Tuesday, November 19, 2013

AFWIS Joins Operatioon World in Prayer for the Kingdom of Thailand - Asia

Published on Operation World (http://www.operationworld.org)
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Thailand

Thailand

Kingdom of Thailand

Asia

See Prayer Information

Geography

Area: 513,115 sq km
A fertile and well-watered land bordering on Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia.
Population: 68,139,238    Annual Growth: 0.66%
Capital: Bangkok
Urbanites: 34%
HDI Rank: 87 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)

Peoples

Peoples: 114 (67% unreached) All peoples
Unreached Peoples Prayer Card

Official language: Thai    Languages: 85 All languages

Religion

Largest Religion: Buddhist
Religion               Pop %Ann Gr
Christians749,5321.102.8
Evangelicals307,3050.53.6
Buddhist58,136,39885.32 
Prayercast

Answer to Prayer

Missiological maturity has come in leaps and bounds. Foreign expressions of Christianity dominated the church scene for too long, but increased understanding of and sensitivity to Buddhist worldviews and Thai culture are shaping more effective missionaries and national workers.

Challenge for Prayer

Church growth has been less than spectacular. After four centuries of Catholic work and nearly 200 years of Protestant work, Thai Christians hover around 1% of the population. Catholicism’s percentage has increased little in 50 years. Protestant growth has been very modest despite many missionaries and programmes. Nearly half of Protestants are from tribal groups, which amount to less than 5% of the country’s population. Pray for:
a) The Church of Christ in Thailand (CCT), the largest Protestant, ecumenical network. It hosts a broad range of denominations, from mainline to conservative. Pray for renewal to come to this group; some of the member bodies have stagnated and need a new burst of spiritual life.
b) The Evangelical Fellowship of Thailand. This links more than 120 mission organizations, 55 church associations and seven Christian institutions. It is regarded as the “home” for many of Thailand’s evangelicals (along with CCT). Pray for unity, effective collaboration and accelerating growth.
c) High standards in church life. The tolerant and relaxed nature of Thai culture can gravitate against holiness in churches. Pastors must lead by personal example, but they also need to squarely face up to syncretism and the high rate of backsliding in churches. Lifestyles of prayer, Scripture reading, witness and ministry must be cultivated.
d) Church growth and evangelism in Thailand are taking on new dimensions. Driven increasingly by a confident national leadership, Vision 2010/Love Thailand/TEC has the goal of seeing all of Thailand, including the country’s 80,000 villages, reached with the gospel. This sweeping vision includes the formation of a national prayer network, leadership development, extensive research and community-development ministry in addition to evangelism.
e) The less-reached areas. The large majority of Thailand’s churches are small (30-50 members) and are concentrated in Bangkok and the northwest. Over 6,000 of the 7,415 sub-districts have no church. In the southern and northeastern (Isaan) regions, more than 90% of the sub-districts are without a church.
     For an additional 10 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.

More Information

The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of Thailand.
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...all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.


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Proverbs 19 (NIV)


Proverbs 19 (New International Version)

Proverbs 19

1 Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse.

2 It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way.

3 A man's own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the LORD.

4 Wealth brings many friends, but a poor man's friend deserts him.

5 A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours out lies will not go free.

6 Many curry favor with a ruler, and everyone is the friend of a man who gives gifts.

7 A poor man is shunned by all his relatives— how much more do his friends avoid him! Though he pursues them with pleading, they are nowhere to be found. [a]

8 He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; he who cherishes understanding prospers.

9 A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours out lies will perish.

10 It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury— how much worse for a slave to rule over princes!

11 A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.

12 A king's rage is like the roar of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.

13 A foolish son is his father's ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping.

14 Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.

15 Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless man goes hungry.

16 He who obeys instructions guards his life, but he who is contemptuous of his ways will die.

17 He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done.

18 Discipline your son, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to his death.

19 A hot-tempered man must pay the penalty; if you rescue him, you will have to do it again.

20 Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise.

21 Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.

22 What a man desires is unfailing love [b] ; better to be poor than a liar.

23 The fear of the LORD leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.

24 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he will not even bring it back to his mouth!

25 Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence; rebuke a discerning man, and he will gain knowledge.

26 He who robs his father and drives out his mother is a son who brings shame and disgrace.

27 Stop listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.

28 A corrupt witness mocks at justice, and the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil.

29 Penalties are prepared for mockers, and beatings for the backs of fools.
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Ezekiel 27 NIV





Ezekiel 27

New International Version (NIV)

A Lament Over Tyre

27 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, take up a lament concerning Tyre. 3 Say to Tyre, situated at the gateway to the sea, merchant of peoples on many coasts, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“‘You say, Tyre,
    “I am perfect in beauty.”
4 Your domain was on the high seas;
    your builders brought your beauty to perfection.
5 They made all your timbers
    of juniper from Senir[a];
they took a cedar from Lebanon
    to make a mast for you.
6 Of oaks from Bashan
    they made your oars;
of cypress wood[b] from the coasts of Cyprus
    they made your deck, adorned with ivory.
7 Fine embroidered linen from Egypt was your sail
    and served as your banner;
your awnings were of blue and purple
    from the coasts of Elishah.
8 Men of Sidon and Arvad were your oarsmen;
    your skilled men, Tyre, were aboard as your sailors.
9 Veteran craftsmen of Byblos were on board
    as shipwrights to caulk your seams.
All the ships of the sea and their sailors
    came alongside to trade for your wares.
10 “‘Men of Persia, Lydia and Put
    served as soldiers in your army.
They hung their shields and helmets on your walls,
    bringing you splendor.
11 Men of Arvad and Helek
    guarded your walls on every side;
men of Gammad
    were in your towers.
They hung their shields around your walls;
    they brought your beauty to perfection.
12 “‘Tarshish did business with you because of your great wealth of goods; they exchanged silver, iron, tin and lead for your merchandise.
13 “‘Greece, Tubal and Meshek did business with you; they traded human beings and articles of bronze for your wares.
14 “‘Men of Beth Togarmah exchanged chariot horses, cavalry horses and mules for your merchandise.
15 “‘The men of Rhodes[c] traded with you, and many coastlands were your customers; they paid you with ivory tusks and ebony.
16 “‘Aram[d] did business with you because of your many products; they exchanged turquoise, purple fabric, embroidered work, fine linen, coral and rubies for your merchandise.
17 “‘Judah and Israel traded with you; they exchanged wheat from Minnith and confections,[e] honey, olive oil and balm for your wares.
18 “‘Damascus did business with you because of your many products and great wealth of goods. They offered wine from Helbon, wool from Zahar 19 and casks of wine from Izal in exchange for your wares: wrought iron, cassia and calamus.
20 “‘Dedan traded in saddle blankets with you.
21 “‘Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your customers; they did business with you in lambs, rams and goats.
22 “‘The merchants of Sheba and Raamah traded with you; for your merchandise they exchanged the finest of all kinds of spices and precious stones, and gold.
23 “‘Harran, Kanneh and Eden and merchants of Sheba, Ashur and Kilmad traded with you. 24 In your marketplace they traded with you beautiful garments, blue fabric, embroidered work and multicolored rugs with cords twisted and tightly knotted.
25 “‘The ships of Tarshish serve
    as carriers for your wares.
You are filled with heavy cargo
    as you sail the sea.
26 Your oarsmen take you
    out to the high seas.
But the east wind will break you to pieces
    far out at sea.
27 Your wealth, merchandise and wares,
    your mariners, sailors and shipwrights,
your merchants and all your soldiers,
    and everyone else on board
will sink into the heart of the sea
    on the day of your shipwreck.
28 The shorelands will quake
    when your sailors cry out.
29 All who handle the oars
    will abandon their ships;
the mariners and all the sailors
    will stand on the shore.
30 They will raise their voice
    and cry bitterly over you;
they will sprinkle dust on their heads
    and roll in ashes.
31 They will shave their heads because of you
    and will put on sackcloth.
They will weep over you with anguish of soul
    and with bitter mourning.
32 As they wail and mourn over you,
    they will take up a lament concerning you:
“Who was ever silenced like Tyre,
    surrounded by the sea?”
33 When your merchandise went out on the seas,
    you satisfied many nations;
with your great wealth and your wares
    you enriched the kings of the earth.
34 Now you are shattered by the sea
    in the depths of the waters;
your wares and all your company
    have gone down with you.
35 All who live in the coastlands
    are appalled at you;
their kings shudder with horror
    and their faces are distorted with fear.
36 The merchants among the nations scoff at you;
    you have come to a horrible end
    and will be no more.’”

Footnotes:

  1. Ezekiel 27:5 That is, Mount Hermon
  2. Ezekiel 27:6 Targum; the Masoretic Text has a different division of the consonants.
  3. Ezekiel 27:15 Septuagint; Hebrew Dedan
  4. Ezekiel 27:16 Most Hebrew manuscripts; some Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac Edom
  5. Ezekiel 27:17 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
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Psalm 36 NIV





Psalm 36 (New International Version)

Psalm 36

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD.

1 An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: [a] There is no fear of God before his eyes.
2 For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin.

3 The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful; he has ceased to be wise and to do good.

4 Even on his bed he plots evil; he commits himself to a sinful course and does not reject what is wrong.

5 Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.

6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O LORD, you preserve both man and beast.

7 How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find [b] refuge in the shadow of your wings.

8 They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights.

9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.

10 Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart.

11 May the foot of the proud not come against me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.

12 See how the evildoers lie fallen— thrown down, not able to rise!
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