IDOP 2007
International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
Sunday November 11th 2007
Sunday November 11th 2007
PLEASE PRAY FOR–
AFGHANISTAN (worsened during 2007)
The nation:
- for God to graciously reveal himself to Afghanis who are not seeking him (Isaiah 65:1) and to intervene to frustrate the ways of the Taliban ( Psalm 146:9).
- for God to move powerfully amongst the Afghan Diaspora, so that Afghanis in exile may become the parents, Christians, leaders and nation builders of the future Afghanistan.
The Church:
- for God to bless Afghanistan's secret believers and keep them safe so the Afghan Church may live and grow to be an instrument of blessing (salt), transformation (yeast), and truth-giving (light) for the nation.
- for God to protect those Christians who, compelled by the love of Christ, risk much to serve needy Afghanis.
ALGERIA
The nation:
for God to give the government of President Bouteflika the courage and strength to resist Islamist pressure to Islamise the state and repress the Church.- for the Holy Spirit to powerfully bless the gospel message of life and salvation as it goes out into a nation traumatised by Islamic jihad, terrorism and death; may Christ bring new life to Algeria.
The Church:
- for continued amazing Church growth amongst Arabs and Berbers, despite repressive legislation against proselytising (mission) and unregistered house churches.
BANGLADESH (worsened since October 2001)
The nation (which once fought to be secular):
- for the people to resist the false promises of Islamisation.
The Church:
- for God to protect and sustain the small but growing persecuted Church.
BELARUS
(has worsened over the past decade, although 2007 has been fairly quiet)
The nation:
that God will infiltrate Belarus, bringing a great hunger for openness, liberty and true spirituality.
The Church:
- that during these days of repression, the Church will grow in prayerfulness, wisdom, grace and unity in the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:3), ready for the day she can preach freely to the nation again.
BHUTAN
(transformation under way; emerging democracy; spiritual warfare expected)
The nation:
for God to bless those who are leading Bhutan from isolated repression into openness and liberty. Pray especially that God will unite the Bhutanese people behind these leaders; may their fears dissolve and may they find so much joy in liberty that Buddhist nationalism cannot gain a foothold.
The Church:
- for God to give the young Bhutanese Church great heavenly wisdom, so she may be a wise and sensitive agent of blessing through these days of transformation when many Buddhists are anxious.
CHINA
(God is doing an amazing work; a great spiritual battle is under way)
The nation:
that God will continue to awaken Chinese consciences and lead the nation towards 'cultural transformation' in pursuit of a 'harmonious society'; as people ask questions, may they find their answers in Jesus Christ.- that China's appalling gulag, a vast network of some 1100 'loagai' (reform-through-labour prison camps, most used for slave labour) will be fully exposed, condemned and relegated to history.
The Church:
- for continued church growth in the midst of oppression and suffering. Ask God to provide Bibles and raise up more Christian pastors and evangelists to meet the enormous demand created by nation-wide spiritual hunger. Praise and thank God for the growth of the Chinese Church worldwide, and may he continue preparing her for the coming days of liberty.
- that God will be the refuge and strength of China's imprisoned believers, healing their physical and emotional wounds and that the ever-present Holy Spirit may comfort and counsel their hearts.
EGYPT (worsened through 2007)
The nation:
for God to reveal himself to the Egyptians (Isaiah 19:19-25) as they struggle with issues of Islamic conflict and repression. Pray for an Arab Awakening.
The Church:
- for Egypt's Coptic and other Christians to grow in prayerfulness, knowledge of the Lord, grace and faith in the midst of hardship and Islamic persecution, so they may be prepared for the future God has for them when liberty comes to Egypt.
- for Egypt's growing number of converts from Islam, praying for their safety and that they will grow in knowledge of the Lord and in grace. Pray for courage with wisdom and that they will soon have religious liberty.
ERITREA (worsened since May 2002 – severe persecution)
The nation:
for God to intervene and bring peace, justice and liberty to Eritrea. (Isaiah 59:15b-19)
The Church:
- for God to redeem their suffering so that good may come from evil, praying for healing and comfort for those who have suffered and for justice for more than 2000 Christians presently imprisoned for their faith. Pray especially for the 'disappeared' pastors Naizgi and Hagos and Dr Gebremeski, the chairman of the Eritrean Evangelical Alliance. (Psalm 139:1-12)
INDIA (Critical deterioration)
The nation:
for God to awaken Indians to the dangers of fascist Hindutva (militant Hindu nationalism); may he stir Indian consciences and awaken hearts and minds to truth, so that Hindutva, violence and anti-Christian propaganda will be rejected in preference for truth, harmony and liberty.- for the President of India Smt Pratibha Devisingh Patil and the Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh, that God will use them as his instruments to advance his will.
The Church:
- for God to protect India's Christians, most of whom are vulnerable, poor and without 'voice'.
- for God to give great heavenly wisdom and courage to evangelists and bless their witness.
- for the Church to grow in prayerfulness, casteless solidarity, wisdom, grace and perseverance in the face of suffering.
INDONESIA
The nation:
for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Vice President Jusuf Kalla and all in authority in Indonesia, that they will have motivation, moral conviction and strength to implement justice and fight against terrorism, Islamic radicalisation, corruption in both the government and the security forces, and to halt the movement of illegal small arms and explosives. (1 Tim 2:1-4)
The Church:
- for God to frustrate the ways of the wicked (Psalm 146:9) and protect the churches, pastors, evangelists, Christian leaders and all believers in these days of radicalisation and Islamic expansion.
- for the Christians of Papua, that God will hear their cries and deliver them from expanding Javanese Muslim domination and Islamist militancy with potential genocidal effects.
IRAN (Critical deterioration)
The nation:
for God to continue stirring up the people to hunger for liberty, justice and truth and to have the courage to pursue change; may God intervene to bring down Iran's apocalyptic clerical regime.- for God to move powerfully amongst Iranians in the Diaspora, so that Iranian Christian and political leaders and Bible scholars might be raised up and prepared to serve the nation.
The Church:
- for safety, wisdom, provision and perseverance for Iran's oppressed Christians, including a growing number of converts from Islam who face severe persecution. May they shine as stars in the midst of darkness, displaying their joy and abundant life amidst repression, depression and a culture of death (Philippians 2:14-15).
IRAQ (Critical deterioration; looming genocide)
The nation:
for peace and security – that God will still the turmoil of the nation (Psalm 65:5-7), frustrate the ways of the wicked (Psalm 146:9) and intervene against aggressors and all enemies of his Church.
The Church:
- for God to protect churches, pastors, evangelists and believers from militant Islamist attack and lawless violence at this time of intense insecurity when murder, torture, kidnap, forced conversions and rape of non-Muslims are endemic. May God be their refuge, strength and help (Psalm 46).
- that in the midst of violence and trauma, the faith and love of believers (including hundreds of thousands who are refugees) will be a witness to all around them: may all suffering be redeemed.
- for the persecuted believers in Iraq to find strength and support in solidarity across ethnic and denominational lines – may the body of Christ in Iraq grow in love, faith and unity.
KOSOVO
(Serbia, critical deterioration since 1999;
conflict with ethnic-religious cleansing looming)
for the vulnerable, historic Serbian Orthodox remnant in the Muslim, now Albanian-majority province of Kosovo (having been 'cleansed' of Jews, Protestant Serbs and some 200,000 Orthodox Serbs over the past eight years of NATO). Pray for God to intervene, to be their shield (Psalm 33:20), their refuge and strength, their help in times of trouble, and their fortress (Psalm 46).- for the Spirit of God to generate Christian love and solidarity across ethnic and denominational lines so that Kosovo's minority of Albanian Christians (mostly evangelicals) might bring glory to God through demonstrations of sacrificial brotherly love.
LAOS
The Nation:
for an end to the severe Communist oppression of Christianity, and the Lao government's genocidal campaign against the Hmong (a pro-West, largely Christianised ethnic minority).
May rights-affirming nations use their influence to leverage human rights reform and religious liberty in impoverished Laos, especially through 2008 as Laos seeks to join the World Trade Organisation.- For God to bring spiritual awakening and moral conviction to the dominant, majority ethnic Lao, so they might be instrumental in bringing change to Laos.
The Church:
- that Christians (mostly ethnic minority Khmu and Hmong) will be sustained, kept safe, and blessed with faith, peace and joy as they worship and fruitfulness as they witness.
for healing for all those who those have been tortured, beaten, or attacked by the military, especially the Hmong who have been attacked with chemical weapons ('yellow rain'), butchered, starved and driven into exile where there is still no refuge. May God uphold and preserve his suffering Church in Laos, raise up voices on their behalf and deliver them from evil.
MALAYSIA (continued to worsen during 2007)
- for God to fill the hearts of Malaysian Muslims with a strong desire for openness, progress and liberty, so that the present trend towards Islamisation might be reversed.
MOROCCO
for King Mohammed VI who along with his wife is pursuing reform: may they be instruments in the hand of God for his good purpose so that religious freedom may become a reality.
NEPAL
(transformation under way; emerging democracy; spiritual warfare expected)
The nation:
for God to bless with wisdom those who are leading Nepal from isolated repression into openness and liberty. Please pray especially that God will unite the Nepalese people behind these leaders: may they find so much joy in liberty that they will not be tempted by Hindu nationalism.
The Church:
- for God to give the Nepalese Church great heavenly wisdom, so she may be a wise and sensitive agent of blessing through these days of transformation.
NIGERIA (religious fault-line nation)
The nation:
that state, community and religious leaders will have hearts committed to peace, liberty and justice; may they have the wisdom and strength to prevent sectarian tensions and clashes.
The Church:
- may God give the free and often prosperous Christians of southern Nigeria a deep burden for their persecuted and usually impoverished brothers and sisters in the north; may this be evident in fervent prayer and sacrificial generosity.
- for God to protect and sustain the Christian minority in northern Nigeria where Islamic Sharia law heightens Islamic zeal and leads to crippling discrimination and violent persecution.
NORTH KOREA (severe persecution)
2007 is the centenary of the Great Pyongyang Revival that led to Pyongyang being known as 'The Jerusalem of the East'.
The nation:
- for the Spirit of Christ to infiltrate the nation, bringing in his gospel and power, through cracks that God will make and doors that God will open, or through supernatural means like dreams and visions. May Christ bring justice, righteousness, healing, comfort, abundant life and salvation to the people, freedom to the prisoners, and healing to the land. (Luke 4:18,19)
The Church:
- which exists mainly in horrendous prison labour camps as well as in underground, secret house-churches and in exile, that these most cruelly abused believers will be preserved and strengthened in their faith and hope by the ever-present Holy Spirit.
PAKISTAN
The nation:
that the Pakistani government, police and courts will pursue justice and security for all Pakistani people regardless of religion.- for the removal of the grossly unjust and widely abused Blasphemy Law.
- for the government to have the motivation, conviction and courage to reform madrassah and state education and to dismantle banned terrorist organisations.
The Church:
- for God to protect and empower his children in Pakistan, that they may be Christ's representatives in an increasingly hostile environment, so their witness will not be in vain but lead many disillusioned Pakistanis to Christ.
PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES [PT] (critical deterioration)
The nation:
for God's Holy Spirit to infiltrate, bringing a powerful spiritual awakening, supernaturally turning the people's hearts away from the culture of death, hatred and violence that has enslaved so many, towards life, hope and peace. Pray for an Arab Awakening. (Luke 1:37 'Nothing will be impossible with God'.)- for the Muslim Arabs of the PT to re-hear the message of Pentecost (Acts 2:11) and may God open their hearts to receive the gospel (Acts 16:14).
The Church:
- for God to protect the Christians living in the PT, in particular in Hamas-ruled Gaza, as resurgent, intolerant, militant Islamism replaces Arab nationalism and threatens the existence and future of Christian churches, businesses, homes, livelihoods and families.
- for God to grant the Christians of the PT great heavenly discernment and wisdom with great grace and courage so they might demonstrate the gospel truth, that through the Cross of Jesus Christ the two (Jew and Gentile) can be one. (Ephesians 2:15b-16)
RUSSIA
for reforming revival to come on the Russian Orthodox Church; for wisdom, grace and boldness for the growing Protestant minority. May Russia's churches be united in truth and in commitment to mission, as Russia faces rising tides of both Islam and fascism (though enemies of each other, united in their hatred of the true Church).
SAUDI ARABIA
that God will give wisdom to Christians in Saudi Arabia – virtually all expatriate workers – to know how to share the gospel and worship without unnecessarily endangering lives; may they be protected from Islamist terror and may religious freedom come to Saudi Arabia.
SOMALIA (worsened during 2006)
- for God to protect and sustain Somali Christians, including those who live over the Ethiopian border in Ogaden where Muslim Somalis are involved in a separatist struggle, as well as those living in Kenya as refugees from the conflict and jihad in southern Somalia.
SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES
- for God to bless the pastors and evangelists of Southern Philippines with wisdom, grace and strength as they risk their lives to witness for Christ in Muslim communities.
SRI LANKA (worsening over the past decade)
The nation:
that God will protect Sri Lanka from the schemes of Buddhist nationalists, so that Christian NGOs may continue to serve the poor and Sri Lankan Christians may continue to witness and worship.- that the authorities will resist the temptation to appease hostile anti-Christian militant Buddhist forces, upholding the law and protecting the constitutional right of religious liberty.
The Church:
- that God will protect and bless his servants as they minister, teach and evangelise in an increasingly dangerous and hostile environment, so that the Church may continue to grow and provide blessing.
- for God to help the Church grow and shine as a peace-maker in the midst of civil conflict.
SUDAN (religious fault-line nation)
The nation:
for God to effectually call Christian humanitarian workers across the world – engineers, entrepreneurs, teachers, health-care workers and more – that they may provide all the humanitarian assistance needed for rebuilding after decades of destructive jihad.- for the Spirit of Christ to infiltrate and transform the Muslim Arabs of Sudan, turning hearts towards openness, peace and progress.
The Church:
- for God to raise up leaders amongst the South Sudanese, in churches, local communities and government; may the church be an instrument of unity, strength, vision and blessing.
- for spiritual wisdom for all Sudan's pastors and Christian leaders who minister daily to a traumatised people. Praise and thank God for amazing Church growth despite decades of suffering.
TURKEY
(worsening due to escalating Islamic radicalism and Turkish nationalism)
The nation:
for Turks to resist the pull towards intolerant Islam and Turkish nationalism.- for anti-Christian, anti-'missionary', anti-'foreign' and anti-Western propaganda to be exposed as destructive and be profoundly rejected in preference for openness, liberty peace and progress.
The Church:
- for strength to endure and great wisdom to know how to handle persistent discrimination, harassment, media disinformation, incitement, and persecution.
- for increased freedom and security for gospel distribution and prayer ministries.
TURKMENISTAN
The nation:
for God to infiltrate Turkmenistan, bringing spiritual hunger, openness and liberty; may this new era (after the sudden death of the repressive dictator Niyazov) be a turning point in the history of Turkmenistan.
The Church:
- for God to give the young, persecuted Church great wisdom so she may negotiate the new Turkmenistan strategically. May God help Turkmenistan's Christians to grow in grace, knowledge and maturity, so they might radiate hope and be ready to share and be a blessing to their hungry nation.
UZBEKISTAN (serious deterioration during 2006)
The nation:
for Uzbekistan's relationship with the West, formerly positive but shattered in June 2005, to be repaired, restored and developed for the advancement of religious liberty.
The Church:
- for God to grant the small, young Uzbek Church comfort, grace, strength and wisdom from the Holy Spirit to stand firm and move forward in faith as persecution mounts against it from both the hostile, radicalising Muslim community and the embattled government.
VIETNAM (worsened in 2007)
The nation:
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or God to bring religious freedom to Vietnam so the Church can minister, serve and witness in freedom and security.
The Church:
- for God to surround Vietnam's oppressed, persecuted and imprisoned believers and their families – mostly from ethnic minorities – with his peace that passes understanding and provide all their needs.
- for healing, courage and grace for all those who have suffered violence for their faith at the hands of Vietnamese officials; may they shine as stars, displaying the refreshing righteousness of Christ in the midst of a nation struggling with corruption and injustice (Philippians 2:12-14).
To find more information on specific countries of interest, including Azerbaijan, Burma, Zimbabwe and others not listed here, visit the WEA RLC website.