Prayer Diary January -February 2014

8/13/2019 Prayer Diary January -February 2014

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THE AID AGENCY FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH

to help you

pray for the

persecuted church

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prayer

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2 BARNABAS PRAYERJANUARY/FEBRUARY 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

specic prayer requests, but pray

as you feel led. On each Sunday wehave provided a suggested prayer

that you can make your own and

build on.

JanuaryWednesday 1As a New Year begins, givethanks to the Lord for all the spiritual hopeand practical aid that He has brought to Hispersecuted people during the past year throughthe ministry of Barnabas Fund. Pray for our workin the coming year as we continue to respondto the urgent and desperate needs of so manysuffering Christians in many parts of the world.Pray for wisdom, courage and endurance for allour partners on the ground as they serve their

brothers and sisters so faithfully in Christs name.And pray for persecuted Christians everywhere,that they may nd strength and peace in the Lord.

Thursday 2Praise God that even aspersecuted Christians continue to sufferhorric violence at the hands of Islamists, otherMuslims are standing in solidarity with ourbrothers and sisters. Muslims in Egypt helped

to protect Christians and churches from attacksby supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood. Andfollowing the September suicide bombing at All

Saints Church in Peshawar, Pakistan (see 11 and12 January), Muslims rushed to donate 400 pintsof blood to help save the injured and later joinedChristians in forming symbolic human chains of

protection around churches. Ofcial recognitionof the plight of Arab Christians is also growing;King Abdullah of Jordan convened a conferencein September 2013 that addressed themarginalisation and persecution of Christians inthe Middle East and North Africa. Pray that thesepeaceable inuences will prevail over the agendaof Muslims who seek to harm Christians.

Friday 3Syrian Christians continue to suffergreat need. The cold weather presents a newcause of distress to those who have beendisplaced by violence and who are living indesperately inadequate conditions. Accessingmedical care, supplies of basic needs andeducation has become problematic and in somecases impossible. And as sieges of Christianareas by Islamist rebels become more frequent,Christians across the country live with theprospect of their safe haven becoming the nexttarget. Ask the Lord to meet all the material needsof our suffering brothers and sisters in Syria, andalso to be their comfort at times when all earthlycomfort is absent.

Saturday 4Give thanks that Barnabas Fund

has been able, by the grace of God, to help ourbrothers and sisters in Syria. We are providingfor the basic needs of vulnerable Christians,including those displaced by the violent takeoversin Saddad and Haffar (see 5 January) and in thehistoric Christian village of Maaloula. The wellsthat we built in the embattled city of Aleppo areproviding a life-saving supply of clean drinkingwater. We recently trained church leaders and

volunteers to provide trauma counselling forChristian children affected by the conict. Andas the cold weather set in, our partners on the

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ground made ready by stocking up on blanketsand heaters to distribute to needy believers. Praythat the Lord will continue to enable and expandthis vital work.

Sunday 5Heavenly Father, we pray

for Christians in the Syrian towns of

Saddad and Haffar as they come to

terms with the largest massacre of

Christians in the country. We pray

that You will comfort the families and

friends of the 40 or more Christians

who were killed in the towns last

October by Islamist rebels linked toal-Qaeda. We pray too for the 2,500

Christian families who were forced to

ee, especially those who returned

to nd they had lost everything, and

for those who remained in the area

and endured the terror and trauma of

the siege, many of them held hostage

as a human shield. We pray that they

may be able to rebuild their lives and

communities and will be protected

from further harm.

Monday 6 The latest in a series of attackson church property and other Christian sites

in the Holy Land saw a Christian cemeteryvandalised. It is thought that Jewish extremistswere responsible for knocking stone crosses

from graves at the Cemetery of Mount Zionand smashing them up. At least 17 attacks onChristian sites have occurred in the last threeyears. Pray for Christians in the Holy Land as they

are made to feel unwelcome in the land whereJesus Christ himself lived, and ask that the joy ofthe Lord will be their strength (Nehemiah 8:10)despite the pressure they face.

Tuesday 7October 31 2013 was the thirdanniversary of a savage attack by al-Qaedagunmen on a church in Baghdad in which morethan 50 people were killed. On that day, dozens of

Muslims gathered outside the church, appealingfor Christians to stay in the country. One Muslimman said, The Christians are the people ofIraq, for thousands of years, and Christianityis one of the oldest religions in Iraq. We invitethem not to leave Iraq, because all Iraqis sharetheir pain. Give thanks for this remarkable andmoving act of solidarity, and pray for the continuedstrengthening of relations between Muslims andChristians in Iraq. The Christian community is onlyabout a quarter of the size it was in 1990; prayfor security for those who remain, that the Churchmay retain a presence in Iraq.

Wednesday 8Lift up to the Lord ShyamSunder, an Indian Christian man who was beatenunconscious in a brutal assault by suspected

Hindu extremists. Shyam intervened when theve men, who appeared to be drunk, disruptedthe prayer meeting that he was attending inChhattisgarh. When Shyam told the assailantsto leave, they dragged him to a eld, where theyattacked him with thorn bushes. They then tookhim to a house where they mercilessly beat himwith part of a plough. The Christian was laterfound by church members in a semi-conscious

state. Pray that the Lord will heal Shyam and bindup his wounds (Psalm 147:3) and will protect himand his community from further such attacks.

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Thursday 9A travesty of justice saw sevenIndian Christians imprisoned for life on 3 October2013 for the murder of a militant Hindu leaderwho was killed in Orissa in 2008, despite there

apparently being no evidence against them.After Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of hisaides were shot dead, a Maoist group claimedresponsibility for the murder almost immediately.But militant Hindus blamed local Christians, andthis scapegoating sparked horric anti-Christianviolence that left around 90 believers dead. Only ahandful of people have been convicted of carryingout the persecution. Pray that the truth about

Saraswatis murder will come to light and thatjustice will be done, both for the Christians whoare wrongfully imprisoned, and for the families ofthose killed in the anti-Christian violence in Orissa.

Friday 10Christians in Karnataka state, India,came under intensifying pressure from Hinduextremists during August and September 2013as anti-Christian attacks increased. For example,

Living Hope Church in Bangalore was targetedon two consecutive Sundays. On 1 September,Hindu extremists entered the church, stoppedthe service and accused the pastor and church

members of forcibly converting people. Oneweek later, the extremists returned, shouting,No prayer, no church! Church members werebeaten up on both occasions. These attacksfollowed three incidents in August in which twopastors were separately beaten up and threeChristians were arrested after being attackedby Hindu extremists. Ask the Lord to strengthenthe Christian community in Karnataka and to

surround them with His protection as they remainvulnerable.

Saturday 11The deadliest-ever attack onPakistans Christian minority claimed the lives ofover 100 people on Sunday 22 September 2013.Two suicide bombers attacked All Saints Churchin Peshawar as worshippers were greeting eachother at the end of a service. A further hundred

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people were injured. The Pakistani Talibanclaimed responsibility for the attack; a spokesmansaid, [The Christians] are the enemies of Islam,therefore we target them. We will continue our

attacks on non-Muslims on Pakistani land. Givethanks that some Muslims responded to theoutrage by forming human chains with Christiansaround churches in Lahore and Karachi as ashow of solidarity. Pray that militant Islamists inPakistan will be marginalised and defeated andthat violent attacks on Christians will cease.

Sunday 12Almighty God, we pray

for the many Christian families whosuffered grievous personal tragedy

in the church bombing in Peshawar

in September 2013. We pray in

particular for teenager Shalom Nazir,

who came to church in the morning

with his whole family but returned

home with no-one after his parents

and sister were killed. But we give

You thanks too that some survivors

have testied to their faith in the

midst of their terrible suffering. We

pray for the whole congregation as it

recovers from this appalling trauma;

we ask that its faith will endure and

result in praise, glory and honour

when Jesus Christ is revealed (1

Peter 1:7). We also pray that Youwill touch the hearts of those who

planned this massacre and prompt

them to repentance.

Monday 13The Central African Republic(CAR) is descending into lawlessness andviolence at the hands of Islamist militants, with itsChristian majority rst in the ring line. The Seleka

militia who seized control of the country in March2013 have launched a reign of terror againstthem, robbing, wounding and killing individuals

and destroying churches, businesses andhomes. Whole villages have been abandonedor destroyed. In just one horric incident inSeptember, Seleka ghters attacked Christians in

Bossangoa, killing at least 100 civilians. The UNreports that some 400,000 people have ed theirhomes, and a church leader said that the wholepopulation was trapped like in a concentrationcamp. Pray for the restoration of order in thestricken country and that Christians will beprotected from further attacks.

Tuesday 14An assault on Christians by local

Muslims, supported by Islamist ghters, in CARled to further carnage in October 2013. As theIslamist Seleka militants continued to wreakhavoc across the country, Christians in the city ofBangassou organised a protest against them on8 October. But armed Muslims stopped them byforce, and ten people were killed in the ensuingviolence. Further attacks on 12 October left fourmore Christians dead. The severe danger facedby Christians is being heightened further by aninux of other militant Islamists from neighbouringcountries. Pray for those injured and bereaved,and for churches seeking to support people whoare eeing to them for refuge.

Wednesday 15Pray for the grieving familiesand congregations of two church leaders who

were murdered in separate incidents in Muslim-majority areas of Kenyas coastal region. PastorCharles Matole was found dead at his church inMombasa on 19 October 2013; he had been shotin the head as he sat with a Bible on his lap. Thepastor had been receiving death threats sincehe led several evangelistic meetings at whichmany people became Christians, but police haddismissed the threats as hoaxes. The following

night, Pastor Ebrahim Kidata was found dead insome bushes in Kili; he had apparently beenstrangled. Ask the Lord to draw near to grieving

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relatives and friends of the two church leadersand comfort them, and pray that He will protectother vulnerable church leaders in Kenya.

Thursday 16The congregation of theSalvation Army church in Mombasa, Kenya, hasseen its building torched for the second timein 14 months. The church was set ablaze on 4October 2013 by Muslims protesting against thedeath of Islamic cleric Sheikh Ibrahim Ismail, whowas assassinated by unknown gunmen the nightbefore. The cleric was viewed as the successor to

Aboud Rogo Mohammed, an extremist preacher

whose murder triggered the violence in August2012 in which the church was previously targeted,along with four others. Pray that the Holy Spiritwill enable the Christians to nd the strength torebuild once more and to forgive the arsonists.

Friday 17Even children in some persecutedChristian communities are sadly not too youngto be pressured to convert to Islam. ArdoPakpahan, a nine-year-old Christian boy fromCimahi, West Java, was too afraid to go to schoolafter a teacher pressured him to learn the Quranand said that Ardo would go to hell if he did notconvert to Islam. The local education authoritiessaid that the incident on 4 September was notin line with the rules, which state that Christianstudents do not have to take part in Islamic

lessons. Pray for Ardo and other Christianchildren in Indonesia, that they will be able toattend school without danger of harassmentand that they will grow up to be strong men andwomen of faith.

Saturday 18Pray for ve Christians inWest Aceh, Indonesia, who were arrested oncharges of inuencing 70 Muslims to convert

to Christianity. The accused were a pastor, hiswife and three other church workers; policeaccused the pastor of bribing Muslims to convert

with thousands of dollars. The pastor deniedthis, pointing out that he does not have muchmoney and saying that the converts came to hischurch voluntarily. Two converts from Islam were

also arrested in the raid on 4 September 2013,which was carried out jointly by sharia police andmunicipal police. The imposition of sharia law in

Aceh makes life very difcult for Christians. Praythat all the Christians will be released, and thatChristians in Aceh will be able to share their faithwithout danger of reprisals.

Sunday 19Sovereign Lord, we pray

for the Christian villagers of Nhka Gain Kachin state, Burma, as they suffer

brutal treatment at the hands of the

Burmese army. We pray that You will

bind up the wounds of women and

girls who were captured, gang-raped

in a forest and abandoned naked.

We ask for healing for the broken-

hearted families of three men who

were tied up, taken away and later

murdered. We pray for the many

other villagers who were seized, or

hung upside down and beaten during

interrogation. We ask that they may

receive the food and medical care

that they need, and that the soldiers

will relent and release them.

Monday 20Pray for the Christian minority(around 10%) in Brunei as the country prepares tointroduce a penal code based on Islamic sharia.Penalties for the most serious crimes will be in linewith the teachings of the Quran and the Sunnah(the deeds and sayings of Muhammad). Theseinclude amputation of limbs for theft, stoning foradultery, and the death penalty for apostasy. The

new code is said to be applicable only to Muslims,but it clearly poses a grave danger to convertsfrom Islam, as well as those who help them to

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convert; sharia can be extended to non-Muslimswho aid a Muslim to commit an offence. Praythat the Lord will watch over His people in Brunei,especially those former Muslims who have taken

the brave decision to follow Christ, and that theproposed sharia code will not become law.

Tuesday 21Christians in Egypt are enduringmerciless violence from angry Islamists followingthe ousting of former President MohammedMorsi in July 2013. The provinces of Minya and

Assuit, which have large Christian populations butalso many Islamists, have been badly affected.

Christians in the town of Dalga in Minya haveseen their town taken over by militants, and theyremain in critical danger despite the securityforces retaking the town. In one incident inOctober, Iskander Toss was kidnapped, severelybeaten and dragged through the streets until hedied. A few days later Islamists opened his graveand dragged his body through the town again,prompting terried Christians to ee. Pray thatthe Lord will give grace to Christians in theseprovinces to love and pray for their enemies(Matthew 5:44).

Wednesday 22Pray for a Christian family inEgypt who lost four of their members, includingtwo children, in a drive-by shooting that targetedwedding guests. Masked gunmen on a motorbike

red indiscriminately at the congregation as theyleft a church in Cairo on 20 October 2013. Twopeople died at the scene, and two others latersuccumbed to their wounds. Give thanks thatother family members have turned to the Lord intheir grief and have said that the attack has onlystrengthened their faith; pray that He will comfortand strengthen them. The police often guardchurches in Egypt, but a church leader said that

this one had been left without a guard since theend of June. Pray for more effective protection forchurches in Egypt.

Thursday 23Two Egyptian Christians wereshot dead in Assuit province on 12 September2013 for refusing to payjizya. This is a humiliatingtax that, according to classical Islam, Muslimsimpose on Christians and Jews in conqueredterritory. In exchange the Christians and Jewsare allowed to practise their faith, but theyhave to acknowledge that they are inferior toMuslims. Classical Islam teaches that if theywill not payjizyathey can be killed. CousinsEmad and Medhat Damian were contactedtwo days before their murder by the leader of aMuslim gang, who demanded 10,000 Egyptianpounds (900; US$1,451; 1,072) from them.They asked for police protection but received nohelp. The tax has been enforced by Muslims onChristians in various parts of Assuit and Minya in

recent months; those unable to pay have beenattacked or seen their wives and children beatenor kidnapped. Pray that the authorities will takeeffective steps to stop this campaign of extortion.

Friday 24Mohamed El Baladi, a Moroccanconvert from Islam, is appealing against thetwo-and-a-half-year prison sentence he wasgiven for shaking the faith of a Muslim. He was

also ordered to pay a ne of 5,000 dirham (400;US$600; 450) in September following his arreston 28 August 2013. Prior to his arrest, Mohameds

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movements were tracked; his home was raidedand Christian literature and other materials wereseized. He was convicted and sentenced withina week and without access to legal counsel. Give

thanks that Mohamed is now being supported bythe Moroccan Association of Human Rights. Praythat his conviction will be quashed and that he willbe returned to his family and friends.

Saturday 25Pray for Christians in Tunisiafollowing the resignation in late 2013 of theIslamist-led government. The ruling Ennahdaparty had initially resisted calls to step down, but,

under mounting pressure, they agreed to handover to a caretaker administration ahead of newelections. The opposition accused Ennahda offailing to rein in Islamist militants two prominentopposition politicians were assassinated in 2013

and of mismanaging the economy. Tunisia hasbecome increasingly polarised over the role ofIslam in the state; a more secular regime would

offer better prospects for its Christian minority.Pray that they will be given equal rights with theMuslim majority in the eventual settlement.

Sunday 26Our Father in heaven, weask that You will sustain a Kazakh

pastor following his re-arrest on

charges of extremism just minutes

after being released from prison.

We pray that these charges will be

dropped and that he will not suffer

the set penalty of three to seven

years imprisonment. We pray too

that he may be cleared of the originalcharges of inicting psychological

harm on a church member, and that

her statement that she has suffered

no ill-effects will be heeded. We pray

too for his wife, with whom he had

just been reunited and who was

threatened with violence by police.

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We pray that their cruel ordeal will

soon be over and that they will be

comforted in the knowledge that in all

things You work for the good of those

who love You (Romans 8:28).

Monday 27Unregistered churches inUzbekistan are often harassed by the authoritiesand penalised for their activities. When a churchin Karshi did not pay the nes it was given forunregistered activities, the authorities conscatedthe churchs property instead. The churchs piano,pulpit, carpet, fridge and 17 benches were seized

on 30 July 2013, along with personal propertyof the family in whose home the church meets.Svetlana Andreychenkos oven, fridge, sewingmachine and DVD player were taken. This is thesecond time Svetlana has been ned; she refusesto pay the penalties, saying that she does notconsider herself guilty of a crime. Pray that thechurchs material need for replacement resourceswill be met, and that the authorities will relent intheir campaign against it.

Tuesday 28Praise God that a missionarycouple from Kyrgyzstan are proving a greatspiritual support to vulnerable expatriate KyrgyzChristians in Moscow. Many Kyrgyz Christianscome to Moscow to seek work, live in crampedconditions and endure many problems as

migrants. Others have ed persecution in theirhome country. But thanks to the ministry ofMarat and Aygul, who are supported byBarnabas Fund, a thriving Kyrgyz church hasgrown up in the city, and its members are sharingthe Gospel with other Kyrgyz expatriates. Prayfor the Lords continued blessing on this fruitfulministry.

Wednesday 29Pray for six Christiansimprisoned in Iran whose appeal against theirsentences was rejected in late 2013. They had

been convicted in June of attending a housechurch and spreading Christianity, as well aspropaganda against the regime and disruptingnational security. They were all sentenced to three

years and eight months in prison. The unjusttreatment of these Christians is just one exampleof the restrictions and harassment faced byconverts from Islam who are part of Irans house-church movement. Pray that the Iranian regimewill correct its widespread human rights abusesagainst Christians.

Thursday 30Continue to lift up the Lord

Pastor Saeed Abedini, who has now been in jailin Iran for more than a year and has just beenmoved to a harsher prison. Last year Saeedwas sentenced to eight years imprisonment forplanting house churches, and he has sufferedbeating and torture while in custody; his sentencewas upheld on appeal. Although born in Iran,Saeed is now a US citizen, and PresidentObama has raised his plight with the new Iranianpresident Hassan Rouhani. Give thanks forSaeeds unswerving faith in the face of his trials,and pray that international pressure will lead to hissafe release.

Friday 31Praise God for some encouragingnews from Iran! Two Christian women, MaryamJalili and Mitra Rahmati, were set free from the

notorious Evin prison on 18 September 2013.They were among eleven political prisonersand prisoners of conscience released on thatday; the following week the regime announcedthat it had freed another 80 detainees who hadbeen arrested in political crackdowns. PresidentHassan Rouhani had promised in his electioncampaign to free political prisoners and upholdthe rights of religious minorities. Many Christians

remain incarcerated for their faith in Iran; pray thathe will follow through on this undertaking.

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FebruarySaturday 1Four Iranian Christians weresentenced to 80 lashes each for drinking

communion wine by a court in Rasht on 20October 2013. In a similar case two years earlier,a judge had ruled that because the accusedwere conducting a Christian ceremony, theiractivities were covered by Article 13 of the IranianConstitution, which allows Christians to performtheir religious rites and ceremonies. But this timethe court ignored their constitutional right andconvicted the four of drinking alcohol. Two of them

had previously been detained by the authoritiesin a crackdown on house churches. Pray that theLord will strengthen them in their suffering for HisName.

Sunday 2Heavenly Father, we pray

for Christians in Saudi Arabia as

they seek to serve You under a rigid,

hardline and authoritarian state.

We pray for the small number of

Saudi Christians, liable to the death

penalty for converting from Islam,

and practising their faith in extreme

secrecy. We remember too the many

expatriate Christians, forbidden by

law to worship publicly and facing

raids on their private gatherings by

religious police. We pray that Youwill protect Your people, and that

the Saudi government will yield to

international pressure to introduce

greater religious freedom.

Monday 3Pray for Chinas unregisteredhouse churches, which face serious harassmentfrom the authorities. In just one example, a church

in the Shunyi district of Beijing was raided on 13October 2013 for being an illegal gathering.

According to China Aid, more than 20 ofcials

burst into a meeting of 25 Christians and brokeit up, conscating equipment and Bibles. Theauthorities said that believers were not allowedto meet privately and that they should go to an

authorised (i.e. state-controlled) church instead.At least two other house churches in the areawere raided around the same time. Ask God togive perseverance to His faithful people in Chinain the face of such intimidation, so that when theyhave done His will, they will receive what He haspromised (Hebrews 10:36).

Tuesday 4Give thanks to the Lord for the

courage and endurance of North Koreaspersecuted Christians. Their homeland is oneof the worst places in the world to follow Christ,where all kinds of Christian activity are illegal,and where tens of thousands of believers areimprisoned in brutal prison labour camps. SomeChristians were publicly executed recently forpossessing a Bible; along with other prisoners,they were tied to stakes in a local stadium inWonson, Kangwon province, and machine-gunned in front of 10,000 people. Christiansalso share in the poverty and near-starvationexperienced by much of the population. Membersof the North Korean underground church pray thatthey may remain strong and faithful in the midst oftheir suffering. Please join in this prayer with them.

Wednesday 5Pray for the distraught wifeand two sons of Debalel, a Christian leader inNepal who was murdered when he respondedto a request for prayer. He was called in theearly hours of 20 October 2013 to the home of aHindu family to whom he had been witnessing; a29-year-old man claimed that he needed prayerfor healing and deliverance. While Debalel waspraying, the Hindu left the room and returned with

an iron rod and a sharp, curved knife. He beat theChristian with the rod before slitting his throat. Prayfor strength and peace for the bereaved family.

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Thursday 6 Pray for Christians in the Nigerianstates that impose sharia law, to varying degrees,on their residents. Kano state has recentlybecome particularly repressive. Men and women

have been detained for being indecentlydressed; men have had their hair cut off on thespot by religious police because it was consideredto be too long; and rickshaw taxi drivers havebeen arrested for driving men and womentogether. Pray that believers living in the grip ofsharia law in Nigeria will nevertheless be able torejoice in the true freedom they have in Christ.

Friday 7 Christians in Northern and Middle Beltstates in Nigeria continue to be at risk of brutalviolence at the hands of Islamists. Kafanchan inKaduna state was particularly badly affected in2013. Attacks against Christians began in Marchand continued almost unabated for six months;around 100 people were killed, 500 homesdestroyed and 10,000 people displaced. Thelatest incident, in September, left 15 people dead,and the Christian residents of Tajak were forcedto ee as armed Muslims besieged their village,burning a number of properties to the ground.Give thanks that the situation in Kafanchan townhas been brought under control by an effective,if belated, response by the security services,and ask the Lord to heal the mental and physicalwounds inicted on our brothers and sisters.

Saturday 8A church leader in Zanzibarsuffered burns to his face and shoulders in anacid attack in Stone Town on 13 September 2013.Joseph Anselmo Mwagambwa was leaving an

internet caf when the assailants struck; the acidalso injured his chest, thighs and legs. They wentto his home too but were spotted before theycould gain access. The leader received hospitaltreatment and is said to be doing well. Churchleaders have recently been the victims of anumber of targeted attacks in Tanzania. Pray fortheir protection and for an end to anti-Christianviolence there.

Sunday 9Loving Lord, we pray

for Egypts Christians at this time

of radical political change in their

country. We give You thanks for the

readiness of many politicians to

grant greater religious freedom to

Christians. We pray for the process

of drafting a new constitution and

agreeing a new political settlement,

and particularly for discussions

about the place of Islam and the

role of sharia law in Egypt. We ask

that Christians and other minorities

may be freed to practise their faith

with the same freedom that Muslims

have and may be able to worship

and serve You in safety. We prayespecially for the cancelling of

restrictions on the construction and

repair of church buildings.

Monday 10Pray for a church leader in Egyptwho escaped an assassination attempt whenhis car came under re on 30 September 2013.He was going to visit the family of a Christian

killed in the recent violence when his vehicle wasshowered with bullets in el-Sario, Minya province.The driver took him to the home of a local

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Christian for refuge, but the gunmen pursued thecar, surrounded the house and shot at it for overan hour. The police, who were called but failed toarrive until after the incident, said that residents

were angry because they thought the leader hadcome to the village to re-open its only church.Pray that he will recover fully from this distressingordeal, and for attacks on Christians in Minya and

Assuit to stop.

Tuesday 11The dead body of Fatuma IsakElmi (35) was found in her home in Beledweynein the Hiran province of Somalia on the evening

of 1 September 2013. The Somali Christiansyoung son had been crying for an hour before aneighbour came to the house to investigate andfound him outside the house in tears. Fatumashusband, Mumin Omar Abdi (36), had receivedthat morning a threatening note, believed to befrom the militant Islamist group al-Shabaab. Itsaid, We shall come for you. You are friends withour enemies and you are polluting our religion.Mumin ed the area with his son. Pray that Godwill be their refuge and strong tower against theirenemies (Psalm 61:3).

Wednesday 12Christians in Somaliahave to practise their faith in secret. Thosesuspected of following Christ are targeted byal-Shabaab, which has vowed to rid Somalia of its

underground church of converts from Islam. Themilitant group is suspected of kidnapping MustafHassan, a 13-year-old Christian boy, in Qoryoley,Lower Shebelle region, on 3 September 2013. Hewas seized by armed, masked men as he madehis way home from school. His parents had edthe area in 2012, and his aunt and uncle haveboth been murdered by al-Shabaab for leavingIslam. Pray for his safe return to his family, and

that Somali Christians will stand rm under theextreme pressure that they suffer.

Thursday 13Pray for the authorities inSomalia and neighbouring countries as they striveto contain the threat posed by Islamist militants.In recent years al-Shabaab has been driven out

of many of its former strongholds in southern andcentral Somalia, where they imposed cruel shariapenalties such as the stoning of adulterers andthe amputation of thieves hands. But they havecarried their violent campaign into Kenya, mostinfamously at the Westgate shopping centre inNairobi in September 2013, and also by attackingchurches and individual Christians. Pray that thesecurity forces will prevail against al-Shabaab,

and that Christians throughout East Africa will befree to practise their faith in peace.

Friday 14Churches in Sri Lanka are facing amounting threat from Buddhist extremists. In anespecially severe wave of incidents in September2013, police asked at least seven churches toclose on a single Sunday because of intimidationby Buddhists. One church in Meegoda, Colombodistrict, had gathered for prayer when a mob oflocal people led by three Buddhist monks forcedtheir way in. One of the monks hit the pastorover the head with a guitar until he was knockedunconscious; when his mother tried to intervene,she was beaten by the mob. They destroyedall the musical instruments and damaged thefurniture and windows. The congregation was

told that it was a Buddhist village and their prayermeetings should stop immediately. Pray that theauthorities will defend the freedom of Christians tomeet for worship without harassment.

Saturday 15I praise God for this wonderfulopportunity for my family God understoodour need and miraculously provided. Fatherof four Chittaranjan Chakma, an impoverished

Christian in Bangladesh, gave thanks to Godfor the provision of Barnabas-funded foodparcels. Christians comprise less than 1% of

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the population and have a low status in themainly Muslim country, which is one of theworlds poorest. Disadvantaged in education andemployment, many face a struggle to feed their

families. The food parcels help families to usetheir meagre incomes to improve their lives, byeducating their children or paying off debts. Givethanks for the impact of this project, and pray thatthese brothers and sisters may be encouraged intheir faith.

Sunday 16Almighty Father, we

continue to remember before you

Aasia Bibi, now in her fourth year on

death row in Pakistan after her false

conviction on a blasphemy charge.We pray that you will watch over her

in her imprisonment and sustain

her husband and children in their

separation. We pray that her appeal

will be fast-tracked and will result

in her acquittal and release. We ask

too that you will protect Aasia from

attacks by Muslim vigilantes, and that

the whole family will be able to live inpeace again. We pray for the repeal of

the blasphemy laws in Pakistan.

Monday 17After my fathers killing in thepresence of so many people, it is quite clearthat any Muslim can get away with murder justby claiming that they had killed a blasphemer.

Pakistani Christian George Masih was speakingafter his father, Boota Masih, had his throat slitand was stabbed multiple times in Karachi on 14September 2013. The attacker accused Bootaof being an indel who blasphemed againstMuhammad, but the police ofcer investigatingthe case said that the accusation was only apretext for the killing. The murder was witnessedby many people, including four policemen, but

no-one intervened, and the assailant walked awaywith the weapon in his hand. Pray that he may bebrought to justice, and that Muslims in Pakistanwill not justify crimes against Christians on thebasis of false allegations of blasphemy.

Tuesday 18 Even those Christians who areacquitted of blasphemy in Pakistan may losealmost everything they have as a result of thefalse charges. Farrukh Mushtaq Gill and his familywere put in grave danger after he was framed forwriting blasphemous letters and burning pagesfrom the Quran. Farrukh and his father weredetained over the allegation, and he was severelytortured by police, while Muslims attacked hisneighbourhood and targeted his home; around3,000 Christians ed in fear of their lives. Although

the two men were eventually declared innocent,they had to leave their homeland, and they arenow at a Barnabas-funded safe house in anothercountry. Pray that they may know the Lordspeace and will be able to rebuild their lives.

Wednesday 19Continue to pray for SusanJasmine Zulkii, a Christian sub-district head inWest Java whose appointment was vehemently

opposed by local Islamists. Her opponentsrecently stepped up their campaign; during ademonstration on 25 September, protesters

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carried a cofn and yellow ags, often associatedwith disease and death. Give thanks for MrsZulkiis gracious response to her opponents, andpray that it will be a witness to them. Pray too that

it will prompt the Islamists to accept Christiansand Muslims working together in government.

Thursday 20Give thanks that new converts toChristianity in Laos are standing rm in their faithin the face of pressure from the local authorities.Christians in Huay village in Savannakhetprovince were given an ultimatum at an ofcialvillage meeting on 21 September 2013: either

renounce their faith or face expulsion from thevillage. The Christians protested, arguing that theirright to religious freedom is protected under Laosconstitution. Threats of this kind are often levelledat converts to Christianity in Laos; ask the Lord tochange the hearts of the ofcials who make them,that they may accept the Christians living in theircommunities rather than harass them.

Friday 21A Christian-majority city in Mindanaoin the southern Philippines was attacked by anIslamic militant group on 9 September 2013. Twochurch leaders, David Nefras and Michael Ufana,were among more than 100 hostages held asa human shield by the Moro National LiberationFront (MNLF) in Zamboanga. At least six peoplewere killed, and thousands were forced to ee the

city; several Christians were among those injured.The MNLF is a fringe group that appears to betrying to hijack peace talks between the Philippinegovernment and the main Muslim separatistgroup in Mindanao, where a violent battle for anindependent Islamic state has been raging fordecades. Pray for security for Christians in thisunstable context and that their freedoms will beprotected in any future settlement.

Saturday 22Pray for Le Quoc Quan, aChristian lawyer and campaigner for religious

freedom, who has been jailed for two and a halfyears in Vietnam. The activist was convicted oftax evasion, a charge denounced by internationalhuman rights campaigners as politically

motivated, and was also ned US$59,000(36,690; 43,920). Ask that justice will be donefor Quan, and pray that he will know as he beginshis sentence that the Lord our God will neverleave nor forsake him (Deuteronomy 31:6).

Sunday 23We pray, loving Father,

for Christians in Nigeria who are

vulnerable to attack by ethnic

Fulani Muslim herdsmen. We prayespecially for Gabriel Anthony, who

lost his parents, his two brothers and

three nephews in a shooting at his

home in Adu village, Kaduna state;

for the family and friends of another

Christian couple in the village who

also died when their home was

raided; and for the Christian villagers

of Kunte-Kuru in Plateau state, who

saw six of their number killed in

night-time raids. We pray that you will

comfort the bereaved in their grief

and distress.

Monday 24The Boko Haram gunmen wokeus up, asked us to lie down in front of the church,

and tied our hands with rope. They then set re(to) the church and our house and killed myfather. The son of a murdered church leaderdescribed one of a tragic series of anti-Christianattacks in Nigeria by Islamist group Boko Haram.Barnabas Fund receives a constant stream ofsimilar reports. World leaders have neverthelessbeen slow to respond to the Islamist group; forexample, the US State Department designated

Boko Haram a Foreign Terrorist Organisation onlyin November 2013. Pray that the threat posed byBoko Haram will be better understood, so that

FEBRUARY 20 - 24



the menace posed by the terrorist group to ourbrothers and sisters may be effectively countered.

Tuesday 25Pray for a mobile health clinic thatbrings care and compassion to isolated Christianvillages in South Sudan that would otherwisehave no access to medical care. Its preventativemeasures and effective treatment have led toa fall in the child death rate in the area, and ahigh-risk pregnancy no longer means a deathsentence. The loving care the Christians arereceiving has also encouraged them in their faith.Pray that God will continue to work powerfully

through this project, and that many more pregnantwomen and young children in that impoverishedcountry may be delivered from dying ofpreventable or treatable conditions.

Wednesday 26Praise God that BarnabasFund is able to help thousands of vulnerableChristian children caught up in the Syria conict.For example, we have recently provided winter

coats for 1,881 children in Aleppo, supplied milkpowder for 200 under-twos in Wadi al-Nasara,and funded a workshop to train Syrian Church

leaders in trauma counselling for children. Atleast 278 Christian children who have seen oneor more parents killed or kidnapped are nowreceiving support for their basic needs fromBarnabas; many of them have been displacedby the violence and left destitute. We are helpingaround 7,500 families every month. Pray thatBarnabas support will be a great blessing tothese needy youngsters, and ask that the loveof God, our great Father, will be their strengthas they face trauma that no child should have toexperience.

Thursday 27As well as being caught up inthe brutal civil conict, our brothers and sistersin Syria are at risk of attack by jihadist rebelswho aim to create an Islamist state. Despite this,Western leaders are actually backing the sidethat aims to destroy the Church in Syria. Therevolution is now largely being driven by Islamists,many of whom are foreign. Pray that a greaterunderstanding of the character of the opposition

will come to light, and that Western leaderswill change their policies accordingly so thatChristians in Syria will be better protected.

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Friday 28Pray for the grieving family andcommunity of Ninar Odisho, a Syrian Christianman who was bludgeoned to death by Islamistrebels on 21 September 2013. Ninar had gone

to al-Thawrah, a rebel-held city from whichChristians had been driven out, with two Muslimfriends to safeguard his familys property. He was

killed by rebel ghters who approached the threeand questioned them at gunpoint; Ninars friendswere spared when their captors found out thatthey were Muslims. Ask the Lord to break the

Islamists grip on al-Thawrah so that Christiansmay be able to return to their homes.

FEBRUARY 28

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Cover: A Christian boy protests against the killing of Christians in Pakistan

Barnabas Fund 2014

www.barnabasfund.org

Prayer Diary January -February 2014

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Transcript of Prayer Diary January -February 2014