prayer diary march/april 2014

8/13/2019 Prayer Diary March/April 2014

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THE AID AGENCY FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH

to help you

pray for the

persecuted church

www.barnabasfund.org

prayer

MARCH/APRIL 2014


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2 BARNABAS PRAYER MARCH/APRIL 2014

Thank you for your prayers for our

persecuted brothers and sisters in

Christ, which make such a difference

to them. We sometimes have to

change or omit their names forsecurity reasons, and we have only

limited space to share their stories.

But the Lord knows the people and

places we are praying about. Thank

you for your understanding.

Please do not feel limited by the

specifi c prayer requests, but pray

as you feel led. On each Sunday wehave provided a set prayer; please

feel free to use these in their current

form, to adapt them as you prefer, or

to use the information they contain to

frame your own prayers.

MarchSaturday 1 As the cruel conflict in Syria entersits fourth year this month, pray for the manyChristians who have been kidnapped and heldfor ransom. Among those still held at the time ofwriting are two senior church leaders who wereseized near Aleppo in April 2013 and a groupof 13 nuns from the historic Christian village ofMaaloula, captured in December when Islamists

overran their home for the second time. Somekidnapped Christians have been horribly torturedor murdered. Pray for the safe release of thosestill in captivity and that their captors’ hearts maybe turned by their witness (1 Peter 2:12).

Sunday 2 Loving Lord, we cry out to

You for the thousands of Christians

displaced within Syria or living in

refugee camps in neighbouringstates as a result of the civi l war. We

pray for them as they struggle with

inadequate food and shelter and with

the effects of a sometimes severe

Syrian winter. We give You thanks for

the dedication and tireless efforts of

churches in Wadi al-Nasara, Aleppoand elsewhere in distributing food,

clothing, blankets and heaters to

help displaced Christians survive

the harsh conditions. We pray that

this year will see the restoration of

peace to Syria and better security for

Christians and other minorities.

Monday 3 Give thanks for the release of threeChristian leaders from jail in Iran. Pastor FarhadSabokrouh and Naser Zamen Dezfuli were freedon 4 December 2013, two weeks before the endof their jail term; Davoud Alijani was released on

13 January, 20 days before the end of his term.They were sentenced, along with Pastor Farhad’swife, Shahnaz Jeizan, to serve one year each inprison. At the time of writing, Shahnaz’s release isalso expected. The four were detained following araid on their Assemblies of God church in Ahwazon 23 December 2011. They were convictedof “converting to Christianity, inviting Muslimsto convert, as well as propagating against the

Islamic regime through promoting EvangelicalChristianity”. Pray that they will be allowed toworship and witness in peace.

MARCH 1 - 3

Barnabas Fund distr ibuted blankets and

other essential supplies to help displacedChristians endure the harsh Syrian winter


3/163BARNABAS PRAYER MARCH/APRIL 2014

Tuesday 4 Cry out to the Lord for jailedIranian-American pastor Saeed Abedini, who is ingrave danger following his transfer in November2013 to one of the deadliest prisons in the world.

Prisoners of conscience are said to be sent toRajai Shahr to disappear. The father of two is in award with violent prisoners, including murderersand rapists, and has been robbed at knifepointseveral times. Saeed’s health is sufferingseverely: he has been denied medication forinjuries sustained from prison beatings; he iscovered in lice and has lost weight from lack ofproper nutrition; and he appears to be suffering

recurring urinary tract infections. Pray that just asSaeed is sharing abundantly in the sufferings ofChrist, so also his comfort will abound throughChrist (2 Corinthians 1:5).

Wednesday 5 Pray for the Rev. Vruir Avanessian (61), a seriously ill church leader, whohas been sentenced to three and a half years in

jail in Iran. Mr Avanessian requires dialysis threetimes a week and also suffers from heart diseaseand diabetes. He was a pastor in the Assembliesof God Church for 17 years before ill health forcedhim to retire from full-time ministry. Mr Avanessianwas found guilty of anti-government activitiesand promotion of ideas contrary to the IslamicRepublic of Iran, which may be euphemisms forhis Christian activities. Pray that he will receive

the medical treatment he needs while imprisonedand that the Lord will give him strength andendurance.

Thursday 6 A seven-year-old boy was brutallytortured and murdered in India in an attackapparently provoked by his family’s conversionto Christianity ten years earlier. Anmol Gemethiwent missing on 17 November 2013 after

setting off for Sunday school; his body was laterfoundfloating in a nearby pond with his mouthgagged, his neck cut and his toes broken. There

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

Anmol’s father, Harish Gemethi, said, “For theten years I have been a Christian, some local

Hindu extremists have threatened to kill me andharm my family countless times.” Pray that thepolice will take action to bring those responsibleto justice, and for comfort for the family and localChristian community in their shock and grief.

Friday 7 Pray for justice for the victims ofanti-Christian violence in Orissa state, India, asHindu defendants continue to be cleared by the

courts. The Global Council of Indian Christianshas called for an investigation after another 54people were acquitted in late 2013 of involvementin the attacks of 2007-08, which left around 90Christians dead and tens of thousands homeless.Relatively few of the perpetrators have beenbrought to justice, and the Indian SupremeCourt has questioned the “unusually high rate ofacquittals”. Pray that the legal process will be fairto all parties and inspire confidence among theChristian victims of violence.

Saturday 8 “For several months I wasnot able to take care of my children’s needs.Suddenly God opened the door and we nowreceive monthly food through the church. I am… thanking God for this wonderful opportunity.”

A needy Christian mother in Bangladesh spokeof the blessing that Barnabas Fund’s feedingprogramme has been to her family. Give thanksthat Barnabas is able to help 113 impoverishedChristian families in Bangladesh with regular foodsupport, and pray that this will strengthen thefamilies both physically and in their faith.

Sunday 9 Heavenly Father, we

pray for our Christian brothers andsisters in Northern and Middle Belt

states of Nigeria, as they face anti-

MARCH 4 - 9


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Christian attacks by ethnic Fulani

Muslims almost on a daily basis. We

pray especially for the family and

community of Joel and Jemimah Pam

and two of their children, Josephand Jephtah, who were murdered by

suspected Fulani gunmen in a raid

on their home on 4 November 2013,

and also for those of ten Christians

in Plateau state kil led the month

before. Lord, Your compassions

never fail (Lamentations 3:22);

please draw near to the bereaved

and comfort them in their grief, andprotect all Christians in Nigeria who

are vulnerable to attack by Fulani

Muslims or Islamists.

Monday 10 Give thanks that the US StateDepartmentfinally designated Boko Haram, anIslamist militant group in Nigeria, and its offshoot

Ansaru as Foreign Terrorist Organisations on13 November 2013. The decision, which isconsidered by many to be long overdue, followsa campaign by Nigerian Christians in Nigeria andin the US, supported by Barnabas Fund. Thenew designation allows the US to impose a hostof measures to disrupt Boko Haram’s activities,including blocking business andfinancialtransactions and prosecuting people found to

have been associated with the group. Pray thatthis decision will lead to the effective countering ofBoko Haram’s murderous campaign in Nigeria, inwhich Christians are one of the primary targets.

Tuesday 11 Give thanks to the Lord for avocational training programme run by a Barnabaspartner in Uganda that enables Christian convertsfrom Islam to become self-suf ficient. Many new

believers are thrown out of their homes anddisowned by their families and communities, andfind themselves with no means of support. The

project provides training in tailoring, hairdressing,weaving and farming, along with equipment andother resources for them to put their new skillsto work. The converts are also given discipleship

training to help them become mature believerswho can share their faith with others. Pray that theprogramme will continue to transform the lives ofvulnerable converts and cause the Gospel to bearmore fruit (Colossians 1:6).

Wednesday 12 The bloody conflict thatbroke out in South Sudan in December 2013has created a desperate humanitarian crisis, asChristiansfleeing thefightingfind themselves inneed of clean water, food, sanitation and shelter.

At the time of writing, the violence has claimed

at least 1,000 lives and displaced nearly 200,000people. Pray for all those who have been forcedto escape with nothing; ask the Lord to meet alltheir material needs and to give them His peaceas they endure a traumatic ordeal. Give thanksthat Barnabas Fund is able to supply food,medicines, blankets and other essentials to theneedy, and pray that this work will continue to beeffective. Pray that the influence of South Sudan’s

churches, which have called collectively for anend to thefighting, will prevail and that peace willsoon be restored to the country.

MARCH 10 - 12

Barnabas is helping converts from Islam

in Uganda to become self-suf fi cient


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BARNABAS PRAYER MARCH/APRIL 2014

Thursday 13 Give thanks that a Barnabas-funded training conference in Burundi hasenabled 60 secondary school students to gaina better understanding of Islam and of Islamic

missionary strategies in their area. The studentsheard from a convert to Christianity who hadoriginally become a Muslim after being promisedmoney to start a new business, and who hadfound true peace only after turning to Jesus. Praythat the students’ new knowledge will bear muchfruit in their lives and in their conversations withtheir Muslim friends and neighbours.

Friday 14 Pray for the congregation ofSouth Sulawesi Christian Church in Pangkep,Indonesia, whose building was demolished bythe authorities in November 2013. The churchwas given permission to repair the roof of thetemporary building in 2011, but the renovationsprompted protests by the Islamic Joint Forum,who accused the Christians of turning the buildinginto a permanent church without a permit. Inresponse to the protests, the authorities orderedthe congregation to stop its activities anddismantle the temporary church within a week.When the believers did not comply, the authoritiesdemolished the church. Ask the Lord to comfortand strengthen this Christian community as theyface opposition and to guide them as they makedecisions about where and how to meet.

Saturday 15 Worshippers in Indonesia wereforced to leave their church under police escortafter hundreds of Islamists disrupted a service on1 December 2013. Extremists from the IslamicDefenders Front, along with local Islamist groups,stormed Tandemn Batak Christian ProtestantChurch (HKBP) in Binjai and shouted that itwas not legal because the authorities have not

yet ruled on its legitimacy. Tandemn HKBP hasbeen waiting more thanfive years for a decision.Pray that the Lord’s loving hand will be over the

congregation as they recover from the trauma ofthis invasion, and pray that the church will soonbe recognised by the authorities.

Sunday 16 Almighty God, we praythat You will change the hearts of

local authorities in Bekasi, Indonesia,

as they continue to bar a church

congregation from entering its

building. We pray for the Filadelfi a

Batak Christian Protestant Church

(HKBP) as they worship and serve

You despite being kept off their site

for nearly four years and also facingopposition from local Islamists. We

give You thanks for a court ruling

that ordered local of fi cials to lift the

ban, but we pray that they will not

resist it. We pray that justice will

be done for this church and that

the congregation will be able to

meet in safety and peace, free from

harassment or physical violence by

their neighbours.

Monday 17 Praise God that the draft of thenew Egyptian constitution has marked a decisivemove away from the previous Islamist version andpromised improved rights for Christians. Amongother encouraging statements is a declaration

that freedom of belief is “absolute”, and the draftgrants freedom to practise religion and establishplaces of worship to followers of Islam, Christianityand Judaism as well as to Muslims. Parliament isalso required to issue a law aimed at changing therestrictive regulations about the construction andrestoration of churches to ensure that Christianscan worship freely. Give thanks that if passed intolaw, this constitution will bar the way to Egypt’s

becoming an Islamic state. Pray that it mayprovide real freedom and equality for the country’slarge Christian community.

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Tuesday 18 “I never thought I could take onemillionth of what I endured. But every step of theway, every moment of pain, I could feel God therewith me, telling me, ‘I’m going to save you.’” Hany

Sedhom, an Egyptian Christian, was dragged outof his car, hit on the head and had his face slashedbefore being driven off into the desert. He wasgiven no food and onlyfilthy water to drink, andhis captors beat him and threatened to kill him.He was released only after his wife paid a largeransom. Christians in Egypt have suffered a sharpincrease in kidnappings since the downfall of theformer Islamist regime. Pray for healing for Hany

and others who have suffered such ill-treatment,and for the safe release of those still held.

Wednesday 19 Since the overthrow ofColonel Muammar Gaddafi in Libya in 2011,Islamist extremists have been growing ininfluence both within the corridors of power andwithout. On 4 December 2013, the GeneralNational Congress (GNC) voted to make shariathe source of all legislation in the country; aspecial committee has been tasked with reviewingexisting laws to ensure that they comply withIslamic tenets. The move was made in part toplacate extremist groups who have accusedsome legislators of being un-Islamic. Pray thatLibya’s politicians will work to establish a freeand democratic society and that moderate voices

will eventually prevail. And pray that the securityforces will be able to restrain Islamist militias whocontrol parts of the country.

Thursday 20 Libya’s small Christiancommunity, which is composed mostly ofexpatriates, is increasingly vulnerable as Islamicextremism grows in strength. On 25 September2013, two Egyptian Christians living in Libya

were killed by a group of Muslims after theyrefused to convert to Islam. Waleed Saad Shaker(25) and Nash’at Shenouda Ishaq (27) were

surrounded by the assailants on a rural road inDerna district. The Muslims robbed and beatthem and demanded that the Christians recitetheshahada, the Islamic confession of faith.

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

Friday 21 Pray for the grieving wife andchildren of Abdikhani Hassan, a Christian fatherin Somalia who was shot dead by gunmen

suspected of belonging to Islamist militant groupal-Shabaab. Abdikhani was killed as he camehome from his pharmacy in Mogadishu on 20October 2013; before the shooting, one of theattackers told the Christian’s Muslim neighbour,“We have information that Hassan is spreadingwrong religion to our people, and we are lookingfor him.” At the time of his death, Abdikhani’s wifewas pregnant with the couple’s sixth child. Ask theLord to turn His face towards the martyr’s grievingfamily and give them peace (Numbers 6:26) andto provide for them.

Saturday 22 Two churches in the Russianrepublic of Tatarstan were torched in November2013, the latest of seven to be attacked lastyear. Investigators believe that the incidents are

the work of extremist Muslim groups that followWahhabism, a strict version of Islam practisedin Saudi Arabia. The president of Tatarstan hasoffered a reward for information that helps toidentify those responsible. Praise God that theauthorities are trying to defend the republic’sChristians, but pray that our brothers and sisterswill standfirm in their faith. As well as dealingwith these destructive episodes, they are facing

growing pressure from the Muslim majority toconvert to Islam.

MARCH 18 - 22



Sunday 23 We praise You, our

Father, for the ministry of “ Firuza” ,

as she bravely shares the Gospel in

a restrictive Central Asian country

in the face of opposition. We prayfor the home groups and women’s

ministries that she runs in her home

city, and for her long-distance travel

to witness to villagers in another

area. We thank You that she has

continued to share the Gospel with

them despite their initial hostili ty and

attempt to stone her, and that since

then, three families and more than20 individuals have come to faith.

We praise You for Firuza’s fearless

commitment to the Gospel and for

all those who have put their faith

in Jesus Christ as a result of her

ministry. We ask You to bless her

abundantly, so that in all things at all

times, having all that she needs, she

will abound in every good work (2

Corinthians 9:8).

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

of the site in September 2013, 13 years after thechurch body legally bought it from a restaurantchain. Tashkent City Economic Court ruled thatthe plot of land in Bostanlyk should be returned

to its “lawful owner”, the state. The Baptist Unionused the site for summer camps, which havebeen subjected to repeated raids, legal cases andmedia attacks. The affair illustrates the repressivetreatment of Christians by the Uzbek authorities;pray that they will relent and allow Christians andothers to practise their faith in freedom and peace.

Tuesday 25 Pray for Mostafa Najafi, an Afghan

convert from Islam to Christianity, who is facingdeportation from the Netherlands after his asylumapplication was rejected. Mostafa became aChristian in Afghanistan and was threatenedwith death – even by his own father – becauseof his conversion. He had toflee the country,where, in accordance with sharia law, leavingIslam is judicially punishable by death; last year

Afghan MPs called in parliament for all converts toChristianity to be killed. But he is also in danger atthe immigration camp in the Netherlands; he hasbeen threatened by hard-line Muslims who arealso being held there. Pray that the Lord’s savinghelp will be his shield (2 Samuel 22:36) and givehim a new home where he can live in safety.

Wednesday 26 “Let us be honest: if this were

happening to almost any other religious groupit would be something of a national scandal.”These words were, remarkably, spoken inthe UK’s House of Commons, by Mark Field,a Conservative MP, during a debate on thepersecution of Christians. Praise God that manyother backbench MPs also urged the Governmentto do more to help suffering Christians and thatsome of them spoke of their own Christian faith.

Pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to enableChristians in government to take a stand onbehalf of their brothers and sisters. Give thanks

MARCH 23- 26

“ Firuza” (centre) often travels long

distances to share the Gospel in her

Central Asian country


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too that Rehman Chishti, who is a ConservativeMP and from a Muslim background, also spoke outagainst the pernicious blasphemy laws in Pakistan.

Thursday 27 Baroness Warsi, the UK’sfirst Minister for Faith, became the most seniorBritish politician to speak out for persecutedChristians during a speech on 16 November2013. The minister, who is a Muslim, said thatthe persecution of Christians “has become aglobal crisis” and is “the biggest challenge weface in this young century”. Lady Warsi’s speech,which focused on the plight of Christians in the

Middle East, was delivered in Washington DCand has attracted considerable media attention.Give thanks for this boost to the political profileof the persecuted Church; pray that the causewill continue to gain political momentum and thatit will gain more support at the highest levels ofgovernment.

Friday 28 Give thanks to God for the courageof moderate Muslim leaders who are speakingout against those who use violence in the nameof Islam. Recent atrocities by Islamist militants,such as the suicide bombing of All Saints Churchin Pakistan and the siege by al-Shabaab on theWestgate shopping centre in Kenya, have drawnsevere criticism from seniorfigures. OrdinaryMuslims in Pakistan and Iraq have also publicly

demonstrated solidarity with their Christiancompatriots. When Muslims take a stand againstIslamist attacks, they put their own lives at risk,even in the West. Pray for their safety and thattheir words and actions will undermine theextremists’ credibility.

Saturday 29 A pastor and his family inCuba have been subjected to a campaign of

harassment by the authorities in what seemsto be an attempt to confiscate church property.Violent and abusive mobs have been sent by

state security agents to surround the Rev. YiorvisBravo Denis’ home in Camagüey, which alsoserves as the national headquarters of one of thecountry’s largest Protestant church networks, to

intimidate his family. Government of ficials havealso launched a defamation campaign against thepastor and his uncle, the Rev. Omar Gude Perez,who left Cuba in 2013. Pray that the pastor andhis family will be kept from harm and that he willbe left alone to practise his ministry in peace.

Sunday 30 Sovereign Lord, we

pray for Iraq and especially for its

churches as the nation continuesto be rocked by almost relentless

sectarian violence. We pray that the

success of a resurgent al-Qaeda

in reclaiming vast swathes of the

country through its terrorist activities

will be arrested and reversed, and

that You wil l comfort those injured

or bereaved by their attacks in

2013. We pray for Iraqi Christians,

remembering their grievous suffering

throughout the last decade: for

the loved ones of the more than

1,000 who have been killed; for the

estimated 850,000 who have left the

country; and for the approximately

60 churches that have seen their

buildings attacked. We pray thatthe Iraqi government will fi nally be

able to establish peace and stabili ty,

and that there will be a future for the

Church in Iraq.

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

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

MARCH 27 -31



outside a church in Dora. The attacks happeneddespite a major security effort by the Iraqiauthorities to protect churches and Christiansover Christmas, a time when they are especially

vulnerable to violence. Thousands of securitypersonnel were deployed to protect Christianbuildings, residential areas and other sites whereChristmas celebrations were being held. Givethanks that the Iraqi authorities are trying toprotect Christians, and pray that further violencecan be prevented.

AprilTuesday 1 The Iranian authorities continueto demonstrate an astonishing lack of humanityand compassion in their treatment of Christians

jailed for their faith. Vahid Hakkani, who is servinga sentence of three years and eight months,was refused critically needed surgery. He wassuffering internal bleeding, and as his conditionprogressively deteriorated, he was at timeslosing 300cc of blood in a single day. Vahid waseventually granted a two-month leave permit toenable him to undergo surgery but was ordered tomake up the time spent in hospital. He also had

to post bail of around US$70,000. Pray that theLord will bring total healing to Vahid and softenthe hearts of Iranian prison of ficials towardsChristians who are in need of medical treatment.

Wednesday 2 Praise God that MostafaBordbar, a convert from Islam who was sentencedto ten years in jail for his Christian activities, hasbeen acquitted and released after spendingover ten months behind bars. He was freed on 3November 2013 after an appeals court droppedall charges against him. He had previously beenconvicted of membership of an “anti-security

organisation” and gathering with intent to commitcrimes against Iranian national security, chargesthought to be pretexts to penalise him for hisChristian activities. Mostafa had confessed in courtto distributing 12,000 pocket-sized Gospels in thestrict Islamic country. Thank God for his Christianwitness, and pray that he will have the courage tocontinue despite his ordeal.

Thursday 3 Many Christian migrant workersin the Gulf States work in harsh conditions forlow wages and endure poor living arrangements.They come to the Gulf to earn money to supporttheir dependents at home, but they can be verylonely without their families and may even facepersecution for their faith. They are in acuteneed of Bibles and other Christian literature to

support them in their discipleship in these dif ficultcircumstances. Praise the Lord for the renovation

and refurbishment of a resource centre in one ofthe Gulf States and for its provision of Scripturesto the different migrant groups. Pray that His Wordwill be a lamp for their feet and a light on theirpath (Psalm 119:105).

Friday 4 Lift up to the Lord Ganga Lama

Tamang, Lama Bahadur Tamang, Lama Boktaand Bikram Lama, four converts to Christianitywhose homes in Nepal were torched on

APRIL 1 - 4

Vahid Hakkani will have to spend longerin prison in Iran to make up for his time in

hospital (Source: Mohabat News)


10/16


23 December 2013. Before attacking theproperties in the village of Kichet, near the capital,Kathmandu, a group of nine assailants setfire to alocal church, destroying it completely. It is thought

that Hindu extremists carried out the attacks todeter others from converting to Christianity. Hinduextremists see the growth of the Church in Nepalas a threat, and some groups, such as the NepalDefence Army (NDA), are intent on making Nepala Hindu nation, as it was until 2006. Pray that theywill not succeed and that freedom of religion willbe upheld.

Saturday 5 Pakistan’s “blasphemy laws”continue to cause distress and hardship amongthe country’s vulnerable Christian community.In late 2013 two Christians, Arif Masih and TariqMasih, had toflee when they were accused overthe sale offireworks wrapped in pages containingverses from the Quran. When the weddingparty who had bought thefireworks discoveredthe verses, they destroyed the Christians’ storeand reported them to the police. Fearing fortheir lives, Arif and Tariqfled the area with theirfamilies, protesting their innocence; thefireworkshad been wrapped at the factory where thebrothers had bought them. Christians and otherminorities are especially vulnerable to malicious,false accusation under these laws. Pray thatour brothers will be kept safe and will be able to

rebuild their lives.

Sunday 6 Redeeming Lord, we give

You thanks for the amazing faith of

survivors from the deadliest-ever

attack on Pakistan’s Christians. We

pray for all those who were injured or

bereaved in the bombing of All Saints

Church in Peshawar in September

2013 in their suffering, trauma andgrief; but we praise You that they

are still worshipping, thanking and

trusting You. We thank You for their

inspiring testimonies: for the words

of teenager Shaloom Naeem, who

said, “ Although my entire family is

dead, I am not afraid to go to thechurch. We should thank God for His

great love,” and for those of a couple

who lost three of their grandchildren,

who said, “Hallelujah, to the Most

High, His Son died for our sins; our

loss is nothing compared to His

sacrifi ce.” We pray that You will give

strength to Your faithful people in

Peshawar and bless them with peace(Psalm 29:11).

Monday 7 Christians in Tanzania have longlived in peace with their Muslim neighbours,but it appears that Islamic extremism is now onthe rise in the country. Extremist videos urgingTanzanian Muslims to join al-Shabaab, a Somalia-based Islamist group, are being played in somemosques, and it is also reported that the groupis running training camps in Tanzania that aim to

radicalise young Muslims. Police broke up onesuch camp, in the Tanga region, in October 2013.Pray that the destructive influence of Islamic

APRIL 5 - 7

Simran lost her sister in the Peshawar

bombing, but she says that nothing wil l

stop her returning to church



extremism will not gain further ground in Tanzania,and that Christians and Muslims in the country willcontinue to live peacefully side by side.

Tuesday 8 A youth leader in Tanzania waskilled in a brutal machete attack while leading anovernight prayer session in the Ilemela districtof Mwanza province. Eliya Meshack died on thespot, while two other Christians were injured.It is not known who carried out the attack, butIslamic separatist group Uamsho are suspected.Eliya’s widow, Marry, said that the couple hadbeen receiving threats for more than six months;

although the intimidation was reported to thepolice, no action was taken. Pray for Marry, whohas been left to raise the couple’s two childrenalone. Pray also that the Tanzanian authoritieswill respond appropriately and effectively whenthreats to Christians are reported.

Wednesday 9 Pray for Christians in Zanzibar,who are under threat from Islamic extremists. Thesemi-autonomous Tanzanian archipelago hasseen increasing support for Uamsho, a separatistgroup that is campaigning for Zanzibar to becomeindependent from the mainland. Church leadersare particularly under threat; three attacks, one ofthem fatal, have been carried out on pastors sinceChristmas 2012. Reports are also circulating thata number of Christian girls have been raped and

that pregnant Christian women have been deniedmedical treatment at hospitals. Ask the Lord toprotect the tiny minority of Christians in Zanzibarand to give them the strength to continue to be awitness to their Muslim neighbours.

Thursday 10 “Pray for us as the situation inCAR has become horrible over last week, thekillings have got worse, unarmed Christians are

in the process of dying likeflies.” December 2013saw the worst outbreak of violence to rock theCentral African Republic (CAR) since a coup by

Islamist rebels in March. A pastor and his twoyoung sons were among at least 400 people killedafterfighting broke out in the capital, Bangui,between the Islamist Seleka andfighters loyal to

the ousted president, Francois Bozizé. A pastorsaid that Christians had been hanged, stabbedor beaten to death by their Muslim neighboursand Christian shops pillaged and looted. Pray forthe protection of Christians from further attacksand that they will not retaliate against theirpersecutors.

Friday 11 A Christian from CAR, “Papa Romeo”

(35), his wife and his four-year-old son, Richide,were attacked by Seleka militants in the villageof Bombi Te on 8 November 2013. Thefightersrobbed his wife before murdering Richide byslitting his throat. Another Christian, JosephineKolefei, (35) was battered with a Kalashnikovbecause she unwittingly crossed an arbitraryboundary imposed by the Seleka while takingher baby for medical treatment. More than 30people were reportedly killed in the village. Francehas warned that the country is “on the vergeof genocide”. Pray for peace and reconciliationin CAR and that bereaved and traumatisedChristians will be able to rebuild their lives.

Saturday 12 Christian leaders in northernVietnam are concerned about a proposed

state law on religion that would further increaserestrictions on their activities. They say that thebill, which applies tofive northern provincesplus parts of other provinces, contains “toomany unnecessary details” and creates “manyobstacles and limitations”. It would requirechurches to obtain a permit for every activity,such as holding services, training ministers andbuilding or repairing places of worship, thereby

giving the authorities the right to approve anyaspect of church life. The church leaders saidthat detailed and precise rules governing religious

APRIL 8 - 12


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activity already existed nationally. Pray that the billwill be dropped.

Sunday 13 Loving Father, we lift up

to You Nguyen Cong Chinh, a pastorin Vietnam, in the third year of his

11-year prison sentence for allegedly

“undermining national unity” . We

pray that You will protect his life

as he suffers repeated beatings by

prison guards and inmates, and that

the prison authorities will take action

against those who have attacked him.

We thank You for his courageousperseverance in Christian activities

before his imprisonment, despite the

destruction of his church building, the

confi scation of his property and the

withholding of his identity documents;

thank You that he has been willing to

face disgrace for the Name of Christ.

We pray that he and his family will

know the Lord as “ an ever-present

help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).

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

Entire villages were swept away, thousands ofpeople killed and huge numbers displaced. Thiswas the most severe of several natural disasters toaffect the islands last year and left many Christianswho were already extremely poor also homelessand in desperate hardship. Barnabas Fund sentpractical aid. Pray that the Lord will meet theneeds of His people according to the riches of hisglory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).

Tuesday 15 Despite positive politicaldevelopments for Egypt’s Christians, they are

continuing to come under attack by Islamichardliners. A church in Zaytoun, eastern Cairo, wastargeted in late 2013 by a group of Islamists whocame straight from Friday prayers at a neighbouring

mosque. The attackers marched on the church,shouting anti-Christian slogans. They tore downa banner in front of the building and graf fitiedthe façade with insults against Christians andthe Egyptian military. Islamists have blamed theChurch for the uprising that led to the removal offormer Islamist president Mohammed Morsi in Julyand have attacked scores of churches, Christianinstitutions and homes. Pray for all the Christians

who have suffered in this upsurge of violence, thatthe Lord will comfort and strengthen them.

Wednesday 16 Three Egyptian Christianswere jailed on 15 December 2013, one for 25years and the other two for 15 years each, forcausing the death of a Muslim. But the caserelated to an attack by Muslims on the Christiancommunity in al-Khosous in April, in whichfive

APRIL 13 - 16

he lives of many poor Christians in thePhilippines were devastated by Typhoon

Haiyan (Source: Giro555, Flickr)


13/16


14/16


families and friends of those who died, and forany Christians among them who may have beensent to prison camps. Around 70,000 Christiansare estimated to be there already, being brutally

treated, tortured or worked to death. Pray for theirsafe release and that being a Christian will soonbe legal in North Korea.

Tuesday 22 Pray for the Christian children ofSyria, caught up in violent and often traumaticconflict. For example, in late 2013 two Christianschools in Damascus were hit by mortar strikes.

A shell struck a school bus in front of Risaleh

School in the mainly Christian area of Bab Sharqi;five children and the driver were killed. A nearbyschool, St John of Damascus, was also hit, andaround ten pupils were injured. The attacks leftparents reluctant to send their children to school.Hundreds of Christian children in Syria havealso seen one or both of their parents killed orkidnapped. Pray that the combatants will respectthe sanctity of the children’s lives and stopexposing them to such horrors.

Wednesday 23 Ask for the Lord’s blessingon the citizens of Saddad, a Christian village inSyria, as they try to recover from a devastatingoccupation by opposition forces in October 2013.

A leading human rights organisation visited thevillage and interviewed residents and the mayor

about their week-long ordeal. Human RightsWatch confirmed that thefighters had committedwar crimes, killing civilians, preventing residentsfrom escaping and targeting churches. They gavethe names of 46 people, mainly civilians, whowere killed, including six members of one familywho were shot in the head and whose bodieswere dumped in a well. Pray for the rebuilding ofthe shattered Christian community in Saddad and

for those responsible for the crimes to be broughtto justice.

Thursday 24 The brutality of the relentless,targeted attacks by Islamists against Christiancommunities in Syria is causing acute distressto many of our brothers and sisters, especially

children and teenagers. Give thanks thatBarnabas Fund has been able to support traumacounselling workshops for church and youthleaders to enable them to help some of thosemost seriously affected. The sessions coveredhelping families suffering from post-traumaticstress disorder, understanding grief and loss, andhow to instil hope. They were led by Christiancounsellors, who emphasised the role of faith in

overcoming trauma. Pray that the participantsmay be able effectively to apply what they havelearned to relieve the anguish of their sufferingbrothers and sisters.

Friday 25 Saudi Arabia is one of the mostrigid and hard-line Muslim states in the world.It makes no provision for religious freedom andno distinction between state and religion. All thecountry’s citizens must be Muslims, and schooltextbooks, sermons and fatwas promote hatredand violence against Christians and Jews. Nonon-Muslim places of worship are permitted,and the small number of Saudi Christians mustpractise their faith in extreme secrecy; expatriateChristians are subject to harassment. Themutawaah (religious police) ruthlessly enforce

restrictions on behaviour, and ordinary citizensmay also act as anti-Christian vigilantes. Pray thatthe vulnerable Christian community will know theLord’s peace as they face danger and restrictions.Pray too for greater religious freedom.

Saturday 26 Pray for a congregation inMaharashtra state, India, that has been forcedto stop meeting after Hindu extremists attacked

four consecutive Sunday services in late 2013.On thefirst occasion, the assailants burst intothe Assembly of God Church in Kalwa, told the

APRIL 22 - 26



pastor not to conduct any more services and beathim up. On the next two Sundays, they disruptedthe meetings again and chased the congregationaway; then in thefinal week they pushed

Christians out of the building and beat them up. Asubsequent agreement allowed the congregationto keep its building but forbade it to hold further

meetings there. Ask the Lord to provide anothersuitable place for the Christians to meet and thatHe will guard and strengthen their faith.

Sunday 27 Holy Father, we pray for

justice for the estimated 16 million

Christian Dalits in India as they cope

with poverty and discrimination.We pray that You will guide and

empower the campaign to secure

for Christians and Muslim Dalits the

economic, educational and social

benefi ts given to their Hindu, Sikh

and Buddhist counterparts, and that

the deprivations they have suffered

at the lowest level of Indian society

will be redressed. We pray for healingfor those injured in a demonstration

in New Delhi, India, on 11 December

2013, when peaceful protestors were

attacked with water cannon and

canes and manhandled by police,

and for the hundreds who were

arrested. We thank You for their non-violent response to the attack and

pray that the Indian Parliament will

heed their call for fair treatment.

Monday 28 Lift up to the Lord persecutedChristians in Sri Lanka, where at least 65anti-Christian incidents took place during 2013,including repeat attacks on several believers and

their property in October 2013. However, a SriLankan government minister from a Buddhistnationalist party denied the accounts, saying thatthey might be “made up”. The minister claimedthat Sri Lankans are “one family … trying to livetogether after a long civil war”. Pray that the SriLankan government will recognise the dangerthat our brothers and sisters face from militantBuddhists and that the authorities will provideeffective protection for vulnerable Christians.

Tuesday 29 Pray for a church leader in SriLanka, S.S. Johnpillai, who was threatenedat gunpoint by attackers who claimed to beSpecial Forces of ficers. The minister was in ahut next to his church building in Guadalupe,Trincomolee when, he said, the men “appeared

out of nowhere”. The intruders put a gun toJohnpillai’s head and accused him of holding aCommunion service in honour of the founder ofthe Tamil Tigers, the government’s opponentsin the country’s long and bloody civil war. Thegovernment had that day made it a criminaloffence to commemorate the group. The gunmenignored Johnpillai’s protests that he had notdedicated Communion to the group’s founder,

and they threatened to shoot him. Ask the Lord tosupport and strengthen Johnpillai as he recoversfrom this terrifying ordeal.

APRIL 27 - 29

rotestors calling for equal rights for

Christian Dalits in India were sprayed with

dirty water by police


16/16

Wednesday 30 “Jesus Christ performedtremendous miracles in all our lives through thisShalom Camp.” A pastor spoke of how Godhad worked through a Barnabas-sponsored

weekend Bible camp for persecuted Christians inSri Lanka. The camp was attended by believersfromfive different churches that had been thetarget of threats or attacks by Buddhist or Hindu

extremists. The participants heard teaching onthe Biblical basis for persecution and took partin group discussions; they came away refreshedand encouraged, and for many the camp was

a time of great spiritual renewal. Give thanks tothe Lord for the peace He has brought to thesepersecuted believers, and ask that the weekendwill continue to bear much fruit in their lives.

APRIL 30

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

Cover: A Christian survivor of the September 2013 bombing of All Saints

Church in Peshawar, Pakistan, in which over 100 people were killed

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© Barnabas Fund 2014

prayer diary march/april 2014

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