BARNABAS FUND – AID AGENCY FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH
barnabasprayer To help you pray for the persecuted Church
JULY/ AUGUST 2017 barnabasfund.org
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. 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.
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July SATURDAY 1 Morocco’s High Religious Committee has issued a document stating that Muslims who leave Islam should not be punished. This goes against classical Islamic sharia, which says that apostates should be killed. The Committee, whose job is to issue fatwas and which is presided over by King Mohammed VI, said that the death penalty was originally only meant for political traitors not for religious issues. Thank the Lord for this dramatic announcement and pray that it will be followed by many other leading Islamic authorities. SUNDAY 2 Lord, we pray for the Church
in Morocco, a country which until now has not officially acknowledged that a Moroccan Christian could even exist. We praise You that the first generation Moroccan Church, which has to meet secretly in small groups, is growing as You add to their number those who are being saved. Please watch over them and keep them safe. May the
recent announcement by Moroccan Islamic scholars, that there should be no penalty for leaving Islam, lead soon to recognition and religious liberty for Moroccans who have chosen to follow You. In Christ’s Name we ask this. MONDAY 3 Islamist militants from the Sinai Province group, which is an affiliate of Islamic State (IS) have set up a morality police force (Hisba), whose job is to enforce a hard-line interpretation of Islam on the local population in North Sinai, Egypt. For example, women’s faces must be covered and men must have beards. The creation of the Hisba was announced in an online video in late March, which also denounced Christians and Sufi (mystic) Muslims. The video showed the beheading of two elderly Sufis. Pray for the protection of all moderate Muslims as well as Christians in North Sinai. Pray that the experience of living under such a strict version of Islam may cause Muslims to turn to Christ. TUESDAY 4 Islamic State attacks in North Sinai have had repercussions in neighbouring Gaza. “Easter celebrations did not go well. There is a lot of fear among Christians because of the attacks in Egypt,” said a church minister in Gaza, referring to the low attendance at Easter church services. The tiny and dwindling Christian community in the Gaza strip, thought to number only about a thousand people, live amongst a Muslim community of more than 1.7 million. The Lord Jesus, who lived on earth so near to Gaza, told His followers: “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32) Pray that the
Good Shepherd’s little flock in Gaza may treasure these words and take courage. WEDNESDAY 5 The plight of Christians in the Middle East is “a stain on humanity,” said Israel’s president, Reuven Rivlin, when he met church leaders in Jerusalem after Easter. Thank God for this expression of sympathy with those President Rivlin called “our Christian brothers” and pray for real and positive change for persecuted Christians in Syria and Iraq.
FRIDAY 7 “We have to abide by what the Hindu mob wants,” admitted Indian police after their colleagues arrested a pastor and a Bible college student who had been assaulted by Hindu extremists on 17 March. The extremists first tried
Some of the persecuted Christians of Ganaloya SATURDAY 8 The Pakistani government has launched an international effort to counter material on social media that they consider blasphemous to Islam. Following a meeting on 22 March, it was announced that 22 Muslim governments would collaborate on a strategy paper to be put before the UN to oppose “the madness unleashed against Islam and its holy personalities in the name of freedom of expression”. In early May millions of Pakistanis received text messages on their mobile phones warning them that sharing “blasphemous content” online is punishable under the law and asking them to report any such content. This is a major threat to free speech and religious liberty. Pray that this initiative will be abandoned.
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THURSDAY 6 Four Indian families who converted from the Sarna Dharam traditional religion to Christianity in 2010 were threatened with expulsion from their village unless they agree to become Hindus. The families, who are the only Christians in the village of Ganaloya, Jharkhand state, sought help from the police to explain to the Hindu villagers their constitutional rights. As a result the Christians have been allowed to stay in their homes but have been excluded from village life. They now have to travel 5-6 km to the nearest town to buy their daily needs, but, praise God, they have their own well, so exclusion from the village water source is not a problem. Each family had had an experience of sickness and healing, which led them to Christ. Pray that they may continue to stand firm for Him. “We are used to social boycotts and can deal with it,” said one of them.
to trap the pastor into accepting a bribe, and then they began beating him and the student. A police officer tried to intervene but the extremists told him to let them handle the Christians in their own way. Pray that the Lord, their rock, their fortress and their deliverer, will save Indian Christians from their enemies (Psalm 18:2).
SUNDAY 9 Dear Lord, we pray today
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for Christians in Sri Lanka, who are vulnerable to attack by police, local government officials, Buddhist extremists, Hindu extremists and Muslim extremists. As they gather to worship You, they are often attacked or ordered to close down. Even a youth prayer meeting was invaded earlier his year. Be with our brothers and sisters, old and young, as they worship You today. Keep them from anxiety or fear, and give special wisdom and courage to their leaders. We ask this in the Name of Christ.
MONDAY 10 A church service in Ingiriya, Kalutara District, Sri Lanka, on 25 March was invaded by a mob of about 50 people led by three Buddhist monks, who demanded that worship should stop and asked everybody’s names. One Christian called the police, but when they arrived they rebuked the Christians for breaching the community peace and ordered the pastor to attend a police inquiry. When he arrived for the inquiry, there was a mob of around 200 Buddhists, led by 20 monks. He endured further harassment and violence and eventually, at the request of the police, he and his wife left their home for their own safety. They had been ministering in the area for 17 years. The church building had been destroyed by a mob in 2002. Pray for this faithful couple and for the members of their church, that they will be able to consider their trials pure joy (James 1:2). TUESDAY 11 At least 50 people died and dozens were injured in attacks on three Christian communities in the Bambari region of the Central African Republic in late March. It is unclear which particular faction of the Islamist Seleka militia were responsible. Pray
that the Lord will comfort those who mourn and heal the injured. Pray for an end to the conflict in this mainly Christian country, which the Muslim militias want to rule again. WEDNESDAY 12 Praise God for answered prayer for good rains in Zimbabwe. The harvest in April-May was a “bumper crop” for some. But others, planting on poor soil, had lower yields. Some part-grown crops were damaged by floods or elephants. And some people struggled to farm because their animals were too weakened by hunger to pull the plough. Therefore many people do not have enough to feed their families for 12 months until the next harvest and will continue to need food. Please pray for them. Barnabas fund is providing a million meals a month.
Taridzai, a Zimbabwean Christian, and the maize she grew from seed supplied by Barnabas Fund. Many people were so desperate they had to eat the seed they had for sowing THURSDAY 13 Pastor Evan Mawarire who has been calling, through his “This Flag” movement, for justice to be restored in Zimbabwe, returned to Zimbabwe earlier this year and was arrested, but released soon afterwards on bail. He is being closely monitored
by the authorities and awaits a trial date. He is banned from visiting certain friends and relatives and not allowed to leave the country. But he has not been deterred and continues to speak out for justice. Join with Pastor Evan in praying that the cries of the poor in Zimbabwe will be heard (Proverbs 21:13).
SATURDAY 15 Over 30 people died when ethnic Fulani Muslim gunmen attacked Zaki Biam, a predominantly Christian village in Benue State, Nigeria, on 21 March. Arriving on motorcycles and in cars, they “stormed the yam market … and started shooting at anyone in sight.” A Christian group in Benue state called Tiv Professionals commented: “Between 2013 and 2016 alone, Fulani herdsmen killed more than 1,878 men, women and children in cold blood, from twelve Local Government Areas of Benue State. Another 750 were seriously wounded while 200 are missing. Over 99,427 households were affected in Benue State … through a brutal scorchearth strategy.” Pray for the protection of Benue Christians.
You our brothers and sisters in North Korea, where they endure such terrible persecution for Your Name’s sake. Thank you for their steadfast faith, especially those who have been sent to harsh labour camps, where they may die. In their hunger and pain, let them feel Your presence. Although they are cut off from the rest of the Church today, may they be conscious that they are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses as they run with perseverance the race marked out for them, fixing their eyes on You. (Hebrews 12:1-2)
MONDAY 17 Praise God for the growth of His Church in India. Pray that the Indian government will make a stand for the right of the Christian minority in India to worship and share their faith freely without the harassment and violence that they often face from Hindu extremists. Pray that Indian believers will continue to witness boldly that in Christ all are equal children of God, loved by Him, regardless of their status in society. TUESDAY 18 Basuki Tjahaha Purnama (known as Ahok), a Christian who was governor of the Indonesian capital Jakarta, was defeated when he stood for re-election on 19 April. On 9 May he was found guilty of blasphemy and inciting violence. The accusation centred on the fact that during the election campaign he had challenged the way that some Islamic leaders were telling Muslims not to vote for a nonMuslim on the basis of a verse in the
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FRIDAY 14 Nigerian church leaders meeting in Kaduna State have called on their government to protect Christians living in the predominantly Muslim north of the country who face “continuous killings by [Fulani] herdsmen”. Rev. Amos Kiri urged the Nigerian government to recognise that Fulani herdsmen, like Boko Haram, are deadly and target predominantly Christian communities and kill Christians. Pray that the government will respond effectively. Pray also that Nigerian Christians will turn the other cheek and not counter violence with violence.
SUNDAY 16 O Lord Jesus, we bring to
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Quran. The prosecution had asked only for a one-year suspended sentence, but the judge gave him a two-year prison sentence. Some Muslims called for him to be hanged, while others were heartbroken that he had been found guilty of what they believed to be a false accusation that had been politically motivated. Ahok has said he will appeal. Pray that he will be acquitted and released. WEDNESDAY 19 Local authorities in West Java, Indonesia, banned two congregations from holding services and shut down a Sunday School which used to meet in a house because, following protests by Islamists, the authorities could not “guarantee their safety”. One of the congregations had been experiencing intimidation since 2014. Pray that the Indonesian authorities will exert themselves to protect vulnerable Christians in this the most populous Muslim country in the world. Only a generation ago, it was a peaceful and harmonious society with anti-Christian violence virtually unknown. THURSDAY 20 The Law on Belief and Religion that was passed in Vietnam on 18 November 2016 does not come into effect until 1 January 2018. If properly enforced it will improve the rights of individual believers as well as of religious organisations, even though not bringing the situation fully up to international standards. Pray that the communist government of Vietnam will sincerely and effectively implement the new law and that real positive change will be seen for Christians and followers of other religions. Pray that these changes may begin even in 2017 before the official deadline.
FRIDAY 21 The 2017 report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom notes that, despite some improvements in religious liberty in Vietnam, the government either directs or allows harassment and discrimination against many religious organisations, especially those that advocate for human rights. “There is a disconnect between the central government’s overtures to improve religious freedom conditions and the ongoing actions taken by local officials, public security, and organized thugs to threaten and physically harm religious followers and their houses of worship.” Thank the Lord that in some parts of Vietnam Christians are treated well, but pray for Vietnamese Christians facing pressure as well as those of other religions who are targeted. SATURDAY 22 On 16 April a referendum in Turkey agreed a new constitution. This gives the president (currently Recep Tayyip Erdogan) sweeping new powers over appointments, budgets and the senior judiciary. The “new” constitution bears a striking resemblance to the first Ottoman constitution of 1876, according to which there was an elected parliament but the sultan had power to appoint ministers, make treaties and declare war, as well as having the final say on criminal sentencing and the ability to dissolve parliament. As Turkey under President Erdogan seems to be slowly morphing into the old Ottoman Empire, please pray for the protection of Christians, who would become officially a second class community. The new powers will come into force after the next presidential elections (due November 2019). Pray that God will intervene before this happens.
SUNDAY 23 Lord Jesus Christ, who
loved the little children, we pray for Christian children today who go to school in hostile environments, where they are despised, discriminated against, pressured to deny You, or even physically attacked. May each one have a deep, simple and abiding trust in You. May their faith be matured, as they learn so young what it is to suffer for You. We pray especially for those who are the only believer in their class, or perhaps in their whole school. May they know the presence of your Holy Spirit with them moment by moment so that they do not feel alone.
A class of Bangladeshi Christian children at prayer TUESDAY 25 Christians in Godogodo, Kaduna State, Nigeria, planned a special thanksgiving day on 9 April, to thank
WEDNESDAY 26 Eighty-two young women were released by Boko Haram on 6 May in exchange for five Boko Haram commanders who had been captured by the Nigerian army. The 82 were some of the famous “Chibok girls” (mainly Christians), kidnapped from their school in April 2014 when they were in their mid-teens. Praise God for their release and ask Him to help them in the transition back to normal life. “God is answering the prayers of His people … we are praying for the rest of the girls to be released,” said the Chibok local chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria. At the time of writing there are still about 113 Chibok girls held by Boko Haram. THURSDAY 27 The midnight raid on the schoolgirls in Chibok three years ago was only one example of many such kidnappings by Boko Haram.
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MONDAY 24 In the last year Barnabas Fund has supported 96 Christian schools, enabling 9772 children of Christian families to get an education in a safe, nurturing and Christian environment. Pray for the teachers in these schools, that they will be given grace and strength not only to help the children in their studies, but also to enable them to grow in their Christian faith and realise that they are precious and loved by the Lord, even if society at large despises them and their parents.
God “that we have all finished the first quarter of the year successfully” i.e. that no one had been killed by ethnic Fulani Muslim herdsmen in the first three months of 2017. But on 8 April a body was found dumped in the bush; it was a man who had gone to his farm about a week earlier and never came back. Most of the people in Godogodo are farmers, and feel very vulnerable to attack when working in their fields. A local pastor shared his prayer requests with Barnabas Fund: 1. That the Fulani will leave the region; 2. For wisdom for Christians to know how to respond to provocation; 3. For unity amongst Christians across denominations and tribes so that the jihadists cannot “divide and rule” them; 4. That all Christians may trust fully and only in the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Thousands of other people, many of them Christians, are being held by Boko Haram but without such international publicity. Many of those kidnapped have been forced into marriage with jihadi fighters or have been forced to become fighters themselves. Lift them all to the Lord Jesus, who was sent to proclaim freedom for the prisoners (Luke 4:18). He knows each one by name. FRIDAY 28 Last year Boko Haram released 21 other “Chibok girls” but, at the time of writing, they have only been able to spend a couple of days with their families in Chibok for a brief visit at Christmas. The rest of the time, the government has kept them hundreds of miles away in the Nigerian capital, Abuja. These young women have endured so much in the last three years; pray that the government will let them go home to be loved and welcomed by the families who have longed and prayed for their return. Ask Jehovah Rapha, the Lord who heals, to restore the lives of our sisters. SATURDAY 29 Borno State is one of the twelve Nigerian states which have implemented elements of sharia (Islamic law). Nevertheless its governor, a Muslim called Kashim Shettima, promised in September 2016 to rebuild churches which had been destroyed by Boko Haram in Lassa, a mainly Christian town in the south of Borno. At the time of writing, eleven churches have been re-built by the state government. Praise God that Governor Shettima is keeping his promise. However, there are hundreds of other destroyed churches elsewhere in Borno – pray that they too may be rebuilt.
SUNDAY 30 Lord Jesus Christ, who told
His followers to love their enemies, we pray today for the Islamic militants of Boko Haram, who are focusing so hard on attacking Christians in Nigeria and other West African countries. Please reveal Yourself to those militants. They have kidnapped thousands of Christians, to try to turn them into radical Muslims. We ask that instead that the kidnappers will become Christians. As they see the lives of their Christian hostages full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, may the Boko Haram militants turn in revulsion from a life of violence and hatred, seeking instead to follow You. MONDAY 31 Ameen Masih (45) was not able to keep up the monthly repayments for some electronic goods that he had bought from a shop in Uggoki, Sialkot, Pakistan. On the morning of 3 April a group from the shop came to his home and beat him with sticks and cricket bats. At night they returned, locked him in a room and set it on fire. They stood outside the door to prevent anyone from rescuing him. As the family desperately phoned the police, the group from the shop slipped away, taking the keys to the burning room. Relatives and neighbours then broke the wall down, but Ameen was already dead. Ameen was a Christian; it is highly unlikely that this kind of brutal retribution would have been meted out to a Muslim debtor. Pray for his widow Rakhil, a factory-worker, and their three children aged 14, 12 and 9, whom she must now find a way to support financially without Ameen’s wages. The traumatised children became silent after witnessing their father’s horrific death.
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Sumbel was fortunate that the Lahore High Court ruled she should be returned to her family after kidnapping and forced conversion to Islam
THURSDAY 3 Many Christians in Pakistan cannot even afford to buy enough food, so Barnabas helps with monthly food parcels for thousands of families. But this simple help can bring many other benefits. Chanoo and Sapna’s son had polio as a child, leaving one leg permanently damaged. Now a grown man, his disability meant he could not find employment. But when the family started getting food parcels they were able to save enough money to buy him a rickshaw, by which he now earns an income. Praise God for this and many other Pakistani Christian families who eke out an existence as a despised and downtrodden minority, yet stay faithful to the Lord. FRIDAY 4 Imran Khan, the former cricketer who is now a prominent politician in Pakistan, has pledged,
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TUESDAY 1 Sumbel (14) belongs to one of the only two Christian families in her local community in Pakistan. She was friends with a Muslim lady and often they would visit each other’s home. One day, after a quarrel with her sister-in-law, Sumbel stayed all day with her friend and then went home. That evening her friend’s brother-in-law, a police officer called Munir Ahmed, called at Sumbel’s home and took her by force back to his home, where she had just spent the day. There she was kept for more than four months, forced to practise Islam, attend a Quran school and use the Muslim name “Fatima”. It was only when her mother took the matter to court in April that Sumbel was released back to her own family. According to Sumbel, Munir Ahmed had a business of kidnapping, converting and selling girls. Pakistani Christian girls are very vulnerable to being kidnapped, forcibly converted to Islam and forced to marry a Muslim but it is rare that the authorities intervene to assist them as happened with Sumbel. Pray for the protection of our young sisters and also for Hindu girls, who are equally vulnerable.
WEDNESDAY 2 Aasia Bibi has been in prison for eight years. The Pakistani Christian fruit-picker was falsely accused of blasphemy by her Muslim co-workers after a quarrel during which they rebuked her for drinking water from the same cup that Muslims used and she said, “I believe in my religion and in Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for the sins of mankind. What did your Prophet Muhammad ever do to save mankind?” She was sentenced to death in 2010 and has been appealing against it ever since. Her case has now reached the Supreme Court, the scheduled hearings keep being postponed. In April her legal request for an “early hearing” by the Supreme Court was rejected. Pray that God will intervene for Aasia Bibi and grant her justice and freedom.
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“We will make sure no one misuses the blasphemy law again.” The context of this remark, made on 18 April, was the lynching of a 23-year-old Ahmadiyya student called Mashal Khan. “It has become clear during the investigation that Mashal never committed blasphemy. He was framed and murdered,” said Imran Khan. Ahmadiyyas are severely persecuted in Pakistan and, like Christians, are very vulnerable to false accusation under the blasphemy law. This can result either in a death sentence from the courts or extra-judicial murder by zealous Muslims. Previous politicians who have taken a stance against the blasphemy law have been threatened or assassinated. Pray for real change in Pakistan so that all minorities are safe from malicious false accusation. SATURDAY 5 A very different reaction to the murder of Mashal Khan (see above) came from a Pakistani mufti called Muhammad Haneef Qureshi. He said that Aasia Bibi (see 2 August) should be hanged immediately and this would prevent any more mob violence. He said that it was because of the repeated delays in implementing Aasia Bibi’s death sentence that “people have lost faith in the state, due to the carelessness of the institutions and their criminal silence” i.e. if the state delays in executing blasphemers, Muslim mobs can hardly be blamed for taking on the job themselves. Pray that this shocking opinion will be firmly rejected by other Pakistani Muslims. SUNDAY 6 Father in heaven, be with our Somali Christian brothers and sisters today. Each one has made a decision to take Your Son Jesus as their Lord and
Saviour, knowing that as apostates from Islam they may very likely be killed by Al-Shabaab militants or other zealous Muslims. Please keep them steadfast in Your perfect peace, as they trust in You. As they remember other Somali Christians who have been martyred, may they not waver or falter in their faith, but be encouraged and inspired anew to take up their cross and follow Christ, in whose Name we pray. (Isaiah 26:3) MONDAY 7 The Communist government of Eritrea brutally persecutes certain Christian denominations. As a result tens of thousands of Eritrean Christians have fled their homeland. Yet many have not been able to find a welcome in a free, safe country, but instead have simply found further rejection and persecution. Pray that they may not lose heart, although hard pressed on every side, and that they will be encouraged by the knowledge that their “light and momentary troubles” are achieving for them an eternal glory that far outweighs them all (2 Corinthians 4:8,16-17). TUESDAY 8 Through the generosity of Barnabas Fund supporters, Project Joseph has been able to feed 156,500 Christians on the brink of starvation in Kenya and Uganda, including 79,000 South Sudanese who fled famine in their homeland to seek help in Uganda. Thank the Lord with us for this, and pray for His mercy on all who have suffered from the terrible food crisis of recent months. Ask the Lord for favourable weather across Africa so that crops will grow well. Pray too for the speedy restoration of lives and livelihoods, which usually takes several years after a crisis of this magnitude.
in Madhya Pradesh. In Haryana and Rajasthan, Hindu extremists disrupted church services and persuaded police to arrest Christians by falsely alleging they had forced Hindus to convert to Christianity. In Tamil Nadu, local officials invaded a private prayer meeting in a pastor’s home, and in Uttar Pradesh a pastor was beaten up by a mob. Pray that Indian Christians will not “give up meeting together”, even though they never know if they will get to the end of a meeting without being attacked. (Hebrews 10:25) Project Joseph food distribution in Kenya
THURSDAY 10 Christians were targeted in incidents in at least five different states across India on Palm Sunday (9 April). Police arrested three pastors and their wives during a church service
SATURDAY 12 A boy came to Pastor Sikander Kumar’s house in Jadhua village, Bihar state, India, in early April and asked him to come outside for a personal talk. When the pastor did so, he was set on by 15 Hindu extremists armed with sticks, swords and a spiked metal mace. They left him lying in a pool of blood, badly wounded, especially from two deep sword cuts. Two months previously a mob had attacked him and his wife on the church premises. The aim in both cases was to close down the church. Many other pastors and evangelists in India are attacked in similar ways. Pray that God will send His angels to protect His faithful servants.
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WEDNESDAY 9 A three-day Christian gathering in Chhattisgarh state, India, was shut down by police on the first evening (3 April). About 40 Hindu extremists invaded the meeting at 9.00 pm and then called the police, claiming that the Christians were engaging in “conversion activity”. Although the organisers had obtained permission to hold the event, police insisted that it should be stopped and made the Christians state in writing that they were willingly terminating the programme to avoid communal riots. Privately, police acknowledged that there was no conversion activity, but they could not protect the Christians against the Hindu extremists. Pray for these and other Indian Christians whom the authorities cannot or will not protect, asking that the Lord will be a shield around them (Psalm 3:3).
FRIDAY 11 Please pray for good and safe progress for the construction of a new building at the Divya Shanthi children’s ministry in Bangalore, India, which is being funded by Barnabas. With 63 children living in the small compound, more than 500 others coming daily to school there, and many other activities, pray that God will guide the leaders in a wonderful way as they seek to continue this ministry while the building work goes on.
SUNDAY 13 Dear Jesus, our Lord and
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Saviour, just as Your earliest followers suffered for You under Roman rule and many died for You, so Your 21st century followers are suffering under many regimes and governments around the world. Thank you for the example of our brothers and sisters of old and today. We know that the death of your saints is precious in Your sight. Help us to live boldly for You, faithful to Your commands, wherever You have placed us. Keep us from compromise or backsliding. Enable us to finish the race and keep the faith. (Psalm 116:15; 2 Timothy 4:7)
MONDAY 14 A 30-year-old Christian was travelling by train in Sydney, Australia, on 4 April when he was attacked by five Muslim youths. “Mike” was wearing a cross, which his mother had given him when he was a teenager. “They ripped the cross off me, threw it to the ground,” said Mike, explaining how they also swore at Jesus. The youths spoke of Allah and then began to assault the Christian. Pray that Western Christians may count it a privilege to suffer for the Name of Christ as so many believers do in other parts of the world. Pray that such persecution will strengthen the Church in the West. TUESDAY 15 A Christian Afghan asylumseeker in Germany has been stabbed to death by a Muslim Afghan asylumseeker. The 38-year-old victim was killed near a supermarket in the small Bavarian town of Prien am Chiemsee. Her assailant kept stabbing until he had been dragged away by a policeman and passers-by. Two of the woman’s children, aged 5 and 11, saw the attack, which is thought to have been motivated
by their mother’s conversion from Islam. Ask God to protect Afghans who have chosen to follow Christ, wherever they are in the world. Pray for her four children, especially those who witnessed the murder. WEDNESDAY 16 Two Easter Sunday worship services in Kazakhstan were raided by police, and the leaders were fined for meeting without prior registration. Another congregation has been fined for meeting in a place other than its registered address (Forum 18). Baptists in Kazakhstan have been speaking of a “new wave” of raids against their churches in 2017 with many summary fines imposed, without a court hearing. Pray that the Christians of Kazakhstan will not lose heart and that their Christ-like lives will be a powerful witness to those who are persecuting them. THURSDAY 17 Impoverished rural Christians in a very restricted country of Central Asia cannot afford much medical care. Yet pressures and persecution take their toll on the health of believers, especially of pastors and their families who are the main targets for harassment by the authorities. To make things worse, Christian patients are sometimes discriminated against by local hospital staff. Barnabas is supporting a travelling team of Christian health professionals and a medical fund to cover drugs and treatments. Pray that God will guide the travelling team and give wisdom to the Christian leaders who disburse the medical fund. FRIDAY 18 Two Iranian Christians from a Muslim background who were arrested as they picnicked with their
families on 26 August 2016 were brought to trial on 8 April after seven months in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison. They are accused of organising house churches (i.e Farsi-speaking congregations of Iranian converts from Islam). At the time of writing, the verdict had not been announced. Amin Afshar Naderi and Hadi Asghari had gone on hunger strike to protest against their long detention without charge and this has damaged their health. Pray for our brothers, whatever their situation at the time you are reading this, whether or not they are in prison, whether or not they are sick, that they can affirm, “It is well with my soul.”
SATURDAY 19 Iran’s Guardian Council has power to overrule the Iranian parliament and ban candidates from standing in parliamentary elections. Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, head of the Guardian Council, stated that non-Muslim minorities should not be allowed to stand for election in the city council elections on 19 May. He said this violated sharia (no doubt referring to the classical Islamic teaching that non-Muslims should not be in authority over Muslims). The speaker
SUNDAY 20 O Lord, we pray today for
Christian minorities in countries where the police and security forces do not protect them from mob violence. We ask that You will keep their hearts from fear and remind them of Your many promises of deliverance and blessing. May they lie down to sleep in peace, knowing that You sustain them and that they need not be afraid even if tens of thousands are drawn up against them on every side. Where human authorities are too weak or timid to help them, may our brothers and sisters know that You Yourself are a shield around them. In Jesus’ Name we ask. (Psalm 3) MONDAY 21 On 11 May the Standing Committee on Religious Affairs of Pakistan’s Senate unanimously approved a bill to enforce the Islamic Ramadan fast month. Anybody (whether Muslim or non-Muslim) who eats openly during the daytime will be liable to a fine of £3.70 (€4.40) and a three-month prison sentence. Hotel owners would be fined £180 (€220) and cinemas £3,700 (€4,400). This law was approved barely two weeks before Ramadan began and goes beyond the requirements of Islamic law which does not require non-Muslims to keep the Ramadan fast. Pray that the law will be repealed before next Ramadan which will begin about 15 May 2018.
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Medical help for a pastor’s son who had constant headaches
of the Iranian parliament, however, contradicted him. It is parliament, not the Guardian Council, which approves candidates for city council seats and it appears that non-Muslims were allowed to stand. Pray that the rights of non-Muslims in Iran will be maintained and extended.
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TUESDAY 22 Zafar Bhatti, a Pakistani Christian accused of sending blasphemous text messages about Muhammad from a mobile phone, was given a life sentence on 3 May. There is a mandatory death sentence in Pakistani law for “defiling the name” of Muhammad, but the judge in this case awarded the life-term in prison instead because there was no concrete evidence against Zafar. For example, the phone used to send the messages was not registered in his name. Pray for Zafar, who has been in prison since 2012, that he will not lose hope. Pray also for the courageous Christian legal team representing him, asking the Lord to protect them and grant them favour as they take his case to a higher court. WEDNESDAY 23 Praise God that Pakistani security services foiled a planned terrorist attack on a church in Lahore at Easter. (There had been a huge and deadly attack on Christians in Lahore on Easter Day 2016.) One of the would-be suicide bombers died during the raid by security forces on Good Friday, 14 April, but another – a woman – was captured alive. Pray for her that the Prince of Peace will meet with her. THURSDAY 24 Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for two attacks on churches in Egypt on Palm Sunday (9 April). At least 46 people died and around 110 were injured by suicide bombers at churches in Alexandria and Tanta. Please pray for the injured and the bereaved that the Lord will touch and help each one according to their need. Barnabas has sent funds to help with medical costs.
FRIDAY 25 Nabil Sabar, an Egyptian Christian father of two, was gunned down by masked men in his barber’s shop in Al Arish, North Sinai on 6 May. According to reports, he had had fled the town earlier in the year, together with most of the rest of its Christian population, following the murders of six Christians. Unable to find a way to support his family in their new location, Nabil had gone back to Al Arish to re-open his barber’s shop. Pray for his grieving friends and relatives that they may be comforted in the knowledge that Nabil died as a martyr for Christ. SATURDAY 26 Saudi Arabia, a country where any public expression of a nonIslamic religion is banned, has many Christians who have come from Asia, Africa and elsewhere to work. There are also Saudi believers who have converted from Islam – only the Lord knows the number. Pray for all our brothers and sisters in Saudi Arabia, whatever their background, that they may abide in the Lord Jesus, as He abides in them (John 15:4). Ask that they will grow in faith and knowledge, even though it is so difficult and dangerous for them to meet with other believers for fellowship and teaching. SUNDAY 27 Heavenly Father, be
with our Christian brothers and sisters in Syria, who have endured six years of conflict and antiChristian persecution. Each one has experienced or witnessed terrible things. Most have lost homes, jobs, health or loved ones. We praise You for the testimony of so many Syrian believers that these experiences have strengthened their faith. We affirm
with them that we consider everything a loss compared with the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus, Your Son, our Lord, for whose sake they have lost all things and we are willing to lose all things too, if that is Your will. (Philippians 3:8)
MONDAY 28 Although Aleppo, the largest city in Syria, has finally been liberated from the Islamist rebel groups, its infrastructure was virtually destroyed during the long years of siege and war. Barnabas Fund is continuing to provide food, medical care and other basic needs for the remaining Christians. We have recently sent funds for four more wells to be dug, in addition to more than two dozen funded already which are providing water for quarter of a million people. Pray that these will bring hope and encouragement in Christ’s Name as well as providing clean safe water. TUESDAY 29 Christians who fled from Mosul and other towns of the Nineveh Plains – the traditional heartland of Iraqi Christianity – hesitate to return even now that Islamic State (IS, ISIS) has been pushed out. “We are dealing with a new generation bred by ISIS
WEDNESDAY 30 “How can we possibly live somewhere we don’t feel welcome or safe?” ask Christians who used to live in Qaraqosh, the most populous Christian town in Iraq. Before Islamic State invaded in 2014, around 95% of its 50,000 residents had been Christians. Qaraqosh was liberated by the Iraqi army in late 2016 but its former inhabitants dare not return. “It was not just Islamic State who destroyed our homes, it was also our neighbours, the ones we considered our friends,” said a displaced 80-yearold now living in a Christian camp in Erbil. Pray that these Christian families, who have already lived three years in “temporary” accommodation, may fix their hearts on their eternal heavenly home. THURSDAY 31 Pray for all security forces around the world working to prevent violence and destruction, that our Lord will lead and guide them in their work, even though they may not know Him. As governments seek ways to enable their populations to live harmoniously together, and as academics wrestle with the issue of how to de-radicalise men, women and children who have been taught hatred and intolerance, pray that our omniscient and omnipotent Lord will work through them all to bring peace, stability and justice across His world. (1 Timothy 2:1-2)
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A Syrian Christian child
- they have a radical anti-Christian viewpoint,” explained an Iraqi pastor trying to convey how hostile local Muslims have become. Pray that Iraqi Muslims will reject what Islamic State have taught them and resume their former friendly attitude to Christians.
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Front cover: Brick kiln Christians in Pakistan.