February 2012

Tuesday 21 February 2012

Yemenis are voting for a new president today. Although there is only one candidate, Vice-President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, this vote represents the end of an era - the end of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh's 33 year reign.

Please hold Yemen in your prayers today, particularly lifting up its soon-to-be president and others in leadership. Yemen has many problems and is not back to 'normal' following the unrest. It is a country steeped in tradition but, with almost half the population under the age of 15 and increasingly exposed to Western culture, there is a lot of dissatisfaction with the way things are. A new president brings hope for change but only time will tell how much and how good. Please pray.

Friday 17 February 2012

Libya is today marking the first anniversary of the uprisings that led to the downfall of Gaddafi. Let's use this as a reminder to lift this nation to the One who brings true freedom, justice and peace: Jesus Christ. Pray for Libya and its interim leaders, asking for wisdom as they form a new constitution and government. Pray for Libya's people as they reflect on a year of massive change, which has been very painful and traumatic for many. May all Libyans be filled with hope and a desire for unity in 2012.

Wednesday 15 February 2012

Paul writes, in 1 Timothy 2:1-4, 'I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.'

In light of all that's going on in countries like Syria and Egypt, let's pray for those in authority, that all men may be given the opportunity to live in peace. Lift up the Arab world today. Pray for breakthrough where needed. Pray for stability. Pray for freedom!

Friday 10 February 2012

Good news! Your prayers for Saudi Arabia have been effective! In January, the total number of visits from Saudi was 62,579, up significantly from the average of 10,860 visits per month in 2011. That's an increase of 476 percent!

Thanks to those of you who have been praying. Be encouraged and continue to pray for Saudi. Pray also for Libya, the other country of focus in this first quarter of our campaign to increase spiritual enquirers from ten Arab world countries. Pray for more Libyans to be drawn to the Maarifa website in search of the truth about Jesus Christ.

Also take a look at this article on how life has changed in Libya.

Monday 6 February 2012

The GRMS (Global Response Management System) is a partnership of like-minded organisations and individuals who work together to see more effective correspondence and follow-up of media contacts. When a person contacts a partnering website or ministry, their details are added to the GRMS database. An individual (preferably in the same country) then responds to their message personally and in their own language. This may lead to regular correspondence and, eventually, maybe even a face-to-face meeting.

Many on the team are from the Arab world, from a Christian or Muslim background. Others are experienced workers with a good grasp of Arabic and cultural understanding. They are able to answer questions and respond sensitively and with grace.

Please lift up the team, praying for wisdom and discernment. They often have challenging questions to answer. Pray for spiritual protection and encouragement today for each member of the team.

Friday 3 February 2012

Thanks for praying for the Christmas through Mary's Eyes audio series, a seven-part narration read by a Saudi believer, broadcast in January to coincide with Middle Eastern Christmas (7 January).

We have had some feedback and it looks we had 10,000 listeners from Saudi Arabia and several thousand listeners from elsewhere. Some reacted angrily, having recognised that the narrator was a Christian with a true Saudi accent - most Saudis believe it impossible to be a Saudi Arabian follower of Christ! A good percentage of listeners listened to the end, which is great news! Thousands have now heard the true account of how Jesus came to Earth and why!

Please now pray for those who have heard the Christmas story through Mary's eyes. May God be working in their hearts, causing them to seek Him and seek the truth. May they access maarifa.org and other evangelistic websites that can help them find out more about their saviour Jesus Christ.

To pray more in-depth for the Arab world, sign up for TC12, our monthly prayer initiative for 2012.