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Idaksahak of Mali
The Idaksahak ("Sons of Isaac") formerly were herders
for Tuareg nobles, in return for their protection. This relationship
has now broken down and there is less mixing of the two peoples, except
they use the same watering holes and trade at the same markets. Some
have become settled farmers. Many are nomads, and have few possessions
apart from their animals. The nomads may range into Algeria and Niger.
The men are often bi-lingual, speaking their own language and the
language of the Tuareg. The women and children are often isolated in
their camps, and speak only their own language. Schooling is available
only in the towns, and will likely be in French.Ministry Obstacles It is difficult to contact and develop relationships with nomadic peoples. Outreach Ideas Gospel recordings are available in the Tadaksahak language. Workers should consider taking recordings to these people, developing friendships and pursuing opportunities to share the recordings. Pray for the followers of Christ There may be only a tiny handful of followers of Jesus among the Idaksahak people. These individuals need our prayers. Pray the Lord's Spirit will encourage them and lead them to fellowship together. Pray for the entire people group Pray for good schools to be made available for the children, and that parents will see the importance of sending their children to school. Pray for adequate rain so their livestock will do well. Scripture Focus "He will have compassion on the poor and needy, And the lives of the needy He will save." Psalm 72:13 |
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Prayer Walking: Putting Legs to Your Prayers
If
we want to see God show up and show out we have to be willing to get
out of the way. We are a culture that ‘plans’ everything and then asks
God for His approval. But I believe that if we are going to see God
move beyond our abilities or our plans, we must start with one very
powerful thing. This is called PRAYER! Prayer is not ‘plan B’ or an
afterthought. Prayer should be our ‘plan A’. It should be where we
start with everything we do.Prayer walking is putting legs to your prayers. Instead of sitting in your house praying, it puts you into the community where the people are living. This allows you to see the area that you’re praying for and be more intentional in your prayers. You may see kids toys in a yard and know to pray for the kids at that house, you may see recreational items in a yard and pray specifically for safety and protection. Every house you walk by you can pray that God will bring them closer to Him and into a relationship with Him.
Prayer walking makes us more aware of what is around us and helps us see prayer needs of the area on a more personal level. As we walk through the neighborhoods we are trying to reach, we can begin to feel more connected to the area and learn to pray more specifically.
As you’re preparing to prayer walk, I would encourage you to be ready to share your faith at any point during your walk. If you’re praying that people would come to know Jesus as their Savior, don’t be surprised if He gives you the opportunity to share your faith as you meet people in their yards, on the street or on sidewalks.
Also, prayer walking can be combined with neighborhood canvasing. As you are canvasing neighborhoods with door hangers or flyers, include prayer walking as an essential part of this canvasing. God may use the canvasing to bring people to Him, He may use the prayer walking or He may use a combination of both.
There are 3 areas to pay attention to as you prayer walk:
1. Before you go:
- Be sure you’re in good relationship with God. Prepare your heart by praying and studying His word. Confess your sins to allow him to use you and work through you.
- Ask God to give you His heart and His eyes for the area. What is it He wants you to see?
- Set a time when you will actually go prayer walking. It is important to schedule it or you will never fit it in. I’ve noticed there is strength in numbers as we go. This strength comes from the encouragement and additional prayer support that comes from even having one more person with us as we prayer walk.
- Be sensitive to God’s Spirit.
- Expect God to do something through His power as you walk and pray.
- Pray for People, Marriages, Families, Businesses, Government, Leaders, Husbands & Wives, Children, Civic Leaders, Senior Adults, Churches, Revival and Spiritual Awakening, God’s word to spread, people to accept Jesus as Savior and whatever the Spirit prompts you to pray about
- You can pray out loud as you walk. This is helpful especially when you are with a group. You can also pray silently at times.
- If you encounter people as your walking and praying, you can say, “We’re out praying for people in our community, is there a special way we can pray for you?”
- Celebrate what God is doing and going to do as a result of the prayers.
One last note to consider as you go, EXPECT GOD TO ACT.
Our prayers should be based on a faith in a living God who is active in
the world around us. When you finish your time in prayer. Expect that
things will be different in your perspective, in your desire to see
people grow closer to Him, in your hunger to reach the lost and the
least around you. Let God use you to be His hands and feet. 
Source: Inside Ministry 
One
of the most powerful experiences of my life occurred when someone
challenged me to prioritize prayer in my life. When I embraced prayer in
my college years, not only did it change my life, it also became
formative for 
There is nothing like seeing pastors praying with other pastors. I
just returned from Little Rock, Arkansas, where I led a prayer
gathering for 304 Arkansas pastors, church staff members, and ministry
leaders. In light of this, I am reminded again of the value of praying
with other pastors.
