Pray for Banjarmasin, Indonesia

The city of Banjarmasin was founded on 24 September 1526, when an Islamic procession was carried out symbolizing that Islam was officially entering South Kalimantan, a province on the island of Borneo, Indonesia. Ever since then, Islam has been the majority religion in South Kalimantan. On this same date every year, local Muslims visit the grave of their first sultan (ruler) and then worship together in the large mosque. They also sacrifice a goat or cow for the caretaker of the cemetery of the sultan.

Every year, the Banjar celebrate the end of Ramadan with large open trucks caravanning throughout the city with fireworks, shouting, and loud horns. They then spend 1-2 weeks visiting friends and family to continue the celebration. Believers are often invited to eat a meal with their Muslim friends and family at this time. This is an excellent opportunity for them to share the Good News.

The Banjar language is widely used as a common language across South Kalimantan and is considered a “gateway language” for other related languages. So, once the Banjar have a complete Bible in their language it can be a helpful aid in producing Bibles in other local languages.

Although there are 28 churches in the city of Banjarmasin, most church members are from other ethnic groups. And even though more than 4 million people speak Banjar, there is still no church yet that worships God in the Banjar language. Let’s pray for this to change!

How to Pray

• Pray for discipleship movements to grow in this influential city and for thousands of fellowships to emerge that worship God in the Banjar language. (Acts 2)
• Pray for believers in this city to become bolder in sharing their faith with Banjar Muslims. (2 Corinthians 2:14)
• Pray for the ongoing work of translation in this gateway language. (Psalm 119:105)

More Info: Learn more about the Banjar at: www.pray4thebanjar.com

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