prayer

Uniting our hearts in

Courageous
The following is theamazing story ofa woman called
Alina,* a listenerof the Women of
Hope program.

to renounce her
newfound faith
STORY OFwould be great,and she would
face persecution if
she did not.

hope

Alina was kidnappedand forced to marry a
man who practiced thedominant religion in theregion where they lived.
She felt bound to stay withhim because of tradition
and because his family
threatened to place curses
on her if she left.
Unexpectedly, Alina’s
husband allowed her tovisit her mother, who wasa Christian. After Alina’s
mom witnessed to her, she
accepted Christ as savior.
They knew Alina would
face staunch opposition
from her husband when
she returned to him andhis family, so her wholefamily prayed for her
before she left. Pressure* Name changed for privacy

The village elders did try
to force her to renounce
her faith, but she said that
Jesus put in her heart,“Just be silent.” They took
her silence as obedienceand gave her several
conditions she had tomeet to avoid persecution.
The first two, to cover herhead and to always dress
modestly, she alreadydid. Promising to pray fivetimes a day was the third
condition, and she gladlycomplied as she now had
specific times to pray tothe true God while being
seen as practicing her
husband’s religion.
Throughout it all, Alina
clung to the promise of
God: “I’m holding you in

my
right
hand.” This
gave her great hopeduring her trials. Alina
shared, “I’m so grateful to
God who allowed this tohappen in my life. Hard
times teach us humility,
patience and love nomatter what they doagainst us.”
Alina continues to walk infaith and is grateful for the
Women of Hope program.
They are the only sourceof her spiritual growth,and they remind her
to persist in her faith.
She uses content of
the program, including
poems and other ideas,
as witnessing tools,
despite being surroundedby people who are in
opposition to her beliefs.
– Maribeth Stevens,volunteer writer

CK
TO
S
R
TTE
© S HUSEPT-OCT 2024
INSIDE
Lifting up womenof Central Asia,
the Middle Eastand North Africa
in prayer
God is in control
Looking to him
for strength

Embracing hopefrom Director Susie Pek

The body of
Christ united

Abide, Unite and Go
PART TWO

Hope & healingin Jesus for womenSeptember
1. Lord, you sent Jesus
so that we may be set free.
Sustain all the work on behalfof all those ensnared inhuman trafficking that they
may be set free physically andspiritually. (Luke 4:18-19)
2. Father, help men in
Turkmenistan to treat theirwives with love, kindness andfidelity. Give encouragement
to women who are lacking
these from their spouses.
(Eph. 5:25)
3. Lord, we ask that church
leaders in Kazakhstan would
be united in you. Enable themto cooperate with each otherand solve their disagreementswith grace. (1 Cor. 1:10)
4. God grant safety anddignity to Moroccan womenfacing societal and cultural
challenges. May they haveopportunities to receive
educational and vocational
training. (Isa. 41:10)
5. Father, please protect
those in Uzbekistan who
are victims of sexual andphysical abuse within
their families. Grant them
resilience to overcome thisevil. (2 Sam. 22:3-4)
6. Father, may our Middle
East teams have a positive
impact through their digitalplatforms in empowering
Arab women with wisdom andstrength through the Word ofGod. (Prov. 31:25)
7. Lord, ease the sufferingand give hope to families in
Kyrgyzstan that are separated

8. Father, bring salvation
to women in Tajikistan. May
they seek love, hope, faithand help from Jesus Christ.
(Ps. 121:1)
9. Lord, we pray for
marriages affected byseparation, divorce andalcoholism in Karakalpakstan.
Please heal these marriages
and restore these couples.
(Matt. 19:6)
10. God, may Turkish
churches shine in these
difficult times during which
many people have turned
away from you. May Turkish
Christians reflect God in theirrelationships so that theircommunities are touched byyou. (Dan. 12:3)
11. Lord, may women in
Northern Cyprus look to you
for the provision of good jobs
and sufficient income.
(Phil. 4:19)
12. God, many women in
Turkmenistan perform black
magic for healing or on theirhusband’s behalf. May theylearn the truth and be freefrom the powers of darkness.
(Deut. 18:10-12)

16. God, bring salvation to
the younger generations in
Kyrgyzstan. May they desire
to follow you wholeheartedly
not because of tradition but
out of relationship with you.
(Matt. 3:8-10)
17. God, we pray for Tajik girls
and women who, becauseof cultural and religious
traditions, have no accessto education and no voice infamily or society. (Ps. 32:8)
18. Father, we ask thatwomen in Karakalpakstan
would be free from thefeelings of guilt they suffer inbelief that they are not goodenough as wives or mothers.
(Ps. 31:1)
19. God, we pray for spiritual
awakening and growthamong Tunisian women in
the church and for Egyptian
female church leaders
to be strengthened andencouraged. (2 Pet. 3:18)
20. Father, we pray for bondsof trust within Christianfamilies in Türkiye. May yourSpirit unite them inlove. (Col. 3:14)

21. God, bring hope, healing
and provision to Lebanesewomen affected by theongoing economic crisis. May
the gospel reach those who
do not know you and bringthem true peace. (Ps. 34:18)
22. Lord, we ask thatyou help the women of
Karakalpakstan to make youa priority in their lives andto attend worship regularly
despite other commitments.
(Heb. 10:25)
23. Praise God for a law passed
in Kazakhstan to stop domestic
violence. If a wife reports abuseto the authorities today, theabuser likely will be punished.
(Col. 3:19)
24. Lord, grant protection
and courage to women in
the Middle East who are
advocating for their basic
human rights. May our teams
reach them with the gospel sothey may find true freedom inyou. (Josh. 1:9)
25. Heavenly Father, please
give wisdom and courage
to believers in Uzbekistan
in sharing the gospel. Leadthem to those who are open
to you. (James 1:5)

13. Father, we pray thatthe faith of new believersin Kazakhstan would be
strengthened and that theywould trust the Lord with all
their hearts. (1 Cor. 16:13)
14. Merciful God, pleaseprovide protection, justiceand healing for women in
Oman who face genderbased violence. (Prov. 18:10)
15. Lord, we pray thatthe women of Uzbekistan
would recognize their true

UTTERSTOCKWITH USidentity and value in you
despite the negative attitudes
of some of their husbands
and others. (Gen. 1:27)

© SH

pray

due to immigration. May the
women and children be caredand provided for. (Rom. 12:12)

26. Lord, give wisdom
to the leaders of Kyrgyzstan
so they may transform theeducational and medical
systems to help the needy.
(1 Kings 3:9)
27. We pray for spiritual
growth and fellowship among
Jordanian women believers.
Lord, may they be filled withyour Word and share its
truths with women in theircommunities. (Col. 1:10)
28. God, please keep safe andmake provision for widows andsingle mothers in the war-tornareas of Yemen. May Christians
there find their strength andhope in you. (Ps. 91:1-2)
29. Father, strengthen the
Tajik women who live invillages and are persecuted bytheir families because of theirfaith in Christ. (Matt. 5:11)
30. We pray that those
suffering physically andspiritually in Türkiye will findhealing and life in you, Lord.
May the hurting be set freefrom all that ensnares them.
(Rom. 8:2)

October
1. God, we ask that the
women who practice theoccult in Karakalpakstan
will find their salvation anddeliverance in Christ andturn to you as their source ofstrength. (Lev. 19:31)
2. Bring hope and strength,
Lord, to young Tajik girls who
are forced to marry against
their will and to women who
must become second or third
wives of polygamists in orderto survive. (1 Pet. 3:7)
3. Thank you, Father, thatpeople who belong to otherreligions are listening toour programs in Kyrgyzstan.
May your truth set them freeand bring blessing to theirfamilies. (John 8:32)
4. Lord, help single moms in
Kazakhstan find opportunities
to work to provide forthemselves and their families
through honest labor. (Col. 3:23)
5. We pray for yourprotection and support,
Father, over refugee womenin Jordan. Lead them to yourhope, peace and stability
as they settle into their new
communities. (Matt. 11:28)
6. Lord, we ask that you
provide a way for believers
in Turkmenistan to attend
home groups and continue inthe faith even when they face
opposition from unbelievers.
(Acts 2:42)
7. God, we ask that parents
in Uzbekistan would seek
you for wisdom as they raiseand discipline their children
according to your Word.
(Prov. 22:6)
8. Lord, we pray forprotection and support for
women in Egypt and Tunisia
experiencing gender-based
violence, domestic violence orother abuse. (Ps. 9:9)
9. Father, we ask that you
prepare the church to be aplace of refuge and hope forbrokenhearted women in
Northern Cyprus. (Ps. 147:3)
10. We pray for Christiansin Türkiye who are being
targeted for their faith. Lord,
please give our brothers andsisters courage and peace
like Daniel and protect themfrom whatever lions theyencounter. (Dan. 6:22)

God is in control
There are many paradoxes
in the Christian life. Oneof them is that persecution
and difficulty often cause
the Church of Jesus Christ
to grow.
That’s what our TWR
Women of Hope teams inCentral Asia are expecting
as they see increased
opposition to Christianity
and limits being placedon gatherings of believers
in some areas. But one of
our leaders courageously
shares, “We believe thateverything is under God’scontrol, and we hopethat it will motivate thegatherings [of believers] togrow, unite and spread thegospel even more!”
Through radio, social
media platforms, SD
cards and flash drives,
the Women of Hope andPrecious and Beloved
programs are reaching
the people of Central
Asia with biblical content
and practical advice.
Ministering to listeners’common needs, program
topics have included
raising children, domestic
violence, infertility,
miscarriage and cultural
hardships while others
address emotional distresssuch as distrust, shame,
guilt and rejection.
The biblical lessons theyshare are also making
an impact as listeners
express their gratitude forthe encouragement andspiritual nourishment theyreceive from the programs.
“I felt worthless, unloved
and unneeded andthought nobody could help
me change my life,” onelistener shared. “However,
my life was radicallychanged after I received aradio and flash stick with
Women of Hope programs.
These told me that God
loves me, that Jesus diedfor me, is alive and cantransform my life. After
accepting Jesus as my Lord
and Savior, I now knowthat I am his precious
daughter, and that he isgood and loves me.”
Another listener said,“I live in a village, andwe don’t have a church
there, which is why I feelso blessed to have radio
programs to listen to every
day and grow spiritually.”
Not only are our teams
impacting Central Asia
through programming,
but they also lead avibrant prayer ministry
as people gather both inperson and pray together
through text. They alsoreach out to local churches
and travel to remotevillages, encouraging
believers in their faith andto read the Bible and pray.
Can we pray for ourcourageous TWR Womenof Hope leaders as theylook to our sovereign
God who is in control of
all things? They ask us
to pray for their spiritualand physical strength, forlaws that would protect
the religious freedomof churches and forstability in their countries.
Together, let’s bring them
before the Lord.

By Lisa HallInternational Prayer CoordinatorSign up at twrwomen
ofhope.org/events
11. God, we pray for thecontinuity and sustainability of
our Middle East teams’ digitalplatforms. Grant our teams
wisdom and favor as they
establish relationships with
their audiences. (Ps. 90:17)
12. Lord, break the spiritualstrongholds of the people ofUzbekistan and help them
discern and resist Satan’s
tactics with courage andresolve. (James 4:7)
13. Father, please strengthen
and protect women in Bahrain
who face societal pressuresand discrimination because of
their Christian faith. (Ps. 27:1)
14. God, we pray that you
would restore relationships
between mothers-in-law
and daughters-in-law in
Karakalpakstan. May they
accept and love each other.
(2 Cor. 13:11)
15. Father, may Syrian
women come to experiencethe love and peace of Christ
amid the turmoil of theirnation’s conflict. Comfort
those who mourn, andprovide for and protect thedisplaced. (Ps. 23:4)

18. Lord, bring safety to Tajik
women who suffer domestic
violence from their husbands
and in-laws. May men who
don’t respect women have achange of heart. (Isa. 60:18)
19. Father, bless, protect
and unite Christian families
in Kyrgyzstan, and empower
them to be strong against
adversity. Help wives learn
to pray and fast for theirfamilies. (Prov. 31:10)
20. God, help us to reach
women in conservative
communities in Qatar withthe gospel. May they cometo know you and see the true
value you have given them.
(Eph. 2:10)
21. Father, may thoseconsidering divorce in
Turkmenistan have achange of heart and seek
restoration in their marriage
relationships. (Heb. 13:4)
22. God, may the
unemployed in Turkmenistan
gain the skills needed tosecure jobs and provide
for their families.
(Prov. 16:3)
23. Father, grant wisdom to
our TWR Women of Hope

SH
UTT
ERST
O CK

OC TO B E R
Unity in the bodyof Christ

17. God, please equip
believers in Kyrgyzstan
to share your love andtruth with unbelieversaround them. May people
hunger and thirst for you
and your Word. (Acts 1:8)©

SE P T E M B E R
Global Director
Susie Pek

teams
in Central
Asia to help postabortive women findhealing and to bring thegood news of Christ to theirpeople. (Prov. 2:6)
24. Lord God, may believersin Uzbekistan serve God
with a dedicated heart andremain firm in their faithdespite opposition from theirfamilies. (1 Cor. 15:58)
25. Lord, give Karakalpakstan
leaders wisdom to improveand provide free medical
services. Grant women
discernment for when to seek
medical help rather than selftreatment. (Prov. 3:13)
26. God, may single womenin Türkiye find hope andencouragement in you as
they provide for their families
with limited resources.
Multiply the little they have.
(1 Kings 17:13-16)
27. Lord, raise up andstrengthen believers in the
United Arab Emirates tofaithfully bring the gospel
message to the people of thisnation. (Rom. 1:16)

IM
B

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16. Lord, guide and give
wisdom to leaders in Türkiye
during this difficult economic
time. A doctor shortage isoccurring as physicians
are moving abroad forfinancial reasons.
(Isa. 30:21)

28. Heavenly Father, pleaseprovide godly husbands for
single Christian women in
Kazakhstan who want to be
married and create godly
families. (2 Cor. 6:14)
29. Father, keep the womenin fellowship and Bible
studies in Morocco safe as you
grow them spiritually and in
number. (Ps. 32:7)
30. Lord, protect andempower Algerian women
who face societal pressureand discrimination. May
they find strength andcourage in their faith despite
persecution. (Ps. 46:1)
31. God, may the TWR
Women of Hope digital
ministry called Bridge of Hopein Northern Cyprus grow tobe fruitful and help those in
need. (Col. 1:28)

hope
EMBRACING

Keepraising
yourvoice tothe Lord“In the same way,
the Spirit helps us in
our weakness. We
do not know what
we ought to pray for,but the Spirit himself
intercedes forus through wordlessgroans. And he
who searches ourhearts knows themind of the Spirit,
because the Spirit
intercedes for God’s
people in accordancewith the will of God.”– ROM. 8:26-27

CONTACT US 			

Susie Pek Global Ministry Director of TWR Women of Hope

Have you ever wondered
how you’d react if you werepersecuted because of yourfaith? I vividly remember
the first time the thoughtcrossed my mind.
I was reading the book
Tortured for Christ, by
Richard Wurmbrand, andbesides not being able tohold back the tears, I could
not stop thinking how I’dreact if I were he. Richard
was arrested for thecrimes of leading Christian
worship and witnessing– both of which wereillegal under the atheistic
communist regime of
Romania. He endured
14 years of prison andtorture. His wife, Sabina,
suffered three years offorced labor.
Each part of the story was
inspiring, challenging
and clearly pointing toGod’s grace. It was his
grace that carried themthrough, enabling them tostay true to Christ. WhenI was a young believer,
Wurmbrand’s life story
shaped my prayer life
as it opened my eyes tothe reality of persecution
and the silencing of ourbrothers and sisters.

Many years have goneby since that bookwas written; however,persecution continues
to be a reality all over
the world. Our brothers
and sisters go throughunspeakable things andare silenced in many
ways. It’s hard for me toimagine that people insome countries can’t evenpray out loud! That does
not mean they are silent.
They continue to speak,as one of our leaders
shared: “We believe thateverything is under God’scontrol, and we hopethat it will motivate thegatherings of believers togrow, unite and spreadthe gospel even more!”
They continue to raise
their voices to Christ
asking not only on theirown behalf but also on
behalf of others.
It’s evident that they
appropriate God’s grace
just like Paul describedin 2 Cor. 12:9, “But hesaid to me, ‘My grace issufficient for you, for mypower is made perfect inweakness.’ Therefore, I will
boast all the more gladly
about my weaknesses,
so that Christ’s power twrwomenofhope@twr.org • 800-456-7897•

may rest on me. That iswhy, for Christ’s sake, I
delight in weaknesses,
in insults, in hardships,
in persecutions, indifficulties. For when I am
weak, then I am strong.”
While most of us may nothave been persecuted,
we may have felt silenced
by the pressures and themany loud voices aroundus. We may have lost our
voices due to past traumas
and abuse. Or maybe wejust never felt significant
enough to be heard! The
God of the universe hears
our brothers and sisters
even in the midst of
persecution.
This assurance brings great
joy and comfort. The Lordhears us! He is attentive to
our intercessory prayers.
He listens closely to themost anguished anddesperate cries of ourhearts. He hears us evenwhen our words fail.
May I encourage you totalk to the Lord about all
your concerns? Before aword is on your tongue, heknows it completely. He
listens to your voice.

   @twrwomenofhopehope
A WORD OF

It’s

one ofthe most
powerful
forces in this world
but oh so difficult
to attain: unity.
This cherishedcharacteristic ofunity in the body of
Christ is the next stepin God’s path once
we have embraced alife of abiding in him.
What we experiencein our intimate
relationship with
God, we are now tolive out with otherbelievers. Then,
together we are to
go into the world
with God’s message
of salvation.
As we look at unity
in the body of Christ,
let’s answer threequestions regarding
why, what and how.

‘The Body of Christ United’

Lisa Hall

WHY are we to be united
as a body of Christ? What
is God’s purpose for ourunity?

faith and in the knowledgeof the Son of God andbecome mature” (Ephesians
4:11-13a).

First, through unity inthe body, God is glorified.
People will know that Jesus
is the Messiah and will seethat the Father’s desire isto have relationship withthem. As Jesus prays to the
Father about his disciples,he shares, “I have given them
the glory that you gave me,that they may be one as weare one – I in them and you
in me – so that they may bebrought to complete unity.
Then the world will knowthat you sent me and have
loved them even as you have
loved me” (John 17:22-23).

God gave spiritual gifts to
be used within the body tomature us, and he divided
the gifts so that we needeach other to do his work.
But growth and maturity
do not just happen.

breaking of bread and to
prayer. … All the believers
were together and had
everything in common.
They sold property andpossessions to give toanyone who had need(Acts 2:42-45).

ABIDE, UNITE and GO - PART TWO

Next, the unity of the
body of Christ represents
God to the world. God
placed us together as abody so we can show theworld who God is andthat he lives in unitedcommunity within the
Godhead as Father, Son
and Holy Spirit. When
we are living in unified
relationship in our
marriages, families andchurches as the global
body of Christ, we arerepresenting God.
Last, through unity the
body of Christ grows andmatures. Paul tells thechurch in Ephesus, “SoChrist himself gave theapostles, the prophets, theevangelists, the pastors andteachers … so that the bodyof Christ may be built up
until we reach unity in the

It takes intentionality togrow our relationships
within the body. Sacrificeand the commitmentof our time, energy andresources are needed toknit our lives together.
We must choose to bevulnerable and honestwith one another and,above all, to love and show
grace to one another.
WHAT unites us asa body of Christ?
The Holy Spirit.
The Spirit of God comesto dwell in every believer
the moment he or she
believes and receives Jesus
Christ as Savior. The Holy
Spirit within us enables
us to abide in God and to
be united and abide withmembers of the body of
Christ. As we individuallycontinue to surrender toGod’s work of purificationand holiness in us, theSpirit of God shines in andthrough us and unites us.
HOW are we to live
united as one body?
They devoted themselvesto the apostles’ teaching
and to fellowship, to theInternational Prayer Coordinator
for TWR Women of HopeThe early church was
devoted to one anotherand to living life together.
Not only did they share
all things, but they had ajoint purpose of living forGod. Their love for God
even affected how theytreated one another. As
a result, this community
now experienced
authentic biblical
fellowship, or koinonia.
Because this fellowship
was for all believers, it
held them together ingenuine community andmet their needs. And theresult? “And each day
the Lord added to theirfellowship those who werebeing saved” (Acts 2:47b).
The challenge for us
comes from the biblicalprinciple found in Acts
Chapter 2: The impactthat we will have on
a watching world isdependent on bothour UNITY and our
AUTHENTIC fellowshipas believers.
And that leads to anotherquestion for each of us
to answer: “How is God
calling you to be moreauthentic and unified
with the body of Christ?”