BARNABAS FUND AID AGENCY FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH

barnabasprayer
To help you
pray for the
persecuted
church

May /june
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.

May/June 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.

May
Friday 1 A senior church leader from
Borno State, Nigeria, estimates that
the Islamist militant group Boko
Haram has killed over 20,000 people
so far, Christians being one of its
main target groups. He knows of
35-40 pastors that have been killed.
Only the Person of Jesus Christ can
stop Boko Haram, he said. Another
senior leader from Borno reported
70 of his 150 churches destroyed.
Media reports tend to underplay
the terrible violence of Boko Haram
terrorists, who have the ability to
appear suddenly in a new place
making it difficult for the Nigerian
military to protect the population
from them. Pray to the Person who
is able to stop Boko Haram through
His resurrection power, that He will
intervene to save His people and other
innocent civilians.

Saturday 2 This is just the beginning

of the killings. What youve witnessed
is a tip of the iceberg. More deaths are
coming. These were the chilling words
of Abubakar Shekau, the leader of Boko
Haram, after his Islamist militants
massacred as many as 2,000 civilians
in the north-east Nigerian town of Baga
in January. He said that the killings had
been committed at the command of
Allah. Boko Harams frequent attacks
target Christians, schools, and security
forces, as they seek to establish their
version of Islam in the territory they
control. Ask the Lord Jesus Christ to
reveal Himself to Abubakar Shekau,
and show him what God really wants
him to do. Pray that Abubakar Shekau
will become a man who does justice and
loves mercy (Micah 6:8).
Sunday 3 Heavenly Father, as we look

around the world we hear news from

every side of Your children being
attacked, especially where they are
few in number, poor and oppressed.
We feel overwhelmed by the scale of
suffering but we remember that you
are the everlasting God, Creator of
the ends of the earth, who will not
grow tired or weary. So we pray with
confidence, asking You to act in power
to deliver our brothers and sisters
from their enemies who seek to
destroy them. Please strengthen their
faith, increase their hope and enable
to them to respond with forgiveness
and love, as our Lord Jesus did, in
whose Name we pray.

Monday 4 Every church building in

Zinder, the second city of Niger, was
destroyed by Muslim rioters on 16
January. The next day riots in the capital
Niamey burned or destroyed another 55

churches, bringing the total to 72, as well

as 30 homes of pastors or Christians,
at least four Christian schools and two
orphanages. The rioters were protesting
against the publication of a cartoon of
Muhammad by the French magazine
Charlie Hebdo. Pray for the tiny
Christian minority in this desperately
poor nation, as they struggle to deal with
this destruction. Ask God to comfort
those who mourn for ten people killed
over the weekend of violence, one of
them burned to death inside a church.

Tuesday 5 After the riots in Niger in

January (see above) Christian leaders
held a press conference in which they
said that they had forgiven those who
did them harm and that persecution
was part of their life as Christians.
Their attackers could destroy
everything, said the Christians, but
they couldnt take Jesus away from
us. Pray that these words will have
a lasting impact on Muslims in Niger
and open many hearts to Jesus as Lord
and Saviour.
Wednesday 6 The deadline for gathering
signatures for Barnabas Funds petition
Save the Christians of the Middle East
was 30 April. Please pray for wisdom
as plans are made for the presentation

Thursday 7 Tial Cem, a Chin

Christian in Burma (Myanmar), built
a 16m high concrete cross on the top
of a hill in Chin State, on land owned
by another Chin Christian. On 30
January he was ordered to dismantle
it or face two years in prison. This
would make it the fourteenth
Christian cross to be destroyed in
Chin State. Christians make up 80%
of the Chin ethnic group, but they are
prevented from building churches and
are subjected to forced labour and
eviction from their lands. Praise God
for the perseverance and courage of
the Chin believers and pray that their
witness will draw many to the Lord.
Friday 8 Pray for the mainly Christian
Kachin people of Burma (Myanmar)
who have been facing a fresh onslaught
from the Burmese army in its struggle
with the Kachin Independence Army.
Hundreds of Kachin villagers who
wanted to flee were instead trapped
and used as a human shield. At the
same time, two Kachin Baptist women
in their 20s, working as voluntary
teachers, were tortured, gang-raped
and killed by the army. According to
local people, the army threatened to set
fire to the homes of anyone who spoke
of the rape. Pray for an end to the
violence against Kachin people.

May/June 2015 3

A pastors house in Niger, destroyed in

anti-Christian riots

of the petitions to various governments

and the UN. Pray that politicians and
decision-makers will take notice of the
public interest and concern indicated
by the number of signatures, and will
respond in practical ways to help the
beleaguered Christians of the Middle
East. (It is not too late to post your
signed petition sheets to your nearest
Barnabas Fund office.)

May/June 2015 4

Saturday 9 A drug and alcohol

rehabilitation centre run by Christians
in Sychevka, in north-east Kazakhstan,
is due to have re-opened in April after
being closed down for three months
for conducting religious worship,
after the police raided the centre and
found religious books. Another case
against the same centre was dropped
six months ago; the four-year case
accused its owners of inciting religious
hatred, but finally the police admitted
they had no evidence to support their
accusation. Pray for the director of the
centre, Yuri Morozov, who has been
fined because of the religious worship
charge, that he may be strengthened as
he faces these repeated attacks on him
and his ministry.
Sunday 10 Lord Jesus, we pray for

Christians seeking to be salt and light

in the very restrictive societies of
Central Asia, living with laws that grow
ever tighter. We pray for Christian
parents and their children, as more
and more legal obstacles hamper the
work of ministry to children. We
pray for church leaders who have to
wrestle with bureaucracy that seems
designed to make it impossible for
them to fulfil all the regulations
imposed on them. Please bless
them with joy, hope, perseverance
and wisdom as they respond to the
constantly changing situation. May all
they do bring glory to You.

Monday 11 Iranian Christian Ebrahim

Firouzi completed his prison sentence
on 13 January 2015 but was not
released. The judge issued a bail
demand, but when his family went to
pay it they were rejected. Ebrahim,
a convert from Islam, has been

arrested several times for his Christian

activities. Pray that the Iranian
authorities will set him free.
Tuesday 12 Around 300 Muslim
students, armed with iron bars and
sticks, ransacked Panel High School
in Bannu, north-west Pakistan, on
23 January, having jumped over the
perimeter walls and forced open the
gates. The Muslims were protesting
against a cartoon of Muhammad
published in the French magazine
Charlie Hebdo, and they selected this
school because it is a Christian school.
Whenever incidents occur in Western
countries, the faithful Pakistanis are
attacked. Christians, who are already
living in constant fear for their lives,
become even more vulnerable,
commented a Pakistani Christian. Ask
that the Lord will wonderfully protect
His faithful people in Pakistan (2 Kings
6:15-17), especially in the north-west,
where they are very few in number and
living in a strongly Islamic environment.
Wednesday 13 Hindu extremists
attacked two Christian congregations
at worship on 11 January, one in
Jehanabad, Bihar state, and the other
in Kushulanagar, Karnataka state. The
Christians were accused of forcing or
luring Hindus to convert to Christianity,
but no formal charges were brought
against them by police. Pray that
Indian Christians will not be dismayed
or discouraged by the frequent false
accusations against them with regard
evangelism but will continue to
proclaim the Good News boldly.
Thursday 14 Indian Christians
gathered in Delhi in February to
protest against church attacks. What

have we done wrong? asked one

protestor. Is serving the poor a crime,
feeding the hungry a crime, visiting the
prisoner a crime? We are not going
to stop doing good. Police forced
many of the protestors on to buses and
drove them away. Pray that the Indian
police will grant justice to Christians
and protect them from violence.

One of 208 Sri Lankan Christian families

whose flood-damaged homes have been
repaired with help from Barnabas
Saturday 16 Praise God that Pastor
Tandin Wangyal has been released
early from prison in Bhutan on 19
January after paying a fine. Pastor Mon
Thapa, who was arrested at the same

Sunday 17 O Lord, we rejoice at the rapid

rate of Church growth in China. Only You

know the number of Christian believers
in that vast country. We want to pray
today especially for our brothers and
sisters in the city of Wenzhou, which has
so many Christians that it is sometimes
called Chinas Jerusalem, and for the
rest of the province of Zhejiang in which
the city is situated. We ask for an end
to the surge of violence against church
buildings in the province last year,
during which hundreds were targeted
for demolition and at least 410 crosses
were torn down. We pray that you will
cause the Chinese authorities to look
favourably on the growing number of
Christians and recognise them as people
who contribute to a peaceful, harmonious
society. We ask this in the Name of the
Lord Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

Monday 18 A senior Kenyan Christian

leader explains, the aim of the Somali
Islamist group Al-Shabaab for Kenya
(a nation which is 80% Christian)
is to make it ungovernable, to make
the Church fearful, and to prevent
Christians from doing outreach in
Muslim areas of the country. Others

May/June 2015 5

Friday 15 Barnabas Fund has helped

to repair 208 Christian homes and
twelve church buildings in Sri Lanka.
All had been damaged by floods during
the monsoon. In this remote area of
the country, where Hinduism and
Buddhism are strongly represented,
Christians experience discrimination
and marginalisation and they knew
it was unlikely they would receive
government aid after the disaster. Thank
the Lord for the generosity of Barnabas
Fund supporters, which enables us to
help these suffering believers.

time, as they carried a sick child to a

clinic, received a lighter sentence and
was released last year. Both had been
charged with holding a religious meeting
and showing a film without approval
as well as collecting illegal funds. The
Church in Buddhist-majority Bhutan
was underground until 2008 but some
Christians are now beginning to practise
their faith openly. Pray for an easing of
restrictions against our brothers and
sisters. Pray that the release of Pastor
Tandin will encourage them as they see
their prayers answered (Acts 12:13-17).

May/June 2015 6

report that Christians are indeed

traumatised by the violence of AlShabaab militants and have started to
hide their crosses or other Christian
symbols, and to travel in unmarked
vehicles instead of vehicles painted with
Christian wording. They are afraid of
discussing Islam. The government has
banned all-night Christian meetings
because of security concerns. Will
the next generation find a Church in
Kenya? asked another senior Christian
leader earlier this year. Pray that
Kenyan Christians will heed the Lords
command to Joshua, Be strong and
courageous. Do not be terrified; do not
be discouraged (Joshua 1:9).

Thursday 21 Many Eritrean Christians

are held in prison for years, without
trial and in the harshest of conditions.
But praise God the number is much
lower than it used to be. According to
Church in Chains there are now about
300 Christian prisoners, many of them
held in Meetr prison in the remote
north-west. Pray for these brothers and
sisters, whom the Lord knows by name,
that He will sustain and comfort them.
Remember especially Dr Kiflu, Pastor
Kidane and Rev Haile, who have each
been held for eleven years. Pray also for
a group of Christian women who were
arrested at a wedding in 2006 and are
still in prison.

Tuesday 19 George Karidhimba Muriki,

a Kenyan church leader, was shot dead
by gunmen on a motorbike outside his
church in Mombasa, as people gathered
for Sunday worship on 11 January.
Although Kenya is Christian-majority
the city of Mombasa is Muslim-majority
and there have been a number of
attacks on Christians in recent years.
Pray for the Lords protection over His
people in Mombasa and that they may
react to the violence in a Christ-like way
that brings Him glory.

Friday 22 Twen is a 32-year-old

Eritrean Christian, who has been in
prison since she was arrested at a
prayer meeting in January 2005. She
has refused to sign a statement that she
will not engage in Christian activities
and therefore continues to be detained.
Once, when ill, she was allowed to
spend a month at her family home in
Asmara, but after this she made her
own way back to prison. She is active in
caring for the other women in prison.
Pray that her life may bring glory to the
Lord and be a powerful witness to the
prison guards and authorities.

Wednesday 20 We have secured a

great victory today as the body of
Christ, wrote a Tanzanian Christian
to Barnabas Fund on 6 February.
He was referring to the fact that the
Tanzanian government had withdrawn
a proposal to introduce Islamic courts
using sharia law. Thank the Lord
for this development. Pray also for
the proposed new constitution and
upcoming general election, planned for
28 October, that the Lords purposes
will be fulfilled.

Twen has been in prison in Eritrea for ten years

Saturday 23 Indias Prime Minister

Narendra Modi spoke to a Christian
audience on 17 February saying, My
government will not allow any religious
group belonging to the majority or the
minority to incite hatred against others,
overtly or covertly. This was a welcome
message, especially given that Mr Modi
is a Hindu nationalist and leader of the
BJP party, which has strongly antiChristian elements within it . Pray that
Mr Modi will follow his words with
actions that match.
Sunday 24 Lord Jesus, as we remember

Monday 25 Please continue to pray for

Iranian Pastor Farshid Fathi, a convert
from Islam, who remains in prison. On
5 March the prison imam demanded
his Bible for inspection, but Pastor
Farshid refused to hand it over because
he had permission from the prison
superintendent to have it. It is likely
that Farshid may have up to two years
added to his sentence for insulting
the imam because of this. Pray that the
Iranian authorities will lose interest
in harassing Christians who are active
in ministry, especially those from a
Muslim background. Pray that they will

Tuesday 26 Twenty-one Christians,

who had been kidnapped in Libya, were
beheaded by Islamic State (IS) militants,
the whole process shown in a video
released by IS on 15 February. Twenty
were Egyptian while one was an African,
also working in Libya. His nominal
Christian faith had been re-kindled by
the Egyptians, so that when IS came
looking for Christians he refused to save
his life by embracing Islam, but instead
embraced martyrdom. Thirteen of the
Egyptian men came from the same
village. Pray for the grieving families,
that they may find comfort in knowing
that their loved ones were martyred
because of their faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Martyrdom is considered by
the Egyptian Church to be one of the
highest gifts that God can bestow on His
faithful followers.
Wednesday 27 Praise God for the safe
arrival in Iraqi Kurdistan of the 30
containers of high quality insulated
tents and associated equipment that
will comprise Sawra (Hope) Village for
displaced Iraqi Christians. There were
various delays on the long journey by
land and sea, so pray that the setting
up of the camp will proceed swiftly.
Barnabas Fund is financing this project
to provide shelter for up to 1,000
displaced Iraqi Christians.
Thursday 28 The Saudi Arabian
government makes no provision for
religious freedom: the official religion
is Sunni Islam, its constitution is the

May/June 2015 7

the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost,

we pray for Christians in Iran who
face constant harassment from the
authorities, that they might know
the Spirits enabling as they reply to
questioning by security forces and as
they witness to their faith in prison.
May their hope and confidence be like
that of one pastor who said that he felt
sorry for the authorities as they tried to
suppress the Iranian Church, because
they did not realise their efforts were
doomed as they were trying to oppose
the work of the Holy Spirit.

cease to fear the growth of the Church

as more and more Iranian Muslims
find Christ as Lord and Saviour. Pray
for conversions of Iranians in senior
positions of authority.

May/June 2015 8

Quran, and its legal system is based

on a strict interpretation of sharia law.
No non-Muslim places of worship are
permitted, and the small number of
Saudi Christians practise their faith
in extreme secrecy. Even expatriate
Christians are sometimes punished
merely for worshipping together in
private homes. Pray that the Saudi
government will yield to international
pressure and introduce greater
religious freedom. Pray for those who
currently suffer for their faith in Saudi
Arabia. Pray that Lord will be their
strength and shield (Psalm 28:7).
Friday 29 About 35 predominantly
Christian villages cluster along the
banks of the Khabur river in northern
Syria. On 23 February they were
attacked by Islamic State (IS) militants,
who captured almost 300 Christians.
Some 1,200 families fled and Barnabas
has sent aid to assist them. Church
buildings were destroyed in the attack
including one at Tel Hurmoz, believed
to be one of the oldest in the country.
Another attack occurred on 7 March.
Pray for all the Christians, captured or
displaced, and that God will intervene
to stop the advance of IS in Syria.

Saturday 30 A week after they were

taken hostage by Islamic State (see
above), 23 of the Christian captives
from the Khabur villages in northern
Syria were freed on the condition that
would not return to their village. They
said if we returned and they captured
us again they would kill us without
any other option, said one of those
released. They would behead the men
and enslave the women. Islamic State
has already sold many Iraqi Christian
and Yazidi women as slaves, and has a
set price list, starting at 27 (34, $43)
for the oldest. Pray that the rest of the
Syrian hostages will be released, soon
and unharmed. Pray also that God will
comfort the 1,200 families who have
lost their homes and that He will give
them courage to face the future.
Sunday 31 O Triune God, we pray to

you for our Iraqi Christian sisters who

have been captured by Islamic State
militants and sold as slaves around
the Middle East. We remember also
the other non-Muslim women and all
the children, even very little ones, who
have also been captured and sold.
We pray that You will help each one
to bear the unbearable, and to know
themselves loved and treasured by
You despite the human shame they are
enduring. In Your mercy, enable them
to find their way to freedom.

June
One of the thousands of Syrian Christians
who fled their homes in villages along the
Khabur River

Monday 1 When Samuel and his

wife were baptised in Bangladesh on
2nd February, to mark their decision
to leave Islam and follow Christ, they
were attacked by local people when they
returned home that evening. An imam

slapped the wifes face in front of their

two young children and the family were
threatened that they would be expelled
from the village, where they are the only
Christians. When two other Christians
heard of this and told the police, officers
visited the village and warned the
community not to harass Samuel and
his family, because every citizen has
the right to practise their own faith in
Bangladesh. Thank the Lord for action
by the police, which is quite unusual
in a Muslim-majority context. Pray
that the family will be allowed to live in
peace as Christians.

Wednesday 3 Police in the city of Jaipur,

Rajasthan, northern India, detained
a group of 20 Christians distributing
leaflets to local residents on 26 February.
Inside the police van and at the police
station, the Christians were kicked and
beaten with belts and sticks. Then they
were released. Although the Church in
India is growing fast, so is harassment
of Christians especially those engaged in
outreach and witnessing for the Gospel.
Pray that they may count it pure joy to
face such trials and testing (James 1:2).
Thursday 4 Narmurad Mominov, a
Christian leader in Turkmenistan,
was fined on 27 February after police

Friday 5 On Sunday morning 15 March,

suicide bombers attacked two churches
in the Youhanabad neighbourhood of
Lahore, Pakistan. Youhanabad is one
of the largest Christian communities in
the country, and most of its inhabitants
are very poor. Although the combined
congregations numbered about 2,000,
only 19-20 people died because the
church member volunteers on security
duty had stopped both bombers from
entering inside the buildings. Pray
for healing for the injured (at least
80 people) and consolation for the
bereaved. Thank God for the courage
of the Christians who prevented the
bombers from doing worse damage,
some at the cost of their own lives.
Saturday 6 After the suicide bombings
against churches in Youhanabad,
Lahore, Pakistan (see above), many
local Christians protested on the
streets. Church leaders from all over the
city gathered in Youhanabad to show
their solidarity and to urge Christians to
respond peacefully. Responsibility for
the attacks was claimed by the Islamist

May/June 2015 9

Tuesday 2 One of the Christians who

went to the police on behalf of Samuel
(see above) was Paul, the Bangladeshi
pastor who baptised the couple, who is
himself a convert from Islam. The night
that he returned from the police, a mob
attacked his house, destroying the fence
and beating him up. He has now lost
his job. Please pray that the Lord will
provide for him and protect him and all
the believers whom he cares for.

raided a family home he was visiting.

The police tried to force everyone
present at the meeting to write
statements renouncing their Christian
faith and promising never to attend
religious meetings, but most refused
to do so. Narmurads fine was only 19
(27, US$29) but this is equivalent to
two weeks average income for a farmer
in the region. Pray that Christians in
Turkmenistan, especially those who
are converts from Islam, will be strong
in the Lord as they follow him in the
context of strict and burdensome
regulations and much harassment
from the authorities.

May/June 2015 10

group Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, which has

split off from the Taliban and pledged
allegiance to Islamic State (IS). They
also announced, We promise that until
an Islamic system is put into place in
Pakistan, such attacks will continue.
Pray for Pakistans Christians, who will
now be feeling very insecure in their
homeland and wondering if they will
forced out by extreme violence and
threats in a repeat of what IS is doing
in Iraq.

Some of the injured from Youhanabad in

hospital. Barnabas has sent help for medical
care, funeral costs and other needs
Sunday 7 Father God, we pray for our

brothers and sisters in North Korea,

who put their lives at daily risk by
following Your Son. We pray especially
for those detained in prison labour
camps, where they could easily die
under the harsh regime and the extra
severe treatment which they get
as Christians. Please sustain them
through hunger, pain and exhaustion.
Enable them to keep their eyes fixed on
Jesus, the author and perfecter of their
faith, who for the joy set before him,
endured the cross, scorning its shame.
In His Name we pray. (Hebrews 12:2)

Monday 8 Christian Montagnards from

the Central Highlands of Vietnam are
fleeing again to Cambodia to escape
persecution in their homeland, where
they are threatened with prison if they
practise their Christian faith. While a
few have gone to register as refugees in
the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh,
most are hiding in the jungle for fear
of being deported back to Vietnam by
the authorities. Hundreds had fled to
Cambodia in 2001 and again in 2004
after being evicted from their lands. Pray
that they may take comfort in the Lords
words of affirmation and His promise of
eternal life to those who have left homes
and fields for His sake (Mark 10:29-30).
Tuesday 9 Remember in prayer the
mainly Christian Kachin people of
Burma (Myanmar) as every day more
and more flee their villages, which are
under heavy air attack by Burmese
military. Some are taking shelter in
camps within Burma and others are
crossing the border into China. In
Northern Shan state, where it was
reported in March that there was
fighting every day, hundreds of people,
mainly women and children were newly
displaced that month. Some had lost
their husbands and fathers, killed by
the Burmese army. Barnabas Fund has
sent help. Please pray for all who are
suffering so intensely that the help they
are receiving from fellow-believers will
bring them hope, encouragement and
spiritual strength as well as relieving
their practical needs.
Wednesday 10 If I ever tried to do
this ministry in my own strength, I
would have given up long ago. But
the Lord is my joy and strength, said
Rudiman, an Indonesian church-

planter supported by Barnabas Fund.

When Rudiman received death threats,
his little congregation begged him to
hide in his house, but he told them
to trust, pray and leave it to the Lord.
Over time the new believers recognised
that Rudimans response was the
right one and this built them up in
their Christian faith. Thank the Lord
for Rudimans example and pray for
him and the 39 other church-planters
supported by Barnabas Fund in
Indonesia; all of them are ministering
in Muslim-majority areas, where they
are likely to face hostility.

Thursday 11 Most churches in

Cameroon are in the south, and church
leaders pay little attention to the plight
of fellow-Christians far away in the
north, which is very poor and where
the Islamist militant organisation Boko
Haram is active. Many people in the
north have been killed, many cattle
stolen and crops burned, more than
100 villages stand empty. Hundreds of
schools have closed down and many
church buildings have been destroyed.
Tens of thousands of Nigerian refugees

Friday 12 Every night they target a

predominantly Christian village to
plunder, wrote a pastor from Maroua,
Cameroon earlier this year, about
the activities of Boko Haram in his
country. Pray that the Cameroonian
military may win back control of the
territory that Boko Haram has taken.
Ask that the faith of the Christians will
not fail as they wait nightly to see if
they will be attacked. May they not give
way to fear, but know in their hearts a
peace that passes understanding.
Saturday 13 Christians in Mali
comprise only 7% of the population, so
they are conscious that, if Islamists were
to target them consistently, it would not
take long to overpower them completely.
The Malian Church is teaching its
members to respond to provocation
and violence with peace, to try to
overcome by the word of their testimony
(Revelation 12:11) and to be salt and
light in their society (Matthew 5:13-16).
Pray that the Lord will strengthen, guide
and enable them to live for Him in their
Muslim-majority nation.
Sunday 14 Almighty God, we join our

prayers with those of many Christians

in Africa, asking for your blessing
and guidance on believers who hold
positions of political power in their
continent. We pray that they will have

May/June 2015 11

Rudiman and his family

have sought safety there as they flee

from Boko Harams violence in their
own country. We ask prayer, prayer,
prayer for this crisis, pleaded a
Cameroonian church leader. Pray that
church leaders will have the skills to
respond effectively to this crisis and
also to bring pastoral care to those
traumatised by what they have suffered.

May/June 2015 12

wisdom and courage to use their

position to help Your people, especially
in responding to the challenges the
Church currently faces. May they
recognise that they have been given
their position for such a time as
this (Esther 4:14). We pray that other
Christians will support and pray for
their brothers and sisters in politics,
recognising that they need special help
to walk with You in such a calling. We
ask this in the Name of Christ.
Monday 15 Christians form about
a third of the population of Chad.
They are very aware of the pervasive
influence of their strongly Islamic
neighbour, Sudan which has been
seeking to re-Islamise the Muslimmajority north of Chad and to
Islamise and Arabise the Christianmajority South, where 1,000 mosques
have been planted. Muslims dominate
politics, pulling the strings even
if not in actual power. The police
force has been effectively Islamised
by the forced retirement of the older
officers who were mainly Christian. A
Muslim who converts to Christianity
may be seized by security forces and
brainwashed. Chad is surrounded
by countries where Islamist militant
groups are very active. We are sitting
on fire, said one Chadian Christian
leader, Pray for us.
Tuesday 16 In February Boko Haram
attacked targets in Chad and Niger for
the first time, apparently in retaliation
for a decision by the African Union
countries on 30 February to fight
against the Islamist insurgency
group. Christian homes in Niger
had been marked in advance with
the sign P52* to identify them for

attack. The government of Niger

invited Christians to participate
in a protest against Boko Haram,
putting them in a prominent place
at the front of the procession. Thank
the Lord for this affirmation by the
Nigerien government and pray that
both the Nigerien and the Chadian
governments will be able to prevent
Boko Haram from attacking again.
Wednesday 17 Christians in Niger
number fewer than 250,000 out
of a total population of 17 million.
Many political leaders assume that
all Nigeriens are Muslim so any
Christian is automatically regarded
as a foreigner. Pray for a change of
mindset within Niger, to recognise
that Christians and the Christian faith
can be a part of their country again, 14
centuries after Christian Berbers from
North Africa first brought the faith,
which slowly disappeared again.
Thursday 18 What happened in
the Central African Republic (CAR)
can happen in any country, said a
church leader remembering the way
in which Islamists seized political
power by force in 2013. We were
not prepared with strategies. We
realised the weakness of the Church.
He explained how church structures
did not allow the Church to resist
the persecution that followed, as the
Seleka Islamist militants destroyed
church buildings, slaughtered pastors,
and raped their wives and daughters.
Church attendance dropped, but
church leaders met together to pray
and plan a response, realising that
greater flexibility was required in order
to respond to persecution. We need
your prayers, he said. Pray for wisdom

for church leaders in CAR and that

they may be well prepared for further
challenges in their country.

Barnabas provided aid for Christian victims

of violence in CAR
Saturday 20 Although Christian
majority, the new nation of South
Sudan has declared itself a secular state.
Muslims, who are estimated at less
than 10% of the total population, are
given equal priority and visibility with

Sunday 21 Lord Jesus, we pray today

for Pastor Yat Michael, from South

Sudan, in prison in (north) Sudan along
with Pastor Peter Yien. Together they
are accused of sharing the Gospel with
Muslims, which is illegal in Sudan.
Please sustain them and give them
joy in You. We pray that their lawyer
will be guided by the Holy Spirit as he
represents them, and that they may
be released soon. We pray also for
their wives, who have been allowed
very little communication with Yat and
Peter since their arrest, that they will
not let their hearts be troubled but will
trust in You. (John 14:1)
Monday 22 Church leaders in the
Middle East lament the rapidly
diminishing light of Christian presence
there, as Christians are forced from

May/June 2015 13

Friday 19 As a church we feel we are

forgotten by the rest of the world. It is
hard to understand. Barnabas Fund is
the only organisation to this day who
has given substantial help, supporting
500 families, said a church leader
from the Central African Republic
(CAR) earlier this year, recalling aid
given by Barnabas Fund to care for
victims of anti-Christian violence.
When Islamists seized political
power by force in this 85% Christian
nation two years ago, the church
was forsaken and it was really hard
to respond. Some elements of the
population responded instead with
further violence. Pray that the current
peace may be maintained, with a
functioning government that is not
seeking to create an Islamic state in
CAR. Pray that CAR Christians will feel
themselves part of a worldwide caring
Christian family.

Christians at every formal event. As the

war-ravaged countrys infrastructure
is rebuilt, the booming construction
industry is dominated by Muslims, who
also own most of the hardware stores.
In Juba, the capital, three-quarters
of the shops are closed on Friday
afternoons because their owners have
gone to pray at the mosque. Children
are easily converted to Islam. Many
Muslims from Kenya and Uganda are
becoming South Sudanese citizens. This
situation is a great disappointment to
many South Sudanese Christians who
had so looked forward to a nation of
their own as respite from the pressures
of the strongly Islamic northern state.
The Church is unprepared and has
no planned response, commented
one South Sudanese Christian
leader recently. The Church needs
to be enlightened, empowered and
envisioned for the task. Pray for this.

May/June 2015 14

their homes and homelands by Islamist

militants and especially by the brutal
advance of Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and
Syria over the last year. The religious
cleansing effect created by ISs threats
and savagery looks set to replicate the
effects of the Armenian and Assyrian
Genocide that peaked 100 years ago,
which depleted Turkey of almost all
its Christian population. Ask the Lord
Jesus Christ to act in power to maintain
a Christian witness in the region where
He Himself lived His earthly life and
where the Gospel has been proclaimed
continuously ever since.
Tuesday 23 On 16 March the
militant group Islamic State (IS)
published photos online showing
their destruction of churches in Iraq,
replacing centuries-old crosses with
the black flag of IS. Earlier in the
month, the international media were
incensed by the IS destruction of
ancient Assyrian statues in Nimrud,
near Mosul, but little attention was
paid when the same thing is done
to the church buildings of modern
Assyrian people. Pray that the
international community will rally to
the support of Christians and other
minorities, whose very existence is
threatened by the extreme and violent
ideologies of IS.
Wednesday 24 Ethnic Fulani Muslims
killed at least 82 people from the village
of Agatu, Benue state, in Nigerias
Middle Belt in an attack at 4 a.m. on
15 March, in which they also destroyed
houses, food barns, trees and farmland.
The entire village is like a killing field,
with the stench of blood everywhere,
said a local resident. The village is
inhabited by the mainly Christian

Egba ethnic group. Frequent attacks

by Fulani Muslim herdsmen add to the
pressures faced by Nigerian Christians,
who are also a main target of Boko
Haram militants. Pray that the Lord will
comfort those who lost loved ones and
pray also for healing for the 25 villagers
who were injured in the attack.
Thursday 25 We are having the
news of 2 churches been burnt in
Bukoba, 1 in Mafia last week and 4
Christian houses have been burnt
in Sakura, Pangani, Tanga. This
update came in an email to Barnabas
Fund from Tanzania on 18 March,
giving a snapshot of the ongoing
anti-Christian violence there. The
attack on Christian homes in Sakura
came from local Muslims angered by
the way the Christians did not follow
sharia law. Pray for the protection of
Christians in Tanzania and that the
authorities will ensure they are free
to live as Christians in this Christianmajority nation.
Friday 26 A recent four-day conference
in Central Asia, funded by Barnabas,
trained 54 pastors and ministry
leaders, all from Muslim backgrounds,
to help them recognise Islamic
elements in their local culture and to
adopt a more Biblical way of life. Many
had unwittingly continued to lead a

Christian leaders conference in Central Asia

partly Islamic lifestyle, especially in

the family home, despite their decision
to follow Christ. Praise God for the
eagerness with which the participants
learned how to focus on the Bibles
teachings and to live in a more
Christian way.

Sunday 28 Heavenly Father, we pray for

our brothers and sisters in Tanzania,

who face increasing violence, with
Christian schools, churches and
Christian-owned vehicles being set on
fire, sometimes several in a week, even
though Christians form the majority
of the population. Please protect
church ministers and other Christian
workers who are particular targets of
violence. We ask that Your angels will
keep a special watch over Christians
in Zanzibar, where they are so few in
number and face so much hostility. We

Monday 29 Christians in Burundi

report that Islamisation has spread out
from the towns into the rural areas.
Many Christians are converting in
response to practical assistance from
Muslim sources; Christian girls also
convert after marrying Muslim men.
Muslims hold positions in government
and other structures of society. There
are not only Muslim schools but even
Muslim universities. The impressive
and beautiful Islamic buildings
greatly outshine the equivalent
Christian buildings. Christians see a
growing assertiveness of the Muslim
community, both on the political
scene and in terms of deliberate acts of
provocation, for example, destroying
Christian symbols in some areas, and
erecting mosques near churches. Pray
that Burundian Christians will be strong
in their faith and love for the Lord.
Tuesday 30 Muslims often pray
that Christians will be divided.
African Christians are conscious that
they are already very divided, for
example, by the plethora of African
denominations, by doctrinal issues,
and by tribal differences. Pray that
African Christians, and Christians
elsewhere too, may be brought to
complete unity to let the world know
that the Father sent the Lord Jesus
Christ and has loved believers as He
loved His Son (John 17:23).
* "P52" may be a reference to a very early
papyrus fragment of John's Gospel, and a way of
branding Christians as heretics.

May/June 2015 15

Saturday 27 The Muslim minority

in Rwanda (5%) are very active in
providing social care, for example,
schools and health centres, visiting
people in hospital, feeding the poor
and vulnerable, providing low-interest
credit, and hospital-visiting. Although
Islam was mainly found in the towns
previously, newly built mosques
are appearing at 5km intervals in
rural areas. Muslim young men are
encouraged to marry Christian girls,
who then convert to Islam. Five
hundred young Rwandan Muslims
were sent to Arab countries to study
Islam in 2008, thus creating a strong
cadre of well educated Muslim leaders
that was previously lacking. Pray that
Rwandan church leaders may be alert
to Islamic strategies in their country
and that Christians may be well
grounded in their faith.

pray that Tanzanian Christians may live

their lives wisely amongst their Muslim
neighbours and show that they are
different. (1 Peter 2:12)

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Front cover: Displaced Iraqi Christians

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Registered Charity Number 1092935 Barnabas Fund 2015