August 2024

Japan

The greatest gospel gap in the world is in 50 countries—they have barely any new, thriving churches. And nearly 75% of the world’s unreached people (3.6 billion) live in 12 of those 50 countries. These people have the least access to the gospel in their own language.

Engage in strategic, focused prayer for the 12 countries of the world that are least reached with the gospel without ever leaving home.

Every month in 2024 we’ll feature one of these countries, familiarize you with its culture and share prayer requests addressing the country’s specific needs. We believe the light of Jesus can shine through!

All About Japan

This month we are focusing on Japan, where missionaries first landed in 1568. Christianity was banned from 1603 to 1868 and in that time the number of Japanese believers declined greatly in the face of intense persecution. A small number of “hidden Christians” survived and kept the faith alive. Unfortunately, the percentage of Japanese believers today is still very small. Let’s pray that the work begun by these first missionaries in the 16th century flourishes again across all of Japan.

Picture yourself walking into a Japanese inn that was started in 705 AD. It’s been owned by 52 generations of the same family. Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan is the oldest hotel in the world according to Guinness World Records.

Japan’s life expectancy ranks third in the world behind Hong Kong and Macao. The life expectancy of the average Japanese person is 85 years old.

Did you know that baseball is the number one sport in eight countries including Japan?

Japan has more vending machines than any other country, roughly 1 for every 23 people. Unique technology allows one vending machine to serve cans of both hot and cold coffee. You can even buy perishable items like lettuce, fruit or free-range eggs from a street corner vending machine.

Can you imagine living on a small island where there are more cats than there are people? Tashirojima, a small island off the coast of Japan, has four times more cats than people.

Pray for ministries and churches in Japan to be united. Pray that they would grow in trust and pursue peace with one another.

A great number of Japanese youth suffer from crushing depression. Shame over poor school performance or feeling isolated can leave them feeling hopeless about the future. Pray that they will find their security and hope in God.

For many Japanese, the claim that Jesus is the one true living God is offensive. Many would prefer to accept Jesus as another great teacher among the many that they admire. Pray that Japanese people with a universalistic perspective would be open to seeing Jesus as the way, the truth and the life.

Six-Month Prayer Guide

Use this guide to help focus your daily prayers for six months. Each request covers a day of the week and centers on pivotal ministry needs.

Prayer Guide

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