Lottie Moon invested nearly 40 years of her life as a missionary in China. She focused on making disciples, and set a tremendous example for all Southern Baptists by dedicating herself to the expansion of God’s kingdom.
Since 1888, the Southern Baptist Convention has been honoring Moon’s legacy through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. The offering helps to further Southern Baptists’ missional efforts overseas.
Through the years, the offering has enabled more than 3,600 Southern Baptist missionaries to be sent to the nations to make disciples and multiply churches. This year, the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering’s (LMCO) theme is “Every Church. Every Nation.” with the national goal being $160 million.
Beginning Dec. 2, the IMB is holding a special week of prayer for featured missionaries serving overseas.
The missionaries featured on the 2018 week of prayer currently serve in Africa, Southeast Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Brazil, Ukraine and Tanzania. Each missionary holds a unique story but together, they all share one calling: to preach the gospel to all nations.
“Churches of all sizes have helped ,” says Larry Pepper, IMB missionary. “And because they have, we have seen God work to spread gospel in amazing was.”
Following are some suggested daily prayer points for individuals and churches. These prayer points are also available online at IMB.org/LMCO.
Sunday, Dec. 2: Losing Yourself for the Lost
Pray for Larry and Sally, missionaries in Africa, to maintain endurance in their medical ministry and have open doors to disciple the people they meet. Also, pray for God to call out more workers to leave the United States and serve among the unreached overseas. Pray for them to be sensitive to His leading and obedient to the call.
Monday, Dec. 3: A Small Church’s Big Dreams
Pray for churches to envision how their gifts to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering® directly power the gospel going out to unreached people groups, specifically in East Asian. Pray for more believers to rise up as sacrificial supporters.
Tuesday, Dec. 4: A “Miracle” Partnership
Pray for churches and IMB workers to continue to form partnerships to take the hope of Christ to unreached people all over the world. Pray for God to continue to call up Hispanic churches to engage the world with the gospel.
Wednesday, Dec. 5: A Piece of the Puzzle
Pray for missionaries like Scott and Joyce Pittman from Brazil, to be effective in strategizing ways to reach big cities with the gospel. Pray for church partners to rise up and be a piece of the missions puzzle through praying, giving and going.
Thursday, Dec. 6: Not a ‘Flash in the Pan’
Pray for Ukrainian believers to plant strong, healthy churches that spread rapidly among the lost in their country and beyond. Pray for churches to come alongside the work overseas and support them with prayer, funding and volunteer help.
Friday, Dec. 7: Coming Back Changed
Pray for IMB workers and their field partners in East Asia to impact lostness by reaching and mobilizing Asian university students. Pray for God to raise up more workers and prompt churches to be generous in supporting them.
Saturday, Dec. 8: Keeping the Well from Running Dry
Pray for churches to understand the importance of every dollar spent toward the spread of the gospel. Pray for them to be in generous support of the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.
Sunday, Dec. 9: The Path to Hope
Pray for God to guide the path of refugees to a place where they might find salvation in Christ. Pray for churches to step up and engage in ministry to refugees right where they are and through partnerships overseas.
