Swazi Team Prayer Calendar - January 2010

Friday January 1: HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
Pray for the Swazi people steeped deep in bondage to their traditional beliefs. Praise God for the many prayer partners and volunteer teams that give of themselves and their time to intercede on behalf of and who minister to, our team and the people of Swaziland. Also, pray that many more will join in His work here this year! The fields are white and ready for the harvest!!

Saturday January 2: After spending 3 months in the states (stateside assignment) Wayne and Barbara Myers return to Swaziland today. Pray for the Myers’ quick adjustment to being back in Swaziland. In September Wayne and Barbara moved from Nhlangano to Tshaneni and still have boxes to unpack and a house to organize.

Sunday January 3: Thank you for contributing to the 2009 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions. Pray 175 million LMCO goal will be met so all the peoples of the world will have a chance to hear the Gospel message.

Monday January 4: 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.

Tuesday January 5: Praise the Lord for the awesome Women’s Retreat last month (December 17-19). What a blessed time with the Swazi ladies and Hannah Poe did an amazing time teaching the woman about the “Power of the Journey”! Pray for the new women representatives on the National Women’s Committee as they lead and guide the woman’s ministry in our Swazi Baptist churches.

Wednesday January 6: Sarah Warren continues to have trouble seeing through the center of her right eye. Pray this problem will improve. She has been wearing a patch on her left eye to strengthen her right eye.

Thursday January 7: In November the Myers met with Don Brown from College Acres Baptist Church, Wilmington, NC to discuss the church possibly partnering with the Swazi Team to help spread the True Love Waits message throughout Swaziland. Pray this possible partnership will establish a strong True Love Waits program in Swaziland.

Friday January 8: January 8-9 is the scheduled Hhohho region youth retreat. Pray the logistics will come together and for unity among the youth in the Hhohho region. May God’s presence fill them in a special way throughout the weekend.

Saturday January 9: Pray for today’s meeting of the Baptist Convention of Swaziland. The group will discuss plans for the Easter services (for all Swazi Baptist churches) April 1-4. Pray for unity in decisions about location, speakers, schedule and logistic items. Pray this will be a great and exciting year of ministry for the Swaziland Baptist Convention. Pray for a spirit of unity during discussions and planning.

Sunday January 10: Continue to pray for all our Baptist churches without pastoral leadership. Pray for these churches to remain one body and faithful in serving one another as they patiently wait on the Lord to provide the right person to lead these churches.

Monday January 11: Tomorrow (12th) the volunteer team from the Atlantic Association (North Carolina) arrives in the Shiselweni region of Swaziland. The team will minister through revivals, children camp, youth retreat and homestead visitation. Pray Hartford, Etles, Lucy, Kim, Melissa, Wes and Mike will enjoy their work and ministry with the Swazi people. Pray many blessings will occur.

Tuesday January 12: Pray for Steve and Monica Allen today on the 8th wedding anniversary!! J
Pray for the Allen family as they continue to make plans for their stateside assignment March 26-end of September. Their plans include a time in northwestern North Carolina the first three months and south Florida for their last three months.

Wednesday January 13: In December the Manzini region youth retreat was conducted. Even though the numbers were small, the group did all the planning, shopping and organizing. We praise the Lord for their leadership attitude! Pray more and more the Swazis will take the lead in organizing and leading special events.

Thursday January 14: Pray for the many Swazis being misled and confused by the Muslim faith. Promises are made and granted if those interested will convert to this religion. Pray for a change of attitudes of the Swazis converting for gain. Pray Christians will see the urgency of witnessing to their lost friends and neighbors.

Friday January 15: The Swazi Team is excited to learn Al and Belinda Jordan will return to Swaziland to cover for the Allens while they are on stateside assignment. The Jordans have served previously in Swaziland and South Africa. Pray for Al and Belinda as they make preparations to fill in for the Allens for six months. They are scheduled to arrive around the 20th of March.

Saturday January 16: Pray 2010 will be the year the King of Swaziland, his wives and children will hear the true Gospel message. Pray for a change in beliefs and lifestyles in the royal family.

Sunday January 17: Praise the Lord, Lesibovu has officially been granted their own plot of land by the chief and elders of the community! Pray for this new church of believers as they begin to raise their own funds to start building their own church structure. In recent months, the World Vision organization has allowed the church to use their “feeding station” building to meet for Bible studies and worship each week. Prior to this, the church met under the trees outside after being “kicked” out of the building used by the Zionist groups.

Monday January 18: Please continue praying for the Myers’ family members dealing with medical issues. Barbara’s brother-in-law is recovering from surgery; Wayne’s brother in remission from stage 4 cancer and Barbara’s nephew-in-law’s mother diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

Tuesday January 19: Today Lacie Allen starts her Kindergarten O school year. Pray for her to do well in school and be a light of Jesus in her class. She will attend the Little Brown Hen Preschool for kindergarten most of the term. After the family returns from stateside assignment (March 26 until the end of September), she will continue with the final term of kindergarten at the Little Brown Hen Preschool.

Wednesday January 20: She is a tiny and short little girl. It is easy to lift her because she weighs so little but then her parents are short in stature and very thin. Her parents as well as her older sister are also HIV 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 with AIDS. The country of Swaziland contains less than 1 million Swazis 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.

Thursday January 21: Continue to pray the personnel job request for the Manzini region of Swaziland will soon be filled. Manzini is the largest city in Swaziland and presently very few attends a Baptist church.

Friday January 22: The Africa Support Center teams provide personnel, logistics, finance and communication support of local ministries including personal evangelism, cell groups, are also involved in local churches and chronological Bible storying training, youth and young adults outreach, and caring for widows, orphans and the homeless. Pray for team members to find a godly balance between support center responsibilities and ministry outside their offices.

Saturday January 23: PRAY FOR AMERICA:
Father God, while we struggle with many hard pressing issues in this country, we pray that you will continue to hold us close to you. During the trials of a struggling economy with so many without jobs, we ask that all people would find your love and let it change their lives from within their hearts. Watch over those who would lead this country and guide their paths and their words in order to glorify. Amen. www.presidentialprayerteam.org

Sunday January 24: Pray the Lord will burden the hearts of the Swazi church leaders to develop strong prayer relationships with Him. Pray prayer will be an important ministry in every Swazi Baptist church.

Monday January 25: Each year the Swazi Baptist churches have the opportunity to send their youth to the National Youth Camp in August. The First Baptist Church, Belton, Texas is praying concerning possibly leading the 2010 camp. Pray as this church seeks the Lord’s guidance in their decision. Begin now praying for the planning of this very special yearly event.

Tuesday January 26: Sarah Warren continues to have problems with tingling in her feet/toes. Blood tests have come back perfect. Today she has an appointment with her neurologist. Pray for wisdom for the doctors as they try to determine the cause of the tingling.

Wednesday January 27: Please join us 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.

Thursday January 28: Pray for protection for girls living in situations that are not safe and lead to sexual abuse and possible death. Pray the Swazi government will take notice of the plight of women and children and will seek to pass laws that will protect them. Pray for a safer place to live for children that will allow them to have a future.

Friday January 29: Pray for revival, holy living, clear evangelical message proclaimed and great unity among Christian leaders. Pray also the stronghold of witchcraft and ancestor worship as well as immorality will be broken within the Swazi churches and nation.

Saturday January 30: February 16-March 2, the First Baptist Church, Washington, NC is scheduled to send a volunteer team to the northeast section of the country. Pray for Jimmy, Joyce, Caren, Roger and Jimmy (team leader) as they spiritually prepare for the work the Lord has given them in Swaziland. Pray the soil will be prepared for rich blessings.

Sunday January 31: Pray Swazi Baptist pastors and laymen will see the need to start new groups/churches so many Swazis will come to know Jesus as their Savior. Pray barriers will be overcome and a church planting movement will start among the Swazi Baptist churches in Swaziland.

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Thy Word is like a garden, Lord,
With flowers bright and fair;
And everyone who seeks may pluck
A lovely cluster there.
They Word is a like a deep, deep mine;
And jewels rich and rare
And hidden in its mighty depths
For every searcher there.

The Word is like a starry host;
A thousand rays of light
Are seen to guide the traveler,
And make His pathway bright.
Thy Word is like an armory,
Where soldiers may repair,
And find, for life’s long battle-day,
All needful weapons there.

O may I love Thy precious Word,
May I explore the mine,
May I its fragrant flowers glean,
May light upon me shine.
O may I find our armor there,
Thy Word my trusty sword;
I’ll learn to fight with every foe
The battle of the Lord.
(Edwin Hodder 1837-1904)