Praise God for the faith He grants us and how it anchors us in our relationship with Him. Pray for us all to stand firm in our convictions and be bold in our witness knowing our ultimate allegiance is to Christ and His Church.

This week we are praying for the ministry of WorkFaith Birmingham (WFB; workfaithbhm.org), a Christian non-profit workforce and life development ministry empowering adults in transition facing employment barriers. WFB was started by Keith Stanley, our City Ministries Pastor, to provide an avenue to bring the Body of Christ alongside adults needing skill development to get a job and keep a job, and to develop Christian ethics to maintain work. We are praying for them this month as they celebrate almost 12 years of ministry, 193 workshops, and 1600 graduates. We are also praying for Grace Life Church in McCalla and Pastor Joel Frederick.

DAY 1: Pray for clients, alumni, volunteers, and donors to all trust in Christ for their salvation and connect to a local church where they can grow in Christ and experience biblical community.

DAY 2: Pray for God to raise up an army of volunteers to join in helping adults move forward in life through work and faith serving as mock interviewers, board members, web and social media supporters, mentors, etc.

DAY 3: Pray for our newest workshop location inside Bibb County Correctional Facility. Pray for favor with the administration at the facility and with the Alabama Department of Corrections. These workshops offer a fantastic opportunity to share the stories of Jesus weekly with a group of men that are nearing release or parole. Pray for the Holy Spirit to use workforce development to save all of these men.

DAY 4: Pray for new volunteers to go to Alabama Therapeutic Education Facility in Columbiana once a week for 12 weeks to lead a new workforce development class there.

DAY 5: Pray for additional financial resources and partnerships to develop a new workforce development hub for job seekers to develop both hard skills for career advancement and the soft skills needed to maintain employment.

DAY 6: Pray for WFB ministry partners: The Lovelady Center, The WellHouse, Prison Fellowship, TuneUP, Common Thread, Alabama Therapeutic Education Facility, and The Jefferson County Second Chance Hiring Fair. Ask God to continue to provide all the resources needed for them and WFB to serve adults in transition.

This week we are praying for the gospel to spread in difficult places around the world. Many of our missionaries are in places where there is open hostility and opposition to the gospel. 

DAY 1: Several of our missionaries are living in the Middle East where they are striving to reach a Muslim population hostile to the gospel. Pray for the gospel to spread and take root in areas where it is illegal to leave the Islamic faith and where converts face intense opposition from families and communities. Pray for those who the Spirit is drawing to count the cost and see Christ is worth the risk.

DAY 2: Pray for the Lord to establish strong, faithful churches in the Middle East that will endure in extremely difficult and dangerous circumstances. Pray for our missionaries serving in the churches, some in the position of elder, to endure and be steadfast in their faith and godly leadership.

DAY 3: Ask God to give our missionaries in North Africa great wisdom and discernment as they disciple new and growing believers. Pray the Lord would protect believers in North Africa from intimidation, discrimination, harassment and pressure to denounce their faith. Ask God to grow their faith and foster a bold witness.

DAY 4: Pray for the Lord to grow the church in North Africa where establishing new churches is difficult and some communities are violent against the church. Ask the Lord to soften hearts and draw to Himself those who are hostile to the church.

DAY 5: Ask God to provide for believers and churches in Central Asia. Believers can have a hard time finding employment and sustainable livelihoods after identifying with Christ which strains the church in very tangible ways. 

DAY 6:  Ask the Lord to bless the church in Central Asia, and pray for it to grow and flourish in the midst of opposition. Ask God in His provision to help new churches be established, even in the face of many legal obstacles and red tape designed to frustrate that process.