5/29/18 Chechnya (ICC) On May 19, 2018, four gunmen attacked the Russian Orthodox Archangel Michael Church in Grozny. At least seven people were killed including one church goer, two police officers, and all four attackers. During the church service, when congregants head people yelling “Allahu Akbar,” two church members rushed to close the front door, just as the attackers’ bullets hit thick oak doors, killing one and injuring another. The police the arrived and killed the attackers. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack, although it unclear if this is true. Many Chechens did go to fight with ISIS, and are now returning home, and government leaders say they are trying to find these fighters as they return in hopes of monitoring them. As the Caucasus and Central Asia region try to navigate the return of members of various extremist groups. Please pray … Pray for the protection of Christians and churches in Chechnya. Pray for the Christians of Chechnya not to lose hope, especially the ones from Archangel Michael Church. Pray that the Lord will strengthen the Christians throughout India as persecution grows more common and severe week by week.
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5/24/2018 Mauritania (VOM) Christians in Mauritania are worried about recent changes to the laws regarding religious conversion. On April 27, the Mauritanian National Assembly approved changes that increase the possible penalty for apostasy. Previously, Muslims convicted of leaving Islam were given three days to return to the Muslim faith. That opportunity is no longer provided for certain offenses, and the death penalty is now mandatory in the case of “blasphemous remarks” and “sacrilegious acts.” Though no Christian convert from Islam has yet received the death penalty, these changes could have serious consequences for new Christian converts. Please pray … Pray that these legal changes will not cause Christians to fear and will not deter Muslims from seeking the truth. Pray for the Lord to give wisdom to the Christians in Mauritania as they continue to share the Gospel with those around them. Pray that the Lord would strengthen the faith of Christian converts so that they will remain faithful to Jesus and not return to Islam.
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1/10/18 (Open Doors) Another year has passed, and Christian persecution is increasing around the globe. The world rankings based on the severity of Christian persecution for 2018 has been compiled by Open Doors in their World Watch List 2018. The 15 countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution are, in order of severity: 1. North Korea 2. Afghanistan 3. Somalia 4. Sudan 5. Pakistan 6. Eritrea 7. Libya 8. Iraq 9. Yemen 10. Iran 11. India 12. Saudi Arabia 13. Maldives 14. Nigeria 15. Syria 215 million Christians experience high levels of persecution in the countries on the World Watch List. This represents 1 in 12 Christians worldwide. North Korea is ranked No.1 for the 16th consecutive year since 2002. During the World Watch List 2018 reporting period: 3,066 Christians were killed; 1,252 were abducted; 1020 were raped or sexually harassed; and 793 churches were attacked. Islamic Oppression fuels persecution in 8 of the top 10 countries. Yet, in the midst of this terrible persecution, God is working in these countries and many are coming to Christ. Let’s pray… Pray that the faith of those facing persecution will be strengthened and that they will be protected. Pray that the Lord will […]
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6/9/17 Eritrea (VOM, Christian Post) Eritrean security officers have arrested all members of the Kale Hiwot Church in Adiquala, near the Ethiopian border. Among those arrested were 12 children, the youngest of whom is just 2 months old. The Christians were reportedly picked up one by one from their homes. Eritrea is referred to as “The North Korea of Africa” and has many prisons and concentration camps. The entire country is more or less a prison. Christians are subjected to cruel torture, such as being forced to sleep with their hands and legs tied behind their back, hung on trees, and kept in empty container trucks where the temperature soars during the day and drops dramatically at night. Please pray… Pray for these dear brothers and sisters, especially the children. Pray that they will sense God’s presence in jail, knowing that Christians around the world are praying for them, and pray that they will be freed soon. Pray that the Church in Eritrea will be strengthened and be able to proclaim the kingdom of God there. Pray for Eritrea, as you do for North Korea, that the oppressive regime will be toppled.
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Yemen (YouTube) Accessed May 24, 2017 This post is not related to the persecution of Christians, but it deals with prayer requests for some of the weakest, most vulnerable children in the world who desperately need our prayers. We have decided to post it on the hakugai.org website because it is a problem related to Islam, which is the basis of the greatest persecution of Christians in the world today. In Yemen and many other Islamic countries, young girls are being married off to men older than their fathers. There are a number of reasons for this, but these girls are, of course, forced to have sexual relations with their husband and are prohibited from going to school. Many of them are made to work all day and are beaten. Because they have nowhere to run to and no hope, there are many who attempt suicide. Also, because they are so young and small, many who become pregnant die during delivery, or from bleeding resulting from sexual relations. Please pray… Pray that all the reasons for this practice, which is robbing these young girls from going to school, playing with friends, having dreams for the future, and living lives that are only […]
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4/3/2017 France (Evangelical Focus) On April 2, an arsonist attacked the Armenian Evangelical Church of Alfortville by lighting a trash can on fire in front of the building. This is the second time the church, which is located near Paris has been targeted. The Mayor of Alfortville and other Christian groups have spoken out to condemn the attack and show support for the church. Please pray… Praise the Lord for the Mayor and other Christians who have spoken out in support of the attacked Armenian Evangelical Church. Pray for protection around the church and that no more threats will come against it, in Jesus’ name. Pray for those persecuting the church, that they will repent and be saved.
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01/26/2017 Washington, D.C. (ICC) International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on Sunday, January 22, a house church in Chiapas, Mexico, had its electrical services cut off by the local town leadership. Evangelical Christians are excluded by local leadership from attending town assemblies, claiming that the former have no right to participate in those meetings. Appeals and requests have been made to the state authorities to intervene and remedy the situation, but concrete action has not been taken to address the problems of religious discrimination. The federal government has offered to cover the cost of any local fines imposed on the affected individuals, in the hopes that this will at least prompt municipal leaders to refrain from targeting evangelical minorities. Please pray… Pray that the Christians will respond to this persecution with love. Pray that the federal government will continue to help by paying the fines charged to the church. Pray that the citizens in the neighborhood will have a change of heart and acknowledge the right of the church to meet and exist.
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1/8/2017 (FOX News) An expected report from the Center for Studies on New Religions is set to detail how Christians were the most persecuted people group globally in 2016. An estimated 90,000 people were killed for their beliefs last year, and one-third of these deaths are attributed to the Islamic State. Others were killed by state and non-state persecution, including in places like North Korea. Additionally, up to 6 million were denied the right to practice their faith. Let’s pray… Pray for those in areas where persecution has, unfortunately, become a way of life for people. Remember your brothers and sisters in places that are so different from Japan, where we are allowed to practice our faith and know that it is safe to do so. Pray, too, that we Japanese would realize how blessed we are and that we will be able to prepare for the persecution that will inevitably come to Japan some day. Pray that many will be saved in 2017 – persecution has never been able to end the growth of the Church.
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9/24/2013 Israel (YouTube) A Korean-made documentary details the severe persecution experienced by Messianic Jews in Israel. Their persecutors are not Palestinians but their fellow Jews. One day a small package was delivered to a pastor’s home, and when the pastor’s son opened it, it exploded severely injuring him. After major surgery, he survived, but there are similar incidents taking place. In another example of the kind of persecution Messianic Jews are facing, photos of those who are determined to be Christians are posted in supermarkets and other shops, and the store owners will not sell anything to those in the photos. If they are found to be Christians, some lose their jobs, and some are driven from their neighborhoods. In some house churches, during Sunday worship crowds of Jews force their way into the homes, stage sit-in protests, and destroy household items. The persecution of Christians in Israel is more or less being hidden from the outside world. Please pray… Pray that Israel’s Christians will be protected and that they will be able to stand firm in the midst of such persecution. Pray that God will supply the needs of His children, who are losing their jobs and homes, […]
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