DAY 179: Mission Focus - Myanmar

DAY 179

Faith in the Midst of a Pandemic         

A series of daily reflections for people of faith

by Rev. Robert Bayley, Interim Pastor

Patuxent Presbyterian Church, California, Maryland

pastorrobert@paxpres.org

Week Twenty-six    Wednesday 9 September 2020

Mission Focus: Myanmar

Myanmar, previously called Burma, was the focus of early American Baptist missionary Adoniram Judson who labored there for 37 years, from 1813 to 1850 when he died, with only 18 converts in his first 10 years. The church grew slowly and steadily, with a movement of the Holy Spirit after his death that today sees between 4-5,000 Baptist churches in this small country. He lived by the motto, “The future is as bright as the promises of God.” His passion and goal in life? “I will not leave Burma until the cross is planted here forever.”

While freedom of religion exists on paper, the government gives special recognition to Buddhism. The two minority religions – Christianity and Islam, have both experienced ongoing discrimination and severe persecution, compounded by the ethnic differences that also at times mark them. Christians in particular have been the target of the military government burning villages, raping and killing, turning Christian and Muslim ethnic groups into refugees within their own country.

Prayer Focus

+ Both nominalism and revival mark all church denominations. Pray for an increase of revival.

+ Pray for the growing prayer movement across denominational lines fostering unity.

+ Pray for continued growth of balanced, Burmese-led quality leadership training.

+ Pray for large groups of people at risk: refugees, AIDS victims, drug addicts and orphans.

+ Pray that the missionary vision of the Myanmar church will continue to grow and mature.

+ Pray that the Holy Spirit will use Christian radio broadcasting in 35 languages.

Jesus’ Prayer Request each Wednesday:

“’The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.

Ask the Lord of the harvest,

therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Jesus - Matthew 9:37-38.

For the full country profile and prayer needs for Myanmar

go to operationworld.org.

Reflective question: How do you think you would fare as a persecuted minority in a hostile nation?

Reflective Scripture: Ephesians 3:17-19 KJV, Judson’s ‘life verses’/prayer for Burma: “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”

Reflective hymn: “Come, Holy Spirit” – Adoniram Judson (1788-1850)

We love Your name, we love Your laws, and joyfully embrace Your cause;

We love Your cross, the shame, the pain, O Lamb of God, for sinners slain.