Praise God for speaking to us through His Word. Pray for His help in controlling our tongues. Ask Him to help us be consistent in how we speak. Pray we will all be mindful of how our words represent and communicate the gospel of Christ.

This week, we are praying for the Shelby Baptist Association (SBA) located in Columbiana. The mission of Shelby Baptist Association is “Serving Christ Together “as they seek to enable and assist member churches to accomplish their mission, promote and help churches coordinate mission/ministry opportunities, and partner together to accomplish the Great Commission locally and globally. We are also praying for North Shelby Baptist Church and Pastor Jared Cornutt.

DAY 1: Pray that SBA churches would be salt and light in their neighborhoods by seeing and meeting needs within their communities. Pray that the many Community Ministries that occur at the Shelby Baptist campus will be a successful outreach platform for evangelism and ministry into the community by local churches.

DAY 2: Pray for the Shelby Baptist Association staff as they aim to equip the saints in area churches for the work of ministry.

DAY 3: Pray that churches in the SBA would boldly teach and preach the truth of the gospel.

DAY 4:  Pray that the Shelby Baptist Association would successfully promote unity and fellowship among area churches.

DAY 5: Pray that the new SBA dental clinic and other innovative ministry tools will be used effectively by the area churches to evangelize and make disciples among the lost in our city.

DAY 6: Pray for the SBA staff to lead with integrity and model a life of dependence on the Lord.

This week, we are praying for Ryan and Lauren, some of our long-termers serving in the Middle East.

DAY 1: Pray for Ryan and Lauren and their children as they are continuing to adjust to life in the Middle East. They arrived in their city in September 2023. Pray for their local friendships, and for good connections for their business. Pray for Ryan & Lauren’s marriage to be firmly rooted in Christ. Pray they will be a shining light for the gospel to their children and in their community.

DAY 2: Pray for Ryan and two neighbors who are eager to spend time with him, *Roger and *Manny. Manny is a very devout Muslim who attends the mosque multiple times a day. Pray that Ryan would find creative ways to communicate the gospel in a way they can understand.

DAY 3: Last week, Lauren met *Dana. Dana has 3 children and was walking around the playground reading and reciting the Quran. Dana said she is at that park every day with her kids and seemed open to seeing Lauren again. Please pray they are able to connect again.

DAY 4: Pray for Ryan’s business. He is planning to bring several of his colleagues from the USA to his country for an international food festival. Please pray for fruitful connections with the right companies and for them to grow and be better equipped to do business within these contexts and communities.

DAY 5: Ryan and three of his colleagues will travel to East Africa in a few weeks to meet with some potential suppliers. These connections could prove to be very beneficial for the business. Please pray for safety as they travel to and through high security regions. Pray for their guide to be wise as he leads them. Pray that they will shine brightly for Jesus in these hard to reach places.

DAY 6: Pray for Lauren and their 4 kids. Lauren homeschools all of the children. Pray that she will lead them in wisdom. Pray that she will love them well. Pray for strength, health, and fortitude for Lauren as she serves the family in this and many other ways. Pray for their children to live at peace with one another and be a blessing to their mother.