prayer diary march/april 2012

8/3/2019 Prayer Diary March/April 2012

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THE AID AGENCY FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH

TO HELP YOU PRAY FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH

www.barnabasfund.org

prayer

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2 BARNABAS PRAYER MARCH/APRIL 2012

Thank you for your prayers for ourpersecuted brothers and sisters inChrist, which make such a differenceto them. We sometimes have to

change or omit their names forsecurity reasons, and we have onlylimited space to share their stories.But the Lord knows the people andplaces we are praying about. Thankyou for your understanding.

MarchThursday 1As widely predicted, the MuslimBrotherhoods Freedom and Justice Partyemerged from Egyptsfirst parliamentary electionssince the revolution with the largest share ofthe vote (around 40 per cent). The success ofthe more hard line Salafist al-Nur Party, whichachieved around 25 per cent, took commentatorsby surprise, as did the weak support for thesecular, liberal voices that had hailed the

revolution. The election results are an indicationof the strength of Islamic fervency in Egypt and donot bode well for the countrys sizeable Christianminority, who have come under increasing attacksince the fall of President Mubarak. Pray that thenew Egyptian order will protect all of its citizensand promote genuine freedom and equality.

Friday 2Between 11 August and 24 December2011, eleven Christian children were seized in aseries of kidnappings in Nag Hammadi, Egypt.The captors demanded ransom payments ashigh as 630,000 Egyptian pounds (68,000;US$104,000; 82,000) for the return of thehostages; some families were forced to hand overall they had to the assailants. A failed attemptwas made by the security forces to arrest the

ringleader and his gang, after which he allegedlythreatened to carry out a massacre in NagHammadi. Pray for all the families who have been

affected by this distressing spate of kidnappings,that the Lord will comfort them and help them torebuild their lives.

Saturday 3 Eritrea is ranked among theworlds worst persecutors of Christians. Onlyfour Christian groups are officially recognised,and members of non-registered groups arerelentlessly harassed. All their churches havebeen closed; some of their leaders and membershave been imprisoned for more than eightyears; and they lose their jobs or are preventedfrom leaving the country. Even the recognised

churches are subject to extensive control. Thegovernment sees Christians as a threat tonational unity because they give their ultimateallegiance to God. Pray for brave EritreanChristians who serve the Lord at the risk of theirliberty. Ask Him to strengthen those who areimprisoned in appalling conditions, and that theymay soon be released.

Sunday 4 The Iranian authoritiesraided a Christmas service at achurch in Ahwaz on 23 December2011, detaining everyone in thebuilding, including the children.The youngsters were severelydistressed by the incident, duringwhich the security agents had theirfaces covered. The majority of thecongregation were interrogated andthreatened; they were eventuallyreleased once their personal detailshad been recorded. Four thesenior pastor and his wife, and twoother church leaders were heldin custody. The pastors wife wassubsequently released, but, at the

time of writing, the whereaboutsand condition of the other three wasunknown. Pray that the children will

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3BARNABAS PRAYER MARCH/APRIL 2012

recover fully from this frighteningexperience, and that the churchleaders will be released withoutcharge.

Monday 5A mob of more than 500 Muslimstudents and police officials torched a church inthe village of Qoto Baloso in the Silte provinceof Ethiopia on 29 November 2011. The studentswere shouting Allahu Akbar (god is great) andjihad. Four days earlier, police had destroyedthe roof of the building after a court ruled that ithad been built without proper authorisation. An

Ethiopian Christian told Barnabas Fund that theChristians did have a permit to build the church,but the judge who made the order and thepolice chief who enforced it are known for theiranti-Christian bias. One local Christian said, TheIslamic religion has become the state religion inour region. Pray for the safety and freedom ofChristians in Muslim-majority areas of Ethiopia.

Tuesday 6 You have put a lot of smiles onthe needy, vulnerable widows and orphans in thisministry. Barnabas received this joyful expressionof thanks from a group of Christians in Kenya,who are feeding 31 orphans and providing fortheir healthcare and school fees with our help.They are also creating opportunities for Christianwidows to generate their own income; with ourlatest grant they bought and installed a maize

mill for the widows use. They are working in arural area where Islam is growing rapidly, andthey feel called to provide hope and practical helpto [Gods] children who suffer the discrimination

that results from their faith in Him. Give thanksfor how the lives of these vulnerable Christiansare being transformed, and pray that God willcontinue to prosper this work (James 1:27).

Wednesday 7 On Christmas Day 2011 agroup of Christians in Karnataka State, India,were enjoying their Christmas meal when a groupof around 20 Hindu extremists carrying stones

and clubs forced their way into the house. Theybeat up the Christians, including the womenand children, and seriously injured some ofthem. Elsewhere in Karnataka a prayer hall wasdamaged, while in Kandhamal, Orissa State, thehome of a young Christian couple was burneddown while they were at a Christmas celebrationat their village church. These two states havebecome notorious for anti-Christian violence in

recent years. Pray for the Christians affectedas they recover from their ordeal, and that theauthorities will work to prevent violence fromHindu militants.

Thursday 8 Tolerance is non-negotiable.Indonesian Presidents Susilo BambangYudhoyonos condemnation of religiousintimidation came as an Islamist group wasdemanding the demolition offive churchesin Central Java. Speaking on 4 Decemberat an event staged by the largest Protestantdenomination in Indonesia, the president said thatthe nations diversity was a strength, a gift fromGod. But this view is not worked out in practicefor the countrys Christians, who in many placesface restrictions from the authorities and violent

opposition from radical Islamists. Give thanksfor the presidents expressed commitment totolerance and diversity, and pray that these will

Christian widows in Kenya rejoice overtheir new mill, funded by Barnabas

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increasingly be experienced by the countrysChristians.

Friday 9Continue to lift up to the Lord Iranian

house church leader Noorollah Qabitizade, aconvert from Islam to Christianity, who has beenin prison since 24 December 2010. He hasresisted pressure to renounce his faith, despitebeing offered his freedom if he did so, and insteadtried to share the Gospel with other prisoners.This angered the guards, who consequentlytransferred Noorollah to another prison, in Ahwaz,over 160km away. Thank God for our brothers

faithfulness under pressure, and pray that he willbe protected from all harm.

Saturday 10On 2 December, Islamists wenton the rampage in the autonomous region of IraqiKurdistan, settingfire to shops and businessesowned by Christians and Yezidis, anotherminority group. The mob was apparently incitedby an imams vitriolic sermon. At least 30 people

were injured, and several million dollars worthof damage was caused in the city of Zakho asvarious properties were set ablaze. Three dayslater, leaflets were put on the walls of the burnedshops threatening the owners with death if theyreopened them. Christians have generally beenwelcomed and safe in Iraqi Kurdistan; many havemoved there to escape anti-Christian violenceelsewhere in Iraq. Pray that attacks againstChristians in Iraqi Kurdistan do not becomecommonplace.

Sunday 11 Pastor Umar Mulinde, achurch leader in Uganda, had acidthrown in his face outside his churchin the capital, Kampala, on ChristmasEve 2011. The substance burned the

right side of his face and his neckand arms and damaged his right eye.Pastor Umar, a convert from Islam

and formersheikh, hadbeen receivingthreats for

some time. It isbelieved that hewas targetedbecause of hisconversionand his strongcritique ofIslam. He hadalso been a key

opponent ofMuslim plans

to introduce Kadhi courts (shariacourts) in Uganda. Pray for hishealing from his injuries and shock,and pray that he will be protectedfrom further attacks. Barnabas hashelped with the cost of his surgery.

Monday 12The authorities in Kazakhstancontinue to clamp down ruthlessly on the practiceof Christianity. Under the terms of restrictivenew religion laws that came into force in 2011,churches in prisons have now been closed andChristian literature confiscated from prisoners. Agovernment aide said that the churches had beenbuilt illegally, despite their having been authorisedby the prison authorities. There have also beenreports of ministers being denied access toprisons to conduct services, and of the closureof a prayer room used by Christians in a homefor disabled people in Almaty. Pray for Christianprisoners in Kazakhstan, that they will be able tofind fellowship and encouragement in their faith.Pray too that the oppressive laws will soon berepealed.

Tuesday 13As the authorities in Kazakhstancontinued their crackdown on religious freedom,

astor Umarulinde. Barnabas

helped to pay for hissurgery. (Source:Vision Group / NewVision Printing

and PublishingCompany)

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BARNABAS PRAYER MARCH/APRIL 2012

a 17-year-old girl was knocked unconsciousby a policeman in a raid on a church meetingin Atyrau. The church was registered with thestate, but the Christians had been blocked by

the authorities from using their regular and legaladdress. So they were meeting elsewhere,which is not allowed under the new religion law.Baptist churches, which refuse to register onprinciple, have reported increased harassmentand pressure from officials, who interrupt theirservices and issue threats. Pray that the churcheswill persevere in their worship and witnessdespite intimidation and harsh treatment from the

government.

Wednesday 14 Today in Azerbaijan variousreligious sects and movements are increasingtheir propaganda. It is necessary to strengthenthe measures being adopted to put a halt to this.This was the explanation of Azerbaijani memberof parliament Ganira Pashaeva as to why furtherrestrictions on religious freedom were being

introduced in the country. Amendments to theCriminal and Administrative Codes that createnew penalties or increase the severity of existingpunishments for a range of religious activitiescame into force on 12 December. These includea prison term of up tofive years for those whoproduce or distribute religious literature that hasnot been vetted by the state. Pray that the tide ofever-tightening restrictions in Azerbaijan will turn.

Thursday 15If you want to live in our village,you must cease all beliefs and practices in theChristian faith. The Christians in Natoo village inSavannakhet province, Laos were ordered on 21December to leave the village unless they gaveup their faith in Christ and stopped all Sundayworship meetings. They were given until only the

next day to comply or move out. The ultimatumrecalls the ill-treatment of the villagers of Katin inSaravan province, who were evicted from their

homes at gunpoint and told they could return onlyif they abandoned their faith. Pray for our brothersand sisters in Laos facing such hostility fromtheir local communities, that the Lord will give

them grace to respond with love and forgiveness,and that the hearts of their persecutors may bechanged.

Friday 16The Islamists didnt go out with uson January 14thbut then they took the revolutionfor themselves. With these words a Tunisiandemonstrator who took to the streets in early 2011to call for a more secular, liberal state expressed

her frustration and concern at the aftermath of theso-called Arab Spring. Despite the introductionof democracy in various North African countries,the growing influence and electoral success ofIslamism threatens a worsening of conditionsfor the churches, which have already endureddecades of discrimination and persecution underthe old regimes. Pray for their protection, andthat the process of political change will eventually

bring them greater freedom and security.

Saturday 17 Sixteen days with their legs inwooden stocks was the punishment for sevenchurch leaders arrested in December 2011 inBoukham village in Laos, because they had helda Christmas party attended by over 200 people.The village authorities said that this violated thetraditional spirit cult of the village. The seven hadalso each been ordered to pay afine of US$125and a cow (worth US$600) but this was laterreduced to just US$125 each. The seven werereleased on 12 January after provincial andcentral authorities intervened. Pray that they maynow be left alone to continue their ministry inpeace. Despite these challenges, the believersremain undaunted and fervent for the Lord,

reported a visitor who met three of the seven soonafter their release.

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Sunday 18 Aasia started cryingand praying to God for His mercyand freedom so that she could staywith her family with peace and love.

Aasia Bibi, the Christian mother stillimprisoned in Pakistan followingher conviction on false charges ofblasphemy, had an emotionalreunion with her family in December2011. But because she is able to seeher children only twice a year, theirjoy turned to sorrow when it was timeto say goodbye. Continue to pray

for Aasia, who is awaiting an appealagainst her death sentence. Pray toofor her family: her husband is unableto go out to work because he maybe targeted by Islamic extremists.Barnabas Fund provides the familywith a monthly food parcel andsupport for other needs.

Monday 19When unrest broke out in Moroccoduring the Arab Spring of 2011, it was quietenedby the kings promise of reform and the issuingof a new constitution. But no concessions weremade to Christians (or other minorities), andtheir very limited and insecure freedom seemsunlikely to be increased in the near future. Inthefirst elections under the new system, anIslamist group, the Justice and DevelopmentParty, won the most seats, and its leader wasappointed prime minister. Pray that this alarmingdevelopment will not lead to further repressionof the countrys indigenous Christians, who arealready forbidden from sharing their faith withMuslims, and who, as converts, can face pressurefrom their communities and local authorities.Pray that Moroccos constitutional commitment to

freedom of religion will be extended to Christianconverts from Islam.

Tuesday 20On 22 November 2011 a bombwas detonated beside the office of the UnitedMission to Nepal in the capital, Kathmandu.Thank the Lord that there was little damage and

no-one was hurt. Responsibility was claimed bythe Nepal Defence Army, an extremist group thatwants to reinstate the countrys Hindu monarchy.They demanded that the country become aHindu state and that all churches in the capitalbe closed within 50 days. Another bomb nearbywas defused, andfive days later a third wasdiscovered outside a church. Christians feelincreasingly under threat in Nepal, both from

extremist violence and from proposed newlegislation that would outlaw converting to anotherreligion or inciting someone to do so. Pray thatthe government will protect religious freedom andbring those responsible for anti-Christian violenceto justice.

Wednesday 21 Over 40 people were killed ina coordinated series of bomb and gun attacks on

churches and the security services infive Nigerianstates on Christmas Day. The majority of thefatalities occurred at a church in Madalla, near thecapital, Abuja; around 35 worshippers were killedwhen explosives were hurled at the congregationas they left the service. Militant Islamist groupBoko Haram claimed responsibility for the attacks.It is the second consecutive year that the grouphas staged anti-Christian violence at Christmas.Pray for all those who have lost loved ones as aresult of Boko Harams terrorist campaign, thatthey will know the Lord Jesus as theirWonderfulCounsellor and Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).

Thursday 22On 17 December 2011 thelong-time president of North Korea, Kim Jong-il,died, and he was soon succeeded by his son

Kim Jong-un. The country tops many lists of theworlds worst persecutors of Christians, and aspower passes to a third generation of the ruling

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family there is no sign of any relief for our sufferingbrothers and sisters. They live under constantthreat of torture, imprisonment or execution,and their whole families may be placed in the

countrys brutal labour camps. They also sharein the crippling poverty of the entire population.Pray that at this time of transition the internationalcommunity will bring pressure to bear on the newregime to grant religious freedom to Christiansand others, and that the whole nation will be setfree from oppression and scarcity.

Friday 23 Khurram Masih (25), a Christian from

Lahore in Pakistan, was arrested in December2011, after being falsely accused of blasphemy.An angry mob of 1,000 Muslims had blockeda road in Shahdara for three hours demandinghis arrest for allegedly burning pages from theQuran. Khurram said that he was badly beatenby the police, given nothing to eat for three daysand compelled to confess to the crime; he addedthat he has since been tortured and beaten

in prison. Section 295B of the Pakistan PenalCode punishes desecration of the Quran with lifeimprisonment, and thousands of innocent people,including many Christians, have been falselyaccused under this and other sections of thenotorious blasphemy laws. Pray for Khurramssafe release and that he will be cleared of thecharge.

Saturday 24Pray for 200 Christian familiesin north-west Armenia as they struggle to staywarm during the freezing winter months. Eversince an earthquake destroyed many of theirhouses in 1988, they have been living in badlyinsulated shacks made out of scrap metal. Thesewere meant to be only temporary homes, butbecause the Christians are so poor, they cannot

afford new houses. Winters are extremely harshfrom November to late May, and temperaturescan drop as low as minus 35-40C. Give thanks

that Barnabas was able to supply stocks of woodfor fuel, and small grants to pay the bills of thefew who have gas and electricity. Pray that theChristians may survive the harsh conditions and

that the Lord will provide for all their needs.

Sunday 25 Many converts fromIslam to Christianity live in mortaldanger. All schools of Islamic shariaprescribe the death penalty for an

adult male Muslim who choosesto leave his faith; some require thesame sentence for women convertstoo. Although Muslim governmentsrarely carry out the death sentence,they may imprison or tortureconverts, who may also have to gointo hiding to escape violence fromtheir relatives or zealous Muslims.Pray that persecuted converts will bestrong in the Lord and in His mightypower (Ephesians 6:10). Pray too thatthe Islamic law of apostasy will soonbe repealed, and that converts fromIslam will be free to practise theirChristian faith in peace.

Monday 26In a message to more than2.5 million Hajj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia on 5November, Irans supreme leader called on

Christians in Armenia who received helpfrom Barnabas to stay warm in theirfreezing winter

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the worlds Muslim-majority nations to form aninternational Islamic power-bloc, laying down anominous challenge to Western powers. AyatollahSeyyed Ali Khamenei said that Islamic countries

should make the most of [the] opportunitycreated by the Arab Spring, as well as the anti-capitalist movement across the world. Heraldinga global power shift, he said that the West, theUnited States and Zionism are weaker than everbefore. An Islamic power-bloc would be adangerous prospect for Christians in the region,who already suffer severe discrimination andpersecution. Pray that the Ayatollahs rhetoric

does not become reality.

Tuesday 27As we distributed the seed packs,we were struck by how many vulnerable peoplewere being reached. A blind woman was ledby a small girl, some disabled folk were helpedby friends and many old or poor folk thankedus profusely. Give thanks that Barnabas Fundwas able to help about 3,000 highly vulnerable

Ugandan Christians affected by the EastAfrica drought by providing them with seed forharvesting their own crops. Each householdreceived three bags with seed of sorghum, riceand soy bean, quick-growing plants that are readyfor harvesting within 90 days. The Christians alsoreceived instructions on how best to plant theseeds, and advice on the growing. Pray that thispractical help will protect them from the worsteffects of the drought. Pray too that they may beencouraged in their faith by the support of theirChristian family.

Wednesday 28 Pressure is growing onthe vulnerable churches of Sri Lanka. Buddhistnationalists have recently renewed their callsfor laws against forced conversions, which

if passed may be used to prohibit legitimateforms of Christian evangelism. In September2011 the Ministry of Religious Affairs declared

that its approval was required for building ormaintaining places of worship. Some churcheshave had their applications to register with thestate routinely rejected, and Christian individuals

and organisations have had planning permissionrefused even for non-church buildings. Pray thatthe Christians will standfirm in their faith in theface of these restrictions, and that they may havethe same freedoms as other citizens of Sri Lanka.

Thursday 29Pray for the new and fragilenation of South Sudan as it faces continuingunrest and insecurity. In 2011 the mainly Christian

country celebrated its independence from thepredominantly Muslim North, whose attemptsto Islamise and Arabise it had provoked a longand devastating civil war. But since then the(North) Sudanese military has attacked disputedborder regions, damaging churches and torturingpastors; and around 100,000 people have beendisplaced by tribal violence and bloodshed withinthe South. Pray for the Christians of South Sudan

who long to rebuild their shattered country inpeace, and that the new government will succeedin bringing order and stability throughout itsterritory.

Friday 30Many Christians have been killed inthe anti-government unrest in Syria, at the handsof both rebels and government forces. In onetragic incident a young Christian boy was killed bythe rebels, whofilmed the murder, while anotherChristian was seized and asked how he wantedto die. Many Christians havefled from one citywhere the violence has brought normal life to ahalt, and they are now struggling to feed theirfamilies. Others are afraid to leave their homesto go to work. Barnabas Fund has sent aid toChristians in desperate need of humanitarian

assistance. Pray that the Lord will meet theirneeds and keep them safe in the midst of politicalturmoil.

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Saturday 31I believed in Jesus two yearsago and after that my wife came to Jesus too.We are from a very difficult region for sharingthe Gospel. This seminar encouraged us in our

ministry and helped us to be strong in faith. Ihad many questions when I read the Bible andI have received answers to my questions. This

testimony comes from Salman, one of 40 church

leaders in Tajikistan who attended a three-daystudy programme supported by Barnabas Fund.All of the leaders are converts from Islam. Prayfor them as they seek to proclaim Christ and buildup their churches in the face of tight governmentcontrols and hostility from Muslims.

AprilSunday 1 Elderly members of achurch in China were beaten tothe ground when they tried to stopthe destruction of their building.Developers had won governmentapproval to demolish the church inTaian, Shandong province, eventhough the congregation belongs to

one of the denominations approvedby the authorities. Even the statusof the buildings as protected,

national, historical landmarkshas been insufficient to savethem from ruin. The unregisteredhouse churches of China face

the severest persecution fromthe government, but this incidentdemonstrates that even the rightsof the official churches can bewantonly disregarded. Pray thatGod will comfort and strengthen thecongregation in their distress; in theirappeal to the government they said,[We] have full confidence in the God

whom we believe and in his words.

Monday 2An unofficial committee for thepromotion of virtue and the prevention of vice hasbeen launched in Tunisia. The new organisationis not recognised by the government, but noaction has been taken to stop its activities. Itsmembers have taken upon themselves to seethat Islamic virtues are upheld in public life: they

are aggressive towards women who do notabide by their dress code, and they are trying toimpose imams with Islamist views on mosquesand Quranic schools. Since the Islamist Ennahdaparty won the largest vote in the elections inOctober 2011, concerns have been raised thatthe country will move in an increasingly Islamistdirection. Pray that this will not happen, and thatthe small Christian community in Tunisia will notcome under even greater pressure.

Tuesday 3 In December 2011 a Turkishnewspaper reported a large-scale plot by al-Qaeda to bomb churches in the capital, Ankara,as well as other targets. It said that an officialindictment had been issued against at leasteleven alleged militants, which outlined their

strategy to bring jihad to Turkey. Their materialsreportedly included lists of the names and homeaddresses of church leaders and other Christian

Salman and his wife attended a churchleaders seminar supported by Barnabasin Tajikistan

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workers. Although Christians in Turkey havesuffered only occasional incidents of violencein recent years, six have been killed, and theauthorities have made several mass arrests of

suspected al-Qaeda members and sympathisers.Pray that God will be the refuge and strength ofHis people in Turkey and will protect them fromharm (Psalm 46:1).

Wednesday 4Christians in Turkmenistanlive out their faith under the watchful and hostileeye of a repressive state. Converts from Islamamong the ethnic Turkmen people try to stay out

of sight, as the authorities sometimes break uptheir church meetings by violence, subject themto beatings or confiscate their Christian literature.Even Russian-speaking Christians (not convertsfrom Islam)find their activities regulated; thesecurity services closed a summer camp forchildren and told the Christians that they haveinformers in their church. Pray that our brothersand sisters in Turkmenistan will be given relief

from the harsh restrictions that they face, and thatthe government will allow them to practise theirfaith without harassment.

Thursday 5Uzbekistan has the worst recordof human rights abuses against Christiansand other religious minorities of all the nationsof Central Asia. Among the many restrictionsfaced by the churches, the printing, storage anddistribution of religious literature can lead toprosecution. Church leaders have been chargedwith this offence, and recently a young girl wasgiven a largefine just for reading a Gospel toherself on a bus. Some Christians are bringingtheir literature to the churches in case the policesearch their homes andfind it. Pray for protectionfor them, and ask that despite the arrests and

harsh penalties the Gospel will continue to bearfruit and grow in Uzbekistan (Colossians 1:6).

Friday 6Pray for the two sons and wider familyof Christian couple Adnan Elia Jakmakji (34)and Raghad al Tawil (25), who were shot deadin Mosul, northern Iraq, on 13 December. The

couples sons were with them in the car when thefamily was ambushed by an armed group. Theboys were wounded as the gunmen sprayed thevehicle with bullets, but survived the attack. Praythat they will recover physically, emotionally andpsychologically from this traumatic experienceand will grow up knowing that the Lord is a fatherto the fatherless (Psalm 68:5) who provides for alltheir needs.

Saturday 7 A pastor in Vietnam was beatenunconscious and twelve people injured when agang violently attacked an unregistered housechurch in the capital, Hanoi. The pastor was leftwith severe chest, stomach and head pain, andthe gang threatened to kill him if he continuedto organise house church meetings. One of thewomen was unable to walk afterwards, owing to

her injuries. The raid followed two gang attackson a house church in Quang Nam province thatbelongs to a registered denomination. It is thoughtthat the Vietnamese authorities sometimesemploy gangs to carry out attacks on churches;those responsible are rarely prosecuted. Pray forour brothers and sisters in Vietnam as they facesuch hostility, that they will find God to be theirrefuge, a strong tower against the foe(Psalm 61:3).

Sunday 8 As we celebrate theresurrection of the Lord Jesus onthis Easter Day, let us give thanksto God for how He brings life out ofdeath and joy out of suffering. NaginaGullam, a Christian child in Pakistan,

was raped by a Muslim gang in 1997when she was only seven years old.

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With the help of a Christian legalaid agency, she was given hospitaltreatment after her ordeal and alsohelp to relocate. Since then she has

been living at a refuge for Christiangirls, which was built by BarnabasFund; we continue to assist with itsrunning costs. She has received aneducation and learned sewing skills,and in January 2012 she got marriedto a Christian man of her choice. Praythat the Lord will continue to blessNagina richly, and give thanks for

His wonderful love to her and all Hischildren (Romans 8:38-39).

Monday 9In August 2011 an inspection teamfrom the Beijing Culture Bureau in China swoopedon a bookshop in the city and confiscated40 copies of a Christianfilm. The shop wasfined around 400 (US$618; 478) for sellingillegal goods. Then in November a leading

representative of the company that produced anddistributed thefilm was seized from her home byagents of the Domestic Security Department, andthe company itself was raided and the productsconfiscated. Thefilm is the work of a ChineseChristianfilmmaker, now based in the US, andtells the inspirational stories of Chinese peoplewhose lives were transformed when they found

Christ. Pray that the Chinese authorities will relaxtheir tight control over Christian activities, and thatthe Gospel will be proclaimed without hindrance.

Tuesday 10 Pray for Gao Zhisheng, a ChineseChristian lawyer who has been sentenced to afurther three years in jail. Gao was given afive-year probationary sentence for subversion in 2006after he took on a series of cases in which hedefended Chinas unregistered churches (housechurches). After his conviction he disappearedseveral times and was detained and tortured.He was last seen in April 2010, and his family

feared that he had been killed by the authorities.He is now imprisoned in a remote region of farwestern China. Pray that the Lord will be hisstrength during his ordeal and that he will soon bereleased.

Wednesday 11 Christmas 2011 broughtrenewed harassment for Chinas beleagueredchurches. An unofficial Christmas Day service

staged in a public square in Langzhong city,China, was broken up by around 20-30 policeofficers whofired tear gas at worshippers anddetained three of them. In Beijing more than30 members of Shouwang Church, which hasbeen staging outdoor services since April, werearrested for taking part in a public Christmasgathering. And a meeting of around 50 membersof various unregistered churches in Dongyangto plan their Christmas gathering was raided andthe pastor and his son were beaten. Pray thatChinese Christians will standfirm in their faith inthe face of this unrelenting pressure, and ask thatthe authorities will look more favourably on them.

Thursday 12From the moment we got outof the prison gates we never felt safe, actually

quite the opposite. We feared attack by Islamicvigilantes and agents of the Islamic Regime. Allvenues of work and employment were closed to

Jiang Yaxi was detained in China forproducing and distributing a Christianfilm. (Source: www.chinaaid.org)

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us and we were constantly under surveillance;so we decided to leave the country for ourown safety and seek refuge elsewhere.ArashKermanjani (29) and his wife Arezo Teymouri (26),

an Iranian Christian couple who were imprisonedfor eight months without charge, were attackedon their release on 30 April 2011. At the timeof writing, they were awaiting relocation by theUnited Nations refugee agency, UNHCR. Pray forthem as they attempt to rebuild their lives.

Friday 13 Please pray for the ProclaimFreedom campaign that Barnabas Fund has

launched, which seeks to raise the profile ofthe persecuted Church around the world. It willencourage Western governments to promotehuman rights in other countries for all minorities,but especially to press for religious freedom forthe approximately 200 million Christians living inthe shadow of persecution, discrimination andpoverty. It will also ask governments to call forthose who incite hatred or engage in anti-Christian

violence to be held accountable. Pray that it maybring the plight of Christs suffering family to theattention of those in authority, and that determinedaction will be taken to relieve their distress.

Saturday 14 Over 300 religious groups including several Christian denominations havelost official recognition in Hungary under thecountrys controversial new constitution. Thecode, which came into effect on 1 January,introduces a new law on religion that had beendeemed unconstitutional by the countrysConstitutional Court. It grants state recognitionto 14 religious groups and decertifies the rest.Those that have lost their official status includeEpiscopalians, Methodists and all but one of theevangelical churches, as well as many small

Roman Catholic orders. Pray that the activitiesof these groups will not be impaired and that theHungarian government will re-think this law.

Sunday 15 The progress ofIslamisation continues in Australia,according to a local human rightsgroup. It reports that one university

has Muslim-only toilets, while aWestern Australia hospital isfacing demands for Muslim-onlyprayer rooms on the groundsthat a shared room might involveMuslims in idolatry. Some stateschools are recommending thatswimming lessons for the Muslimstudents should be female-only, or

even Muslim-only, and some serveonly halalfood in their cafeterias.Demands and concessions suchas these are also being made inother Western countries. Pray thatgovernments and others in authoritywill have wisdom to prevent thedevelopment of a separate Islamicsociety in the West, or the imposing

of Muslim values and practices onChristians and others.

Monday 16Pray for Debbie, a convert fromIslam from a Muslim-majority country. After shebecame a Christian while studying in the UK, shewas disowned by her family and Muslim friends,and she was even kidnapped and threatened withdeath if she did not return to her home countryas a Muslim. Later she married, and she and herhusband served theLord and preachedthe Gospel in theirhome country foreight years andstarted a number ofchurches, but they

were eventuallyforced toflee to theWest. Praise God

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Debbie, a Christianconvert from Islam


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for converts such as Debbie who endure the lossof family or are driven from their homelands bypersecution, and pray for them as they continuetheir lives and ministries elsewhere.

Tuesday 17Our Saviour God has protectedus and now he has sent people with food. PastorRoghu Nath Sarker ministers to 50 Christianfamilies in a large village in Bangladesh thatwas under water for a month during disastrousfloods in 2011. They were among 935 familieswho received emergency relief from BarnabasFund. Pastor Sarker said, We believe that the

Lord himself has sent this relief through BarnabasFund, even though we do not know them andthey are far away from Bangladesh. Give thanksfor the generosity of our supporters that allowedus to help our suffering brothers and sisters, andpray for all the Christians affected by thefloods inBangladesh, that they will be able to rebuild theirlives and communities.

Wednesday 18 An Indian pastor wasarrested and his church raided after a shariacourt called him to account for baptising convertsfrom Islam. The Rev. Chander Mani Khanna wascalled before the court in Kashmir on 8 Novemberto explain alleged forced conversions of youngMuslims, after a video of baptisms appearedonYouTube. Muslims responded angrily tothe footage, threatening to burn Mr Khanna todeath. He was arrested on charges of fomentingcommunal strife, later being released on bail.India has a secular constitution, and Christianleaders have said that the authorities shouldnot allow a sharia court to enforce its laws onChristians. Pray for Mr Khannas safety, andthat the Indian government will uphold religiousfreedom for Christians.

Thursday 19 Christian activist RabindraParichha was found murdered in the Kandhamal

district of Orissa State, India on 16 December2011. In response, the President of the GlobalCouncil of Indian Christians, Sajan George,declared that the killing was a strategic move

by extremists to create a climate of fear amongChristians. Around the same time a Hindu groupin Kandhamal called for strikes and protests tocoincide with the Christmas period. A similar callin 2007 precipitated brutal anti-Christian violence,and Christians in Kandhamal have celebratedChristmas only in private since then. Give thanksto the Lord that these horrific scenes were notrepeated in 2011, and pray for courage for

Christians in Kandhamal in the face of intimidationby Hindu extremists.

Friday 20In November 2011 it was reportedthat the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority(PTA) had banned Jesus Christ from use in textmessages, among a list of terms deemed false,fabricated, indecent or obscene. The PTA wroteto mobile phone companies ordering them to

start blocking messages containing these words,and stated that free speech can be restricted inthe interest of the glory of Islam. This was thelatest insult to Pakistani Christians, who suffersevere discrimination because of their faith. Givethanks that the blocking was deferred in the faceof widespread derision, and that a spokesman forthe PTA suggested that Jesus Christ would notbe included in thefinal list. Pray that the Name ofthe Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in Pakistan(2 Thessalonians 1:12).

Saturday 21A Christian leader in Pakistan,married withfive children, was gunned down inKarachi on 16 November 2011 in a suspectedIslamist attack. Jameel Sawan spent much timepastoring Christians and sharing the Gospel

with Muslims, and he was also a close aideto the chairman of the Standing Committee ofMinorities Affairs in the provincial assembly.

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He had previously received death threats fromMuslim extremists because of his championing ofminority rights. Please pray for his family in theirtragic loss, and pray for protection for Christians

and others who campaign for equality and humanrights in Pakistan.

Sunday 22 Following the ChristmasDay attacks (see 21 March), BokoHaram issued an ultimatum on NewYears Day, giving Christians threedays to leave Northern Nigeria. Giventhe groups track record of violence,

the threat raised the prospect ofreligious cleansing and possiblyeven civil war. Nigeria is deeplydivided along religious lines witha predominantly Muslim North, amainly Christian South and a mixedMiddle Belt. Boko Haram is fightingto create an Islamic state and imposesharia law across the whole country;

its bloody and violent campaign,which targets Christians, Muslimcritics, members of the securityservices and politicians, claimedmore than 500 lives in 2011. Pray thatpeace will be established in Nigeriaand that the authorities will be able torestrain Boko Harams destabilisingactivities.

Monday 23I was leading the congregationin prayers. Our eyes were closed when somegunmen stormed the church and openedfireon the congregation. Nigerian pastor JohnsonJauro described the horrifying scene as hisflockcame under attackduring a prayer meeting on5 January. His wife was one of at least eight

Christians who were killed at the church inGombe. The following day, around 20 Christianswere gunned down in Mubi,Adamawa state,

as they gathered to mourn the death of anotherChristian who had been killed the night before.The attacks came shortly after the expiry of BokoHarams three-day ultimatum for Christians to

leave Northern Nigeria. Further anti-Christianattacks followed. Pray for Pastor Johnson andothers affected by the violence.

Tuesday 24 Please continue to pray forChristians caught up in famine and lawlessness inEast Africa. One of our project partners preparedsome Christmas celebrations for Christians inone of the refugee camps, but while these were

going on, a grenade was detonated inside theperimeter. Only the day before a land-mine hadalso exploded, killing two people. Following theseincidents another relief agency withdrew its stafffrom the camp, but with funding from Barnabasour partners have continued to provide food forChristian families in desperate need. Give thanksfor their courage and dedication, and pray that therefugees may soon be able to return home and

escape from the violence.

Wednesday 25 Give thanks to the Lord that

on 9 December 2011 the House of Lords in theUK held an almostfive-hour debate on the plightof Christians in the Middle East in light of the Arab

Some of the children in the refugee campn East Africa where a Barnabas partner

distributes food

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Spring. The Archbishop of Canterbury warnedthat their position was more vulnerable than ithas been for centuries, and that the eventualoutcome of recent political changes could be their

emigration or retreat into ghettos. Lord Pattenadded, We are facing religious cleansing in partsof the Middle East. Lord Howell, a Foreign Officeminister, said that the UK government woulddo all it could to help new regimes to preserveChristians rights. Pray that political leaders willfollow through on this promise and extend effectiveprotection to Christians facing persecution.

Thursday 26 Please continue to pray for GKIYasmin Church in Indonesia as the mayor ofBogor deploys further strategies to prevent thecongregation from meeting at its site in the city.On 13 November 2011, he carried out his threatto block all access roads to the church building,forcing the congregation to meet in one of themembers homes. The congregation had beenholding services on the street in front of its half-

constructed building since the site was illegallysealed off by city chiefs in 2008. Mayor DianiBudiarto has refused to comply with a SupremeCourt order issued in December 2010 that thechurch be reopened. Pray that he will relent andstop his campaign against this long-sufferingchurch.

Friday 27In addition to the pressure fromthe mayor, GKI Church (see 26 April) hasbeen facing continual harassment from militantIslamists. At the end of November, members ofhard-line groups staged two protests against thechurch. Meanwhile a video on one of the Islamistorganisations websites showed the groupsleaders telling the public that GKI did not have abuilding permit, and that Christianisation would

follow if they allowed the church to be built in thearea. A bumper sticker on a church memberscar that said, We need a friendly Islam, not an

angry Islam provoked another Muslim onslaughtthat forced the congregations New Years Evegathering to disband. Pray that GKI will not loseheart in the face of this unrelenting opposition.

Saturday 28The troubles will escalate. Thereis no real future for us in Iraq, said a 26-year-oldChristian who lives in Iraqi Kurdistan. US troopscompleted their withdrawal from Iraq on 18December amid concerns that, in their absence,the country could descend into greater instabilityand violence. Since the US-led invasion of Iraq in2003, scores of Christians have been killed and

more than 50 churches bombed in anti-Christianattacks. Hundreds of thousands of Christianshavefled their homes, either to the more stablenorth or to neighbouring countries such as Syriaand Jordan. Many Iraqi Christians and otherminority groups fear that their precarious positionin the country will now only deteriorate. Pray thatthe Lord will give Iraqi Christians peace and hopefor the future.

Sunday 29 Just over a week afterthe arson attacks on Christianproperty in Iraqi Kurdistan (see 10March), Sermat Patros, a 29-year-oldChristian man, was kidnapped fromhis familys home furnishings storein the autonomous region. He washeld for three days, during whichhis captors demanded a $500,000ransom. Sermat, who was blindfoldedand tied down during his ordeal, wasrescued on 15 December to the greatrelief of his 21-year-old wife Amaland the local Christian community.Pray for Sermat and Amal as theyrecover from their ordeal, and pray

that Christians in Kurdistan will beprotected from attempts to harmthem.

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Barnabas Fund is a Company registered in England Number 4029536. Registered Charity Number 1092935

Cover: A church worker in Indonesia supported by Barnabas Fund

Barnabas Fund 2012

www.barnabasfund.org

New ZealandPO Box 27 6018, Manukau City,Auckland, 2241Telephone(09) 280 4385 or 0800 008 [email protected]

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Le Jardin, La Rue a Don, Grouville, JerseyChannel Islands JE3 9GBTelephone 700600Fax700601Email [email protected]

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6731 Curran St,McLean, VA 22101Telephone (703) 288-1681 ortoll-free 1-866-936-2525Fax (703) 288-1682Email [email protected]

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Pewsey, Wiltshire SN9 5DB, UKTelephone 01672 564938Fax01672 565030From outside the UKTelephone +44 1672 564938Fax+44 1672 565030Email [email protected]

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Coventry CV1 5EXTelephone 024 7623 1923Fax024 7683 4718From outside the UKTelephone +44 24 7623 1923Fax+44 24 7683 4718Email [email protected]

AustraliaPostal Suite 107, 236 Hyperdome,Loganholme QLD 4129Telephone (07) 3806 1076or 1300 365 799Fax (07) 3806 4076Email [email protected]

Monday 30 Look at what happened to theChristians of Iraq after the war began thereA great number of them had no choice but toleave the country forever, and those who stayed

remain marginalised to this day. Not to forgetthat many of them were persecuted and theirchurches bombed. This statement by a Syrianchurch leader expresses the concern of manyChristians that the current political instability will

lead to a repeat of the events in Iraq after the US-led invasion of 2003. Many of the Iraqi Christianrefugeesfled to Syria, but if Syria itself were tocollapse the Christians there might have nowhere

to go. Pray that our sovereign God will overrulecurrent events for good. God reigns over thenations; God is seated on his holy throne(Psalm 47:8).

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prayer diary march/april 2012

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