Alright, for those of you who are not “hip” like I am, a “playa” is that guy who always gets the ladies, who has them draped on his arms, usually a different one every night, not exactly an upstanding, moral Christian thing. However, I like to play with my words (puns, poetry, anything) and it rolls off the tongue better than the traditional “Prayer Warrior” (or maybe I’m trying to hard).
Regardless, I am going to try to have one of these every 5 days or so up until I leave and maybe re-post each one as we are in each country?
Why, you might ask? Well, there is this book called Operation World (I would recommend getting it… or checking out their website, http://www.operationworld.org/ …this book gives geography/social information on each country and then it gives various prayer requests and prayer praises for each country.
When I have a “Praya Playa” post (feel free to think of it as “Prayer Warriors”), it is going to be about one of the countries my squad will visit on the World Race. I ask that you would read these posts and pray with me for each country.
First up is Guatemala…
Guatemala is a generally “Christianized” nation, but is pretty poor (GDP per capita – $2850)
Pray for…
1. Sins of the past against the indigenous population to be recognized and reconciled. Many indigenous were previously oppressed and the US (and others) turned a blind eye to the human rights abuses. May The Healer, Christ, bind, forgive, and reconcile a nation.
2. A stop to Violence – Guatemala has highest murder rate in Latin America: youth gangs, drug traffickers, organized crime. May the peace of Christ prevail.
3. Shallow Christianity, that it may turn into strong, mature spiritual growth.
4. Discipleship – that Christians may be discipled in the church and not just left to remain shallow (may my squad challenge those we meet to grow and may we help disciple those we meet)
5. Mayan culture – it is enjoying a renaissance which has led to a resurrection of the old Mayan religion, but on a positive note, it has helped encourage more translations of the Bible for indigenous people. May the Word be spread to the indigenous who are seeking after the Mayan religion.
6. Less-reached people in Guatemala – Amerindians (Chorti, Pocomchi, Ixil, and Jacaltec); Garifuna (Africans and Caribbeans); Asians; young people (72% of population below 30)
7. Children at risk – most live in poverty and/or are orphans; minimal social support drives them to child labor, drugs, gangs, or sex trafficking. Around 15,000 children live on the streets (population of Guatemala is 14.4 million (2010)); sometimes killed because they are “nuisances”
8. Missionaries, Christian ministries, the Jesus film, etc. I know multiple people who have ministered in Guatemala for various amounts of time. Be praying that the labor being put forth there is fruitful and that Christ’s light continues to shine in the dark places.
Thanks y’all!
