Adding a new discussion to foster prayer for the persecuted church in 2016. I will be using the Open Doors World Watch List and Prayer Calendar, as well as other resources to pray. Inviting anyone who is interested to join in!
Click on the image for a link to the Open Doors "prayer" page. The prayer calendars, prayer alerts, and World Watch list can all be found there.
World Watch List 2016
WWL_2016_download_small.pdf
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WWL #35: Bangladesh
Father, please strengthen the faith and hope of believers in Bangladesh who are being mentally and physically abused for their faith. Give hearts of forgiveness toward their persecutors - hearts that will win over those who have set themselves against you. Guide the decisions and actions of those who have had to leave their communities as a result of pressure to renounce their faith.
Please grant believers in Bangladesh access to your Word and opportunities to spend time in Scripture and in prayer without being targeted for violence. Strengthen their faith through your word and through answered prayer.
Please halt the trend toward increasing Islamic extremism in the country. Strengthen the will and the ability of the government to gain control over extremist groups and to maintain peace in the country. Guide President Hamid and other governmental leaders in the decisions they make, and keep them strong against the pressure to implement Sharia law.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
35_Bangladesh.pdf
October 29: IDOP and Twelve Hours of Prayer in Egypt
[from the Open Doors website]
Five years ago, on November 10-11, 2011, churches from many denominations in Egypt gathered for 12 hours of prayer. They prayed fervently for their country, seeking God’s grace to bring Egyptians to a saving knowledge of Christ. Egypt was passing through a dark tunnel under the heavy influence of radical Islamic groups at the time. They cried out to the Father to save Egypt from chaos, and their prayers were heard and answered in many ways.
Once again, on Nov. 10-11 of this year, from 6 p.m. until 6 a.m. the next day, Christians from all denominations in Egypt are being called to gather with a united voice to pray for their nation. This massive call to gather and pray is the Egyptian church’s response to the challenges that are facing the country and the church in these days.
On the same day, the Muslim Brotherhood is urging Egyptians to flood the streets with demonstrations against the Egyptian government and administration, citing the economic crisis as motivation for the protests. As the church looks on, however, they see the underlying aim of this radical movement being chaos and destruction.
Five years ago, the challenges facing the church in Egypt were not that different from the challenges facing the church today. November 10-11, they will pray for relief for the economic crisis that has made life so difficult for multitudes of Egyptians. They will also pray for the complicated political, social, and security situations facing the nation and its leaders. The location of this vast prayer meeting will not be announced until a couple of days before the event for security reasons.
This coming Sunday, November 6, Christians around the globe will gather to pray for the persecuted church. Please join us on International Day of Prayer for the persecuted church to pray for and with fellow Christians—in Egypt and beyond—who are being persecuted for their faith in Christ.
Thank You, Father, for the desire of Christians in Egypt to gather as one body before You to pray for their nation. Use this time to increase the unity of their churches. We pray for Your Holy Spirit to surround them in a hedge of protection against terrorist attacks and the plots of extremist groups. We pray with fellow Christians in Egypt that, in this time when everyone is looking for hope, their eyes will be opened to see Jesus—the Way, the Truth and the Life—and turn to Him in faith. And we thank You for our own call to gather for prayer on Nov. 6. During these troubled times around the world, may these prayers rise before Your throne as incense. In the name of Jesus, who is gathering His church from peoples of all nations and tribes. Amen.
WWL #34: Azerbaijan
Father, please reverse the trend in Azerbaijan toward increasing scrutiny and pressure on Christians. Give President Aliyev and other leaders wisdom and free them from paranoia and propaganda regarding Christians. Change the hearts of officials who are intent on finding "extremist" Christians so that they instead seek and find you.
Please encourage believers in Azerbaijan who are persecuted for their faith. Protect Muslim Background Believers from persecution and give them hearts of forgiveness and grace toward their families. Indeed, bring entire households to yourself so that they may honor you together with their lives. Please also protect and strengthen the faith of Christian children who are ostracized by classmates. Make their lives, words and attitudes such a witness for you that those who deride them today would join them in worship of you tomorrow.
Open doors for evangelism in this country, and prepare the hearts of people to hear and receive your word.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
34_Azerbaijan.pdf
October 27: Persecuted, but Not Abandoned; Struck Down, but Not Des...
[from the Open Doors website]
In a village in Kyrgyzstan, Zaur* was severely beaten because of his faith in Christ. The local police refused to take his statement when he tried to report the incident. Likewise, when he went to the hospital to have his wounds treated, the doctor refused to provide him with medical care when she learned that Zaur had been beaten for his Christian faith.
Azur has moved because of this harassment, and is in hiding outside the village. His parents, who are not Christians, but respect his faith, have moved as well out of fear of the wrath of their neighbors. The day after they fled the village, their neighbors unleashed their fury over Zaur’s faith in Jesus by throwing all of his cattle off a cliff and throwing stones at his house.
*Not his real name
Father, we come before You today filled with grief for Zaur and his family. We pray that You would quickly heal his wounds and return his strength, but more than that, we pray that You would heal Zaur and his family from this emotional trauma. We pray for his parents that they might turn to You as their Savior. For those who are hostile toward him because of his faith in Christ, we pray that Your Holy Spirit would soften their hearts to see instead the presence of Christ, Your presence, in him. For those who look on questioning, help them to see his strong faith in the midst of harsh treatment and turn in saving faith to the Lord Jesus. We pray this in the name of Jesus, the Lamb of God who was slain, that those who turn to Him in faith might become sons of the Most High God. Amen.
November 1-5: Pastors
November 1-5: Pastors
Father, please give pastors in Sudan wisdom from your Spirit when they are falsely accused. Guard their words and their attitudes, that they may reflect your glory. Show them when to stand up and when to submit to the authorities, even though those authorities may have set themselves against you.
Please encourage the pastors in Vietnam who have been imprisoned for refusing to combine their congregations. Give them unity and wisdom to know how to respond. Guide their churches and continue to grow the members spiritually. Change the times and seasons in Vietnam and grant these pastors favor in the eyes of their persecutors.
Please comfort the family of the pastor in India recently abducted and killed by the Naxalites. Raise up your church to take care of this family and provide for their needs. Rally your church to respond in ways that bring you honor. Protect the church and family from bitterness and hatred; instead, fill them with a forgiveness that will change the hearts of this Communist guerrilla group and draw them to you.
Please protect pastors in Bhutan as they preach the gospel. Bless their work for you with fruitfulness in ministry and provision for them and their families.
Guide the pastors in Comoros who are being denied rights to distribute Bibles and whose churches are being spied on. Give them wisdom in all their words and actions. Enable them to serve you faithfully even in the midst of these restrictions. Break down the gates of hell in Comoros as these pastors spread your word.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
Nov_2016_PFA.pdf
October 23: Parliamentary Proposal to Empower Shariah Courts in Mal...
[from the Open Doors website]
The president of the Islamist party, PAS, is gathering support for a proposal before Parliament that would amend Act 355 to remove the limitations placed on Shariah courts to mete out punishments. Act 355 currently places a limit of 3 years in jail, whipping of not more than 6 strokes, and fines of not more than RM5,000 ($1,192 USD). If the majority members of Parliament support the proposal, the Federal government will then be tasked with crafting a bill to amend Act 355. The proposal was passed unanimously by the legislature of Kelantan state on March 19, 2015. If indeed Act 355 is amended, PAS, who formed the state government in Kelantan, will be able to enforce hudud law.
“Act 355 is a prison against implementing the true Islamic Shariah laws,” wrote an Islamist party spokesman. “The laws bow down to the Federal Constitution. It is an obvious idolatry.” The hudud law, a set of laws and punishments specified by Allah in the Quran, is also seen as a subset of the Sharia Law. Under the hudud Law, theft, robbery, illicit sex, alcohol consumption and apostasy are considered offences punishable by bodily penalties such as flogging and amputation. These strict laws primarily govern Muslims, but Christians have been affected too, as is the case in Indonesia and Brunei, where such laws are partly and fully implemented. Join with the church in Malaysia in praying against this campaign by Islamist hardliners to turn secular Malaysia into a Shariah-compliant country. Pray also for secret believers, who will undoubtedly face greater risks for their faith in Christ if these Shariah courts are given more power.
Our Father, the One True and Living God, we come to You on behalf of fellow Christians in Malaysia, especially those in Kelantan state. We pray against the decline of basic human rights and against the full implementation of Shariah law, not only for Christians, but also for other minorities and Muslims. We pray that You will foil the efforts of those in Parliament who would fight to amend the current protections. And we pray for Your church in Indonesia that You will shield them from persecution even while opening up opportunities for the gospel to go forth in great power. In the name of Jesus, who “rules the peoples with equity and guides the nations of the earth.” Amen.
July 31: Tigher Restrictions for Churches in Southern China
[from the Open Doors website]
Recent reports indicate that restrictions on unregistered churches in Guangdong, China are tightening. Some churches have been asked to move out of their venues (commercial buildings), on the grounds that they are not registered religious venues. Some of these churches have congregations of 100-300 members.
The increasing restrictions are making some landlords unwilling to rent property to unregistered churches to avoid any potential troubles with the authorities. Some churches have reached out to human right lawyers for help, which may result in elevated conflicts between the churches and the authorities.
A local contact of Open Doors said the authorities invited him for a “tea meeting” and subtly advised him to limit his congregation size to less than 50 members. For more than a decade now, a congregation size of about 100 (or even more in some regions) has generally been considered “acceptable” in China. At least one of the local pastors plans to split the church into several new churches so that each does not exceed 50 believers. He is also considering renting residential apartments for the smaller church group meetings.
Some local contacts observed that the religious restrictions in Guangdong have been tightening since the “Occupy Central Movement” in Hong Kong in 2014. The Chinese government views the “Occupy Central Movement” as a political movement related to churches in Hong Kong. Over the past several decades, churches in Guangdong and Hong Kong have been closely related and the former has received extensive support from the latter.
Occasional reports also continue to surface of individual cases of official interference with Christian activities in other regions of China. Though each case is cause for concern, the number of cases represents a comparatively small percentage of the hundreds of thousands of churches in China. Please pray that local churches in Guangdong will have wisdom and courage to interact with local authorities, and that churches throughout China will continue to witness for Christ and grow in maturity amidst the uncertainty surrounding a potential increase in religious restrictions.
WWL #33: China
Father, thank you for the changes you have been bringing about in China over the last 30 years. Thank you for the trend toward a more open society and increasing freedom for Christians. Thank you especially for the explosive growth of the Chinese Church.
Please protect believers from Muslim and Tibetan backgrounds in Northwest China in the midst of the persecution they suffer. Bring entire families in this area to yourself, so that believers will have support and that families will be united in bringing you glory. Strengthen the faith of these believers - keep your promise to them that no one can snatch them out of your hand.
Raise up leaders for the growing church in China. Please bring about the right kind of training and discipleship for the younger leaders, and give the Church vision as the baton passes from one generation to the next.
Empower the church to reach out to the many atheists and Confucianists who have not heard the gospel. Raise up a witness to these groups so that your name will be honored among them.
Change the heart of President Jinping and other leaders in the government. Show them that all authority comes ultimately from you and give them a sense of exercising that authority for your honor and glory.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
33_china.pdf
October 22: Trial of Two Sudanese Pastors Reconvenes
<<from the Open Doors website>>
Sudanese pastors Hassan Kodi and Kuwa Shamal, with their friends, Abdulmonem Abdumawla and Petr Jasek, appeared in court again on Oct. 17th. A source, who asked to remain unnamed for security reasons, reported that “During the last court appearance they postponed the case for three weeks to translate some document to assist the court. Today (Oct 17), the translator said he finished and the court started from the beginning.”
Kodi and Shamal are pastors from the Sudan Church of Christ, a denomination whose members predominantly originate from the Nuba Mountains in Sudan. They were arrested on December 18 on charges that were unclear at the time. Rev. Kuwa Shamal, (the head of a church committee) was taken from his home in the district of Bahri, north of Khartoum, while Rev. Hassan Abduraheem Kodi Taour (the church’s vice-moderator) was arrested at his home in Omdurman, a city across the Nile, west of the capital.
This past August they were formally charged on at least seven counts, including complicity to execute a criminal agreement, waging war against the state, espionage, calling for opposition to the public authority by violence or criminal force, inciting hatred between classes, propagation of a false news article, and entry into and photographing of military areas and equipment. The maximum sentence if they are convicted on the charges of waging war against the state and espionage is the death penalty.
Appeals have been filed and postponements have drawn the case out, but the court has finally reconvened following the translation of important documents. The unnamed source further reported that a large number of Christians gathered inside and outside the courtroom during the Oct. 18 session. "The men are all in good spirits and encouraged by the large Christian presence. They are aware of the prayers of Christians around the world for them and are very thankful." It is not clear right now when their next court appearance will be scheduled. Believers in Sudan expressed gratitude to the Lord for His sustaining grace to the men. Give thanks with them and pray that God will use their testimony to expand His Kingdom in Sudan.
Father, we join Christians in Sudan as they give thanks for Your sustaining grace to these men as they await trial. We pray that You will continue to provide for them and their families in all their needs, both physical and spiritual. Grant wisdom, Lord, for the lawyers as they prepare their arguments that truth will be revealed and true justice served. As these men suffer on behalf of Your work in Sudan, we pray that the testimony of their faith will be apparent to all and that You will use even this ordeal to expand Your kingdom in Sudan that Your name might be exalted. Amen.
WWL #32 - Tunisia
Father, please free believers in Tunisia from the fear of growing Islamic extremism in the country. Fill them with your peace. Bring them often to your word and remind them that the outcome of the battle has already been determined.
Comfort and strengthen believers who are facing persecution - remind them of the sufferings of Jesus on their behalf. Especially strengthen the faith of Christian youth who are being targeted for rejecting Islam. May the truth of your word set them free and sanctify them.
Please guide the actions of President Essebsi and the government of Tunisia. Change the hearts of those who have set themselves against you; may the grace and forgiveness of your people speak to them of your love and compassion. Give President Essebsi wisdom to guide the country forward and make it a priority for the country's leaders not to become another nation dominated by Islamic extremism.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
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