Prayer Diary November - December 2014

8/10/2019 Prayer Diary November - December 2014

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3/163BARNABAS PRAYERNOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

pastors. Praise God for such perseverance,

and pray that a Christian presence and

witness may remain in north-east Nigeria.

Tuesday 4Please pray for Christians in

northern Cameroon, where Boko Haram

is terrorising people, especially Christians

and security forces, just as in neighbouring

Nigeria. The Islamist militants openly declarethemselves to be Boko Haram, and issue

threats by letter, including to pastors telling

them they must leave. Two pastors were

killed in the village of Assigashia on thenight of 25-26 August, which has caused

great distress and consternation. The

Cameroonian Christians ask for prayer that

God will bring peace and security, that thekidnapped will be released, that believers will

stand rm despite being targeted, that God

will comfort the traumatised, and that church

leaders will know how to prepare their peoplefor persecution.

Wednesday 5Pray for eight Cameroonianmissionaries who have been harshly

reminded of the cost of sharing the Gospel

in their country during a training seminar to

equip them for ministry. Barnabas had helped

to fund a series of seminars, and on thenal day of the last seminar they heard that

Jean-Marcel Kesvere, another Cameroonian

missionary, who had been planning to

attend the seminar with his wife, had beenkidnapped by Boko Haram and that his body

had been found earlier that day. Give thanks

for the response of the missionaries, who

expressed their willingness to suffer similarlyfor Christ, and pray that their work will bearmuch fruit (John 12:24).

Thursday 6 Churches in Christian-

majority Burundi are facing the unfamiliar

situation of political restriction by their own

government because of a new law passedin August that requires each church to have

at least 500 members and a proper building.

Congregations have a year in which to

comply with the new regulations. Although

intended to reduce some scandalouspractices, the law is strangely reminiscent

of the strict regimes of Central Asia. Pray

that religious liberty will be maintained in

Burundi, both for Christians and for the smallminorities who follow other religions.

Friday 7Pray for the friends and family

of Beatrice Mukashaka, an 18-year-oldChristian woman, who was hacked to death

in a savage attack by Muslims during an

overnight prayer meeting at a church in

Uganda. A group of around 20 Christians hadgathered at the church in Kyegegwa district

for their regular Friday night prayer session

when armed Muslims burst into the building

at around 2am. Please pray for all whomourn for Beatrice and that the assailants

will be brought to justice.

NOVEMBER 4 - 7

Christians in Burundi now face

government restrictions on their churches


4/164 BARNABAS PRAYERNOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

Saturday 8We had this feeling that

jihadists wanted to wipe out any trace of

Christianity in the north of Mali. But God

in His goodness has not allowed such aneventuality, said Dr Yattara, the president

of the Baptist Church in northern Mali, to

World Watch Monitor in September. He was

describing how most of the Christians who

had ed the region when Islamist radicalstook control in 2012 have now returned

to their homes after French troops ousted

the Islamists. Many church buildings were

desecrated, looted or severely damaged,but the Christians are determined to resume

their ministries. Praise God for the continued

Christian presence in northern Mali, for

the courage of the Christians and for the

religious liberty that they have under the law.

Sunday 9Dear Lord Jesus, we ask

Your blessing on the thousands

of Eritrean Christian refugees who

have ed from escalating anti-

Christian persecution in their home

country, and are being detained in

prisons in Egypt. Because they are

Your followers, they face horric

treatment. We pray especially for

women and men who have been

raped in prison, and for those who

have been kept chained for months,

suffering hunger, torture and abuse.

You said that You had been sent to

proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and to set the oppressed free. Please

free these faithful ones, who suffer

for Your Name (Luke 4:18, 21).

Monday 10Give thanks that ten Egyptian

churches destroyed in anti-Christian attacks

last year have now been reopened. Around

60 churches across Egypt were attackedby Islamists in the summer of 2013. The

assaults were provoked by the ouster of

former president Mohammed Morsi of the

Muslim Brotherhood. Although the current

Egyptian government has promised torebuild all the damaged churches, most of

the Christians have not yet received aid and

some are worshipping in ruined buildings.

Pray that the rebuilding process will continueand that the Lord will protect His people in

Egypt, especially while they are still meeting

in damaged buildings.

Tuesday 11 Lift up in prayer Christiansliving in Minya, Egypt whose homes were

attacked on 5 August by local Muslims. The

violence broke out after Muslims learned

that believers in Yaacoub planned to build

a new church. Opposition to construction ofchurch buildings is one of the most common

reasons behind anti-Christian attacks

NOVEMBER 8 - 11

Scores of Egyptian churches were

attacked following the removal ofMohammed Morsi



by Muslims in Egypt. Restrictions on the

building of churches, a cause of hardship

for Christians for many years, were lifted in

Egypts recent new constitution. Pray thatthe assailants will be brought to justice and

that the plans for the local church building

will continue.

Wednesday 12 Since General al-Sisi

became President of Egypt in June,

Christians in the country have felt the

pressure upon them ease off somewhat.

However, a convert from Islam, Bishoy ArmiaBoulous, previously known as Mohammed

Hegazy, remains in prison. He was re-

arrested on 4 December 2013, charged with

defaming Islam after he led a public lawsuitto change the religious afliation listed on

his national identication card from Muslim

to Christian. Please pray that there will be

genuine religious liberty for Christians froma Muslim background as well as those born

into Christian families.

Thursday 13Hardline Buddhist groups in

Sri Lanka are becoming increasingly militant,

and in two recent incidents Christians were

hospitalised with injuries sustained in mob

violence. The General Secretary of one suchgroup, Ravana Balaya, which launched an

anti-Christian campaign on 15 July, said

they would advise Christians to halt their

activities but, if the Christians failed to takeheed, the group would take rmer action.

Pray for Christians in Sri Lanka who face

opposition from their neighbours, and ask

God to protect them from further violence asthey seek to maintain their witness(Acts 4:19-20).

Friday 14Pray for a Sri Lankan pastor who

was knocked unconscious in a raid on his

home. His family and four other Christians

present were also attacked. They hadgathered there for a meeting with the police

about an incident the previous day in which

the four had been threatened for holding a

prayer meeting in their home. As they waited

for the police to arrive, about 150 peoplesurrounded the house and began shouting

abuse. Breaking through the security fence

around the property, some burst into the

house and attacked those inside, whileothers used poles from the fence to smash

the pastors van. Pray for this pastor and

those with him, that the Lord will restore

their health and strength and give them all

courage to continue to meet for fellowship.

Saturday 15 Give thanks to the Lord for the

release of Pastor Chhedar Lhomi Bhote inNepal. Pastor Bhote (now 37) was arrested

after a mob of Hindu militants burned

down his home in north-east Nepal. They

claimed that they saw him killing a cow, anact considered a criminal offence in Hindu-

majority Nepal. After numerous petitions to

the Nepali government, Pastor Bhote was

released on 17 July after serving less thantwo years of a twelve-year sentence. Pray

that Nepali Christians will remain faithful in

the face of growing Hindu extremism.

Sunday 16Lord Jesus, we pray to

You today for Pastor Tandin Wangyal,

who has been given a prison

sentence of almost four years in thesmall nation of Bhutan, only because

he received funds from outside the

5

NOVEMBER 12 - 16



country to help support his ministry.

We give thanks that Pastor Thapa,

who received a sentence of more

than two years just for taking Pastor

Tandin to a Christian seminar, has

been able to pay a ne instead.

We ask that You will sustain our

brothers at this time, reminding

them that You Yourself know what it

is to be arrested, tried and unjustly

sentenced. May their faith not fail.

Monday 17 Cry out to the Lord for a

group of Christians attacked in Boldipukur,

Bangladesh. Around 50 Muslim attackers

attacked workers at the church about 2am

on 7 July and seized valuable items. Theyattempted to rape female church workers.

Police arrested twelve people in connection

with the robbery. Pray that the assailants will

be brought to justice and that the Lord willprotect and heal His people.

Tuesday 18Christians in Bolivia havelaunched a campaign against new

government regulations that could result in

the dissolution of religious organisations.

On 30 July the National Association of

Evangelicals of Bolivia presented a Petitionof Unconstitutionality to the countrys

Constitutional Tribunal, seeking the repeal

of Law 351. This law requires all religious

organisations to reapply for legal standingand submit information on their leaders,

members, activities and assets. If an

organisation fails to submit the information,

its legal registration could be revoked. Praythat this legislation will be repealed and thatBolivia will maintain religious freedom.

Wednesday 19According to Christian

Solidarity Worldwide, there were 170

religious freedom violations in Cuba in

the rst half of this year. These includedgovernment authorities beating Christian

pastors and church workers, dragging

women away from Sunday services and

enforcing arbitrary detentions, church

closures and demolitions. Pray that the Lordwill protect His Church in Cuba and that the

Cuban government will establish religious

freedom, allowing Christians to serve Him

without fear (Luke 1:74).

Thursday 20Thank the Lord that on 7

August the well-known Chinese Christianhuman rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng was

released from prison. Gao, who has been

outspoken about the need for greater

religious liberty in China, has been in and

out of prison since 2006. In 2008 he waseven nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize

for his efforts. During his latest imprisonment

Gao Zhisheng experienced malnutrition and

physical and psychological abuse. Pleasepray for Gao Zhisheng that he will recover

from his years of hardship (Joel 2:25).

Friday 21On 21 August Chinese PastorZhang Shaojie was informed that his appeal

against a twelve-year prison sentence had

been refused. Zhang Shaojie had been a

pastor at a state-sanctioned church and hadworked with some of his church members

to petition the government on behalf of

disadvantaged groups, including Christians

and migrant workers, in a land dispute. Hewas charged with gathering a crowd to

disturb public order. Please pray for Pastor

NOVEMBER 17 - 21



Zhang Shaojie that God will use Him for His

purposes in the long years to come in prison.

Saturday 22Praise the Lord for the1,226 houses built or repaired so far by

Barnabas Fund for persecuted Christians

living in Kandhamal, which is in the Indian

state of Orissa. Hindu extremism is posing

an increasing problem to the Christianminority in India. Orissa state was the scene

of severe anti-Christian violence in 2007-

8, resulting in around 60,000 Christians

being made homeless. Pray for the speedycompletion of the next batch of 305 houses

currently under construction, and pray that

Christians will no longer be the subject of

violence from Hindu extremists.

Sunday 23 Almighty God, we pray

for Christians and other non-Hindus

in India, who have faced increasing

pressure and violence since the

Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata

Party gained political power on

26 May. We pray for the victims

of over 600 attacks on Christians

and Muslims in the following threemonths. We ask that you will guide

Prime Minister Narendra Modi to

ensure that he upholds the religious

liberty enshrined in the Indian

constitution. Please also guide our

Christian brothers and sisters with

Your wisdom to know how best to

respond to the developing situation

in a Christ-like way.

Monday 24A Christian school and hostel

in Madhya Pradesh state, India, became

ooded after the authorities demolished a

wall at the site on 23 July. A district ofcial

claimed the demolition was necessary inorder to prevent ooding in a nearby housing

colony. The schools principal, however,

has said that the colony was not in danger

and that the local ultra-nationalist Hinducommunity had exerted pressure on the local

government. Spectators who rushed to view

the demolition shouted slogans often used

by Hindu extremists. Please pray for thisschool and for all the Christians in India who

are facing increased pressure in the areas

where Hindu extremism is on the rise.

Tuesday 25On 16 July, a church in

the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh was

attacked by Hindu extremists. The church in

Bulandshahr district was stormed by a mobarmed with hammers and hockey sticks

and led by the area coordinator for the

militant Hindu organisation Bajrang Dal. At

the time of the attack the pastor and churchmembers were engaged in a Bible study.

The pastors young daughter was amongst

those beaten, and the cross on the roof

was demolished. Pray that God will heal thevictims wounds and that the assailants will

be brought to justice.

NOVEMBER 22 - 25

An Indian Christian family outside the

house that Barnabas has built for them

in Orissa



Wednesday 26 Lift up Christians in the

Bastar district of Chhattisgarh state, India

who have been ordered by the Vishwa

Hindu Parishad (VHP) organisation to leavetheir villages or suffer the consequences.

The VHP is part of a network of extremist

Hindu groups in India that perpetrate attacks

against Christians and other minorities. More

than 50 local councils in Bastar passedorders banning the entry of non-Hindu

missionaries, but this was challenged in

September by the Chhattisgarh Christian

Forum who argued in the High Court that no-one could stop the entry of Indians to villages

on Indian soil. Pray for a legal ruling that will

reinforce freedom of religion and allow the

Gospel to be preached freely in Bastar. Pray

that God will protect His people and that Hewill halt the advancement of VHP agendas.

Thursday 27Pray for schools in Gujaratstate, India, as the government has

introduced nine school textbooks that

strongly reect the Hindu nationalist ideology

of Hindutva and subtly denigrate non-Hindureligions. The books, which have been

introduced in more than 42,000 schools,

were written by activist Dina Nath Batra, a

retired teacher known for his radical Hindunationalism. Lift up in prayer the Christian

students in these schools. Pray that they

will be strong in the Lord as they face likely

hostility in the classroom.

Friday 28Lift up in prayer the Christians

who were injured when Hindu nationalists

disrupted a prayer meeting in Coimbatore,India, on 3 August. The believers were

gathered at the home of Mr Bagavathi, a

local Christian who had asked the pastor,

Simon Stanley, to pray for his twelve-year-

old daughters broken hand. Ten assailants

broke into the house, barred the door from

inside and beat the believers with iron bars;some of the victims were hospitalised. Pray

that the Lord will heal His people and that the

assailants will be brought to justice.

Saturday 29Mehdi Vazari, a graphic

designer aged 28, and Amir Khan, a music

graduate aged 27, are both Iranian convertsfrom Islam to Christianity. They were arrested

at the home of another Christian where they

had gone to meet for prayer and Bible study.

Please pray for our brothers now in Ghezel-

Hesar prison and for dozens of other Iranianbelievers in jail. Pray that the Lord will enable

them to count it all joy (James 1:2).

Sunday 30 Heavenly Father, we pray

for Iranian church pastors currently

in prison because of serving You.

We lift to You Pastor Behnam, in

solitary connement, aficted by

serious health problems, and facing

at least 18 charges and a possible

death sentence. We lift to You Pastor

Matthias, accused of the crime of

spreading corruption on the earth,

which carries a death sentence.

We lift to you Pastor Saeed Abedini

from America who has received

death threats from ISIS militants

held in the same prison. We lift to

You Pastor Farshid, held in the same

prison as Pastor Saeed. We pray fortheir congregations left leaderless

and desolate. Please be for each

NOVEMBER 26 - 30



one their refuge and strength, a

very present help in time of trouble

(Psalm 46:1).

DecemberMonday 1Cry out to the Lord for the

estimated 200,000 Iraqi Christians andother minorities who have been displaced

from their homes due to attacks by the

Islamist militant group ISIS (also known as

the Islamic State). Pray for all the displaced

people, who have mostly lost everythingthey possessed. ISIS wants to eliminate

Christianity in the territory they control.

Please pray for the Christians still living

under its brutal rule. Ask God to protectthem and give them courage and a hope for

their future.

Tuesday 2Give thanks to the Lordthat, through the generosity of Barnabas

Fund supporters, over 30,000 displaced

Christians in northern Iraq are being

assisted through four local partnerorganisations on the ground. By funding

the distribution of food, blankets, hygiene

items and other basic needs, Barnabas has

enabled them to survive their rst months ofdisplacement. But their needs will be greater

now, as the Iraqi winter has set in. Pray thatGod will provide.

Wednesday 3Pray for hundreds ofChristian, Yazidi and Turkmen women held

in Badush Prison in Mosul, Iraq by ISIS

militants. The women are reported to be

raped daily unless they agree to convert

to ISISs brand of Sunni Islam. The UNestimates that there have been roughly

1,500 Iraqi women and children from the

Christian and Yazidi communities abducted

by ISIS and then forced into sexual slavery.Ask our Heavenly Father to have mercy on

each one of these women and children and

to deliver them from evil.

Thursday 4An Uzbek Christian who had

converted from Islam died earlier this year

and was buried. The local Muslim leaders

banned any Muslim from attending the mansfuneral. But one of his work colleagues, a

radical Muslim who had been struck by the

Christians words and way of life, attended

the funeral anyway, ignoring all the threatsand warnings. She was puzzled by such a

hostile reaction to a man she knew to be

God-fearing. At the funeral she heard the

Gospel and decided to give her life to Christ.Pray for F. as she is now being discipled

and growing in her new faith, that she will

be strong in the face of opposition from the

Muslim community.

Friday 5Thank the Lord that, with the help

of Barnabas Fund, two house churches in

a strict Central Asian country were able topurchase coal-powered generators. Winters

there are harsh, and the power supply can

DECEMBER 1 - 5

Barnabas is helping 30,000 displaced

Iraqi Christians



be erratic. This particular congregation used

to meet in a church building, but in 2009 their

permit to assemble was revoked and seven

of their members were questioned at thepolice station. Since then the church has had

to meet in members homes. Pray that the

Lord will continue to bless their ministry and

that the generators will allow the church to

continue to expand despite opposition fromthe government.

Saturday 6It is not typical for a manto show or talk about his weaknesses

and admit them. These days the fear and

pressure from the authorities and the Muslim

world reveal the condition of my heart.

A Christian leader in Central Asia sharedfrankly in a letter the way in which the

constant pressure he faced was wearing

him down. He wrote how, having nally

recognised his fears and defeats, he hadthen received encouragement from the Lord

through the words of 2 Corinthians 1:1-10.

Pray for our brother M.T. and the countless

other Christians around the world living

with ongoing opposition that the Father ofcompassion and God of all comfort will draw

close and comfort them in all their troubles.

Sunday 7 Our Father in Heaven,

we lift up our brothers and sisters

serving sentences in labour camps

in North Korea, whether foreigners

like Kenneth Bae from the USA,

or the far greater number of North

Korean believers whose names we

do not know but You do. Please pourout Your grace into their lives as

they suffer hunger, exhaustion, pain

and imprisonment for the sake of

Christ. May they continue steadfast

in their faith, loving their enemies

and praying for their persecutors.

May their Christ-like lives draw other

North Koreans to You.

Monday 8Wao, a predominantly Christiantown on the island of Mindanao in the

Philippines, is protesting against its inclusion

in the new semi-independent Islamic region

of Bangsamoro. Waos mayor, Elvino

Balicao, is seeking exemption from theBangsamoro government and its Islamic

law and has asked that the town remain

under the central government. He said

that the town is 83% Christian and thatlocal churches support exemption from

Bangsamoro. Wao is in the centre of the

Muslim-majority province of Lanao del Sur.

Pray that the Lord will protect His peopleand that Wao will gain exemption from the

Bangsamoro government.

Tuesday 9It is just over a year since

Typhoon Haiyan swept across the Philippines,

wreaking terrible destruction. Since then

Barnabas has provided 1,920 shelter kits with

DECEMBER 6 - 9

This new shing boat for a typhoon-

affected Christian family is called

Jehovah Jireh (the Lord will provide)



galvanised iron sheets, wood, nails and tools

to help people rebuild their homes. We have

also given 70 families shing boats and nets,

and helped hundreds of other families to startlivelihoods with micro-businesses ranging

from guitar-making to coconut-carving. Pray

that the new small businesses will thrive and

that the memory of the dreadful ordeal of the

typhoon will strengthen the Christians faithand trust in God.

Wednesday 10Pray for 27 Christians,believed to be from various Asian countries,

who were detained overnight by the Saudi

authorities on 5 September for worshipping

at a private home in Khafji. The home had

been under surveillance since a neighbourhad reported suspicious activities there.

Pray that the Lord will protect His people in

Saudi Arabia, where it is illegal to practise a

non-Islamic religion in public but supposedlypermissible to do so in private.

Thursday 11School text-books in Turkeyare still teaching that the Armenians and

most other Christian minorities of the

Ottoman Empire a century ago were agents

of enemy foreign powers such as Britain and

Russia. This, the books say, was the reasonfor what they call the necessary deportation

of the Christians. Turkey still does not accept

blame for the deaths of at least 1.5 million

Armenian and Assyrian Christians, manymassacred or dying of deprivation as they

were force-marched out of their homeland.

Next year, 2015, is the 100th anniversary

of the worst year of the Armenian andAssyrian Genocide. Please pray that theinnocent suffering of these faithful believers

will be recognised by every country and that

the world will resolve never to let such agenocide happen again.

Friday 12 Praise God that local police in

the village of Tehsil Summodri, Faisalabad

District, Pakistan acted to withdraw false

allegations of blasphemy against 31

Christians and 23 other villagers. Theallegations under Section 295-C of the

Pakistan Penal Code (which carries a

mandatory death sentence) were made

on 2 September when Christians wereploughing a piece of land given to them for

free by its Muslim owner to extend the local

Christian cemetery. A group of Muslims

accused them of desecrating Muslimgraves. The police investigation revealed

that the land had been a Muslim cemetery

many years earlier but the graves had

been moved elsewhere. They changed thecharges to the lesser ones under Section297 (which carries a maximum prison

sentence of one year or a ne). It is very

unusual for the Pakistani police to defend

the rights of Christians in this way. Pray thatothers will follow their example.

Saturday 13Lift up the Christian lawyersin Pakistan who represent Christian victims

accused under the notorious blasphemy

law. Many lawyers in Pakistan are not willing

to represent those who have been accusedof blasphemy due to the threats they

themselves face from Islamist extremists

if they do so. Barnabas Fund supports a

group of Christian lawyers who make thesecases their focus. They also help victims of

other types of persecution, such as converts

DECEMBER 10 - 13



from Islam. Pray for the safety of these

lawyers and for their success in the courts

as they seek to right injustices against the

Lords people.

Sunday 14Lord Jesus, we pray today

for Christian mother Aasia Bibi as

she endures a lengthy ordeal at the

hands of the Pakistan justice system,

imprisoned for ve and a half years

and on death row for more than

four years, all because her Muslim

co-workers falsely accused her of

blasphemy. You know all her hopes

and fears. You know how many times

her legal appeal has been scheduled

and then postponed at the last

minute. Make very real to her Your

words, Do not let your hearts be

troubled, and protect her in prison.

May she have good relationships

with prison staff and fellow inmates.

Comfort her husband and children.

Guide her legal team and the

Pakistani courts that she may be

given justice soon (John 14:1).

Monday 15On 8 September the Nigerian

town of Michika, Adamawa state, wastargeted by Islamist militant group Boko

Haram. The Kamwe people, who live in the

area, are 95% Christian. They came and

devastated Michika town today, burningand shooting. As Im writing now there is

no single person in the town of Michika,

everybody has run for his or her dear life,

hence I cannot tell you the level of damagenow. Keep praying for us, emailed one

Kamwe Christian as events unfolded. It

later emerged that scores of people hadbeen killed, abducted and injured, and

churches and a Bible school were reported

destroyed. Lift up those who have lost loved

ones and livelihoods in this attack. Pray for

Gods protection over those who have beenabducted and pray that all of the victims will

remain strong in their faith.

Tuesday 16At the time of writing, over

200 Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped by

Boko Haram in the middle of the night of14-15 April are still missing. Most of them

are Christians. Since their daughters were

abducted from their school in Chibok, Borno

state, eleven of the girls parents have died,

some after heart attacks and stress-relatedillnesses. Other relatives have organised

themselves into a grassroots protest group,

which has attempted to maintain pressure

on the seemingly inactive government. Theprotest group has endured harassment and

intimidation from police. Please pray for

the girls and their parents that the Lord will

strengthen and uphold them (Isaiah 41:10).

Wednesday 17Lift up in prayer our

brothers and sisters in South Sudan who

are suffering from hunger and civil war.Extreme drought and violent civil conicts

have prevented farmers from planting crops

or tending their livestock; therefore, for

the second time in a row, there will be noharvest in areas of the country. The UN is

expecting an ofcial famine to be declared in

late 2014 or early 2015. Pray that the Lord

will protect and provide for His people inSouth Sudan. Pray for peace and suitable

weather for agriculture.

DECEMBER 14 - 17



Thursday 18Tanzania is in the process

of drafting a new constitution, with the help

of a 600-member Special Constitution

Assembly created for this purpose. TheSpecial Assembly is 53% Muslim although

Muslims are only 36% in the overall

Tanzanian population. The Muslim members

have proposed many Islamic elements for

the new constitution, including sharia courts(called Kadhi courts in East Africa). Pray for

Christians seeking to raise awareness of

these vital issues amongst the non-Muslim

population and that the new constitution willbe neutral with regard to religion. Pray that

Christian politicians will not yield to Muslim

demands simply through fear or because

they seek the votes of Muslims. The vote on

the new constitution is scheduled for after thegeneral election in October 2015.

Friday 19Pray for a Christian mother from

Zanzibar, Tanzania, called Joyce and her

eleven-year-old son Daniel whom shehas raised as a Christian. Daniels father

converted to Islam and announced that

Daniel also had become a Muslim. In May

Daniel was seized by local Muslims whileplaying outside with other children, and

hidden in the home of a sheikh. Joyce has

been to all the authorities, both secular andMuslim, but cannot get her son returned to

her, even though the law is on her side. Her

own home was attacked and she has ed

to the mainland for safety. The High Courthas ruled that Daniel must be returned to

his mother, but up until the time of writing

the Zanzibar police have simply ignored

this. Pray that the Tanzanian authorities

will restore this young Christian boy to hismothers care.

Saturday 20 Give thanks that 50 Christian

women from a Muslim background in Kenya

are becoming self-sufcient with help from

microloans from Barnabas Fund. The women

were all living in a state of poverty aftertheir Muslim communities rejected them for

deciding to follow Christ. Over the course of

six months, they received skills training and

then a small loan. Pray that their businesseswill continue to prosper so that the women

can become completely nancially

independent. Ask the Lord for protection and

grace for them to shine for Him in the Muslimcommunities where they live.

Sunday 21Thank you, Lord, for

answered prayer for ve Christians

from Laos who had been arrested

and accused of murder. We rejoice

that Mrs Kaithong, Mr Puphet, Mr

Muk, Mr Hasadee and Mr Tiang have

been found not guilty regarding

the death of a sick woman who

went to her local church for prayer

and became a Christian. We thankyou, too, that the eight grown-up

children of the woman who died

DECEMBER 18 - 21

250,000 children in S. Sudan are thought

to be facing acute undernourishment

(CC BY 2.0 / European Commission DG ECHO)



have remained rm in their new

Christian faith. We ask You, O God of

justice, to help also the many other

Christians around the world facing

unjust accusations because of their

faithfulness to You.

Monday 22 The government of Laosappears to be seeking to eliminate any

Christian presence in this Buddhist-majority

nation with a Communist government. Praise

the Lord for the courageous Christians who

suffer bravely for their Lord, and really knowwhat it is to deny themselves, take up their

cross and follow Him (Luke 9:23). Pray that

their witness will draw others to the Lord.

Tuesday 23Please pray for a Christian

hospital in Gaza that was able to continue

functioning all through the ghting in the

summer, carrying on its work even thoughhalf the hospitals in Gaza were damaged or

destroyed in the violence. Huge numbers of

patients suffered injuries, trauma or illnesses

related to lack of sanitation, water or food.Thank the Lord for this witness. Please also

pray for the few Christians remaining in Gaza

that the Lord will comfort and strengthen

them in the strongly hostile environment inwhich they live.

Wednesday 24Lift up in prayer a Christianschool in Bethlehem that is supported by

Barnabas Fund. The school opened in 2003

with just 15 pupils and now has 460. Thanks

to Barnabas Funds ongoing support even

the poorest Christian families can send theirchildren there and only pay minimal fees.

Give thanks for the Lords protection during

the turmoil and violence of the summermonths. Ask that He continues to bless the

school, its teachers, other staff and children.

One girl, who has been attending the school

since it began, said, I cannot think whatmy life would have been if I was not in this

school. We acquire knowledge, we learn to

behave and most of all, we understand the

meaning of life through the Lord.

Thursday 25As we remember the coming

into the world of our Emmanuel (God withus), pray that His presence will be very real

to Christians who suffer today for His Name,

to those enduring hardship and abuse in

prison, those who will go hungry today

because of discrimination and injustice,those who face taunts and hostility daily at

work or school, and those who are subject to

pressure to convert to another religion.

Friday 26Remembering that the infant

Lord Jesus Himself ed from threats

of violence with His parents, pray for

the Pakistanis from various persecutedminorities who had sought asylum in Sri

Lanka but are now being deported back to

DECEMBER 22 - 26

Christmas concert at a school in

Bethlehem that Barnabas Fund supports



Pakistan. This is happening despite protests

by the United Nations High Commissioner

for Refugees. Those being deported include

Christians, Ahmadiyyas and Shia Muslims,all of whom are vulnerable to persecution in

Pakistan. For example, any Christian who

has been accused under the blasphemy

law is at extreme risk of being murdered

even if they have been cleared of thecharges. Pray for their protection.

Saturday 27At the time of writing,Islamists have been spraying grafti on

the walls of churches in Lebanon telling

them that ISIS is coming. Refugees within

Lebanon near the Syrian border have been

shelled by ISIS forces. Lebanese Christiansnear the Syrian border are standing guard in

the hills each night to protect their villages.

Reports say that ISIS ghters are already

present in the country. Pray that the fragilepeace that Lebanon has enjoyed in recent

years may not be destroyed and that this

relative safe haven for Middle East Christians

will be protected. Pray that ISIS will be turned

back long before it can destroy the Christiansof Lebanon.

Sunday 28Heavenly Father, we bring

before you the Christians of northern

Iraq who have suffered so much

this year. We remember particularly

the last group of Christians who

ed from the town of Bartella and

made their way east to nd safety in

Erbil. Six babies were born during

the difcult journey. Father, weremember how your own Son was

born at the end of a journey to a

mother who had no proper roof over

her head. We pray for these mothers

and babies that you will provide

for them, and for all the group of

grieving Christians, lled with the

pain of leaving the place they love

and have grown up in. Please give

hope and comfort to each one and

give them the assurance that You are

in control.

Monday 29In Syria, the Battle forAleppo has been raging since 2012, and

its people have suffered dreadfully in the

neighbourhoods that have been besieged and

shelled for long periods. For some time it was

the Syrian army against the rebels, but thissummer ISIS militants also got involved and

seized a number of villages around Aleppo

from the rebel forces and yet were repelled

from Aleppo itself by the army. Please pray forthe Christians and all other innocent civilians

in Aleppo, whether in rebel-held areas or

government-held areas, who have suffered

appalling deprivation and trauma for a very

long time. Pray that Christians will be salt andlight in this terrible situation.

Tuesday 30The substantial ArmenianChristian population of Syria are mostly

descendants of Armenians who ed to Syria

to escape from the Armenian Genocide,

which peaked in 1915. The attacks ofIslamist groups in Syria, which they now

face, seem to them like another genocide.

But praise God for their courage and

determination. When the mainly Armeniantown of Kessab and its surrounding villages

were attacked the inhabitants ed for

DECEMBER 27 - 30


16/16

safety to Latakia. After the Syrian army had

liberated Kessab, the Armenian families

began to return to their homes, even though

there was no electricity or water and theyhad to go back to Latakia every night to

sleep. Elsewhere, when the situation in

Homs stabilised, an Armenian congregation

wanted to repair their church building rst,

but their church leader urged them to focuson making their homes habitable again. Pray

that they may remain strong in the Lord.

Wednesday 31The Western New Year,

like Christmas, is often a time of increased

attacks on Christian minorities in other parts

of the world. This is because it is believed tobe a Christian festival. Pray for the protection

of our brothers and sisters all around the

world at this time. Though they may feel few

in number, weak and vulnerable, pray that

they will take comfort in the words of Elishathat those who are with us are more than

those who are with them (2 Kings 6:15-17).

DECEMBER 31

New Zealand

PO Box 27 6018, Manukau City,

Auckland, 2241

Telephone(09) 280 4385 or

0800 008 805

[email protected]

Northern Ireland and

Republic of Ireland

PO Box 354, Bangor, BT20 9EQ

Telephone028 91 455 246

or 07867 854604

[email protected]

Scotland

PO Box 2084 Livingston EH54 0EZ

Telephone07722 484742

[email protected]

USA

6731 Curran St, McLean, VA

22101

Telephone(703) 288-1681 or

toll-free 1-866-936-2525

Fax(703) 288-1682

[email protected]

International Headquarters

The Old Rectory, River Street,

Pewsey, Wiltshire SN9 5DB, UK

Telephone01672 564938

Fax01672 565030

From outside the UK

Telephone+44 1672 564938

Fax+44 1672 565030

[email protected]

UK

9 Priory Row,

Coventry CV1 5EX

Telephone024 7623 1923

Fax024 7683 4718

From outside the UK

Telephone+44 24 7623 1923

Fax+44 24 7683 4718

[email protected]

Australia

PO Box 3527

Loganholme QLD 4129

Telephone(07) 3806 1076 or

1300 365 799

Fax(07) 3806 4076

[email protected]

Front Cover: Displaced Iraqi Christians in Erbil, in the autonomous region of Kurdistan

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

www.barnabasfund.org

Barnabas Fund 2014

Documents

Prayer Diary November - December 2014