BARNABAS FUND AID AGENCY FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH

barnabasprayer
To help you
pray for the
persecuted
church

March /april
2015
barnabasfund.org

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.

March/April 2015 2

Please do not feel limited by the

specific 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.

March
Sunday 1 Father God, we ask You to
bring peace to north-eastern Nigeria,
where the murderous violence of Boko
Haram jihadists reached new depths
in the first week of January, as they
attacked the city of Baga. We are
grieved to know that the number of
people killed could be as many as 2,000
- mainly women, children and elderly.
Please comfort those who mourn, and
help our Christian brothers and sisters,
who are so often targeted by Boko
Haram, to be channels of peace and
hope to all affected by the violence. We
ask this in the Name of Your Son Jesus,
the Prince of Peace.
Monday 2 Syrian parents are very
worried at the signs of trauma that they
see developing now in their children
as the conflict in their country enters
its fifth year. Many of the children

have lost their homes, schools and

everything that was familiar; some
have lost relatives or seen with their
own eyes barbaric horrors being
committed. Next week a course funded
by Barnabas will train a group of Syrian
church leaders in trauma counselling
with a special emphasis on helping
children, teenagers and families. They
will then teach these skills to others, so
that the youngsters can be helped. Pray
for Gods blessing on the course and
that the ripples that spread out from it
will bring healing and wholeness.
Tuesday 3 Praise God for blessing a
microfinance project in South Sudan,
which Barnabas has supported in this
country so grievously afflicted with
poverty, conflict and near-famine. Eva,
a member of one of the microfinance
local groups, started a restaurant
with her microfinance loan but it was
destroyed in civil conflict. However,
the other members of the group rallied
round and, because of the small
businesses they had started with their
loans, they were able to club together
to give Eva enough to pay back her loan
and open another restaurant. Thank
the Lord for their generosity in helping
to share Evas burden (Galatians 6:2).

Eva cooking in her new restaurant

Wednesday 4 Yustina is a Tanzanian
Christian who left Islam to follow Jesus.
Last October, after discovering his

wifes conversion, Yustinas husband

beat her till she collapsed. Yustina,
who was seven months pregnant, was
rushed to a health centre. Four days
later she was discharged and returned
home, but her husband kicked her in
the abdomen, demanding that she
renounce her faith on pain of death.
Yustina was brought back to the health
centre, but soon afterwards her unborn
baby died. Please pray for Yustinas
recovery. Pray also that Yustinas
husband will be filled with remorse for
what he has done and may seek to know
Jesus Christ, for whose sake his wife
has endured so much.

Friday 6 A congregation in Bangarapet,

Karnataka state, India, were at worship
on Sunday 23 November 2014 when
around 25 Hindu militants attacked
them. The intruders vandalised the
church building, beat the worshippers
and warned them not to rebuild the
church. Pray for courage and confidence
for all the Christians and complete

Saturday 7 I was beaten and

humiliated in broad daylight just
because I belong to the Christian
community, said Elishba Bibi, a
Pakistani Christian woman. She was
talking of what happened to her on 16
November 2014 when she was beaten
and had her clothes stripped from her
by two Muslim brothers whose family
employed her as a maid. The attack
followed an alleged argument between
Elishba and the mother and sister of
the men who attacked her. Elishba,
a 28-year-old mother of four, was
pregnant at the time and suffered a
miscarriage after the attack. Although
Elishba was able to name her attackers,
the Pakistani authorities have not filed
charges against the two brothers. Pray
that Elishba will heal from her assault
and that the two brothers will be
brought to justice.
Sunday 8 Heavenly Father, we lift to

you our brothers and sisters living in

Pakistan who face growing pressure.
As we hear reports of increasing
violence and discrimination against
them, we pray that You, O Lord, will
sustain Your Church during this time
of trial. Protect them from false
accusations of blasphemy, which have
cost many Christian lives, and guard

March/April 2015 3

Thursday 5 Two Christian pastors

were attacked by a mob of 200 people
after baptising converts from the
majority religion on 9 November 2014
in Lalmonirhat, Bangladesh. The
pastors were arrested and now await
trial. The Constitution of Bangladesh
guarantees to all religions equal
status and equal right to practise their
religion. In Section 41 (1) (a) it also
gives any citizen the right to propagate
any religion. Pray that the two pastors
will be released from prison and will
not face any criminal charges. Pray
also that the Bangladeshi government
will ensure that its citizens have full
freedom of religion in practice as well
as in principle.

healing for eight who were injured,

including two Krupakar and Wilson
who had to be hospitalised with
broken legs. When the police arrived,
they did not intervene; rather, they
took Pastor Robert Solomon DSouza
for questioning. Continue to pray for
protection for our Indian Christian
brothers and sisters, especially those
in Karnataka, where anti-Christian
feelings are particularly strong.

especially the women and girls who are

so often kidnapped. We ask that You
will act in power to thwart the plans
of those who work to harm our sisters
and brothers. We pray in the Name of
the Lord Jesus Christ.

March/April 2015 4

Monday 9 President Thein Sein of

Burma (Myanmar) has approved a bill
that infringes on religious freedom.
Amongst other things, the new bill
requires anyone who wishes to convert
from one religion to another to seek
permission from the authorities or
face punishment. Please pray that
the Burmese Parliament will strike
down this law and grant true freedom
of religion, including the freedom to
choose and change their religion.

in the area to start and sustain their

own small fish farm businesses in
the last year, while still keeping time
for Biblical studies. Pray that the
Lord, who blessed His disciples with
a bounty of fish (John 21:11), will
continue to bless the work of this farm.

Bible training and fish farming combine to

help strengthen Christians both spiritually
and practically

Tuesday 10 Assailants, allegedly

hired by the Vietnamese government,
broke into a Christian centre in the
Binh Duong Province of Vietnam
late last year and tried to intimidate
the Christians. Meanwhile police
filmed the whole incident. Nine of the
Christians at the centre were arrested
for not having their identity cards
or temporary residence papers; the
Christians, however, said these had
already been taken from them by police
on a previous occasion. Pray that the
Lord will protect those Christians who
were arrested and that He will heal
those who were injured.

Thursday 12 Al-Shabaab Islamist

militants singled out and killed 28 of
60 bus-passengers during an attack
in Mandera county, Kenya on 22
November. After spraying the vehicle
with bullets, they lined up and shot all
the passengers who could not or would
not recite the Islamic creed; many
of these were Christians. Only one
individual survived, by pretending to
be dead. Pray that the assailants will
be brought to justice; pray also that the
God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3)
will give comfort to those who have lost
loved ones in this tragedy and to all
Christians living in the area, knowing
themselves to be vulnerable to attack.

Wednesday 11 Give thanks to God

for the ministry of a fish farm and
Bible school located in a South-East
Asian country where Christians are
severely persecuted. With funding
from Barnabas, the manager Sarah
and four other staff helped around
300 impoverished Christian families

Friday 13 In the early hours of 2

December Al-Shabaab militants in
Kenya killed 36 non-Muslim stone
quarry workers, mostly Christians.
Around 50 assailants descended upon
the camp and separated the Muslims
from the non-Muslims. Some nonMuslims were ordered to lie on the

ground and were shot in the back of

the head, while others were dragged
out of their tents and beheaded. Please
pray for those who lost friends and
family in this attack; pray also that the
violence will end and that the Kenyan
government will succeed in stopping
the murderous activities of Al-Shabaab.

Sunday 15 Lord, we pray today for Syria,

which has now endured four years of

bitter civil war, causing around half
the population to flee their homes. We
read in Your Word that you hate those
who love violence (Psalm 11:5) and we
ask that You will have mercy on that
suffering country and bring peace and
justice there. We remember especially
our Christian brothers and sisters,
who have been targeted for a long
time by the Islamist rebel groups and
in recent months even more severely
by the Islamic State group. Thank

Barnabas Fund is providing food and other

basic needs for Christians in Syria
Monday 16 Pray that the Lord will
have His hand over Egypt as its people
vote in a parliamentary election that
starts on 21 March. In recent months
the Egyptian government has moved
to a more moderate attitude towards
Christians with constitutional and legal
moves towards lifting restrictions on the
construction of church buildings. Please
pray that the newly elected members
of parliament will use their powers to
make further progress towards equality
and full religious liberty for all in Egypt.
Tuesday 17 Lift up in prayer Bishoy
Boulous Armia, an Egyptian Christian
journalist and convert from Islam, who
was arrested on 4 December 2013 for
airing a report on the persecution of
Christians in Egypt. After spending a
year in prison, he was released when
his lawyer filed a complaint that Bishoy
had not been set bail in accordance
with the judicial code; nevertheless, the
following day, Bishoy (whose former
name was Mohammed Hegazy) was
re-arrested and remains in prison for
blasphemy charges filed against him
in 2009. At the time of writing, no trial

March/April 2015 5

Saturday 14 In spite of the silence

of the media about Syria and mainly
Aleppo, we are back to the early days of
the war, where there is a lack of every
essential thing: electricity, water, gas
and fuel for heating in such a bitter
winter. Just imagine how the families
with kids and elders are surviving and
continuing their lives. The explosions
and mortars are increasing and causing
more damage in our midst. This was
an email message to Barnabas Fund
from a Christian leader in Aleppo on
26 December. A few days later he wrote
again to say that the temperatures
were now as low as -7C. And they had
nothing but blankets to try to keep
warm. Please continue to lift up our
suffering brothers and sisters in Syria,
that the Lord will protect them and
provide for their needs.

you that many have found their faith

strengthened in these times of constant
hardship and danger and have grown in
their love and commitment to You. May
they shine for You in these dark times.
We pray in the Name of Jesus.

date had been set for these accusations.

Pray that the Lord will protect Bishoy
and that the charges will be dropped.

March/April 2015 6

Wednesday 18 Reports from the

formerly Christian-majority city of
Qaraqosh in Iraq, speak of Christians
being forced to convert to Islam,
perhaps by the use of torture, while
held in two church buildings that have
been turned into prisons. And at least
two churches in Mosul, Iraq are being
used as prisons by Islamic State (IS)
jihadists, while others have been turned
into mosques, IS logistical command
centres or destroyed. Pray that the
Lord will bring liberation to this area
and that He will protect those who are
currently imprisoned.
Thursday 19 Please pray for the
speedy and safe establishing of Sawra
(Hope) Village to provide comfortable
tented accommodation for up to 1,000
displaced Christians in Iraqi Kurdistan.
The tents, formerly used by the British
army in Afghanistan, have been bought
by Barnabas Fund and transported by
land and sea to a plot of land generously
provided by the Governor of Dohuk.
Pray that the Christians living in Sawra,
who have lost everything they owned
and have no expectation of ever being
able to return to their homes, may be
joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and
faithful in prayer (Romans 12:12).

The bitter Iraqi winter: Sawra Village will provide

warm shelter for displaced Iraqi Christians

Friday 20 Islamic State (IS) is seeking

to eradicate from the area it controls
everyone who does not follow its brand
of strict Sunni Islam. It now seems
they are trying to do this not only for
the present and future but also for
the past. They are confiscating and
burning any books imported into their
territory of which they disapprove,
including a 900-page encyclopaedia
of the history of Christians in Iraq.
Havent Christians suffered enough
killing and displacement? I do not know
what scares terrorists about this book!
commented the Muslim publisher.
Observers comment that IS are trying
to cleanse history of Christians, Yazidis,
Shias and all others who disagree with
them. Ask the Lord Jesus, who said
I am the Truth, (John 14:6) to stop
this process. Thank Him for the many
Iraqi Muslims who have affirmed the
important place of Christians (the
indigenous people of the land) in
their society.
Saturday 21 The Maleme ostrich
farm, which provides employment and
skills training for local Zimbabweans
through its Ebenezer programme, is
under threat. At the time of writing, the
authorities are in the process of seizing
the land, ordering its Christian owners
to abandon everything. The farm
generates enough income to sustain
the Shalom facilities, a much-used
campsite for Christian organisations
that has been running since 1958. Both
Ebenezer and Shalom would have to be
closed down if the land is taken. Pray for
wisdom for the leaders of Ebenezer and
Shalom as relate to the authorities over
the injustice they are suffering. Pray
that Gods justice will prevail and that
the land will be kept for His purposes.

Sunday 22 Lord God, we lift to you

the 37 young Christians arrested on
2 December at a church in Khartoum
Bahri, Sudan, while they were praying
and fasting together. Oh God of
peace, heal them from the trauma of
experiencing the police storming their
building with bulldozers and starting
to demolish it. Oh God of wisdom,
may the testing of their faith develop
perseverance, making these young
believers mature and complete (James
1:3). Oh God of justice, touch the hearts
of those who charged these prayerful
youngsters with breach of peace,
public nuisance and obstruction of a
public servant during the course of his
duty and lead them to see the injustice
of these accusations.

Tuesday 24 A fire broke out in Istanbuls

Bible Correspondence School on 7

Wednesday 25 Cry out to the Lord

on behalf of Farshid Fathi, an
Iranian Christian who was arrested
in December 2010 for illegally
distributing Bibles. He is still in
prison and since August 2014 has
been held in to Rajai Shahr prison,
Karaj where he is sharing an open cell
with hardened criminals and drug
addicts. Pray that the Lord will protect
him from harm and that he will be
a bold and effective witness to those
around him.
Thursday 26 Give thanks to our
Heavenly Father for the release of
Iranian Pastor Matthias Haghnejad
and Deacon Silas Rabbani both of
whom have been cleared of all charges.
Although they were at one point
potentially facing the death penalty for
spreading corruption on earth and
enmity against God, these charges
were dropped and were replaced with
action against national security
and creating a network to overthrow
the system which have less severe
punishments. Then on 9 December
both men were informed that all
the charges were dropped and were
released to return for their families.
Thank God for keeping these men
from harm and watching over their
lives (Psalm 121:7).

March/April 2015 7

Monday 23 Last December Pastor Yat

Michael from South Sudan travelled
to Sudan with his family so that his
son could have surgery. While there
Pastor Yat visited the Khartoum Bahri
Evangelical Church to stand with them
in their time of persecution (see 22
January) and was arrested at the end of
their Sunday worship on 14 December.
He was detained without charges and
without being allowed to see his family.
He chose to be humiliated with the
children of God who are suffering
without help at the hands of the Islamic
government in Khartoum, wrote a
fellow-pastor, urging prayer that the
Lord would glorify His Name in the
situation facing Pastor Yat and his
family. Pray that our brother may soon
be released and may rejoice that he was
counted worthy to suffer disgrace for
the Name (Acts 5:41).

December that destroyed roughly

20,000 books. It is thought to have
been the result of an arson attack, and
security camera footage showed a man
leaving the building just after the fire
started. At the time of writing, the
Turkish police have a suspect in custody.
Thank the Lord that no one was hurt
in the blaze and pray that the Schools
ministry may soon be fully active again.

March/April 2015 8

Friday 27 Two church congregations

in Azerbaijan have been told by the
authorities that they must dissolve
themselves and re-register as religious
organisations. Otherwise they will not
be able to be registered, which is a legal
requirement. The churches had been
trying hard to get registered, but the
applications, submitted in 2009, were
recently rejected. Currently, they are
not allowed to rent premises to conduct
meetings. Pray that the new applications
from these congregations will be quickly
processed and accepted. Pray also that
they will be able to meet together for
worship without danger of harassment.
Saturday 28 Continue to pray for
Aasia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian
mother who has been on death row
since November 2010. The Lahore
High Court rejected her appeal at the
end of last year, thereby confirming
the death sentence. Aasia was accused
of blasphemy a crime that carries
a mandatory death sentence by her
Muslim co-workers after an argument
where they attacked Aasias Christian
beliefs. Aasias husband, Ashiq Masih,
has written to Pakistans president,
Mamnoon Hussain, asking him to
pardon Aasia Bibi so that she can
be released and allowed to leave the
country. She is also making an appeal
to the Supreme Court. Pray that the
life of this innocent Christian woman
will be spared.
Sunday 29 Our Father in Heaven, we

lift before you Iranian Pastor Behnam

Irani, who has had his prison sentence
extended by six years under the
charges of actions against the state
and actions against national security.
We thank You, Lord, that Pastor Irani no

longer faces the death penalty, as the

courts found him innocent of enmity
against God. We ask that You, Oh Lord,
will put Your healing hand upon Pastor
Irani, who continues to struggle with
health issues, and that he will not lose
heart as the long years of imprisonment
stretch ahead of him. We ask all this in
the Name of the Lord Jesus.
Monday 30 The Syrian Orthodox
Cathedral in Aleppo, Syria, was
attacked by Islamist militants at
Christmas and badly damaged. To
attack such a building at such a time
sends a very threatening message to
all the Christians of Aleppo as well
as causing them great sorrow. While
Christians in Syria are frequently
targeted by Islamists, Christian holy
days, such as Christmas and Easter,
are often periods where believers are
most vulnerable. Ask the Lord to show
mercy to His people, rescue them
from the hands of their enemies and
enable them to worship and serve Him
without fear (Luke 1:72-74).

The damaged cathedral in Aleppo

Tuesday 31 Noah McMahon attends
La Costa Heights Elementary School
in California, USA. Noah and his
grandparents were told by school
officials that he could no longer take his
Bible to school for free reading time as
it is a religious text. The National Center

for Law & Policy has issued a letter to

the school district on behalf of Noahs
family stating that this policy violates
the Constitution and threatening the
district with legal action unless a formal
apology is issued, granting permission
for students to read religious texts
during free reading times. Please pray
that the school district will relent,
allowing all students the option to read
the Bible in school if they choose.

April

Thursday 2 Praise God for the newly

reconstructed Christian school in
North Kivu, Democratic Republic
of the Congo. With a total of 393
pupils, this school provides a safe,
clean environment as well as a
sense of normality in this war-torn
country. Before Barnabas aided in
the reconstruction of the school, the
building was severely dilapidated

Friday 3 As we think today of the death

of the Lord Jesus, let us thank God for
His unceasing love and mercy towards
sinners and for the gift of salvation.
Let us intercede for those whose faith
is being tested even today through
persecution. Pray that they may be
strengthened by remembering that
Christ too endured great opposition.
Pray that we and they may fix our eyes
on Jesus, the author and perfecter
of our faith, who for the joy that was
set before Him, endured the cross,
scorning its shame, and sat down at
the right hand of the throne of God
(Hebrews 12:1-3).
Saturday 4 Roughly half the population
of Syria has been forcibly displaced
since the start of the conflict in 2011.
Last year it was estimated that 9,500
more were displaced each day. Amongst
them are many hundreds of thousands
of Christians. As we remember the
day between our Lords death and His
resurrection, when His disciples were
hopeless and fearful, having lost the
anchor of their lives and not knowing
what would happen in the future, pray
for our Syrian brothers and sisters who
have fled their homes in the face of
terrible threats and violence. Some are
in neighbouring countries but most are
within Syria itself. Their past is gone,
and the future looks hopeless. Pray that
in this time of calamity, they will yet
rejoice in the Lord (Habakkuk 3:16-18).

March/April 2015 9

Wednesday 1 Please pray for Sudan

as the country holds Presidential and
National Assembly elections on 2 April.
The current president, Omar al-Bashir,
who has been in office since 1993,
has made clear his intention to make
Sudan a fully Islamic state. Sharia has
been in place for many years and, since
the secession of the mainly Christian
South Sudan in 2011, the process of
Islamisation has accelerated. Sudanese
Christians have been arrested,
interrogated and detained without
charge; churches are being demolished
and Christian institutions closed. Please
pray that Sudan will elect a president
and assembly who will guide the
country in a fresh direction, towards
greater freedom and equality for all.

with its roofs dotted with bullet holes.

The new complex has two offices, 20
toilets, a chapel and twelve classrooms,
which are filled with new desks and
blackboards. Pray that the Lord will
bless and protect this school and all
who study or teach there.

Sunday 5 Father God, on this Easter

March/April 2015 10

Sunday, we praise you for Your mighty

strength and power that raised
Christ from the dead. We pray for
our persecuted brothers and sisters
that they may be encouraged as they
remember the hope to which You
have called us and the riches of Your
glorious inheritance. We pray that your
resurrection power and the hope of
glory may sustain those suffering today
for Your Names sake and that they may
live in the light of that eternal hope.
In Christs Name, we ask. (Ephesians
1:17-20)

Monday 6 Sixteen Christians were

attacked in Singareny Colony of
Sarurnagar in Indias southern city
of Hyderabad by a group of Hindu
radicals. The attack took place on the
evening of 13 December, while Pastor
Bhim Nayak and 15 members of his
congregation were singing carols
while visiting other Christian families.
The group of radicals surrounded
the churchs hire vehicle, smashed
its windows and dragged out the
Christians, while beating them with
sticks and clubs. The Hindu group
claimed that the carollers were
attempting to convert people by force:
a crime in many parts of India. Please
pray for healing as Pastor Nayak and
four other Christians were hospitalised.
Pray also that the Lord will bring the
assailants to justice.
Tuesday 7 Give thanks to the Lord for
another 282 houses built for Indian
Christians in Kandhamal, Orissa state.
The massive anti-Christian attacks
carried out by Hindu extremists in
2007-2008 not only killed many
Christians but also left about 60,000

homeless. With the aid of our

supporters, Barnabas Fund has been
helping to repair or construct new
homes for the Christians affected. The
total completed is now 1,226. Some
of the houses have been built with
labouring help from Hindus who had
attacked the Christians in the 2007-8
riots and have now apologised. Praise
God for their change of heart and for
showing it in such a practical way.

An Indian Christian family and their new home

Wednesday 8 Lift up in prayer a
congregation in New Delhi, India whose
church was set on fire on 1 December,
reducing the interior to ashes. Because
empty kerosene cans were discovered
at the site, the members of the church
believe that the fire was a result of an
arson attack. They also believe that an
attack in a church in Indias capital city
sends a significant message of threat to
the Christian community. Please pray
that the police will conduct an unbiased
investigation into this fire; they have
suggested it may have been due to a
short circuit.
Thursday 9 Many of the poorest
Christians in India are denied
government benefits due to their
faith because they are not given the

normal government benefits provided

to Dalits. Dalit Muslims suffer the
same discrimination, but Dalits who
are Hindus, Buddhists or Sikhs are
eligible for preferential treatment in
jobs and education. Dalits are the
lowest level of Indias stratified social
system in India and used to be known
as untouchables. Please pray that our
Dalit brothers and sisters will know
themselves to be the Lords treasured
possession (Malachi 3:17) even though
they are despised by the majority of
Indian society.

Saturday 11 Pray for the friends and

family of Dr Magdy Sobhy Tawfiq, his
wife Sahar and their eldest daughter
Catherine, following the murder of the
Egyptian Christian family, who lived
in Libya. Magdy and Sahar were killed
in their home; Catherine was abducted

Sunday 12 Lord Jesus, we lift to You

our brothers and sisters in Algeria.
Thank you for the wonderful way in
which the Church there is growing in
this generation. In a country where it is
illegal for a Christian to share their faith
with a Muslim, we thank you for the
boldness of the believers. We ask that
you will protect them from harassment
by the authorities, by local communities
or by their own unbelieving relatives.
We also ask that you will protect Your
people from al-Qaeda, who has been
active in the country. We ask in Your
Name, Lord Jesus Christ.
Monday 13 Praise God for the
Indonesian polices new policy
towards religious freedom. Under
the administration of the previous
Indonesian President, Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono, religious intolerance issues
were largely neglected resulting in
violence towards Christians and other
religious minorities going unpunished;
however, under the influence of the
new administration of President
Joko Widodo, who is an advocate
for religious diversity and tolerance,
the police chief General Sutarman
announced that the police would not
tolerate any groups who used religion as
an excuse to act as vigilantes or attack
houses of worship. Pray that the new
policy will be upheld equally for all
religions and that all Indonesians will
be to worship freely and safely.

March/April 2015 11

Friday 10 Pray for 13 Egyptian

Christians who were kidnapped in early
January while working in Sirte, Libya, a
city controlled by Islamist militias. The
Christians were taken at gun point from
a residential compound in the middle of
the night. According to local residents,
the masked gunmen separated the
Christians from their Muslim coworkers before handcuffing them and
taking them away in cars. Shortly
afterwards the Islamic State groups
branch in Libya announced that they
had captured 21 Christians. At the time
of writing it is unclear exactly who has
been kidnapped and who released, but
our Heavenly Father knows. Ask Him
to protect His children in Libya. Eleven
months before the kidnapping, seven
Egyptian Christians were shot dead and
their bodies found near Benghazi, the
second city of Libya.

and her body found two days later on

Christmas Day. Pray especially for
Catherines two younger sisters to be
comforted in their grief. The attack
came after Catherine (14) had been
threatened by Muslims for not wearing
the Islamic veil.

March/April 2015 12

Tuesday 14 Last Christmas the

Brunei government banned all public
celebrations and even Christmas
decorations lest Muslims should be
led astray. The tiny, oil-rich state on
the island of Borneo, ruled by Sultan
Hassanal Bolkiah, is strictly Islamic.
A year ago the Brunei government
announced the phased introduction
of a penal code based on sharia law,
eventually to include penalties such
as amputation and death by stoning.
Please pray that the Lord will protect
His Church in Brunei and that the
Sultan and his government will grant
freedom of religion to its citizens.
Wednesday 15 "In the Bible God says
that he can talk to people, even in
their dreams I pray that they find
that God is forgiving and merciful
and that they stop doing what it is
that they're doing." These were words
of Mercy, one of the 200+ mainly
Christian school girls from Chibok
who were abducted by the Nigerian
Islamist group, Boko Haram, exactly
a year ago. Mercy jumped from a
truck into which the girls had been
forced by their kidnappers, but most
of the girls did not manage to escape.
Boko Haram says they have now been
converted to Islam and married to its
fighters. Please continue to lift them up
in prayer as well as all others who have
been abducted by Boko Haram. Add
your prayers to Mercys that the Lord
will speak to the Boko Haram jihadists
and bring them to repentance and
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thursday 16 Tohar Haydarov, a
Christian from Tashkent in Uzbekistan,
was given a ten-year jail sentence on
false charges of selling drugs. Tohar is

currently serving his time in a labour

camp near Karshi, which is roughly
250 miles away from his home.
Because of this long distance, friends
from Tohars church are unable to visit
him very often. Please pray that the
Lord will keep Tohar safe as he serves
the rest of his jail sentence and that the
Lord, who sets the lonely in families
and leads out the prisoners with
singing, will comfort him during this
time (Psalm 68:6).
Friday 17 Give thanks to the Lord for
His wonderful provision as a Kyrgyz
congregations twelve-year-long
fervent prayer for a church building
has been answered. The impoverished
congregations savings, combined with
Barnabas Funds contribution, was
enough to buy a building that, after
some repairs, will become their place of
worship and ministry. The congregation
has been evicted three times from
rented properties because they are
active in evangelism amongst Muslims.
Pray that the Lord will protect them,
their building and their ministry.
Saturday 18 Lift up in prayer
Iskandar, a pastor in Central Asia
who was tortured by the police for
owning a Bible. Just before he was due
to leave to take part in a Barnabasfunded Bible seminar, Iskandar was
arrested and held at the police station
for three days. After beating him, the
police tried to pressure him to reject
Christ and write false accusations
against other church leaders. When
he refused, they undressed him
and exposed him to minus 25C
temperatures outside. Upon release,
Iskandars family was slandered on
television, the community turned

against them and Iskandar lost his job.

Barnabas Fund has helped with his
medical expenses.

Sunday 19 Lord Jesus, we lift up to

you Noreen, a 14-year-old Pakistani
Christian girl who was abducted,
forcibly converted to Islam and
married to a 35-year-old Muslim
man. We thank you for the courage of
your servant, Dr Rafaqat Masih, who
managed to coordinate the return
of Noreen to her family by meeting
with local influential Muslims. Please
protect Noreen, now in hiding in a
Barnabas-funded refuge. She cannot
return to live with her own Christian
family as Muslims have threatened to
kill her for apostasy if she does. We
praise you for Noreens declaration
that she wants to remain in Christ
and ask that You will send Your Holy
Spirit to comfort Noreen and also to
teach her more of what it means to
follow You. We ask in Your Name.
(John 14:26)

Tuesday 21 Aimujiang Yimiti, a Uighur

Christian from Xinjiang province in
north-west China, is serving a 15year sentence in a labour camp for
preaching Christianity among people
of Uighur ethnicity. Uighurs are a
mainly Muslim people-group and
Alimujiang was himself brought up as
a Muslim. In 2008 local authorities
accused Aimujiang of using his
business as a cover for his preaching,
and he was later arrested. Although he
is legally entitled to one visitor every
month, the prison authorities have
restricted him to one visitor every
three months. Pray that Aimujiang will
remain strong in the Lord and that his
wife and children will not lose heart as
the long years pass.
Wednesday 22 A Barnabas Fund
supported Christian hostel in the
Kandhamal district of Orissa state
in India provides accommodation
for Christian boys and enables them
to attend a school located next to the
hostel building. In August 2008 Orissa
experienced massive anti-Christian
riots leaving many children orphaned

March/April 2015 13

Iskandar and his daughter

Monday 20 North Korea is regularly

named as the worst country in the
world to be a Christian. All North
Koreans are expected to follow Juche
(self-reliance), an extreme cult of
personality that venerates the ruling
Kim family. Other belief systems are
viewed as a threat to the regimes
authority, and it is illegal to be a
Christian or take part in any Christian
activity. Those caught may be detained
in prison labour camps, where they are
abused, tortured and worked to death.
Pray that the Lord will sustain His
growing North Korean Church.

March/April 2015 14

and impoverished. The 39 boys at the

hostel have all suffered discrimination
and persecution. The staff are seeing
very positive changes in the boys as
they learn to feel more confident and no
longer see themselves as inferior, even
though society may despise them. Pray
that the Lord, who blessed children
(Luke 18:16), will continue to pour out
His favour upon those who live in this
hostel as learn and grow in the grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ.
Thursday 23 Pray for the many tens
of thousands of displaced Christians
in northern Iraq. These Christians
ran for their lives last year to escape
the terror of Islamic State militants;
most arrived at their places of refuge
with just the clothes on their backs.
Barnabas Fund provided food, hygiene
kits, water tanks, medicines, tents,
beds, pillows, mattresses, kitchen
utensils and cookers. During the winter
they received warm clothes, heaters,
kerosene oil, rugs and blankets. Pray
that the Prince of Peace will protect
His church during this time of severe
testing and that He will continue to
meet their physical needs.
Friday 24 Pray for displaced Syrian
Christians currently living in a refuge
shelter under a church hall in the Wadi
al-Nasara (Valley of the Christians),
which Barnabas helped to build and
equip. Despite all that they have lost,
these families have bonded together
and created a loving community
within the shelter. We have almost
everything we need here, said J., the
13-year-old daughter of one family,
So I want to thank everyone who
supported building this shelter and
help us during the war to have a place

to live in. Please pray that this shelter

remains safe and that the Lord will
continue to provide for these families.

Displaced Christian families in Syria

Saturday 25 Praise God for answering
prayer for Benjamin, a Cameroonian
convert from Islam to Christianity. In
order to punish him for his decision
to follow Christ, he had been falsely
accused of being a member of Boko
Haram, to ensure that he was
arrested and ill-treated by the
Cameroonian army. It is thanks to
the prayers of brothers and sisters
mobilised across the world, said a local
church leader to Barnabas Fund, at the
same time thanking us for the grant
we gave to help Benjamin and pay his
lawyers fees.
Sunday 26 Father God, we cry to

you for Christians in Somalia who

live constantly under the threat of
death either from the jihadist group,
al-Shabaab, or from other Muslims
outraged by their decision to leave
Islam and follow Your Son, the Lord
Jesus Christ. We pray that You will
hinder the plans of all who work to find
ways to eradicate all Christian presence
from Somalia. Protect Your faithful
children and deliver them from evil. We
ask this in Christs name.

Monday 27 The last few years have

seen a sharp rise in the number of
state-sponsored violations of religious
freedom in Cuba. Church members
and their leaders have been beaten,
detained and harassed. Pastors have
been arrested for preaching and
congregations discouraged from
gathering for worship. Christian
human rights activists have been
targeted and prevented from attending
services. Despite Cubas attempt to
control Christian activity, Christianity
has grown in the past few years. Give
thanks to the Lord for Church growth
in Cuba despite the restrictions and
harassments that Christians endure.

Wednesday 29 Pray for Munir and

Ruqqiya, a Pakistani Christian couple
who were falsely accused of blasphemy
by their Muslim neighbours. The
accusations came after Munir and

March/April 2015 15

Tuesday 28 Lift up in prayer the new

president of Sri Lanka, Maithripala
Sirisena, who was elected on 9
January. He heads a coalition that
includes both moderates and the
radical Buddhist party which proposed
an Anti-Conversion Law (shelved
in 2005). Under his predecessor,
President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who
ruled over the country for a decade,
Sri Lankan Christians have suffered
greatly. Sri Lankas constitution gives
Buddhism the foremost place and
there is a violent, Buddhist extremist
movement which targets churches
and their leaders. Pray that the Lord
will use the new president to end the
oppression of His people and other
non-Buddhists in Sri Lanka and that
the new administration will implement
true freedom of religion for all.

Ruqqiyas children had an argument

with some Muslim children. The
Pakistani courts found the couple
innocent; however, they are now
outcasts in their society. Munir was
previously an oil trader, but now he
can only find work as a daily labourer
a few days a month, reducing his
family to permanent poverty. Although
Barnabas is providing food for the
family, please pray that the Lord will
protect and provide for Munir and
Ruqqiyas family.

Munir and Ruqqiya

Thursday 30 In Pakistan, the
government has issued a new law
concerning the punishment of
terrorists. After the terrible Peshawar
Army School bombing in December
2014, in which 141 people (mostly
children) were killed, the Pakistani
government passed a law calling for
stricter punishments for terrorists
who target individuals for religious
purposes, who will now be tried in
a military court. Pray that this law
will be effective in providing a level
of protection for Christians and other
Pakistanis who have faced violence at
the hands of radical Islamists.

UK
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Barnabas Fund 2015
Front cover: Armenian Christian
deportees on their long journey.
Syria. 1915
Barnabas Fund is a Company
registered in England Number
4029536. Registered Charity
Number 1092935