About Loneliness

Pray for an end to the current causes of social isolation that are leading to an increased experience of loneliness. Ask God to intervene so that meeting together in person will once again be considered safe.

Pray for the ways God might use loneliness in our lives, for our good and for God’s formational purposes in us.

Pray for meaningful mentoring relationships in YWAM teams, so that cross-cultural missionaries living in isolating or challenging circumstances can be supported. Pray especially for new workers to be supported well as they transition into their roles, and for those who are more established to find companions to walk alongside them.

Pray for effective help and resources to be available and widely implemented in the areas of interpersonal conflict and unmet role expectations. These are both realities that contribute to a sense of isolation or loneliness.

Pray for strong expressions of shared leadership throughout YWAM. Ask God to bless leaders at every level with an experience of mutual support and trust, both within their teams and with others. Take time to bless your own leaders in the area of close relationships.

Pray for those in different life stages and bless their sense of belonging and inclusion in community. You could specifically mention missionary kids, including those living at home and those who have left home; single people of all ages; those who are married, divorced, or widowed; those living in shared housing and those living alone. If anyone in particular comes to mind, ask the Lord how you could bless him or her in a practical way.

Ask God to show us in practical ways how to prioritize life-giving community. Acknowledge the unmet need for connection within your own community and pray for an increase of those who are able to teach on friendship and community.

Take Action

• Consider the ways you might see loneliness as a call to intimacy. In what ways is God seeking your attention and how will you respond?
• Consider who could you ask to walk with you, as a spiritual companion, in this season and get in touch with him or her.
• Whatever your own experience of loneliness in this season, ask the Holy Spirit to whom you could reach out? Make a plan to connect with them.
• Pursue resources:
  • Beyond Loneliness: The Gift of God’s Friendship (Trevor Hudson)
  • The Path of Loneliness: Finding Your Way Through the Wilderness to God (Elisabeth Elliot)
  • In March, look out for resources on the theme of Building Authentic Community on europellc.eu
• Share on facebook.com/youthwithamission, post a picture and add a comment about how you prayed.
• Go to twitter.com; search for #praywithywam and tweet about your prayer time/post a picture. You can also post a photo on Instagram and use the same hashtag, #praywithywam.
• Send an email to prayer@ywam.org letting us know how you prayed and what God revealed to you.

Future Topics:

• March 11 – Human Trafficking

Don’t Miss The Invitation:

• Sign up for prayer updates. Go to ywam.org, find the “Stay Connected” box on the home page, put in your email address and click “Sign Up.”
• Download prayer updates in a specific language. Go to ywam.org/theinvitation. (Currently available in Spanish, Portuguese, French, Indonesian, Korean or request other languages.)
• Join the conversation about how God is leading in these prayer times. Comment on the Facebook page on the second Thursday at facebook.com/youthwithamission or on Twitter @ywam, hashtag #praywithywam. You can also post a photo on Instagram and use the same hashtag, #praywithywam.
• You can now listen to The Invitation as a podcast. To sign up or listen to past episodes, go to: ywampodcast.net/prayer.
• If you sense God giving you a word or a direction for YWAM’s prayer, please contact us: prayer@ywam.org.

Join YWAMers around the globe in praying and hearing from God. He is inviting you!

Buddhism is the fourth-largest religion in the world according to Wikipedia and accounts for 6.9 percent of the world’s population. The annual Buddhist World Prayer Focus is calling Christians and churches worldwide to take 15 days, January 28 – February 11, to learn about and pray for our world’s Buddhist friends.

Listen to the Letter

For many Christians who seek to understand Buddhism, it is an extraordinarily complex and often confusing worldview. As Christians, we long that all the world’s people will have an opportunity to freely see, hear and understand the grace of God incarnated in Jesus Christ.

Please join us for YWAM’s prayer day on January 14 called The Invitation as we pray for the 15 Days of Prayer for the Buddhist World movement and for Buddhist people. If you only have a few moments to pray, ask the Holy Spirit to do the work of the Kingdom of God in the lives of Buddhists around the world. You may also join in the 15-day global annual Buddhist World Prayer Focus January 28 – February 11, 2021 (https://worldprayerguides.org/buddhist-prayer-guides/ ) which is just before the start of the Chinese New Year on February 12.

Prepare to Pray:

In most nations where there is a Buddhist majority there is, at best, a very small Christian presence. An estimated 86 percent of Buddhists have never spoken with a Christian (https://www.prayercast.com/buddhism.html). However, Jesus said in Matthew 17:20 that, “…if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move.”

As you pray during The Invitation, you are adding your seed of faith to that of Christian workers and local fellowships around the world who are bringing the light of Christ to their Buddhist neighbours.

1. Ponder Matthew 17:20.
2. Spend time with the Lord reinforcing this promise in your heart and in your mind.
3. Commit your seed of faith to the work around the world of witnessing Christ to Buddhists.

Begin to pray by watching this video from https://www.prayercast.com/buddhism.html. Join with this prayer.

Pray for the Buddhist World

• As you pray, keep in mind some of the ways Buddhist cultures understand spirituality.
  • Buddhists do not believe in a creator God but do believe in various spirits and gods. They do venerate bodhisattvas or spiritual teachers who are worthy of respect.
  • Folk Buddhists believe there are good and evil spirits, including spirits of dead ancestors, but all these spiritual beings are caught up in the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.
  • Buddhism is not about belief alone but about doing. Achieving merit through almsgiving to monks and donations to temples is an important, traditional Buddhist practice.
  • Buddhists are not seeking eternal life – they already believe they exist in an endless cycle of death and rebirth. They desire liberation from endless life and suffering.
• Many Buddhists are more likely to be impacted by the stories of Jesus’ supernatural power and His free offer of salvation. Pray for miraculous healings and the revelation of grace (John 1:14).
• Pray that Christians would listen to the Buddhist people around them. Pray that they will learn from them and from the Holy Spirit how to love those around them, even when faced with rejection or persecution (John 14:15–21).
• Pray that God will help you to know how to pray for Christians who live among Buddhists, so they know how to share the good news (1 Cor 1:18–25).
• Pray for countries with large Buddhist populations: China, Thailand, Japan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia, South Korea, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Nepal, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Bhutan, Macau and Mongolia. (For prayer points for each of these countries, see https://www.operationworld.org/countries-alphabetically.)
• Pray for a prayer movement for the Buddhist world. Pray that many churches and individuals would join in prayer for Buddhists using tools like the 15 Days Buddhist World Prayer Guide.

“Walking with God down the avenue of prayer we acquire something of His likeness, and unconsciously we become witnesses to others of His beauty and His grace.”

(E.M. Bounds)

Take Action

• Join the global movement. Get your copy of the 15 Days Buddhist World Prayer Guide now and pray during January 28 – February 11, 2021 worldprayerguides.org/buddhist-prayer-guides/ (You can pray through this guide at any time during the year, but we encourage as many as possible to use it from January 28-February 11.)
• Identify a group of Buddhists that you could serve, either locally or far away.
• You can find info about the Buddhist world, including resources for prayer, at: www.prayercast.com/buddhism.html. Pray regularly for Buddhist people. Buddhism is complicated and can be hard to understand, but God responds to our prayers for Buddhist people, whom He loves.
• For more information on Buddhism and how to communicate with Buddhists, read Poles Apart, by John Davis, who was a missionary to Thailand. You can find the free PDF here.
• Updated Buddhist World Prayer Guides are produced every year. Visit World Prayer Guides at: worldprayerguides.org to order more and to find prayer guides for other groups and causes in many languages. Join others in praying for other religions: Muslims in April/May; and Hindus in November. https://worldprayerguides.org/categories
• Learn more about the organization that produces these prayer guides and consider supporting or contact the World Prayer Guides organization. https://worldprayerguides.org/about-us/; https://worldprayerguides.org/donate/; https://worldprayerguides.org/contact/.
• Share on facebook.com/youthwithamission, post a picture and add a comment about how you prayed.
• Go to twitter.com; search for #praywithywam and tweet about your prayer time/post a picture. You can also post a photo on Instagram and use the same hashtag, #praywithywam.
• Send an email to prayer@ywam.org letting us know how you prayed and what God revealed to you.

 How We Prayed

December 2020 – Care for Creation

• The working group who put together the creation care guide prayed. God led them to a time or repentance. They also prayed for poor and marginalized communities who are most affected and that YWAM locations would hear from the Lord about ways to care for the planet and be an example in our communities.
• The working group also asked that we share information about the UN climate change conference COP26 in Glasgow – https://ukcop26.org.  There is a group of YWAMers who will arrange an outreach and intercession team around this important conference. You can get more information here: https://www.climateintercessors.org

November 2020 – Haiti

• YWAM Wiler, Switzerland took up an offering for YWAM Haiti and was able to connect through The Invitation.

Future Topics:

• February 11 – Loneliness

Don’t Miss The Invitation:

• Sign up for prayer updates. Go to ywam.org, find the “Stay Connected” box on the home page, put in your email address and click “Sign Up.”
• Download prayer updates in a specific language. Go to ywam.org/theinvitation. (Currently available in Spanish, Portuguese, French, Indonesian, Korean or request other languages.)
• Join the conversation about how God is leading in these prayer times. Comment on the Facebook page on the second Thursday at facebook.com/youthwithamission or on Twitter @ywam, hashtag #praywithywam. You can also post a photo on Instagram and use the same hashtag, #praywithywam.
• You can now listen to The Invitation as a podcast. To sign up or listen to past episodes, go to: ywampodcast.net/prayer.
• If you sense God giving you a word or a direction for YWAM’s prayer, please contact us: prayer@ywam.org.