Day 11 of 30
By Philip Duncalf from Friends International
Inspired by today's entry in the 30 Days of Prayer booklet, but with a UK twist!
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Daily verse
“On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.”
Thought for the day
International friendships
Isaiah 25 speaks of the hope that we have of a future without pain or death with all nations having a great feast.
At Friends International we believe the local church reaching international students is a glimpse of that hope.
Friends International set up events and link volunteers from local churches with international students while also encouraging and equipping the local church in their own international ministries.
We also seek to set up new projects to help engage more students, one new project is an Ifthar meal on campus during Ramadan. Through friendship and food, we find that conversations about faith and the hope we have come naturally. International students are open and interested.
A was brought up in an Indian catholic family but is unsure what he believes and what is cultural, he has been attending our events and started going to a local church and their introduction to Christianity course. He is continually asking good questions and seeking the truth.
B was brought up in a Lebanese Muslim family though some in his family are Christian. He has attended Friends International Walking events as well as the CU mission week events. Though he is still questioning which faith to follow, he is keen to seek truth and discuss Christianity.
C is a Chinese student who hasn’t yet shared what she believes but has attended church and a meal and talk regarding what Christians believe hosted by Friends International volunteers. She has received a mandarin New Testament and really enjoys the songs played at church, so much so she goes and finds them on Spotify to play in her own time. Please pray that they will come to know Jesus personally.
These are just three stories of the 6000 international students who attend the University of Surrey. There are many stories like these across the nation in the 40 branches of Friends International. Many who have not had the invitations that these 3 students have had.
Prayer for the day
Will you pray and support Friends International’s vision to grow to 60 branches by 2025 so that many more would come to know the hope of eternal life through Jesus? Students will then be able to take the good news back to their home countries when they finish studying here.
Daily action
Consider getting involved in hosting an international student - maybe receiving them in your home doing a festival, or joining in an activity run by Friends International at a local university.
Your turn
Let us know how it went! Leave a comment below, or tag us on social media with the #lovefast hashtag on social media. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter!
Resources
Do you want to involve your church in blessing Muslim people through prayer and friendship?
There are new 30 Days of Prayer church resources available for you:
Pray Together as a Congregation
Small Group Session
Night of Power Prayer Meeting
Prayer Walk Guide
What’s your next step after 30 Days? There are loads of resources to help you on your journey.