AEIOU - Persecution
From April/May 2005 and May/June 2005 Prayer Force Alert by Open Doors
MIDDLE EAST GENERAL: Thank the Lord for the small church that has come into being in the past couple of years in a closed Muslim country. Pray that the spirit of fear that holds so much power over the Christians in this country will crumble down. Pray that they will find the courage to get in touch with other believers. Pray that they will find ways to share their faith with their compatriots. (2 Timothy 1:7) [Also pray for fitting spouses for young Christian males from Muslim backgrounds throughout the region who are seeking like-minded brides. May the Lord guard their hearts & keep them pure.]
IRAQ: In spite of bombings of churches and violence to both clerics and laymen, the churches in Iraq have continued sharing God's message of hope. Pray that the Holy Spirit will console the hearts of these suffering people, comforting those who have experienced the untimely loss of loved ones and healing people's hurts and wounds. (Psalm 147:3) Pastor Heytham became paralyzed from the waist down when assailants shot him as he was driving to his new church in Nineveh some 5 months ago. God has already brought about healing to some parts of his body. Pray that God would continue to heal Pastor Heytham so that he will be able to walk out of the hospital to his home where his wife and 3-year-old son are waiting for him. (Matthew 11:4-5) Pray that during this Easter season the church in Iraq will help more Iraqis than ever before understand what it really meant for Christ to die on the cross for our sins. Ask God to help the Iraqis experience how they can come back to life through the power of that cross, and how sins, sicknesses, and worries can be nailed to that cross once and for all. (1 Corinthians 1:18). Three months ago, the headmistress of a Christian school went to be with the Lord. During her years with the school she did a fantastic job, and her final accomplishment was acquiring a large piece of property for a new school complex that she arranged to receive free from the government. Please remember her family in your prayers. Pray also for the person who has taken over leadership of the school. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
LEBANON: Praise God for the many open doors for the Word of God in this country! Many churches and church organizations use Lebanon as a home base. Christian TV and radio broadcasts reach tens of thousands of Lebanese daily, and these programs are also received in other Arabic-speaking countries. Pray that we would not take these freedoms in Lebanon for granted but that we would praise and thank God for them. (Psalm 147:1)
SAUDI ARABIA: On November 2, 2004, seven months and seven days after he was arrested, tortured, and jailed in Saudi Arabia for spreading Christianity, Brian O'Connor was deported back to his home in India. Please pray that God would comfort Brian and direct him to new areas of ministry. (Psalm 73:24)
SYRIA: There are wonderful men of God leading several Syrian churches. Please continue to pray that the Holy Spirit will use these men, as well as the Scriptures and spiritual books that have been distributed over the years, to bring about a wonderful harvest. (Luke 10:2) Syria has been a bastion of security for people for many years. Many Lebanese families found refuge here during the 15-year civil war, and since 2000, thousands of Iraqis have found job opportunities, an affordable place to live, and schools that have welcomedd their children. Praise God for this!! Also pray that the Word of God will continue to go out in ever-widening circles to speak to the hearts of people through God's Holy Spirit. (Psalm 57:9-10)
YEMEN: Yemen is closed to the Gospel, but the Lord is opening doors there. Pray that doors will stay open and that many Christian books and literature will enter the country. (Romans 15:20)
MIDDLE EAST GENERAL: Thank the Lord for the small church that has come into being in the past couple of years in a closed Muslim country. Pray that the spirit of fear that holds so much power over the Christians in this country will crumble down. Pray that they will find the courage to get in touch with other believers. Pray that they will find ways to share their faith with their compatriots. (2 Timothy 1:7) [Also pray for fitting spouses for young Christian males from Muslim backgrounds throughout the region who are seeking like-minded brides. May the Lord guard their hearts & keep them pure.]
IRAQ: In spite of bombings of churches and violence to both clerics and laymen, the churches in Iraq have continued sharing God's message of hope. Pray that the Holy Spirit will console the hearts of these suffering people, comforting those who have experienced the untimely loss of loved ones and healing people's hurts and wounds. (Psalm 147:3) Pastor Heytham became paralyzed from the waist down when assailants shot him as he was driving to his new church in Nineveh some 5 months ago. God has already brought about healing to some parts of his body. Pray that God would continue to heal Pastor Heytham so that he will be able to walk out of the hospital to his home where his wife and 3-year-old son are waiting for him. (Matthew 11:4-5) Pray that during this Easter season the church in Iraq will help more Iraqis than ever before understand what it really meant for Christ to die on the cross for our sins. Ask God to help the Iraqis experience how they can come back to life through the power of that cross, and how sins, sicknesses, and worries can be nailed to that cross once and for all. (1 Corinthians 1:18). Three months ago, the headmistress of a Christian school went to be with the Lord. During her years with the school she did a fantastic job, and her final accomplishment was acquiring a large piece of property for a new school complex that she arranged to receive free from the government. Please remember her family in your prayers. Pray also for the person who has taken over leadership of the school. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
LEBANON: Praise God for the many open doors for the Word of God in this country! Many churches and church organizations use Lebanon as a home base. Christian TV and radio broadcasts reach tens of thousands of Lebanese daily, and these programs are also received in other Arabic-speaking countries. Pray that we would not take these freedoms in Lebanon for granted but that we would praise and thank God for them. (Psalm 147:1)
SAUDI ARABIA: On November 2, 2004, seven months and seven days after he was arrested, tortured, and jailed in Saudi Arabia for spreading Christianity, Brian O'Connor was deported back to his home in India. Please pray that God would comfort Brian and direct him to new areas of ministry. (Psalm 73:24)
SYRIA: There are wonderful men of God leading several Syrian churches. Please continue to pray that the Holy Spirit will use these men, as well as the Scriptures and spiritual books that have been distributed over the years, to bring about a wonderful harvest. (Luke 10:2) Syria has been a bastion of security for people for many years. Many Lebanese families found refuge here during the 15-year civil war, and since 2000, thousands of Iraqis have found job opportunities, an affordable place to live, and schools that have welcomedd their children. Praise God for this!! Also pray that the Word of God will continue to go out in ever-widening circles to speak to the hearts of people through God's Holy Spirit. (Psalm 57:9-10)
YEMEN: Yemen is closed to the Gospel, but the Lord is opening doors there. Pray that doors will stay open and that many Christian books and literature will enter the country. (Romans 15:20)
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