Praise God for designing us for relationship with Him and one another. Ask God to help us all develop deep, meaningful friendships with other believers in order to spur one another on to love and good deeds. Pray we will all support and help one another whenever we stumble in following after Christ. Pray for God to grant us friendships with those who do not yet know Christ and to give us opportunities to share the gospel with them.

This week we are praying for the Brook Hills ESL Ministry (English As a Second Language) as the new year begins. The ESL Ministry serves English learners in the community by providing free English classes to international women on Thursday mornings at Brook Hills and families on Thursday evenings at First Baptist, Hoover. The ESL Ministry aims to extend Christian hospitality, establish community, and share the love of Jesus Christ with internationals living in Birmingham. We are also praying for First Baptist Church, Hoover and Pastor Eric Roberts.

DAY 1: Pray for the 100 new international adults who just registered this week for the new year, as well as the others who will join us over the next few weeks. Pray for God to give them the patience, skills, and mental strength necessary to learn the English language.

DAY 2: Pray for the preschoolers, elementary school kids, and teens who will participate in classes while their parents are in class. Pray they will be peaceful and eager to learn new truths about God each week from their Bible-centered lessons.

DAY 3: Pray for the faithfulness of volunteers in every area of this ministry to cultivate a safe, hospitable, loving environment for the students and their children. Pray for gospel conversations to abound and understanding for those who do not come from countries where they hear the gospel.

DAY 4: Pray for those who have come to know Christ through the ESL Ministry to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, grow in their faith, gather with a local church, and make disciples.

DAY 5: Pray for the ESL Women’s Bible Study that happens on Wednesday mornings. Pray these students, from a variety of spiritual backgrounds, will receive the Word of God and be transformed by it.

DAY 6: Pray for the Brook Hills International Care Team as they seek to meet the ever-pressing needs of the internationals we serve. Pray tha,t through their words and deeds, internationals in Birmingham would experience the love of Christ in tangible ways that open doors for volunteers to share the gospel.

This week we are praying for Josip and Kelly D. serving in Croatia. Join us in praying for this family as they work to spread the Good News in a place where Christianity has been in decline.

DAY 1: Pray for Josip and his involvement in the ongoing evangelism efforts in their city. Ask the Lord to help people see their need for Christ and turn to him. Pray the Lord would give Josip favor and he will encounter people the Lord is leading to follow Him.

DAY 2: Pray for Josip and Kelly as they press into discipleship as a family and with others. Ask God to help those relationships grow, for wisdom as they pour into believers. Ask the Lord to help them be an encouragement to them as they model how to follow Christ. 

DAY 3: Pray for Kelly as she seeks to share the hope she has in Christ with people who participate in her art workshops. Ask the Spirit to give her opportunities to share in creative ways through her love of art.

DAY 4: Ask the Holy Spirit to give Josip and Kelly wisdom and strength as they invest and serve in their local church. Pray the Lord would give them a deep and abiding love for the local church and a desire to serve her in grace and humility.

DAY 5: Ask the Lord to use them to encourage other churches and forge relationships in a spirit of unity. Ask the Father to continue to protect, strengthen, and restore the Church in Croatia. Pray for church members to not be discouraged but to continue to strive in gospel work for the sake of God’s glory.

DAY 6: Pray for Josip and Kelly as several of their kids have transitioned or are in the process of transitioning from home into adulthood. Ask the Lord to give them wisdom and discernment as they work through school and living decisions. Pray their children will remain faithful to the Lord, trusting Him for all things, and will grow in their faith as adults.