BARNABAS FUND – AID AGENCY FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH
barnabasprayer To help you pray for the persecuted church
September/ October 2015 barnabasfund.org
September/October 2015 2
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. 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.
September Tuesday 1 The existential threat to the Christian presence in the Middle East is now being recognised as a cause for concern even by the secular Western media. Praise God for this change of attitude and pray that it will lead to action by political leaders to help the Christian minorities. Pray that a Christian presence will remain in the region where our Saviour lived on earth. The New York Times reported in July that two-thirds of Iraqi Christians had fled since 2003 and a third of the Syrian Christians had fled since 2011. The Christian population of Lebanon has dropped from around 78% to 34% in the last 100 years. Wednesday 2 Over 250 Syrian Christians were kidnapped form villages along the Khabur River on 23 February. Any who tried to resist
capture were killed. They are being held in very crowded conditions in the sweltering heat of the summer, men and boys held separately from the women and young children. At the time of writing only about 23 of the most elderly have been released. One of those released has described how her group were kept in a room so cramped that they took turns to lie down to sleep and also took turns to stand by the window to get a little air. Every Saturday their captors told them that they would be freed if they agreed to convert to Islam, but all refused. She described their constant fear, but said, “We prayed six times a day. This gave us hope.” Pray for the remaining captives that God will intervene and save His people. Give praise for their steadfast commitment to Him. Thursday 3 Operation Safe Havens is Barnabas Fund’s new initiative to rescue Christians in danger and take them to places where they can live as Christians freely without risk to their lives. The first group of 157 Syrian Christians, escaping from the Islamist militant groups in their homeland, flew in a chartered plane to Poland on 10 July. Pray for them as they settle into their new lives that they will quickly adapt and feel at home. Pray also for the local Polish churches who are welcoming them and helping them. Barnabas is providing their basic living costs for one year that they will know how to show their love and care to Christians who have suffered so greatly. Thank the Lord for the compassion of the Polish government in giving them visas and pray that other safe and stable countries will follow Poland’s lead.
This Syrian Christian family are starting a new life in Poland Saturday 5 The horrifying brutality of Islamic State militants is causing some moderate Muslims in the Middle East to turn to Jesus, the Prince of Peace. The lives of such converts are at great risk. Pray that the heavenly hosts will watch over and protect them. Pray also for Christians who disciple and care for them, that they too will be kept safe in their dangerous task. Sunday 6 Dear Lord, You are the God who makes wars cease to the ends of the earth, who breaks the bow and
shatters the spear. We lift to You the situation today in the Middle East, the region where Your Son walked on earth 2,000 years ago. We see nations in uproar, kingdoms falling, more and more groups, countries and even NATO being drawn into a conflict where everyone seems to be fighting everyone else with increasingly sophisticated weapons. Innocent people of every religion are suffering terribly. Lord, have mercy on us and make these wars cease. May the warring groups be still and know that You are God. (Psalm 46:6,9-10) Monday 7 “Joseph Mayan” heads up a ministry in East Africa which shares the Gospel with Muslims and cares for the many who respond in faith and choose to follow Christ (including some former sheikhs). In July Joseph was deliberately poisoned and spent two weeks in hospital before continuing to recover at home. Praise God for this wonderful example of someone “persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:9) and pray for his return to full health and strength. Tuesday 8 Many Christians in Tanzania are facing serious harassment for trying to engage in the butchery trade, which Muslims seek to control absolutely. There is no Tanzanian law against slaughtering pigs and selling pork (a forbidden meat according to Islamic law), but when Muslims complain the authorities will often respond as if the Christians were doing something illegal. In Kigoma five Christians were arrested in June just for being found in possession of pork meat.
September/October 2015 3
Friday 4 Two Syrian Christian families who sought asylum in Sweden have been persecuted by Syrian Muslims sharing the same communal asylum house and forced to move out. The Muslims banned the Christians from using the communal areas of the house, which accommodated around 80 asylum-seekers, and made them hide their crosses. The Christians had fled from Syria because of the extreme danger posed to Christians by the Islamic State group. Sweden accepts many refugees from the Middle East. Pray that the Swedish authorities will have wisdom in the arrangements they make and will not unwittingly cause further distress or danger to Christians who have made their way there seeking peace and freedom.
September/October 2015 4
Tanzanian Muslims often claim that only they have the right to slaughter animals for meat, although this is not the case according to Tanzanian law. Yet in Geita on 18 May a Christian was arrested just for engaging in butchery work, and in Kagera a man was offered the choice of paying a fine or going to jail for killing his own cow, eating part of it with his family and selling the rest. Pray that the rights and freedoms of Christians in Tanzania will be restored. Wednesday 9 Islamic State (IS) militants in western Libya kidnapped 86 Eritrean Christian refugees from a people-smugglers’ convoy on 3 June. They stopped the group and separated Christians from Muslims, grilling those who claimed to be Muslim on their knowledge of the Quran. Then on 19 July IS announced that they had captured three more Christians, this time in eastern Libya, and posted their passport photos online. The three came from Egypt, Nigeria and Ghana. Pray that all 89 will be released. Other Christians kidnapped in similar circumstances have been executed by Islamic State. Thursday 10 Kenyan schools are due to re-open for the new term next week. But nearly 100 schools in northern Mandera county, which borders Somalia, had closed weeks before the scheduled end of last term because the teachers, many of them Christians, were too afraid to continue working in an area where Al-Shabaab militants keep launching attacks on Christians. Pray for the school authorities, the teachers, and the pupils in the coming term that the schools will be able to
keep functioning and there will be no violence against them. Friday 11 Rajesh Yadav died after a long illness on 4 July in Madhya Pradesh state, India, at the age of 45. He had converted from Hinduism to Christianity in 2007 and signed an affidavit to prove his conversion. His wife Rosalin wanted to give him a Christian burial, but Hindu relatives refused to permit this. She was forced by the administration, police and radical Hindu groups to hand over his body so that he would be cremated with Hindu rituals. Pray for Rosalin, who has had this distress added to the grief of bereavement, that she may be comforted by the promises of Scripture. “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.” (Revelation 14:13) Saturday 12 Indian pastor, Sisir Nayak, was arrested in the village of Raiguda, Orissa state, on 9 July. Local Hindu radicals accused him of “attracting more than 300 people from the Munda tribe to Christianity in the year and a half that he had been living there. Orissa is one of the Indian states that has a “Freedom of Religion” law which bans the use of force, fraud or allurement to make converts. Christians are often falsely accused under this law. Praise the Lord for adding to the number of Christians in Raiguda (almost) daily those who are being saved and ask that Pastor Nayak and his congregation may enjoy the favour of all people instead of being falsely accused. (Acts 2:47) Sunday 13 God of all compassion, visit your suffering people. In the time of their troubles, let them not be
dismayed. In their oppression, let them not be destroyed. In their anxiety, let them not lose hope. In their alienation and wandering, be their identity and home. O God, the Father of all mercies, look upon them with Your favour. Set Your seal upon their foreheads. Let Your right hand uphold them, Your love encourage them, Your presence engulf them, Your protection cover them. In their fragility and brokenness, be their strength and treasure. Let your light shine upon them and reveal the glory of Your eternal Son, in Whose Name we pray.
Tuesday 15 A year ago President Benigno Aquino III of the Philippines proposed a Bangsamoro Basic Law , following a peace agreement with the Islamist rebel groups who had fought a decades-long insurgency for an independent Islamic state in the south of this Christian-majority nation. The draft law has recently been updated in response to fears about the negative impact on Christians living in the proposed new Muslim-dominated sub-state. The revisions make it more
Wednesday 16 China is expected soon to become the country with the world’s largest Christian population. According to some estimates there are already 100 million Christians in China, which compares with 87 million members of the Chinese Communist Party. Praise God for the work of His Holy Spirit in China and pray that our brothers and sisters there will be faithful and bold whatever challenges may come their way. Thursday 17 Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the president of the United Arab Emirates, issued by royal decree on 20 July a new law that bans “all forms of discrimination based on religion, caste, creed, doctrine, race, colour or ethnic origin”. The law is partly aimed at countering militant Islam including takfir, the practice of condemning other (more moderate) Muslims as apostates from Islam and therefore liable to death according to sharia. Pray that this new law will protect not only moderate Muslims but
September/October 2015 5
Monday 14 “For many years I have not had the Bible. I am so happy to get this Bible in our language. This is the most precious gift I have ever received during my lifetime,” said a pastor in Burma (Myanmar) when he was given one of 20,000 Study Bibles in the Lisu language. The transport costs for the Bibles were paid by Barnabas Fund. Praise God for the safe delivery of the consignment of Bibles into very difficult areas of South-East Asia and pray that each one will be a lamp and a light for many hard-pressed believers. (Psalm 119:105)
explicit that sharia (Islamic law) should apply only to Muslims, and that the Bangsamoro region must conform to “universally accepted principles of human rights”. However, sharia discriminates against women and non-Muslims, so it is hard to see how these aims can be achieved. Pray that the rights of Christians in Bangsamoro will not be sacrificed by the Philippine government in their desire to bring lasting peace after so many years of conflict. Pray that they will not go ahead with setting up an Islamic substate for their Muslim minority, for this could create a precedent for other Muslim minorities around the world.
September/October 2015 6
also the many expatriate Christians living in the UAE. Around 85% of the population are foreign workers of whom about 1 in 10 are Christians. Friday 18 As the Hindu-nationalist BJP majority coalition government of India marked the end of its first year in power, the General Secretary of the National Council of Churches in India, Roger Gaikwad, said, “We have nothing to celebrate. Rather, we have reasons to be concerned.” Since the present government came to power the number of incidents of anti-Christian violence has escalated, including attacks on church meetings, arson, assaults on pastors, intimidation and harassment. Pray that Indian Christians may not lose heart, but may remember that their “light and momentary troubles” are achieving for them “an eternal glory that far outweighs them all”. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18) Saturday 19 A Christian couple were shot dead in Kandhamal, Orissa state, India, the place which was the centre of mass anti-Christian violence by Hindus in 2007-8 and where low-level attacks have continued sporadically ever since. Dhubaleswar and his wife had gone to the Sunday prayer meeting on 26 July, and afterwards set out with three others to the local hilltop, where mobile phone reception is better, to call their children in another state. The other three went down first and met some members of the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force, who challenged them but let them go. Half an hour later gunfire was heard from the hill and the next morning some blood-stained clothes were found at the place where the couple had
last been seen and later their bodies were found. The Indian military are targeting the Naxalite-Maoists in remote tribal areas, and Christians are often “caught in the crossfire”, this time almost literally. Pray for an end to anti-Christian violence in Kandhamal whether from radical Hindus or from the security forces. Sunday 20 Lord Jesus Christ, news comes to us from all over the world of Your people suffering because of their love for You, whether from governments, from religious authorities, or from their own family and community. Some are despised. Some are treated unjustly. Some are falsely accused, arrested and imprisoned. Some are violently attacked, or even killed. Help them to be encouraged by remembering that You too suffered like this during Your life on earth. Enable them to fight the good fight, finish the race and keep the faith, that Your Name may be glorified. (2 Timothy 4:7) Monday 21 Nineteen-year-old Shigho, living in Kobane, Syria, had converted from Islam to Christianity. He paid for this decision with his life when Islamic State militants attacked the town on 25 June and executed him as an apostate from Islam. At least 145 other people were killed in Kobane that day. Other believers who knew Shigho refused to be daunted by his martyrdom and sent the message to concerned Christian friends outside the country, “Don’t worry about us. Even if they were to cut our heads off ten times we would still say that Jesus is Lord!” Pray that their courageous witness will draw others to the Lord.
degraded. Their faces were blackened, the women’s hair was pulled, Awais’s head was shaved and he was paraded through the village with a pair of shoes (highly insulting in Pakistani culture) hung around his neck. However, the police intervened to protect the family who have moved elsewhere for safety, and a leading local Muslim called for the family to be forgiven. Thank the Lord for these unusual responses, and pray for Awais, Rukhsana and their four children, who can never return in safety to their village. Pray that the zealous Muslims who incited the mob by using the mosque loudspeakers, probably thinking they were pleasing Allah, may come to a knowledge of the Truth.
Wednesday 23 Today Muslims are celebrating Eid al-Adha, one of the two main Islamic festivals in the year. On this day they remember Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son (Muslims believe it was Ishmael, not Isaac whom Abraham was going to sacrifice ). Pray that the shed blood of Jesus will protect Christian minorities in Muslim-majority contexts at this time. There is a tendency for some Muslims to attack Christians during times of special Islamic celebrations.
Friday 25 “Their smiles came back,” said Ashiq Masih, the husband of Aasia Bibi, in a telephone conversation with Barnabas Fund as he spoke about the moment when their children were told that the Supreme Court of Pakistan had stayed their mother’s execution and agreed to hear her appeal. The Christian mother of five has been on death row since 2010 when she was unjustly convicted of insulting the name of Muhammad. Praise God for this answer to the prayers of many Christians around the world. Please continue to pray, asking that the Supreme Court will quash her conviction. Barnabas Fund is helping to support the family with monthly food parcels.
Thursday 24 Awais Qamar and his wife Rukhsana, like many Pakistani Christians, are illiterate. They used a PVC banner as a sleeping mat, not realising that on it were words from an Islamic hadith (sacred traditions, revered by Muslims almost as much as the Quran). A Muslim neighbour noticed, and soon an angry mob of Muslims had assembled, threatening to burn the family alive. Awais, Rukhsana and her sister Rehana were publicly
Saturday 26 Christians in Pakistan’s north-western Khyber Agency tribal area are rejoicing that two Christians have been granted the status of lungi (turban) holder. It is the first time this has happened in the area’s
September/October 2015 7
Tuesday 22 Almost four thousand Christians fled from the Syrian city of Hassake after Islamic State entered the city on 24 June, destroyed all the hospitals, and seemed poised to take control of it. Many of the Christians had fled to Hassake only five months earlier, when it was a place of relative safety compared with their villages which Islamic State was then targeting. As they seek refuge from their physical enemies, ask God to hear their cry and their prayer. As their hearts grow faint, ask that He will be their their rock, refuge and strong tower against the foe. (Psalm 61:1-3) Barnabas fund sent aid to help them through the local Syrian churches where hundreds took shelter.
September/October 2015 8
history. Christians look forward to the novelty of being treated as equals and to being able to have their personal documents attested without trouble by the Christian lungi holders, which should make it easier for them to own property and get government jobs. Two Sikhs have also been given the status of lungi holder. The four non-Muslim lungi holders will also represent their non-Muslim communities at the official jirgas (assemblies of leaders) and to the regional governor, prime minister and president. Pray for Wilson Wazir and James Michael in their new roles, that the Lord will go before them and guide them in all they do.
Monday 28 Many Afghan believers have fled their homeland, where they are in danger of being executed by their government or murdered by the Taliban for having left Islam. But they face many difficulties in the nearby countries where they are trying to make new lives for themselves. Please pray in particular for one group of Afghan Christians living in India, facing much uncertainty and danger because they do not have the right paperwork to satisfy the Indian authorities. Thank you for the courage of this group in sharing their Christian faith with Muslim Afghans in India and pray that their testimony will bear much fruit.
Sunday 27 Lord Jesus Christ, we want
Tuesday 29 An Appeal Court in Iran has upheld an additional one-year prison sentence handed down to Pastor Farshid Fathi, who is already serving a six-year sentence. He was originally arrested in a 2010 crackdown on house churches. Pray that the Iranian authorities will give up their fruitless attempts to suppress the growing Iranian Church. Iranian Muslims have been living under strict Islamic law since the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and – humanly speaking – this may be why so many are now turning away from Islam and following Christ. Pray for His presence and protection for each one.
to bring to you today our brave brothers and sisters in Afghanistan, who have made the dangerous decision to leave Islam and follow You in the full knowledge that it could cost them their lives. You know each one and their own particular situation, whether they have endured much already for their faith, or whether they have kept it secret and live with the anxiety of being discovered. Although they cannot meet together for fellowship, praise or prayer today, we ask that You send Your Holy Spirit to each one to bring them the comfort of Your presence and to teach them how to walk with You. We pray also for the elections taking place in Afghanistan on Wednesday 30 September that You will raise up representatives to the House of People who will be used by You to govern their country with wisdom and justice, even though they do not know You. Please intervene and stop any violence that the Taliban leaders may be planning at election time. We ask all these things in Your Name.
Wednesday 30 “Jesus loves us … He is always in our school and takes care of us and our teachers.” These were the words of Marc, a pupil at the Christian school in Bethlehem which Barnabas Fund supports, as he explained the difference between his school and others in the area. Praise God for the good academic reputation of this
school, and the way it nurtures its students and helps them grow in their Christian faith. Due to Barnabas Fund’s financial support, the school can accept any child from a Christian family, even if the family can only pay minimal fees. As the new academic year starts, the growing school is bursting at the seams. Pray for wisdom for the staff to know how best to use the available space, and for speedy progress with the building work to provide new classrooms for the older children.
October
Friday 2 Until recently, Pastor “Kirill”, his wife and their two small children lived in one room (15 sq m) in a flat which they shared with his unbelieving parents, brother and nephew. Kirill has a nationwide youth ministry across Tajikistan as well as pastoral and teaching ministries. But the relatives disapproved if Kirill or his wife brought Christian visitors to the flat, which
Saturday 3 Tomorrow Kyrgyzstan holds parliamentary elections. It was only a few years ago that this was the freest of all the Central Asian republics, but a strict Religion Law passed in 2009 and in the process of being tightened still further, is turning this into a very repressive country for Christians. Pray that God’s hand will be over the elections tomorrow and that those elected will use their position to restore a measure of religious liberty to Kyrgyzstan. Sunday 4 Heavenly Father, we thank
You that You know all things. We want to pray today for the Christians of Northern Nigeria, who are suffering constant attacks at the hand of Boko Haram militants and Fulani Muslim herdsmen, and also for moderate Muslims who are likewise being targeted by Boko Haram. Lord, You know all that they have suffered, even if we hear only a small fraction of it on the news. You know each one who grieves for loved ones killed, who goes hungry because their small business or their crop has been destroyed, who suffers pain or disability because of an injury. Please comfort and strengthen them with Your presence. Give our brothers and sisters grace to forgive their enemies as the Lord Jesus did, in whose Name we pray.
September/October 2015 9
Thursday 1 Praise God for answering the prayers of Christians in North Ossetia, Russia. The Christian radio station MCC has been granted a licence for another ten years. Barnabas helps to support financially this ministry, which brings encouragement to believers in the North Caucasus as well as giving an opportunity for the many Muslims in the region to hear the Good News. Pray that God will continue to use Radio MCC for His purposes and His glory. Radio is still a vitally important method for isolated and persecuted believers, for example solitary converts from Islam, to get teaching and encouragement.
hampered their work for the Lord. His church can only afford to give him a stipend of £125 per month, so Barnabas is now providing funds for Kirill to rent a separate flat for his family, which they also use for ministry. Pray that the Lord will bless the family home and use it for His purposes and to advance His Kingdom in Tajikistan.
September/October 2015 10
Monday 5 Please continue to pray for 219 Nigerian teenage girls, mainly Christians, who are still held by Boko Haram, having been abducted from their school in April 2014. Eyewitnesses have reported to the BBC that some of the Chibok girls have been forced to fight for Boko Haram, even to cut the throats of Christian men. Other Chibok girls are reported to teach the Quran to newer captives, flogging those who fail to recite correctly. Ask the God of all mercy to save and restore His daughters who have been brain-washed and terrorised into such behaviour. Pray that the Nigerian authorities will succeed in their search for the girls and for hundreds of others also kidnapped by Boko Haram, but not receiving such prominence in the media. Tuesday 6 School-girl and pastor’s daughter, Monica, was amongst the group of 276 girls kidnapped in Chibok by Boko Haram last year. While others submitted to being forcibly converted to Islam, Monica refused. To punish her, the Boko Haram militants dug a hole, buried her up to her neck and stoned her to death. Her father said recently, “To die for the sake of Christ – that’s the happiest thing for me. I’m grateful she didn’t change her religion.” Monica’s mother added, “Monica is now in heaven because she refused to convert.” Pray that all relatives of martyred Christians may draw comfort in their grief from the knowledge that their loved ones died for Christ. Wednesday 7 Jacqueline’s husband, a pastor, was murdered by Boko Haram militants in Cameroon, leaving her to care for their eight children. Barnabas
provided a sewing machine for her to earn a living and also helped fund the children’s school fees. When these were given to Jacqueline she began to weep. “I do not cry for my husband,” she reassured the local Cameroonian Christian workers who had brought the gifts and told her they came from Christians all around the world, “I cry for people who take that trouble for me and my children.” Pray that Jacqueline’s small tailoring business will thrive and that the Lord will protect the family from all harm. Thursday 8 A report from the Pew Foundation earlier this year forecast that the Muslim share of the world population will grow to equal the Christian share of the world population by about 2070. This is based on projections of existing trends. Remembering the Lord Jesus’s promise to build His Church (Matthew 16:18), pray that many Muslims and other non-Christians will turn to Christ and that the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. (Habakkuk 2:14) Friday 9 Pray for Christians in the Gomel region of Belarus that they may stand firm in the face of continued harassment by the authorities. In May armed police raided a house church and charged the owner with “improper use” of her home. Two of the church members were fined and 17 others who refused to testify had cases registered against them. The next month a pastor was fined for unauthorised organisation of a public event, after the Sunday service being held in a rented building was raided.
Sunday 11 Lord Jesus, we ask your blessing and protection on our brothers and sisters in Saudi Arabia, where they are forbidden to show any sign that they love and follow You, where even meeting together in someone’s home for prayer and worship can land them in prison. We ask that You would draw near to each one, and open up for them possibilities to have fellowship and build themselves up in the faith. We know that many are very poor migrant workers who have left their families back home in Africa or Asia to try to earn a living in the hostile environment of Saudi Arabia. Comfort them in their loneliness, and sustain them in their harsh living conditions. Lord, we ask also Your special touch on the lives of Saudi citizens, who have left Islam to follow You, knowing that their government could put them to death for making this decision. Please encourage them daily and hourly, and give them Your peace.
Monday 12 The Somali Islamist militant group, Al-Shabaab, claimed responsibility for an attack outside Mandera town, in Kenya during the early hours of 7 July. Gunmen blew open the gates of a compound housing Christian quarry workers and shot people inside two buildings and those sleeping outside. At least eleven were killed and 14 injured. Pray for the bereaved families of these workers, most of whom will have lost their bread-winner as well as their beloved husband, father or son. Pray also for the injured that they may be fully healed. Tuesday 13 Praise God for the devoted staff of the Cana Girls’ Rescue Home in Kenya and pray that they will be strengthened in their task of caring for the 65 girls currently living there. The girls have escaped situations of serious abuse under Traditional African Religions. Pray that they will grow in the Lord at the Rescue Home, and that He will heal them from all the physical, mental and emotional suffering they have endured. Wednesday 14 The Christian-run trauma counselling run from May to August which Barnabas funded for the students who survived the Al-Shabaab attack on Christians at Garissa University, Kenya, was greatly appreciated. Some of the bereaved relatives of the 148 students who died were also given counselling. This kind of counselling is relatively rare in Kenya, where the focus is normally only on the practical needs of victims. Pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to bring comfort and healing to those
September/October 2015 11
Saturday 10 Belarus is sometimes described as “the last dictatorship of Europe”. Presidential elections are due to be held tomorrow, but it is a foregone conclusion that Alexander Lukashenko will be re-elected. Despite a constitution that protects freedom of religion, the state strictly monitors religious activity and many Christian groups face considerable repression. Pray for President Lukashenko, that he will realise he only holds his position of power because God allows it, and that his heart will be moved to uphold full religious liberty. Pray in particular that all Belarussians will be allowed to worship freely in whatever building they choose.
September/October 2015 12
who suffered in this terrible ordeal, and that He may convict the men of violence who ordered and performed this atrocity. Thursday 15 The Central African Republic (CAR) is holding elections for president and national assembly on Sunday 18 October (at least that was the schedule at the time of writing). A transitional government was put in place in January 2014. Pray that the Lord’s hand will be over these elections and that those raised up to power will be the men and women of His choice. The situation in the country is still very volatile following the coup in 2013 when Muslims seized political power in the Christian-majority nation. A Muslim militia called Seleka committed human rights abuses against Christians. They were opposed by a militia called anti-Balaka, which has been condemned by church leaders. Recently CAR Muslims said that anti-Balaka are forcing them to convert to Christianity under threat of death. Pray that such terrible actions in the Name of Christ will be strongly condemned by the Church of CAR and that peace, equality, security and freedom will be restored. Friday 16 By the time you are reading this, hundreds of displaced Iraqi Christians should be settled into a new tented village, provided by Barnabas Fund, near Dohuk. The village is called Sawra, meaning “hope”. Pray that these families, who have fled from anti-Christian persecution and violence, and spent months living in desperately cramped conditions in church halls, will be able to settle and feel more at peace in Sawra Village,
trusting in the Lord who promises to give them a hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11) Saturday 17 “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven,” said our Lord Jesus (Matthew 5:44). One of the greatest enemies of Christians at present is the Islamic State militant group (IS), operating in Syria and Iraq. According to reports, IS trains boys aged 8-15 how to kill. They are taught to shoot at close range, and made to behead plastic dolls with swords so that they will be able to behead infidels i.e. Christians. Some of the children have been captured by IS. Others were lured to join it with sweets, toys and money, and then turned into killers and suicide bombers. Pray for the youngsters undergoing this process of brutalisation, some of them originally Yazidis who have been forced to become Muslims. Pray that they may be able to resist this terrible brutalisation process. Pray also for the leaders of IS who decide and implement this horrific policy. Ask the Lord Jesus to reveal Himself to them, to change their hearts, to make them men of peace. “Nothing is impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37) Sunday 18 Almighty God, we pray to you for the many Iraqi Christian women and girls captured by Islamic State (IS) and sold as slaves. We ask that each one, wherever she is now and whatever conditions she is enduring, however old or young she is, may know You as her refuge and strength, her ever-present help in trouble. We pray also for the Yazidi
and other non-Muslim women sold into slavery by IS. O God, please change the hearts of the IS leaders who organise the slave-markets and even offered female slaves as prizes in a Quran-memorising competition in June. Reveal Yourself to them, redirect their zeal into what pleases You, and cause them to bring an end to the enslavement of non-Muslims within their territory. (Psalm 46:1)
Tuesday 20 The Communist government of Cuba bans churches from running schools, broadcasting on TV or radio, sharing the Christian faith, or worshipping in public. Yet the Church is growing and numerous small congregations are coming into existence. Bibles are not available to buy in bookshops, and the churches are finding it hard to keep up with the increasing demand from the new believers. Pray that, as relations between Cuba and the USA improve, the Cuban government may relax its
Wednesday 21 Muslim missionaries are very active in Christian-majority countries of Africa. Muslims call their missionary outreach dawa. In Rwanda, a “dawa and medical convoy” organised by the World Assembly for Muslim Youth brought high quality medical services to Rwandan citizens and gave many lectures on Islam. They performed 215 surgical operations and gained 194 converts to Islam. Pray that Rwandan Christians may be strong in the Lord and faithful in their commitment to Him, even if that means they have to endure poverty and ill health. Thursday 22 Bernard, a very missionminded pastor in Zanzibar (Tanzania), who had been receiving threats, died in a motorbike “accident” earlier this year. Local Christians are doubtful if this is what really happened, because of the abnormal severity of the injuries to his head. But they have not raised their doubts with the authorities, and are leaving the matter in the hands of the Lord. Christians in Zanzibar are a tiny and vulnerable minority in a strongly Islamic context. Pray that God will bring about justice for His chosen ones in Zanzibar (Luke 18:7), who have no one else to defend them. Friday 23 Presidential and parliamentary elections will be held in Tanzania on Sunday 25 October. These come at a time of great political upheaval after many months of working on a new constitution, which could change the whole religious
September/October 2015 13
Monday 19 Many European countries, North America, the Caribbean, Australia, and New Zealand are moving away from their former respect for Christian principles as secular humanism grows in influence. Christianity is being driven out of the public sphere and is repeatedly ridiculed and vilified in the media. Pray that Christians in these societies will keep the faith, as they begin to encounter situations where following Christ can be uncomfortable and costly in many ways. Pray that they will learn from Christians in other parts of the world, for whom hostility and ridicule are the norm, how to persevere with joy in such situations.
restrictions on Cuban Christians. Pray that all those who hunger for the Word of God may be satisfied.
September/October 2015 14
liberty situation in the country and establish Islam on the Tanzanian mainland in a much firmer way than before. Although Muslims are a minority in Tanzania as a whole, they dominate the senior positions in the government. One church leader wrote to Barnabas Fund: “We are praying that God will give us a Christian to take [Tanzania] back to a place where Christians can walk, carry the Bible, worship, work, do business, vote and be elected freely and safely.� Pray that the election will bring to power Christians who will work to reestablish religious liberty in Tanzania and bring to an end the harassment and persecution of Christians. Saturday 24 Some Christians believe that Hindu nationalism and extremism are advancing at such a pace in India that this country, the largest democracy in the world, may have barely a year more of true democracy and religious liberty. Ask the Lord to act in power, to intervene and guide the Indian authorities to work for equality, freedom and peace. Pray that Indian Christians will not be fearful at the prospect, but will trust in their heavenly Father to protect and keep them, whatever the future holds. Sunday 25 Heavenly Father, we remember before You those of Your children who take real risks to meet and worship You today in countries where Sunday worship meetings are often targeted in violent attacks. We thank You for the courage of those who set off for church on a Sunday morning, not knowing if they will come home again in the evening. We pray also for their pastors and ministers, who are a prime
target for anti-Christian violence. May their lives and words encourage the Christians in their flocks to stand firm, trust You and not give way to fear. Monday 26 Sri Lankan Christians suffer harassment at the hands of Buddhist extremist groups, such as the BBS and Sinhala Ravaya. This can be in the form of mobs violently attacking church worship services, the abduction of church leaders, accusing Christians of unethical evangelism methods, or threatening to close unregistered churches even though there is no legal requirement to register. The Sri Lankan government seems happy to let this state of affairs continue. Pray that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords will intervene to help the beleaguered Christians. Tuesday 27 Pray for all affected by floods in Sri Lanka, but especially for our Christian brothers and sisters, who have to cope with the floods on top of the marginalisation and hostility they face anyway because of their love for the Lord Jesus. Many of them are desperately poor. Pray that they may be encouraged by thinking of the spiritual treasure they have in jars of clay and that the life of Jesus may be revealed in them to all around (2 Corinthians 4:7,10). Barnabas recently helped re-equip the flood-damaged church buildings with Bibles, songbooks and prayer mats as well as providing school bags and stationery for the Christian children. Wednesday 28 Tens of thousands of Burundian Christian women and children have fled political violence in their homeland since April to seek
Though we may hear little of what is happening in this secretive country, our heavenly Father knows. Pray that He will bless His people, enabling them to meet to encourage and build each other up in the faith. (Jude 20)
Destitute Burundian women and children in Nyarugusu camp Tanzania
Saturday 31 Barnabas Fund’s Suffering Church Action Week begins tomorrow and runs until Sunday 8th November. Many Christians around the world will be holding special events to focus on their persecuted brothers and sisters in worship, Bible Study, prayer and events to raise awareness or raise funds. Pray for a lasting impact on many lives from these events. Pray also that Christians in places where there is at present little cost involved in following Christ may be inspired by the faith, courage and self-sacrifice of others living in more difficult situations and may grow in their own faith and commitment to the Lord.
Thursday 29 In North Korea, Christianity is seen as the foremost threat to the ideology of Juche - total dependence on the ruling Kim family and the state. It is estimated that 100,000 Christians are incarcerated in labour camps, only because of their love for the Lord, clothed in rags, hungry and malnourished, beaten and abused. “But God also comforted me and brought a secret fellowship into existence,” says Hae-Woo, one survivor of the labour camps. “Every Sunday we would gather in the toilets and pray.”
Friday 30 The winter of 2014-15 was unusually dry in North Korea, leading to a poor harvest of crops such as wheat and barley. This is a country where hunger is the norm for almost everyone except the armed forces. A Christian bakery, funded by Barnabas, provides jobs for Christians and produces bread rolls that are given away free to kindergartens and schools. The drought also affected power stations, so electricity was rationed and the bakery staff often had to work all night if that was when the power happened to be on. Pray for better rains in the coming winter in North Korea, and for God’s blessing on the bakery staff, that they may encourage each other in their faith as they work together.
September/October 2015 15
refuge in neighbouring Tanzania. The camp facilities are overflowing and there are severe shortages of food and shelter. At the time of writing 55,000 were sleeping in the open air. There is normally a rainy season in NovemberDecember, which will make life even worse for those who have no shelter. Tanzanian churches were striving to bring aid to the refugees, but are very poor themselves and had little to share with others. Funds from Barnabas are enabling the churches to do more. Ask Jehovah Jireh (the Lord will provide) to meet the needs of the refugees, who are arriving at the rate of 2,500 a day.
Australia PO BOX 3527, LOGANHOLME, QLD 4129 Telephone (07) 3806 1076 or 1300 365 799 Fax (07) 3806 4076 Email bfaustralia@barnabasfund.org Germany German supporters may send gifts for Barnabas Fund via Hilfe für Brüder who will provide you with a tax-deductible receipt. Please mention that the donation is for “SPC 20 Barnabas Fund”. If you would like your donation to go to a specific project of Barnabas Fund, please inform the Barnabas Fund office in Pewsey, UK. Account holder: Hilfe für Brüder International e.V. Account number: 415 600 Bank: Evang Kreditgenossenschaft Stuttgart IBAN: DE89520604100000415600 BIC: GENODEF1EK1 New Zealand PO Box 27 6018, Manukau City, Auckland, 2241 Telephone (09) 280 4385 or 0800 008 805 Email office@barnabasfund.org.nz Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland PO Box 354, Bangor, BT20 9EQ Telephone 028 91 455 246 or 07875 539003 Email ireland@barnabasfund.org
barnabasfund.org
Singapore Cheques in Singapore dollars payable to “Barnabas Fund” may be sent to: Kay Poh Road Baptist Church, 7 Kay Poh Road, Singapore 248963 UK 9 Priory Row, Coventry CV1 5EX Telephone 024 7623 1923 Fax 024 7683 4718 From outside the UK Telephone +44 24 7623 1923 Fax +44 24 7683 4718 Email info@barnabasfund.org Registered charity number 1092935 Company registered in England number 4029536 For a list of all trustees, please contact Barnabas Fund UK at the Coventry address above. USA 6731 Curran St, McLean, VA 22101 Telephone (703) 288-1681 or toll-free 1-866-936-2525 Fax (703) 288-1682 Email usa@barnabasaid.org International Headquarters The Old Rectory, River Street, Pewsey, Wiltshire SN9 5DB, UK Telephone 01672 564938 Fax 01672 565030 From outside UK: Telephone +44 1672 564938 Fax +44 1672 565030 Email info@barnabasfund.org
Front cover: Displaced Christian children in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan Barnabas Fund Australia Limited is a Charitable Institution however gifts are not Tax Deductible ABN 70 005 572 485 © Barnabas Fund 2015