7/3/2018  Egypt  (ICC) Harassment and threats of violence are a routine part of life for Coptic Christians in Egypt. Within the last six months, a new trend has developed in which the police further victimize Christians by enabling their exploitation through reconciliation sessions. Disagreements involving Christians and Muslims are often classified by the authorities as “sectarian strife.” In cases where the incident includes violence, it is common for the police to arrest people from both parties pending an investigation. The Christians are charged with generic claims such as “disturbing the public” and “damage to the property of others” until their family agrees to reconcile with their abusers. Christians rarely, if ever, come away from reconciliation sessions with an advantage. Instead, they are often pressured into relinquishing their legal rights, and sometimes even have to pay a fine in order to reconcile, even though they were attacked.   Please pray… Pray that the Lord will sustain and strengthen the Christians in Egypt who are facing persecution for their faith. Pray that they will have wisdom when dealing with their persecutors and the police. Pray that Christians will be able to have a positive witness to their Muslim neighbors and show the love and grace […]

4/17/18 Egypt (MEM) A recent statement by the Egyptian cabinet detailed the approval of legal status for 166 churches. In January, the country’s housing minister, Mostafa Madbouly, ordered the expedition of the decision process for roughly 3,730 church applications. The cultural climate seems to reflect a change of attitude in respecting the right to practice religious rites. There are around 15 million Christians in Egypt, according to official data, and they have been facing severe persecution and opposition from radical Muslims in recent years.   Please pray… Pray for continued favor between Egypt’s government and Egyptian Christians. Praise God for the decision to approve the legal status of these 116 churches, and pray that the remaining applications will all be approved. Pray for Christians in Egypt to be filled with faith, hope, and love as they share the Gospel.  

11/15/17  Egypt  (Fides) Egyptian Christians have not given in to the oppression they face by turning from their faith; rather, they continue to promote Christianity despite their difficult circumstances. Because of this, the Wafa Media Foundation, a jihadist propaganda body considered affiliated to the network of the Islamic State (Daesh), is encouraging more violence towards Egyptian Copts. They would like to see Coptic churches blown up and new forms of violence leveled against them as they are considered to be “infidels.”   Please pray… Pray for Coptic Christians in Egypt as they are the targets of persecution and terrorism. Pray that they would not lose their faith or give up trying to spread the Gospel message. Pray that God would offer His people His protection.  

8/30/17  Egypt  (SBS News)  Coptic Christians in Egypt have been the target of many attacks, especially by ISIS, over the last several years. Attacks directed at Coptic Christians have noticeably grown since 2013 when President Mohamed was overthrown. “It’s [the Islamic State in Egypt] building upon a…sense…that there is an unfair distribution of wealth and privilege between Copts and non-Coptic Egyptians, which is actually quite false.” ISIS uses this concept in their effort to further divide Egyptians and target Copts.   Please pray… Pray for Christians in Egypt who have been the target of ISIS for several years now. Pray that the faith of these Christians would not diminish even when suffering from these attacks. Pray that ISIS would not be able to further divide the unity of Egyptians.  

6/2/17  Egypt  (The Guardian)  Coptic Christians feel their government has failed to protect them after four attacks in six months, the last being the ambush of Christians on their way to pray at a monastery. After the Palm Sunday attacks, the country was put on alert; however, the Coptic Christians feel that there has been no increase security.   Please pray… Pray that the Egyptian government will truly take action to protect Coptic Christians from further attacks. Pray for those who have been victimized in the attacks, that they will look to God for guidance, comfort and strength. Pray for the families of Coptic Christians who have lost their loved ones during the various attacks.  

5/11/17  Egypt  (Gospel Herald) The eighth Coptic Christian who was killed over the weekend, was buried earlier this week. Nabil Mansour, fled with his family to Port Said from El-Arish earlier this year due to attacks on Coptic Christians. At the time of his death, Mansour had returned home to retrieve paperwork from his son’s school. Please pray… Pray for God’s comfort over Nabil’s family as they mourn his death. Pray for financial and material provision for Nabil’s family during this time.   Pray that the Christians in Egypt will not return hatred for hatred, but will love and forgive their persecutors and find strength and peace in Christ.

4/19/17  Egypt  (FOX) A blatant ISIS attack on a police checkpoint guarding Saint Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai left one officer dead and four injured. The shots, fired from a nearby hilltop, are said to mark the militant’s first attack on a monastery. The attack comes just a week before Pope Francis is scheduled to visit the persecuted minority, which raises questions about his safety.   Please pray… Pray for the family of the officer who was killed during this attack.  Pray for speedy healing of the four victims injured during this attack. Pray for the repentance and salvation of members of ISIS.  

4/9/2017 Egypt (Morning Star News)  Bomb attacks on two Coptic churches holding Palm Sunday services in Egypt on April 9 killed at least 44 people and injured more than 100 others. The first bomb exploded at St. George’s Church about 60 miles north of Cairo, killing at least 27 people. Hours later, a suicide bomber was stopped at the door of St. Mark’s Cathedral in Alexandria, where bomb killed at least 17 people. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks.The bombings are the latest in a series of assaults on Christians in Egypt, who make up about 10 percent of the population. Please pray… Pray for the physical healing of the wounded and also their emotional healing, as well as the emotional healing of those who lost loved ones. Pray that the Lord will strengthen, comfort, and encourage the persecuted church in Egypt. Pray for the government of Egypt to do all it can to protect its Christian citizens.

3/16/2017 Egypt (Egypt Ind.) Christian families fleeing the city of el-Arish in North Sinai are congregating in the Egyptian city of Ismailia. With few personal belongings, these families arrive in the city with no shelter. Churches in the area are working to provide fully furnished apartments to these families so that they can begin to start their lives over, and 48 apartments are reported to have already been provided with around 200 more said to be nearly ready. Let’s pray… Pray that God will send the right people to help the Egyptian Christian families find a home. Pray for God’s wisdom to be with the church members as they serve and care for the Christian families fleeing el-Arish. Pray that fleeing families will continue to look to God as they settle into these new homes.

3/3/2017   Egypt  (Voice of the Martyrs) A Christian man in Egypt’s North Sinai region was shot to death by Islamic extremists on Feb. 23 in front of his family, making him the seventh Christian to be martyred in the past month. Kamel  Youssef, 40, was chased by armed men to the roof of his home before being shot to death. The attackers also set fire to the family’s home, but Kamel’s wife and five children managed to escape. ISIS has killed at least six Christian men since January 31. In a video released on February 19, Islamists threatened to kill all Egyptian Christians living in an area the militants claimed as their own five years ago.  Please pray… Pray for Kamel’s wife and children as well as the other Christians who have lost family members. Pray that the Lord will encourage, comfort, and strengthen the Christians in Egypt and especially in Egypt’s North Sinai region.