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Wednesday, February 18, 2015 To hear an mp3 recording of the PrayerLine, click here. http://media1.imbresources.org/files/223/22357/22357-119907.mp3 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NKJV) Hi, this is Eleanor Witcher of IMB’s prayer office, asking you to pray for those celebrating Lunar New Year. The traditional celebration of the Mongolian New Year, February 18-21, includes many Tibetan Buddhist and Shamanist rituals; therefore, as the holiday approaches, many Mongolian Christians will choose not to participate, while others may try to find compromise when faced with pressure from family and friends. They seek the Lord’s wisdom for creative ideas and God-glorifying ways to incorporate different aspects of their culture into their celebration of the New Year.  Can you imagine returning to your hometown for Thanksgiving or Christmas and instead of being met with the warm embrace of family and friends, you are shunned by them? Thanh* is expecting just such a harsh reality when he returns home to celebrate the Lunar New Year this month. February 19 not only marks the first day of the lunar new year but is also the focal point of the “Tet” holiday. Tet is the single most important time of the year for the Vietnamese people. It is a very family-focused time but, sadly, is also accompanied by many spiritual traditions. Thanh’s family are devoted to traditional ancestor worship, together with other animistic and Buddhist religious practices. They have already told Thanh that they disapprove of his newfound faith in Jesus Christ and that he can expect that opposition to be particularly strong during the Tet holiday.  * Please pray that Thanh and many other Vietnamese believers like him will be strengthened and encouraged in spite of such opposition.  * Pray for Mongolian Christians that they will boldly stand up for Jesus and give a clear testimony of their faith to those who question or even persecute them for not following the Shamanist and Tibetan Buddhist traditions. * This year, the Lunar New Year observance, begins the Year of the Lamb. Pray that this year would indeed be acknowledged as the year of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.  (*name changed)

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