At SEAPC, we believe in the importance of coming alongside existing ministries within the nations we serve. Our friends at YWAM Japan have prepared the following prayer requests as you lift up Japan in prayer this month. We believe that we will see nation changing revival in Japan!
– Because of cultural, societal, and family pressures here, it can be challenging for Japanese people to follow Jesus. The national religions of Buddhism and Shintoism are closely tied to the Japanese identity, so choosing to deny them can be perceived as rejecting your own family or even choosing to no longer be Japanese. (Yet we believe that by following Christ, they are able to be more Japanese!) These pressures make converting to Christianity difficult and can also prevent believers from sharing their faith once doing so. Pray for Japanese individuals to be bold in choosing Christ, for the church to support and surround new believers, and for believers to be courageous in sharing their faith so that others might believe.
– Japanese employees are some of the most committed and loyal individuals you can find. They often arrive early and leave late in order to not be an inconvenience to their team and fellow co-workers. However, these cultural demands on their time prevent them from spending time with their families, meeting up with friends who could share with them about Christ, or even just processing life in general, leading them to find fulfillment in other activities. Pray for a shift in the Japanese work culture to make space for people to find time together as well as just to encounter God!
– Many in Japan are orphans, not to losing parents but to overworking parents. Because of the demanding work culture, often times fathers might work most of the week without seeing their children. Sometimes a father leaves before the child wakes up, returns after they go to sleep, and because he is so tired, he sleeps in on the one day off he has, limiting his interaction with his children to a few hours one day a week. Please pray for a renewed value for family in the culture and that children would be seen as a blessing and worth the time to be loved!
– Jesus said the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. This is true of Japan, as well. Statistics have stated there is only one missionary for every 64,000 people in Japan. That’s like one person being tasked to reach an entire football stadium! It is also expensive to serve as missionaries in Japan, and sometimes it might seem more economically efficient to send resources to other countries. Pray that God would release more laborers to come to Japan and for others to invest in the Kingdom work that is happening here in this nation!
