The International Mission Board (IMB) and Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU) invite all Southern Baptists to participate in the 2024 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and Week of Prayer for International Missions.
This year’s Week of Prayer will be observed Dec. 1-8. This year’s national goal is $205 million. Between the command of Jesus in the Great Commission and the vision of the Great Multitude in Revelation 7:9 is our Great Pursuit. We are present among the lost so they can hear the gospel and be represented around the throne of Jesus Christ for eternity.
Missionaries have counted the cost. Finding Christ worthy, they willingly go to the farthest corners of the earth — the cities, the hard-to-reach places, among the dispersed and displaced. But they do not serve alone. We support them through our prayers, through our giving and sometimes through our own presence. Let’s join to pray for the missionaries on the following pages.
This year’s Week of Prayer and Lottie Moon offering downloadable resources are available now on the IMB’s website. The site includes stories, full-color photos, videos, the Global Impact Guide, social media graphics, presentation graphics, kids’ resources, goal posters and a bulletin insert.
In addition, churches can request a printed brochure about Lottie Moon’s life, a life-size display of Lottie Moon and other resources. New this year, churches can get a more personalized experience. It is now more convenient for a church to collect online gifts for the Lottie Moon offering. Each Southern Baptist church can receive a personalized link on IMB’s website with the church’s name and giving goal. This personalized resource can be found by visiting IMB.org/LottieMoon.
All resources can be ordered through the IMB store at no cost to churches. Most are also available in English, Spanish, Korean and Chinese. Speakers can also be requested during this season by visiting IMB.org/SpeakerRequest.
The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering® is a registered trademark of Woman’s Missionary Union.
Week of Prayer
The Week of Prayer is annually observed by SBC churches to pray for missionaries, their ministries and their families. Prayer is the fuel for spiritually sustaining missionaries in places where the gospel is greatly needed, but often opposed.
The official dates are the last Sunday in November through the first Sunday in December. Your church can choose this date or another time during the Christmas season to participate.
In addition to downloading these items, if your church needs additional prayer guides or envelopes, please contact us at the Helpdesk at helpdesk@brnunited.org.
Day One
The Great Pursuit in Senegal
Even though he can’t swim, Moses is traveling the waters to islands off the African coast. Moses and his wife, Beth, are training new believers and helping form healthy churches.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
- Praise God for churches in the U.S. who partner with Moses and Beth to do ministry on the islands.
- Pray for Moses and Beth as they continue to minister among the unreached in rural Senegal.
- Pray for new believers to stand firm despite persecution.
Day Two
The Great Pursuit in Central Asia
Gary and Ann marvel at the new believers and their thirst for growth. Still, they pray for a church in a mountain village that was previously unengaged and unreached with the gospel.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
- Pray for a strong, healthy church plant with national leadership in this mountain village.
- Ask God to strengthen Central Asian believers and make them bold in their witness.
- Praise God for the faithful service of Gary and Ann and ask for more opportunities to see fruit of their work.
Day Three
The Great Pursuit Among the Deaf
Two years ago, there was no Scripture in Slovenian Sign Language. IMB missionaries led translation efforts so the Deaf could understand the gospel in their heart language.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
- Pray for the Deaf Slovenian Christians as they set healthy roots for a church and as they reach others with the gospel.
- Thank God for IMB missionaries among the Deaf and ask God to send more workers, both hearing and Deaf, who will plant their lives among the Deaf cultures.
- Pray for Scripture translations in every sign language so that all Deaf will have access to the gospel in a way they can understand it. Ask God to plant Deaf-led churches among the lost.
Day Four
The Great Pursuit in Brazil
Danilo Miranda is Brazilian and now serves with the IMB back in his home country. But his goal is to help Brazilians leave the country to be missionaries to the uttermost parts of the world.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
- Pray for the Mirandas as they walk alongside potential global missionary partners and prepare them to go.
- Pray for the local churches the Mirandas partner with. Pray they’d grow into healthy sending churches.
- Thank God for the investment Mark Johnson made in Danilo Miranda’s life. Ask God to send more mentors who will invest in new missionaries.
Day Five
The Great Pursuit on Southeast Asian Islands
David and Regan York have faithfully served one cluster of islands for many years. Their vision is many reproducing churches who will reach their own people groups and the nations.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
- Pray for David and Regan as they cast a vision of gospel multiplication for missionary teams and local churches.
- Ask God to send more workers to these islands where the gospel remains largely unknown.
- Thank God for healthy churches on the islands and pray that more fellowships will become multiplying, gospel-centric families of faith.
Day Six
The Great Pursuit in Northern Africa
Civil unrest often disrupts their daily living, but Jay and Ella remain faithful to share the truth of God’s Word. They rejoice to see believers responding and trying to worship together.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
- Thank God for Timothy and Abel and other believers who are following Christ at the risk of persecution.
- Ask God to lead Jay and Ella and their children as their ministry continues in a region that is often characterized by violence and unsteady political situations.
- Pray for believers to be able to safely gather for worship and fellowship.
Day Seven
The Great Pursuit in South Asia
John is already seeing fruit from his treks to find unengaged, unreached people groups. He is one of IMB’s missionary explorers, working as part of Project 3000.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
- Let’s praise God for these new believers.
- Pray for Lahud to be bold in his faith, despite persecution.
- Also, keep asking the Holy Spirit to show missionary explorers where UUPGs live so all peoples hear the gospel.
Day Eight
The Great Pursuit in Europe
Ginny is using her skills to encourage and mentor believers in healthcare professions to use their healthcare background for the Kingdom. God is using her to minister to physical and spiritual needs.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
- Please pray for Ginny as she mentors national believers.
- Ask God to provide opportunities for IMB teams to care for the hurting with relevant health strategies.
- Pray for wisdom as Ginny and her partners embrace this task that opens access to the gospel in some of the hardest places in the world.
