Category: Oceania/Antarctica

Pictured above is the Len Beadell Public Library, whose namesake has been called “the last true Australian explorer.” A surveyor who led a small crew in building 3700+ miles of roads, including the famous Gunbarrel Road across Australia’s desert, he thus provided access to 970,000+ square miles of bush country. His interest in surveying began as a teenager when he join a scout troop whose scoutmaster was a surveyor. He continued surveying for the Australian military in WW2, and stayed with the military afterwards, using his skills to select a site for atomic bomb testing. He later built roads for a decade, using constellations to help determine latitude and longitude in order to make them as straight as a gunbarrel when at all possible. He named these roads after his wife and three children, one of whom quotes their dad as saying, “First you make the roads and then you take your family for trips on them.” * The hardships of extended bush life took their toll on his health, so Len transferred to other work in 1963, continuing to contribute valuable services to his country, and receiving numerous honors.

1.   Pray for each of Len and Anne’s descendants to have a personal relationship with Jesus, Who is the only Road from this world to the Father.

2.   Pray for someone who frequents the above library to find the key to happiness in walking with God.

3.   All of Len’s roads are still usable today, and 4-wheelers enjoy the challenge of traversing them. Pray for one such adventurer to be saved this year.

2 Corinthians 4:5

*https://m.facebook.com/389085437948731/posts/1114541105403157/?wtsid=rdr_0znWWoEQYvFHG2tRn&paipv=0&eav=AfaVGyDbK96AUl_HwZf7xJtMLZ9JgNLg6IfPFg4RutdTtOr0nznQGIbg3WyIHb4Q3E8&_rdr#

See also https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Len_Beadell

This post was originally published on April 18, 2024.

Pray for the Lord to send out workers to the harvestfield of Lae.

1. Lae is the largest cargo port of Papua New Guinea (wikipedia). Pray for a dock worker at the above location to put his faith for life and eternity in the only Master of the Sea.

2. Lae was established during the 1920’s gold rush. With a population of 300,000, it is the second largest city of the country. Pray for many Biblical churches to be planted and grow in Lae.

3. The PNG University of Technology is in Lae. The school’s tagline is “Where Tomorrow Starts Today.” ( https://www.unitech.ac.pg/ ) Pray that a student preparing for an IT career will come across a Christian website and be confronted with the gospel. Pray for the Holy Spirit to keep working on his heart until, spiritually speaking, tomorrow really does start today.

Psalm 107:1-3

This post was originally published on January 19, 2023.

Pray for the Lord to send out workers to the harvestfield of Gizo.

1. Pray for students at the high school above to catch a glimpse of God’s plan for their lives, and pursue it.
2. Gizo is the second largest town of the Solomon Islands, with a population of 7,200. Pray that before this year is over God will send a gospel witness to every home.
3. Pray for Christians in Gizo to wear the armor of God as they go about their daily lives.

Matthew 22:37-40

This post was originally published on August 11, 2021.

Pray for the Lord to send out workers to the harvestfield of Roma.

1.   Pray for the next person who sits at this lakeside pavilion to hear about Jesus, Who alone can meet the deepest needs of the soul.

2.   Built over ninety years ago, Hibernian Hall is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register. Pray for a family planning to attend an event at this community center to meet a Christian family with whom they can develop a friendship, and through that relationship be introduced to the very best Friend of all.

3.  The town of Roma was built in 1867, and named after the wife of the governor of Queensland. Pray for every current girl in the world named Roma to know that Jesus loves her very much.

Psalm 96:3

This post was originally published on May 2, 2023.

Pray for the Lord to send out workers to the harvestfield of Jayapura.

1. Pray for every girl in Jayapura who has a pink bicycle to hear, understand, and believe the wonderful news of John 3:16.

2. Jayapura’s current mayor is Benhur Tommy Mano. Pray for him and his family to personally receive God’s salvation.

3. Pray for a homeless man to find both physical shelter and a spiritual refuge in Christ.

Psalm 67:4

This post was originally published on October 5, 2023.

Named for the same British queen as Africa’s Lake Victoria, Australia’s Lake Victoria is smaller, yet also of historical and current importance. It is part of the Murray-Darling Drainage Basin, and has been a First Nation place of living for thousands of years. It currently does not exceed a depth of eighteen feet, and serves as a reservoir for extra water from the Murray River, releasing water to the south as needed.

1.   Pray for the salvation of an archaeologist who has excavated around Lake Victoria. Many artifacts have been uncovered, but pray for an archaeologist to find an even greater treasure in the truth of the Word of God.

2.   Pray for Christian outreaches among Australia’s aboriginal people to being forth much fruit.

3.   Pray for the professional who makes the final call on regulating water flow out of Lake Victoria to cheerfully let the Lord make the final decisions for his life.

Revelation 22:1,17

This post was originally published on March 22, 2024.

Pray for the Lord to send out workers to the harvestfield of Quilpie.

1. Ask the Lord to send a gospel witness into the life of every child who plays on this bridge in the John Waugh Park today, that they may have opportunities to cross the only bridge linking God to man – Jesus.

2. “Fairy Bread” is a special treat that Australian children enjoy: white sandwich bread topped with butter and “100’s & 1,000’s” (sprinkles). The Mulga Mates Centre is a preschool, kindergarten, and day care in Quilpie. Pray for the children there who will eat fairy bread at a birthday party this month to hear about and want to know the “God Who gives us richly all things to enjoy.” (1 Tim. 6:17) *

3. In 2021, Quilpie was home to 800 people. In hopes to attract five new families, free land on which to build was offered. Town officials were surprised that within a couple weeks of the offer, 250 requests for details were received. (https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/australian-town-has-unusual-plan-to-get-people-to-move-there-/6280330.html). Pray for families who have since moved to Quilpie to also take advantage of the Lord’s standing offer for a free dwelling place (with no strings attached) in His city.

Romans 10:17

*Thanks to my daughter for telling us about fairy bread after reading about it in her math book, and making it for our family to try.

This post was originally published on February 1, 2023.

Acts 15:18

“Known to God from eternity are all His works.”

Psalm 139:1

“O LORD, You have searched me and known me.”

Psalm 147:5

“Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.”

God’s omniscience is at once both vast and minute. He has always intuitively known everything about everything. The breadth and depth of His knowledge are forever beyond human attainment. The Bible says He has named each star, yet He also knows every time a sparrow falls (Ps. 147:4, Matt. 10:29-31). He thinks about each of us more times than there are grains of sand (Ps. 139). His omniscience even extends to the realm of “what if” possibilities (Matt. 11:20-24).

Though we single them out for study, God’s attributes combine in a beautiful kaleidoscope that brings Him great glory. Think of a child holding up a kaleidoscope to the light and catching his breath at how the colored pieces of glass are arranged and reflected in intricate patterns. In the same way, adoration is the appropriate response when, by the light of Scripture, we see God’s omniscience, wisdom, omnipotence, and benevolence forming beautiful combinations in history, creation,  and our own lives. What vastness is His Whose understanding is infinite, yet what love He possesses to know every time we sit down and stand up!

1.   Fenua Fala is one of two settled areas on the atoll of Fakaofo, whose total population is around five hundred people. Fakaofo was TGP’s featured location on February 19, 2023, and can be referenced for interesting facts. Pray for the Lord to bring a copy of Psalm 139 to the attention of a worker at St. Joseph’s Hospital, and for that person to respond in faith and worship.

2.   Pray for an individual at The University of the South Pacific to not be so caught up in human knowledge that he thinks he doesn’t need to know the omniscient God. Pray for the Spirit to work in that person’s life to draw him to salvation.

3.   Pray for someone at the Fakaofo Wharf today to remember any gospel witness he has received, and respond in obedience and faith. If that person is already a Christian, pray for him to marvel at and be encouraged by his Lord’s omniscience.

Psalm 139:7-11

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell [Sheol], behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall fall on me,’ even the night shall be light about me.”

Jeremiah 23:24

“‘Can anyone hide himself in secret places, so I shall not see him?’ says the LORD; do I not fill heaven and earth?’ says the LORD.”

God’s omnipresence is cause for great reassurance to His children. He does not change. He exhibits lovingkindness. He is sovereign. And this God is the One Who has promised to be with us always, to never leave or forsake us. He is with us.

God’s omnipresence can be observed in two ways. As He told Jeremiah, He is everywhere, filling heaven and earth. This is the scope of His omnipresence; there is nowhere we can go that He is not there. He also forever indwells each of His children by the Holy Spirit: “And I [Jesus] will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever – the Spirit of truth…you know Him, for He dwells with you, and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17). He is at once in each of the redeemed, in a more wonderful way than anyone else could ever be with us. We are never alone. He is Who He is, and by His omnipresence He graciously extends the gift of Himself to us in indescribably wonderful and inexhaustible ways. Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!

1.   Pray for a worker at the Blue Palau Gift Shop to hear about God’s omnipresence, and come to know that in a personal way through receiving the gift of salvation.

2.   Because of their companionship and loyalty, dogs are often considered to be “man’s best friend.” Pray for the Lord to work again in the life of a person who has interacted with the pictured dog, that he/she may meet Him Who truly is man’s best friend.

3.   Pray that on this Lord’s Day every Christian in Koror will rejoice in and thank the Lord for His omnipresence.