To help you pray for the persecuted church
March/April 2016
barnabasaid.org
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. Please do not feel limited by the specific prayer requests, but pray as you feel led.
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March Tuesday 1 Give thanks for the unwavering faith of Christians in Kyrgyzstan despite the difficult conditions they face. Pray for Christian converts from Islam, that they will be protected from discrimination and from harm as they live out their bold decision. Ask the Lord to be sovereign over
Christians in Kyrgyzstan
the decisions taken by Kyrgyz lawmakers. Pray that a proposal to increase the number of church members needed for official registration will not succeed, and pray also that other laws concerning Christian gatherings will be eased. Wednesday 2 Pray for greater religious freedoms for Christians in Laos, who struggle to gain permission to meet together or share their faith with others. Pray for those who are in prison for their commitment to the Gospel. Pray that the authorities will be prevented from doing them harm, and will soon grant them release. Ask the Lord to provide for the material needs of those who have been forced to leave their homes, villages, and fields. Pray God’s protection over the Christian community, and especially over the ethnic minorities in rural areas. Thursday 3 Lift up in prayer Libyan converts from Islam, who are very few in number, that they will be able to stand firm in their faith, and be witnesses to the love of Jesus in their daily lives. Pray for protection for the many Christian migrants living in or passing through the country, that they will not be exploited by unscrupulous people-smugglers, or kidnapped and killed by militants from the Islamic State group. Pray that God will raise up leaders who will govern the country with justice and integrity so that peace and security will grow. Friday 4 Pray for God’s blessing on Mauritanian Christians who have made the decision to leave the Islamic religion of their families and communities to follow the
Lord Jesus Christ. Pray also for their protection as they live under authorities who can place a death sentence on those who leave Islam, and pray that they will have courage to press on towards the goal (Philippians 3:14). Pray that laws against Christian activity will be eased so that Christians will be able to meet together freely for encouragement and teaching. Pray that the seeds of radical Islamism will wither before they take root.
Sunday 6 Pray for protection for Christian women in contexts of antiChristian persecution, where they are often doubly discriminated against for being Christians and for being female. Ask that the authorities in Pakistan and Egypt, where kidnapping of Christian women for forced marriage to Muslim men is common, will do more to prevent it. Ask that the Holy Spirit will enable persecuted women to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power (Ephesians 6:10) despite their vulnerability.
Tuesday 8 Lift up in prayer the many thousands of Nigerian Christians and others who have been displaced from their homes because of anti-Christian violence. Pray that God will comfort those who have lost loved ones in the brutal attacks that have occurred in market places, churches, schools, and Christian villages as well as in attacks on mosques and on the security forces. Pray that the international community will prioritize the insurgency in Nigeria and will act to bring an end to the brutality of the Boko Haram group. Ask the Lord to lead security forces to the places where kidnapped people are being held, so that they can be returned to their families. Wednesday 9 Lift up in prayer North Korean Christians subjected to a life of secrecy and caution. Pray that God will protect them and grant them great wisdom in how to live out their faith. Pray especially for Christians who are living in prison camps, for strength for each day and
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Saturday 5 Give thanks for the steadfast commitment of Moroccans who have converted to Christianity despite the dangerous impact of this decision. Pray for Muslims who feel drawn to Christ, that they will have courage to make a decision to follow Him, and that they will be protected from harm. Pray that foreign missionaries will have wisdom in their work, and will not accidentally endanger Moroccan Christians. Ask God to intervene in the political structures in Morocco so that there will be greater freedom for Christians to meet and share their faith with others.
Monday 7 Give thanks for the rapid growth of the Church in Nepal over recent decades. Pray for wisdom for authorities at every level as they begin to implement the new constitution that has been many years in the making. Pray that the legislation that punishes anyone involved in converting someone from one religion to another will be amended, so that Nepalese citizens can freely choose their faith and share it without fear of punishment. Ask the Lord to provide the material needs of all those who lost their homes in the earthquakes last year. Pray that God will comfort the many who have lost loved ones.
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perseverance to endure. Ask also for a transformation of the political system so that the country’s citizens are released from fear and hunger. Thursday 10 Pray for dramatic changes to be made to Pakistan’s “blasphemy laws”, so that they cannot be misused by making false accusations against poor Christians. Lift up in prayer Aasia Bibi, a Christian mother of five, who has been languishing in prison since 2009 after she was falsely charged with insulting the name of Muhammad. She has been sentenced to death; pray that her appeal in the law courts may succeed. Ask the Lord to protect vulnerable Christian women and girls from being kidnapped, forcibly converted to Islam, and forced into Islamic marriages. Pray that those being held in unfair and abusive “bonded labor” will be enabled to free themselves. Friday 11 Pray for God’s protection and wisdom for Christians living in the Bangsamoro area of Mindanao island, in the southern Philippines, which is moving towards becoming a semi-independent sub-state ruled by sharia. Pray especially for Muslim converts to Christianity in this area, who could be tried for apostasy under sharia courts. Pray also for restraint on the part of authorities in Bangsamoro so that harsh sharia punishments will not be dealt out. Ask the Lord to meet the practical needs of all who have been affected by natural disaster in the Philippines. Pray that He will comfort those who have lost homes and loved ones.
Saturday 12 Lift up in prayer Christians across Russia, whose freedoms are subject to the country’s political tides. Ask the Lord to grant believers great wisdom to know how best to live out their faith. Pray that the Lord will be sovereign over the decisions and actions of government and police authorities.
Russian Christians worshipping Sunday 13 Give thanks for all those who leave another religion to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, and for the faith of those who endure, even in the face of great loss and suffering. Pray that the Lord will use other Christians to support, comfort, and encourage vulnerable new converts and that He will strengthen new Christians who are isolated. Pray for protection for those who are at risk of violence, and ask that those who are rejected by their families will be comforted by the knowledge that their place in God’s family can never be taken away from them. Monday 14 Pray that the brutality of the legal system in Saudi Arabia will end and that the pillars of its laws will be set on the foundations of God’s justice. Restrictions on Saudi Arabia’s women have shown some signs of easing as they were
allowed to vote and to stand in elections in December, for the first time in the country’s history. Pray that restrictions on non-Muslims will similarly be eased. Pray that all attempts to promote hatred against God’s people, whether in education, sermons, media, or law, will be thwarted. Ask God to protect Saudi citizens who have decided to leave Islam and become Christians. Pray that they will not feel loneliness as a tiny minority of secret believers, but will find opportunities for fellowship and teaching whether in person, online, or in other ways.
Wednesday 16 Pray that Sri Lanka’s President Sirisena will show a greater commitment to protecting the religious freedoms of the country’s Christians and will not yield to pressure from violent hard-line Buddhist groups. Pray that Sri Lankan Christians will have courage and perseverance to live out their faith. Pray that many of the country’s believers will be lifted from the deep poverty in which they are entrenched. Ask that they will have fair access to educational and employment opportunities and that
Thursday 17 Pray for Christians in Sudan who live under sharia and with the constant threat of intimidation, harassment, and arrest. Pray that they will have the strength and courage to remain firm in the faith. Pray also for an end to the government’s campaign to target the Christian minority. Thank the Lord for restoring the powers regarding land and buildings of one Khartoum church to the church’s committee. Pray that there will be greater freedoms for Christians across Sudan to meet together and live out their faith without fear. Friday 18 Lift up in prayer our suffering brothers and sisters in Syria. Ask the Lord to shield them from the dangers of living in a war zone and to hide them from Islamic State militants. Pray for the safe release of all those being held hostage. Pray too for those who have been displaced from their homes, that the Lord will comfort them in their loss and be their Shepherd to guide them to safety. Ask the Lord to bring an end to the violence against so many innocent civilians who are suffering in this country. Saturday 19 Pray for Christians in Tajikistan who face so many restrictions in the way in which they can practically live out their faith. Ask the Lord to encourage them in their walk with Him and to show them how He would have them serve Him. Pray that the controls on Christian activity and publications will be eased so that
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Tuesday 15 Lift up in prayer Christian converts in Somalia who have made a costly decision and face an isolated, dangerous life. Pray that they will know that they have brothers and sisters around the world who remember them in prayer. Pray also that they will be able to connect safely with other believers. Praise God that al-Shabaab forces are slowly being driven from more and more parts of the country. Pray for a government that will bring a just and merciful rule to this chaotic country.
any tactics to discriminate will be brought into the light. Pray also that they will be protected from insults, threats, and attacks.
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believers can meet freely without fear of imprisonment and fines. Pray especially for Christian children, that they will grow in their faith in spite of the government restrictions on their involvement in Christian activities.
Sunday 20 Pray for the older generation of Christians in contexts where they live in poverty and suffer persecution because of their faith. Ask God to uphold them in their sufferings, to meet their needs, and make His power perfect in their weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Pray that they may know His peace and joy in their remaining years and that their wisdom and experience will strengthen younger Christians. Pray too that the elderly care homes provided by Barnabas Aid will provide a loving, caring, Christian environment for those who have no relatives able to look after them. Monday 21 Give thanks for the courage of converts to Christianity in Tanzania, particularly in the Zanzibar archipelago, to stand firm in their faith despite the threat of rejection and violence. Pray for peaceful relationships between Christians and Muslims across the country, particularly now as the country currently works towards the creation of a new constitution. Pray that the new constitution will provide equality, and full freedom of religion. Pray also that God will protect His people from harm. Lift up in prayer the families of those who have been attacked and killed; ask the Lord to comfort them and to drive away fear. Pray that the government will be wise in the laws that it is implementing.
Tuesday 22 Lift up in prayer Tunisian Christians, many of whom live as secret believers because of the marginalization and harassment they may encounter. Pray that they will be able to encourage one another in the faith. Pray that the rights and freedoms granted to the Christian community and other minorities in the new constitution will be honored in practice. Pray also against the roots of instability that Islamic extremists can so easily exploit. Wednesday 23 Give thanks for the many Turkish people of Armenian descent who are publicly declaring their decision to follow Christ. Ask the Lord to protect them from insults, harassment, and attacks. Thank the Lord also for the positive developments in terms of religious freedoms for Christians over recent decades. Pray that there will be more freedom for Christians to practice their faith openly without encountering restrictions at every step. Pray that God will guide government officials in the country’s foreign policy with regard to their neighbor Syria. Thursday 24 Lift up in prayer our brothers and sisters in Uzbekistan who face the constant threat of discrimination, fines, and imprisonment. Pray for a loosening of control over believers, so that they can meet together for teaching, worship, and mutual encouragement. Pray especially for Christian children who are often discouraged by the authorities from participating in Christian activities. Uzbekistan’s economic situation continues to deteriorate, creating
instability and forcing numerous Christians to leave the country. Ask the Lord to strengthen churches which are struggling to continue in these conditions.
Saturday 26 Pray that God will protect Vietnamese Montagnards who have been sent back to their home country after they fled to Cambodia, despite the threat of persecution. Lift up in prayer those who are in unregistered house churches because of the difficulty of registering. Pray that, in their vulnerable position, they will know the protection and strength of the Lord. Ask God to be with His people who are in prison, that they may know the joy of His presence in the midst of suffering.
Easter Sunday Give thanks to God for the living hope that He has given us through the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Pray that Christians who suffer for His Name’s sake will be encouraged by the promise of an
Burmese Christian children praying
Monday 28 A group of Christians had gathered to worship the Lord in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, one Sunday last November when eight plain-clothes anti-terrorism police officers stormed their meeting. Twelve adult Christians were detained, plus five of their infant children. Forum 18 reports that they were held at the police station for nine hours, during which time they were forbidden to use the toilet facilities and denied water to drink. Some were hit and those who had infant children were not allowed to feed them. The aim was to get the Christians to write statements condemning themselves and Sarvar Zhuliyev in whose home they had been meeting. Some of the young children were interrogated on their own and compelled to write similar statements. Please pray for these traumatized brothers and sisters,
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Good Friday Give thanks to God for the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus and for His gift of eternal life to all who believe. Praise Him for the faithfulness of believers who did not cling to life in the face of death (Revelation 12:11). Pray that their willingness to die for Christ will inspire their brothers and sisters to endure whatever sufferings befall them and will also convince their persecutors of the truth and power of the Gospel. Pray too that their bereaved families and churches will not grieve without hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13) but be comforted by the knowledge that their loved ones died as martyrs.
enduring inheritance and so stand firm in their faith, whatever may happen to them. Pray too that in our own sufferings we will be sustained by this hope.
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old and young, that God will enable them to count it all joy, knowing that the testing of their faith will develop perseverance (James 1:2). Tuesday 29 “You the Christian leaders will have to bid goodbye to this world very soon.” This threat came in a letter to Bangladeshi pastor Barnabas Hemrom on November 25. “We are going to finish off all, one by one, who are spreading Christianity in Bangladesh,” said the letter which listed the names of another nine pastors in the area of Rangpur. A fortnight earlier, Rev. Martin Adkihari, a theological college principal in Dhaka, received a text message on his phone saying “Eat your most favorite foods now. Only five days of your life are left.” In all, more than 20 Christian leaders and workers received threats at the end of last year, and at least three violent attacks took place although no one was killed. Pray for courage and protection for all believers in Bangladesh. Wednesday 30 A report by the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), published in November 2015, vigorously condemned the Pakistani legislation commonly called the “blasphemy law.” The ICJ particularly highlighted the lack of fair trial to those accused under this law, finding that judges often show “demonstrable bias and prejudice against defendants.” It also noted that judges and lawyers in blasphemy cases often face harassment and intimidation, which hinders the process of a fair trial for the accused. It recommended that amendments should be made so that police would need to get a warrant before making
an arrest and that court permission would be needed for an investigation to be started. Christians are very vulnerable and 187 of them have been accused since 1987, but Muslims and followers of other religions are also accused. Pray for courage for the Pakistani government to change these iniquitous laws. Thursday 31 Fire destroyed the three-room premises of a Christian TV station in Karachi, Pakistan, on November 24, destroying all their equipment. There was evidence that the security cameras had been tampered with prior to the suspected arson attack. The station used to broadcast Bible readings, hymns, and Christian videos, and had previously received threats which they reported to the police. Pray that the ministry of Gawahi TV will not be stopped for long by this attack and thank the Lord that no one was hurt.
April Friday 1 Saghir (12) had always longed to learn to read so that he could recite the Bible aloud. However, as in so many other Pakistani Christian families, none of his relatives could teach him and there were no schools nearby. Instead, he worked with his parents at a brick kiln. But with support from Barnabas Aid a Christian school has opened close to his home, which Saghir now attends regularly, and he has learned to read and write. His parents are delighted to hear him reading the Bible aloud to them or reciting passages from memory. Pray that the whole family may grow in the Lord and that the
Lord may grant Saghir his heart’s desire to become a pastor.
Saghir
Sunday 3 “Nothing has been done until now by police and we know nothing will happen. We go ahead and pray for peace.” These were the words of an Indian Christian in New Delhi, a year after his church was burned down and police had still not investigated properly, let alone arrested anyone. There have been many other attacks on churches in the Indian capital, with very little response by the police. Join Indian Christians in praying for
Monday 4 It is now more than six years since the “Arab Spring” plunged Syria into its bitter and destructive civil war. Pray for peace, stability and a return to the harmonious and respectful relations which used to exist between Muslims and Christians. “Is this God’s will? Why does He not answer our prayers and our pleas? In spite of our trust in Him we do not see the end of this tunnel,” said a Christian in Aleppo, a city which has been bombarded and besieged, where water, food, fuel, and electricity are all very scarce, expensive or non-existent. To make matters worse, an epidemic of H1N1 swine flu broke out in the depths of the icy winter just passed. Pray for our brothers and sisters that their faith may not fail at this time of trial, and that they will keep rejoicing in the Lord (Habakkuk 3:17-18). Tuesday 5 As of mid-January, 161 Christian hostages had been released, a few or a few dozen at a time, by The Islamic State (IS) from a group of 253 they had captured from villages along the Khabur river in north-east Syria on February 23, 2015. Three of the hostages were executed by IS on September 23, meaning that 89 of the original group are still in captivity at the time of writing. A further 185 Syrian Christians captured later from Qaryatain are also still held. Pray to the Lord to soften the hearts of the IS leaders so that they will let
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Saturday 2 A pregnant Indian Christian called Swapna lost her baby after she and other worshippers, including children, were beaten by Hindu radicals who stormed into their prayer meeting in Telangana State. The mob of attackers were led by the previous village surpanch (council president). Anti-Christian violence like this is becoming increasingly frequent in India. Pray for Indian Christians that they may have grace to forgive their enemies and pray for those who persecute them.
peace. Pray also that they may be given justice. Christians make up less than 1% of the population of Delhi. Ask the Lord to protect His faithful people in this city which is the second most populous in the world.
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His people go (Exodus 6:1; 8:1). Barnabas Aid is caring for the practical and medical needs of many of those who have been released. Wednesday 6 A mother in Aleppo, Syria, sent her nine-year old son to one of Barnabas Aid’s partners who distribute monthly food parcels to some of the poorest Christians in the city. He asked for bread and constantly repeated, “I hope not to return home with empty hands.” Another young boy asked, “Are we living at the end of time?” A girl who was an active volunteer at the church questioned, “Why am I losing the best years of my life? Why am I not like the rest of the girls in the world?” Pray for the children and young people of Syria and especially Aleppo, so traumatized by the years of suffering they have already endured. Ask that God will restore to them “the years the locusts have eaten” (Joel 2:25). Thursday 7 Sixteen people died in the northern Syrian town of Qamishli when three Christianowned restaurants were attacked on December 30. The establishments targeted were all in Christian parts of the town and 13 of the people who died were Christians. Dozens of people were wounded. Ask our Lord Jesus to comfort the bereaved and heal the injured. Friday 8 The website of a church in Sydney, Australia, was hacked in December and the homepage replaced with a graphic video, headline, and message saying, “We don’t negotiate except with cannon, we don’t have dialogues except with guns, and we will not stop fighting
until we pray in Rome by Allah’s will in a conquest.” (Some Islamists consider Rome the symbolic capital of world Christianity.) The previous month, an almost identical hacking had occurred in Iceland on the website of a Christian mission organization. The Sydney church, which is a Middle Eastern denomination, thought the attack might have come because they had been raising funds for Christian refugees from Syria and Iraq. Ask that the Lord Jesus will draw to Himself those who hacked these sites. Pray that, as they use their expert IT skills, they may come across the Gospel message in a powerful form that they cannot resist. Saturday 9 Christians refugees from Syria, Eritrea and other countries who are now living in refugee camps in Germany are suffering so much harassment and violence from Muslim refugees that some say they want to go back home as they were not persecuted there so much. Death threats to the Christians are so common that some refused to spend the night in the camps and sleep instead in German churches. Yazidi refugees are facing the same problems. Please pray that the German authorities will intervene to protect these vulnerable people who have already suffered so much.
Sunday 10 Nine Christians in the Philippines were killed on Christmas Eve, December 24, by Islamic militants who raided Christian villages in the Muslim-dominated southern island of Mindanao. The Philippines military has stated that the militants came from the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a group which declared its
allegiance to The Islamic State in 2014. BIFF broke away from the Philippines’ main Islamist group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in 2008, because they disagreed with the MILF’s decision to enter peace talks with the government. Pray for those who mourn that they may be comforted. Pray also for the BIFF terrorists, that the Prince of Peace will change their hearts so that they come to love peace as much as they now love violence.
Inspecting the damage after an explosion
Tuesday 12 A crowd of about 400 young Muslims attacked a church under construction in central Egypt. The incident happened in December 2015, since then the project has been closed down, even though the church had the necessary permits for construction. Although the Egyptian authorities have relaxed the regulations on church building construction and repair in recent years, many local Muslims still feel strongly that Christians should not be allowed any new places of worship. This is a concept that dates back to the earliest days of Islam. Pray that Muslims in Egypt will all embrace the idea of equality for all citizens, whatever their faith, and that the opposition to church buildings will come to an end. Wednesday 13 “We have been late in restoring and fixing what has been burned. Everything will be fixed … Please accept our apologies for what happened,” said Egypt’s President El-Sisi to the Christian crowds at Cairo’s main cathedral on Christmas Eve. He was referring to the many church buildings further south in the country which have been attacked by Islamists. It was the second year that he had attended a Christmas church service, sending a strong message of respect to the Christian minority. He had also challenged
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Monday 11 Until 16 years ago there were no Christians in the Mongolian town of Ölgii, whose population is mainly Muslims from the Kazakh ethnic group. Now, however, there are small groups of believers who have left Islam to follow Christ. Nearly all of them have been arrested by the police at one time or another. The police often disrupt their gatherings and threaten to burn their homes, but they just continue to meet. The only Christian literature they have is the Bible and a homemade book of hymns. However in January
explosives were thrown down the chimney of one of their meeting places which blew up the stove. (The local homes have flat roofs so an attack like this is easy.) The Christians decided not to meet together for a while. Please pray that God will protect them and keep them from fear.
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Islamic religious authorities to give Christmas greetings to Christians and to preach that no one should be harmed for their choice of religion. This was a bold message, given that classical Islam teaches that Muslims who choose another religion should be executed. Praise God for the brave and just stance of President El-Sisi and pray that others will follow where he leads. Pray that he will be able to keep his promise to rebuild all the churches in one year. Thursday 14 It is now two years since 200+ schoolgirls, mainly Christians, were kidnapped from Chibok, northern Nigeria, by Boko Haram militants. According to Boko Haram, the girls were then forcibly converted to Islam and married to Boko Haram fighters. Most will have their own children by now. At least 17 of their parents have died while waiting for their daughters to be found and rescued. “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:27-28) Ask the Good Shepherd to keep safe these lambs and to preserve their faith and love for Him in their hearts. Three months ago, the Nigerian President Buhari ordered a new investigation into the kidnapping. Friday 15 A total of around 2,000 people (mainly women and girls) have been kidnapped by Boko Haram in the last two years, but many hundreds have been found and released by the Nigerian military in recent months. Ask that the Nigerian authorities will be able to locate all the kidnap victims and set them free. Pray also for the Boko Haram
fighters, who believe that their brutal violence is pleasing to Allah. Pray that the God of love will speak to each jihadi fighter, bringing them to repentance and to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Saturday 16 Boko Haram militants are continuing to terrorize the villages of northern Cameroon along the border with Nigeria. When Tayere village was attacked, 80 Christian homes were burnt, as well as the church and the harvested crops including maize, millet, peanuts, beans, and cotton. Ask our heavenly Father to provide for His children who have lost all their earthly possessions as well as vital food stocks, and that they may remember their inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade, kept in heaven (1 Peter 3:4).
Sunday 17 Kenyan Christians are alarmed by proposed new regulations for religious bodies that they feel “are aimed at gagging and muzzling the Church in Kenya.” They see this as part of a deliberate campaign by the government against the Church over the last 15 years. They point out that existing laws can already deal with the issues covered by the proposed new regulations. Please pray with Kenyan Christians as they seek to tackle this challenge by lobbying, petitioning parliament, and – if all else fails – seeking legal redress. Not a single new church has been granted registration in Kenya for the last two years, despite over 7,000 having applied. Monday 18 The Tanzanian government announced in December that it had banned 1,268 non-
Tuesday 19 “The project comforted [believers] to know people outside thought about them and brought them help.” This message came to Barnabas Aid from our project partner in Bangui, Central African Republic, after we sent help for
Aid arriving for displaced Christians in Bangui
Christians displaced by violent Muslim groups. Rice, sugar, soap, and mats were provided for around 200 families as well as extra help for two families whose homes had been burnt down. Pray for our brothers and sisters that God will protect them and they will know that they have not been forgotten by other Christians around the world. Wednesday 20 Thank the Lord for answered prayer in Iran. Two converts from Islam to Christianity have been released early from prison. Suroush Sarai was released 14 months early on November 11 and Farshid Fathi was released on December 21, two years ahead of his scheduled release date. He had been in prison for almost five years. But two days later another Iranian convert was arrested and two days after that, on Christmas Day, nine more were arrested for worshipping together in a house church in Shiraz. Pray that the Iranian authorities will cease their efforts to suppress the growing Church of Muslimbackground believers in Iran. Thursday 21 Pray for Iranian Christian Maysam Hojati, arrested on December 23 (see above), who was led away blindfolded, then interrogated and beaten for many hours a day until he was charged on January 6 with apostasy from Islam, evangelism, distributing Bibles, and starting house churches. When arresting Maysam at his parents’ home, the security officials seized his computer and mobile phone as well as Bibles, hymn books, and Christian literature. They even dismantled the Christmas tree. At the time of writing, Maysam is out on bail. Pray
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governmental organizations (NGOs) and warned a further 1,406 NGOs. One of the reasons given was that they “interfered with other faith affairs.” Most Tanzanian churches and Christian mission organisations are registered as NGOs, which makes them vulnerable to closure on the basis that preaching the Gospel to Muslims, leading a Muslim to Christ, or even sheltering a persecuted convert from Islam might be construed as “interfering with other faith affairs.” Congregations in Muslim-majority parts of the country would be particularly vulnerable to complaints along these lines. Please pray for wisdom, discernment, and courage for Tanzanian church leaders as the pressure on Christians increases.
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that the charges against him may be dropped. Apostasy carries a death sentence in Iran. Friday 22 Praise God that a Sudanese court has dismissed charges against pastor Hafez Mengisto and lawyer Mohaned Mustafa who had been defending two other pastors in court from trumped up charges that could have led to the death sentence. Their arrests were in connection with efforts to stop the government demolishing Pastor Mengisto’s church in Khartoum, and the two pastors whom Mr. Mustafa was defending had come from South Sudan to visit the church and encourage the congregation. Pray for a complete end to the harassment of this congregation and all who try to help them. Saturday 23 Three Sudanese Christians were arrested in December in Khartoum and Omdurman. One was a Christian activist called Talahon Nigosi Kassa Ratta, who had helped organize demonstrations against the interference of the Sudanese authorities in the property of a Khartoum church. Another was Pastor Kwa Shamal, who had unsuccessfully appealed against the government demolition of his church building. The third was Pastor Hassan Abduraheem. At the time of writing the men had not been formally charged and it was not known where they are being held. Pray for an end to the relentless campaign by the Sudanese authorities to demolish church buildings and Christian institutions and to persecute whoever tries to stand up to them and prevent it.
Sunday 24 The church in Zimbabwe faces many difficulties under the regime of President Robert Mugabe. In addition the country is facing by far the worst drought in living memory. Praise God for courageous Zimbabwean church leaders who speak out to challenge the injustices of their country, taking enormous personal risks to do so. Join Zimbabwean Christians in praying for rain to make their crops grow. Many of them focus their prayers for Zimbabwe on 2 Chronicles 7:14. Monday 25 M ministers full-time in his Central Asian homeland, caring for over 30 fellowships of converts from Islam. He visits each group once a month, disciples new believers, trains leaders and sometimes takes Christians to registered churches in other regions of the country where they can experience what it is to worship the Lord in larger groups. An important part of his work is to help the Christians not to be afraid of fines or persecution. Pray for grace, strength, wisdom and protection for M and all those he pastors. Barnabas Aid is helping with his financial support. Tuesday 26 A congregation in a Muslim-majority country in the Caucasus region of Russian Federation have struggled to find somewhere to meet because landlords will not rent their premises to churches and they were too poor to buy. But with help from Barnabas Aid and donations from other churches in the region they now have their own small building. It is not only used for worship, prayer, Bible study, and leadership training but also provides
accommodation for believers who have been forced to flee their homes because of persecution. Pray that this facility may be a place of blessing, peace, hope, healing, growth, and salvation.
Vagif’s recording studio Thursday 28 Nguyen Van Dai is a Vietnamese Christian lawyer. He participated in a conference in Nghe An Province on December 6 to inform people about their human rights including religious liberty. Afterwards Nguyen Van Dai and three of his friends who had also been
Friday 29 If all has gone according to plan, 153 Iraqi Christians will have arrived in the Czech Republic over the last four months to start new lives there, away from the persecution they have endured in their homeland. The group numbered 152 originally, but a baby was born while they waited for visas to be granted. Financial support came from Barnabas Aid as part of its Operation Safe Havens. Pray for the Iraqi Christians as they settle in, learning a different culture, and a different language, that amidst all the change they will find stability in Jesus Christ who is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Saturday 30 Thank our heavenly Father that He knows each one of His faithful children suffering for the sake of Christ. Though we may not know their names or stories, pray for them that they may rejoice greatly in their salvation even though now for a little while they have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. Pray that these trials may refine and strengthen their faith so that it may be proved genuine and result in praise, glory and honor when our Lord Jesus Christ is revealed (1 Peter 1:6-7).
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Wednesday 27 Pray for Vagif and his phone and media ministry in Azerbaijan, serving Christians who are not able to attend church because of persecution by their families or local communities. The ministry provides audio material such as sermons and Bible readings as well as volunteers who listen to callers, answer questions, and pray with them. Pray for Vagif and all the volunteers that God will guide them in all that they are doing, making them a channel of blessing to isolated suffering Christians. Barnabas Aid helps to support this work.
at the conference were confronted by around 20 plain-clothes Vietnamese police officers who beat them with wooden sticks. Mr. Nguyen was pushed into the sea. Pray that the Vietnamese authorities will cease their persecution of those who work for justice and freedom in their land.
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Front cover: Christians in Indonesia