Pray for East & Central Asia

Pray for East & Central Asia May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:5-6 East Asian Countries: North Korea & China North Korea: Is again ranked as the most oppressive place in the world for Christians. Christians are forced to hide their faith completely from the government, neighbors and often their own spouses and children. Entire Christian families are imprisoned in hard labor camps, where unknown numbers die each year from torture, beatings, overexertion and starvation. China: There main religion is Atheism. The Christian church is the largest social force in China not controlled by the Communist Party. As a result there are a considerable number imprisoned and violence is at a very high level and is increasing. Believers from a Tibetan Buddhist or Muslim Uyghur background experience persecution from families, communities and religious leaders. North Korea: The success of launching helium-filled weather balloons carrying gospel tracts and New Testaments into the country, and radio broadcasts that deliver Scripture over the air are ways to deliver God s Word. Pray for these bold believers as they share Christ in prison. Pray for the authorities when finding the gospel tracts they will become believers. China: Christians who have seen a reduction in freedom in all sectors of society in addition to persecution for their faith. Central Asian Countries: Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan & Tajikistan In all these countries converts to Christianity from Islam experience persecution in the form of pressure and violence from family, friends and local communities. They also suffer from raids, threats, arrests and fines. Kazakhstan: The believers would stand strong in spite of the very high persecution and pressure from family and community. Turkmenistan: Is considered one of the most restrictive places in the world. Some Christian converts are imprisoned in their own home by their families and beaten until they renounce their faith. Pray they will have discretion in their communications for some are wire tapped and those who are pressured to return to Islam. Uzbekistan: Christians who are under constant surveillance. The government bugs homes, tapping phones, infiltrating groups with spies and monitoring church services. Pray for peace and comfort at all times. Tajikistan: Daily surveillance as government authorities heavily monitor ministry activities. Believers often sacrifice so much for their faith. Pray the joy of the Lord will be their strength. To read prayer requests from all the persecuted countries, join www.icomittopray.com. 1

Pray for South & Southeast Asia But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say. Matthew 10:19 In almost all Asian countries which Buddhism is the majority religion there is cruel religious oppression. Professing allegiance to Christ alone is seen as angering the spirits. In Islam and Buddhism extreme persecution is by Islamic groups, Buddhist monks, family and friends. Pray for South Asian Countries: Afghanistan: The main religion is Islam and a place where it costs everything to be a Christian. Intense pressure is exerted on believers by families, friends, communities and local religious leaders. Many who convert from Islam are murdered by their families, others are sent to mental hospitals. Converts usually lose their rights to personal property and possessions. Pray as they lack fellowship for fear of telling anyone about their faith and for those who lose their possessions and loved ones to persecution. Pakistan: Christians are targets for murder, bombings, abduction of women, rape, forced marriages and eviction from home and country. Pray for those who risk being charged with blasphemy by friends, family and neighbors. India: The main religion is Hinduism and Christians are regularly attacked by Hindu extremists. Pray for Indian believers who experience both violent and intense cultural pressure to return to Hinduism. Bhutan: The continuing emphasis on Buddhism as the spiritual heritage results in persecution and fellowship must take place underground. Pray for Christians cut off from community resources and for their persecutors. Bangladesh: As the Christian minority is growing, it faces increased restrictions, challenges and violence by Islamic radical groups. Pray for those who are mentally and physically abused that God would give them steadfast faith. Maldives: Pray the believers will have wisdom as they live out their faith and for resilience under the ongoing stress of persecution. Sri Lanka: Mobs and Buddhist monks continue to disrupt church services and Christians are victims of violence. Pray Christians would start to receive more protection from the government. Pray for Southeast Asian Countries: Myanmar (Burma): An organization of Buddhist radical monks continues to campaign against religious minorities and has helped introduce four laws for the Protection of Race and Religion, building insurmountable hurdles for conversions and religiously mixed marriages. Pray the Christians will minister and evangelize other persecuted minorities and will be strengthened by God. Laos: Buddhist temples are the centers of social and religious life. Christians refusing to participate in Buddhist practices are perceived as dangerous and a threat to traditional culture. Converts are physically and verbally abused. Pray as they have nowhere to read their Bible without being watched. Vietnam: Converts to Christianity from Buddhist face the strongest persecution. Believers gather in house churches and they face discrimination at various levels of society. Pray that Christians from different backgrounds will find unity in Christ and support one another. Brunei: Has been a sultanate for more than 600 years. The Sultan has been moving the country closer to conservative Islam and the first phase of Sharia penal code was introduced in 1014 making importing Bibles illegal and identifying as a Christian can be considered proselytizing, which is punishable by death, 30 years in prison or corporal punishment. Pray that Muslim families will encounter Christ while persecuting Christian family members. Malaysia: Pray for new believers who are kicked out of their homes or sent to Islamic re-education camps. Indonesia: Has now seen the threat of ISIS and they continue to pose serious challenges. The government is taking the fight against extremists seriously. Pray for the safety of believers as they attend church. Several churches have been attacked. We can supply Bibles to people who are hungry for God s Word: www.vombooks.com. 2

Pray for the Middle East I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33 Middle East Countries: Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Jordon, Palestinian Territories, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman & Yemen The Middle East was the birthplace of Christianity and has become a place of severe Christian persecution. The overall situation in all these countries is characterized by heavy persecution of Christians. Converts to Christianity face arrest, violence and death. Others are institutionalized for their faith. Violence from their own families can result in being locked away, forced to leave or death. Syria: Many Christians have fled areas that are held by Islamic militants, including ISIS and have had their homes destroyed. Pray for peace and counseling for children who have been traumatized by the violence. Thousands are refugees, prisoners, homeless or have been kidnapped. Iraq: Believers are rebuilding their lives after being forced from their homes by ISIS, and for those who remain will be witnesses to their neighbors. Jordan: Has large groups of refugees, mostly from Syria and Iraq. Pray this crisis would allow many to hear the Gospel. Palestinian Territories: Christians in the are stuck in the middle of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Pray for those living in fear of repercussions for their faith to place their trust in the Lord. Saudi Arabia: Is the only country in the world without any church buildings. The number of Christian converts is increasing, along with boldness in sharing the Gospel. Yemen: The war in this country has caused a dire humanitarian crisis making its hunger crisis one of the worst in the world. The glimmer of hope is that reports show more Muslims are turning to Christ than ever before. We can send packs that contain medical and hygienic needs for Christians driven from their homes by Islamic extremists at www.persecution.com/fillafamilymedpack or www.persecution.com/sponsorafamilymedpack. 3

Pray for North & West Africa However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me the task of testifying to the good new of God s grace. Acts 20:24 North African Countries: Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Egypt & Sudan The total number of persecution incidents in the top 50 most dangerous countries increased revealing the persecution of Christians worldwide as a rising trend. Tunisia: Pressure on Christians is highest within families. Violent persecution includes forced marriages, physical assaults and vandalism of Christian properties. Pray for those who are gripped by fears of growing extremism and for believing youth who are persecuted for rejecting Islam. Algeria: Almost all Christians are from a Muslim background. Pray for converts who face domestic violence and house arrest for their faith. Libya: is still mired in the conflict and chaos that have engulfed the nation since Gadaffi s regime was toppled in 2011. The country has been in a state of anarchy and the persecution is fueled by the state of anarchy and violent conflict in which Islamic militias are active. Pray believers will remain steadfast in their faith and the Lord will comfort and equip them for ministry. Egypt: Is a small, but growing community of Christian converts are often kicked out of their homes or beaten when their Muslim families find out about their new faith. Pray Islamist leaders will come to Christ and believers will entrust their situations to God. Sudan: persecution in the country is systemic and reminiscent of ethnic cleansing. The government is strictly implementing a one religion, one culture and one language policy, which results in arrests, attacks and murders. Pray as believers risk all for the sake of the gospel, evangelizing and preaching. West African Countries: Mali, Nigeria, Central African Republic (CAR) & Mauritania Mali: A rise in persecution is linked with Islamic radicalism that is undermining religious freedom, despite a peace deal signed with the government. Christians, especially those living in areas not under government control, fear for their safety. Pray for those displaced from their homes. Nigeria: The killing of Christians saw an increase of more than 62%. Boko Haram is responsible for much of the brutal violence and kidnappings of young girls. Pray as many have lost loved ones to attacks by Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen and their persecution. Central African Republic (CAR): Christians are forced to flee from their villages and are denied access to farming fields with many being killed by Fulani herdsmen and Muslim extremists. Pray for safety as believers have opportunities to witness to them. Mauritania: Is a self-proclaimed Islamic Republic, and has an estimated 5,000 Christians. It is one of the world s poorest countries. Since there are so few believers, Christians often feel isolated. Pray for their strength. How to pray for and help equip pastors and workers with the support to share the gospel www.persecution.com/adoptfrontlineworkers. 4

Pray for South East Africa Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. Romans 8:23 South East African Countries: Eritrea, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania & Comoros Eritrea: Has been dubbed The North Korea of Africa. Eritrea president s totalitarian paranoia is driving hundreds of thousands of citizens into the hands of people smugglers. Even though they know there is a high probability of falling into the hands of traffickers and radical groups they are desperate to escape. Ethiopia: Has a long history of Christianity. Because of radical Islam spilling over from neighboring countries, and some groups within the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, the growing number of persecution toward evangelicals and Protestants makes Ethiopia very high in persecution. Somalia: Martyrdom is commonplace. Christians have no voice or rights in society and Islamic extremism makes matters even worse. Kenya: is a country with a Christian majority (82%). The main source of persecution is Islamic extremism by al-shabaab and other militant groups. It is in areas dominated by radical Islam that Christians are target for persecution. Tanzania: Militant movements in Somalia and Kenya are presently having a serious impact on this country. Attacks on churches and individual believers continues. Comoros: The Sunni majority has adopted a constitution declaring Islam as the state religion. Eritrea: The inhuman treatment of Christian prisoners thousands of whom have been arrested and imprisoned has received international attentions. Many have been locked in shipping containers and died as the result. Pray the believers will be able to fix their eyes fully on Christ. Djibouti: Christianity has existed for many centuries. It is surrounded by volatile countries and persecution from those countries are spilling over into Djibouti. Pray for endurance and the government. Ethiopia: Pray for a wave of biblical reform within the churches claiming Christ and for God to reveal the Truth to the government officials. Somalia: Christian population only amounts to hundreds, a remnant that endures great sorrows for bearing the name of Christ. Pray for wisdom and discernment in sharing the gospel with others and a quiet boldness and sense of God s presence. Kenya: Christians living in large Muslim population will have a desire to share their faith. Tanzania: Pray for members of the Islamist separatist group, Uamsho, who orchestrates church attacks. Comoros: There has been an increase in what is usually sparse violent persecution. Pray for safety. To help meet the daily needs of persecuted Christians, you can visit: www.persecution.com/actionpacks and to www.persecution.com/letters to write a letter on Letter-Writing Stationery and send to Voice of the Martyrs where field workers will distribute your letter to imprisoned Christians and their families. 5

Pray for South America & Mexico No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Romans 8:37 South America Columbia: Large areas of this country are under the control of criminal organization, drug cartels, revolutionists and paramilitary groups who persecute Christians, often violently. Both violence and persecution generally go unpunished. All inhabitants of Colombia suffer from the conflict that has lasted for decades, but Christians are especially effected. Asking for permission to preach is a way of life. Merely forgetting or refusing to ask can result in death at the hands of the guerillas or paramilitaries in Colombia s red zones. Pastors in these areas are viewed as obstacles to group s political ambitions because young people who become Christians are no longer attracted to the group s violent lifestyles. The front-line workers and others who evangelize and disciple in remote villages for their safety as they face violence from rebel groups. The brave men and women who know it is dangerous to witness without permission but continue to do so. Christ to comfort believers whose family members have been killed for their faith. All groups who persecute Christians will come to know him. We can assist displaced Christians who face persecution by providing food, housing, schools, medical care and safe housing: www.familiesofmartyrsfund.com. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. John 16:22 Mexico This country is known as one of the most violent countries in the world, as a result of the presence of organized crime. The culture effects all Mexicans, but especially its most vulnerable groups in rural areas, including Christians. Believers who actively engage in transforming society constitutes a threat to drug cartels and other criminal groups. Converts from indigenous traditional beliefs to Christianity are persecuted by their families and communities. Physical protection for the believers who experience extreme levels of violence. For God s provision and grace toward Christians denied access to basic social services and resources. That those involved in drug cartels will come to know Jesus and encourage positive changes. We can help serve the persecuted: www.persecution.com. 6