Prayer Focus

Praying for God’s Work in Indo-Malay

November 16, 2023
by Suzanne Pearson

For the last few months here on the TEAM blog, we’ve been featuring stories of God’s work through TEAM and its partners in the Indo-Malay region of the south Pacific. We reached out to TEAM global workers in three areas to see how we can best intercede for them, their ministries, and the people they serve. Please join us in lifting up these requests to the Lord:

“Malacca Mosaic”*

PRAY for God to open the door to send workers. TEAM has been trying to place workers in this region for the past five years. Covid and other factors have caused potential workers to pivot to other opportunities. Please pray for members of a survey team who will visit the area in January 2024 to explore locations and meet with partners. Lord willing, an experienced couple will be moving there in the summer of 2024.
PRAY for Filipino diaspora in the region. In one particular area, there are an estimated 800,000 Filipinos (500,000 of whom are undocumented). TEAM is in talks with sister agencies and sending movements in the Philippines to send Filipino Christian workers to reach their kinsmen in this area.

Papua, Indonesia

PRAY for holistic outreach ministries. TEAM workers and local churches are involved in outreach initiatives that serve the whole person through holistic ministry and teaching new skills for micro-enterprise development such as eco handicrafts, musical instrument repair, welding, woodworking, and farming. Pray for initiatives in community health including a CPR/first aid training course and monthly clinics serving babies and pregnant moms.
PRAY for the training of future church leaders at a theological college. Pray for TEAM workers and national faculty and staff as they teach, disciple, and care for the students. Pray also for the roughly 200 students to be trained and equipped for the work that God has for them and that their abiding in Christ would lead to radical and lasting change in this community.
PRAY for effective collaboration. Pray that cross-cultural workers and local believers collaborate well in providing a Gospel witness to the numerous unreached people groups throughout this region. Pray for courage, steadfastness, wisdom, discernment, compassion, and love in this endeavor. We long to see local believers passionately and strategically reaching out to the lost with the hope that is found only in Christ Jesus.

The Indo-Malay region is made up of literally thousands of diverse cultures and people groups, yet the Gospel is taking root in many of them. May Kingdom work continue to flourish and expand!

Southern Philippines

PRAY for the expansion of Gospel reach. The work of church planting and discipleship that began decades ago is bearing fruit. Western partners and Filipino workers alike affirm the vision to expand the reach of this globalized sending movement to new areas. We trust God to continue His faithfulness in raising up workers and opening new doors for ministry.

PRAY for physical and spiritual protection for workers venturing into new communities. Where there is great spiritual darkness, the enemy does not want to yield that territory without a fight. Filipino workers serving in communities hostile to the Gospel face spiritual warfare as well as potential persecution.

*Malacca Mosaic refers to a ministry area and population that cannot be named for security reasons. Thank you for praying for these precious communities – the Lord knows!