Prayer Diary March/April 2013

7/29/2019 Prayer Diary March/April 2013

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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 2013


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2 BARNABAS PRAYER MARCH/APRIL 2013

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.

MarchFriday 1 Give thanks to the Lord that theblasphemy charge against Rimsha Masih, avulnerable Christian teenager in Pakistan, hasbeen thrown out of court. Rimsha was arrestedon 16 August 2012 after being accused of burningpages from a booklet used to learn the basics ofthe Quran. Around 600 Christian families fromher neighbourhood in Islamabad were forced toee their homes by a hostile Muslim backlash.

But it later emerged that the local imam hadplanted evidence on Rimsha to rid the area ofChristians, and on 20 November the IslamabadHigh Court dismissed her case. Christians andother non-Muslims are particularly vulnerable to

malicious and false accusations under Pakistansblasphemy law. Pray that this case will promptthe authorities to act against abuses of the law,and that it will eventually be abolished.Saturday 2 Pastor Karma Patras isblasphemer and indel liable to be killed. This

message from the mosque loudspeakers inSangla Hill, Punjab province, Pakistan, brought

hundreds of infuriated Muslims to the home ofa church leader. They kicked and beat him and

trashed his house before police arrested him for

blasphemy. The pastor was attending a prayer

meeting at a Christian familys home when he wasasked about the Muslim festival of Eid-al-Adha;he explained that it was a strictly Muslim practice

and not for Christians. Muslims who were listeningtook offence at his comments. Pray for the pastorto be cleared of the charge and released, andfor his safety; even people who are acquitted ofblasphemy have sometimes been attacked oreven murdered by zealous Muslims in Pakistan.Sunday 3 Christians in some parts of India

continue to be vulnerable to intimidation and

violence by Hindu nationalists, who want tomake the country a religiously pure Hindu

nation. On 20 November 2012 a group of

extremists locked 30 members of a church in

Chippagiri Gowtown, in the Karwar district of

Karnataka state, in their homes before starting

to demolish their place of worship and then

setting it on fre. They threatened to kill the

Christians if they tried to escape. A month

earlier, some of the attackers had accused

the churchs pastor of forcibly converting

people and threatened him with serious

consequences if he did not stop. Pray that

Christians in Karnataka and throughout India

will not be deterred by this bullying from

practising and sharing their faith.

Monday 4A senior Christian leader in Indiahas denounced the sinister, subtle and ongoingpersecution against Christians in the Kandhamaldistrict of Orissa. Sajan K. George, presidentof the Global Council of Indian Christians,was speaking after a Christian cemetery wasdesecrated in the village of Midiaka. Gravestoneswere removed, and trees and bushes uprooted.Kandhamal was one of the areas worst affected

by the anti-Christian violence by militant Hindus inOrissa in 2007-8, and more sporadic attacks havecontinued since then. Ask the Lord to strengthen

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and help the Christians throughout the district andto uphold them with His righteous right hand.

Tuesday 5 Thank the Lord for the conviction

and sentencing of twelve people involved in thebrutal anti-Christian violence in Orissa in 2008.The defendants were found guilty of rioting and

torching houses in Jarkinaju village near Raikia.They were each sentenced to six years in jail.

There have been very few convictions resulting

from the Orissa attacks, in which around 90Christians died; thousands of complaints havebeen disregarded by the authorities, and very

few murder charges have even come to court.Pray that justice may be done for the bereavedChristian families.

Wednesday 6 Christians in Syria continueto suffer grievously as the civil war rages onwithout respite. Almost all the 60,000 Christianswho used to live in the city of Homs have ed the

anti-Christian violence in their city, but 86 werekept in the Christian neighbourhood of Hamadiyaby opposition forces as human shields. With nomedical care and hardly any food getting to them,about ten have already died, and very little aid hasgot through to them. At the time of writing Islamistextremists among the rebels are refusing to letthem go. Cry out to the Lord for these sufferingbrothers and sisters, that their needs will be met

and that they will soon be set free.

Thursday 7 We feel no one cares aboutus. The media does not show what happens

to Christians. We have no hope for the futurenow. Our Christian area and our churches are

destroyed. For Christians all is lost. A churchleader from the Homs area of Syria gaveBarnabas Fund this bleak assessment of theplight of the thousands of displaced Christiansnow living in the villages around the city. The

nearby Wadi al-Nasara, the only purely Christianarea of Syria, is hosting at least 100,000displaced people, who brought little with themfrom home and lack warm clothing for the bitter

Syrian winter. Pray that the Lord will renew theirhope and strengthen them to endure their presenthardships.

Friday 8 By December 2012 the Christianarea in the city of Aleppo in Syria was almostcompletely surrounded by opposition forces andIslamist extremists. At least 131 Christians hadbeen killed, and around ten others were beingheld by kidnappers. Sometimes exorbitant sumswere demanded for their release; the kidnapperssaid, Go to your church and ask your minister forthe money. Around 10,000 Christians from thearea are estimated to have left the country sincethe crisis began, and some of these refugees arenow in desperate need. Those who remain are

seeing their city die around them. Pray for peace

and order to return to this shattered area, and thatthe Christian community there will be restored.

Saturday 9 Pray for a congregation inJerusalem whose church building was defacedwith hate grafti in December 2012. The vandals

spray-painted Death to Christianity and anoffensive comment about Jesus on the buildingsouter wall during the night. Police suspect that

Jewish extremists were responsible for theincident, which was the latest in a series ofattacks on Christian sites in Jerusalem. Christians

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in various parts of the Holy Land are vulnerableboth to harassment and discrimination by someOrthodox Jewish groups and to intimidation andviolence by Muslim radicals. Pray that they may

be faithful to the Lord and His Gospel and begood witnesses to their neighbours of Gods graceand power (Ephesians 3:7).

Sunday 10 The Christians who

remain in Iraq continue to be acutely

vulnerable to Islamist hostility

and violence. In December 2012 a

radical Muslim cleric issued a fatwa

threatening them with death unlessthey convert to Islam. Ayatollah

Ahmad Al Hassani Al Baghdadi

appeared on Egyptian television

calling Christians by the insulting

term polytheists and friends of

the Zionists and saying that their

women and girls may legitimately

be regarded wives of Muslims. The

Christian population of Iraq has

shrunk to little more than a quarter of

its size in 1990 as hundreds of

thousands have ed abroad to

escape threats, kidnappings

and murder. Pray that this latest

pronouncement will not spark further

attacks on those who remain, and

that God will keep them from harmand watch over their lives (Psalm

121:7).

Monday 11 Cry out to the Lord for Christians inEgypt following the approval of a draft constitutionin a referendum held in December 2012. The

document was rushed through its nal draft by an

overwhelmingly Islamist assembly, with objections

being ruthlessly stamped down; Christians andliberals had previously withdrawn from theprocess, complaining that Islamists were hijacking

it. The constitution sows the seeds of an Islamic

state by greatly strengthening the role of sharia,prohibiting the insulting and defaming of allprophets and messengers and giving the state

a role in enforcing morals. Christians and othernon-Muslims are likely to suffer even harsherdiscrimination and persecution as a result. Prayfor protection for our brothers and sisters, and thatthey will stand rm in their faith at this testing time

(Ephesians 6:10-13).

Tuesday 12 In a chilling foretaste of what mayawait Christians in Egypt under the countrys

new constitution, hardline members of the ultra-conservative Salast movement forced changes

to the wording of a key clause relating to sharia.The rst draft stated only that the principles of

Islamic sharia form the main source of legislation,but Salast leaders insisted that this did not go

far enough; one said that those who acceptedthe constitution in this form would be castingthemselves into hell. The nal version satised

their demands by giving Muslim clerics a role inensuring that laws comply with sharia. Pray thatthe reach of sharia will not be extended in Egypt,and that Christians will be protected from its cruelprovisions.

Wednesday 13 It is becoming increasinglydifcult for Christians in Sudan to continue living

out their faith in this strongly Islamic country.They are experiencing growing hostility from theoverwhelmingly Muslim majority. On 15 October2012 a Bible school in Sudan that had beenset on re by an Islamist mob earlier in the year

was re-opened. However, in messages overthe loudspeaker of a nearby mosque, Islamistsasserted that Christian institutions should notbe allowed as the country should be a purely

Islamic state. And the Muslim sheikh who hadinstigated the arson attack called Christiansindels and urged Muslims to have no dealings

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BARNABAS PRAYER MARCH/APRIL 2013

with them. Pray that the Bible schools buildingswill be protected from any further harm and thatits teaching can continue unabated. Pray that theschool will be a strong and loving witness to its

Muslim neighbours.

Thursday 14 After many years of sufferingand prayers, God opened the way for us, saidSuzy, at Juba airport. She was one of 492 SouthSudanese Christians, mainly women and children,whom Barnabas Fund ew to safety from

Khartoum, Sudan, to Juba, South Sudan, on threeights in September 2012. After road connections

between Sudan and South Sudan re-opened inOctober last year, Barnabas Fund was able totransport another 1,808 Christians to the Southby bus. The believers had ed north to escape

devastation caused by the civil war from 1983 to2005, but life had become increasingly difcult

for them in strongly Islamic Sudan. Give thanksthat these 2,300 Christians are now safely back inSouth Sudan. Pray that God will enable them torebuild their lives there.

Friday 15 Pray for Christians in Vietnam,who may face even more harassment from theauthorities following the introduction of a new

decree in early 2013. Decree 92 has broughtmore restrictions on religious freedom, imposingprocedures for religious organisations to register

their activities and places of worship and forleaders to apply for ofcial recognition. Pray that

the authorities will refrain from using the measuresunjustly and will eventually repeal them. Pray

that God may give Christians in Vietnam peacein the face of these growing challenges, and theknowledge that God is in control.

Saturday 16 Pray for four men from the mainlyChristian Hmong ethnic group in Vietnam whohave been jailed for religious activities. They were

given jail sentences ranging from three to sevenyears at a trial in the north-western province of

Lai Chau on 12 December 2012. Eight otherHmong men were also jailed in connectionwith a religious gathering in May 2011. In bothcases the authorities claimed that the men hadcommitted acts that were a threat against nationalsecurity, a pretext they often use for suppressingunregistered religious activity. Pray that the menwill grow in their faith during their time in prison.Pray too that the Vietnamese authorities willstop regarding Christians as a threat to nationalsecurity.

Sunday 17 Christians in Vietnam

continue to experience arbitrary

arrests and unjust convictions at the

hands of the authorities. Seventeen

young Christians were arrested for

committing anti-state activities latelast year. Some of them have been

convicted without trial. Two other

Christians, aged 24 and 33, were also

arrested and charged with the same

offence. They had been involved

in social action, such as helping

children and the disabled. Although

beaten in custody, the pair refused to

give up their faith. In protest againstthese arrests Christians held prayer

vigils in Ho Chi Minh City. Pray that

5

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the Lord will intervene in the plight of

Christians in Vietnam and bring these

unjust arrests and convictions to an

end.

Monday 18 Christians in the southernPhilippines are facing second-class status in theirhomeland. The national government has made

an agreement with a Muslim separatist group tocreate an autonomous area called Bangsamoro,where aspects of sharia law will be enforced.Christians are concerned that this will become anIslamic sub-state, and although the agreement

states that sharia will not be applied to them, itsimposition is likely to result in discrimination andrestrictions. When Christians objected to a similaragreement in 2008, the Islamist group respondedwith violence, killing around 400 Christians anddisplacing some 750,000. Pray for protection forour brothers and sisters at this uncertain time, andthat their freedom and equality under the law willbe preserved.

Tuesday 19 Pray for Christians on the islandof Mindanao in the southern Philippines who wereoverwhelmed by a destructive storm in December2012. Typhoon Bopha triggered ooding and

landslides that devastated coastal communities

and left inland villages cut off. Houses, churchbuildings and livelihoods were totally wiped out.

Although Christians are a majority on Mindanao,

they have frequently been targeted by Islamistsghting for the territory to become an independent

Islamic state. Barnabas has sent aid to Christiansaffected by the typhoon. Pray that they will be

able to rebuild their shattered communities andnot be left more exposed to further violence andintimidation.

Wednesday 20 Give thanks to God that achurch in Belarus has been given a last-minutereprieve from being forcibly evicted from itspremises. New Life Pentecostal Church meetsin a renovated cowshed on the outskirts of the

capital, Minsk, and has been battling with theauthorities for ten years to legalise its statusas a place of worship. It was due to be evictedon 5 December, but the action was stoppedafter the district housing authority withdrew itsdemand. However, the church is expecting furtherdifculties, as the authorities seized the legal

title to the building and land in 2006 and havenot returned it. Pray that the congregation will beleft in peace to worship the Lord without furtherharassment (2 Corinthians 1:10-11).

Thursday 21 Give thanks that the Russiangovernment is taking concrete steps to restorechurch assets that were seized during the Sovietera to their original ownership and use. Aneducation bill and amendments to the law On

freedom of conscience and religious associationshas been passing through the Duma (the Russianparliament). If these are approved, governmentschools will be free to allow worship services inany of their buildings originally intended for thatpurpose. At the same time, some non-traditionalchurches in Russia continue to face difculties

in obtaining construction permits or in renting orbuying meeting-places. Pray that the authorities

will not merely restore conscated churchproperty but also guarantee the freedom of allChristians to meet for worship.

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Friday 22 Pray for churches and Christianorganisations in the UK that may be threatenedwith the loss of their charitable status. Since2006 Christian charities have been obliged to

demonstrate that their activities are of benet tothe wider public (before this date that was simplyassumed if one of the charitys purposes wasthe advancement of religion). In 2012 a groupof Brethren churches had their re-applicationfor charitable status turned down by the CharityCommission because they were judged not tosatisfy this requirement, despite the extensivework carried out by Brethren congregations in

their communities. Losing this status would putmany churches and Christian groups undernancial pressure and severely limit their

activities. Pray that the Charity Commissionwill see them as a force for good in society andencourage their work instead of crippling it.

Saturday 23 Praise God that a leadingGerman politician has stood up for the smallChristian minority in Turkey. Volker Kauder,

chairman of Chancellor Angela Merkels ChristianDemocrats, said on 5 December 2012, A countrythat wants to be part of Europe must accept thebasic principle of religious freedom. That means

that we expect Christians in Turkey to be able to

build churches without any restrictions, just asMuslims build mosques here in Germany. Give

thanks that a European politician is aware of andready to defend the cause of Christians livingunder pressure and damaging restrictions. Praythat his words will have an effect on Turkeys

decision-makers and will bring more liberty forTurkeys Christian minority.

Sunday 24 Praise God for an

important boost for religious freedom

at the United Nations! In late 2012 theUN Special Rapporteur on Freedom

of Religion or Belief urged the

international community to uphold

the rights to change ones religion

and to try to convert others. Heiner

Bielefeldt accurately outlined the

many problems faced by converts,which include discrimination,

deprivation, prosecution and

even death. Barnabas Fund has

campaigned for many years for the

right to convert to be internationally

afrmed. Pray that all UN member

states will respond positively to Mr

Bielefeldts call, especially those

that do not currently honour theirobligations to uphold these rights.

Pray too for the safety of Christian

converts around the world, especially

Muslim-background believers, who

are at the most serious risk.

Monday 25 A society can and should bejudged, in part, by how it protects the rights of itsminorities. Speaking in Dublin in December 2012,outgoing US Secretary of State Hillary RodhamClinton highlighted religious freedom as a keyobjective of American foreign policy, and calledfor its protection in countries such as Egypt thatare in transition from dictatorship to democracy.Yet some of the USs foreign policies in recentyears have done disastrous damage to Christian

minorities, for example in Iraq and Syria. Pray thatWestern governments will turn their words intoactions on behalf of persecuted Christian (andother) minorities, and will ensure that their humanrights are guaranteed and promoted.

Tuesday 26 Laws restricting the religious andhuman rights of Christians are on the increasein Kyrgyzstan. To help Christians deal with this

problem, Barnabas Fund recently supporteda two-day legal course for 61 church leaders,church administrators and church treasurers from

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seven regions of the country. They received an

overview of current and draft laws on religiousfreedom and human rights and learned how theycan better protect themselves. They also drew

up a petition on proposed laws that infringe therights of believers. Give thanks that the coursehas helped many of these leaders gain a betterunderstanding of their rights, which they can nowteach to members of their congregations. Praythat legislators in Kyrgyzstan will be moved tomake more lenient laws.

Wednesday 27 Many churches in

Kazakhstan have been closed since late 2012as the authorities enforce a crippling andcontroversial religion law. Since the expiry ofa deadline for recognised religious groups tore-register with the state, over half of them haveseen all their congregations legally liquidated.Under the law a group must have at least 50members locally, 500 regionally and 5,000nationally, so small churches are unable to obtainstate approval. Some groups have complainedthat the re-registration process is difcult and

arbitrary, and the authorities have used variousexcuses and strategies to avoid registering certainProtestant groups that they regard as non-traditional. Pray that the churches that have beenstripped of their legal status will survive and thrive,and for greater religious freedom in Kazakhstan.

Thursday 28 Praise the Lord that a pastorwho was facing extradition to Uzbekistan hasbeen freed with help from Barnabas Fund.Makset Djabbarbergenov was being held inKazakhstan while the authorities considered theextradition request from his homeland. He haded Uzbekistan in 2007 following a prolonged

campaign of harassment against him by the

secret police, and he would have been liable to upto 15 years in prison for his Christian activities hadhe been returned to the country. After Barnabas

made representations on his behalf with theKazakh and Western authorities, he was releasedin December 2012 and ew to Sweden with his

family, where they have been granted refugee

status. Give thanks that this family has beenreunited, and pray for them as they begin life in anew country (Psalm 5:12).

Friday 29 Children without parents are goingabout the city, begging for help. A Barnabas Fundpartner in the Democratic Republic of the Congowas reporting on the desperate plight of Christiansin Goma, East Kivu province as violence rages inthe east of the country. A new rebel group, knownas M23, has been plundering villages, killingand looting, raping women and forcibly recruitingyoung men and boys. Thousands of Christians

have ed their homes, and many of them have

gone to Goma. Pray for our brothers and sisters

throughout this volatile region, who have beencaught up in war and insurgency for decades.Pray too for our partners as they distribute aid todisplaced Christians.

Saturday 30 Pray for the Lords protectionfor Christians in Kenya and Tanzania, who

live in growing danger of violence from radicalIslamist groups. Last year saw a spate of

deadly bombings and shootings at churchesand the targeting of Christian leaders in bothcountries, where relationships between Christians

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and Muslims have until now been generallygood. Al-Shabaab, the militant Islamist groupfrom neighbouring Somalia, is believed to beresponsible for the attacks in Kenya, while in

Tanzania UAMSHO, an Islamist separatist groupcampaigning for independence for Zanzibar, hasbeen orchestrating the violence. Some Christianleaders believe that the groups ultimate goal is towipe out Christianity from Africas east coast. Praythat their campaign will not succeed and that theauthorities will nd effective ways to counter it.

Sunday 31 Nigerian army chief

Azubuike Ihejirika estimated inNovember 2012 that militant Islamist

group Boko Haram has been

responsible for 3,000 deaths since

2009; this is the highest total given

by an ofcial source. And since then,

scores more victims, many of them

Christians, have been added to the

tally. In its campaign to establish an

Islamic state in Northern Nigeria,

Boko Haram has been carrying

out deadly attacks on churches

and Christian communities as well

as the security forces and ofcial

targets. The Nigerian authorities have

been struggling to get to grips with

the group. Pray that the Lord will

intervene in this dark and desperatesituation, and restore peace for His

beleaguered people in Nigeria.

AprilMonday 1 At least 11 people were killed ina suicide bombing at a church inside a militarybarracks in Kaduna state, Northern Nigeria.

The attack on St Andrews Protestant Churchin Jaji happened during a service on Sunday25 November 2012. First, a bus was driven into

the wall of the church building and exploded;around ten minutes later, a car blew up outsidethe church. Ofcials said that 11 people were

killed, but several witnesses at the scene put the

death toll at around 50. Boko Haram is suspectedof carrying out the atrocity. Pray for those wholost loved ones in this bombing and also thatthis attack, in what should have been such asecure setting, will jolt the Nigerian authorities intoimproving protection for potential Christian targets.

Tuesday 2 The Christian Association of Nigeria

(CAN), backed by Nigerian Christians in the US,

has called over and over again for the US StateDepartment to designate Boko Haram a ForeignTerrorist Organisation (FTO). Various measures

could then be applied to the group to restrictits destructive activities. But CANs campaignis being resisted by the Nigerian government,which is worried about its international reputationand economic interests, while the US StateDepartment denies that Boko Harams campaignis motivated by religion. Pray that the militants willbe formally recognised as the terrorists that theyare, and that those in positions of power in Nigeriaand the US will take the necessary measures torestrict Boko Harams devastating campaign.

Wednesday 3 A pastor in India was beatenunconscious in an assault by Hindu extremists

on 30 November 2012. A group of Christians hadgathered for prayer in Boothpada village, Ratlam,Madhya Pradesh when police burst in; theyordered the believers to stop the meeting andleave the area. Then around 20 Hindu extremists

arrived, shouting abuse at the Christians; as thetwo pastors who had been leading the meetinged the scene, the extremists chased after them

and beat them. One of them sustained severe

injuries to his head, face and body. Pray for thepastor as he recovers from his injuries, and askthat the law enforcement agencies in India will

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not side with Hindu extremists against innocentChristians.

Thursday 4 The government is making fun

of tribal Christians, and prevents the communityfrom enjoying their constitutional rights. Achurch leader in India was calling attention tothe discrimination suffered by millions of IndianChristians who are being denied a place in thecountrys hierarchical caste system. Two-thirds

of Christians in India are Dalits, who occupy thelowest level of Indian society, but although Hindu,Buddhist and Sikh Dalits have been given a

legal status that reduces their deprivations andstrengthens their rights, this has been denied toChristian (and Muslim) Dalits. Tribal Christians

have suffered similar ill-treatment. Pray thatimpoverished Indian Christians will be treatedequally with their neighbours of other religions,and that the Lord will provide for all their needs.

Friday 5 A young Christian man in Pakistandied in mysterious circumstances in policecustody in late 2012 after he was accused ofblasphemy. The 22-year-old, called Nadeem, was

detained in Nankana Sahib without charge andheld for a week. Police said that he was beingkept in protective custody when he fell severely illand died. Nadeem had been accused of burninga copy of the Quran, but the charge had not yet

been substantiated. It seems that Nadeem, whowas described by his father as mentally unstable,was tortured by the local residents who accusedhim. Pray for comfort and peace for his family intheir bereavement and for the true circumstancesof his death to be brought to light.

Saturday 6 Pray for Farrukh Gill and hisfamily, Christians from Pakistan who were forced

to ee the country following false accusationsof blasphemy. They are now living abroad and

working in a clothes factory on low wages.

Farrukhs sister Fareeha has contractedtuberculosis and needs ongoing treatment, butthe family are struggling to pay the medical bills.Farrukh and his father Mushtaq were arrested

in 2011 after being accused of desecrating theQuran. The incident provoked a violent backlash

from Muslims in Gujranwala, where the familylived, and although Farrukh and Mushtaq werelater freed, they were no longer safe in their owncountry. Pray for Fareehas healing, and that thefamily will be able to rebuild their lives in their newhome. Barnabas has helped with their relocationand medical costs.

Sunday 7 Pray for church leaders in

Sri Lanka, who are often targeted in

attacks by Buddhist extremists and

by the government. On 9 December

2012 a rock was thrown at the

pastor in Weeraketiya, Hambanthotadistrict, as a large mob, including

numerous Buddhist monks, stormed

the building. And Pastor Lasanthe

Jayaleth from Deniyaya district and

his wife, Dionie, who were set upon

by a mob earlier in the year, are still

facing persecution; they have had to

stay away from their home several

times. Praise God for the courageand perseverance of these faithful

shepherds of Christs ock, and ask

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Him to watch over them as they serve

and lead His people (1 Thessalonians

5:12-13).

Monday 8 Four Christians from a churchin Ahwaz, Iran, were sentenced in late 2012to a years imprisonment. The pastor, Farhad

Sabokrouh, his wife, Shahnaz Jeizan, and twoassistant ministers, Naser Zamen Dezfuli andDavoud Alijani, were found guilty of convertingto Christianity, inviting Muslims to convert, aswell as propagating against the Islamic regimethrough promoting evangelical Christianity. They

had been in custody since just before Christmas2011, when their church was raided and thewhole congregation rounded up, though most ofthe Christians were freed after a few hours. Givethanks that the four have been released pendingan appeal, and pray that this may be successful.Pray especially for Farhad, who has been orderedto leave Ahwaz and not to visit other Christiansthere or conduct church services.

Tuesday 9 After Homayoun Shokouhi and hiswife Fariba Nazemian, Christian converts fromIslam in Iran, were arrested in early 2012, their17-year-old son Nima was left to care for his12-year-old sister alone. When their trial began inOctober 2012, Nima, who has epilepsy, came tothe court in hope of seeing his parents (for the rst

time in months), but he had a seizure and passedout in the corridor. The judge offered to free Faribato go home and care for her son if she wouldrenounce her Christian faith. But she refusedand was required to pay bail of around $200,000for her temporary release. Pray for strength,endurance and peace for the whole family at thistraumatic time, and that Homayoun and Faribawill soon be free to return home for good.

Wednesday 10 Forty Christians from fourchurches in Shiraz and Kavar, in the Fars

province of Iran, were arrested in a sweep bysecurity agents in late 2012. They were accused

of having contact with the enemies of the Islamicregime abroad and holding Christian services at

their homes. Some were later freed after payinga large amount of bail; others were transferred tolocal prisons or held at the Intelligence Ministrysnotorious private jail. Hundreds of Christians,mainly converts from Islam, have been arrestedand detained in Iran in the past few years. Praythat the Lord will deliver our brothers and sistersand that through their ordeal the Gospel may beproclaimed (2 Timothy 4:17).

Thursday 11 Pray for a church in Shiraz,Iran, where an agent of the Islamic governmenthas been installed, apparently to deter peoplefrom attending. He is said to be offensive to oldermembers of the church and has ordered parentsnot to bring their children to services; he eventells people where to sit and interferes with thechoice of songs. He has told the elders that he willorder the closure of the church if his orders arenot followed to the letter. The church has faced

harassment from the authorities in the past, butthis latest campaign signicantly increases the

restrictions upon it. Pray that it may be able tomaintain its worship, ministry and mission, andthat the government may soon relax its controls.

Friday 12 Egypts Islamist governmentis tightening its grip on the country, furtherundermining the safety of the large Christianpopulation. Since coming to power in 2012,President Mohammed Morsi and his MuslimBrotherhood have ruthlessly removed opponentsfrom ofce, neutralised potential opposition

and silenced critics. Leading members of theBrotherhood have been appointed to inuential

posts, and Islamists have also taken up seats onthe National Council for Human Rights. Some ofthe new members of the Council are opposed

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to equal rights for Christians and women; onecommentator said, We see a council taskedto defend human rights while its members areopponents to human rights. Pray that the growing

power of Islamism in Egypt will be checked andthat the freedom and security of Christians will notbe curtailed more severely.

Saturday 13 Christians in the village of Tala,

in the Beni Suef governorate of Egypt, wereattacked by a mob of Salast Muslims as they left

a church service in Egypt on 29 October 2012.The Muslims were angry that ten Christians from

neighbouring villages, which do not have churchbuildings, were coming to Tala for worship. Five

Christians were hospitalised with broken limbs,and the two cars that were used to transportthe visiting Christians were torched. Later in theafternoon Muslims also went to a number ofChristian homes and attacked the residents; ve

more required hospital treatment. Pray for thebelievers as they recover from this ordeal, andthat Christians in Egypt will be free to worshipwherever they choose.

Sunday 14 Praise God that in a rare

piece of good news for Christians

in Egypt, the countrys prosecutor

general has sided with a church

in a land dispute. Salast Muslims

had invaded a plot of land ownedby the Christians in Cairos Shubra

Al-Kheima district, wielding sticks

and rods; they put up a sign saying

Al-Rahma Mosque and performed

Islamic prayers for 24 hours. They

were opposed to the churchs

plans to build on the land. But on

8 November 2012 Abdul Magid

Mahmud ruled that the church wasthe rightful owner of the land and

ordered that legal measures be taken

to stop the Salasts from building a

mosque there. Pray that this positive

decision will promote justice for

Egyptian Christians, who so often

struggle to get a fair hearing in thecourts.

Monday 15 Give thanks that Barnabas Fundwas able to provide much-needed maize, riceand medicines to 2,295 Christians in southernMali last summer. Most had ed from the north

following a violent take-over by Islamist rebels inMarch 2012. Regional crop failures and spiralling

food prices made their circumstances even moredesperate. Some families had been eating onlywatery soup for three days before the food aidfrom Barnabas arrived, while others had not eatenanything at all. Pray that God will watch overthese displaced Christians and provide for them.Pray that the Islamist groups that are imposing astrict interpretation of sharia on the people in thenorth will repent of their actions and turn to theLord as their Saviour. Ask the Lord to bring backpeace and stability to the country.

Tuesday 16 I was distressed to hearaccounts of violent attacks, forced displacement,denial of identication cards and other forms

of discrimination and harassment I was alsoconcerned to hear that the police have beenfailing to provide adequate protection in these

APRIL 13 - 16



cases. With these words the United NationsHigh Commissioner for Human Rights, NaviPillay, drew attention to the increasing violencetowards religious minorities, including Christians,

in Indonesia, and to narrow and extremistinterpretations of Islam. Ms Pillay called onthe country to take rm action against these

destructive trends. Give thanks for her statement,and pray that the Indonesian government willrespond positively to it.

Wednesday 17 Sharia law is continuing tospread in Indonesia. For example, the new mayor

of Tasikmalaya in West Java, Budi Setiawan,promised on 19 November 2012 that the citysby-laws would be based on sharia in mattersof customs and behaviour. Earlier in the year aproposal by the previous mayor to impose the veilfor all women in the city, including Christians, andto form a moral police provoked controversy,but he insisted that there were some customsthat every citizen would have to respect. Atleast half of Indonesias provinces have enactedtheir own variations of sharia, some of whichapply to Christians as well as Muslims. Praythat Christians will not be forced or pressuredto conform to Islamic practices, or be treated assecond-class citizens for refusing to do so.

Thursday 18 Hundreds of Muslims from

a radical Islamist group descended on twocongregations in West Sumatra, Indonesia, inlate 2012 to protest against their planned buildingexpansions. The mob threatened to use force to

stop Stasi Mahakarya and Gereja PentakostaSion Indonesia from extending their sites in WestPasaman, complaining that the churches did nothave the required permits. It is very difcult for

churches to obtain permission for building works

from the authorities; the applications require thesignatures of at least 90 church members and 60non-Christians, and they are generally opposed

by Islamic groups. Pray that these churcheswill be able to extend their buildings withoutharassment and intimidation, and for greaterfreedom for Christians in Indonesia to build places

of worship.

Friday 19 In another onslaught againstChristian buildings in Indonesia, Islamists inBanda Aceh have forced the closure of ninehouse churches by protesting about improperuse of the buildings. The deputy mayor said that

the churches were illegal because they did nothave the right permit; private homes cannot be

used for religious ceremonies or functions inAceh. The local branch of the Islamic Defence

Front called on other authorities to follow thisexample and stop unapproved non-Muslimworship. Sharia is ofcially permitted in Aceh,

which has semi-autonomous status and is knownas the gateway to Mecca because it is soIslamic. Pray for protection for the small Christianminority and that their worship will not be furtherrestricted.

Saturday 20 A 25-year-old Christian convertfrom Islam was beheaded by al-Shabaab militantsin Somalia on 16 November 2012. Farhan HajiMose was killed by members of the militantIslamist group in Barawa in front of a crowd. They

accused him of being a spy for foreigners and

embracing the foreign religion of Christianity.Farhans movements had been monitored for theprevious six months after he had returned fromKenya, where he had converted to Christianityon a visit in 2010. Numerous converts have beenkilled by al-Shabaab in their ruthless campaignto rid Somalia of Christianity. Pray that the layingdown of their lives will produce much fruit for theKingdom (John 12:24).

Sunday 21An accusation of

blasphemy against a Christian tailor

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sparked deadly anti-Christian riots

in the town of Bichi, Kano state,

Northern Nigeria, on 22 November

2012. The tailor, Chibuke, accidentally

mispronounced the name for apopular outt while talking with

a Muslim; he inadvertently said,

The prophet has come to the

market. Muslims launched a violent

response, rampaging through the

town, attacking Christians and

their property. Four Christians,

including Chibuke, were killed. Seven

churches, eight shops and a housewere also torched. Pray that the Lord

will heal the wounds of this Christian

community and also that innocent

mistakes will not be used as a pretext

to attack Christians in Nigeria.

Monday 22A new church building in Kwarastate, Nigeria, was burnt to the ground amid adispute with Muslims over the ownership of theland. Members of Living Faith Church in Ilorin,the state capital, discovered the wreckage of theirbuilding on the morning of 10 December 2012.It had been constructed only two months before.Equipment, including musical instruments andchairs, was also destroyed. The church had been

repeatedly threatened over the land dispute with

the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria. Pray thatthe members of Living Faith Church will be ableto forgive their persecutors, and that the Lord willprovide them with another building in which toworship.

Tuesday 23 Christians in Northern Nigeriaare not safe even in their own homes. On 14November 2012, ve members of one Christian

family from Madauchi-Zonkwa, Kaduna state,were shot inside their house, which was then setablaze with the victims inside. Soldiers stationed

nearby failed to intervene, despite gunshotsringing out for almost an hour, provoking protestsfrom Christian youth. Pray that the Lord will turnthe hearts of those intent on harming His people

in Nigeria and that the security services will takeseriously their responsibility to protect all citizens.

Wednesday 24 Converts from Islam inTajikistan can experience great pressure from

the Muslim community to reconvert and stoptheir Christian activity. Convert church leadersespecially can suffer much coercion. In order tohelp them stand strong in their faith and persevere

in their ministry, Barnabas Fund is supporting thetraining of 60 leaders, all converts from Islam, fromrural areas of the country. Every three months fora period of two years they are meeting togetherfor two days and receiving a solid grounding intheir Christian faith. The training is helping them

explain their faith to Muslims and correct wrongassumptions about Christianity. Give thanks forthe changes this training course is bringing to thelives of these pastors. Pray for their protection andfor Gods guiding as they work to lead Muslims toChrist.

Thursday 25 Ilshod from Uzbekistan was aMuslim extremist with links to the Taliban before

he found Christ and became a pastor. Underhis encouraging guidance his congregation hasgrown from ten members in 2007 to 120 and the

APRIL 22 - 25



attitudes of many of his church members havechanged. Some, previously too fearful of policeraids and nes to attend home groups, learned

the importance of fellowship and now relish

meeting together. Two church members resistedpressure from security service ofcers to spy

on the church and the pastor. Barnabas Fund iscovering the majority of Ilshods and his familysdaily needs and his ministry travel costs for twoyears. Give thanks for Ilshods inspiring leadershipdespite severe government pressure. Pray forprotection for him and his congregation and thatthey will be able to lead many more people to

Christ.

Friday 26 When you lose your church buildingit is something important, said a church leaderfrom Aleppo, Syria, last year. At least 16 churchbuildings were deliberately destroyed or damagedin Syria last year, including three in Aleppo andtwelve in Homs. A church that was bombed inDair Al-Zor had taken the congregation ten yearsto build. Pray that Christians in Syria will be ableto respond with forgiveness to these attacks, andthat God will give them strength to survive theircountrys dark times. Pray that a new and vibrantchurch in Syria will rise up from the ashes.

Saturday 27 Thank the Lord for the courage

and commitment of Christian leaders in Syria

who continue to encourage and care for theirpeople and organise the distribution of aid fromBarnabas. Some of our partners have beenurged to leave the country and move to saferlocations, but they have steadfastly refused. IfI leave Syria, I leave behind my treasure, saidone, referring to his beloved ock. What is my

value without my congregation? If I leave, I haveno value any more. Pray for the protection of

these brave pastors, and that their faith and lovewill strengthen and sustain the Christians whomthey lead.

Sunday 28 God bless you and

your great efforts to wipe the tears

from the eyes of the children and

widows and to help restore peace

and dignity to the thousands ofhumiliated and broken-hearted in

our churches in Syria! A Barnabas

contact wrote these emotional

words to us in December last year

about Barnabas large-scale aid

operation for Christians affected by

the Syria crisis. With the grants sent

by Barnabas local churches were

able to provide food, milk powderfor babies, rent, blankets, heaters

and help towards medical costs.

Give thanks for the message of hope

and compassion that Barnabas is

sending through this aid. Pray that

our brothers and sisters will be

sustained by it and that God will

show them ways to survive the civil

war. Pray that the violence will soon

come to an end.

Monday 29 Pray for Henna Sarkees, aLebanese Christian living in Saudi Arabia, whohas been charged with coercing a Muslim womanwho was working for him to convert to Islam.Henna and an un-named Saudi national who

allegedly helped the woman to leave the countrywere due to stand trial in September 2012, buttheir case has been repeatedly deferred. Praytoo for the woman, who is in Sweden at the timeof writing, but whose family are trying to secureher return to Saudi Arabia, where conversionto Christianity is punishable by death. The

country has also introduced a tracking systemto monitor any cross-border movements by

female citizens, which will make it even harder forwomen converts to escape in future. Pray for theirprotection.

APRIL 26 - 29


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Barnabas Fund is a Company registered in England Number 4029536. Registered Charity Number 1092935Cover: Syrian Christians who received emergency aid from Barnabas Fund

Barnabas Fund 2013

www.barnabasfund.org

New Zealand

PO Box 27 6018, Manukau City,

Auckland, 2241Telephone(09) 280 4385 or 0800 008 [email protected]

Jersey

Le Jardin, La Rue a Don, Grouville, JerseyChannel Islands JE3 9GBTelephone 700600Fax 700601Email [email protected]

USA6731 Curran St,McLean, VA 22101Telephone (703) 288-1681 ortoll-free 1-866-936-2525Fax (703) 288-1682Email [email protected]

International Headquarters

The Old Rectory, River Street,

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

UK9 Priory Row,

Coventry CV1 5EXTelephone 024 7623 1923Fax 024 7683 4718From outside the UK

Telephone +44 24 7623 1923Fax +44 24 7683 4718Email [email protected]

Australia

PO Box 3527Loganholme QLD 4129Telephone (07) 3806 1076or 1300 365 799Fax (07) 3806 4076Email [email protected]

Tuesday 30 Saudi Arabia tries to present atolerant image to the West. On 26 November2012 the King Abdullah Bin AbdulazizInternational Centre for Interreligious and

Intercultural Dialogue was opened in Vienna,Austria. The imam of Meccas Grand Mosque

said that it gave a strong message that Islamis a religion of dialogue and understanding andnot a religion of enmity, fanaticism and violence.But this same imam has previously referred to

Christians as cross worshippers and thoseinuenced by the rottenness of their ideas.

There is virtually no religious freedom in Saudi

Arabia itself, where an extreme version of Islam,

Wahhabism, is strictly enforced, and non-Muslimworship is forbidden except in private homes.Pray that Saudi Arabia and other Muslim-majoritycountries will extend the same tolerance toChristians within their borders as they expectMuslims to enjoy in the West.

APRIL 30

Documents

Prayer Diary March/April 2013