BARNABAS FUND - AID AGENCY FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH

to help you
pray for the
persecuted church
www.barnabasfund.org
prayer
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014
2 BARNABAS PRAYER SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014
Thank you for your prayers for our
persecuted brothers and sisters in
Christ, which make such a difference
to them. We sometimes have to
change or omit their names 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.
Please do not feel limited by the
specifc prayer requests, but pray
as you feel led. On each Sunday we
have provided a set prayer; please
feel free to use these in their current
form, to adapt them as you prefer, or
to use the information they contain to
frame your own prayers.
September
Monday 1 Praise God that Pakistans Supreme
Court has instructed the government to take
specifc steps to protect religious minorities from
violence and intolerance. The ruling was issued
partly in response to the deadly attack on All
Saints Church in Peshawar in September 2013,
which claimed over 100 lives. The court ordered
the formation of a National Council for Minority
Rights, a special police force to protect places of
worship, and a taskforce to develop strategies to
counter intolerance, along with further corrective
measures. Campaigners for the rights of
Christians in Pakistan welcomed the moves but
expressed reservations about whether they would
be implemented. Pray that the measures will
achieve a tangible improvement in the condition of
the countrys Christians.
Tuesday 2 About 1,500 Christians staged a
protest in Lahore, Pakistan in June 2014 over
the grabbing of church-owned property by the
government of Punjab. Over ten large properties,
including a church, schools, hospitals and
graveyards, have been taken. Christian leaders
met with the Lahore District Coordination Offcer
on 15 June to demand the return of the latest
school to be seized, but when they failed to get a
positive response, Christian protestors took to the
streets. Pray that the provincial government will
respect the property rights of the churches.
Wednesday 3 Give thanks that members of a
Pakistani Christian family who have been trapped
in bonded labour for years have been rescued
by Barnabas partners. The owner of the brick kiln
where they worked had kept them enslaved by
withholding their wages and forcing them to take
out a loan from him. When they tried to leave,
he made them return, and he beat, tortured and
threatened to kill them. The father of the family
died in 2013 as a result of illness and weakness.
But earlier this year, his widow sought help from
our partners, and they obtained a court order
for the recovery of the family. Pray for the three
members who have already been rescued as
they recuperate at a safe house. Pray too for the
efforts to secure the freedom of six others still held
by the owner.
Thursday 4 As the Syrian civil war rages on,
the militant Islamist group the Islamic State of
Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) now controls extensive
territory in eastern Syria. The group is acutely
hostile to Christians, who are suffering grievous
oppression under its rule. The US Commission
on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)
has named Syria as one of the worlds worst
violators for the frst time, saying that the crisis
has devolved largely into a sectarian confict
and represents one of the worst situations in
the world for religious freedom, with abuses
being committed by all sides. Before the war, it
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was easier to be a Christian in Syria than almost
anywhere else in the Arab world. Pray that the
US and other Western governments will continue
to work for a resolution of the confict and for
religious freedom for all Syrias citizens.
Friday 5 Give thanks that Barnabas Fund is
helping many Christian families from Aleppo,
Syria, to survive. One group of over 240 families
originally lived in one of the citys poorest
neighbourhoods, but on Good Friday 2013, rebels
invaded their area, forcing them to fee. They
lost all their possessions on that day and have
been living as displaced persons. The families
have been receiving monthly food packages
and milk powder for the children for almost two
years now, as well as regular additional packages
containing essentials such as blankets, shoes
and seasonal clothes. Pray that our partner will be
able to continue getting the aid to those who need
it most. Pray too that the displaced families may
experience Gods nearness through their ordeal.
Saturday 6 The militant jihadist group ISIS
launched a terrifying attack on Mosul, the second
city of Iraq, on 6 June. They seized weapons,
freed prisoners and looted and torched church
buildings. Three days later, police came to senior
church leaders there and advised the Christian
community to leave. They fed immediately,
leaving everything behind as they sought refuge
in the Nineveh valley. The following day Mosul
fell to the rebels. Barnabas sent emergency aid
to support the Christians in their desperate need.
The militants then advanced south, prompting
Christians also to leave the city of Kirkuk. Pray for
provision and protection for our displaced brothers
and sisters and that they will fnd safety in the
Kurdish areas of northern Iraq.
Sunday 7 Heavenly Father, we cry
out to You for the Christians left in
Mosul, mostly elderly and sick, as
they now face the threat of sharia
penalties introduced by ISIS: the
amputation of limbs for thieves,
crucifxion for criminals and the
death penalty for apostasy. We pray
that You will protect them from the
brutality of the militants. We pray
for peace and healing for those who
have already been threatened or
attacked, and for the safe return of
those who have been kidnapped.
We pray too for those struggling
to pay the humiliating jizya tax that
the militants have imposed. We ask
that the attempt to restore a united
Islamic state under one ruler in the
cross-border territory controlled by
ISIS will come to nothing.
Monday 8 Iraqi Christians are losing even
previously safe havens under the relentless
assault of ISIS. On 25 June, the militant group
attacked the historic Christian town of Qaraqosh,
near Mosul, driving its mainly Christian population
of around 40,000 to fee. Many Christians from
Mosul had gone there after the fall of their own
city earlier in the month. Kurdish forces were able
SEPTEMBER 5 - 8
These displaced Christians from Aleppo
receive support from Barnabas
4 BARNABAS PRAYER SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014
to repel ISIS from the town, allowing some people
to return to their homes for the time being, but
their security remains extremely precarious. Pray
that the ISIS advance will be stopped and that
the Iraqi security forces will be able to regain the
captured territory.
Tuesday 9 A Christian from Loynam village in
the Savannakhet province of Laos was arrested
on the morning of 29 May and tied to a post
before being imprisoned. Two weeks earlier,
police and village security offcers had gone to
Mr Sorts home and threatened him with eviction
from the village and confscation of all his property
if he did not give up his faith. He refused, despite
repeated attempts to coerce him. The village chief
then seized around 300 of Mr Sorts money. Give
thanks that our brother, who has been a Christian
for less than two years, has stood frm in his
faith, and ask the Lord to renew his courage and
strength (1 Corinthians 16:13).
Wednesday 10 Five Christians have been
charged with murder in Laos after a sick woman
sought prayer at her local church, converted
to Christianity and later died. Mrs Chan, from
Saisomboon village in Savannakhet province,
had been ill for two years when she approached
the church. Her health improved for a short time,
and she and her eight grown-up children came
to faith in Christ. The sons and daughters wanted
a Christian burial ceremony, but the authorities
forbade this unless they renounced their faith,
which they refused to do. When Christians
in the area protested, fve were arrested and
subsequently charged with Mrs Chans murder.
Pray that the God of justice will have compassion
on His people (Isaiah 30:18) and ensure their
acquittal from this false accusation.
Thursday 11 In an earlier incident in
Saisomboon village, three teenage Christian girls
were disqualifed from taking their fnal school
examinations because of their faith. The village
chief said that in following Christianity, Noi (15),
Net (15) and Nut (14) had forfeited their right to
education. Five families from the village have
now converted to Christianity. A spokesman for
Human Rights Watch for Lao Religious Freedom
expressed the view that the authorities were trying
to fnd every possible way to stop the spread
of Christian religious freedom in the area. Pray
that the girls will be allowed to complete their
education and that opposition to the Christians in
the village will cease.
Friday 12 Pray for Bible school students in
Vietnam who were subjected to a terrifying night-
time raid by police and hired thugs. On 9 June,
offcers swooped from adjacent rooftops into the
church compound that houses the school, while
vehicle-loads of people were brought to the site
to vandalise the building with bricks, stones and
sticks. The students were beaten, punched and
kicked before being taken away for interrogation;
20 were left in need of medical attention but were
prevented from leaving to fnd it. Thugs continued
to attack the compound over the next ten nights.
Pray for the students as they recover from this
brutal assault and that they will stand frm in their
faith in the face of intimidation.
Saturday 13 This is a war against Christians
and democracy and their constitution. Allah says
we should fnish them when we get them. The
leader of the Nigerian Islamist militant group Boko
Haram was speaking in a video that reasserted
their agenda and addressed the people of
the world, saying, Either you are with us
Mujahedeen or you are with the Christians. The
translation of the video was released as scores
of people were killed in suicide bombings in May,
including at least 118 in a double attack in Jos,
Plateau state on 20 May. Pray that Boko Harams
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BARNABAS PRAYER SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014
murderous campaign to establish an Islamic state
in Northern Nigeria will not succeed.
Sunday 14 Almighty God, we call
to You for relief for Christians in
the Gwoza area of Borno state
in Northern Nigeria, as they face
repeated violent attacks by Boko
Haram militants. We pray for comfort
for the relatives and friends of the
hundreds who have been killed,
and for the thousands who have
been forced from their homes and
seen them torched. We ask for Your
special protection on Christians
as they gather to worship You. We
pray for the Nigerian authorities to
re-establish control of the area, so
that the displaced Christians may be
safe from further attacks and free to
rebuild their shattered communities.
We pray too for their persecutors to
come to repentance and faith in the
Lord Jesus.
Monday 15 Give thanks that two small
Christian communities in Niger have received
livestock from Barnabas Fund to help them
become self-suffcient. The Christians also
received three days of training to learn how to
take care of the animals. The predominantly
Muslim region where these communities are
located has endured more than a decade of food
insecurity. Pray that the livestock will prosper,
so that the Christians will be able to sell them
at a good price and will become fnancially
independent. Pray also that growing tensions
between Muslims and Christians in Niger will not
adversely affect them.
Tuesday 16 Violence in the Central African
Republic (CAR) has been raging on despite the
presence of peacekeeping troops from France
and the African Union. On 28 May, Christians
were left reeling from one of the worst attacks on
their community since Seleka Islamists who
seized control of CAR in March 2013 were
forced from power in January. Around 20 people
were killed, including a 78-year-old minister, and a
higher number kidnapped in an attack by Muslim
gunmen on a church in the capital, Bangui. The
incident sparked further violence and protests
over the failure of the transitional government
and peacekeeping troops to protect civilians.
Pray for the restoration of peace and for fractured
communities in CAR to be reconciled.
Wednesday 17 Lift up to the Lord Tandin
Wangyal, a pastor in Bhutan; the authorities
seem determined to pin a charge on him. He was
arrested on 5 March along with another pastor,
M.B. Thapa, and they were held for 49 days
before being released on bail. The Minister of
Home and Cultural Affairs sought to have them
charged with proselytising (Christians are not
able to share their faith freely in Buddhist-majority
Bhutan), but after no evidence could be found
for this, the pair were accused of other offences.
While Pastor Thapa was subsequently cleared,
Pastor Tandin was charged with illegally collecting
funds; another charge of attempting to screen a
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SEPTEMBER 14 - 17
A Christian from Niger with goats received
from Barnabas
6 BARNABAS PRAYER SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014
flm without permission was dropped. Pray that
Tandin will be cleared and that both pastors will
be allowed to conduct their ministry without further
interference and harassment.
Thursday 18 Cry out to the Lord for the two
orphaned daughters of a Christian couple who
were hacked to death in a savage attack in
India. The Bhutia family, Tibetan converts from
Buddhism, were targeted in their home in the
Geetdubling slum in a remote part of Darjeeling
district, West Bengal, on the night of 18 June.
Their 12-year-old daughter Rinjees eye was
gouged out in the attack, while her younger
sister escaped unharmed. The bodies of their
parents, Dominic (45) and Christina (35), were
found by neighbours. Pray that the offender(s) will
be brought to justice and that the father to the
fatherless (Psalm 68:5) will surround the Bhutia
girls with His love and care.
Friday 19 Lift up to the Lord a group of
52 Indian Christian families in Sirisguda,
Chhattisgarh, who have been suffering in various
ways. After they had been denied food rations
from the public distribution system for two
months, a group of them complained to the food
inspector on 16 June. A local pastor said it had
been very diffcult for the low-income families
to survive without the rations. The complaint
sparked a violent attack on the community by a
Hindu extremist mob that left ten Christians in
need of hospital treatment. The following day, the
village chief called a public meeting and said that
all villagers should convert to Hinduism or else
their lands would be seized. Give thanks that the
Christians refused to renounce their faith; pray
that they will continue to stand frm and let nothing
move them (1 Corinthians 15:58).
Saturday 20 We killed your father because
he refused to deny Jesus Christ. This is what
the killers of Indian Christian Nimmaka Laxmaya
(50), a convert from Hinduism, told his son after
he found his fathers body dumped on a roadside
on 25 May. The Hindu extremists had actually
been hunting the son because he had just
been baptised; they mistook Nimmaka for him
because the older man was walking home alone
from the ceremony in the village of Dherubada,
Orissa state, carrying the baptismal clothes. In
the subsequent confrontation with the son, the
assailants threatened to kill him also, but he
managed to escape. Pray that he will be able to
forgive the murderers and will be comforted in his
grief by his fathers steadfast testimony.
Sunday 21 Father God, we pray
for the 30 Indian Christian families
who were left homeless after the
authorities demolished their homes
in a slum on 11 June to make way
for a new road in Bhubaneswar,
Orissa state. We pray that You will
provide for their every need, Lord,
as they have lost most of their
possessions and been left living in
a makeshift shelter without access
to drinking water. We pray especially
for the children, who were not able
SEPTEMBER 18 - 21
The demolition of homes in Orissa has left
250 Christian families homeless
7 BARNABAS PRAYER SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014
to start the new school year as a
result of this incident, and ask that
You will make it possible for them
to resume their education. Most of
all Lord, we pray that You will give
these Christian families the grace to
respond to this injustice with dignity
and forgiveness.
Monday 22 Pray for imprisoned pastor Saeed
Abedini, who has been severely beaten and
forcibly returned to jail from hospital in Iran.
He had been recovering there for two months
from injuries received in past beatings, and his
transfer back to the deadly Rajai Shahr prison
came without warning. When he arrived at the
hospital in March, he was shackled, and guards
lashed out at him violently. But his treatment later
improved; his family were allowed to visit him, and
he was given nutritious meals. Ask the Lord to
strengthen and protect Saeed in this latest stage
of his long and painful ordeal, and pray that he
will soon be released. Pray too for comfort for his
family in the US; his wife has said that this latest
development breaks her heart.
Tuesday 23 On 23 June, Vahid Hakkani, a
Christian convert in prison in Iran, resumed a
hunger strike in protest against the refusal of
a court to grant him and two other Christians
conditional release. Vahid had broken his previous
strike in May after another of his fellow-detainees
was set free. The prison authorities have
reportedly confscated his personal belongings
from his cell and are denying him the right to
make phone calls; they have also separated the
Christian prisoners from one another. Even before
his frst hunger strike, Vahid had been suffering
from a digestive problem and internal bleeding.
Pray that his health may not fail altogether and
that his action will secure justice and freedom for
him and his friends (Psalm 69:33).
Wednesday 24 Saudi Arabia remains
unique in the extent to which it restricts the public
expression of any religion other than Islam.
In its annual report for 2014, the United States
Commission on International Religious Freedom
highlighted the extraordinary restrictions faced
by Christians and other non-Muslims in one of
the most rigid and hardline Islamic states in the
world. No churches exist in Saudi Arabia because
of an Islamic tradition that Muhammad said
there should be only one religion in the Arabian
peninsula. Pray for peace and perseverance for
the small number of Saudi converts and the many
expatriate Christians practising their faith in this
repressive context, and ask that the authorities
will yield to international pressure to introduce
greater religious freedom.
Thursday 25 On 18 June, Bishoy Armia
Boulous (31) was sentenced to fve years in
prison and given a fne of 500 Egyptian Pounds
(US70; 40) for disturbing the peace by
broadcasting false information in connection
with reports he produced relating to anti-Christian
violence in Minya for a Christian TV channel. His
lawyer believes that Bishoy has been targeted
because of his conversion from Islam. The
Christian gained notoriety in Egypt in 2007 as
the frst person to try to change his religion on
his ID card, a case that is still unresolved owing
to the political tumult in the country over the last
three years. Pray that the Lord will be Bishoys
strength and shield (Psalm 28:7), and that he will
soon be released.
Friday 26 Kidnapping for ransom has been a
persistent problem for the Christian community in
Egypt amid the political upheaval and instability
following the Arab Spring revolution of 2011. On
14 June, Wadie Ramses, a well-known surgeon,
was seized in El-Arish. The assailants opened
fre on his vehicle and took him away wounded.
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They later demanded a ransom of ten million
Egyptian Pounds (800,000; US$1.4 million) for
his release. Two days later, Christian merchant
Gemal Shenouda was captured near his home
in the same city. It is thought that Islamic militants
with links to al-Qaeda, who have been behind
escalating violence in the Sinai region, are
responsible for the kidnappings. Pray for the safe
return of our two Christian brothers and that they
and their families will know the Lords peace.
Saturday 27 The case of an Egyptian
Christian man arrested following complaints by
Muslim neighbours that he had been using his
home as a church without a permit highlights the
need of the Christian community for more places
of worship. The 55-year-old man from Minya in
Upper Egypt, where Christians are particularly
vulnerable to persecution, was arrested once
before, in 2011, for the same offence. Every
church building in Egypt requires a permit, but
these are notoriously diffcult to obtain. Pray that
the authorities will show leniency to the Christian
man and that a provision in the new constitution
addressing the issue of church buildings will
be enacted.
Sunday 28 Father God, we pray for
Meriam Ibrahim and her family in
Sudan as they face a very uncertain
future. We thank You that Meriam
was cleared on appeal of the
charges of adultery and apostasy
that were laid against her and that
she was spared from fogging and
execution. But we pray that the
new charges of forgery and false
information relating to her travel
documents will also be dismissed
and that the family will be free to
leave Sudan and begin a new life
elsewhere. We pray that You will
keep her safe in the meantime from
those who have threatened her
with death.
Monday 29 Cry out to the Lord for Alexis
Prem Kumar, a 47-year-old Christian minister
from India who was abducted in Afghanistan on
2 June. No group has claimed responsibility for
the kidnapping, but three Taliban militants have
been arrested in connection with it. Alexis had
worked for an NGO in Afghanistan since 2011,
helping returning refugees. He was leaving a
school near Herat for Afghan children who have
recently returned from Iran or Pakistan when he
was seized. Give thanks for Alexis willingness to
serve the Lord in what remains one of the most
dangerous countries in the world for Christians,
and pray for his safe return.
Tuesday 30 Pray for Christians in Sri Lanka
facing attacks from Buddhist extremists, who
have forced the closure of numerous churches.
In an apparently positive move, the government
has created a Religious Disputes Unit to address
conficts between different groups and combat
attempts to create religious discord. But many
Christians and Muslims believe that Buddhist
extremists are allowed to operate with impunity
and that the new unit will not solve the problems
faced by non-Buddhists. A cap on the building
SEPTEMBER 27 - 30
Meriam Ibrahim in prison with her two
children
9 BARNABAS PRAYER SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014
of places of worship has also been announced,
and this seems to serve the Buddhist lobby,
which is opposed to expanding Christian activity.
Pray for protection for Christian congregations
and that their ministry and mission will not be
further impeded.
October
Wednesday 1 The landslide victory of the
Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
in Indias general election in May sparked alarm
for Christians and other minorities in the country.
The BJP is the political wing of a Hindu nationalist
movement, Hindutva, which is striving to make
India a religiously pure nation. It has given support
to Hindu extremist groups that attack Christians,
and states under the partys rule have generally
experienced a rise in anti-Christian violence.
The BJP has introduced anti-conversion laws
in a number of states, which are used to prevent
legitimate Christian evangelism. Prior to the
general election, the BJP pledged to introduce
national legislation to curb missionary activity
and end proselytising if elected. Pray that the BJP
will rule justly and that the rights and freedoms of
all Indian citizens will be upheld.
Thursday 2 Pray for a Christian family in
Kandhamal in Orissa state, India, who have been
left devastated after their home was destroyed
for the third time by Hindu extremists. The
Digals of Budruka village were among hundreds
of Christian families to lose their home in the
horrendous anti-Christian violence of December
2007. They returned two months later and rebuilt
their house, but in August 2008 the attacks
resumed, and their second home was also
destroyed. After receiving fnancial aid from the
government they were able to rebuild it again
this year, but in April it was wrecked once more,
shattering their hopes of returning to their village
to cultivate their land. Pray that the Lord will
comfort them in their distress and provide them
with a peaceful dwelling-place and secure home
(Isaiah 32:18).
Friday 3 The training helped me to establish
the foundation of my faith in the Word of God
and build my life on it. I deliberately teach the
course to my friends. Mr Lepcha, a Nepali living
in India, had participated in a tutor training course
sponsored by Barnabas that equipped him to
lead Bible training courses. He then also started
serving as an elder in his church. Give thanks
that these courses are building up the faith of
419 Christian students and 54 teachers, most
of whom are converts from other religions. It is
also helping them stand strong when they meet
resistance from their relatives and communities.
Pray that they will experience Gods comfort when
experiencing persecution and Gods strength to
reach out in love to those who are hurting them.
Saturday 4 Around 40 church leaders and
members in Nepal were arrested on 13 June,
accused of forcibly converting Hindus. They
were detained in Boudha by the police, who
were pressured by Hindus to take action against
them. A crowd of Hindus then gathered outside
the jail and threatened a riot if the Christians
were freed. They were all released eventually,
but a Barnabas contact said that Hindus were
looking for arguments with Christians and trying
to attack them, having been encouraged by Hindu
nationalists in India. The vice-president of Indias
ruling BJP party had visited Nepal from 30 May
to 1 June and called for religious conversion to
be outlawed. Pray that the freedom of Nepalese
Christians to share their faith will be upheld in the
countrys new constitution.
Sunday 5 Loving Father, we pray
for Christians in one district of West
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Java, Indonesia, who have seen
seven of their churches closed by
the authorities because of alleged
building permit irregularities. We
pray especially for those who have
had to move to other locations for
security reasons, that You will keep
them safe. We thank You for the
support our brothers and sisters
have received from the national
human rights commission. We pray
that the crippling restrictions on
church buildings in Indonesia will be
relaxed and that local authorities will
not yield to pressure from Islamist
groups. We pray too that the newly
elected president of Indonesia will
take effective action to combat
religious intolerance.
Monday 6 A group of Christians came under
attack by Islamic extremists while praying
together in a private home in Yogyakarta in
Indonesia on 29 May. The assailants threw
rocks and stones in the raid on the property. The
owner, Julius Felicianus, was not at home at the
time, but returned after his son informed him
of the incident. The extremists then launched
a second assault; they beat Julius and hit him
with a fower pot, breaking his shoulder. Pray
for comfort and healing for Julius and the other
Christians, and that they will be left alone to
worship God in peace.
Tuesday 7 Pray for the members of two
churches in Yogyakarta that were attacked in
separate incidents in June. On Sunday 1 June,
members of Islamist groups and local residents
threw stones at one church building, shattering
the windows. Then on 29 June, three groups of
masked intruders burst into another building in
Pugaram, dressed in black and shouting Allah is
great. They vandalised property and posters on
display. This incident coincided with the start of
Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting. Pray for
protection for Christians in the area and that the
intimidation and violence against them will cease.
Wednesday 8 Christians and other minorities
in Burma (Myanmar) are extremely concerned
about a proposed religious conversion bill that
will require people to seek permission from the
authorities before changing religion. It is part of
a package of four bills designed to protect race
and religion in the Buddhist-majority country. The
government says it is intended to prevent forced
conversions. The draft says that forcing someone
to convert would be punishable by a year in
prison, while insulting another religion would
be punishable by between one and two years
in prison. Similar laws in force in several Indian
states are used to threaten legitimate evangelism
by Christians and as a pretext by Hindu militants
to attack Christians, whom they falsely accuse of
forcibly converting people. Pray this bill will not
become law in Burma.
Thursday 9 Give thanks that 55 Christians,
almost all church leaders and converts from
Islam, received Bible training at a three-day
seminar in Kyrgyzstan that was supported by
Barnabas Fund. The participants have virtually
no access to Biblical training, and so the studies
were a great boost to their faith and ministry.
Meeting fellow church leaders, who are all
dealing with similar issues, such as isolation
and persecution from Muslim relatives and local
Muslim communities, was also very encouraging
to them and gave them the opportunity to build up
a Christian support network. Pray that the Lord
will continue to speak to them through the Bible
passages they studied at the seminar, and that
He will bless their ministries.
OCTOBER 6 - 9
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Friday 10 Leaders imprisoned for up to 60
days and members for up to 45 days; fnes,
corrective labour or community service: these
are the penalties for taking part in religious
gatherings in Kazakhstan held without state
permission, according to a new criminal code.
Those who fnance unregistered religious
activity will be liable to the same punishments as
leaders. In addition, a new Code of Administrative
Offences lays down a wide range of penalties
for exercising the right to religious freedom.
Both codes have been condemned by 119
Kazakh and international human rights groups
and individuals. They further tighten controls on
religious practice in a context where it is already
much restricted. Pray for wisdom and courage
for Christians in Kazakhstan as they seek to
maintain their worship and witness.
Saturday 11 Two Christian families in
Uzbekistan who meet in a private home to read
the Bible and pray together have been repeatedly
fned and had property confscated. Alisher
Abdullayev and Veniamin Nemirov were originally
fned in 2012 for unregistered religious activity
and teaching religion illegally. They refused on
principle to pay, claiming that they had not violated
any laws. But earlier this year bailiffs went to their
homes and confscated a car, a mobile phone and
household items. The men and their wives were
then fned again, ten times the minimum monthly
wage. Offcers have also raided one of their
meetings, flming and harassing those present
and seizing religious literature. Pray that the
authorities will stop targeting the families and that
they will be left alone to study and pray in peace.
Sunday 12 Heavenly Father, we pray
for Kim Jung-Wook, a South Korean
Christian who has been sentenced to
hard labour for life in North Korea for
spying and attempting to establish
house churches in the country. We
thank You that although prosecutors
demanded the death penalty, this was
commuted, but we pray that Jung-
Wook will be sustained by You in his
imprisonment and cruel treatment
and will soon be released. We pray
too for the dozens of North Koreans
who were detained after Jung-Wooks
arrest in October on suspicion of
helping him, and for the families of
any who have already been executed.
We pray for political change and
religious freedom in North Korea, that
OCTOBER 10 - 12
Students at a Bible training seminar in Kyrgyzstan
12 BARNABAS PRAYER SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014
it may be made legal to be a Christian
and to take part in Christian activity.
Monday 13 Pray for the residents of Gorsi
Tourou, a village in northern Cameroon that
was ravaged in an attack by suspected Boko
Haram militants on 6 June. They ran for their
lives as more than 300 heavily armed men
torched churches and houses and looted
property. Cameroonian soldiers arrived around
two hours later and were able to drive back the
militants. Boko Haram has been wreaking havoc
in neighbouring Nigeria, targeting Christian
communities in particular in its bloody battle
to establish an Islamic state in the North. Pray
that the groups evil activities will be restrained
and that they will not be able to gain a foothold
in Cameroon.
Tuesday 14 Pray for Christian communities in
Kenyas coastal region, who have been targeted
in attacks by militants from the Islamist group al-
Shabaab that left around 30 dead. Heavily armed
fghters descended on Hindi in Lamu county and
Gamba in neighbouring Tana River county on the
night of 5 July. Some men were tied up and had
their throats slit, while others were killed when
their homes were set on fre. One man was found
dead with a Bible on his back, while the victims
included a twelve-year-old boy. The assailants
told non-Muslims they should leave the area or
convert to Islam. Pray for protection for these
vulnerable communities from further violence.
Wednesday 15 The attackers entered
my house, took my boy out of the house, then
killed him by shooting him, leaving my wife and
daughters inside. The son of a pastor was
one of around 50 people killed in an attack by
al-Shabaab on Mpeketoni, a mainly Christian
town in coastal Kenya on 15 June. The militants
looted the armoury of the local police station
and went on a shooting spree through the town.
They entered one house after another, asking
if the men there were Muslim and if they spoke
Somali and shooting those who responded in
the negative. Another 15 people died in raids on
surrounding villages on the night of 16 June. Pray
for consolation for the bereaved families, and that
the Kenyan authorities will succeed in restraining
the violence of al-Shabaab.
Thursday 16 Pray for a Christian convert
from Islam in Kenya who was beaten senseless
in a mosque and later arrested. Hassan Hussein
Mohammed (26) was converted on 10 April in
Mogotio through the witness of a local church. He
returned to the mosque to collect his papers, but
when he explained that he had accepted Jesus,
the Muslims beat, struck and kicked him until he
was unconscious. Hassan was taken in by a local
church leader, but on 30 April they were both
detained, along with the pastor who led Hassan
to Christ. They were repeatedly questioned about
Hassans conversion, and although the pastors
were later freed, Hassan himself was kept in
custody; his present whereabouts are unknown.
Pray that he may be kept safe from harm and be
left in peace to practise his new faith.
Friday 17 Lift up to the Lord two Egyptian
Christians who have been sentenced to jail in
spurious cases under the countrys blasphemy
law. Kerolos Shouky Attallah (29) was said to
have defamed Islam by liking a Facebook page
deemed offensive by Muslims, and Demiana
Ebeid Abdelnour (25), a school teacher, was
accused of insulting Islam during a lesson.
Kerolos, who was also convicted of inciting
sectarian violence because the incident
prompted attacks by Islamists on Christian
property was sentenced to six years in prison
on 24 June. Demiana was appealing against her
original sentence; the judge on 15 June replaced
OCTOBER 13 - 17
13 BARNABAS PRAYER SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014
her fne of 100,000 Egyptian Pounds (US$14,000;
8,000) issued last year with a jail term of six
months. She is currently in self-imposed exile
abroad, separated from her family. Pray that the
Lord will undertake for Kerolos and Demiana.
Saturday 18 Thank the Lord that, with the
help of Barnabas Fund, three Christian nurseries
in Upper Egypt were able to buy educational
resources, classroom furniture and kitchen
equipment last year, and that these are making
the 205 youngsters learning experience much
more hands-on and enjoyable. The teachers
are also using them to tell Bible stories in a
more accessible and lively fashion. Child-sized
tables and chairs, and cupboards, have made
the classrooms more orderly. And with the new
kitchen equipment, the staff of two of the nurseries
can prepare daily, nutritious meals for the children.
Give thanks that these changes are making such
a difference in the lives of these Christian children,
who mainly come from very poor backgrounds.
Pray that the Lord will work through the teachers
to teach and inspire the children to live their lives
for Christ.
Sunday 19 Heavenly Father, we
lift up to You the nation of Egypt
as it faces many challenges and
ongoing instability in the wake of
the Arab Spring. We pray that
the new president, Abdul Fattah
al-Sisi, will be a bulwark against
Islamic extremism, as the countrys
Christians hope. We give You
thanks that he has promised to
rebuild or repair churches that were
attacked by the Muslim Brotherhood
following the removal of Islamist
president Mohammed Morsi in July
2013 and has taken tough action
against those involved in the groups
violent protests. We pray that the
Christian community, which has
been scapegoated for Morsis fall,
will be protected from further attacks
and that the rights granted to them
in the countrys new constitution will
be upheld.
Monday 20 Pray for the protection of four
senior Eritrean church leaders who took the
extremely courageous step of publishing on
25 May an open letter criticising conditions in
the country, which is one of the worlds worst
persecutors of Christians and where no dissent
is tolerated. Mengsteab Tesfamariam, Tomas
Osman, Kidane Yeabio and Feqremariam Hagos
described Eritrea as desolate because so
many people have fed, are imprisoned or are
conscripted into the army, lamenting the resulting
fragmentation of the family unit. The church
leaders said Eritreans were leaving for peaceful
countries, to countries of justice, of work, where
one expresses himself loudly, a country where
one works and earns. Pray that their words will
be heeded by the Eritrean government and that
there will be a radical turnaround in policy.
OCTOBER 18 - 20
Demiana Ebeid Abdelnour was sentenced
to six months in prison
14 BARNABAS PRAYER SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014
Tuesday 21 Pray for the widow and three
children of a church leader in Somalia who was
murdered outside his home earlier this year.
Abdishakur Yusuf was found lying in a pool of
blood, having been shot multiple times in the
head. The militant Islamist group al-Shabaab
is suspected of carrying out the attack; it has
pledged to rid the strictly Islamic country of its tiny
Christian presence. Abdishakurs children are
aged eleven, eight and fve; the family has been
relocated. Pray for their safety in their new home
and that the Lord will comfort them in their grief
(Matthew 5:4).
Wednesday 22 Pray that the Lords healing
hand will touch the nine or so Christians who
were injured, one of them stabbed, in an attack
on a church near Bethlehem in May. Muslims
interrupted a service in the village of El-Khader
in the West Bank, turning violent when they were
asked to leave. They started throwing stones at
the building, causing damage, including broken
windows. The incident comes amid increased
attacks on churches in Israel; 14 have been
reported in a year. Threats have also been made
against senior church leaders. Pray that the
Lord will watch over the coming and going of His
people in the Holy Land and keep them from all
harm (Psalm 121:7-8).
Thursday 23 Praise God that Islamist rebels
who took over the Christian town of Kessab,
Syria, in March have withdrawn. The siege by
militants from the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front
and other Islamist groups drove hundreds of
Christian families from their homes. But when the
rebels withdrew from the town on 14 June, they
left only a small number of men behind. They
retreated when pro-regime fghters advanced on
a nearby village. Pray for the restoration of order
and that the former residents will be able to return
home soon and rebuild their lives.
Friday 24 Militants from ISIS have confscated
houses and land belonging to Christians in the
Syrian city of Raqqa. The seizures took place on
1 June in Ein al-Issa; the owners of the property
were forced to leave the area. Raqqa has been
under ISIS control for over a year, and the militants
are imposing strict sharia rules in the territory.
They have also turned one of the churches in
Raqqa into an offce for the management of
Islamic affairs and the promotion of sharia. Pray
for the beleaguered Christians there, that they
may stand frm under pressure and that the grip of
ISIS in the region will soon be broken.
Saturday 25 Continue to lift up to the Lord
Aasia Bibi, a Christian wife and mother sentenced
to death for blasphemy in Pakistan. The appeal
hearing that was scheduled for 27 May was
cancelled; this is the ffth time that it has been
postponed. No new date was set. Aasia has been
in jail since June 2009, but Islamic extremists in
Pakistan are strongly opposed to her release.
They have been making threats against the
judges to pressurise them into upholding the
sentence. Pray that Aasia will be kept safe while
in prison and that she will soon be set free and
restored to her family.
Sunday 26 God of justice, we lift up
to You the family of Sanwal Masih, a
Christian teenager in Pakistan who
was raped and killed by a young
Muslim man. We give You thanks
that his grieving family resisted
intimidation from the owner of the
estate where he worked to make them
bury the body at once and that they
reported the murder to the police;
thank you too that the accused
man has been arrested. We pray for
CLAAS, a Christian legal organisation
that is helping the family, that their
OCTOBER 21 - 26
15 BARNABAS PRAYER SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014
enquiries will publicly establish the
truth and ensure justice for Sanwal.
We pray that You will give the family
Your comfort and peace in their
devastating loss.
Monday 27 Praise the Lord that for over fve
years Barnabas Fund has been supporting the
ministries of 103 Christian workers in Pakistan
by paying for 50% of their monthly needs.
Patras, one of the workers, who is pastor of
a congregation of over 200 members in the
city of Multan, is seeing the fruits of his work.
In just one month, three families joined the
church and 23 people accepted Jesus Christ as
their Saviour. He also baptised six people and
prepared nine more for baptism. Pray that God
will continue to bless Patras ministry as well
as those of the other workers, and that they all
will be able to continue to do their work without
harassment or interference.
Tuesday 28 Deadly attacks by Boko Haram
continue relentlessly in Northern Nigeria. On
15 June, gunmen descended on the remote
Christian village of Daku in Borno state; they killed
15 people, chasing and shooting those trying to
escape, and torched a church, several homes
and a market. Two weeks later, scores of people
were killed in attacks on four villages near the
mainly Christian town of Chibok; in Kwada the
assailants burst into four churches and opened
fre on worshippers before setting the buildings
on fre. Pray that our distressed and persecuted
brothers and sisters may fnd strength in the Lord
their God (1 Samuel 30:6) as they pass through
this bitter ordeal.
Wednesday 29 Cry out to the Lord for the
many Christian victims of kidnapping by Boko
Haram in Nigeria. Remember especially the more
than two hundred teenage girls who were taken
from the Government Girls Secondary School in
Chibok, Borno state, on the night of 14 April. A
video released in May showed eight of the girls
speaking about their ordeal; they plead for their
release, and one says, I never expected to suffer
like this in my life. It is believed that they have
been divided into at least four groups and that
most of them are being held in camps outside
Nigeria. They are hungry, while some are unwell
and need medical attention. Pray for their safe
release and for that of other kidnapped Christians.
Thursday 30 A church on Mafa Island, part
of the Zanzibar archipelago, was attacked on 9
May by around 80 young Muslim men armed with
arrows and knives. The church members, who
are mainly converts from Islam, had gathered for
their weekly overnight prayer session when the
attackers appeared, shouting death to ritadi
(those who leave Islam). They set fre to the
church, leaving the interior in ruins, and then went
in search of the pastor, but he was not at home.
The incident followed a bomb blast at another
church in Mwanza in mainland Tanzania on 5
May, in which a worker at the church rest house
was critically injured. Pray that the authorities will
effectively address the increasing incidence of
attacks against churches.
OCTOBER 27 - 30
Sanwal Masih was raped and murdered in
Pakistan
16 BARNABAS PRAYER SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014
Friday 31 Pray for a pastor in the Kilimanjaro
region of Tanzania whose home was attacked on
17 May; two of his children were injured. When
he went to report the incident to the police, he
was falsely accused of raping a young woman
who had left Islam to follow Christ. The pastor
had taken her into his home, along with four
other converts, after she was thrown out by her
family; it was they who made the accusation
against him. He has faced much opposition
because of his fruitful outreach to Muslims,
and several failed attempts have been made to
frame him with false accusations. Pray that the
sovereign Lord will help him and that he will not
be disgraced (Isaiah 50:7-9).
OCTOBER 31
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Barnabas Fund 2014