Prayer Focus 2017 - September
Friday (1st) – Poland:
We hope to publish ten new titles this year, four of which are Christian Focus 4 Kids books translated into Polish (The 10 Boys and 10 Girls series). Please pray that they will grant us the possibility to publish all ten titles and that they’ll make a huge impact.
The Weekend (2nd/3rd) – Portugal:
Please pray that our sales and publishing efforts will continue to grow so we can have another worker (part-time) to assist Carlos Cunha. There are many opportunities that could be further developed if we had more than one member of staff. Please also pray that we will once again be able to have a Christian intern from the university to help with all the graphic design work.
Monday (4th) – Romania:
Please pray for our new website that Cristi Cotovan (CLC International Office) is working on. This site will be a huge blessing to the ministry, so please pray for Cristi that he’ll be able to make it live in 2017.
Tuesday (5th) – Romania:
Our shop in Brasov requires renovating. Please pray that we will find the right person to help us with this task. We are so thankful to the former CLC Austria team who donated their shelving to us. Please pray that we can make the most of this gift by implementing a new shop layout that will attract more customers.
Wednesday (6th) – Russia:
After having a booktable at a local Lutheran Cathedral we are now in talks with them about opening a CLC Kiosk in their church. Please pray for this new opportunity and for the partnership needed to see this idea become a reality.
Thursday (7th) – Russia:
Our plan for 2017 is to publish three more titles and we ask for your prayers with these projects. We also hope to further develop our skills and talents as a team so that we can one day be seen as experts in our field and pass on our knowledge to others.
Friday (8th) – Spain:
Please pray that our team remains united in the Spirit and keeps a positive outlook as we advance our ministry. Pray also that we will continue to improve our relationships with local churches, and to increase and stabilise our sales and manage and administer our online presence better.
The Weekend (9th/10th) – Spain:
Join us in praying that each day we will be able to see the power and work of God in our lives and ministries.
Monday (11th) – Switzerland:
In 2016, I (Carlo) became a father. Please pray that God will grant me wisdom, energy and a healthy balance between my work and family responsibilities.
Tuesday (12th) – Switzerland:
After many years of declining sales, we were up by 8% in 2016. Praise God with us, and also please pray that He will continue to enable us to grow and better equip those in Switzerland.
Wednesday (13th) – United Kingdom (UK):
Although there are signs of improvement for our retail ministry, expenses also continue to rise. The London shop’s rent was increased by 50%, which made us seriously question whether to continue in central London. Please pray with us.
Thursday (14th) – United Kingdom (UK):
With increased customer expectation, we hope to launch a new retail website this year that will enable our bookshops and website to have exactly the same offers, and customers will be able to choose to receive items by post or to ‘click and collect’. We also hope to be able to add eBooks to the website before the end of the year.
Friday (15th) – Benin:
In 2018, we will celebrate our 20th anniversary of ministry in Benin. In preparation for the event we hope to have next June, it is our hope that we will be able to renovate the shop front. Please pray that our sales will increase to allow for this.
The Weekend (16th/17th) – Benin:
Please pray that our ministry will not just continue in Benin but advance! It is our hope to one day own property and expand into other areas in the country. We also hope to digitalise our shop system so one day we can have a website.
Monday (18th) – Burkina Faso:
We ask the Lord for help in setting up a dedicated intercessory prayer group for our ministry so we can become a sustainable ministry and some day open a secondary branch.
Tuesday (19th) – Côte d’Ivoire:
Please pray God will best equip us to be able to help people find nourishment for their souls through healthy and edifying literature. May the Spirit direct us to the titles which will best promote their spiritual growth and maturity in the Lord.
Wednesday (20th) – Côte d’Ivoire:
Praise God for the customer who was so moved upon hearing us discuss the importance of nourishing our souls with Christian literature that he purchased a very large number of books for himself and others.
Thursday (21st) – Liberia:
This year there has been a huge decline in our sales due to the economic situation and the upcoming elections. People are being extra careful with their funds just in case things turn chaotic. Please pray that our situation will improve and that we will have a free, fair and non-violent election.
Friday (22nd) – Liberia:
We ask the Father to help us to continue to build and strengthen our relationships with churches and Christian events. May our new Book Mobile ministry allow us to reach out to even more people around Liberia with our books and Bibles.
The Weekend (23rd/24th) – Kenya:
Please pray that we will continue to find more opportunities for partnership, like with churches and authors. We give thanks as well that our ‘Author’s Programme’, which helps local authors through the process of publishing their own books with CLC, has been well received and is now growing.
Monday (25th) – Kenya:
Thank you Father for answering our prayer enabling us to be the main distributor of the Africa Study Bible in East Africa. Please join us in praying that the Lord will make this Bible a blessing to the church in East Africa and that it will be well endorsed and used by many.
Tuesday (26th) – Mozambique:
Please pray that we will be able to increase our Maputo staff (nationals) from one to two so we can get twice as much done! We also hope to reach out to more Bible Schools all over the country with recommendations for their libraries.
Wednesday (27th) – Mozambique:
Our landlord has a plan to introduce photocopy services and this could mean a reduction in our shop space, which is already small. Please pray with us that an alternative can be found for the new service, or that the Lord will show us very clearly if we are to look for a different place. CLC Mozambique cannot afford commercial rents and our current bookshops (Maputo and Beira) are both located in theological seminaries.
Thursday (28th) –Sierra Leone:
We are still struggling with so many debts. It is our hope that we will be able to pay them all off by 2018. Please pray that the Lord will help us to find a way to achieve this dream. It would take a lot of pressure off us as a team and ministry.
Friday (29th) – Sierra Leone:
Praise God for the safe arrival of the Print-on-Demand (POD) system we were able to purchase thanks to a special grant we received. This summer please remember out team as we install the system and begin our training.
The Weekend (30th/1st) – Cyprus:
We continue to be greatly challenged by the unavailability of the popular titles that our customers are requesting. Please pray that we will find a way to meet their needs better.