Pray for Japan - Day 1 - The Church in Japan

First of all, sorry this prayer campaign started one day later than originally anticipated. I (Jeff) was hoping to have it prepared before my LASIK surgery on Monday, but that didn't happen. I am now recovered, my vision is great, and am able to send this out. Thanks for your prayers! Thanks for embarking on this journey of 10 days of prayer for Japan with us! We know that God needs to be at the center of all we do. He is the reason we are going to Japan in the first place! We want to cover the nation of Japan in prayer. Although sometimes it's hard to ask for it ourselves, our family also needs prayer as we begin to make final preparations for our move to Japan. "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."

Ephesians 4:2-6

For our first day, we'd like to pray for the Church in Japan. We know there is a deep spiritual need for the Gospel in Japan, but that the country has a long history of being difficult soil for the Gospel to take root. The percentage of the Japanese people who are believers has been shrinking, due to the aging Christian population and to a lack of evangelism and discipleship. But we believe God is preparing Japan for something big, and indeed He has been at work in the country this whole time. We trust in an awesome God who is and will continue to do mighty things amongst the Japanese.

• We pray for Japanese believers to be empowered and emboldened by the Holy Spirit.

• We pray for the Japanese to reach other Japanese in a wonderful, uniquely Japanese way that only they can do.

• We pray for the hearts of the unreached in Japan to be opened.

• We pray for the redemption of Japanese culture, that Japanese people won't feel that they need to leave their culture or family behind in order to accept Jesus (because they don't!).

• We pray for renewal and unity amongst the Church.

• We pray for God to continue to call and send workers for the harvest.

Thanks and blessings,

The Walkers

Jeff, Malia, Mason & Kaili