Monday, July 31, 2017

Prayer for Khaled's family after his wife's martyrdom

Samira caught fire when someone added gasoline to her cooking oil. Then not only did the hospital neglect her because she was a Christian, but it is believed the doctor actually killed her through a potassium overdose. 
Lord, today we pray for “Khaled” and his family, who have been recently relocated away from Yemen and are seeking asylum in yet another country—one where they will not face severe persecution. Lord, so many of your children around the world are being persecuted for their faith. However, today we pray for this specific family. We pray for Khaled as he grieves the loss of his cherished wife, and we pray for his four children as they grieve the loss of their beloved mother. Lord, we are thankful for the brave life “Samira” lived, standing up for Jesus even though it meant humiliation, beatings, and ultimately a painful, heinous death. Thank you for her testimony of forgiveness with her dying breath. Lord, as her husband and children seek to rebuild their lives in a new country, keep their hearts soft toward you. Keep their spirits strong in you. May they continue to reach others for you. And, Lord, we do ask for your mercy in providing them a place to start fresh and be surrounded by others who will encourage and build them up, rather than bully and tear them down. May they quickly be accepted for asylum in a safe and welcoming land. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.



Friday, July 28, 2017

Prayer for Turkmenistan - #19 on the World Watch List for persecution

https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/turkmenistan/
Lord, today we pray for one of the most restricted nations in the world: Turkmenistan. We pray for the believers there, who know their faith is considered illegal by their government. Lord, please help those who are wire-tapped to be very discreet in their communication. Help them to know when to speak and when to remain silent. Help them identify whom they can trust. May they be effective in sharing their faith in the right settings. Lord, we pray for those who are abused by their families and communities. Be with them and strengthen them as you did for the apostle Paul in his darkest hours. May your disciples in Turkmenistan be brave, strong and powerful. And please grant them the peace that passes understanding as they spend their days in a highly restricted, suspicious environment. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen. 

Thursday, July 27, 2017

Prayer for VOM's Action Pack ministry

https://etools.vomusa.org/a/vombm/bg_vombulkmail_vombm-201706-01_504.tml?_source_code=WEBAP
Lord, today we pray for Voice of the Martyrs’ Action Pack ministry. Heavenly Father, what a delightful opportunity to bless our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world in a very tangible way! We pray that many people would either fill or pay to fill Action Packs that could encourage even more persecuted Christians around the world each day. We pray that each individual and family who fills an Action Pack will be touched by this opportunity to minister to others, and that they would be strengthened in resolve to pray for the persecuted Church. We pray especially for those who receive the Action Packs, that they would find just what is needed for the moment inside. We pray for these brothers and sisters to be richly blessed by this tangible reminder that they are not forgotten, and that their brothers and sisters around the globe care about and pray for them. Lord, may this ministry continue unhindered, with efficiency and prayer covering each step along the way. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

To learn more, visit here: https://etools.vomusa.org/a/vombm/bg_vombulkmail_vombm-201706-01_504.tml?_source_code=WEBAP 


Monday, July 24, 2017

Prayer for Anam and Rania as they serve persecuted believers in Pakistan


Lord, today we pray for “Rania” and “Anam” as they serve the persecuted church in Pakistan. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for drawing these Pakistani women to you, guiding them to salvation and hope in you. Thank you for guarding their hearts and minds, despite experiencing persecution--even to the point of a murdered relative for one and the loss of homes and belongings for the other. We are thankful these women no longer hate their Muslim fellow citizens, but have learned to pray for and reach out to them in love. Lord, protect Rania and Anam as they continue to minister to persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ in their nation. Give them the words to say as people come to them after having experienced deep trauma. Help them encourage, assist in practical ways, and relate with them, since they do share in suffering for you. And, Lord, we thank you for your Word, which tells Anam, Rania and all of us that “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12) but we know “the testing of [our] faith produces steadfastness” (James 1:3). Please help us press forward toward our heavenly home. Amen. 

Saturday, July 22, 2017

Prayer for Kenya in the midst of election season - #18 on the World Watch List for persecution

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-19/kenya-faces-risk-of-post-election-violence-u-s-agency-warns Photographer: Simon Maina/AFP/Getty Images
Lord, today we pray for Kenya, which is #18 on the World Watch List for persecution. Father, we are especially concerned about Kenya as the nation is in its intense election season. We pray against the spirit of violence, beseeching that Kenya’s habitual division along ethnic lines will not erupt into aggression. We pray for your will to be done on Election Day, August 8. And we pray for a powerful spirit of peace and calm to descend upon the nation after the election, regardless of the results. Lord, we also pray against corruption in Kenya. We know it is extremely difficult to undo these entrenched patterns, but we pray that even these upcoming elections will involve steps in the right direction. We particularly ask your powerful conviction within Christian leaders’ spirits to honor you in all their decisions so that they will not tarnish your message through their own participation in corruption. On a different note, we pray against Al-Shabaab and other terrorists’ efforts in harming Christians within Kenya and beyond. Please frustrate their wicked efforts on every side. Woo these terrorists to you, your truth and your mercy. In Jesus’ name we ask your blessing on Kenya today. Amen. 

https://www.opendoors.org.za/eng/persecuted_christians/world_watch_list/kenya/

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Praise for the successful prosecution of 60+ human traffickers in Thailand

Photo credit: Reuters  http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-40652012
Lord, today we celebrate the successful prosecution of several key Thai leaders who participated in human trafficking in their country. We are thankful General Manas Kongpan and 60 other people were sentenced to pay the penalty of their crimes against humanity. Lord, you know we do not rejoice in the fall of these men and women. We rejoice that steps were taken to end human trafficking in this land. May these penalties of 4-94 years in prison cause others to halt their selling and harming of vulnerable human beings. May those who are headed to prison meet with you during their time there. May they seek a healthy direction for their lives. And please continue to bring about justice for those who have fallen victim to this terrible crime. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen. 

Monday, July 17, 2017

Prayer about increased sexual violence in Somalia and northern Kenya

Read about these devastating concerns here:
http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/14/africa/somalia-drought-violence-against-women/index.html
Lord, it feels like there are no words for reacting to the devastating consequences of the drought in Northern Kenya and Somalia. First, to hear that reported cases of sexual violence against women have tripled is deeply disturbing. Please protect these women as they search for food and water for their families. Bring out the best rather than the worst in people as they recognize that this is a humanitarian crisis. May they desire to help rather than harm. And, Lord, to read of the dramatic increase in women and girls of all ages turning to sex work in order to provide for their families… girls charging only 50 cents and often not being paid or being beaten when asking for the money… these are the times when we are most thankful for your Holy Spirit interceding for us (Romans 8:26), because we cannot express the sadness in our hearts. Lord, how do we even pray? Be with those girls. Meet them in their pain. Help influencers make great strides in addressing the root problems in this crisis. And, Lord, may your Kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We humbly ask your help, in Jesus’ name, amen. 

Friday, July 14, 2017

Prayer for Vietnam - #17 on the World Watch List for persecution

https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/vietnam/
Lord, today we pray for our brothers and sisters in Vietnam. Many are deeply discouraged by the new Law on Belief and Religion, which limits their religious freedom even more than it was already limited. Strengthen their souls, Lord. Help them to deepen their trust in you every day, despite the increasing persecution from friends, family and government. We pray particularly for those who convert to Christianity from other religions. If their families abandon them, meet their needs through who you are, as well as through their brothers and sisters in Christ as they gather around them. We pray for the Christians from different denominations to look past relatively minor issues to focus on the priority of following you in a land that oppresses them on the journey. May they band together in love and unity, so they may find greater strength, encouragement and effectiveness. Please sustain your children in Vietnam, Lord. May they glorify you and increase in number daily. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Prayer against female genital mutilation and praise for Michigan's better laws about the practice

http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/michigan-imposes-prison-term-for-female-genital-mutilation-1.3498741
Lord, today we celebrate Michigan’s passing of more stringent laws against female genital mutilation. We are thankful this state is leading the way in cracking down on this barbaric practice that has no health benefits. We pray that Michigan’s harsher penalties and educational outreach will motivate people to reconsider the supposed importance of this practice. Lord, we also pray against female genital mutilation worldwide. It can be difficult to criticize other cultures’ or religions’ practices, but sometimes the truth is clear. Female genital mutilation is harmful--like India’s former practicing of cremating living widows along with their dead husbands (sati). Just as Hindus now recognize that sati is barbaric, may Muslims realize that female genital mutilation is shameful, torturous and oppressive. In Jesus’ powerful name we pray, amen. 

Monday, July 10, 2017

Prayer about the new world heritage site, Valongo Wharf, and slavery

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-40552282
Lord, today we pray about The Valongo wharf in Rio de Janeiro, which was just declared a world heritage site by the UN cultural organization, Unesco. Heavenly Father, this site where 40% of slaves transported to the Americas arrived in the 17-1800s marks a blight on human history. Yet this is one reason to remember what happened here: to be shocked and dismayed, and to resolve to never let this happen again. We pray for those who will maintain and educate through this site, that they will be effective in moving people toward light and love as they witness a place of such darkness and hatred. We pray for those who visit to consider modern-day slavery and what they might do to stop it. Lord, give us all eyes to see those around us as your precious children. May we treat each person with dignity, so that we may avoid the slippery slope of dehumanizing fellow human beings, whether through slander, cruelty or extremes like slavery. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen. 

Friday, July 7, 2017

Prayer for Uzbekistan - #16 on the World Watch List for persecution

https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/uzbekistan/
Lord, today we pray for Uzbekistan, where persecution for Christians is very high. It’s hard to imagine living in a country where the government bugs home, taps phones and infiltrates church groups with spies. It makes us more thankful for the freedoms we have in living without constant surveillance. Lord, please strengthen the believers as they attempt to lead normal lives with an awareness of this constant watchfulness. May they persevere in the faith even when their materials are confiscated and they are detained and interrogated. May this pressure only strengthen their resolve and enable your light to shine more brightly through them. We also pray for converts from Islam to have special protection, as their own families are tempted to exercise violence toward them. In Jesus’ name we pray for Uzbekistan today, amen. 

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Prayer for Hamid as he shares Christ in Pakistan

Hamid's story is available in the Voice of the Martyrs newsletter, to which you can subscribe here: https://secure.persecution.com/newslettersignup.aspx?source=WEBFBOOK

Lord, today we pray for “Hamid” in Pakistan, who has gone from hating his neighbors to sharing Jesus with them. Lord, you saw the suffering in Hamid’s life as he grew up bullied, persecuted and discriminated against because he was a Christian in a Muslim nation. You were sad to see his heart harden toward Muslims. Thank you for reaching him and drawing him closer to you, so that he could see his neighbors and fellow countrymen as you see them: as people who need you. Lord, we are excited about Hamid’s effective work sharing the Gospel with Muslims and even planting churches comprised of converted Muslims. Please continue to bless and protect him in his work, as well as watching over his family. We pray that many Pakistanis will come to know you through Hamid’s testimony and ministry. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

 


Monday, July 3, 2017

Prayer about the loss of eight Indonesian rescue workers

http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/02/asia/indonesia-volcano-helicopter/index.html
Lord, today we grieve the loss of eight rescue workers, whose helicopter crashed in central Java, Indonesia. We are thankful these individuals were willing to board the National Search and Rescue helicopter in order to assist endangered tourists at the Sileri Crater area. What a tragedy that the rescuers themselves ended up dying before reaching those in need! Heavenly Father, we are thankful for the huge variety of rescue personnel (both volunteer and paid) around the world who put themselves in harm’s way every day for the good of others. What a picture of the kind of love you describe in John 15:13: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” These Indonesian heroes were laying down their lives for strangers. We pray that you will bless the loved ones left behind. We pray the emergency responders’ legacy will be honored. And we pray that rescue personnel around the world will receive support and encouragement as they continue to serve their neighbors and countrymen. With gratitude we pray, amen.



Saturday, July 1, 2017

Prayer for India - #15 on the World Watch List for persecution

https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/india/  Photo credit: Reuters/Adnan Abidi
Lord, today we pray for India, where our brothers and sisters in Christ are facing fierce persecution from radical Hindus. Lord, we are distraught that the current government has allowed radical Hinduism to increase through the lack of consequences for those who commit violent crimes against Christian. The violence is mushrooming because of this silent assent! Lord, we particularly pray today for our brothers and sisters who have left Hinduism to pursue you. May their families and friends love them for who they are and not view their choice as treason or betrayal. Protect these disciples and give them courage. Lord, we also pray for the Protestant Christian communities that are persecuted due to their faith and outreach. Strengthen and guide them. Shore up their courage, wisdom and grace. Lord, we pray for the Indian government—for the kind of wisdom that generates excellent leadership and care for those they lead. May India become a beacon of freedom, rather than a nation where people fear to worship the one true God. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.