Day 18 - Kerinci of Indonesia

Personifying God's wisdom, Proverbs 8:25 says, 'Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills I was brought forth.' Originally from the eastern coast of Sumatra, the Kerinci fled from local Muslim Sultanates in an ancient war and moved into their existing homeland high in the Buki Barisan Mountains. They speak Kerinci and Bahasa Indonesian. Most of the 260,000 Kerinci are farmers harvesting rice, potatoes, coffee, cinnamon, and even resin and rattan from the jungle areas. Those living near Lake Kerinci and other small lakes are fishermen. The Kerinci have been able to resist assimilation wit the stronger lowland peoples. Today their isolation is slowly changing due to government-sponsored plantation projects that involve mass relocations of Jawa, Sunda and Bali people to work in Kerinci's rich soil. In addition, a world-class national park is being developed by the World Wildlife Fund to preserve the rainforest, flora and fauna. Islam is the majority religion of the Kerinci, but they still hold to animism, especially as it is exhibited by their use of traditional healers and magic to bless their crops.


Prayer Ideas:

• Ask the Lord to give wisdom and favour to believers going to minister among the Kerinci.
• Pray for God's wisdom and authority in dealing with the spiritual forces that have kept the people bound for generations (1 Corinthians 1:30, 2 Corinthians 10:4)

- All text from 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World