The Voice of the Martyrs
COLOMBIA (Christian Solidarity Worldwide)
Three people were killed and 14 seriously injured on September 4th, when masked men opened fire on a church in southern Colombia, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reports. Three men wearing black hoods entered the Christian and Missionary Alliance church where about 45 people had gathered for a prayer service and began shooting. Some 25,000 to 30,000 people are killed each year in the violence, which affects Colombia. Christians, both Roman Catholics and Protestants, and especially those involved with peace initiatives or assisting those to flee the violence, are particularly at risk. (Click here)
Pray God will comfort the grieving families and heal all those who were injured. Pray Christians will remain faithful to Christ and bold in their witness. Pray the Holy Spirit will move in power to defeat the spirit of violence that pervades Colombia.
INDIA (Gospel for Asia)
Three Gospel for Asia native missionaries who were captured and threatened with death have been released in what GFA called "a miraculous turn of events." Anti-Christian elements in Bihar, captured, severely beat, and threatened to kill GFA missionary Pastor Manrathan and his wife. A GFA worker named Sarita was also held hostage. An anti-Christian mob from six villages tied them to a sacred tree, demanding 25,000 rupees as a ransom for "desecrating" their village with the gospel. There are no police in the area. The group that spearheaded the incident is the same one that burned missionary Graham Staines and his two children alive in Orissa, several years ago.
Give thanks to God for His mercy in allowing these hostages to be freed. Pray they will recover from their injuries quickly and their suffering will increase their zeal in proclaiming the gospel. Pray God will reward those who freed them with the knowledge of His love and mercy.
NEPAL (Christian Aid Mission)
Native missionaries in Nepal report that their evangelistic work has been inhibited due to the tense political situation following the murder of 12 Nepali hostages in Iraq. On August 31st, an Islamic militant group released video footage of the executions of 12 Nepali men who had been contracted by a Jordanian business to work in Iraq. The incident has sparked outrage among Nepalis and political unrest that is slowing gospel work. Many meetings had to be canceled, students were unable to attend a Bible college, and a training session for mission workers had to be called off.
Pray Christians will be able to comfort those whose family members were killed. Pray God will defeat the enemy's lies that equate Christianity with Western countries and politics. Pray the unrest will cause many people to seek the Lord.
NORTH KOREA (Christian Solidarity Worldwide)
Bill Rammell MP, the first British minister to visit North Korea, heads a delegation that began meeting September 11th to discuss North Korea's nuclear program and its human rights situation. Christian Solidarity Worldwide has provided a list of human rights abuses currently taking place inside North Korea and a list of individuals of concern. Among the latter are those abducted, including two South Korean pastors, Rev. Kim Dong-shik and Rev. Ahn Seung-woon, who were working with North Korean escapees in China. (Click here)
Pray God will use these meetings to bring about reforms in North Korea's treatment of Christians. Pray God will protect the Christians who have escaped to China. Pray the Holy Spirit will cause the church to grow in North Korea.
VIETNAM (VOM/Canada)
Rev. Tran Mai, arrested August 29th as he was returning to Vietnam, has been released. He was held for eight days of questioning about his activities abroad, his involvement in literature distribution, and his connection with two pastors who are now in prison. While in custody, Mai was moved to three different locations, and his family was not allowed to know his whereabouts. He was released during three days of prayer and fasting for the church in Vietnam, organized by the Vietnam Evangelical Fellowship. Mai was allowed to return home but was ordered to appear at the Ministry of Public Security for questioning the next morning.
Praise God that Pastor Tran Mai was released! Pray there will be no charges placed against him. Pray for the Vietnamese authorities who are in bondage to the communist philosophy.
(Compass Direct)
The Vietnam Evangelical Fellowship, representing many hundreds of house churches, released a statement on Vietnam's new Ordinance on Religion, due to take effect on November 15th. The letter states that the Ordinance will create many problems for the church, especially gatherings for worship, and could provide a legal basis for local authorities to persecute the church. (Click here)
Give thanks to God for the courageous leaders who wrote and submitted this statement. Pray the authorities will reconsider the Ordinance and give true freedom to all Christians in Vietnam. Pray Christians worldwide will join with the Vietnam Evangelical Fellowship in their next call for prayer and fasting for the church in Vietnam on October 5th - 7th.
(Assist News Service)
The Vietnamese government stated several years ago that they intended to "wipe out Christianity" in Lao Cai Province. Ninety-six Christian families totaling about 600 people were expelled from their village in Lao Cai Province, to Binh Thuan Province, about 800 miles to the south. Once they reached Binh Thuan Province, they found there was insufficient land to settle and grow food, so only 22 of the families stayed, and the others continued to travel. The families that stayed have no wells and must drink water from the streams. Many suffer from diarrhea and also malaria, as their mosquito netting had to be left behind when they were forced to relocate.
Pray God will strengthen the displaced Christians. Pray He will draw them close as they struggle to survive. Pray Lao Cai Province will not be without witnesses of His love and power.
Prayers for September 14, 2004
Three people were killed and 14 seriously injured on September 4th, when masked men opened fire on a church in southern Colombia, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reports. Three men wearing black hoods entered the Christian and Missionary Alliance church where about 45 people had gathered for a prayer service and began shooting. Some 25,000 to 30,000 people are killed each year in the violence, which affects Colombia. Christians, both Roman Catholics and Protestants, and especially those involved with peace initiatives or assisting those to flee the violence, are particularly at risk. (Click here)
Pray God will comfort the grieving families and heal all those who were injured. Pray Christians will remain faithful to Christ and bold in their witness. Pray the Holy Spirit will move in power to defeat the spirit of violence that pervades Colombia.
INDIA (Gospel for Asia)
Three Gospel for Asia native missionaries who were captured and threatened with death have been released in what GFA called "a miraculous turn of events." Anti-Christian elements in Bihar, captured, severely beat, and threatened to kill GFA missionary Pastor Manrathan and his wife. A GFA worker named Sarita was also held hostage. An anti-Christian mob from six villages tied them to a sacred tree, demanding 25,000 rupees as a ransom for "desecrating" their village with the gospel. There are no police in the area. The group that spearheaded the incident is the same one that burned missionary Graham Staines and his two children alive in Orissa, several years ago.
Give thanks to God for His mercy in allowing these hostages to be freed. Pray they will recover from their injuries quickly and their suffering will increase their zeal in proclaiming the gospel. Pray God will reward those who freed them with the knowledge of His love and mercy.
NEPAL (Christian Aid Mission)
Native missionaries in Nepal report that their evangelistic work has been inhibited due to the tense political situation following the murder of 12 Nepali hostages in Iraq. On August 31st, an Islamic militant group released video footage of the executions of 12 Nepali men who had been contracted by a Jordanian business to work in Iraq. The incident has sparked outrage among Nepalis and political unrest that is slowing gospel work. Many meetings had to be canceled, students were unable to attend a Bible college, and a training session for mission workers had to be called off.
Pray Christians will be able to comfort those whose family members were killed. Pray God will defeat the enemy's lies that equate Christianity with Western countries and politics. Pray the unrest will cause many people to seek the Lord.
NORTH KOREA (Christian Solidarity Worldwide)
Bill Rammell MP, the first British minister to visit North Korea, heads a delegation that began meeting September 11th to discuss North Korea's nuclear program and its human rights situation. Christian Solidarity Worldwide has provided a list of human rights abuses currently taking place inside North Korea and a list of individuals of concern. Among the latter are those abducted, including two South Korean pastors, Rev. Kim Dong-shik and Rev. Ahn Seung-woon, who were working with North Korean escapees in China. (Click here)
Pray God will use these meetings to bring about reforms in North Korea's treatment of Christians. Pray God will protect the Christians who have escaped to China. Pray the Holy Spirit will cause the church to grow in North Korea.
VIETNAM (VOM/Canada)
Rev. Tran Mai, arrested August 29th as he was returning to Vietnam, has been released. He was held for eight days of questioning about his activities abroad, his involvement in literature distribution, and his connection with two pastors who are now in prison. While in custody, Mai was moved to three different locations, and his family was not allowed to know his whereabouts. He was released during three days of prayer and fasting for the church in Vietnam, organized by the Vietnam Evangelical Fellowship. Mai was allowed to return home but was ordered to appear at the Ministry of Public Security for questioning the next morning.
Praise God that Pastor Tran Mai was released! Pray there will be no charges placed against him. Pray for the Vietnamese authorities who are in bondage to the communist philosophy.
(Compass Direct)
The Vietnam Evangelical Fellowship, representing many hundreds of house churches, released a statement on Vietnam's new Ordinance on Religion, due to take effect on November 15th. The letter states that the Ordinance will create many problems for the church, especially gatherings for worship, and could provide a legal basis for local authorities to persecute the church. (Click here)
Give thanks to God for the courageous leaders who wrote and submitted this statement. Pray the authorities will reconsider the Ordinance and give true freedom to all Christians in Vietnam. Pray Christians worldwide will join with the Vietnam Evangelical Fellowship in their next call for prayer and fasting for the church in Vietnam on October 5th - 7th.
(Assist News Service)
The Vietnamese government stated several years ago that they intended to "wipe out Christianity" in Lao Cai Province. Ninety-six Christian families totaling about 600 people were expelled from their village in Lao Cai Province, to Binh Thuan Province, about 800 miles to the south. Once they reached Binh Thuan Province, they found there was insufficient land to settle and grow food, so only 22 of the families stayed, and the others continued to travel. The families that stayed have no wells and must drink water from the streams. Many suffer from diarrhea and also malaria, as their mosquito netting had to be left behind when they were forced to relocate.
Pray God will strengthen the displaced Christians. Pray He will draw them close as they struggle to survive. Pray Lao Cai Province will not be without witnesses of His love and power.
Prayers for September 14, 2004
posted by R7 | 9/15/2004 05:19:00 AM
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