In the hustle and bustle of modern day secular life in Japan, it is easy to forget that there are powerful spiritual forces at work that interfere with people’s receptivity to the Gospel. The Japanese holiday of Obon takes place in August, and is one of the most spiritually significant seasons in Japan. For Christians, Obon is an invitation to be united in prayer and cry out to the living God.
CBI has created both a prayer guide and a set of devotionals designed to focus your intercession on the spiritual dynamics at play during Obon, both pleading for God to work in the lives of non-Christians and to strengthen Japanese Christians who face these challenges head-on. We long to see the day when the name of Jesus is cherished and proclaimed all across Japan. To that end, we invite you to join for this focused season of prayer during the week of August 10th-16th.
Ways to participate
- PDF Download – Download the device version of the Obon prayer guide and read it on your preferred devices or download the print version if you prefer a physical booklet.
- E-Mail – Sign up for the CBI Friends Prayer email (CBIPrayer @ gmail.com) to receive each day’s Obon prayer guide entry delivered right to your inbox.
- Website – CBI team members have written a collection of short devotionals inspired by the same cultural practices shared in the prayer guide. Follow along with each day of the prayer week from the CBI Media website.
- Social Media – There is separate set of devotionals for our Japanese audience, written by CBS graduates, based on the theme of honoring your parents. Each day from August 10 – 16, CBI will share those devotionals on our social media channels. If you like & follow CBI on Facebook or Instagram, you will be able to follow along using the English summary included with each post.