“I’ve Never Prayed.”
Do you know the game "I've Never?" It's a get-to-know-you game in which people are seated in a circle of chairs with one fewer chair than the number of people playing. There's one person standing in the middle, who must make a true statement starting with the words "I've never." Then everyone who HAS done what the person in the middle has NOT done must get up and find a new seat; and the person in the middle scrambles to get a seat too. Whoever is left standing starts the next "I've never" statement.
Last summer, we played this game with our students in the English camp, which was held in the Czech Republic. Most of the statements were mundane ("I've never been to America"). Some resulted in funny or awkward situations, such as when I said, "I've never worn a skirt" and a boy got up. One, however, staggered me: a friendly and bright 16-year-old girl declared, "I've never prayed." And she said it without shame or irony, as if she'd just told us that she'd never eaten with chopsticks.
Most of the class jumped up to snatch new seats. I did too, of course, and I played it cool so that no one could see that my mind was spinning as I contemplated my student's prayerless life. Her simple statement was another reminder that the Czech Republic is one of the most atheistic nations in the world (second to Estonia in Europe). But it wasn't just that she didn't believe that rocked me-it was how naturally, how matter-of-factly she could say that she'd never once even lifted her eyes to say a word or two to a god who might be there, who might possibly want to know her.
But I know that you pray. And so I ask you to pray for my prayerless student, and for all 65 or so of our students, very few of whom know our Lord Jesus. Ask God to open their eyes, to make Himself known to them. And for the believers there, ask God to anchor their faith on the deepest and strongest Rock, so they will continue to shine like stars. And pray that He would let them see the fruit of new life in those around them.
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SEE MOREPray for relationships formed in Czech Republic after the summer's English camp and that God would draw the students to Himself.
Pray for those in Czech Republic who are building relationship with our team and church members, that they would come to faith in Christ.
Pray for two women, Monika and Andrea, who have recently come to faith against the odds in a hard-to-reach, largely atheistic European city.
Pray for Monika, that God would continue to heal her, give her a new purpose, and protect her life from physical harm, and for Andrea, that she would grow deep roots of faith and be a witness to those like her—unlikely subjects—of the reality of the grace of God.
Pray for the children in Zlin, Czech, to find Jesus through church opportunities geared toward children. Pray for God to use their faith to draw their parents to Christ.
DAY 23: Pray for a new family as they embark to start ministry in a new location—pray that their ministry and family would thrive in their Muslim-majority context.
DAY 22: El Salvador: Pray that young people would hunger for the truth of the gospel.
DAY 21: Pray that the Lord would raise up new workers in locations all over the world, including Australia/New Zealand/Pacific Islands, Japan, Mexico, the Middle East, and Slovakia, to name a few.
DAY 20: France: Give thanks for the 50 years of Jean Calvin Seminary and its impact; pray for guidance in addressing the current decline in residential students.
Give thanks to God for all He did through the Global Missions Conference! Please pray that conference attendees would take their next step in missions, be it multiplying, going, leading, caring, or giving.
DAY 19: Pray for teams located in the Middle East who are striving to minister well to locals amid nearby fighting.
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