Christians In Libya: An Unwelcome and Ignored Minority
(Voice of the Persecuted) You are invited to join us on Thursday, March 9, 2023, in a prayer conference call for the persecuted church hosted by Persecution Watch
Libya: Population: 6.8 million, Christians: about 35,000
Libya is effectively a lawless land where both native Christians and those passing through from other countries face extreme violence. With no central government to maintain law and order, militant Islamic extremist groups and organized crime groups both wield power. They target and kidnap Christians, and some believers have been killed.
If a Libyan from a Muslim background becomes a Christian, they are likely to face intense pressure and abuse from their family and the wider community to make them renounce their faith, or even be killed. Christians who publicly express their faith and try to share the gospel with others are likely to face arrest or retribution from extremist groups. The risks of being openly Christian are so high that it’s almost impossible to meet up in groups for fellowship unless the whole family converts at once.
Large numbers of refugees from sub-Saharan Africa pass through Libya to reach Europe. Many of these are Christians, and their time there is highly dangerous. They are likely to encounter harassment and threats from Islamic extremist groups or be abducted and used as slave labor by organized crime groups. Some are put straight into the hands of these gangs by their human traffickers.
Persecution against Christian is slightly better in the past year, with fewer reported incidents of violence. Although the country stabilized to a certain extent and saw less direct conflict last year, the overall vulnerability of Christians in the country remains extremely high.
- Father God, we cry out to you against the lawless situation in Libya.
- God, we thank you that it is not illegal to become a Christian in Libya – we pray for a strong and just future government that will enforce that law.
- God, we pray against the evils of human trafficking and the organized crime gangs who profit from human misery. Break their power and bring back law, order, and justice to Libya.
- Pray to the Lord to protect the migrant workers in Libya from violence and discrimination.
- Lord, give our brothers and sisters across Libya great comfort and hope in You, and safe ways to communicate with and encourage one another.
- Pray to the Lord for the believers who must keep their faith secret.
- Pray to the Lord that He will blind, confuse, and distract radical Muslims from identifying Christians in order to persecute them.
- Pray to the Lord that He will reach Muslims through dreams and visions.
- Lord, we pray for many and powerful broadcasts into Libya proclaiming the Gospel, as well as good internet access to Christian messages.
- Lord, we pray for the safety, Your hand of protection on the refugees from sub-Saharan Africa as they pass through Libya to reach Europe, – many of these are Christians.
- Pray for the NGOs to bring much needed physical and spiritual support to our persecuted brothers and sisters.
- Pray to the Lord that He will give the strength to his believers to love and forgive their persecutors.
- Pray to the Lord that all believers are anchored in His word and that the Lord will let them know that they are being prayed for.
- Pray to The Lord that the day is near for Christians to plant churches and that it will be safe to worship in Libya.
Again, we want to lift-up these persecuted witnesses to the Lord:
- Leah Sharibu, a prisoner of Boko Haram since 2018. Pray for her release.
- Alice Loksha Ngaddah, kidnapped February 2019. She is a mother of two, working as a nurse for UNICEF. Pray for her release.
- Pray for Pastor Wang Yi to be released from a Chinese prison.
- Pray for Ryan Kohler, pilot for Mission Aviation who is in prison in Mozambique. While flying supplies to orphanages in the Northeast of the country, he and two others were detained and accused of supporting terrorism.
The Harvest
- 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Matthew 9:37-38
Again, we want to lift-up these persecuted witnesses to the Lord:
- Leah Sharibu, a prisoner of Boko Haram since 2018. Pray for her release.
- Alice Loksha Ngaddah, kidnapped February 2019. She is a mother of two, working as a nurse for UNICEF. Pray for her release.
- Pray for Pastor Wang Yi to be released from a Chinese prison.
- Pray for Ryan Kohler, pilot for Mission Aviation who is in prison in Mozambique. While flying supplies to orphanages in the Northeast of the country, he and two others were detained and accused of supporting terrorism.
The Harvest
- 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Matthew 9:37-38
Andy, Persecution Watch Prayer Call Moderator
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What is Persecution Watch?
Persecution Watch is a U.S. national prayer conference call ministry that prays specifically for the global Persecuted Church. For over a decade, Blaine Scogin led this national network of believers who faithfully pray for the persecuted and the global harvest for the Kingdom of God. The group meets via a free call-in service every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday night at 9pm Eastern time in the United States (please check your time zone). Blaine also served as Prayer Director for Voice of the Persecuted, and the missions became one. Brother Blaine passed into glory on December 26, 2019. It was truly a blessing for all of us to serve alongside this dear man of God and he will be greatly missed. The prayer mission of Persecution Watch remains an important part of our mission. Voice of the Persecuted is committed to continue the prayer conference call for the persecuted along with the dedicated Persecution Watch prayer warrior team.
Prior to the passing of Brother Blaine, he confirmed the passing of the torch as prayer conference call leader to Nadia Dybvik. Nadia has a burdened heart for the persecuted and is a prayer warrior standing in the gap for them. She joined the Persecution Watch prayer team in 2013 and has been part of the core ever since. Before becoming the prayer call leader, she served in the role of prayer moderator since 2015. Blaine chose Nadia for her faithfulness to pray for the persecuted and her strong commitment to the Persecution Watch mission. We are blessed not only with her gift of prayer, but her genuine love for every brother and sister in Christ that comes on the call to pray. May the Lord continue to bless Nadia and the prayer team in the mission and their personal lives.
“Pray for us” is the number one request that we hear from the persecuted. As the members of the first century Church were moved by the Holy Spirit to pray, we too must continue to serve those suffering persecution by lifting them up to the Lord through prayer.
On occasion, persecuted brothers and sisters have been invited on the conference call to share the trials they are facing. The team serves to encourage them by washing their feet in Spirit led prayer. Time is often reserved for those on the call to ask questions. We believe this helps to gain a better understanding of the situation that persecuted Christians endure in their specific nations. Q&A also helps us to focus our prayers based on their current needs.
Persecution Watch also hosts callers who want to pray united from other nations. If your heart is perplexed by the sufferings of our persecuted brothers and sisters, you no longer need to pray alone.
We welcome all who desire to pray for the persecuted church and consider it a joy to pray together with you. If you are new to the call and cannot find your voice, listen in and pray silently or on mute. We are grateful and thank the Lord for bringing us all together to pray in agreement for our persecuted family in Christ. We can all be prayer warriors on this call!
God bless and protect you in your faithfulness to serve.
Lois Kanalos, Founder, Voice of the Persecuted, Nadia Dybvik, Persecution Watch Prayer Call Leader and the Persecution Watch Prayer Team
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