Barnabas Prayer March April 2014

THE AID AGENCY FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH www.barnabasfund.org

prayer

MARCH/APRIL 2014

to help you pray for the persecuted church

MARCH 1 - 3 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.

March Saturday 1 As the cruel conflict in Syria enters its fourth year this month, pray for the many Christians who have been kidnapped and held for ransom. Among those still held at the time of writing are two senior church leaders who were seized near Aleppo in April 2013 and a group of 13 nuns from the historic Christian village of Maaloula, captured in December when Islamists overran their home for the second time. Some kidnapped Christians have been horribly tortured or murdered. Pray for the safe release of those still in captivity and that their captors’ hearts may be turned by their witness (1 Peter 2:12).

Sunday 2 Loving Lord, we cry out to You for the thousands of Christians displaced within Syria or living in refugee camps in neighbouring states as a result of the civil war. We pray for them as they struggle with 2

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inadequate food and shelter and with the effects of a sometimes severe Syrian winter. We give You thanks for the dedication and tireless efforts of churches in Wadi al-Nasara, Aleppo and elsewhere in distributing food, clothing, blankets and heaters to help displaced Christians survive the harsh conditions. We pray that this year will see the restoration of peace to Syria and better security for Christians and other minorities.

Barnabas Fund distributed blankets and other essential supplies to help displaced Christians endure the harsh Syrian winter

Monday 3 Give thanks for the release of three Christian leaders from jail in Iran. Pastor Farhad Sabokrouh and Naser Zamen Dezfuli were freed on 4 December 2013, two weeks before the end of their jail term; Davoud Alijani was released on 13 January, 20 days before the end of his term.

They were sentenced, along with Pastor Farhad’s wife, Shahnaz Jeizan, to serve one year each in prison. At the time of writing, Shahnaz’s release is also expected. The four were detained following a raid on their Assemblies of God church in Ahwaz on 23 December 2011. They were convicted of “converting to Christianity, inviting Muslims to convert, as well as propagating against the Islamic regime through promoting Evangelical Christianity”. Pray that they will be allowed to worship and witness in peace.

MARCH 4 - 9 Tuesday 4 Cry out to the Lord for jailed Iranian-American pastor Saeed Abedini, who is in grave danger following his transfer in November 2013 to one of the deadliest prisons in the world.

Prisoners of conscience are said to be sent to Rajai Shahr to disappear. The father of two is in a ward with violent prisoners, including murderers and rapists, and has been robbed at knifepoint several times. Saeed’s health is suffering severely: he has been denied medication for injuries sustained from prison beatings; he is covered in lice and has lost weight from lack of proper nutrition; and he appears to be suffering recurring urinary tract infections. Pray that just as Saeed is sharing abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also his comfort will abound through Christ (2 Corinthians 1:5).

Wednesday 5 Pray for the Rev. Vruir Avanessian (61), a seriously ill church leader, who has been sentenced to three and a half years in jail in Iran. Mr Avanessian requires dialysis three times a week and also suffers from heart disease and diabetes. He was a pastor in the Assemblies of God Church for 17 years before ill health forced him to retire from full-time ministry. Mr Avanessian was found guilty of anti-government activities and promotion of ideas contrary to the Islamic Republic of Iran, which may be euphemisms for his Christian activities. Pray that he will receive the medical treatment he needs while imprisoned and that the Lord will give him strength and endurance.

Thursday 6 A seven-year-old boy was brutally tortured and murdered in India in an attack apparently provoked by his family’s conversion to Christianity ten years earlier. Anmol Gemethi went missing on 17 November 2013 after setting off for Sunday school; his body was later found floating in a nearby pond with his mouth gagged, his neck cut and his toes broken. There

were burns to various parts of his body, and an autopsy revealed that he had died of drowning.

Anmol’s father, Harish Gemethi, said, “For the ten years I have been a Christian, some local Hindu extremists have threatened to kill me and harm my family countless times.” Pray that the police will take action to bring those responsible to justice, and for comfort for the family and local Christian community in their shock and grief.

Friday 7 Pray for justice for the victims of anti-Christian violence in Orissa state, India, as Hindu defendants continue to be cleared by the courts. The Global Council of Indian Christians has called for an investigation after another 54 people were acquitted in late 2013 of involvement in the attacks of 2007-08, which left around 90 Christians dead and tens of thousands homeless.

Relatively few of the perpetrators have been brought to justice, and the Indian Supreme Court has questioned the “unusually high rate of acquittals”. Pray that the legal process will be fair to all parties and inspire confidence among the Christian victims of violence.

Saturday 8 “For several months I was not able to take care of my children’s needs.

Suddenly God opened the door and we now receive monthly food through the church. I am … thanking God for this wonderful opportunity.”

A needy Christian mother in Bangladesh spoke of the blessing that Barnabas Fund’s feeding programme has been to her family. Give thanks that Barnabas is able to help 113 impoverished Christian families in Bangladesh with regular food support, and pray that this will strengthen the families both physically and in their faith.

Sunday 9 Heavenly Father, we pray for our Christian brothers and sisters in Northern and Middle Belt states of Nigeria, as they face antiBARNABAS PRAYER MARCH/APRIL 2014

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MARCH 10 - 12 Christian attacks by ethnic Fulani Muslims almost on a daily basis. We pray especially for the family and community of Joel and Jemimah Pam and two of their children, Joseph and Jephtah, who were murdered by suspected Fulani gunmen in a raid on their home on 4 November 2013, and also for those of ten Christians in Plateau state killed the month before. Lord, Your compassions never fail (Lamentations 3:22); please draw near to the bereaved and comfort them in their grief, and protect all Christians in Nigeria who are vulnerable to attack by Fulani Muslims or Islamists.

Monday 10 Give thanks that the US State Department finally designated Boko Haram, an Islamist militant group in Nigeria, and its offshoot Ansaru as Foreign Terrorist Organisations on 13 November 2013. The decision, which is considered by many to be long overdue, follows a campaign by Nigerian Christians in Nigeria and in the US, supported by Barnabas Fund. The new designation allows the US to impose a host of measures to disrupt Boko Haram’s activities, including blocking business and financial transactions and prosecuting people found to have been associated with the group. Pray that this decision will lead to the effective countering of Boko Haram’s murderous campaign in Nigeria, in which Christians are one of the primary targets.

Tuesday 11 Give thanks to the Lord for a vocational training programme run by a Barnabas partner in Uganda that enables Christian converts from Islam to become self-sufficient. Many new believers are thrown out of their homes and disowned by their families and communities, and find themselves with no means of support. The 4

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project provides training in tailoring, hairdressing, weaving and farming, along with equipment and other resources for them to put their new skills to work. The converts are also given discipleship training to help them become mature believers who can share their faith with others. Pray that the programme will continue to transform the lives of vulnerable converts and cause the Gospel to bear more fruit (Colossians 1:6).

Barnabas is helping converts from Islam in Uganda to become self-sufficient

Wednesday 12 The bloody conflict that broke out in South Sudan in December 2013 has created a desperate humanitarian crisis, as Christians fleeing the fighting find themselves in need of clean water, food, sanitation and shelter.

At the time of writing, the violence has claimed at least 1,000 lives and displaced nearly 200,000 people. Pray for all those who have been forced to escape with nothing; ask the Lord to meet all their material needs and to give them His peace as they endure a traumatic ordeal. Give thanks that Barnabas Fund is able to supply food, medicines, blankets and other essentials to the needy, and pray that this work will continue to be effective. Pray that the influence of South Sudan’s churches, which have called collectively for an end to the fighting, will prevail and that peace will soon be restored to the country.

MARCH 13 - 17 Thursday 13 Give thanks that a Barnabasfunded training conference in Burundi has enabled 60 secondary school students to gain a better understanding of Islam and of Islamic missionary strategies in their area. The students heard from a convert to Christianity who had originally become a Muslim after being promised money to start a new business, and who had found true peace only after turning to Jesus. Pray that the students’ new knowledge will bear much fruit in their lives and in their conversations with their Muslim friends and neighbours.

Friday 14 Pray for the congregation of South Sulawesi Christian Church in Pangkep, Indonesia, whose building was demolished by the authorities in November 2013. The church was given permission to repair the roof of the temporary building in 2011, but the renovations prompted protests by the Islamic Joint Forum, who accused the Christians of turning the building into a permanent church without a permit. In response to the protests, the authorities ordered the congregation to stop its activities and dismantle the temporary church within a week.

When the believers did not comply, the authorities demolished the church. Ask the Lord to comfort and strengthen this Christian community as they face opposition and to guide them as they make decisions about where and how to meet.

Saturday 15 Worshippers in Indonesia were forced to leave their church under police escort after hundreds of Islamists disrupted a service on 1 December 2013. Extremists from the Islamic Defenders Front, along with local Islamist groups, stormed Tandemn Batak Christian Protestant Church (HKBP) in Binjai and shouted that it was not legal because the authorities have not yet ruled on its legitimacy. Tandemn HKBP has been waiting more than five years for a decision.

Pray that the Lord’s loving hand will be over the

congregation as they recover from the trauma of this invasion, and pray that the church will soon be recognised by the authorities.

Sunday 16 Almighty God, we pray that You will change the hearts of local authorities in Bekasi, Indonesia, as they continue to bar a church congregation from entering its building. We pray for the Filadelfia Batak Christian Protestant Church (HKBP) as they worship and serve You despite being kept off their site for nearly four years and also facing opposition from local Islamists. We give You thanks for a court ruling that ordered local officials to lift the ban, but we pray that they will not resist it. We pray that justice will be done for this church and that the congregation will be able to meet in safety and peace, free from harassment or physical violence by their neighbours.

Monday 17 Praise God that the draft of the new Egyptian constitution has marked a decisive move away from the previous Islamist version and promised improved rights for Christians. Among other encouraging statements is a declaration that freedom of belief is “absolute”, and the draft grants freedom to practise religion and establish places of worship to followers of Islam, Christianity and Judaism as well as to Muslims. Parliament is also required to issue a law aimed at changing the restrictive regulations about the construction and restoration of churches to ensure that Christians can worship freely. Give thanks that if passed into law, this constitution will bar the way to Egypt’s becoming an Islamic state. Pray that it may provide real freedom and equality for the country’s large Christian community.

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MARCH 18 - 22 Tuesday 18 “I never thought I could take one millionth of what I endured. But every step of the way, every moment of pain, I could feel God there with me, telling me, ‘I’m going to save you.’” Hany Sedhom, an Egyptian Christian, was dragged out of his car, hit on the head and had his face slashed before being driven off into the desert. He was given no food and only filthy water to drink, and his captors beat him and threatened to kill him.

He was released only after his wife paid a large ransom. Christians in Egypt have suffered a sharp increase in kidnappings since the downfall of the former Islamist regime. Pray for healing for Hany and others who have suffered such ill-treatment, and for the safe release of those still held.

Wednesday 19 Since the overthrow of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi in Libya in 2011, Islamist extremists have been growing in influence both within the corridors of power and without. On 4 December 2013, the General National Congress (GNC) voted to make sharia the source of all legislation in the country; a special committee has been tasked with reviewing existing laws to ensure that they comply with Islamic tenets. The move was made in part to placate extremist groups who have accused some legislators of being un-Islamic. Pray that Libya’s politicians will work to establish a free and democratic society and that moderate voices will eventually prevail. And pray that the security forces will be able to restrain Islamist militias who control parts of the country.

Thursday 20 Libya’s small Christian community, which is composed mostly of expatriates, is increasingly vulnerable as Islamic extremism grows in strength. On 25 September 2013, two Egyptian Christians living in Libya were killed by a group of Muslims after they refused to convert to Islam. Waleed Saad Shaker (25) and Nash’at Shenouda Ishaq (27) were 6

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surrounded by the assailants on a rural road in Derna district. The Muslims robbed and beat them and demanded that the Christians recite the shahada, the Islamic confession of faith.

When the pair refused, the attackers tied them up and shot them. Praise God that Waleed and Nash’at remained faithful even to the point of death (Revelation 2:10), and pray that this will be a source of comfort to their loved ones.

Friday 21 Pray for the grieving wife and children of Abdikhani Hassan, a Christian father in Somalia who was shot dead by gunmen suspected of belonging to Islamist militant group al-Shabaab. Abdikhani was killed as he came home from his pharmacy in Mogadishu on 20 October 2013; before the shooting, one of the attackers told the Christian’s Muslim neighbour, “We have information that Hassan is spreading wrong religion to our people, and we are looking for him.” At the time of his death, Abdikhani’s wife was pregnant with the couple’s sixth child. Ask the Lord to turn His face towards the martyr’s grieving family and give them peace (Numbers 6:26) and to provide for them.

Saturday 22 Two churches in the Russian republic of Tatarstan were torched in November 2013, the latest of seven to be attacked last year. Investigators believe that the incidents are the work of extremist Muslim groups that follow Wahhabism, a strict version of Islam practised in Saudi Arabia. The president of Tatarstan has offered a reward for information that helps to identify those responsible. Praise God that the authorities are trying to defend the republic’s Christians, but pray that our brothers and sisters will stand firm in their faith. As well as dealing with these destructive episodes, they are facing growing pressure from the Muslim majority to convert to Islam.

MARCH 23- 26 Sunday 23 We praise You, our Father, for the ministry of “Firuza”, as she bravely shares the Gospel in a restrictive Central Asian country in the face of opposition. We pray for the home groups and women’s ministries that she runs in her home city, and for her long-distance travel to witness to villagers in another area. We thank You that she has continued to share the Gospel with them despite their initial hostility and attempt to stone her, and that since then, three families and more than 20 individuals have come to faith.

We praise You for Firuza’s fearless commitment to the Gospel and for all those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ as a result of her ministry. We ask You to bless her abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that she needs, she will abound in every good work (2 Corinthians 9:8).

“Firuza” (centre) often travels long distances to share the Gospel in her Central Asian country

Monday 24 A camp venue owned by the Baptist Union in Uzbekistan has been seized by the authorities. A court ordered the confiscation

of the site in September 2013, 13 years after the church body legally bought it from a restaurant chain. Tashkent City Economic Court ruled that the plot of land in Bostanlyk should be returned to its “lawful owner”, the state. The Baptist Union used the site for summer camps, which have been subjected to repeated raids, legal cases and media attacks. The affair illustrates the repressive treatment of Christians by the Uzbek authorities; pray that they will relent and allow Christians and others to practise their faith in freedom and peace.

Tuesday 25 Pray for Mostafa Najafi, an Afghan convert from Islam to Christianity, who is facing deportation from the Netherlands after his asylum application was rejected. Mostafa became a Christian in Afghanistan and was threatened with death – even by his own father – because of his conversion. He had to flee the country, where, in accordance with sharia law, leaving Islam is judicially punishable by death; last year Afghan MPs called in parliament for all converts to Christianity to be killed. But he is also in danger at the immigration camp in the Netherlands; he has been threatened by hard-line Muslims who are also being held there. Pray that the Lord’s saving help will be his shield (2 Samuel 22:36) and give him a new home where he can live in safety.

Wednesday 26 “Let us be honest: if this were happening to almost any other religious group it would be something of a national scandal.”

These words were, remarkably, spoken in the UK’s House of Commons, by Mark Field, a Conservative MP, during a debate on the persecution of Christians. Praise God that many other backbench MPs also urged the Government to do more to help suffering Christians and that some of them spoke of their own Christian faith.

Pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to enable Christians in government to take a stand on behalf of their brothers and sisters. Give thanks BARNABAS PRAYER MARCH/APRIL 2014

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MARCH 27 -31 too that Rehman Chishti, who is a Conservative MP and from a Muslim background, also spoke out against the pernicious blasphemy laws in Pakistan.

Thursday 27 Baroness Warsi, the UK’s first Minister for Faith, became the most senior British politician to speak out for persecuted Christians during a speech on 16 November 2013. The minister, who is a Muslim, said that the persecution of Christians “has become a global crisis” and is “the biggest challenge we face in this young century”. Lady Warsi’s speech, which focused on the plight of Christians in the Middle East, was delivered in Washington DC and has attracted considerable media attention.

Give thanks for this boost to the political profile of the persecuted Church; pray that the cause will continue to gain political momentum and that it will gain more support at the highest levels of government.

Friday 28 Give thanks to God for the courage of moderate Muslim leaders who are speaking out against those who use violence in the name of Islam. Recent atrocities by Islamist militants, such as the suicide bombing of All Saints Church in Pakistan and the siege by al-Shabaab on the Westgate shopping centre in Kenya, have drawn severe criticism from senior figures. Ordinary Muslims in Pakistan and Iraq have also publicly demonstrated solidarity with their Christian compatriots. When Muslims take a stand against Islamist attacks, they put their own lives at risk, even in the West. Pray for their safety and that their words and actions will undermine the extremists’ credibility.

Saturday 29 A pastor and his family in Cuba have been subjected to a campaign of harassment by the authorities in what seems to be an attempt to confiscate church property.

Violent and abusive mobs have been sent by 8

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state security agents to surround the Rev. Yiorvis Bravo Denis’ home in Camagüey, which also serves as the national headquarters of one of the country’s largest Protestant church networks, to intimidate his family. Government officials have also launched a defamation campaign against the pastor and his uncle, the Rev. Omar Gude Perez, who left Cuba in 2013. Pray that the pastor and his family will be kept from harm and that he will be left alone to practise his ministry in peace.

Sunday 30 Sovereign Lord, we pray for Iraq and especially for its churches as the nation continues to be rocked by almost relentless sectarian violence. We pray that the success of a resurgent al-Qaeda in reclaiming vast swathes of the country through its terrorist activities will be arrested and reversed, and that You will comfort those injured or bereaved by their attacks in 2013. We pray for Iraqi Christians, remembering their grievous suffering throughout the last decade: for the loved ones of the more than 1,000 who have been killed; for the estimated 850,000 who have left the country; and for the approximately 60 churches that have seen their buildings attacked. We pray that the Iraqi government will finally be able to establish peace and stability, and that there will be a future for the Church in Iraq.

Monday 31 Pray for the families of 37 people who were killed in Christmas Day bombings targeting Iraqi Christians in Baghdad.

Two explosive devices were detonated in a marketplace in the Christian district of al-Athorien, and shortly afterwards, a car bomb went off

APRIL 1 - 4 outside a church in Dora. The attacks happened despite a major security effort by the Iraqi authorities to protect churches and Christians over Christmas, a time when they are especially vulnerable to violence. Thousands of security personnel were deployed to protect Christian buildings, residential areas and other sites where Christmas celebrations were being held. Give thanks that the Iraqi authorities are trying to protect Christians, and pray that further violence can be prevented.

April Tuesday 1 The Iranian authorities continue to demonstrate an astonishing lack of humanity and compassion in their treatment of Christians jailed for their faith. Vahid Hakkani, who is serving a sentence of three years and eight months, was refused critically needed surgery. He was suffering internal bleeding, and as his condition progressively deteriorated, he was at times losing 300cc of blood in a single day. Vahid was eventually granted a two-month leave permit to enable him to undergo surgery but was ordered to make up the time spent in hospital. He also had

Vahid Hakkani will have to spend longer in prison in Iran to make up for his time in hospital (Source: Mohabat News)

to post bail of around US$70,000. Pray that the Lord will bring total healing to Vahid and soften the hearts of Iranian prison officials towards Christians who are in need of medical treatment.

Wednesday 2 Praise God that Mostafa Bordbar, a convert from Islam who was sentenced to ten years in jail for his Christian activities, has been acquitted and released after spending over ten months behind bars. He was freed on 3 November 2013 after an appeals court dropped all charges against him. He had previously been convicted of membership of an “anti-security organisation� and gathering with intent to commit crimes against Iranian national security, charges thought to be pretexts to penalise him for his Christian activities. Mostafa had confessed in court to distributing 12,000 pocket-sized Gospels in the strict Islamic country. Thank God for his Christian witness, and pray that he will have the courage to continue despite his ordeal.

Thursday 3 Many Christian migrant workers in the Gulf States work in harsh conditions for low wages and endure poor living arrangements.

They come to the Gulf to earn money to support their dependents at home, but they can be very lonely without their families and may even face persecution for their faith. They are in acute need of Bibles and other Christian literature to support them in their discipleship in these difficult circumstances. Praise the Lord for the renovation and refurbishment of a resource centre in one of the Gulf States and for its provision of Scriptures to the different migrant groups. Pray that His Word will be a lamp for their feet and a light on their path (Psalm 119:105).

Friday 4 Lift up to the Lord Ganga Lama Tamang, Lama Bahadur Tamang, Lama Bokta and Bikram Lama, four converts to Christianity whose homes in Nepal were torched on BARNABAS PRAYER MARCH/APRIL 2014

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APRIL 5 - 7 23 December 2013. Before attacking the properties in the village of Kichet, near the capital, Kathmandu, a group of nine assailants set fire to a local church, destroying it completely. It is thought that Hindu extremists carried out the attacks to deter others from converting to Christianity. Hindu extremists see the growth of the Church in Nepal as a threat, and some groups, such as the Nepal Defence Army (NDA), are intent on making Nepal a Hindu nation, as it was until 2006. Pray that they will not succeed and that freedom of religion will be upheld.

Saturday 5 Pakistan’s “blasphemy laws” continue to cause distress and hardship among the country’s vulnerable Christian community.

In late 2013 two Christians, Arif Masih and Tariq Masih, had to flee when they were accused over the sale of fireworks wrapped in pages containing verses from the Quran. When the wedding party who had bought the fireworks discovered the verses, they destroyed the Christians’ store and reported them to the police. Fearing for their lives, Arif and Tariq fled the area with their families, protesting their innocence; the fireworks had been wrapped at the factory where the brothers had bought them. Christians and other minorities are especially vulnerable to malicious, false accusation under these laws. Pray that our brothers will be kept safe and will be able to rebuild their lives.

Sunday 6 Redeeming Lord, we give You thanks for the amazing faith of survivors from the deadliest-ever attack on Pakistan’s Christians. We pray for all those who were injured or bereaved in the bombing of All Saints Church in Peshawar in September 2013 in their suffering, trauma and grief; but we praise You that they are still worshipping, thanking and 10

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trusting You. We thank You for their inspiring testimonies: for the words of teenager Shaloom Naeem, who said, “Although my entire family is dead, I am not afraid to go to the church. We should thank God for His great love,” and for those of a couple who lost three of their grandchildren, who said, “Hallelujah, to the Most High, His Son died for our sins; our loss is nothing compared to His sacrifice.” We pray that You will give strength to Your faithful people in Peshawar and bless them with peace (Psalm 29:11).

Simran lost her sister in the Peshawar bombing, but she says that nothing will stop her returning to church

Monday 7 Christians in Tanzania have long lived in peace with their Muslim neighbours, but it appears that Islamic extremism is now on the rise in the country. Extremist videos urging Tanzanian Muslims to join al-Shabaab, a Somaliabased Islamist group, are being played in some mosques, and it is also reported that the group is running training camps in Tanzania that aim to radicalise young Muslims. Police broke up one such camp, in the Tanga region, in October 2013.

Pray that the destructive influence of Islamic

APRIL 8 - 12 extremism will not gain further ground in Tanzania, and that Christians and Muslims in the country will continue to live peacefully side by side.

Tuesday 8 A youth leader in Tanzania was killed in a brutal machete attack while leading an overnight prayer session in the Ilemela district of Mwanza province. Eliya Meshack died on the spot, while two other Christians were injured.

It is not known who carried out the attack, but Islamic separatist group Uamsho are suspected.

Eliya’s widow, Marry, said that the couple had been receiving threats for more than six months; although the intimidation was reported to the police, no action was taken. Pray for Marry, who has been left to raise the couple’s two children alone. Pray also that the Tanzanian authorities will respond appropriately and effectively when threats to Christians are reported.

Wednesday 9 Pray for Christians in Zanzibar, who are under threat from Islamic extremists. The semi-autonomous Tanzanian archipelago has seen increasing support for Uamsho, a separatist group that is campaigning for Zanzibar to become independent from the mainland. Church leaders are particularly under threat; three attacks, one of them fatal, have been carried out on pastors since Christmas 2012. Reports are also circulating that a number of Christian girls have been raped and that pregnant Christian women have been denied medical treatment at hospitals. Ask the Lord to protect the tiny minority of Christians in Zanzibar and to give them the strength to continue to be a witness to their Muslim neighbours.

Thursday 10 “Pray for us as the situation in CAR has become horrible over last week, the killings have got worse, unarmed Christians are in the process of dying like flies.” December 2013 saw the worst outbreak of violence to rock the Central African Republic (CAR) since a coup by

Islamist rebels in March. A pastor and his two young sons were among at least 400 people killed after fighting broke out in the capital, Bangui, between the Islamist Seleka and fighters loyal to the ousted president, Francois Bozizé. A pastor said that Christians had been hanged, stabbed or beaten to death by their Muslim neighbours and Christian shops pillaged and looted. Pray for the protection of Christians from further attacks and that they will not retaliate against their persecutors.

Friday 11 A Christian from CAR, “Papa Romeo” (35), his wife and his four-year-old son, Richide, were attacked by Seleka militants in the village of Bombi Te on 8 November 2013. The fighters robbed his wife before murdering Richide by slitting his throat. Another Christian, Josephine Kolefei, (35) was battered with a Kalashnikov because she unwittingly crossed an arbitrary boundary imposed by the Seleka while taking her baby for medical treatment. More than 30 people were reportedly killed in the village. France has warned that the country is “on the verge of genocide”. Pray for peace and reconciliation in CAR and that bereaved and traumatised Christians will be able to rebuild their lives.

Saturday 12 Christian leaders in northern Vietnam are concerned about a proposed state law on religion that would further increase restrictions on their activities. They say that the bill, which applies to five northern provinces plus parts of other provinces, contains “too many unnecessary details” and creates “many obstacles and limitations”. It would require churches to obtain a permit for every activity, such as holding services, training ministers and building or repairing places of worship, thereby giving the authorities the right to approve any aspect of church life. The church leaders said that detailed and precise rules governing religious BARNABAS PRAYER MARCH/APRIL 2014

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APRIL 13 - 16 activity already existed nationally. Pray that the bill will be dropped.

Sunday 13 Loving Father, we lift up to You Nguyen Cong Chinh, a pastor in Vietnam, in the third year of his 11-year prison sentence for allegedly “undermining national unity”. We pray that You will protect his life as he suffers repeated beatings by prison guards and inmates, and that the prison authorities will take action against those who have attacked him.

We thank You for his courageous perseverance in Christian activities before his imprisonment, despite the destruction of his church building, the confiscation of his property and the withholding of his identity documents; thank You that he has been willing to face disgrace for the Name of Christ.

We pray that he and his family will know the Lord as “an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).

continuing to come under attack by Islamic hardliners. A church in Zaytoun, eastern Cairo, was targeted in late 2013 by a group of Islamists who came straight from Friday prayers at a neighbouring mosque. The attackers marched on the church, shouting anti-Christian slogans. They tore down a banner in front of the building and graffitied the façade with insults against Christians and the Egyptian military. Islamists have blamed the Church for the uprising that led to the removal of former Islamist president Mohammed Morsi in July and have attacked scores of churches, Christian institutions and homes. Pray for all the Christians who have suffered in this upsurge of violence, that the Lord will comfort and strengthen them.

Wednesday 16 Three Egyptian Christians were jailed on 15 December 2013, one for 25 years and the other two for 15 years each, for causing the death of a Muslim. But the case related to an attack by Muslims on the Christian community in al-Khosous in April, in which five

Monday 14 Pray for impoverished Christians in the Philippines whose lives were ravaged by Typhoon Haiyan in November 2013. One of the most powerful storms on record to make landfall, it left a trail of near-total devastation in its wake.

Entire villages were swept away, thousands of people killed and huge numbers displaced. This was the most severe of several natural disasters to affect the islands last year and left many Christians who were already extremely poor also homeless and in desperate hardship. Barnabas Fund sent practical aid. Pray that the Lord will meet the needs of His people according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).

Tuesday 15 Despite positive political developments for Egypt’s Christians, they are 12

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The lives of many poor Christians in the Philippines were devastated by Typhoon Haiyan (Source: Giro555, Flickr)

APRIL 17 - 21 Christians were killed; no-one has even been charged over their deaths. This unequal treatment reflects the discrimination that Christians in Egypt have often suffered from the country’s legal system. Pray that those responsible for the Christian fatalities will be brought to justice and that Egypt’s judiciary will deal more fairly with Christians under the new constitution.

Thursday 17 Muslim onlookers shouted, “Allahu Akhbar” (“Allah is great”) as Sudanese police and security forces battered down the fence around Khartoum Bahri Evangelical Church in late 2013. Officers also beat several Christians who were in the compound. The authorities claimed that parts of the property belonged to a Muslim businessman, who has already seized some of the site with their help and is expected to take over more of it imminently. The government of Sudan has been ruthlessly destroying or taking over church buildings as part of a wider campaign to Islamise the country. Pray for the congregation, that they may still be able to meet for worship, and that the authorities will change their attitude towards Christians in Sudan.

Friday 18 On this Good Friday, give thanks to God for the death of Christ and for His gift of eternal life. Praise Him too for the example of those Christians who have persevered in their faith at the risk of their lives and who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of Christ and the Gospel. Pray that their martyrdom will inspire their suffering brothers and sisters in Christ to endure whatever hardships befall them and will 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).

Saturday 19 Pray for a Christian lawyer who has fled Sudan after being threatened with death

by the authorities. Nahmia Ibrahim Omer Shaloka was working to promote religious freedom; he had been campaigning for Sudan’s new constitution to include provision for it and had also conducted training on the subject. After he was arrested and interrogated about his activities, he was required to report to the offices of the National Intelligence and Security Services every day, on pain of death.

Nahmia is now destitute, but relatively safe, in another country. Pray that he may be able to rebuild his life there and that the work he has done in Sudan will eventually bear fruit in greater religious freedom for Christians and others.

Sunday 20 Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we give You thanks on this Easter Day for the living hope that You have given us and all Your people through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead (1 Peter 1:3). We pray that the prospect of an enduring inheritance and future salvation will encourage our persecuted brothers and sisters to persevere in their faith, whatever may happen to them. We pray that we too may be sustained by this hope in the sufferings that we experience for the sake of Christ. We ask that the joy and resurrection power of the Lord will give strength and peace to persecuted believers today and every day.

Monday 21 People caught in possession of a Bible were among 80 killed in public executions in several North Korean cities on 3 November 2013. Witnesses of one of the executions said that eight people were tied to stakes at a local stadium and were then killed by machine-gun fire. Some of those killed were accused of “offences” such as watching South Korean films, prostitution or pornography. Pray for the BARNABAS PRAYER MARCH/APRIL 2014

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APRIL 22 - 26 families and friends of those who died, and for any Christians among them who may have been sent to prison camps. Around 70,000 Christians are estimated to be there already, being brutally treated, tortured or worked to death. Pray for their safe release and that being a Christian will soon be legal in North Korea.

Tuesday 22 Pray for the Christian children of Syria, caught up in violent and often traumatic conflict. For example, in late 2013 two Christian schools in Damascus were hit by mortar strikes.

A shell struck a school bus in front of Risaleh School in the mainly Christian area of Bab Sharqi; five children and the driver were killed. A nearby school, St John of Damascus, was also hit, and around ten pupils were injured. The attacks left parents reluctant to send their children to school.

Hundreds of Christian children in Syria have also seen one or both of their parents killed or kidnapped. Pray that the combatants will respect the sanctity of the children’s lives and stop exposing them to such horrors.

Wednesday 23 Ask for the Lord’s blessing on the citizens of Saddad, a Christian village in Syria, as they try to recover from a devastating occupation by opposition forces in October 2013.

A leading human rights organisation visited the village and interviewed residents and the mayor about their week-long ordeal. Human Rights Watch confirmed that the fighters had committed war crimes, killing civilians, preventing residents from escaping and targeting churches. They gave the names of 46 people, mainly civilians, who were killed, including six members of one family who were shot in the head and whose bodies were dumped in a well. Pray for the rebuilding of the shattered Christian community in Saddad and for those responsible for the crimes to be brought to justice.

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Thursday 24 The brutality of the relentless, targeted attacks by Islamists against Christian communities in Syria is causing acute distress to many of our brothers and sisters, especially children and teenagers. Give thanks that Barnabas Fund has been able to support trauma counselling workshops for church and youth leaders to enable them to help some of those most seriously affected. The sessions covered helping families suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, understanding grief and loss, and how to instil hope. They were led by Christian counsellors, who emphasised the role of faith in overcoming trauma. Pray that the participants may be able effectively to apply what they have learned to relieve the anguish of their suffering brothers and sisters.

Friday 25 Saudi Arabia is one of the most rigid and hard-line Muslim states in the world.

It makes no provision for religious freedom and no distinction between state and religion. All the country’s citizens must be Muslims, and school textbooks, sermons and fatwas promote hatred and violence against Christians and Jews. No non-Muslim places of worship are permitted, and the small number of Saudi Christians must practise their faith in extreme secrecy; expatriate Christians are subject to harassment. The mutawaah (religious police) ruthlessly enforce restrictions on behaviour, and ordinary citizens may also act as anti-Christian vigilantes. Pray that the vulnerable Christian community will know the Lord’s peace as they face danger and restrictions.

Pray too for greater religious freedom.

Saturday 26 Pray for a congregation in Maharashtra state, India, that has been forced to stop meeting after Hindu extremists attacked four consecutive Sunday services in late 2013.

On the first occasion, the assailants burst into the Assembly of God Church in Kalwa, told the

APRIL 27 - 29 pastor not to conduct any more services and beat him up. On the next two Sundays, they disrupted the meetings again and chased the congregation away; then in the final week they pushed Christians out of the building and beat them up. A subsequent agreement allowed the congregation to keep its building but forbade it to hold further

Protestors calling for equal rights for Christian Dalits in India were sprayed with dirty water by police

meetings there. Ask the Lord to provide another suitable place for the Christians to meet and that He will guard and strengthen their faith.

Sunday 27 Holy Father, we pray for justice for the estimated 16 million Christian Dalits in India as they cope with poverty and discrimination.

We pray that You will guide and empower the campaign to secure for Christians and Muslim Dalits the economic, educational and social benefits given to their Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist counterparts, and that the deprivations they have suffered at the lowest level of Indian society will be redressed. We pray for healing for those injured in a demonstration in New Delhi, India, on 11 December

2013, when peaceful protestors were attacked with water cannon and canes and manhandled by police, and for the hundreds who were arrested. We thank You for their nonviolent response to the attack and pray that the Indian Parliament will heed their call for fair treatment.

Monday 28 Lift up to the Lord persecuted Christians in Sri Lanka, where at least 65 anti-Christian incidents took place during 2013, including repeat attacks on several believers and their property in October 2013. However, a Sri Lankan government minister from a Buddhist nationalist party denied the accounts, saying that they might be “made up”. The minister claimed that Sri Lankans are “one family … trying to live together after a long civil war”. Pray that the Sri Lankan government will recognise the danger that our brothers and sisters face from militant Buddhists and that the authorities will provide effective protection for vulnerable Christians.

Tuesday 29 Pray for a church leader in Sri Lanka, S.S. Johnpillai, who was threatened at gunpoint by attackers who claimed to be Special Forces officers. The minister was in a hut next to his church building in Guadalupe, Trincomolee when, he said, the men “appeared out of nowhere”. The intruders put a gun to Johnpillai’s head and accused him of holding a Communion service in honour of the founder of the Tamil Tigers, the government’s opponents in the country’s long and bloody civil war. The government had that day made it a criminal offence to commemorate the group. The gunmen ignored Johnpillai’s protests that he had not dedicated Communion to the group’s founder, and they threatened to shoot him. Ask the Lord to support and strengthen Johnpillai as he recovers from this terrifying ordeal.

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APRIL 30 Wednesday 30 “Jesus Christ performed tremendous miracles in all our lives through this Shalom Camp.” A pastor spoke of how God had worked through a Barnabas-sponsored weekend Bible camp for persecuted Christians in Sri Lanka. The camp was attended by believers from five different churches that had been the target of threats or attacks by Buddhist or Hindu

extremists. The participants heard teaching on the Biblical basis for persecution and took part in group discussions; they came away refreshed and encouraged, and for many the camp was a time of great spiritual renewal. Give thanks to the Lord for the peace He has brought to these persecuted believers, and ask that the weekend will continue to bear much fruit in their lives.

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Barnabas Fund is a Company registered in England Number 4029536. Registered Charity Number 1092935 Cover: A Christian survivor of the September 2013 bombing of All Saints Church in Peshawar, Pakistan, in which over 100 people were killed © Barnabas Fund 2014 16

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