The Invitation, September 11, 2025

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.

Please take a moment to pray right now, and please pray with us on September 11, the prayer day for YWAM’s prayer initiative called The Invitation.

1. 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.”
2. 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.
3. 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.

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.
• Get involved in Bible distribution and oral translation: endbiblepovertynow.com or prayomt.com.
• Reach the unreached through YWAM: ywamfm.org.
• Learn how to start a Business as Mission: businessasmission.com.
• Attend a gathering of The Send: thesend.org.

How We Prayed

Prison Ministry (August, 2025)

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.

The Invitation, August 14, 2025

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.

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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.”
4. 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.

Take Action

To reach the prison ministry in Bali, please email nandoeelaine@gmail.com. For the South Africa ministry, contact joanna@paradas.org. For YWAM Publishing, go to ywampublishing.com.

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.

The Invitation, July 10, 2025

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.

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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.

The Invitation, June 12, 2025

Since the beginning of 2025, South Sudan has experienced increasing violence. Many in the nation are afraid their country is sliding back toward civil war. That civil war, from 2013-2018, claimed the lives of more than 400,000 people. For YWAM Juba, South Sudan, the unrest has meant they have not been able to run their Discipleship Training School (DTS), but they hope to begin again with a DTS in July of this year. They continue evangelism, mercy ministry, working with children, women’s ministry, and showing the Jesus Film. Recently they shared the gospel at a camp for displaced persons.

Please take a moment to pray for South Sudan right now, and please also pray with us on June 12, the prayer day for YWAM’s prayer initiative called The Invitation.

1. Pray for unity among the tribes of South Sudan. There are 64 tribes.
2. Pray for good leadership and governance among the South Sudanese politicians.
3. Pray for healing and reconciliation at all levels, from the top leadership to the citizens. Pray for the security situation to improve and that peace will be in the country and people’s hearts.
4. Pray for YWAM’s ministry in South Sudan, for people to come to faith and for practical needs to be met. Pray for their upcoming DTS. Pray also for God to use them to bring reconciliation and unity.

Take Action

You can contact YWAM South Sudan at goywamjuba@gmail.com.

How We Prayed

Myanmar (April, 2025)

Praise God that YWAM teams have been able to help many people suffering from the Myanmar earthquake. Those teams have provided shelters, dug wells, have given trauma counseling, and have fed many people. Please continue to pray for the situation as the rainy season is starting and many still do not have shelter or clean water.

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.

The Invitation, May 8, 2025

This month we lift up the nation of Indonesia in prayer, with its many islands and people groups. As a way to glimpse what God is doing in this nation, we offer you the visions of five Discipleship Training School (DTS) students going on outreach in Indonesia this year.

Please take a moment to read their stories and then pray with us for Indonesia. Please also plan to pray with us on May 8, the prayer day of The Invitation, a YWAM prayer initiative. 

Lola has a heart that sows where God leads. She is from Nias Island, North Sumatra and joined YWAM in 2019. She says her journey since then has been life changing. “I’ve learned so much about who God truly is, and I’ve come to know His heart more deeply. In DTS, I discovered my calling—to be part of God’s mission, carrying His love to unreached places and nations still waiting to hear His name.”

Frans has a vision for Papua and the Word of God. Frans comes from Manado City in North Sulawesi. Through the Oral DTS and Oral Bible Translation training, God has expanded His vision for Papua. “I now carry a deep longing to serve the people of Papua and be part of ending Bible poverty in Indonesia, especially in remote and unreached areas of Papua.”

Nik has a heart for the nations. Nik comes from West Seram Island, Maluku. He says through the DTS he’s come to know God’s loving character. “I now walk in a new identity—as someone who is deeply loved, precious, and honored in His eyes. And because of this transformation, I carry a longing in my heart: I want others to hear this incredible story of God, too.”

Ike longs for her island to be saved. When Ike, from West Seram, Maluku, joined a DTS, many things began to change in her life. “One of the most beautiful things I witnessed was how God began to change my family. It was something I had longed and prayed for.” Now, as Ike steps into her DTS outreach, she says, “My heart is burning for my land, Seram Island. I’ve been praying that more young people from Seram will rise and say, ‘Yes, Lord—I want to serve You too.’ ”

Mia is called to the Naulu. Mia, from Seram Island, Maluku has a people group from her homeland that is always on her heart—the Naulu tribe. They still live according to their  traditional beliefs, and many of them have never heard the Good News about Jesus. Mia has been praying for the Naulu people, and she says God is answering. “In this upcoming outreach, I’ve been given the opportunity to lead a team back to Seram Island—to the very place where my heart beats strongest. My desire is that the Naulu people would come to know the love of Christ.”

Ways that you can Pray

1. Pray for those involved in DTS outreaches in Indonesia, that they would grow in faith, hope, and love. Pray also that they would reap abundant harvests.
2. Pray that current DTS participants become teachers of new ones and that the program expands globally. Pray for more young Indonesian leaders.
3. Pray for Lola, Frans, Nik, Ike and Mia, for the fulfillment of the visions God has given them.
4. Pray for Indonesia. Many of its more than 800 ethnic groups are unreached, living on remote islands. Of its more than 850 languages, only 44 have the entire Bible translated. Pray for quality education in the nation, particularly in rural areas, and for more Christian teachers.

Take Action

To explore YWAM ministries and DTS programs in Indonesia, please go to ywam.org and type “Indonesia” in the search box.

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.