Prayer Diary September/October 2011

8/6/2019 Prayer Diary September/October 2011

1/16

1

THE AID AGENCY FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH www.barnabasfund.org

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011

TO HELP YOU PRAY FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH

12980 Prayer Guide SO11 UK.indd 1 28/07/2011 18:10


2/16

BARNABAS PRAYER SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 20112

September 1 3

Personal Law bill would give more power to Islamic Kadhi courts forMuslims on matters of marriage, divorce and inheritance. Christians

believe that it could promote Islamic extremism and pave the wayfor a wider application of sharia in the mainly Christian country.Muslims, who comprise around 12 per cent of the population, havebeen evasive on how the bill would affect those who convert fromIslam; apostasy is a crime punishable by death under Islamic law.Please pray that the countrys parliament will reject the bill when itcomes to a vote.

Saturday 3 Courts in

Ethiopia have sentenced579 Muslims to jailterms ranging from threemonths to 18 years fortheir involvement in theweek-long anti-Christianviolence in Jimma Zone, inMarch. Pray for all thosewho have been convicted,that they will repent of their

actions and come to knowthe Lord Jesus during theirtime in prison. Three Christians were killed and many more injuredin the attacks, which began when Muslims accused a Christian ofdesecrating a copy of the Quran. The rampaging mob set fire to69 churches and a Bible school, and 10,000 Christians were made

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 for security 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.

September

Thursday 1 Barnabas Fund has been working with Christianpartners in Kenya and Ethiopia to help brothers and sisters affectedby the worst drought to hit parts of the Horn of Africa in 60 years.Concerns were raised by church leaders in north-east Kenya that theChristian minority would miss out in the distribution of aid, makingour targeted support to Christians all the more vital. Meanwhile, ourpartners in Ethiopia said that the Christian community in the south ofthe country was suffering because of prolonged poverty and soaringfood prices, with children worst affected by the shortages. ThankGod for the generosity of our supporters that has enabled us to help

Christian communities affected by the drought. Pray that all thosein need will continue to receive help. Pray that the Church, which isalready very weak in many parts of this area, will be sustained.

Friday 2 Christian leaders in Uganda are opposing plans for newlegislation that would give sharia rulings the force of law. The Muslim

This church was destroyed inanti-Christian violence in Ethiopia



3/16

BARNABAS PRAYER SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011 3

homeless. Pray that the Lord will protect His people in Jimma and givethem His peace. Barnabas sent aid to the victims.

Sunday 4 Many Christians risk their lives to escape the brutalregime of Eritrea, only to endure further unimaginable suffering.

Hundreds of refugees arrive in Egypt every month, but manyare imprisoned or taken hostage for ransom and subjected to

beatings, torture and sexual assault. Pray for healing for ourbrothers and sisters, that they will know the Lords presence andpeace and will soon be set free. Barnabas is providing practical

help. Pray that the Egyptian authorities will exert themselves tosafeguard the human rights of the Eritrean Christians and ensuretheir safety and protection. Pray too that the Eritrean government

will cease to regard Christians as a threat, so that they will not beforced to flee their homeland into danger in other countries.

Monday 5 Christians in Kyrgyzstan continue to face severe difficulties.Muslim villagers often object to the burial of Christian converts fromIslam in local cemeteries, and sometimes they are even drivenout of their homes. In a recent incident in one village, governmentrepresentatives sided with Muslims who were objecting to the

assigning of land for local Christians to use as a cemetery. However,the authorities also told the Muslim villagers that they did not have theright to force believers to move from the village, and that if they did thisthey would answer to the law. Praise the Lord for this partly positiveoutcome, and pray for safety for the Christian villagers. Pray too thatthe issue of Christian burials will be resolved throughout Kyrgyzstan.

Tuesday 6Anvar Rajapov, a convert from Islam to Christianity inTashkent, Uzbekistan, was threatened by a senior police officer after

he challenged a hefty fine handed down to him in April for allegedproselytism, illegal religious meetings and illegal literature. Theofficer stated, I have prepared an axe for you, which will be flying afteryou, observing you, and if need be get you. This threat followed anassault on Galina Shemetova, who was struck on the head and draggedby her hair into a police car by an officer after she was accused ofgiving a childrens Bible to a work colleague. Pray for Christians whoendure threats and persecution in Uzbekistan; pray that the governmentwill relax its control of Christian activities and allow believers to profess

their faith in Christ without fear of reprisals.

Wednesday 7 Please continue to remember Pastor Dmitri (David)Shestakov in your prayers. He and his family are extremely gratefulfor the prayer and financial support they received during his four-yearimprisonment for Christian activities in Uzbekistan. Since his release,the authorities have been keeping a close watch on him. He has notbeen allowed to carry out any activities in his church and can attendthe Sunday service only as a visitor. Please pray for a relaxation of thisscrutiny. Give thanks too that recent medical reports show that he is

healthy, despite suffering some severe health problems during his timein prison.

Thursday 8 Christians in Tajikistan have criticised a new bill thatbans children under the age of 18 from participating in the activitiesof religious organisations. This means children cannot go to places

September 4 8



4/16


of worship, including churches. The bill, which was passedoverwhelmingly by the lower house of the Tajik parliament on 15

June, is aimed mainly at preventing the growth of radical Islam inthe country, but it will impact Christians as much as Muslims. Legalexperts have condemned it as unconstitutional. The churches ofTajikistan already face severe restrictions on their activities; praythat if the bill becomes law it will not prevent them from raising theirchildren in the fear of the Lord. Pray too that the Tajik government willuphold the countrys constitutional commitment to religious freedom.

Friday 9 Please pray for Christians who have been forced to flee

their homes because of persecution, harassment, war or naturaldisaster. Give thanks that our heavenly Father is a refuge for His poorand needy people, and pray that those Christians who are homelessbecause of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will look to Him toprovide for them in their time of need (Isaiah 58:7). Pray that theymay find him to be their strength and their shelter.

Saturday 10 Why shouldnt we have a country called The UnitedStates of Islam? This chilling question was posed by a spokesmanfor the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist movement based in Egypt.

Speaking in the aftermath of uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, DrKamal el-Helbawy called for a new revolution in Muslim nations todismantle the borders between them. His comments are particularlyconcerning for Christian minorities in the Arab world, whose livesare already being rocked by the political instability across the region.Pray that Dr el-Helbawys vision will not become a reality, and that

Christians in Muslim countries may have the Lords wisdom to knowhow to respond to the growing Islamic threat to their well-being.

Sunday 11 Continue to pray for Christians in Muslim-majoritycontexts as the world marks the tenth anniversary today of

the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington. The events ofthat terrible day prompted many Christians in the West to try

and build bridges with Muslims through various inter-faithconversations and activities. But others believe that in thesedialogues the interests of Christians in the Muslim world and

converts from Islam to Christianity are being sacrificed. Indeed,

the persecution that they suffer has grown more intense since2001. Pray for the safety of our brothers and sisters, especiallywhere they are associated with the West in Muslim minds. Praytoo that their needs will not be neglected by Christians in the

West in pursuit of peace with Islam.

Monday 12 I left Afghanistan because the local government foundout about our underground fellowship. All believers were scattered;the government were looking for me; my own family rejected me andI was compelled to leave the country. My relation is still broken with

my family, and we have no contact. These words from a convertfrom Islam vividly highlight the desperate plight of so many of ourAfghan brothers and sisters. Those who do not escape to othercountries are liable to imprisonment, and one was beheaded bymilitants earlier this year. Please pray that the Lord will enable themto remain faithful to Him as they endure such trials. Pray too that any

September 9 12



5/16


withdrawal of Western forces from Afghanistan will not expose AfghanChristians to even greater danger.

Tuesday 13 Praise God for the courage of Bangladeshi Christianswho are so committed to sharing their faith that they are willing to risktheir safety giving out Christian literature in public places. Proclaimingthe Gospel in this Muslim-majority country can be very dangerous.Islam is the state religion, and Muslim extremists are demanding theintroduction of blasphemy laws like those in Pakistan. Evangelistsmay be harassed and arrested, and some have even been murderedin recent years. Yet despite this hostile environment, the churches aregrowing. Pray for the protection of these faithful believers, and pray

that the Lord will empower their work. Barnabas has recently fundedtraining and literature for 20 evangelists. Pray that no blasphemy lawwill be introduced.

Wednesday 14A tiny minority in an overwhelmingly Muslim country,shunned and carefully watched, unable to become citizens or toworship God in public this is the grim reality of life for Christians inthe Maldives. This popular holiday resort, widely regarded as an islandparadise, is one of the most repressively anti-Christian societies in theworld. Islam is the only recognised religion, and the country adheres

strictly to sharia law. A bill that criminalises the public practice ofnon-Muslim worship, and the construction of non-Muslim buildings,won almost unanimous support in parliament in 2009, although it hasnot yet been passed into law. Pray for protection and endurance forMaldivian Christians, and that recent political changes in the islandswill eventually lead to greater freedom for them.

Thursday 15 Without a proper home wefeel insecure and vulnerable. Seventy-

year-old Khazan expresses the painfulfears and concerns of many of the 250poor and helpless Christian familiesin Islamabad, Pakistan, who lost theirhomes two years ago and are now livingin a primitive tent camp outside the citywithout access to electricity or clean water.Barnabas has launched a major initiativeto provide homes for these brothers and

sisters, and for thousands of others lefthomeless by anti-Christian violence and civil war in India and SriLanka. Please pray that the Lord will bless this project, and for ourChristian partner organisations who will construct the houses.

Friday 16 Give thanks to the Lord for some good news for Christiansin Egypt! On 3 July the Supreme Administrative Court ruled thatChristian reconverts could have their registration changed back toChristian on their national ID cards and birth certificates. It meansthat those who return to Christianity having converted to Islam, or

those whose religious identity was automatically changed becauseone of their parents converted to Islam, can be officially identifiedas Christians rather than Muslims. Many Christian women and girlsare kidnapped by Muslims and forcibly converted to Islam, and thenumber of these incidents has greatly increased since the revolutionbroke out in January. ID cards are also required to perform many

September 13 16

Khazan, a Christianfrom Pakistan, will behelped by Barnabashouse-building project



6/16


everyday acts in Egypt, and for important areas of life such asmarriage and education. Pray that converts from Islam to Christianity

will also be granted the right to change their ID cards.

Saturday 17 On 30 June the husband of an Egyptian Christianwoman tried to defend her from sexual harassment by Muslimsat the bus terminal in Kolosna. Shortly afterwards, thousands ofMuslims descended on the mainly Christian part of Kolosna, Minyaprovince, where they looted and torched Christian homes andbusinesses, and beat up Christians. In another incident, a mob ofnearly 200 Muslims burned eight homes belonging to Christians inthe Upper Egyptian village of Awlad Khalaf, on 25 June. The attackwas prompted by a rumour that a house that one resident is buildingwas going to be turned into a church. Pray that Egyptian Christianswill be left to go about their lives in peace, and that the authoritieswill ensure their security.

Sunday 18 Allahs words must rule and Islam must be in the

hearts of the citizens. These were the ominous words of aspokesman for radical Salafist group Jamaa al-Islamiyya,which has formed a political alliance with the Muslim

Brotherhood to fight the Egyptian parliamentary elections inOctober. The two groups have joined forces to combat secular

influences in the country in the wake of the January revolution.It is yet another indication of the growing power and influenceof Islamist forces in Egypt, which is very alarming for the

countrys Christians. Pray for the Egyptian elections, that

Islamist parties will not emerge victorious, and that a secularrather than an Islamic state will be established.

Monday 19 The first parliamentary elections of the so-called ArabSpring are expected to take place in Tunisia next month. SincePresident Zine el Abidine Ben Ali was ousted, Tunisias Islamistmovement has been gathering strength. Ennahda, the leading Islamistparty, was legalised in March; it is well organised and better equippedthan the secular movements to contest the elections. The partyhas been trying to play down its radical Islamist intentions but hasbeen accused of doublespeak by pro-democracy advocates. Praythat secular rather than Islamist forces will emerge victorious in the

elections, and that religious freedom will be upheld. Pray for protectionfor the countrys very small and vulnerable Christian community inthese unstable conditions.

Tuesday 20 I still have a father, but nomother any more. My mother died of malariain the jungle while we were in hiding. I haveseen Burmese soldiers coming to villagesand do bad things to our people, I wasalways very scared. Ben, a 13-year-old

Christian boy in Burma (Myanmar), toldhis story after finding shelter at a home forChristian children supported by Barnabas.Many of these children witness horrificbrutalities at the hands of Burmese soldiers,who will sometimes take the young ones and

September 17 20

Ben, a Christian boyin Burma who foundrefuge at a childrenshome supported byBarnabas



7/16


force them to become child soldiers or porters. Give thanks that thechildren are safe at the homes and can receive a Christian education

there. Pray that through the staff they may experience the love ofChrist and recover from their traumatic experiences.

Wednesday 21 Pray for Christians in Burma who cling to the Lord asthey suffer faithfully for His Names sake. Christians are often treatedby the ruling military junta as if they were enemies of the state; thearmy attacks the mountain villages that are home to the Christians,killing any inhabitants who do not manage to escape in time. Theythen set fire to the villages or plant landmines around the homesand the bodies to kill anyone who tries to return. Pray for those who

have fled their homes and are living in the jungle or in camps, thatthey will find hope and strength in the Lord and that He will meettheir needs and comfort their hearts. Pray for an end to the dailypersecution of our brothers and sisters in Burma.

Thursday 22A congregation in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia hasbeen threatened for holding services on the street in front of theirhalf-constructed church. In July 2011, the congregation endureda protest by Muslim groups warning of anarchy if they did nottake their services elsewhere, pressure from the Mayor of Bogor to

stop holding services outside the building, and a letter from localresidents calling on the authorities to put an end to all religiousservices and activities by the congregation. Pray for the members ofthe church in Bogor in the face of these challenges. Ask the Lord toturn the hearts of the authorities to allow them to complete their ownbuilding; their building permit was revoked three years ago.

Friday 23 Hundreds of people have died and thousands have beeninjured or fled abroad as violent unrest continues in Syria. Widespread

anti-government protests have been met by the authorities withoverwhelming military force. Syrian Christians have come underpressure to join the uprising, but while the fall of the present regimecould involve a relaxation of restrictions on their activities, it mightalso lead to their violent suppression by Islamists. Pray for wisdomfor Christian leaders in these uncertain times, and that the Lord willprotect them from harm whatever the future holds for their country.

Saturday 24 Two Iraqi Christians were murdered in the spaceof two weeks in May, heightening fears within the beleaguered

Christian community. Ashur Yacob Issa (29) was kidnapped andbrutally murdered after his family failed to pay the $100,000 ransomdemanded by his abductors. The husband and father was captured on13 May; his decapitated body was found dumped in Kirkuk, northernIraq, three days later. Then, on 30 May, Arkan Jehad Jacob, a marriedfather of four, was shot dead while driving to work in Mosul, northernIraq. He had been targeted by kidnappers on two previous occasions.Pray that the mens families will be comforted in their distress, andthat the Lord will protect His people in Iraq from further attacks.

Sunday 25 This church ... is the strongest message that weare staying in our land ... the forces of extremism are theones which must change their approach and stop targetingus. These were the defiant words of an Iraqi Christian on theopening of the first new church building in the country since the2003 US-led invasion. The church in Kirkuk serves a housing

September 21 25



8/16


complex in a secure location for around 200 Christian familieswho have fled violence elsewhere in Iraq, notably Baghdad and

Mosul. Give thanks for this rare positive development and for thedetermination of Iraqi Christians to maintain a Gospel witness intheir homeland.

Monday 26 Pray for Christian student Mostafa Zangooyee (24), whowas arrested in Iran and accused of sharing his faith at the universityhe attends. He was detained by plain-clothes security officers on 30June as he was leaving his home and taken away to an undisclosedlocation. The officers later contacted Mostafas parents to inform themthat he was charged with evangelism and propagating the Christian

faith. His arrest follows a report in an Iranian daily newspaper that aprofessor had been sacked for propagating Christianity at the Free(Azad) University of Iran where he taught. Thank God for their boldnessin witnessing for Christ despite the danger; evangelism amongMuslims is strictly forbidden in Iran.

Tuesday 27 Eleven Iranian Christians were brought to court on 1 Mayfor taking part in a house church meeting and for taking communionwine. They were arrested in April charged with action against the[Islamic] order of the country and drinking alcohol. But the judge

accepted their defence that they were involved a religious ceremony,and the verdict said that such activities were covered by Article 13 of theIranian Constitution, which allows Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians toperform their religious rites and ceremonies. Thank God for the acquittalof our brothers and sisters, and pray that all Christians in Iran may be setfree to practise their faith without constant harassment and persecution.

Wednesday 28 The Supreme Court in Iran has upheld the deathpenalty for a pastor who was convicted of apostasy last year.

The judges rejected Pastor Youcef Nadarkhanis appeal againsthis sentence, passed last year; the penalty will be revoked onlyif the father of two renounces his faith. Apostasy is not a crimeunder Irans penal code, but judges are allowed to draw on fatwasand Islamic sources where national law is silent, and Islamic lawprescribes death for adult male apostates. Pastor Nadarkhani, whowas born to Muslim parents, converted from Islam aged 19. Pleasepray for peace and strength for him in his ordeal, and ask that thedeath sentence against him will not be carried out.

Thursday 29 Please pray for a swift recovery for Pastor JohnSamuel and his wife, who were taken to hospital after beingattacked by an angry mob in Manpuri, Uttar Pradesh, India. LocalChristians were attending the burial service of Anil Saxena, a formermember of Pastor Samuels congregation, when the mob rushed atthe pastor and his wife. They assaulted the couple, falsely accusingthem of the forcible conversion of Saxena and being the cause of hisdeath. Please pray that the Lord will bring peace to this area in thewake of the attack.

Friday 30 The obstacles to Christians sharing their faith in Nepal aregrowing higher and higher. A new civil code is being drawn up thatwould make it illegal to convert someone, or to preach a differentreligion to them for any other reason. In effect Christians will beforbidden to behave in any way that might lead someone elseto become a Christian. The draft legislation also appears to offer

September 26 30



9/16


additional protection for the traditional Nepalese religions, Hinduismand Buddhism. Give thanks that the Word of God is not chained,

and for the remarkable growth of Nepals churches in recent years.Pray that the new code will be amended before it is passed and thatChristians freedom to proclaim Christ will not be restricted further.

OctoberSaturday 1 Disastrous floods in Sri Lanka between December 2010and February 2011 ravaged the centre and east of the country. These

followed torrential monsoon rains last year that brought devastationto large areas of the west and south-west, where around half thecountrys Christianslive. Thousands weremade homeless and putat risk of disease andsnake bites. In 2009a severe drought hadcreated desperate povertyamong Christians in the

region. Their low statusin society as a despisedminority gives them lessdefence against suchdisasters. Grants fromBarnabas were used to

feed thousands of Christian families. Pray for the Christians as theyrebuild their homes and communities, that they may be strengthened

by the Lord in their adversity.

Sunday 2 I know that you have little strength (Revelation

3:8). Our Lords words to the church in Philadelphia also speakpowerfully to the small Christian community in Bhutan. They

number only thousands in a mainly Buddhist country, and arepressured by the majority to conform to Buddhist values andpractices. The government does not recognise Christianity, and

church buildings are officially forbidden, while evangelistic

meetings must be held discreetly to avoid interference from theauthorities. Pray for our brothers and sisters in Bhutan as theyface discrimination and harassment, that like the PhiladelphianChristians, they may keep the Lords word and not deny His

name. Pray too for greater freedom for them.

Monday 3 Two churches in Suleja, Niger State, Northern Nigeria,were attacked with bombs in the space of two days in July. Threepeople were killed and three more injured in an explosion at onechurch during a meeting on 10 July. The following day, a bomb was

thrown into the grounds of a second church, damaging the outerwalls, during a prayer service. Churches in the region have beenrepeatedly targeted by the radical Islamist group Boko Haram, whoare fighting to create an Islamic government there. Pray that theNigerian authorities will take tough action against Boko Haram and

provide proper security for churches.

October 1 3

These Sri Lankan Christians receivedaid from Barnabas after floods strucktheir homes



10/16


Tuesday 4 Another deliberate move to subjugate Christians inNigeria is how a senior Christian leader in Lagos described the

action of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in publishing regulationsfor the introduction of sharia banking. The CBN insists that the moveis motivated by purely economic factors, but many Christians believethat the banks Muslim governor has a hidden agenda, and that thepolicy is part of a grand plan to turn Nigeria into an Islamic state.The country is deeply divided along religious lines and racked bysectarian tensions. Pray that the introduction of Islamic finance willnot make the position of Christians in the country even worse.

Wednesday 5 Isma Dogari, a missionary pastor in Nigeria, wastortured and murdered by a group of Muslims in Bauchi State whenhe refused to renounce his faith in Christ. He was travelling in a vanwhen it was pulled over by Muslims posing as police. They askedif anyone in the vehicle was a Christian, and the pastor said that hewas. The men pulled him out of the van and told him repeatedly torenounce Christ. When he refused, they first beat him, then gougedout his eyes, and finally killed him and burned his body. BarnabasFund is supporting Ismas widow and children with food, repairs totheir home, and counselling. Pray that they may not grieve without

hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13) and may be able to rebuild their lives.

Thursday 6 Two peasant brothers were brutally crucified onthe example of Christ by forces loyal to Ivory Coast PresidentAlassane Ouattara at the end of May. Raphael Aka Kouame died ofhis injuries; incredibly his younger brother, Kouassi Privat Kacou,

survived the ordeal. The pair, who were falsely accused of hidingweapons in their home village, were badly beaten and tortured before

being crudely nailed to cross-shaped planks by their hands andfeet with steel spikes. Christians have been caught up in a conflictbetween supporters of Ouattara, a Muslim, and his ousted Christianpredecessor, Laurent Gbagbo, in the wake of last Novemberspresidential election. Pray that peace will be restored and thatChristians will not be treated as enemies under Ouattaras presidency.

Friday 7A Christian teacher in the UK was ordered by her schoolnot to talk about religion after answering a childs question. She had

been asked by a girl in her class whether the Christian God and thegod of Islam were the same. She had replied that they were not, andwas then asked to explain how they were different. When the childsMuslim parents complained, the school defended her actions, butsubsequently asked her not to discuss any religious matter with thechildren. This incident follows the recent reprimanding of a Christiandoctor by the General Medical Council for talking about God to apatient. This kind of treatment is being replicated in various othercountries. Pray that Christian professionals will not be gagged in theworkplace but will have the freedom to share their faith.

Saturday 8 The power of Islamic finance in the UK and internationallyis growing fast. The authorities have made great efforts to encouragethe development of so-called sharia-compliant products, andLondon has now become the largest centre for such finance outsidethe Muslim world. A new skyscraper being built near London Bridge,

October 4 8



11/16


12/16


Wednesday 12Algerian Christian Siagh Krimo was sentenced on 25May to five years in jail after witnessing to a Muslim neighbour. He had

been arrested on 14 April and was accused of blasphemy after sharinghis faith with and giving a Christian CD to the neighbour. The prosecutorfailed to produce the neighbour, who had accused him of proselytizing andmaking defamatory statements against Muhammad, or any other witnessor evidence. But Krimo was still jailed and fined 20,000 Algerian Dinars

(170; US$276; 190). Pray that Krimos sentence will be overturnedand that the Lord will grant him peace at this distressing time.

Thursday 13 We will kill him and no one will prevent us. This wasthe chant of a Muslim mob on 24 June as they surrounded a churchin the village of Beni Ahmed West, near the city of Minya, Egypt, andthreatened to kill the minister, who was locked inside with a number ofworshippers during a morning service. After five hours, security forcesarrived and escorted the minister to safety. Muslims have been targetingthe 100-year-old church building since March, when they tried to blockconstruction work, despite the fact that the church held a renovationlicense. They threatened to demolish the building and demanded thatthe minister leave the village, but he defied their orders. Thank God forhis courage and pray for his and the churchs protection.

Friday 14A draft law on places of worship in Egypt may make iteven more difficult for Christians to construct new churches. The billsays that building a new place of worship will be allowed only if it is1km away from an existing one, and will also require the consent ofthe local governor. Though the bill applies to all places of worship,

it is feared that Christians will continue to be discriminated againstin the application of the new legislation. They already face severe

restrictions, and hostility from Muslims, and they have nowherenear enough buildings in which to worship the Lord and hold otheractivities. Pray that their rights will be upheld and that they will haveenough places to meet together as church families.

Saturday 15 Lift up to the Lord Yerzhan Ushanov, a pastor inKazakhstan, who at the time of writing was facing the prospect of jail.He was accused of harming the health of a sick man who visited hischurch after he prayed for the mans healing. The mans wife accused

him of using hypnosis. The allegation was dismissed by members ofPastor Ushanovs church, who said this was not the first time suchabsurd accusations had been made against pastors. Pastor Ushanovcould be heavily fined, made to carry out community service or jailedfor up to two years for causing severe damage to health due tonegligence. Pray that the allegations against him will be dropped.

Sunday 16 Last year a missionary couple from Central Asiamoved to a remote, Muslim-majority region of their countrywhere the Gospel may never have been preached before (Romans

15:20). At once they started witnessing to their neighbours,telling them how they had formerly been Muslims themselves,

and how their new faith in Jesus Christ had completely changedtheir lives. As a result 20 people and four families all turned toChrist, among them the family of a local Muslim mullah. Because

of great hostility from Muslim neighbours and local authorities,

October 12 16



13/16


the missionaries visit the newconverts secretly at night. Give

thanks for this fruitful ministry,and pray that it will continue to

grow. Barnabas supports thecouple with living expenses.

Monday 17 Please continue tolift our brothers and sisters atShouwang Church, China, tothe Lord. Shouwang, one of thelargest unregistered churches

(house churches) in Beijing,was evicted from their leased meeting space by the government inApril, but church members have met in an open-air plaza in north-west Beijing each Sunday since the eviction. At the time of writing,the church had endured 14 consecutive weeks of raids and arrestsat these outdoor meetings; according to ChinaAid, members of thecongregation have lost jobs, done time in jail and been verballyabused. Praise the Lord that despite these challenges the Christianscontinue to make a stand each week for Christ.

Tuesday 18A Chinese house church leader has been sentencedto two years in a labour camp for organising unregistered churchgatherings. He was arrested on 31 May, and legal proceedings werelaunched against him. But the sentence, of re-education throughlabour, was handed out by the police without his being tried orconvicted. Pastor Shi had called on the Chinese government to stop

its persecution of Shouwang Church (see 17 October). Pray for hissafety while in custody and that he may soon be released.

Wednesday 19 North Korea may be the worst government onearth, says an expert on international religious persecution,writing recently in Forbesmagazine. He confirms that it engagesin discrimination and harassment of both authorized andunauthorized religious activity; the arrest, torture, and possibleexecution of those conducting clandestine religious activity;and much more. It is estimated that between 10 and 15% of thecountrys Christians are currently in labour camps, where theysuffer grievously. Pray for the Lord to strengthen His people in their

distress and bring them out of their trouble.

Thursday 20 South Sudan celebrated becoming the worldsnewest country on 9 July. Its mainly Christian populationwas counting down the days to independence since votingoverwhelmingly in favour of a split from the North in the Januaryreferendum. But their new dawn has been darkened by fightingin Sudans border region, which has threatened a return of thedeadly civil war that tore the country apart. Other problems for theSouth include a lack of basic infrastructure after it was ravaged

by nearly 22 years of civil war, as well as widespread poverty andthe displacement of tens of thousands of people as a result ofboth current and past violence. Pray that God will prosper this newnation and grant His people in South Sudan unity and rest fromtheir enemies.

October 17 20

This couple, supported byBarnabas, have a fruitfulevangelistic ministry amongMuslims in their homeland in

Central Asia



14/16


Friday 21 The civil war that split Sudan into two separate nationssaw the North fighting to Islamise the mainly non-Muslim and African

South. Now that the South has gained its independence, Christiansthere are looking forward to greater freedom to practise their faithin peace. But it is feared that life for Christians in the North willbecome more restrictive and dangerous. President Omar al-Bashirdeclared before the split that the North will be 100 per cent Arab andMuslim, and he has made clear his intention to reinforce its hard-lineIslamic character. Christians will probably be subject to even greaterrestrictions on their activities and even more vulnerable to acts ofviolence. Pray that the Lord will sustain and protect His beleagueredpeople in North Sudan.

Saturday 22 Eight churches in the Senegalese capital, Dakar,were looted and torched in late June, following a declaration of warby Muslims against new churches in the city. The aggressorstook advantage of political unrest to vent their hostility. At onechurch, worshippers were pelted with stones and driven out of their400-seater building during a Sunday morning service; it was thenfire-bombed, leaving nothing but a raised concrete platform wherethe pulpit had been. Pray that the Lord will provide the resources forthe rebuilding of damaged churches and that Senegalese Christians

will be protected from any further attacks. Anti-Christian violence hasbeen unusual there.

Sunday 23 I will rather kill him and face the firing squadthan live to see my son not worshipping Allah. These werethe words of an enraged Muslim father in Ghana who has

threatened to murder his son if the young man continues tobe a Christian. The father, Kwasi Amoah, converted to Islam

when his son Justice was just a toddler, promising (accordingto Justices Christian mother) not to interfere with his religiousbeliefs. But Amoah has already been arrested and detained oncefor attempting to stab his son, and now his threats have forcedJustice to go into hiding. Pray for the safety of this Christianbrother, and that he will continue steadfast in his faith. Prayfor other young Christians who are threatened by their parentsbecause of their love for the Lord.

Monday 24 I gave my life to

Christ for real with all myheart now I belong to Him...My husband also gave his lifeto Christ... We try to share ourexperience and our faith witheveryone we come in contactwith. This woman is part of theRoma community in Macedoniaand comes from a Muslimbackground. Give thanks to the

Lord for her conversion and that the word of the Lord has rung outfrom her (1 Thessalonians 1:8), and for the many Roma people whoare becoming Christians. The Roma are acutely poor, and convertsfrom Islam face rejection by their families and community; pray thatthey may stand firm in their faith. Barnabas Fund has supported aministry providing evangelism and pastoral care among the Roma.

October 21 24

This Roma convert fromMacedonia is active in sharingher faith



15/16


Tuesday 25 When Christian leader Artur Suleimanov was gunneddown outside his church in Dagestan last year, his death was seen as

an attempt to intimidate Christian converts from Islam in the stronglyIslamic republic. Now a Russian expert on Islam has expressedconcern about the spread of Wahhabism, an extreme and puritanicalversion of Islam, in Dagestan and the wider region. Christians theresuffer regular harassment, intimidation and discrimination at thehands of the Muslim majority, and three churches were torched on asingle night in late 2010; the growth of a more radical form of Islamwill make their position even more precarious. Pray that the Lord maybe their rock, their fortress and their deliverer (Psalm 18:2), and thatthe progress of Wahhabism will be reversed.

Wednesday 26 I didnt think that a religious book could be sointeresting! a Bashkir woman exclaimed after reading part of theBible in her own language. A New Testament in Bashkir, translatedusing a grant from Barnabas, is due for completion next year. Thelanguage is spoken by 1.6 million people in the Russian Federation,Central Asia and the Ukraine, most of whom are Muslims. A TajikBible, also funded by Barnabas, is almost complete and will soon beprinted. Give thanks for these projects, and pray that the light of GodsWord will shine in these former Soviet states, especially in places

where Christians endure discrimination and hostility.

Thursday 27Abbas Masih (36), a Pakistani Christian, was murderedas he cleaned the streets in Lahore on 20 May. A Muslim flower sellerordered him to pick up dried leaves and flowers outside the shop;Abbas said he would do so when he returned from the end of the

street. The angered shop worker stabbed Abbas in the chest with aknife. Road sweepers in Pakistan, who are mostly Christians, have no

employment rights, so Abbas family got no financial help from thegovernment upon his death. Barnabas Fund is supporting his widowRukhsana and four children with monthly food parcels. Pray for thefamily, that they will know the Lord as a father to the fatherless, adefender of widows (Psalm 68:5).

Friday 28 Christian road sweepers in Pakistan work on temporarycontracts, in filthy conditions, for 15 hours a day, for around 25-50 a month. They get no pension or benefits, and have no daysoff, holiday or sick leave. One of them, Anayat Masih Sahotra, was

recently suspended and accused of forgery and fraud because hecampaigned on behalf of his colleagues for employment rights. Ina separate dispute, Christians in Khushab, Punjab staged a hungerstrike in July after discovering that jobs reserved for minoritiesby a government quota had been given to Muslims. Pray thatthe systematic discrimination in employment against PakistaniChristians will cease.

Saturday 29A leader of an influential Islamic political partyin Pakistan has described the Bible as pornographic,

blasphemous, and offensive to Muslims. Maulana Abdul RaufFarooqi called at the end of May for the countrys SupremeCourt to ban it. Under Pakistans controversial blasphemylaws, desecration of the Quran is punishable by mandatory lifeimprisonment and defiling the name of Muhammad carriesa mandatory death sentence, yet Muslims can get away with

October 25 29



16/16


UK(for general mailing queries)

9 Priory Row, Coventry CV1 5EXTelephone 024 7623 1923Fax 024 7683 4718

From outside the UK

Telephone +44 24 7623 1923

Fax +44 24 7683 4718Email [email protected]

Australia

Postal Suite 107, 236 Hyperdome

Loganholme QLD 4129Telephone (07) 3806 1076 or

1300 365 799Fax (07) 3806 4076Email [email protected]

Jersey

Le Jardin, La Rue A Don, Grouville,Jersey, Channel Islands JE3 9GBTelephone 700600 Fax 700601

Email [email protected]

New Zealand

PO Box 27 6018,

Manukau City, Auckland, 2241Telephone (09) 280 4385 or 0800 008 805Email [email protected]

USA

6731 Curran Street, McLean VA 22101Telephone (703) 288-1681

or toll-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 565030

From outside the UKTelephone +44 1672 564938Fax +44 1672 565030Email [email protected]

Barnabas Fund 2011

October 30 31

www.barnabasfund.org

attacking the Bible and the Lord Jesus. Pray that the SupremeCourt will not succumb to Islamist pressure to ban the Bible, and

that the rights of Christians to religious freedom will be upheld.

Sunday 30 Farah Hatim (24), a student nurse in Rahim Yar Khan,South Punjab, Pakistan went missing on the morning of 8 Mayas she left for work. Her family believes that she was abductedby three Muslim brothers and forcibly converted to Islam. Laterthe men brought Farah to a district court; she claimed that shehad converted voluntarily and wanted to marry one of the men,but she was clearly injured. The judge would normally clearthe courtroom for such a statement to ensure it was not being

made under duress, but in this case the suspected kidnapperswere present. Pray for Farah, who at the time of writing is beingheld at an undisclosed location, that the police and courtswill protect her from coercion. Pray too that the authorities inPakistan will take a stronger line against forced conversions.

Monday 31 Please continue in prayer for Aasia Bibi, who is currentlyon death row in Pakistan. The Christian wife and mother wasfalsely accused and convicted in 2010 of insulting Muhammad, anoffence that carries a mandatory death sentence in Pakistan. She

has appealed to the Lahore High Court, but lawyers associated withthe case have indicated that she may have to wait years before shereceives a hearing, and even then there is likely to be considerablepressure on the court to reject the appeal. Pray that the Lord willuphold her in her imprisonment and protect her from harm, and thatshe will soon be released.

Cover: A Christian woman in India, whereBarnabas Fund are building houses forhomeless Christians

12980 P G id SO11 UK i dd 16 28/0 /2011 18 10

Date post:	07-Apr-2018
Category:	Documents
Upload:	barnabasfund
View:	218 times
Download:	0 times

Prayer Diary September/October 2011

Documents