Thought for the Week - 6th February 2022

 

Dear Friends,

BMS World Mission (formerly the Baptist Missionary Society) was founded in 1792 by a group of Baptists ministers who were challenged not just to pray for those around the world without the gospel of Jesus Christ, but also to act, to go and serve overseas taking the message of the good news. In 1793 a former shoemaker turned pastor, William Carey, together with a doctor, John Thomas, volunteered to go to India as missionaries. Carey served there until his death in 1834, devoting himself to missionary work, Bible translation, campaigning against injustices and theological training. Today BMS World Mission works in around 35 countries on four continents where BMS personnel are mainly involved in church, development, educational, health, justice, leadership and relief ministries. At any one-time BMS supports between 350 and 400 personnel – long, medium and short term workers, teams and volunteers, as well as a large number of supported national partner workers around the world, providing people, funding and expertise in the core areas of their work. Along with the strap line ‘Faith in Christ, Abundant Life’ BMS is described as ‘an evangelical mission agency transforming the lives of people in fragile states and under-evangelised communities, among the world’s most marginalised people’. Each year BMS sets aside a day of prayer where Baptist Christians are invited to pray for the work of BMS, asking God to bless their work, guide them in the coming year, and continue to fulfil the calling which those early Baptists of the 18th Century had of sharing the love of Jesus Christ in word and deed. Please use the prayer pointers below to inform your praying today and going forward.

Grace and peace,

Neil

BMS World Mission Day of Prayer 2022

Prayer Pointers

(taken from https://www.bmsworldmission.org/get-involved/pray/day-of-prayer/)

·      BMS World Mission has a strong vision to highlight voices from the Global Church throughout our work. Pray for wisdom and guidance for BMS leadership as they seek to put this vision in to practice.

·     There were over 82 million forcibly displaced people worldwide in 2020, largely due to conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan and South Sudan. Pray for wisdom for BMS as we identify the best routes possible to help those in crisis.

·   As we enter the third year of the Covid-19 pandemic, please pray for a spirit of resilience among BMS mission workers. Pray that the Lord will guide us and our partners as we respond to changing contexts causes by the pandemic over the next year.

·     Pray for BMS work sharing the gospel among communities who haven’t heard the Word of God before. Pray especially for BMS-supported worker Pastor J in Cambodia, that he will be able to bring people living in rural villages to know Jesus.

·       Pray for BMS work improving livelihoods in marginalised communities across the world. Pray especially for our work in Nepali villages, that we would be able to work in partnership with local people to create an environment where all can thrive.

·       The Covid-19 pandemic, the ongoing threat of climate change and international conflicts have led to many tragedies over the last few years. Pray that people will feel called to give to the BMS disaster recovery fund so that we can support people who need it most when disasters strike.

·      Thank God for the willingness of our mission workers to serve across the world. Please pray that God will call more people to serve overseas, and that they will share BMS’ vision of bringing fullness of life to all.

                                        

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