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Servant Leader Newsletter
September 2024
by Andrew Ichimura
Pray for those above and preach the gospel.
“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”
— 1 Timothy 2:1-4 (NIV)
Important Upcoming Elections
This September, there will be an election for the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (dominant party) and the Constitutional Democratic Party (the leading opposition party). After the elections, a plenary session of the House of Representatives will be held to nominate a leader and decide the next Prime Minister of Japan. Also in November, there will be a presidential election in the United States.
The Bible teaches us to “pray for those who are in authority,” that we, as a people, may live a lifetime of peace and quiet. To this end, it is important to pray for those who are leaders and to share the love of Jesus and the gospel of the Kingdom of God with them.
Two Major Prayer Events
This fall we are planning two major events to pray for and share the gospel with “those who are in authority”.
- One is on Thursday, November 7, at the Shinbashi Daiichi Hotel, where we will help organize the LS (Leadership Summit) 360 hosted by Family First Japan. The keynote speaker will be Pat Gelsinger, global CEO of Intel Corporation.
- The other one is the “Diet Christmas Dinner 2024,” hosted by the VIP Club and is to be held on Monday, December 9 at the Hotel New Otani Tokyo.
A Call to 40-Day Fasting Prayer for Japan
For these two events, we are planning a 40-day fasting prayer period from Friday, September 29 to Wednesday, November 7. We would be grateful if you would join us in fasting and praying for these two events and for the salvation of the Japanese leaders who are in positions of authority whether in business or in government or in other areas of influence. We hope and pray that in the future, Japan will have godly leaders in authority who will transform this country and the world. https://prayforasia.org/
The method of fasting is up to you. For example, you may choose to fast by skipping lunch, stopping coffee, not eating sweets, or from social media or not looking at your phone while eating. Whatever enables you to draw closer to God, it’s up to you! We invite you to join us in this 40-day fast. (If you would like to join us in this 40-day fasting prayer, please contact myself.)
However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
—Matthew 17:21
Andrew Ichimura
A3.business Faculty Practitioner/Mentor
...in collaboration with:
- Gregory Slayton, Family First Global: https://www.familyfirstglobal.org/
- Joe Handley, A3: https://a3l3eaders.org
We are asking Christian churches, organizations and groups around the world to join us in 40 days of prayer and fasting for Japan from September 29 to November 7, 2024.The exact fasting program is up to each group and its members. But all of us worldwide will pray together for Japan daily from September 29th to November 7th 2024!
HOW CAN I SIGN UP?
Click here to join this prayer movement...
Or download the PDF to find out more...
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Andrew Ichimura founded VIP Ministry Japan focusing on Christian business leaders in the context of the workplace there. He also serves as a mentor/faculty practitioner for A3.business.
More Information
- This article was reposted with permission from Andrew Ichimura and originally appeared in his report, Servant Leader Newsletter, September 2024.
- Images courtesy of Pray for Asia and Family First Global.
- Download the 40-Days flyer (PDF)
