The country of Swaziland contains less than 1 million people and the population continues to decline due to the AIDS pandemic. Pray the AIDS pandemic will begin to lose its grip on the Swazi people. Pray for a spiritual revival in the hearts of Christians that will lead to Godly lifestyles and salvation for the many living in spiritual darkness.
Wednesday December 2: Last month Swaziland experienced a period of cool temperatures with quite a bit of rain. Thank you for praying for rain throughout the entire country. Please pray the rains will continue and the Swazis will have enough food and water to meet the people’s needs.
Thursday December 3: Lacie Allen finishes her school year today and will be on summer break until the end of January. Pray for rest and special family times during Lacie’s school break and the Christmas holidays. With school in break and folks coming and going, ministry tends to slow down. Pray the Allens will be able to be refreshed during these down times of ministry.
Friday December 4: Continue to pray for the Warren family. Bert recently began a new job. Please pray for Bert as he learns what his job requires of him. Pray also for Sarah as she continues to wear an eye patch to help control the blurry vision in her right eye. Her next appointment is the 28th of December.
Saturday December 5: LOTTIE MOON @ WORK…
Many of the world’s people missing from God’s family live in concentrated pockets of lostness. The pockets being focused in 2009: About 40 nations and 700 languages; 34% Muslim; 32% Hindu; 13.5% Animist; 6% Buddhist; 6% Unknown religion and 4% Nonreligious/other. Please pray the 175 million Lottie Moon Christmas Offering goal will be reached so more missionaries can be sent to reach the world’s people missing from God’s family.
Sunday December 6: Today Wayne and Barbara Myers are sharing with the Pleasant Heights Baptist Church (Tennessee). A medical volunteer team from this church ministered in the Shiselweni region last March. Pray for the Myers as they share their story with this congregation.
Monday December 7: The Allens rejoice in the recent development at Lesibovu Baptist Church. The church recently held their first Sunday School, celebrated their first communion together and were granted a plot of land for a church structure. Pray for the leaders of this young congregation to remain enthusiastic and faithful.
Tuesday December 8: Pray for workers to help disciple all new believers that are professing their faith in Christ. Pray they would mature spiritually and not be led astray by incorrect doctrine.
Wednesday December 9: Wayne Myers’ brother, Terry’s cancer is currently in remission but he has been told the cancer will return and must have follow-up tests every three months. He is scheduled to have his next series of tests before Christmas. Pray for Terry and his wife Darlene as they continue to deal with the effects of the cancer and the general prognosis. Pray Terry will continue to be in remission.
Thursday December 10: Please pray for the Poe Family (Greg, Hannah, Joshua and Elijah) volunteer team as they fly to South Africa today and arrive tomorrow in Jo’burg and drive to Swaziland on the 12th for a time of ministry with friends. Hannah is the main speaker for the National Women’s Retreat (Dec. 17-19).
Friday December 11: My own conversion is the result of prayer, long, affectionate, earnest, importune. Parents prayed for me; God heard their cries, and here I am to preach the Gospel.” (Charles Haddon Spurgeon, 1834-92) Pray the Lord will be able to draw strong spiritual leaders from the congregations of the Swazi Baptist churches. Pray many Swazis will truly understand what it means to be a Christian.
Saturday December 12: The Myers are scheduled to return to Swaziland at the end of the year. Pray they will soon receive clearance to return to Swaziland. They hope to be able to leave the states on the 30th of December.
Sunday December 13: One of the biggest problems facing many of the Swazi Baptist churches continues to be the lack of pastors. Many of the churches continue to meet under lay leadership (often the women) who get discouraged that God has not provided them with pastoral leadership. Please pray God will develop leaders for these congregations.
Monday December 14: Please pray for the Swazi nationals who are working on the True Love Waits planning committee as they seek to train individuals to teach the TLW abstinence education materials. Pray the Swazi youth will take seriously the commitment to remain to pure before marriage.
Tuesday December 15: Please pray for Lisa Warren’s father as he continues to recover from a stroke. Pray his time in rehab will be very helpful and he will be able to function more normally.
Wednesday December 16: Trying to start and sustain homestead churches continue to be difficult. Challenges include not wanting to be identified as Zionists (African Traditional Religion), feeling the church is not “theirs” but belongs to the homestead family and feeling the church imposes on the family by meeting each week. Pray Christian Swazis will understand the need to reach their neighbors for Jesus. Pray these challenges will not keep them from organizing and meeting on a regular basis.
Thursday December 17: The Swaziland National Women’s Retreat for women of the Swazi Baptist churches begins today at the Manzini Baptist Church. The theme is “Power for the Journey” based on II Cor. 3:5. Hannah Poe is guest speaker. Please pray for a wonderful time of fellowship and spiritual learning. Pray for Hannah as she leads this retreat.
Friday December 18: This Christmas season, pray the King of Swaziland, his wives and children will hear the true Christmas story and will realize trusting in Jesus is the most precious gift of all.
Saturday December 19: The Hawane Baptist Church is still waiting for the community officials to mark their plot of land approved more than a year ago. There is an unresolved issue between the rival chiefs of the area preventing any action being taken concerning the plot. The church is anxious to begin building and is discouraged by this long delay. Pray this situation will soon be resolved and the church will be able to begin their building project.
Sunday December 20: PRAY FOR WAYNE MYERS TODAY ON HIS BIRTHDAY!! J
It is becoming more apparent the Muslim influence is becoming greater in Swaziland. Please pray during this Christmas season, Christians will see the urgency to witness to their lost friends, neighbors and those of the Muslim faith.
Monday December 21: PRAY FOR WAYNE AND BARBARA MYERS TODAY ON THIS ANNIVERSARY!! J
Pray the ministry of prayer walking will continue to be used to reach many lost Swazis. Pray more and more Swazis will desire to have a personal prayer life and will include prayer walking as part of their churches’ ministries.
Tuesday December 22: For many years the Manzini region of Swaziland has not had a continued missionary presence. Manzini is the largest city in Swaziland and presently very few Swazis attend a Baptist church within the city limits. Pray the job request for missionary personnel in the Manzini region will be filled.
Wednesday December 23: Dear Lord, You offer a peace that is perfect and eternal. Let me turn the cares and burdens of my life over to You, and let me feel the spiritual abundance that You offer through the person of Your Son, the Prince of Peace. Today, I also pray for peace among nations, Father, and for brotherly love among Your children throughout the world. I pray for your safety and comfort for those soldiers fighting for the freedoms of our great nation. You are the source of peace, Dear Lord; let us find it in You. www.presidentialprayerteam.org
Thursday December 24: Please join the Swazi Team in praying for co-laborers to come and join the Lord’s work in Swaziland through short-term volunteer teams, dedicated prayer warriors or full-time service. The fields are white for harvest and doors for ministry wide open!!
Friday December 25: CHRISTMAS DAY!!
God made us aware that in Thy name
The Holy Christ Child humbly came
To live on earth and leave behind
New faith and hope for all mankind.
–Helen Steiner Rice
Pray all Swazis will come to know what it truly means to celebrate Christ’s birth.
Saturday December 26: She is a tiny and short little girl. She is easy to lift because she weighs so little, but then her parents are short in stature and very thin. Her parents as well as older sister are also HIV positive and it is suspected she too is positive for the virus that will eventually lead to AIDS. Statistics continue to tell us that many in Swaziland are HIV positive and many are dying of AIDS. Pray for this family and many others that find themselves in like situations. Pray for the caregivers as they do what they know to do while watching as their loved one slowly dies. Pray the unsaved will have a chance to accept Jesus as their Savior before death come.
Sunday December 27: Pray Christian Swazis will teach their children and grandchildren the ways of the Lord. Pray the Christian way of living will touch lives in the Swazi Baptist churches and communities.
Monday December 28: Please pray for the volunteer team from the Atlantic Association in North Carolina scheduled to minister in the Shiselweni region of Swaziland January 11-22, 2010. Pray for Hartford, Etles, Lucy, Kim, Melissa, Wes and Mike (team leader) as they prepare to and with the Swazis.
Tuesday December 29: Pray Christians in Swaziland will continue to have the freedom to share their faith with others and enjoy the freedom to worship the Lord.
Wednesday December 30: February 16-March 2, the First Baptist Church, Washington, North Carolina is scheduled to send a volunteer team to the northeast section of Swaziland. Pray for Jimmy, Joyce, Caren, Roger and Jimmy (team leader) as they spiritually prepare for the work the Lord has given them in Swaziland.
Thursday December 31: Pray the members of the Swazi Team will seek the Lord’s guidance as they look to 2010 with joy, love and desire to make their lives count for Christ.
HARK THE HERALD ANGELS SING
Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King: Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!” Joyful all ye nations rise, join the triumph of the skies; With angelic host proclaim, “Christ is born in Bethlehem!” Hark the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!” Amen
Christ, by highest heaven adored; Christ, the Everlasting Lord! Late in time behold Him come, off-spring of the Virgins womb: Veiled in flesh the God-head see; Hail the’ Incarnate Deity, pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel. Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King.” Amen
Wishing each of you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! ~The Swazi Team
Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King: Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!” Joyful all ye nations rise, join the triumph of the skies; With angelic host proclaim, “Christ is born in Bethlehem!” Hark the herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!” Amen
Christ, by highest heaven adored; Christ, the Everlasting Lord! Late in time behold Him come, off-spring of the Virgins womb: Veiled in flesh the God-head see; Hail the’ Incarnate Deity, pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel. Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King.” Amen
Wishing each of you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! ~The Swazi Team
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