Barnabas Prayer January February 2016

To help you pray for the persecuted church

January/ february 2016

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BARNABAS Aid – Hope and Relief AGENCY FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH

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Thank you for your prayers for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ, which make such a difference to them. We sometimes have to change or omit their names for security reasons, and we have only limited space to share their stories.

But the Lord knows the people and places we are praying about. Thank you for your understanding.

was so starved under the harsh prison regime that his weight fell to only 82 lbs. Praise God for some brave prison guards, who were secret believers and smuggled in high energy drinks to help him gain weight. Pray for the protection of all the believers in this prison, whether inmates or guards, and that they may be able to build each other up in the Faith.

Please do not feel limited by the specific prayer requests, but pray as you feel led. On each Sunday we have provided a set prayer; please feel free to use these in their current form, to adapt them as you prefer, or to use the information they contain to frame your own prayers.

Sunday 3 Heavenly Father, we pray today for Christians in Eritrea, many of whom run huge risks to meet together for worship or even just to pray. We praise You for their faithfulness, courage and perseverance and ask that each one will feel Your presence today, whether they are free or in prison. We pray for the ruling authorities in Eritrea, who treat their people so harshly and especially some particular Christian denominations.

Please soften the hearts of those in power, teach them to do good and love mercy, and show them how to rule as You would have them do. We ask this in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

January Friday 1 Eleven years ago, a 22-yearold Eritrean woman called Twen, who had recently come to faith in Christ, was arrested for holding a New Year’s night vigil with Christian friends. She is still in prison. She and twelve other Christian women prisoners have been told that if they renounce their faith in Christ they will be released immediately but all have steadfastly refused to do so. Using a mobile phone that was smuggled in, Twen sent a message thanking those who sent them help and asking for prayer.

Please pray for Twen and the others, that their lives may bring glory to the Lord and be a powerful witness to the prison guards and the Eritrean authorities.

Saturday 2 An Eritrean Christian doctor was in the same remote, hostile, desert prison as Twen (see above) for four and a half years. He

Monday 4 Barnabas Aid is supporting a community center in the Holy Land which cares for Eritrean Christian women refugees. It provides health care, employment advice, educational opportunities and helps them learn languages, vocational skills and computer skills. Pray that our sisters may find hope for the future as well as healing for what they endured in the past. Eritrea is one of the worst places in the world to be a Christian.

Tuesday 5 This month the ruling Communist party of Vietnam will hold a national congress at which they will pick a new leadership. Pray that those coming to power will look more

favorably on Christians than did their predecessors. Pray that God, in whom they do not believe, will nevertheless guide and use them for His purposes.

Wednesday 6 A pastor in northern Laos was stabbed to death by five men who broke into his home in September. The intruders first grabbed his wife who called for help. When her husband arrived they seized him and stabbed him three times in the back. Pastor Singkeaw Wongkongpheng had been frequently persecuted by the Laotian authorities. Pray for his wife, family and congregation that the Lord will comfort them in their grief and loss.

Training Eritrean Christian women refugees in computer skills

Friday 8 When heavy rains fell in the north-east of North Korea last August, flooding forced 11,000 people from their homes and destroyed crops in many fields. This will increase the hardship of the already-hungry population. Pray for them. Praise God that the Christian bakery supported

by Barnabas Aid was able to continue producing bread even though its equipment was damaged by the flood waters.

Saturday 9 Mr. Boota Masih, a Christian, bought a house in Islamabad, Pakistan, from its Muslim owner in early 2015, paying the agreed price and making a verbal agreement in front of witnesses. He moved in with his wife and six children. But on September 10 an angry Muslim mob, armed with iron bars and wooden sticks, gathered outside and banged on the door, demanding that he come out of the house which they said did not belong to him. When Boota refused to leave, the mob locked the family in a room and set the house on fire. Boota managed to break out of the room and Christian neighbors put out the flames. Praise God that the family escaped with their lives but pray that the Pakistani authorities will bring to justice those who tried to burn them to death.

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Thursday 7 Lift up to God the tens of thousands of Christians suffering in North Korea’s brutal prison labor camps. Pray that they may be sustained through the hunger, exhaustion, heat, cold and beatings.

Christians are often treated worse than other prisoners and whole families may be punished if one of them is discovered to be a Christian.

Though outwardly they are wasting away, pray that they may be renewed inwardly day by day. Ask that they may fix their eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen remembering that their “light and momentary” troubles are achieving for them an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

(2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

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Sunday 10 Lord Jesus, please help Your people in Sri Lanka to stand firm in the face of pressure from Buddhist extremists. So often their Sunday services are disrupted by mobs unwilling to let Christians meet for worship. We ask that our brothers and sisters will have confidence in You, and that You will give them the right words to say when they are threatened. We ask too that the Sri Lankan police will be more consistent in upholding the constitutional rights of the Christians, and will not side with their oppressors.

In Your Name we pray.

Monday 11 When floods affected Eastern and North Central provinces of Sri Lanka, Christians from a Hindu background were penalized by village leaders and given no aid or relief. But Barnabas Aid stepped in to help with aid for 135 impoverished Christian families in special need, including converts, women-headed families, those with disabilities, or those who were simply not receiving support from other sources. Some got food, some got seeds to re-plant their ruined crops and some got building materials to repair or re-build homes

This Sri Lankan family stands in front or their new two-room house, rebuilt after floods destroyed their old home

damaged or swept away by the flood waters. Thank the Lord that the families have gained hope, confidence and the dignity of helping themselves, as well as meeting their urgent practical needs.

Tuesday 12 One of the few remaining church buildings in Aden, Yemen, was set on fire by masked men in September, destroying all the contents. The previous day it had been broken into and vandalized.

Before Yemen gained independence in 1967 there had been 22 churches in the port city. Most of the Christians in Yemen are expatriate workers and refugees. At this time of great turbulence in Yemen, pray for their protection and especially for the small number of Yemeni nationals who have left Islam to follow Christ, an act which is illegal in Yemen. May they be encouraged by the words of Scripture, “Whenever I am afraid I will trust in you.” (Psalm 56:3) Wednesday 13 The mutilated body of Samson, a 59-year-old Christian evangelist was found close to his home in Kalampete village, Kibuku District, Uganda in the early hours of September 23. He appeared to have been strangled. He had been travelling home from a debate with Muslim scholars the previous evening, which had become very heated, and local Islamists are suspected of carrying out the killing.

Pray that eternal fruit may come from Samson’s life and death. (John 12:24) Thursday 14 In western Uganda many Muslims have become Christians and now find it virtually impossible to get work. Others have been rejected by relatives who

on Zanzibar, especially those from a Muslim background, who are particularly at risk.

Business start-up kits for Ugandan converts from Islam who have finished a course in business skills

Friday 15 The prayers of Christians in Tanzania were answered when a Christian was elected as president in October last year, taking the place of the outgoing Muslim president. Pray for John Magufuli in his new role.

However, the elections in Zanzibar were annulled after the strongly Islamic opposition claimed to have won, before the official results were announced. The tiny Christian minority on Zanzibar feared violence, and made preparations by stocking up food in their homes. Christians in more remote areas moved into towns to stay with Christians there where it was safer. In the absence of requested police protection, Christians themselves began to guard some of their church buildings. Pray for the protection of all Christians

This Tanzanian church has been attacked three times in two years Sunday 17 Dear Lord Jesus, we pray today for the situation in northeastern Nigeria, where Boko Haram militants are terrorising Christians and moderate Muslims with their murderous and destructive violence.

We ask that You will restrain them from their violence, restore those they have brutalized and brought unwillingly into their ranks, and

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previously supported them. Pray for a ministry that trains these believers in vocational skills such as tailoring, knitting, hairdressing, livestock management and bee-keeping and ask that the small businesses they are now setting up using their new skills will thrive so that they can be selfsufficient. Barnabas is supporting the training program financially.

Saturday 16 A church building in Kagera, Tanzania, was attacked on September 29, the third attack on this particular church in two years.

The local community, who are mainly Muslims, had asked the Christians to leave the area because their loud singing was disturbing the Muslims.

The Christians had reported the threats they were receiving to the local authorities, but to no avail.

Muslim violence against church buildings is becoming increasingly common in Tanzania. Pray that the authorities will step in to prevent further incidents.

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release their many kidnap victims including the Chibok schoolgirls. May the Boko Haram fighters discover that You are a God of love and peace, and direct their zeal to serving You. Monday 18 Graffiti appeared on the wall of a bakery and pizzeria in Gothenburg, Sweden, in October 2015 saying in Swedish “Convert or die” and “The Caliphate is here”.

Islamic State’s logo and the Arabic letter “noon” (N for Nazarene, i.e.

Christian) were also painted on the walls. The “noon” letter had been used by IS the previous year to mark Christian properties in Mosul, Iraq, to indicate that they could be seized by IS fighters. The Swedish businesses are owned by an Assyrian Christian family from Turkey. Pray that they and the other Christians in Sweden of Middle Eastern origin may not be fearful but will remember God’s presence with them to strengthen, help and uphold them. (Isaiah 41:10) Tuesday 19 Please continue to pray for Nissar Hussain, a British Christian who converted from Islam in 1996.

He and his family have suffered years of harassment and violence from elements of the Muslim community in Bradford, where they live, with local police seemingly unable or unwilling to do anything effective to protect them. On November 17, men who had been lying in wait for him attacked Mr. Hussain with a pick-axe handle and beat him so severely that he sustained fractures of his knee and left hand. “Thank God that He was watching my back,” said Nissar in an SMS text message to Barnabas Aid, meaning that the men might otherwise have killed him.

Wednesday 20 Ask for the Lord’s protection of Christian refugees from the Middle East now living in Germany. Some have been persecuted, even physically attacked,

by Muslim refugees from their home countries living in the same migrant shelters. For example, Muslim refugees have persecuted Christian refugees for not praying five times a day like Muslims and fasting with them during Ramadan. Pray that the German authorities will have insight and discernment to recognize this issue and ensure that Christians, who fled the middle East because of persecution by radical Muslims, will not find they are suffering in just the same way once they have arrived in Germany.

Thursday 21 “Before coming to the pastoral care retreat, I felt lonely, but now I have friends,” said Pastor Ernest, one of the Albanian church leaders who attended a retreat funded

by Barnabas. Ministering in a country that is 60% Muslim, often isolated from each other, and worn out with holding down a full-time paid job as well as their church work, the retreat gave these faithful men of God and

Albanian pastors and their families are refreshed on a Pastoral Care Retreat

their families an opportunity to rest, be refreshed and re-envisioned, and have fellowship with others in a similar situation. Pray for them, now back in their home churches.

Saturday 23 Following the coordinated attacks by Islamic State on several targets in Paris on November 13 in which 130 people died, pray that Europe’s political leaders will have wisdom to know how to protect the continent from further attacks without destroying the very liberties and principles they are trying to conserve. Pray for the security forces and intelligence agencies that they will be led by God in all they do, whether they know Him or not.

Sunday 24 Lord Jesus, we pray for all Your followers who cannot gather with other believers and worship you today because of persecution. Although they cannot have fellowship with their brothers and sisters, we ask that You will bless them with the fellowship of

Monday 25 “Are you a Christian?” gunman 26-year-old Chris Harper Mercer asked students at Umpqua Community College, Oregon, USA, before he shot them in the head, one by one, as they stood in a row. During the attack on October 1, 2015 Mercer said to his victims before shooting, “Because you are a Christian, you’re going to see God in about one second.”

Nine young Christians were killed.

Pray that their grieving families may be comforted by the promises of Scripture, remembering especially that while they themselves see in a mirror, dimly, their loved ones now see God face to face. (1 Corinthians 13:12) Tuesday 26 Aceh lies in the far west of Indonesia and is the most Islamic part of the vast archipelago. Twelve church buildings there were torn down in October. Islamist hardliners had been pressuring the Aceh authorities to close the churches, but then took the law into their own hands and set fire to three of the buildings, alleging that they did not have proper permits. Church leaders were forced to sign documents “agreeing” to the demolition of ten of the buildings.

“Please pray so that the Christians can forgive the evil people who broke our heart,” wrote an Indonesian church leader to Barnabas Aid, “Pray that we

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Friday 22 Praise God for the generous and compassionate response of many Christians around the world to Barnabas Aid’s “Operation Safe Havens”. They have given money and offered their homes to help persecuted Christians fleeing for their lives from Syria and Iraq.

Please pray that governments of safe countries will understand the special vulnerability of Christians in the context and allocate some visas to them, as Poland has done. Please focus your prayers especially on the governments of Australia, Austria, the Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary and Latvia.

the Holy Spirit to comfort and counsel them, reminding them of everything You have said. Enable them to lift up their hearts in praise to you, even though their lips must be silent. Give them hope for the future and enable them to fix their eyes on You, the author and perfecter of their faith.

(Hebrews 12:2)

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can stop crying and mourning but set up a strategy to build the Kingdom of God underground.”

Wednesday 27 It is very difficult for Christian congregations in Aceh to obtain permits for a place of worship as they have to have 60 signatures from local Muslim households and various other permissions. This 2006 law, intended only for new church buildings, is being applied retrospectively to existing church buildings. An estimated 4,500 Christians fled their homes after the destruction of twelve churches (see above) and Barnabas Aid is helping with their practical needs.

Pray for an end to the harassment of Christians in Aceh.

Thursday 28 In a landmark statement for freedom of religion in Pakistan, the country’s Supreme Court ruled on October 5 that criticizing Pakistan’s notoriously harsh “blasphemy law” is not in itself blasphemy. The significance of this is that many political figures who opposed or tried to amend the blasphemy law to make it more lenient have been threatened with violence or even killed. The law, which prescribes a mandatory death sentence for “defiling the name” of Muhammad, is easily abused as there is no penalty for false accusation.

Christians are particularly vulnerable because there is a tendency in the lower courts to believe the word of a Muslim over the word of a Christian (in accordance with sharia law). Pray for a turning of the tide of public opinion in Pakistan and that the sting may be taken from this dangerous law under which so many innocent people, both Muslims and Christians, have suffered.

Friday 29 Aasia Bibi, now in her sixth year on death row in Pakistan, has been moved into solitary confinement for her own safety. She cooks her own food, to avoid being poisoned. Like all accused of “blasphemy” in Pakistan, she is vulnerable to being murdered by zealous Muslims who truly believe they would be pleasing Allah by doing so. Pray for her protection and that God will sustain her body, mind and spirit. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear her appeal; pray that they will set her free.

Saturday 30 Classical Islam teaches that Christians should not be in positions of authority over Muslims. A Pakistani Christian teacher, Saddique Azam, was appointed as head over three schools in the Kasur district of Punjab province in the middle of last year. On Monday October 5 three Muslim teachers stormed into his office first thing in the morning and insulted him, asking how he as a Christian could be senior to them and pressurising him to resign from his post. When he refused they attacked him, seriously injuring his left eye.

Pray for healing for Saddique and

Saddique Azam was beaten up by Muslim teachers who did not want a Christian head teacher over them

that his Muslim staff will support and affirm him in his leadership role.

February Monday 1 The Iraqi parliament passed a law on October 27 stating that Christian (or other non-Muslim children) will automatically be considered to have become Muslims if their father converts to Islam or their mother marries a Muslim. This contravenes the Iraqi constitution.

Ask the Lord Jesus, who said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them,” to work in the hearts and minds of Iraqi parliamentarians that this law may be reversed.

(Matthew 19:14) Tuesday 2 The months of January and February are cold in Iraq, and snow often lies on the ground. Praise God for the insulated tents of “Sawra Village”, funded by Barnabas, which are providing warm accommodation

The official opening of Sawra (Hope) Tented Village in Iraqi Kurdistan Wednesday 3 “It’s like a privilege!

It’s an honor to be able to choose between our life and our God.” These are the words of Raneen, a young Iraqi Christian woman who fled with 2,000 other Christians from the town of Bartella, near Mosul, when it was taken by Islamic State in August 2014, just before her wedding day. Leaving everything behind, she and her fiancé

Raneen and her husband (Patheos.com)

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Sunday 31 Heavenly Father, we bring to you in prayer the Christians in many countries who are harassed and persecuted by false accusations being made against them, causing them to be arrested and imprisoned (with or without a trial). We pray for those in such a situation today, that they may take comfort in remembering that Your Son, our Lord Jesus, was Himself accused on trumped up charges, tried and condemned. Enable them to shine as stars in the universe as they hold out the word of life to those around them in prison. (Philippians 2:15-16) We ask too, O God of justice, that you will intervene in power and bring them vindication.

to homeless Christians displaced from Mosul by Islamic State. Pray for hope and joy for the destitute Christians living in them, uncertain what the future will bring. May they be strong in the Lord.

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went first to Iraqi Kurdistan, where they married, then to Turkey, then to Jordan. Raneen’s passionate words about the privilege of suffering for Christ came when she was asked if she was angry with God for all that she had lost. Up to 200,000 other Christians from in and around Mosul have similarly been forced from their homes and lost everything. Pray that they too may rejoice to be counted worthy to suffer. (Acts 5:41) Thursday 4 A ferocious bombardment and ground attack by Islamic State fighters on the mainly Christian towns of Saddad and Haffar, near Homs in Syria, began on November 1. By November 5, more than 220 bombs had fallen on Saddad alone. Nine young people manning a checkpoint were killed by a suicide bomber in a car. Around 2,385 families fled their homes, but do not want to leave the area. Barnabas Fund sent aid immediately to buy food and blankets.

Please pray that all their needs will be met and that they will remain strong in the Lord.

Friday 5 At the time of writing there are at least 387 Syrian Christians held hostage by Islamic State.

A group of 253 seized from the villages along the Khabur river a year ago (February 23, 2015) have been reduced to 165. This is mainly due to the most elderly and infirm being released in small batches. But three of the men were executed by Islamic State on September 23 as a warning of what could happen to the rest. Barnabas Aid is caring for 37 released hostages aged 50 to 80.

Pray for them as they recover from their ordeal and for those who remain in captivity.

Saturday 6 The Seychelles Islands in the Indian Ocean have a large Christian majority, albeit many are not committed believers. But Islam is growing fast. Seven years ago there were only three mosques; now there are 15. Muslim missionaries are very active, mainly propagating a strict and puritanical type of Islam. The Church seems unsure how to react to these developments. Pray that Church leaders may have wisdom to know how to respond and that Seychellois people may commit themselves fully to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Barnabas Aid is caring for these 37 Syrian Christians released by IS on November 7, 2015 after more than eight months held in atrocious conditions Sunday 7 Lord Jesus Christ, who said to Your followers, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head,” please look in mercy on Indian Christians who have been evicted from their homes because of their love for You. We pray especially for seven families in the village of Sagarkatta, Jharkhand State, who have been thrown out from their village, banned from getting water from the village well, grazing their animals on the village

pastures or using the village pond.

Please meet the needs of these faithful families, who have lost so much for Your Name’s sake. (Matthew 8:20) Monday 8 Approximately half the population of Mauritius are Hindu and a third Christian. The president is a Muslim. The Hindutva movement is very active in Mauritius, seeking to define Mauritian identity as Hindu.

Church leaders want to retain a secular society but do not know how to go about this. Ask the Lord to guide them in this complex situation so that Christians may be salt and light in this society and that freedom of religion may be maintained.

Wednesday 10 Praise God for the amazing church growth in Algeria, mainly among Berber people, as Muslims decide to follow the Lord Jesus. Thank Him too for the relative freedom that Christians have to practice their faith and pray that current restrictions on Christian

Thursday 11 Three men phoned Pastor Luke Sarker (aged 52) asking if they could come and visit him because they wanted to know more about Christianity. When they arrived at his home in Bangladesh’s northwest Pabna district on October 5, they attacked him with a knife and attempted to cut his throat. The pastor’s wife shouted and neighbors came to the rescue, causing the armed men to flee. Pray that Pastor Luke and his wife may not be fearful as they continue in ministry, remembering the words of Scripture: “For me to live is Christ, to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21) Friday 12 President Lukashenko of Belarus was re-elected in October 2015 – no surprise in a country that is sometimes described as “the last dictatorship of Europe”. Contrary to the constitution, religious freedom is greatly restricted and Christian groups are carefully regulated by the government. Even Christians meeting to worship in a private home are subject to rules about how many people can attend and how often they can meet. Pray that the government will loosen its control of Christians and that God’s people will be both bold and wise as they serve Him in such difficult circumstances.

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Tuesday 9 Thank the Lord for the decision of an Egyptian court that land stolen from a Christian by a Muslim should be returned to the original owner. But when police arrived in El Oula village, near Alexandria, to implement the order, they were attacked by angry Muslims and fled. The Muslim mob went on to throw stones at the local church building and attack four Christian homes. At least two Christians were seriously injured, one with a fractured spine. Pray that the Egyptian police will have the courage and determination to bring justice for Mr. Hamdy Makanouti from whom the land was taken in 2012.

literature and places of worship will be relaxed. Pray too that the rules concerning Christian evangelism among Muslims will be eased so that believers will be able to share their faith without fear. Pray for protection from al-Qaeda’s branch in North Africa, known as al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

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Saturday 13 Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) won a resounding victory in the general elections in Burma (Myanmar) in November, which is expected to lead to great improvements in freedom in this country which has been under military rule for half a century. Pray that the Christians and Muslims, who mainly belong to the ethnic minorities, will also be given greater rights and freedoms, along with the Buddhist Burman majority.

Sunday 14 Heavenly Father, we lift up to You our brothers and sisters whose lives have been torn apart by violence.

Please fill them with Your peace, when intimidation or attack has left them

Christians at worship in Belarus feeling vulnerable and uncertain.

Please provide for the material needs of those who have been left impoverished and destitute after being forced to flee their homes or losing the breadwinner of the family. May they find in You a mighty rock and refuge when they have no earthly safe havens left, and give them the courage and

grace they need to maintain a loving witness to You in the face of violence.

(Psalm 62:7) Monday 15 Christians in the parts of Cameroon that border north-east Nigeria are suffering violence by Boko Haram militants. In October, eight people were killed when Boko Haram attacked the village of Mora, just 3 miles from the Nigerian border, and the following day they attacked a church. In November, two more villages were attacked on the same night with another eight deaths and a church building and foodstocks burned. “Fear and psychosis dominate the inhabitants,” a local Christian leader told Barnabas as he described life in northern Cameroon.

“Police checks multiply and harden, economic and trade activities are idle, children under twelve are not allowed to go out into the streets, and traffic must stop earlier in the evening.” The whole of Mora is closed down every Sunday. Pray that Cameroonian Christians may remember that God’s loving kindness is better than life (Psalm 63:3) and not give way to fear or despair.

Tuesday 16 “Calls for help have remained unanswered. All I can do is keep singing ‘What a Friend we have in Jesus’,” wrote a church leader from the Central African Republic (CAR) to Barnabas Aid in late October. He described the way in which armed Muslims were continuing to loot and set fire to homes and churches as they had been doing since September 26. Many Christians fled. “It is very hard,” he commented, “to see your own disciples and pastors, close relatives and friends lose everything

in a few minutes. I am overwhelmed by requests for assistance.” Barnabas Aid had already sent help for the displaced Christians. Pray for an end to the recurring anti-Christian violence in CAR.

Thursday 18 When 21 Egyptian Christians were beheaded by Islamic State on the Libyan seashore a year ago, their relatives had to cope not only with their grief and loss but also with financial problems because the men had gone to Libya to get work and send money back home to support their families. Barnabas Aid is now helping to support the widows of the 13 married men and the elderly parents of the eight single men. Pray that this month, the first anniversary of their deaths, the bereaved families may take comfort in knowing that their menfolk died as martyrs for Christ. Egyptian Christians believe that martyrdom is the greatest blessing and gift that God can bestow on His people.

Friday 19 Christians in Niger (less than 1% of the population) have been concerned to see the way in which

Saturday 20 Niger is holding a presidential election tomorrow. It is a democratic, secular multi-party state with a population that is about 97% Muslim. Underdeveloped and land-locked, most of the country is desert and 60% of the population are under the age of 15. Pray that whoever is elected will be effective in protecting the freedom of religion which is guaranteed by the constitution, and will be able to maintain a tolerant and peaceful society despite the pressures of radical Islamic brotherhoods and militant Muslim groups such as Boko Haram and Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

Sunday 21 Our Father in heaven, we ask Your blessing on Christian children growing up in situations

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Wednesday 17 Christians in the Central African Republic (CAR) organized a three-day conference in October to try to lower the tension in their country as violence raged, especially against the Church. Pray that their efforts will bear lasting fruit. Some of the violence in CAR is committed by people claiming to be Christians but strongly condemned by the church leadership. Pray that Christians in CAR will be known as peacemakers and the sons of God. (Matthew 5:9)

the Muslim majority is being “reIslamized” by radical “brotherhoods” which are replacing the traditional Sufi (mystic) brotherhoods that used to be very influential in this West African country. The new brotherhoods have used Niger’s shift to democracy to establish themselves in the country’s legal system and other institutions and to Islamize the public space. They have also set up their own institutions parallel to the state institutions e.g. schools, universities, financial services, social care, even militias and police. They put strong pressure on the Christians and other minorities. Apart from this, Christians have faced little persecution in Niger until now. Pray for wisdom for church leaders to respond to these changes in society, which they describe as “lightningfast”.

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of great pressure and persecution.

We pray for those in countries like Pakistan and Egypt, who go daily to schools where they are discriminated against, mocked, pressurized to convert to another religion, failed in their exams or even violently attacked, just because they follow You. We pray for those who have experienced or witnessed terrible atrocities in countries like Syria and Iraq, have lost parents or siblings, and live with the memories of what they have seen.

We pray for those in countries like India who have grown up despising themselves because that is what the majority community feels about them.

Please comfort, strengthen, guide and keep each one, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Monday 22 Christians in Danora village, in India’s Chhattisgarh state, were beaten up by a mob of around 500 villagers after they refused to renounce their Christian faith. They were summoned to a community meeting and accused of spreading Christianity and were told that if they continued as Christians they would have to leave the village and not be allowed to harvest their crops. Pray that Indian Christians facing such threats, violence and the loss of their livelihoods will stand firm for Christ.

Tuesday 23 Please pray for the Indonesian president, Joko Widodo, who came to power in July 2014 and expressed a desire to deal with religious persecution in his country, the most populous Muslim nation in the world. However, little difference has been seen as yet, with police and government officials all too often being passively or actively complicit in harassment, intimidation

and violence against the Christian minority. Ask the Lord who delights in kindness, justice and righteousness to guide Joko Widodo to exercise these qualities as he governs Indonesia. (Jeremiah 9:24) Wednesday 24 Maryam Naghash Zargaran is one of approximately 90 Christians in prison in Iran because of their faith. A pre-existing heart condition was exacerbated by the harsh prison regime and she had a heart attack. She was given medical leave from prison last October, but then forced to return early, before her treatment had been completed. A convert from Islam, Mariam had been very active in Christian ministry until she was arrested in 2012 and given a four-year sentence for “gathering, collusion and action against national security”. Pray for Mariam with the words of Psalm 73:26: “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever.”

Thursday 25 Parliamentary elections will be held in Iran tomorrow to elect both the Islamic Consultative Assembly and the Assembly of Experts. Pray that God’s hand will be guiding events and that those who gain seats in the two Assemblies may be led by our heavenly Father in ways of justice and righteousness, even though they do not know Him. Pray that the outcome of the elections will result in an easing of the harassment and persecution of Christians in Iran.

Friday 26 Jordan’s King Abdullah has been a vocal defender of Christians, saying that “Arab Christians have played a key role in building Arab societies”. Nevertheless there are

Encouraging pastors in Kazakhstan to join in Barnabas Aid’s Suffering Church Action Week 2015

Saturday 27 Pray for Christians in Kazakhstan as they adapt to living with the far greater legal restrictions that were put in place five years ago, including new rules about church registration which are virtually impossible to fulfil. About 150 pastors and churches were fined during 2014 alone. Pray that they may be wise as serpents but innocent as doves.

Praise God for their concern for persecuted brothers and sisters in other countries.

Sunday 28 Lord Jesus Christ, we pray today for the brave pastors and evangelists in India who put their liberty and even their lives in danger by serving You. We pray especially for evangelists who are sharing the Gospel in the six Indian states with

so-called “freedom of religion” laws, which are so easily abused to stop Christian outreach. We praise You that many Hindus are turning to You in spite of this, drawn by the Holy Spirit, and we ask that the authorities will acknowledge that the new believers made this choice of their own free will.

Please would you comfort the family, friends and congregation of Pastor Chamu Hasda Purty who was shot dead by suspected Hindu extremists in his home in Jharkhand state four months ago today.

Monday 29 Pray for the protection of Canon Francis Omondi, from Kenya, who has been spear-heading a peaceful response to the antiChristian violence of the Islamist group al-Shabaab. Canon Francis’s response is focused on forgiveness and calls on Muslim leaders to condemn what is happening. As a result he is now considered by the security forces to be a likely target of al-Shabaab himself. Pray also for great wisdom from the Lord for Canon Francis and that his words will have a real impact.

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difficulties for Jordanian Christians, not least because the law of the land contains elements of sharia within it.

Converts from Islam to Christianity face particular difficulties. Pray that King Abdullah may lead his country towards greater equality and protection for the Christian minority, which has now dwindled to less than 3%.

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