Pray for Japan

[andjosephsaid]

According to http://www.biblesociety.org/bs-jan.htm , less than 2% of Japan is Protestant, Catholic, or Orthodox. Pray for Japan. The workers are few.

[TrigunX89]

Wow, I had heard that before, but I didn't know it was true. I thought it was n exaggeration. Wowz0rs, that's really sad. I will pray.

[agasfas]

I will do so. Though let me point out that no nation is more deserving than another. For some reason, I hear a lot of people say "pray for Japan to spread christianity." That's great an all, but why only pray for Japan? What is it that gets Japan all the attention over another country? I can't say. But every nation should have the same privilege as Japan (in prayer). So I suggest praying for all nations and regions: Middle east, Asia (Southwest, East , central etc), Africa and so forth. The Word of God should be spread throughout the world and not only to Japan.
Japan is lucky though, like America, they are free to decided and express their own religious beliefs. Most tend to reject christianity. In other countries that is not the case. Some are persecuted in so many ways if they choose to live life as a christian. So I will not only pray for Japan, but all nations. Japan, in my view hold no more status (prayer wise) than another country. God wants to work in the hearts of people in every nation, not just Japan.

[TrigunX89]

Very true. I keep that in mind as well. Christianity is even facing many attacks in America.

[ssj2gohan61]

how about pray for the world? everyone can use prayer....right? anyways ill keep everyone in my prayers

[TrigunX89]

Yes, do pray for the world. I think that's what we were trying to say.

[CobaltAngel]

Wow... I've heard it was low but that low. I have read before, though, that the Japanese still kind of distrust Christianty in general. I shall add the world to my prayer list~! ;3

[termyt]

There is hope in Japan. The nation (all nations, not just Japan) as a whole tends to follow the example of the intelligencia - the educated elites of the society. Right now, Christianity is growing very strongly in the intellectual circles of Japan, which indicates the entire society may follow suit. That's a pretty simplistic view of a very complex society, but, like I said, it gives me hope.

Just the opposite for us here, yes?

[Rev. Doc]

I have a great book that I picked up many years ago in seminary called Operation World. It is somewhat out of date now. It takes each country and gives information on it, cultural, poitical, economic, and then, most importantly, spiritual. It then lists ways that one can pray for that particular nation or country. I really need to look and see if they have a newer edition of it But it really has helped me in praying in specific ways for other areas around the globe.

[Locke]

I have a great book that I picked up many years ago in seminary called Operation World. It is somewhat out of date now. It takes each country and gives information on it, cultural, poitical, economic, and then, most importantly, spiritual. It then lists ways that one can pray for that particular nation or country. I really need to look and see if they have a newer edition of it But it really has helped me in praying in specific ways for other areas around the globe.

there was soemthign like that in the Jesus Freaks book by DC talk.

and ditto everyone here who said that no nation is to be bumped up the prayer list just because it has a low JC level. xD

[kaji]

The words right out of my mouth Agasfas.

Indeed, if prayer were to be rationed (luckily its not) then one would almost want to pray for those countries where people do not have a choice for religion.
Really, all those with out Christ deserve our prayer equally, especially ones who have heard and still reject.

I want to go to Japan and make a difference with the gifts God has given me.

-kaji

[Chichiri]

Sorry, but the chance of Christianity becoming anything major in Japan is slim to none (more or less none). Almost all of their traditions and such are based upon Shintoism/Buddhism. The chance of them converting to Christianity? Slim.

And where'd you get 2% protestant? It says .8% on that page.

Also, that page is flawed. The majority of Japanese people do not believe in anything. But they do continue to follow the traditions of Shintoism/Buddhism, but that's as far as it goes.

[Rogie]

Indeed, we should pray for the Christian workers in Japan and in other countries.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

doin that would be very hard indeed, but netherless. Praise God for his awesomness! And thanks to those reaching out to others in other countrys ^^

[GhostontheNet]

Interesting, and here I was praying in the last few days to ask if YHWH would show me whether it is indeed His will that I become a missionary to Japan when I grow up. Perhaps, this entry of Google I had looked up maybe about a week ago http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=Christianity+in+Japan&btnG=Search will progress this dialogue, and to my reading, it is actually the two percent figure for the total number of Christians of all denomonations that is "optomistic". Also, I'm curious as to where you heard that The Way of Christ is in fact growing rapidly among intellectuals, if that is so, I'm glad to hear that it is gaining respect in intellectual circles at places, rather than simply deteriorating. I'd also be interested in why that is so.

[Mizumi-Kun]

I am Japanese, just to let you know.

But that aside, another downfall of Japan is that homosexuality is acceptable amongst everyone (hence all the yuri and yoai anime and manga), and has been since Japan's earlier days.

[AnsemK_R]

I seriously doubt that we will see a large percentage of Christians in Japan in our life time. The Japanese are very proud of their cultural uniqueness, and ther is nothing wrong with that, but since Christianity is a western concept it will take a while for it to become widely accepted.

[kaji]

The Japanese are very proud of their cultural uniqueness, and ther is nothing wrong with that, but since Christianity is a western concept it will take a while for it to become widely accepted.

Not intending to start an argument here, but I would question if Pride in ones self or culture is right. Perhaps that is just another way Satan has managed to harden their hearts (that is, convice them to take pride in their differance/herritage instead of humility before the awsomeness of God)...

[Chichiri]

Um no. They are proud of their culture and Japan. It's called nationalism. Are you not PROUD to be an American (if you are one, at least)?

There is nothing wrong with pride in one's country.

[AnsemK_R]

Not intending to start an argument here, but I would question if Pride in ones self or culture is right. Perhaps that is just another way Satan has managed to harden their hearts (that is, convice them to take pride in their differance/herritage instead of humility before the awsomeness of God)...

There is nothing wrong with Pride so long as you don't take it to unreasonable extremes. Unfortunatly most countries do just that, in my experiance with americans most seem be a bit to full of themselves and that makes it harder for them to admit they are wrong. In Japan it is a bit worse though, they couldn't even admit what they did to China during WW2 last I knew.

[GhostontheNet]

I am Japanese, just to let you know.

But that aside, another downfall of Japan is that homosexuality is acceptable amongst everyone (hence all the yuri and yoai anime and manga), and has been since Japan's earlier days.

Downfall of Japan to what? The acceptance of Christianity? Or something else?

As to the whole discussion about nationalism, I'll drop in my own two cents, as I've encountered some data on the topic within Yeshua Christ's own time. In his Jesus and the Victory of God, New Testament scholar, N.T. Wright introduces my line of thought (as I have taken it on myself)]But the kingdom-announcement [by Yeshua -Ghost] that we have plotted throughout this book was not simply a matter of telling people what time it was. It carried an agenda. Nor was this agenda simply an alternative halakah, a set of practical ethics to set alongside those of Shammai and Hillel. It constituted a challenge to Jesus' contemporaries: give up your interpretation of your interpretation of your tradition which has so gripped you, which is driving you towards the cliff-edge of ruin. Embrace instead a different interpretation of your tradition, one which, though it looks like the way of loss, is in fact the way to true victory. Amid with this announcement and agenda there was also a warning: those who fail to come this way are missing their last chance to repent. From here on, those who persist in their destructive interpretation of Israel's traditions will reap the harvest they are sowing. It was this composite announcement, I suggest, that generated the heated exchanges between Jesus and the Pharisees which we find in the synoptic gospels. It issued, even, in plots against Jesus' life. It pointed ahead to what would happen when the same announcement, agenda, and warning ran head-on into the greatest symbol of all [the Temple -Ghost], guarded by those who, unlike the Pharisees, had actual power to do something about prophets who said the wrong thing at the wrong time. (N.T. Wright, Jesus and the Victory of God p. 383[/QUOTE] Wright then goes on to pretty much conclusively prove that Yeshua had subverted all the beloved national symbols, reorganizing them to revolve around His own work and message (p. 383-428), and concludes:

We have now seen that Jesus, in true prophetic style, set his face against the central institutions and symbols of Israel. He did so, not because he believed they were bad in themselves, but because he believed they were being wrongly used by his contemporaries to buttress a spurious reading and enactment of the true Jewish worldview. Like the authors of the [Dead Sea -Ghost] Scrolls, he was acting radically. (N.T. Wright, Jesus and the Victory of God p. 428

[GhostontheNet]

I take back my question of the higher incidence of Christianity among academics, as I found this quote;

Despite the gap between faith and science, we can still see several times as many Christians among scientists and academics in Japan as there are in the public at large. This may be related to greater overseas exposure to Christian ideas that academics have had by virtue of time spent overseas.

http://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF/1995/PSCF12-95Macer.html

[Kura Ookami]

You say that being gay is acceptable in Japan, but you don't even realise that it's also acceptable in America. Gay marriage is still legal i believe.

We should pray not only for Japan but for every nation on earth. What about the people of Iraq? They surely need our prayers at the moment.

I think also that the opposite thing is happening in america. Ie most people are christians, but the rich people mostly arent and as a country generally follows the leaders and rich people maybe christianity will be forgoten by americans eventually.

My point is that we need to pray for every nation including our own. I will pray for Japan and not onlt for Japan but the whole world.

[GhostontheNet]

You say that being gay is acceptable in Japan, but you don't even realise that it's also acceptable in America. Gay marriage is still legal i believe.

That's not actually true, gay marriage here is still illegal, although civil unions are allowed. This is why people are still campaigning to legalize it. Also, this talk of "don't pray for Japan, but everyone" is off basis, and missing the point. The truth of the matter is best summed up in this hymn we sing at church]YHWH[/B] of what is occuring so that He may take action, "for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." (Matthew 6:8) Therefore I say, prayers are not for His sake, but ours. If there are any blanket prayers we need to do, it is that of the prayer of our Lord Yeshua Christ; "let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). The ultimate truth of the matter is that ultimately, sooner or later, that The Way will capture the attention of not only Japan, but all nations, in a promise that will not return in vain, as it is written, "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened." (Matthew 13:33) This leaven, introduced in the work of Christ, has, with His help, has already accomplished much, but there is yet much work to do.

[KOBUSHInoTENSHU]

yea. Japan is becoming more materialistic. It's so sad and its annoying that in SOUJO ANIME THEY HAVE ANGELS ALL THE TIME!!!!!!!! -_-

[KOBUSHInoTENSHU]

Sorry, but the chance of Christianity becoming anything major in Japan is slim to none (more or less none). Almost all of their traditions and such are based upon Shintoism/Buddhism. The chance of them converting to Christianity? Slim.

And where'd you get 2% protestant? It says .8% on that page.

Also, that page is flawed. The majority of Japanese people do not believe in anything. But they do continue to follow the traditions of Shintoism/Buddhism, but that's as far as it goes.

hey you kno in Revelations they talk about alot of ppl converting from every nation...

[agasfas]

Come'on guys this isn't a place to debate about marriages and such. I can see how some can relate closer to Japan than others, but every nation has their own internal problem they have to deal with. Keep in mind the subject at hand is prayer. There shouldn't be room for debates. Like I've said before, we shouldn't only pray for Japan but for every nation (Asia, middle east, africa etc)-- ours included. Should be pray for Japan? Yes, but many nations other than Japan reject christianity as well, thus I believe we should pray for everyone. Please don't make this into a place of scuffles or debates, leave it as a place of prayer.

I have a suggestion, what about praying not only for Japan's promblems: rejection of christ, moral issues etc... but all nations.

[inkhana]

Right. I'm going to close this thread lest it turn into a long list of "yes, I'll pray" or debates, the latter of which is not what this place is intended to be. Further discussion should be taken to PMs.