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Monthly Prayer Agenda

May 2019 Global Prayer Agenda

Created: Thursday, 19 December 2019 21:55
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Welcome to the May 2019 Global Prayer Agenda featuring major concerns affecting the nations of our world, and the growth of Christ's church universally for the advancement of world evangelism and the establishment of God's Kingdom.  This agenda was specially prepared for use during the Monthly Global Prayer Teleconference sessions by a few members of the team of leaders facilitating these monthly global prayer calls.  The agenda is structured into three main categories for the convenience of our users.  As you join us in prayer about these various issues, during this month, we trust that you will find the experience spiritually rewarding.  We also extend a special invitation to join us for our next Monthly Global Prayer Teleconference.        

Category One

Prayer for North and South America, the Caribbean and Europe

Scripture Reading: Ps 145: 1 – 11.

Prayer for Revival in the United States of America

Prayer For Pastors  Across America

If the church in America is to experience revival to bring spiritual healing and transformation to the nation, that revival must begin first among pastors, the leaders of God’s house.  Over the next couple of months, we will focus our prayers on pastors across America.

Top 2 Causes for Pastors Leaving Ministry and More Statistics

More than 70% of pastors do not have a close friend with whom they can openly share their struggles. The dominant cause for pastors to leave the pastoral ministry is burnout. Number two is moral failure. These are alarming statistics. And there are many more:

  • 80% of pastors believe the pastoral ministry has negatively affected their families (Life Enrichment Ministries – 1998)
  • Only 50% of pastors felt that the education they received adequately prepared them for ministry. Most pastors rely on books and conferences as their primary source of continuing education. (George Barna – 2002)
  • 25% of all pastors don’t know where to go for help if they have a personal or family conflict or concern. 33%  have no established means for resolving conflict. (George Barna – 2002)
  • 40% have no opportunity for outside renewal like a family vacation or continuing education. There is a very clear relationship between the amount of time a pastor takes for personal renewal and his satisfaction in his job. (George Barna – 2002)
  • At any given time, 75% of pastors in America want to quit. (Church Resource Ministries – 1998)
  • More than 2000 pastors are leaving the ministry each month. (Marble Retreat Center 2001) 

(Source: www.Standaloneministry.org)

Pray

  1. For pastors across America experiencing loneliness, the burning out effect, other challenges of the pastoral ministry that impact negatively on their families or considering quitting the ministry as a result of discouragement to turn to the Lord, the only Rock of our Salvation for spiritual comfort, assurance, and strength. Indeed, all other grounds or bais of faith or worship are sinking sand.
  2. For all pastors facing all types of moral failure that continue to undermine the credible witness of the church as salt and light of this nation, to turn to the Lord in prayer and repentance to help to facilitate revival in the church for the spiritual healing and transformation of the nation so urgently needed at this time.
  3. For those institutions and agencies that provide all types of spiritual support to pastors, including seminaries, denominations and the local church to do a more effective job of training, mentoring and caring for the spiritual, emotional, social and family needs of the pastors they serve.  

80% of Americans Believe in God. Pew Found Out What They Mean.

“We believe in God,” Amy Grant famously sang in the ’90s. Today, 4 out of 5 Americans still say the same.

“But according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center, what they mean by God varies a lot.” 

“Pastors and theologians often warn Christians against ascribing to a “God of their own making,” knowing that not all who say they believe understand God as described in Scripture or in the traditional creeds of the church. In the shifting spiritual landscape of the United States, Christians too can no longer assume that their friends and neighbors believe in the God of the Bible, if they believe in God at all.”

“A Pew survey released today found that how people view God—and how they believe God interacts with them—shifts by religious affiliation, gender, and political party.

Even in an era where more of the nation doesn’t ascribe to a higher power at all (10%) or believes in some sort of higher power or spiritual force (33%), a slim majority of Americans (56%) still believe in God “as described in the Bible,” according to the Pew report.” (Source: Christianity Today)

PRAY

As we ponder the need for revival to bring spiritual healing to America, let us recognize that at the very heart of the moral decadence facing America today is the growing rejection of the Scriptures as the Word in America.  As we seek God for revival in His church for the healing of the nation let us pray in the following ways:   

  1. For God’s people across the nation to experience a deep spiritual hunger and thirsting after God and His Word to lay the foundation for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon His people across the nation, for the growth of the church and for the continued evangelism of the lost, including millennials, as well as,  those that view themselves as non-religious or atheists.
  2. For the Lord to continue to raise up intercessors across America to stand in the gap for revival in the Church in America to heal and transform the nation.  Pray also that these intercessors will receive a true vision of God’s “glory filling the earth with the knowledge of the word of God even as the waters cover the sea.” 
  3. For revival among the mainline Protestant denominations that are either stagnant or in a state of decline in both rural and urban centers of America, evidenced by a lack of love for Christ and declining desire to read the Scriptures; lack of love for His Church reflected in the declining attendance of church members, joy and vibrancy in worship services; little evangelistic fruits, and low community impact.                               

 

Prayer for Children Across America

Katherine Lam is a breaking and trending news digital producer for Fox News.  - Seven students at a Maryland elementary school cut their wrists using blades in pencil sharpeners a day after a parent said their daughter attempted suicide in the same building — but parents were only notified nearly three weeks later.

ORANGE COUNTY, California, April 19, 2018 (LifeSiteNews) – California is about to implement new abortion- and homosexualty-promoting sex education lessons, and one school district has told parents they have no choice but to expose their children to them.

Christian Headlines  April 12, 2018   High school and college students across the country held a pro-life walkout on Wednesday in support of life and in protest of taxpayer-funded abortion.

Veronica Neffinger | Editor, ChristianHeadlines.com | Wednesday, April 25, 2018

A devastating tornado hit southwest Virginia last week and the communities are working to rebuild. In the midst of the destruction, a teen led a worship service, proclaiming God’s goodness even through trials.

PRAY

  1. Pray for the spiritual and mental health of our children.
  2. Pray that the over-reach of the Government to take control/assume “ownership” of our children will be rejected.
  3. Pray that parents will not stand by silently but will (peacefully) protest and demand their rights.
  4. Thank God that the younger generation is standing up for life
  5. Pray for more teens and children to be vocal and visible in demonstrating their faith.

South America and The Caribbean

 

From Recent corruption scandals burden, OAS Summit: Lima Commitment vs corruption gets 33 signers

PRAYER ALERT on recent corruption scandals. On April 13-14, 33 active OAS members gathered for the eighth Summit of the Americas in Lima, Peru. They knew that corruption would be the elephant in the room. Earlier this month, Brazilian presidential candidate and former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva started serving a 12-year prison sentence for corruption and money laundering. Two years ago Brazil's Senate impeached recent president Dilma Rousseff for breaking budget laws.

Corruption in Brazil has extended to at least 11 other Latin American countries. The Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht confessed to spending hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes to gain contracts in those countries. The bribe-takers included the would-be host of the Summit, Peru's President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski. He stepped down from the presidency in March. Kuczynski allegedly gained more than a million dollars from Odebrecht before becoming president.

Corruption scandals also recently brought down the former president of Guatemala, Otto Perez Molina. Corruption figured in the December trial of former Argentine president Cristina Kirchner which charged her with high treason. Former Barbados prime minister Owen Arthur was caught money-laundering his campaign donations. Other heads of OAS states, such as Chile's Michelle Bachelet, have recently left office under a cloud of corruption allegations.

The farthest-reaching scandal of all is the 2016 Panama Papers leak of 11.5 million documents taken from Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca. It has implicated public figures with high political connections in a large majority of the world's countries on all six inhabited continents.

So OAS' first Summit of the Americas since 2015 had to reckon with much recent sordid history. It did so by putting forth the Lima Commitment. This agreement recognizes that “the prevention and fight against corruption are fundamental for the strengthening of democracy and the rule of law”. The Lima Commitment has 57 measures dealing with principles such as transparency, access to information, accountability in campaign financing, protection of whistleblowers and human rights, and judicial autonomy.

Ahead of state may use these measures to keep his underlings from shady uses of state funds. Such corruption can undermine his government. But he may find it more difficult to give people on the outside more freedom to scrutinize and criticize his government's inner workings. We must pray that both governments and their critics—who may eventually replace them—learn to be more accountable and just.

 

 

PRAY for God to Do The Following :

  1. Cause the authorities He has established to more accountable to Him and to His good purposes for their peoples.
  2. Show them the way out of corruption and into His paths of righteousness for His name's sake.
  3. Establish the authority of the Lima Commitment anti-corruption measures they have agreed on.
  4. Set the course for a new era of accountability and integrity.
  5. Take from unworthy servants the talents they refuse to use for good. And reward the good and faithful servants with more.

Revival across Europe

 

  1. Political crisis deepens in Armenia

By Lesley Alexander |last updated: 27/04/2018

As protests continue in Armenia, there is no end in sight to the political crisis engulfing the small South Caucasus nation.

Opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan has led two weeks of rallies against the ruling elite.

The demonstrations forced the resignation of President-turned-Prime Minister Serzh Sarksyan.

But Pashinyan and his followers now want the whole government to go.

"Our movement was not against one person. Our movement is against (the) current system," he told reporters on Friday.

"We name that system corrupt...unfair... and anti-law...and we can't feel satisfied if we won't reach real changes in Armenia."

[Source: http://www.euronews.com/2018/04/27/political-crisis-deepens-in-armenia]

Tuesday [24/04/2018] marked the 103rd anniversary of the genocide of Armenians, the vast majority of whom were Christians.

On April 24, 1915, the Ottoman government arrested and executed hundreds of Armenian intellectuals and subsequently killed 1.5 million other Armenians, some of whom were crucified. By 1922 there were fewer than 400,000 Armenians left in the Ottoman Empire.

Armenia, a former Soviet republic … was the first nation in the world to declare Christianity its official religion in the fourth century. In the 15th century, the Armenians, who were mostly Christian, were absorbed into the Ottoman Empire and were ruled by Muslims, a backgrounder from the History Channel explains.

Although conflict had been brewing for decades before the genocide, a pivotal moment occurred when a nationalist group known as the Young Turks, who wanted to "Turkify" the Ottoman Empire, rose to power in 1908 and Armenians were regarded as a threat.

… the religious leaders in the Ottoman Empire declared jihad against all Christians except those who were allied with them ….

After the April 24, 1915, slaughter of the intellectuals in Constantinople, now Istanbul [Turkey], Armenians were expelled from their homes and were forced to march through the Mesopotamian desert, stripped naked, humiliated, and those who paused to rest were shot.

Christians were murdered in particularly brutal fashion: crucifixions, being burned alive, and were thrown off cliffs to their death. Following the surrender of the Ottomans in 1918 in World War I, the leaders of Young Turks fled to Germany, which promised not to prosecute them for waging a genocide.

[Source: https://www.christianpost.com/news/5-things-you-should-know-about-armenian-christian-genocide-223331/page1.html]

PRAY

  1. That the Lord will work through the political crisis in Armenia to point and bring the Armenians back to their Christian roots.
  2. That the Lord will enable the Armenian Christians to rid themselves of all unforgiveness and hatred towards the Turks.
  3. That the evangelical church in Armenia, in particular, cwill be empowered and become effective witnesses, especially to their Muslim neighbours.

 

  1. Crosses ordered onto walls of all Bavarian government buildings

By Jenny Hauser | last updated: 24/04/2018

A cross will be hanging in all Bavarian [a German state] government authority buildings from June 1, following a decision by the state cabinet.

The symbol is meant to signal a Christian cultural identity, according to Bavarian Minister President Markus Söder.

“The cross is not the sign of a religion,” he said after the cabinet meeting.

In order to safeguard against possible lawsuits over breach of neutrality, the cross will not need to be displayed in classrooms or other rooms of public building but only in the foyer. As people will only be passing through entrance areas, it could not be deemed to cause offence, Bavaria’s minister for interior Joachim Herrmann said.

The new law will only apply to state government buildings, although local authorities have also been encouraged to follow suit.

While Catholic organisations welcomed the move, opposition politicians accused Söder of political point scoring ahead of the local elections in October.

The argument that the law was not religiously motivated but cultural, did not convince many on Twitter. Some commented that the law goes against the separation of church and state, and accusing the state's government of trying to turn back the clock. However, the law did strike the right note with some who equated the crucifix with the wearing of the Muslim hijab, and the selling of Halal meat.

Pray

  1. That whatever might be the motives of the Bavarian minister in hanging the cross in government buildings, the Lord will use it to awaken the Bavarians to the true message of the cross.
  2. That the Lord will give boldness and courage to His people to publicly identify themselves with the cross, both culturally and spiritually.
  3. That other governmental authorities within Germany and beyond, will be likewise emboldened to lead their people in identifying themselves with Christ and the message of the cross.

Category 2

 Israel, the Middle East and Africa

 

Israel

For the past month, thousands of Palestinians have been protesting each Friday at the security fence that separates Gaza from Israel. The protests, largely peaceful, have sometimes turned violent, with some demonstrators throwing Molotov cocktails and attempting to breach the fence. The Israel Defense Forces have responded with force. The U.N. says 35 Palestinians have been killed and scores have been injured since the protests began.

The demonstrations are taking place in the lead-up to the 70th anniversary of Israel's creation on May 14. Palestinians mark the following day, which they call al-Nakba or "the disaster," commemorating the mass displacement of Palestinians after Israel's independence. "As these protests continue, tension and the potential for serious incidents and further casualties will increase," Mladenov warned. He urged Israel to "calibrate its use of force" and minimize its use of live ammunition, and he said Hamas should keep Palestinian demonstrators away from the fence and prevent violent provocations. Mladenov also called for the protection of children, who he said are "at grave risk" and "must not be intentionally put in danger or targeted." At least four children have been killed by Israeli fire. (Margaret Besheer, VOA News, April 26, 2018)

https://www.voanews.com/a/gaza-escalation-risk-rising-un-envoy-warns/4366256.html

About 37,000 African migrants have gotten a reprieve after Israel canceled deportation orders that had left the community in limbo. In February, the government handed out papers to thousands of African males, which amounted to an ultimatum: leave the country in two months or go to prison. The plan was abandoned when Rwanda backed out of a deal to take the migrants in, saying it could not guarantee their safety.

In a radio interview, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan admitted that the government has "no solution" for the problem of the "infiltrators," as they are called here. He blamed Israel's Supreme Court and human rights groups, which warned that forcibly deporting the migrants back to Africa would endanger their lives. (Robert Berger, VOA News, April 25, 2018)

https://www.voanews.com/a/israel-cancels-deportation-orders-against-african-migrants/4364326.html

PRAQUE, CZECH REPUBLIC — The Czech Republic's president suggested Wednesday that his country was considering joining the U.S. in moving its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. But the Czech government, which controls foreign policy, didn't confirm the announcement.

President Milos Zeman spelled out the process of moving the embassy, saying it would take place in three steps: An honorary consulate will be opened in Jerusalem next month, followed by other Czech institutions before the embassy's actual transfer. Beyond the consulate's opening, he gave no further timetable. He ended his speech at the Prague Castle at a party to celebrate Israel's 70th anniversary by saying: "Next year in Jerusalem.'' (Associated Press, April 25, 2018)

https://www.voanews.com/a/czech-leader-suggests-embassy-move-to-jerusalem/4364755.html

Pray

 

  1. Thank God that the Czech Republic's president has announced plans to move the Czech embassy to Jerusalem.
  2. Pray for peace along the Gaza-Israel border. Also, pray for the peace and protection of Israel especially in the days leading up to the 70th anniversary of modern day Israel on May 14th.
  3. Thank God that Israel has changed plans to deport 37,000 African migrants.
  4. Pray for the strengthening and growth of the Church in Israel.

 

Syria

International donors have pledged $4.4 billion in humanitarian aid for Syria and neighboring countries that have sheltered refugees this year. But the pledge total is significantly less than the more than $7 billion the United Nations is seeking.

Mark Lowcock, head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said Wednesday that the pledges made an at international donor conference in Brussels were a "good start." He said that based on previous years' results, he expected more money would come in.

Lowcock said several major donors, including the United States, had not yet confirmed their pledges. He said the United States has been providing more than $1 billion a year to Syria and the region in recent years. Lowcock said the additional money for 2019 was needed for humanitarian purposes in Syria and to assist refugees in nearby countries.

"The key issue is to make sure ... priority is given to those in most need and those most vulnerable," said Lowcock, noting that Britain and Germany had made the largest pledges.

About 450,000 people have been killed in Syria since President Bashar al-Assad's in 2011 began cracking down on protesters calling for his ouster. (VOA News, April 25, 2018)

https://www.voanews.com/a/donor-pledge-billions-aid-syria-neighboring-countries/4364382.html

Pray

 

  1. Thanks God that International donors have pledged $4.4 billion in humanitarian aid for Syria and neighboring countries that have sheltered refugees this year. Also, pray that the additional $2.6 billion needed would be received.
  2. Pray for the reestablishing of peace in Syria. Also, pray that those responsible for the use of chemical weapons would be brought to justice.
  3. Pray for the protection, strengthening, and growth of the Church in Syria.

Nigeria

LAGOS, NIGERIA —  Seminomadic herdsmen armed with guns killed 16 people Tuesday in an attack on a church congregation in a central state of Nigeria plagued by communal violence, police said. Hundreds of people have died in clashes this year between herders and farmers in central Nigeria in an outbreak of violence that has put pressure on President Muhammadu Buhari less than a year before an election he wants to contest.

The bloody clashes, linked to grazing rights and dwindling fertile land, have raised questions about the government's ability to maintain security in the country. Moses Yamu, a police spokesman in Benue state, said the attack took place around 6 a.m. (0500 UTC) in the village of Ayar Mbalom, in Gwer East local government authority. "Sixteen persons were confirmed killed, including two priests," said Yamu.

Herdsmen involved in the communal violence are mainly Muslims from the Fulani ethnic group, while members of the settled farming communities are mostly Christian. Attacks have been carried out by both sides.

Seventy-three people were killed in central states — known as the "Middle Belt" — in the first few days of 2018, prompting a high-profile mass burial in Benue state's capital, Makurdi.

Critics of Buhari, a Muslim who is Fulani, have accused him of failing to crack down on herdsmen because they are from the same ethnic group — an accusation his administration has repeatedly denied. (Reuters, April 24, 2018)

https://www.voanews.com/a/sixteen-killed-nigerian-church-attack/4363758.html

International Christian Concern, which monitors attacks on Christians around the world and has been shining a focus on Nigeria, said last week that followers of Christ suffered 27 attacks by the Fulani in March alone. The raids, mostly in the Plateau and Taraba states, led to the deaths of 225 Christians, along with the destruction of homes and displacement of thousands of families. (Stoyan Zaimov, Christian Post Reporter, Apr 9, 2018)

https://www.christianpost.com/news/this-group-slaughtered-225-christians-in-march-alone-but-world-is-silent-222676/

 

Pray

 

  1. Pray that the herdsmen responsible for the deaths of 16 Christians at a church congregation would be brought to justice.
  2. Pray that the Nigerian government would do more to bring the Fulani herdsmen responsible for the deaths of 225 Christians in March to justice.
  3. Pray for an end to the attacks against Christians by the Muslim extremist Fulani herdsmen.
  4. Pray for the complete defeat and dissolution of the Muslim extremist group called Boko Haram.
  5. Pray for the strengthening and growth of the Church in central and northern Nigeria.

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

U.N. investigators have uncovered what they believe to be five mass graves in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, the scene of nearly 20 years of fierce ethnic fighting.

A new report says U.N. peacekeepers found the suspected mass burials last month in Ituri province, where a recent surge in violence left towns and villages in ruins and more than 260 people dead. Congolese officials say they have no knowledge of mass graves and are asking the U.N. for a copy of its report. (VOA News, April 26, 2018)

https://www.voanews.com/a/un-peacekeepers-suspected-mass-graves-democratic-republic-congo/4366515.html

A third Roman Catholic priest has been shot dead in the Democratic Republic of Congo as tribal violence continues escalating in the country, with a bishop crying out that the people have been "abandoned by everyone."

Agenzia Fides reported that Fr. Étienne Sengiyumva, parish priest of Kitchanga, was murdered on Sunday, not long after celebrating mass. "Around 3 p.m., after celebrating mass in Kyahemba, a circumscription of his parish, Fr. Étienne had gathered his collaborators, when an armed man, accompanied by other people, entered the meeting room and killed the priest," said Mgr. Théophile Kaboy Ruboneka, bishop of Goma, capital of North Kivu.

Mgr. Louis de Gonzague Nzabanita Sebakara, vicar general of Goma, said the Maï-Maï Nyatura militant group is behind the killing, though Ruboneka told Fides that "it is difficult to say who was responsible of this terrible act."

"There are different armed groups in our region, at least 15, which cannot be dismantled despite the presence of the regular army and the Blue Helmets of MONUSCO," he added, referring to the United Nations Mission in the DRC. (Stoyan Zaimov, Christian Post Reporter, Apr 13, 2018)

https://www.christianpost.com/news/third-priest-shot-dead-dr-congo-bishop-cries-out-222879/

The devastating costs of Africa Wars estimated at about 150 billion pounds and millions of human lives lost in African countries including Sierra Leone, Rwanda, DRC Congo, Burundi, South Sudan Eritrea, are among the most affected nations. The decade long conflict in DRC has cost over 9 billion pounds and over 4 million human lives lost,  According to The Guardian report by Chris Mc Greal Africa correspondence, Oct, 2007 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/oct/11/congo.international.

Pray

  1. Pray for an end to the violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
  2. Pray that those responsible for the murders of three Catholic priests in Democratic Republic of the Congo would be brought to justice.
  3. Pray that God would bring to repentance those responsible for mass murders and mass graves in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
  4. Pray for healing of African countries including Sierra Leone, Rwanda, DRC Congo, Burundi, South Sudan, and Eritrea where millions of human lives have been lost in conflicts since 1990.
  5. Pray for the strengthening and growth of the Church in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

 

Category 3

 

Prayer for Movement Day Global Cities, the Persecuted Church and Other Critical Concerns of Asia

Pray

  1. Pray as we work to confirm a strong U.S. leaders presence at 100 Cities Summit. 
  2.  For 250 Global Marketplace Leader attendees by June 30.
  3. Ask God to foster divine connections, collaborations and deepen unity amongst leaders at Movement Day Australia (May 1-2) and Movement Day Doncaster (June 20).
  4. Pray for divine favor with funding as 370 leaders raise support to attend the 100 Cities Summit in Washington, D.C. this November 27-29.
  5. Pray that this gathering would accelerate the launch of Movement Day Expressions globally.
  6. Continued prayer for Ebony Small as she has conversations with candidates for the Global Regional Leader roles.

 

The Global Persecution of Christians

Christian Students Forcibly Converted, Beaten With Whip, Mentally Tortured: Report

 “A groundbreaking new report by watchdog group Christian Solidarity Worldwide has exposed the atrocities Christian children face at school in several countries, from being forcibly converted to other faiths to being beaten and humiliated by teachers for daring to speak out. CSW explained in its "Faith and a Future" report shared with The Christian Post Thursday that it has conducted research in five countries, namely Burma, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria and Pakistan, where students of various faiths, not only Christians, face religious hatred, including psychological and physical abuse from other students and teachers.”

 "The psychological impact of abuse received by children at school cannot be overstated. Many interviewees told CSW of the 'mental torture' they have suffered as a result of religious discrimination and intolerance in educational settings. Rejected by their peers and teachers, this suffering can have lasting consequences," the report states.”

“CSW pointed out that in Burma, where Buddhist nationalism has targeted both Christian and Islamic minorities, Christian children are "regularly forcibly converted" at schools. "This is particularly prevalent in Chin, Naga and Kachin States where poor families are often offered the opportunity to send their children away for a 'free education.' The children are then taken to a Buddhist monastery or monastic school (Na Ta La school) without their parents' permission, and forced to regularly participate in Buddhist worship or even to become novice monks," the report continues. Christian children there are "systematically prevented from practicing the religion in which they were raised and are effectively required to convert to Buddhism."

“While Nigeria is largely divided between its Christian and Muslim populations, followers of Christ in areas under Sharia (Islamic) law have seen their children abducted, forcibly converted and forced into Islamic marriages. "Parents seeking the release of their abducted daughters are generally informed they have converted and married, or are in the custody of Muslim traditional rulers or shari'a commissions and have no desire to return home," the report explains. "Appeals to law enforcement agencies for assistance generally prove fruitless amid false claims by abductors that the girls are not minors, and fear on the part of the police of provoking large-scale social unrest."

“In Iran, which discriminates heavily against minorities, including people of the Baha'i faith, Christian students are told that they must take Islamic studies or be forced to repeat the school year, the watchdog group said.”

“In other places, like Mexico, Christians were found to be persecuting other Christians — such as the dominant Roman Catholic denomination restricting Protestant worship and driving out Protestant families from villages.”

"Faith and a Future" features a list of recommendations for United Nations member states, calling for "full ratification and implementation of relevant international treaties embedding the right to education and the right to freedom of religion or belief."

“It also asks for governments to enforce legislation prohibiting discriminatory practices, and for proactive efforts in addressing intolerance and discrimination based on religion or belief, among other points.” (Source: Excerpted from The Christian Post.  For full story visit - https://www.christianpost.com/news/christian-students-forcibly-converted-beaten-with-whip-mentally-tortured-report-219147/#)

Pray

  1. For the protection of children facing persecution around the world because of their faith.
  2. For the exposure of human rights abuses of children to lead to improvement and greater protection of children in all countries where persecution of children takes place.
  3. That persecuted Christians, including children, around the world would be empowered by the Spirit of the Lord to continue to live for Christ and to promote and advance the cause of Christ’s Kingdom despite persecution.
  4. For the millions of persecuted believers, including children, around the world in need of food, medicine and finances to receive the help they need to survive.

 

Nepal


What are Christians Facing in Nepal? Nation Debuts on List of Worst Persecutions

Nepal is known for its ancient history and breathtaking mountain peaks. But the South Asian nation not only debuted this year on Open Doors World Watch List of nations where Christians face the most persecution for their faith, it also landed as high as the No. 25 spot. The key is to understand that although the government presents Nepal as a secular country, it's practically run by Hindu forces, said Pastor Bharat Giri, a full-time Christian minister of 24 years, who is now the chairman of a political party seeking to inspire and encourage Christians to stand up for their rights.

"We are dominated by India," Giri told The Christian Post, explaining that the injustice, negligence of people's needs, corruption, and human rights abuses affecting minority religious groups are on the rise.

"They are promoting only the Hindu people," he explained, noting that the minority Christians, Muslims, and Buddhists in the country are often left behind. 

One of the major factors behind Nepal's deteriorating religious freedom rights has been legislation signed into law in October 2017 that criminalizes religious conversion. Giri said that it's heavily used to punish those who decide they want to become Christians. C.B. Gahatraj, general secretary of the Federation of National Christians in Nepal, and other Christian leaders have demanded that the clause against evangelism be struck down, declaring that believers are not "vote banks" that can be lied to by politicians.

Other religious minorities have also been affected — Buddhists who eat cow meat have been jailed for killing an ox, which offended Hindu sensitives that deem cows to be sacred.

"They say this is a secular country, but they are continuously pushing people to jail" for their religious beliefs, Giri shared.

As CP reported in a separate exclusive interview last year, another major problem facing believers in Nepal is severe restrictions when it comes to burial rights. Unless they have the money, many believers are unable to bury their loved ones in accordance to Christian practices. But when Christians do not receive such generosity, or they have no money to pay for land, then they have to either burn the bodies, or pay money to forest workers who arrange for the bodies to be buried in the forests.

There are widely different estimates on the number of Christians living in Nepal. Monitoring groups such as Open Doors put the number at around 403,000 out of 28.5 million people, though Giri said that exact data is hard to come by. He estimates that today there are about 1.5 to 2 million followers of Christ in the country. The problem, he said, is that for a variety of reasons, they are failing to stand up for their rights and respond to the intensity of the persecution.

"Christian people, in the name of forgiveness, are not rising up," Giri noted.

Some Christian leaders, on the other hand, receive certain benefits from the government, which keeps them quiet, he suggested.

That is why a year-and-a-half ago, the AP Messiah Party was formed, aiming to be the voice of Christians before the government.

"We are trying to convince people that if one day God allows us to be in parliament, then we will see changes in Nepal," Giri said.

As a small party, it faces challenges, such as a lack of resources, but it is looking to explain to others that it can offer an alternative to the established political parties, which Giri said are still in the "18th century" when it comes to human rights.

Giri himself has been advised to not speak on the topic of Christian persecution, but when it comes to the risks for his safety, he said: "I know my Jesus and the Word of God. Without God's Word, even the boar cannot fall down on the ground. I am dependent on God."  (Source: The Christian Post)

PRAY

  1. For the Christian community in Nepal to receive special grace from the Lord to remain faithful and committed to the Lord and the cause of the Gospel despite increased persecution.
  2. For God’s provision for poor Nepal Christians facing hardships as a results of the injustice, negligence of people's needs, corruption, and human rights abuses affecting minority religious groups are on the rise.
  3. For the repeal or modification of the law that was signed into law in October 2017 criminalizing religious conversion

North Korea

Korean Leaders: ‘No More War’ on Peninsula

VOA News

Published: April 27, 2018.

SEOUL — 

In an unprecedented and historic move, the leaders of the two Koreas have signed a joint statement saying they are committed to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and bringing an official end to the Korean War.  The two leaders embraced after signing the joint statement.South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Friday at a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that the two leaders were ushering in a “new era of peace.”

Kim said the Korean people are “one nation.” Kim and Moon held a historic summit at the truce village of Panmunjom Friday and announced that Moon will visit North Korea later this year. They also announced a reunion of war-separated families later this year.  Earlier Friday, a South Korean official said the talks between Kim and Moon have been “serious, frank” discussions. The South quoted North Korea’s leader as saying: “We should value this opportunity so that the scars between the South and North could be healed.”

The White House released a statement late Thursday, shortly after the two leaders shook hands.  “We are hopeful that talks will achieve progress toward a future of peace and prosperity for the entire Korean Peninsula. The United States appreciates the close coordination with our ally, the Republic of Korea, and looks forward to continuing robust discussions in preparation for the planned meeting between President Donald J. Trump and Kim Jong Un in the coming weeks.”

Kim and Trump are expected to meet in May or June.

Lee Yoon-jee in Seoul contributed to this report.

Pray

  1. Praise God for the very positive outcomes of the inter-Korean
  2. Pray that the outcome of the talks between the leaders of North and South Korea will result in meaningful and lasting peace between North Korea and South Korea, and lay the foundation for improvement in the general welfare of the people of North Korea and greater opportunities to preach the Gospel in North Korea.      
  3. For the Lord to respond to the desperate cries of the persecuted Church in North Korea, including the approximately 70,000 fellow believers serving long harsh prisons terms in concentration camps.
  4. For the success of the success of the talks between President Trump and President Kim, scheduled for next month.

 

 

China

 

China Bans Bibles from Online Sellers Like Amazon

 

Last week, Chinese social media users began noticing that they couldn’t find Bibles listed on some of their nation’s most popular e-commerce platforms.

Shoppers who searched the word Bible on retailers such as Taobao, Jingdong, Dang Dang, and Amazon.cn began receiving a “no results” response, reported the South China Morning Post.

Search analytics revealed a significant spike in the keyword Bible on March 30. But by April 1, analytics showed a zero, suggesting that the word may have been censored, reported the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Two days before the Bibles were banned from online purchase, the Chinese government released a document outlining how it intends to promote “Chinese Christianity” over the next five years. According to the document, one of the government’s key objectives is to reinterpret and retranslate the Bible in order to enhance “Chinese-style Christianity and theology.”

Among China’s main religions—which include Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, and folk beliefs—Christianity is unique for having its holy text banned from commercial brick-and-mortar bookstores. Until the internet, Bibles could only be obtained via church bookstores (because they lacked a barcode), a reality that in the past has dissuaded house church Christians wary of official Three-Self churches from purchasing the text. A joint venture between the Amity Foundation and the United Bible Societies, Amity Printing Company is the only press in China allowed by the government to print Bibles.

The company reported in 2017 that “more than 160 million Bibles have come off our production lines.” However, many of these copies are sold overseas. The Bibles distributed in China through Amity also do not include commentaries, footnotes, or other study tools.

China’s Bible crackdown may renew a debate about whether Bibles should be smuggled into the world’s most populous country. While some have seen the action as unnecessary and dangerous to believers living in the country, others have seen it as a strategy that works in tandem with Amity. As Gary Russell, now the president of China Harvest, told CT in 2010:

Amity Press Bibles are legal, authentic, and available in many areas, and have made a substantial contribution to the need. But the Amity route is limited in quantity, variety, and distribution. Editions for children and pastors have barely been addressed. And millions of Chinese still have no regular access to a Bible.

Given these realities, covertly supplying Bibles to China is not only legitimate—it is a necessary element of obedience to Christ. While civil authorities are to be honored and respected, their authority is delegated by and limited under God. Restrictions against evangelizing and providing Scripture are not legitimate, and those who love God and China serve well by increasing the country’s Bible supply.

This latest crackdown on China’s Christian community comes two months after the government began implementing a number of regulations on faith. Under these restrictions, religious groups must gain government approval for any sort of religious activity, including using one’s personal home for religious practice, publishing religious materials, calling oneself a pastor, or studying theology.

PRAY

  1. Praise God for the survival, resilience and continued growth of the Christian community across China despite the various attempts by the Communist government to decimate the Christian faith in China.
  2. For all attempts by the Chinese Government to restrict the availability and distribution of the Bible in China to fail. 
  3. For the protection of those organizations and individuals involved with the distribution of Bibles in China..

 

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