Open Doors USA
International Day of Prayer Open Doors USA Open Doors is marking the International Day of Prayer (IDOP) for the Persecuted Church on Sunday, November 1. IDOP is a time set apart for us to remember thousands of our Christian brothers and sisters around the world. Curry reminds us that this should hit close to home because “these are real people. They have family. These are not numbers on a page. These are real individuals. We need to lift them up. Pray for those who are in chains as if it were yourself. These are our blood relatives, so let’s pray for them on the International Day of Prayer and throughout the year.”
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Abu Fadi, a Christian from Mosul who fled ISIS in August 2014, died on Oct. 13 from complications due to diabetes and high blood pressure. His family’s home, money and all of their belongings were seized by the Islamic extremists. As they fled the city, they were stopped at ISIS checkpoints, where Abu repeatedly told guards that he wanted to remain a Christian. After making it to a safe location in another country, Abu decided to be baptized. “Praise the Lord for his recent baptism and the pure joy he had in his life these past few months,” a VOM worker said. Please pray for Abu’s wife and family as they mourn his loss.
Pray for Family of Abu Fadi iCommitToPray
Khalida was seriously injured in the September 2013 suicide bomb attack on the All Saints Church in Peshawar, Pakistan. She will need another surgery to repair her eardrum as well as treatment for a weak bladder. She was pregnant at the time of the attack and lost her baby after being struck with shrapnel from the explosion. Doctors have told her that she still has shrapnel in her body that will need to be removed. Pray for her continued recovery.
Please pray for our brothers and sisters in Aceh province where extremists demanding church closures clashed violently with Christians this week.
Hardliners reportedly burned down four churches in southern Aceh, which is under Sharia (Islamic law). One man was killed and four others were wounded during violent clashes at a church in Dangguran in Aceh Singkil district on Tuesday, as Christians tried to defend their church against hundreds of armed men. Release partners say the dead man, who was shot in the head, was a Christian, although police have yet to confirm his identity. Tensions flared after an Islamic youth group demanded that the Government demolish 21 churches on Aceh which they said did not have an appropriate permit. Local officials had reportedly agreed to act – but hardliners then 'took matters into their own hands', police said. Indonesian President Joko Widodo appealed for calm yesterday and ordered officials to take firm action to 'establish peace and religious harmony'.
Some disconcerting news just broke for SAT-7 Arabic in Cairo, Egypt. On Saturday 10th October, President of SAT-7 USA, Rex Rogers explains, “The authorities in Cairo came unannounced to SAT-7’s offices with search warrants.” These were officers from Egypt’s Censorship Department, he says, adding, “They took equipment, they took materials, and they took the executive director and detained him, suggesting that we didn’t have a series of licenses to operate the facility.”
The Office Director, Mr. Farid Samir, was detained for 6 hours but then released after an 11 October hearing at the Public Prosecutor’s Office. “He has to return, however, because there are still some legal issues that have to be worked through.” Rogers says Samir faces four charges relating to operating a satellite TV channel without the necessary licenses, although the SAT-7 Egypt office is a program production facility and not a satellite broadcast center for any of the SAT-7 channels. ”We can say ‘Praise God!’ Through our local protestant Church under which we operate there in Cairo, we had an appropriate attorney. In fact, there were three attorneys present,” notes Rogers, adding that the attorneys were able to answer almost all of the charges. (The work of SAT-7 Egypt is carried out under the legal umbrella of the Coptic Evangelical Church, but its services are in support of all the Church denominations in Egypt.) According to information released through SAT-7 International, throughout the course of the hearing, it soon became clear that all charges are based on a lack of and/or incorrect information... My faithful father has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. All my prayer is that God's purposes are served; my family is raised and many graces given through his offering. Thank you for prayers and I add mine for those suffering around the world. Our most heartfelt prayers are with you, Katy. I must post your beautiful prayer as well: A prayer offered to our Heavenly Father for His divine providence for all those fighting fires. Oh, how exhausted they must be, and how hard for them to go on... Father, help them to imitate your most gracious Son who gave all He had for our benefit. Teach us all to offer our pains and trials to You -- in union with those of our Sweetest Savior. And, though we do not deserve these favors, grant them for the sake of Jesus' most sacred and loving heart, Who desires our salvation.
Amen. “Zahirah,” a Christian convert from Islam, was abused by her husband long before she became a Christian. And her husband became even more violent when she put her faith in Christ. She and her children left home and are now living in a building shared by several families. Zahirah is sharing her faith with a Syrian couple with a Muslim background. Though the wife has had a vision of Jesus, the couple decided to become more devout Muslims for fear that their relatives would kill them if they converted to Christianity. “Jesus died for me,” Zahirah said. “How can I give him less? I need to give my whole life for Him.” The Syrian couple told Zahirah that they are now reconsidering their decision. Please pray for this couple. Pray also for Zahirah as she pursues her ministry, and pray that she will be granted legal custody of her children.
Asia Bibi Living in 'Hell Hole' in Pakistan Prison by Beth Stolicker Mission Network News ...Prisoners like Asia are never allowed to go outside. Asia has only traveled to court and to the hospital since she was locked up in Multan Jail.
She must be very lonely. Usually, prisoners in solitary confinement are not allowed to see any visitors. It’s unlikely she is able to meet with her husband and/or children. If she does, they will never be left alone by the guards. Talking openly or slipping messages is out of the question. She must miss her children terribly. Many fellow inmates have children in the prison. They stay with their (single) mothers until the age of seven. Their crying and occasional laughter often fill the corridors. What are the effects of this kind of imprisonment on the soul? A Pakistani trauma counselor says, “Someone like Asia Bibi would not have been prepared for the trauma of this long-term separation from her loved ones. When she comes out and is free from the shackles of this sentence, she will suffer much mental pain, and it will be a long healing process for her. The evil of injustice, unfair punishment, and separation from her family will have eroded her sense of what is normal. She will need to rebuild it tenderly with fragile care and concern from her loved ones... Prayer Alert, October 5th, 2015 Release International
This month we are focusing on Canadian pastor Hyeon Soo Lim who was detained by the North Korean Government in February.
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) appears to be clamping down on international aid groups in the country. Pastor Lim, who has visited North Korea many times during the past 20 years, was unexpectedly detained and accused of anti-DPRK activities. In recent months several aid workers have been deported from North Korea while several others have been charged, sentenced and sent to labour camps in the country. Release's partners are monitoring the case. Please pray that Pastor Lim will be released. Please consider writing a simple card or letter of encouragement to Pastor Lim's family (see attached pdf). Thank you for all your support for Christians who have been imprisoned for their faith. By praying for, supporting and writing to, and on behalf of, prisoners of faith you are fulfilling the biblical exhortation to 'REMEMBER THOSE IN PRISON.' (Hebrews 13:3). Please forward this email to Christian friends so that they can pray and act too. Pray for 25 Widows Starting Small Businesses iCommitToPray Attacks on Christians in Nigeria have left hundreds of widows with no way of supporting their families. VOM is providing 25 widows in Yobe state, Nigeria, with training and financial support to begin small businesses, after Boko Haram attacked their village. At a recent meeting with the widows, a VOM worker prayed for them, noting that the funds to start the small businesses come from Christians around the world. Many of the widows shared their gratitude, including Mary Philips who said, "The Lord has come to our rescue."
Be Part of a Global Wave of Prayer Release International September 29th, 2015 Please use it to help your church leaders and congregation to prepare for this important date, and send to your friends so that as many people as possible pray on this day. Habila's miracle Release has also made a two-minute video specially for you to play in your church service on IDOP itself. It features the amazing story of Nigerian Christian Habila, who survived being shot by extremists, and an encouragement to pray for our persecuted family from our Chief Executive Paul Robinson. Chinese pastors Cheng Hongspeng and Zhao Weiliang were found guilty on May 27 of “using a cult to undermine law enforcement” and sentenced to three and four years of imprisonment respectively. Last year, police raided a factory owned by a church member and arrested 22 Christians at choir practice. The other Christians were eventually released, but both pastors were held. Their lawyers say the evidence against them was fabricated and their imprisonment is “an attack on religious belief.” Please pray for the pastors and their families.
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Utilizes: New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Archives
June 2020
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