Monthly Prayer Agenda

Welcome to the February 2020 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

Category 1 Scripture Verse:

Category 1 Scripture verse: Galatians 6:7-10 (NIV)

⁷ Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.⁸ Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. ⁹ Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. ¹⁰ Therefore, as we have the opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Prayer for the United States

Some Important Facts on the State of the church and spiritual needs of the nation

• Based on the current rates of retention and evangelism, it's estimated that 42 million young people could leave the church by 2050. That is over one million young people walking away from the church each year. If, however, we can revert to Gen X rates of retention and evangelism, that number can be reduced to only 20 million.
• It is also estimated that 176,000 churches could close by 2050 in the US if the trend continues.
• Every year, about 4,000 churches are planted in the US and every year about 3,700 churches close.  Based on population growth rate we need to triple church planting in the next five years.  By 2050 it is estimated that the US will need to plant 416, 000 new churches. (Source: www.thegreatopportunit,org)
• 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)
• Francis Chan warns Satan is 'getting the victory' amid lack of unity in US churches
• Suicide is the 10^th leading cause of death in the US; 47,173 Americans committed suicide in 2017, but there were an estimated 1,4000,000 suicide attempts in the year. In 2015 suicide and self-inflicted injuries cost the Federal Government $69 billion. But the sad news is that the suicide rate is trending upwards, an indication of the high level of hopelessness permeating every sector of American culture.
• More than 61 million abortions have been performed in the United States since 1973 when the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision made the procedure legal. For the same period, the number of abortions committed worldwide is estimated at 16 million. Fewer U.S. women are having abortions than at any time since Roe v. Wade, according to new government figures. In 2015, the most recent year for which data is available, a total of 638,169 abortions were reported, a decrease of 2 percent from 652,639 abortions in 2014.  New York Governor signed into law a recent bill expanding abortions rights, legalizing later terms abortions.`

These facts underscore the dire need for spiritual revival in the church in America.

Pray

1. For all pastors across America 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.  
2. A spiritual revival in the church across America is what is needed today to bring about the healing and social transformation of the nation through the additions of millions of new converts.  As we pray today for revival in the Church across America, let us pray especially to the Father to pour out upon the Christian community across America at this time a spirit of prayer marked by a deep hunger and reverence for Him, repentance towards Him, love for one another and unity to heal the growing divisions within its midst.
3. Jesus says, “I come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.”  Pray against the culture of death pervading America, reflected in the high suicide and abortion rates being reported in the nation annually.

 

Prayer for the United States Government and 2020 United States Elections

The United States Government

1 Timothy 2: 1 – 6

“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made for all people— ² for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. ³ This is good and pleases God our Savior, ^four who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. ⁵ For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, ^six who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time” (NIV).

PRAY

1. For the President and all members of his Cabinet to receive Godly wisdom to govern the nation justly and in fear of God.
2. For all members of Congress to work together to facilitate peace and unity across our deeply divided nation.

The United States 2020 Elections

Proverbs 14:34 New King James Version (NKJV)

^“ Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people.”

92% of Americans think their fundamental rights are being threatened, new polls show.  Of the top five rights/freedom Americans feel are most threatened, 48% say their freedom of speech was under siege, while 37% described freedom of expression, and 35% described freedom of religion as being most severely threatened. (Source: USA Today, December 2019)   

Pray 

1. For the election of new Members of Congress, Governors, State Legislators and judges that will rule justly and in fear of God; and who will also be committed to upholding and defending the all basic rights of the people guaranteed under the US Constitution, including the freedom of speech and freedom of worship.
2. For God’s direction and leading during this Presidential Election.

 

Prayer for Children and Youth across America

PRAISE REPORT: PRESIDENT TRUMP EMPOWERS SCHOOL PRAYER

JANUARY 17, 2020 | Intercessors for America  

President Donald Trump announced new federal guidelines today to protect the constitutional right to pray in public schools.

His action, which centers on the Department of Education, reaffirms the religious freedom for students and teachers to pray and conduct bible studies and prayer meetings at school, rights that eroded over the past 18 years, and most significantly during the previous administration.

“We will not allow faithful Americans to be bullied by the hard Left,” Trump said.

The White House revealed this new bold action on Religious Freedom Day, an annual event held on January 16 to mark America’s long history of protecting religious liberty.

 “A society without religion cannot prosper. A nation without faith cannot endure, because justice, goodness and peace cannot prevail without the glory of Almighty God,” Trump said this month at his evangelical rally. “For America to thrive in the 21st Century we must renew faith and family as the center of American life.”

“These angry radicals want to impose absolute conformity by censoring speech, tearing down crosses and symbols of faith and banning religious believers from public life,” he said. “But we will not back down, we are standing tall for the values that we hold dear.”

“My administration will never stop fighting for Americans of faith,” he said. “I really do believe we have God on our side.”

 

TRUMP TO MAKE HISTORY AT MARCH FOR LIFE TOMORROW

JANUARY 23, 2020 | Intercessors for America STAFF

President Trump announced on Wednesday that he will be speaking at the March for Life rally tomorrow in Washington, DC. He will be the first President to address the rally in person. Sources also shared with us that he will be making a historic announcement that may impact you.

PRAY

1. Lord, we are grateful for this move. May your name be praised and sought in every school in our nation with freedom, and may it usher in a new shift in our public schools, increasing in Your Presence! (Prayer from the IFA article.)
2. We pray that believing children and youth will be encouraged and eager to stand up, step up and speak up for God and godliness in their schools and with their friends – to speak words of life and hope.
3. Thank you, Father, for the courage of our President who stood up, stepped up and spoke up for life at the March for life. We pray that his stand for life will help tear down the strongholds that have blinded us for decades resulting in the deaths of untold millions of children. Accept our repentance, Lord, and save the coming generations for your glory. AMEN.

 Prayer for South America and the Caribbean

Caribbean CAUSE Warns that Belize’s Pro-LGBT Ruling Threatens Democracy

Caribbean CAUSE, a regional group of ministers and doctors from 14 territories, recently sounded the alarm after a momentous, far-reaching Belize Court of Appeal ruling. The court upheld the Chief Justice’s ruling for a “sex change” in the Belize Constitution. Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin changed the word “sex” to “sexual orientation.” This came soon after he single-handedly legalized sodomy.

CAUSE denounced such “tyranny of activist judges.” They called it a “dangerous precedent that is a threat to our democracies.” Their predicted threat is rapidly starting to come true.  Immediately after the ruling, Belizean politicians began pushing through a pro-LGBT “Equal Opportunities” bill. It violates Belize’s democratic Constitution in startling ways. The new bill sets up a separate court “Commission” that can act as judge, jury, investigator, plaintiff and prosecutor.   It can deny anyone accused of discrimination—notably against LGBTs—of a lawyer and even of a hearing. It assumes he is guilty until proven innocent. In fact, it considers his motive or awareness of the discrimination irrelevant. And there are so many vaguely-worded possible infractions that anyone could break this law unawares.

The bill has 75 pages of 127 sections—about 90% of the length of the Belize Constitution. It declares itself higher than any law except the Constitution. And the government is trying to rush it to the legislature, with so far only token “consultations” and no Constitutional review.   But many Belizeans are hearing the alarm and protesting this rush to judgment. Eyewitnesses say that about 90% of the thousands who attended the consultations expressed opposition. Most of them passionately cited moral and religious grounds.

CAUSE has raised the spectre of Belize serving as a precedent for similar draconian measures in other Caribbean democracies. Can such laws really override a nation’s democratic Constitution? Belize’s Constitution begins by saying that it is “founded on principles that acknowledge the supremacy of God.” We must appeal to the Supreme Judge and God of all to overrule such rulings.

Pray

PRAY FOR GOD TO:

1. Slow down this rush to judgment. Instead, give Belizeans time to consider the far-reaching implications of this bill. During this election year in Belize, turn the nation toward righteousness and not toward officially-approved perversions of justice.
2. Expose all the ways in which this bill is anti-constitutional and anti-Christian. Reveal the snares which would trap innocent people of righteous convictions in a new system of injustice.
3. Hear the cries of Your people against judicial tyranny. Replace this bill with a true plan of liberty and justice for all. Also raise up leaders who will serve to deliver us from such evils. And to chart a course toward Your good will for Belize and the Caribbean.

Revival across Europe

1. Franklin Graham says cancellation of UK evangelistic events is 'spiritual warfare'

Staff writer |  Fri 31 Jan 2020T

https://www.christiantoday.com/news/franklin-graham-says-cancellation-of-uk-evangelistic-events-is-spiritual-arfare/134128.htm

Franklin Graham has asked for prayer as he remains determined to see through his planned UK tour despite multiple venues backing out.The Liverpool ACC, Glasgow SEC and ICC Wales have all pulled out of hosting evangelistic events as part of Graham's eight-city UK tour, due to take place over the summer.  The Newcastle Arena has come under pressure to cancel his scheduled event at the venue on June 3.   Graham is the son of the late evangelist Billy Graham and a vocal supporter of Donald Trump.  He has also repeatedly defended heterosexual marriage. 

Despite the setbacks, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, of which Graham is the CEO, said that the tour was going ahead as planned.  And in a letter to supporters, Graham asked Christians to pray "that God will keep the doors open" to preach the Gospel in the UK.

"For the last two years we have been preparing to go to the United Kingdom and take the Gospel to eight different cities starting in Scotland, going down to Wales, and finishing up in London," he said. "As we move closer to these events in late May and June, we are experiencing opposition from LGBTQ activists who want to stop this Gospel work.  "This small but vocal minority is pressuring venues to back out of our contracts because I have said that God defines homosexuality as sin. Several venues have already told us that they are canceling.

"Much prayer and effort has been put into this, and hundreds of churches across the U.K. are partnering in this tour. This is spiritual warfare. The enemy does not want the Gospel proclaimed." 

He went on to say that he believed this to be a "defining moment" for the Church in the UK.  "You and I have been called for such a moment as this," he said.  "Please join me in praying for our brothers and sisters in Christ there, that God will remove obstacles to this Gospel work, and that He will prepare the hearts of people across the nation to hear and respond to His message this spring."

PRAY

2. For the removal of every hindrance to the successful completion of Franklyn Graham's evangelistic rallies in his planned eight-city UK tour;
3. That multitudes will be saved and that a massive revival will sweep across the UK and Europe in general, as a result of this and other evangelistic initiatives.
4. For the total neutralization, destruction and annihilation of every LBGT movement and related opposition to the preaching and propagation of the Gospel and Biblical Christianity, within the UK and in other countries across Europe.2. 

Deported asylum seekers “face torture, death because of their faith in Jesus Christ”

The leader of the German Evangelical Alliance says the lack of humanity in returning Christian converts to Islamist countries harms Germany’s own value system.

AUTHOR Evangelical Focus BONN 10 JANUARY 2020

http://evangelicalfocus.com/europe/5033/Deported_asylum_seekers_face_torture_death_because_of_their_faith_in_Jesus_Christ

Countries that reject asylum seekers who risk persecution because of their Christian faith, are harming their own system of values, the leader of the German Evangelical Alliance said.

In an interview with German newspaper Tagespost, Reinhardt Schink spoke out against the tragedy of Christian refugees and migrants that are sent back to countries such as Afghanistan and Iran, despite evidence that shows they could face prison, torture and death.  He addressed the figures of asylum seekers who have converted to the Christian faith in Germany, and who have later been rejected by the authorities.

“Behind all these nameless figures are devastating personal destinies, and the risk that we harm our own values system”, Schink said. “As people are deported, they risk persecution, torture and even death for their decision to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.”

EFFORTS TO IMPROVE COLLABORATION WITH CHURCHES

The competent authorities should work alongside churches to make sure no person in risk is sent back to its home country, Schinck said. “Instead of organising faith exams by themselves in a hurry, authorities should use the ‘know how’ of the Christian churches”.

Experts should engage with church leaders, considering the views of pastors who guarantee that a person has effectively been baptised, taken a Christianity course, and become an active member of a church community. The German Evangelical Alliance has worked with representatives of different political parties in the last months, to find partners in the fight to improve the examination process of asylum seekers.  It is sad, Schink added, that the testimony of pastors is often not trusted. “It looks as if pastors are suspected of not telling the truth”, he complained. “We hurt ourselves as a country when, precisely those migrants who had integrated well and had become bridge builders between cultures, are expelled.”

PRAY

1. That the German Evangelical Alliance will be successful in its work with the various political parties, to rescue and save Christian asylum seekers who are at risk of persecution in their home countries;
2. That the authorities will make it their priority and part of their policy to draw upon Christian churches and their leaders, to determine who have been genuinely converted to the Christian faith.
3. That the churches will have bona fide discipleship programs that will be effective in winning and grounding believers in the Christian faith and that will command the respect of outsiders.

Category 2

 Israel, the Middle East, and Africa

Scripture—  Ps. 68:1-9 NIV

Israel

WHITE HOUSE - Hoping to bring about a “new dawn in the Middle East,” U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled his peace plan for the region on Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu standing at his side. “My vision presents a win-win opportunity for both sides, a realistic two-state solution that resolves the risk of Palestinian statehood to Israel’s security,” Trump said in the White House East Room.    

Notably absent was any representative of the Palestinians, who rejected the peace plan even before getting a glimpse of the 80-page proposal, and who were not included in talks about the plan. (Steve Herman, VOA News, January 28, 2020)

https://www.voanews.com/usa/trump-unveils-middle-east-peace-plan 

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas firmly rejected the Trump administration’s plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on Tuesday, calling it the “the slap of the century.”

Abbas addressed the plan in a speech to senior Palestinian leaders, including representatives of the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror groups, at the PA presidential headquarters in Ramallah.

“We say a thousand times: No, no and no to the ‘deal of the century,'” Abbas said, adding that the US plan “will not come to pass” and that “our people will send it to the dustbins of history.”

(By ADAM RASGON, Times of Israel, January 28, 2020)

https://www.timesofisrael.com/abbas-on-us-plan-we-say-1000-times-no-no-and-no-to-the-deal-of-the-century/

JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made history Tuesday, becoming the first sitting Israeli prime minister to be indicted while in office.  Netanyahu hopes U.S. President Donald Trump’s Mideast peace proposal will move the Israeli public's focus away from the charges just five weeks before Israel’s next round of elections. (By Linda Gradstein, VOA News, January 28, 2020).

https://www.voanews.com/middle-east/israeli-pm-benjamin-netanyahu-indicted-bribery-fraud-breach-trust

Pray:

1. Pray for the protection, peace, and prosperity of Israel.
2. Pray that Israel and the Palestinians will establish a peace agreement.
3. Pray for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who has been indicted on bribery, fraud, and breach of trust charges.
4. Pray for the establishment of a government in Israel that has the mandate from the people to rule.
5. Pray for the growth and positive impact of the Church in Israel.

Kenya, Ethiopia, Somali, Uganda & South Sudan. (Locusts)

According to an article by Malcolm Webb Jan 2020 by Aljazeera, A locust’s plague is threatening to wipe out crops across East African Countries, from areas that are already facing other climate-related challenges as well as food shortages. (Peter Kegode, IPMI Facilitator, January 23, 2020).

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/locust-outbreak-25-years-hits-east-africa-68350861

Joel 1: 4-7 “what the locusts swarms has left the great locusts have eaten. What the great locusts have left the young locusts have eaten, what the young locust have left the other locusts have eaten.

Pray

1. Pray and intercede for the nations of East Africa and request the LORD to have mercy over the nations.
2. Pray that the plague of locusts would end.
3. Pray for God's supernatural provision during this difficult time Philippians 4:9.
4. Pray for the salvation of unbelievers during this crisis.

Nigeria

The Nigerian man who was executed by a child militant in a video released by a Boko Haram offshoot group aligned with the Islamic State days ago has been identified as a 22-year-old Christian college student. Ropvil Daciya Dalep hailed from the Pankshin Local Government Area of the Plateau state and attended the University of Maiduguri in Borno state. His execution video gained media attention this week.

Dalep was a biology major who was returning to school from Christmas break when he was abducted on Jan. 9 allegedly by the Islamic State West Africa Province, according to the United Kingdom-based NGO Christian Solidarity Worldwide. Dalep was taken along with fellow Plateau state native and 20-year-old zoology major Lilian Daniel Gyang and another person who was later released. (Samuel Smith, CP Reporter, JANUARY 24, 2020)

https://www.christianpost.com/news/is-child-soldier-executes-nigerian-christian-student-declares-we-will-not-stop.html

A pastor who made headlines earlier this month for praising God in a ransom video has been executed by Boko Haram militants in Nigeria. International human rights activists have condemned the killing of Rev. Lawan Andimi, the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria’s chapter in the Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa State. 

Andimi was declared missing on Jan. 3 following a raid by the Islamic extremist group in Michika. Video posted online appears to show Andimi being forced into a vehicle by his captors. (Samuel Smith, CP Reporter, JANUARY 21, 2020)

https://www.christianpost.com/news/nigerian-pastor-who-praised-god-in-ransom-video-beheaded-after-refusing-to-deny-christ.html

Pray

1. Pray for the complete defeat and dissolution of Boko Haram.
2. Pray that those responsible for the murders of Lawan Andimi and Ropvil Daciya Dalep would be brought to justice.
3. Pray for an end to the violence and persecution of Christians in Northern Nigeria.
4. Pray for the strengthening and growth of the Church in Nigeria.

Yemen

More than 100 people were killed and dozens wounded in a missile and drone attack blamed on Huthi rebels in central Yemen, officials said Sunday. Saturday's strike follows months of relative calm in the war between the Iran-backed Huthis and Yemen's internationally recognized government, which is supported by a Saudi-led military coalition. The Huthis attacked a mosque in a military camp in the central province of Marib -- about 170 kilometers (105 miles) east of the capital Sanaa -- during evening prayers, military sources told AFP.

An army spokesman said that the dead included soldiers and civilians and that the Huthis would face a "ruthless" retaliation to the strike.

The drone and missile strike came a day after coalition-backed government forces launched a large-scale operation against the Huthis in the Nihm region, north of Sanaa. 

Fighting in Nihm was ongoing on Sunday, a military source said according to the official Saba news agency. (AFP, January 19, 2020)

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/more-than-100-killed-in-yemen-missile-drone-attack/ar-BBZ6sOh?li=BBnbfcL

Pray

1. Pray for the reestablishing of peace in Yemen.
2. Pray for the defeat and dissolution of Huthi extremist group in Yemen.
3. Pray for the salvation of key Huthi leaders.
4. Pray for the strengthening and growth of the Church in Yemen.

Sudan

GENEVA - The United Nations refugee agency reports more than 11,000 Sudanese refugees have fled to Chad this month to escape violent, inter-communal violence in West Darfur State. 

The situation in West Darfur has continued to worsen since a dispute between Arab and African ethnic groups ignited violent clashes in El Geneina in late December. The U.N. refugee agency reports that last week alone, 4,000 people fled to neighboring Chad in search of safety. (Lisa Schlein, VOA News, January 28, 2020)

https://www.voanews.com/africa/violence-sudans-darfur-state-sends-thousands-fleeing-chad

01/25/2020 Sudan (International Christian Concern) – This past week, three temporary church structures were burned down in Bout, Sudan. It is believed that Islamist radicals in the area were guilty of burning down three churches on December 28^th, 2019. These three buildings belonged to the Sudan Interior Church, Roman Catholic Church, and the Orthodox Church. After they were initially burned down, each of the congregations then built temporary structures. Each of these was then burned down again on January 16^th.

An anonymous local pastor in Bout told Morningstar News confirmed this incident. “This incident is true; the three churches were set on fire twice in less than a month.” However, the new Minister for Religious Affairs, Nasr al-Din Mufreh has said that the government in Sudan is dedicated to religious freedom and has been investigating this situation. He said that as far as he knew, only one church had been attacked and the police had arrested and interrogated one suspect. They then released this suspect saying that there was not enough evidence.

Pray

1. Pray for the reestablishing of peace in Sudan so that the Sudanese refugees may return home.
2. Pray that the Sudanese refugees would receive humanitarian aid.
3. Pray that those responsible for the burning of three church buildings would be brought to justice.

Category 3

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

Scripture   -   Psalms 71: 1 – 8      3”          

PRAY 

1. Please pray as the Movement Day team works to connect with strong city leaders in Central & South America.
2. Please lift in prayer the organization's team, as they execute the invitation and onboarding process for Movement Day X 2020 (formerly Movement Day Global Cities). As you pray, please focus on the following three things:

• Financial provision as leaders are coming from a wide array of countries all over the globe.
• Favor as international attendees submit visa requests
• Those who are navigating tough social and political climates as they prepare for this gathering

3. Prayer for the Movement Day team as they work to identify cities across the globe who are seeking to unite leaders within the church, non-profit and marketplace sectors, to advance city transformation.  

The Global Persecution of Christians

We must support government initiatives that promote religious liberty

We are facing an epidemic of religious persecution worldwide, unlike anything seen in modern history. A recent report prepared for the British government found that an estimated 80% of this persecution is being perpetrated on followers of Christ. Indeed, this report found that religious oppression was “arguably coming close to meeting the international definition of genocide.”

Every month:

• 255 Christians are killed
• 104 are abducted
• 180 Christian women are raped, sexually harassed or forced into marriage
• 66 churches are attacked
• 160 Christians are detained without trial and imprisoned

Approximately 80% of the world’s population lives in countries where religious liberty is threatened, restricted or even banned... (Source: Christian Post, November  2019)

PRAY

1. For the families of martyrs who die for their faith, bearing in mind the desperate plights these families face.
2. For our brothers and sisters in Christ, crying out to the Lord for their deliverance.
3. For ministries actively serving on the front line of this battle.

Pakistan  and India

Pakistan - Praise Report for Answers to Prayer covered in MGPT

Pakistan releases 42 Christians convicted of 'terrorism' for participating in 2015 riots.   CP  | THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020

“An anti-terrorism court in Lahore has acquitted and ordered the release of 42 Christians previously imprisoned for rioting after two churches in Pakistan’s largest Christian neighborhood were bombed in 2015. Persecution watchdog group International Christian Concern reports that the verdict was reached this week after settlements were agreed upon with the families of two Muslim men who were wrongfully killed by the rioters.”

“The riots stemmed from a terrorist bombing of two churches in the Christian neighborhood of Youhanabad, located in Lahore. Fifteen people were killed in the bombings, including 11 Christians and four Muslims. In response, local Christians staged a riot in which two Muslim men suspected of participating in the bombings were lynched. In the following days, police made several raids in the district, arresting about 500 people. The ATC sentenced 42 Christians for terrorism, while the church attackers reportedly went unpunished.Two of the Christian prisoners died while waiting for a trial. The others filed an application under Section 345 of the Code of Criminal Procedure which argued that they should be released because they had reached a settlement with the families of the two deceased Muslims.”

“The ATC accepted this application and acquitted all suspects, including the two who died in custody, after evidence of the settlement with the two families was presented to the court.  The families of the 40 remaining prisoners have welcomed the settlement and the ATC’s verdict, notes ICC, and have reported “being pleased to see the return of their loved ones after almost five years of imprisonment.”

https://www.christianpost.com/world/pakistan-releases-42-christians-convicted-of-terrorism-for-participating-in-2015-riots.html

Thanksgiving and Prayer  

Pakistan

1. Give thanks and praise to the Lord for the full release of 42 Christians wrongfully convicted and prisoned in Pakistan’s church bombing and rioting;
2. Pray for the continued growth of the church in Pakistan despite persecution.

India

3. Pray for the speedy release of US pastor Bryan Nerren from custody in India to return to the United States.  
4. Pray for the improvement in religious freedom and protection of the rights of pastors and other church workers engaged in Christian ministry across India.

North Korea

Chinese pastor shared Gospel with 1,000 North Koreans before being assassinated for his faith

“A pastor on the China-North Korea border shared the hope of the Gospel with at least 1,000 North Koreans before he was assassinated for his missionary work in 2016, a defector has revealed.  Voice of the Martyrs says the Rev. Han Chung-Ryeol, a Chinese pastor of Korean descent, was on Pyongyang's most-wanted list as early as 2003 for his charitable work and dedication to spreading the Gospel.”

“Han, who ministered on the border town of Changbai since the early 1990s, ministered to thousands of North Koreans over the years — many of whom had fled the famine-stricken country in search of food and jobs. The pastor provided practical aid, such as food and clothing, and introduced each person to the Gospel before sending them back to North Korea to share Christ and help their families. After planting a Three-Self Church near the North Korean border in 1993, Han helped orphans, women enslaved to prostitution, soldiers, those starving from famine, and many others.  One man helped by Han, Sang-chul, shared his story in a short documentary released by The Voice of the Martyrs.” 

“North Korea has for the last 18 years ranked as the worst persecutor of Christians in the world on Open Doors USA’s World Watch List. In the hermit country, those who profess Christ or are caught communicating with missionaries face severe repercussions like torture and imprisonment. No definitive estimates exist on how many people have died inside North Korean political camps but some believe the number ranges from 400,000 to many millions.”

(Source: https://www.christianpost.com/news/chinese-pastor-shared-gospel-with-1000-north-koreans-before-being-assassinated-for-his-faith.html?fbclid=IwAR3ZcZu20sSATpFWmRdjPi2TP--v7xUX_Cke_cAZF31Yt1k2ou6ERmHe6f4 )

PRAY

1. Praise God for the Chinese life pastor of Korean descent Rev. Han Chung-Ryeol, for his charitable work and dedication to spreading the Gospel to the people of North Korea and also for the lives of the other numerous Christian martyrs of North Korea who gave their lives as a sacrifice for the Gospel among the Korean people.
2. For the safety and protection of believers in North Korea who continue to risk their lives to share the Gospel with others and for the protection of the over 50,000 North Korean Christians in concentration camps suffering for their faith in Christ.
3. For the continued growth of the church in North Korea and the spread of the Christian influence  despite increased persecution

China

Persecuted Church in China Brings Hope Amid Coronavirus Epidemic

01/31/2020 Washington D.C. (International Christian Concern) – 

“A new respiratory virus with origins in the Chinese city of Wuhan has now infected 8,200 people across the world, and has claimed nearly 200 lives. The outbreak of the coronavirus, which causes pneumonia-like symptoms, prompted Chinese authorities to quarantine several major cities. The usual lunar new year holidays, which typically last no more than 10 days long, have also been tentatively extended to mid-February to prevent the disease from spreading further.

In this time of desperation and fear, China’s Christian community, which has suffered an intensified crackdown by the government in recent years, has stepped up to fill in the gap left unattended by the incompetent authorities.

Christians in Wuhan seek to bring a message of peace and hope to their neighbors with creativity. A video shared by Father Francis Liu from Chinese Christian Fellowship of Righteousness shows that encouraging sermons are being broadcasted to their communitis through speakers placed on balconies. A Christian rode his bike to a pharmacy where people gathered and played a sermon through a portable speaker.

Another video shows that Christians were distributing face masks and Gospel pamphlets to passersby on the streets. Playing in the background was a message broadcasted to address the fear and uncertainties of ongoing crisis.

Activities like this would normally attract the police’s attention and Christians would face possible threats or arrest. Yet, during this unusual time, most streets are empty and the authorities are occupied looking after themselves, so these Christians are able to carry out their activities.

Christians from other provinces offer their homes to host people fleeing from Hubei province who face housing discrimination. Brother Jia Xuewei and sister Shu Qiong, from the heavily persecuted Early Rain Covenant Church in Sichuan, decided to open up their homes and cover the escapees’ room and board until Hubei lifts its quarantine.

Local pastors share uplifting words and encourage Christians to stay strong. Pastor Huang Lei from Wuhan’s Root and Fruit Church published an article on January 24, saying, “While the real situation is possibly more severe and complicated than what is known, regardless of what circumstances we are in, we should not worry and fear all the disasters, pandemic, and death, ‘because He is the Lord of our lives. If He does not allow [it to happen], we will not even have a single hair fall out from our heads.’” 

Pastor Tan Songhua from Wuhan Cornerstone Church also told his congregation that although they face trials of faith and personal safety, Jesus only has “plans to prosper you and not to harm you (Jeremiah 29:11).” He then called on Christians to pray for this city, and bring the peace of Christ to everyone.

https://www.persecution.org/2020/01/31/persecuted-church-china-brings-hope-amid-coronavirus epidemic/?fbclid=IwAR3FKJjp7UV2r1QfIUo3Hs6jFwGmdwVfdvSdzqprzuZhvIej4dywm8OI4eU

Pray

1. Please pray for the city of Wuhan: for the epidemic to stop spreading and experts to find a cure soon;
2. for local Christians to be able to bring Good News to their neighbors amid confusion, stress, and hopelessness.
3. For the increased growth of the church across China resulting in widespread evangelism of the Chinese people and the rapid spread of Christianity across Asia.