SGM Lifewords Prayer and Praise, May 2012
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to
me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have
commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
– Matthew 28:18–20 (NIV)
Once the drama and emotion of the resurrection were over, the disciples could be
forgiven for wanting to take a break, process the events, catch up with themselves.
They had after all experienced a life-changing and world-changing event. But as Jesus
prepares to leave them, he gears them up for the next part of the plan.
Jesus explains to his disciples that, in his name, they have the authority pass on his
message and teachings, and encourage people to follow him. His command isn’t to
rest and wait around for the next thing. Or worse, let the biggest event to happen in
world history just fade into distant memory. Instead he is clear: go, baptise, teach.
The challenge is the same for us. We need to ask ourselves how we are responding to
Jesus’ commission to let others know about his love, truth and power. It’s a tall
order, but Jesus promises to be with us every step of the way. We need to ask him to
help us “make disciples” as we share and demonstrate his love in our everyday lives.
What happened when Jesus died and rose again was a one-off, world-changing event
– “It is finished” (John 19:30). But it was also the start of something that would
continue to change lives for years and years to come.
Jess Bee
SGM Lifewords in the UK
Welcome to the May issue of SGM Lifewords’ Prayer and Praise. We’ve got lots of
news to help shape your prayers: Bible resource information from Europe; stories
from Mexico; prayer requests from one of our partners; an update from the UK
office; and a report on what’s happening in Indonesia. Please read on and ask God to
lead you as you pray with us.
Week 1: 29 April – 5 May
Bible resources around the world
Jarek Jankowski, from SGM Lifewords in Europe, reports on a busy time for the
office in Poland: “As well as dealing with the usual orders for resources, we are
about to start typesetting booklets for a number of Asian languages. We’re also
working on extending our range of digital resources. Please pray for us.”

“Praise God for the translation and production of Jesus: An Introduction and Day
by Day in Chinese Simplified, Japanese and Korean, to name but a few. These
languages are always a challenge to prepare for final publication, so please ask
God to bless the typesetting and proof-reading processes so that once the
booklets are ready, they will be an inspiration and encouragement for their
readers.”

“Join us in thanking God for the literature requests we receive daily from all
over the world through the Global Bible Resources website. We are deeply
grateful to God that we are able to deliver Bible resources to people across the
globe, even to those living in very remote places.”

“We are hoping to extend the number of digital products on offer so that we can
reach out to new readers. We plan to start with two titles which will be made
available as e-books on smartphones, touchpads, tablets and a range of ereaders. Please pray for us as we embark on these projects.”
Week 2: 6 May – 12 May
Pavement Project in Mexico
The Pavement Project team in Mexico, say: “We continue to train workers and reach
out to children-at-risk in Mexico. Recently, seven children out of a group of eight had
an improvement in their self-worth and talked to Jesus in prayer. We are very
grateful to God for all he is doing through his Word.”

“Praise God for the commitment of the Pavement Project workers in Acapulco,
who are passionate about their city. They meet for an hour each morning to ask
for God’s help with their work, and that he would end the violence in the city.
Please join them and ask God to intervene.”

“Once a month these workers minister to a group of young people who are
recovering from drug addiction. Pray for God’s wisdom as they reach out with
words of comfort, truth and love. Pray also for the young people, that they
would hear and respond to the Bible’s words that bring life.”

“Please pray for 12-year-old Elena* who was separated from her family because
of her mother’s drinking problems. Elena told a Pavement Project worker that
being apart from her family brought her a lot of sadness and that she saw herself
as ‘a bird flying over the immense sky’. Elena heard about God’s love for her
and how he wants to be part of her life, to protect and look after her, the same
way the shepherd did towards the little sheep that got lost in the story Jesus
told. This message of security and belonging changed the way Elena was feeling
and brought her happiness. ‘A cheerful and colourful moth’ was what Elena got
transformed into as she met Jesus.”
Week 3: 13 May – 19 May
Praying with our partners – Viva
Viva work with children-at-risk all over the world and are instrumental in the
development and delivery of Pavement Project. Sophie Dodds, Fundraising and
Community Officer for Viva, asked us to pray with them for vulnerable children in
different countries and situations:

“As the drought in West Africa continues, over one million children are at risk of
severe malnutrition. Please pray for the situation in the Sahel region, that enough
aid would reach those who need it and that rain would come to ensure a good
harvest.”

“Please pray for the children affected by the fighting and unrest in Syria. Ask
God to protect them and also give them hope during these times of darkness and
uncertainty.”

“15-year-old Leli from Cambodia was forced to work in a brothel every night for
two years until she was able to escape and find sanctuary with a church. Pray for
Leli’s recovery and for the rescue of many other girls like her.”
Read more about these situations and find out more about Viva on their website:
www.viva.org
Week 4: 20 May – 26 May
New Developments
Danielle Welch, Executive Director, looks ahead to new developments:

“Praise God for the team here in the UK. At the end of this month we say
goodbye to Keith Talbott, after more than 30 years working in the graphics
department – please pray for him in his retirement; and we say hello to Emma
who is joining our Supporter Relations team. Ask God to bless her as she settles
in.”

“Thank God for a great new edition of You Matter and an exciting new resource:
Jesus: A Life Story. Please pray as we continue to develop new Bible resources,
including a new booklet for Christmas – which we would like to finish this
month.”

“Please pray for us as we continue to listen to God for guidance and wisdom for
us as a mission. Ask that we would hear his voice and be obedient to his will.”
Week 5: 27 May – 2 June
Indonesia
Gunar Sahari from Lifewords in Indonesia, says: “We are very grateful to God for
blessing our work in Indonesia. More and more individuals and groups are
partnering with us and using our resources – we’re excited about the potential for
many people to hear the Bible’s life words.”

“The Indonesian Christian Church in Bandung are using Lifewords Bible resources
in their ministry to Sundanese people, who are predominantly Muslim. Praise
God for this opportunity to reach out to these people, and pray that they would
hear about and receive the love of Jesus.”

“Praise God for partners in Indonesia who are interested in Pavement Project.
Please pray for the right people to get involved and for the safe arrival of the
Green Bags as we prepare for a new Pavement Project training workshop (the
first in several years in Indonesia) in June.”

“Praise God for the continued success of The Visible Story and give thanks that
more and more people are interested in using it. Pray that God would continue
to bless this ministry and that many people would hear of God’s love for them.”
Thank you for praying with us! Your partnership in prayer is vital to all that we do
as we share the Bible’s life words all around the world. Keep in touch with us online
through Facebook, or visit www.sgmlifewords.com. You can make a donation to our
work online, by post or by calling 020 7730 2155. Thank you!
*name changed in line with our child protection policy