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Pray for the Believers in Uganda
(Voice of the Persecuted) You are invited to join us, tonight, in a prayer conference call hosted by Persecution Watch.
Uganda is a majority-Christian nation with many active churches. However, Uganda’s history has made it particularly vulnerable to the influence of Islam. During the 1970s, Uganda was ruled by the dictator Idi Amin, who was inspired by Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi to join the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and to begin Islamization of the country. Many of Amin’s policies continue to influence society and government today. Uganda’s parliament has passed Islamic banking laws, which provide zero-interest loans to Islamic projects. Arab countries also continue to invest significant resources into furthering Muslim interests in the country. Radical Islam’s influence has grown steadily, and many Christians within the majority-Muslim border regions are facing severe persecution, especially those who convert from Islam. Despite the risks, many churches in Uganda have responded by reaching out to their neighbors; many churches are training leaders how to share the gospel with Muslims and care for those who are persecuted after they become Christians.
MAJOR RELIGION:
84 percent of Ugandans are Christians, and 14 percent are Muslims.
PERSECUTOR:
Local Islamists persecute Christians, especially along the eastern, southwestern and northern borders, where radicals have been steadily encroaching.
Prayer Points:
- Praise God for the believers, especially those of Muslim backgrounds who continue to serve Christ despite the dangers.
- Pray for the supernatural healing and comfort of those who have lost loved ones and who have been injured during attacks.
- Pray that Ugandan believers would not live with a spirit of fear since even if they die they will spend eternity with him.
- Pray for wisdom and understanding for Pastors and other believers as they lead the flock and continue to have outreach programs to the lost.
- There are many denominations of Christianity in Uganda. Pray that believers would be unified in serving Christ and caring for each other. May their combined outcry against the violence be great!
- Pray that more Muslims would come to the saving knowledge of the truth which is only found in Jesus Christ.
- Pray that the true and living God would convict the hearts of those persons who are planning murder and all manner of destruction against believers even before they act so that they are stopped in their tracks.
- Pray that the demonic stronghold of witchcraft would be broken as more individuals encounter Jesus Christ for themselves.
- Pray that every evil conspiracy against believers would be broken apart. Let the evil agents of Satan be uprooted from the Ugandan government and more righteous persons who believe in justice replace them.
- Uganda has freedom of religion. Pray that the government of Uganda would be sterner in their judgement of the offences that Muslims commit against Christians.
- Pray for God’s supernatural protection of His people as they continue to do His will.
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.
- Pastor Wang Yi to be released from prison, for his family and for the church.
- Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani from Iran, as he and his family are adjusting from his release from prison, that they may know what God’s will is for them now. Pray for the trauma they had to endure. UPDATE: According to Article 18, once sentenced to death for his “apostasy” has been “pardoned” and released after nearly five years in Tehran’s Evin Prison but told Nadarkhani that he still faces flogging (30 lashes) and two years’ exile 2,000km from his home. Read the report here.
- Armenian Genocide Happening Again. Read full report here: Genocide and Forced Deportation: Nagorno-Karabakh
- 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
Shonla-Jay Payne, Prayer Conference Call Moderator
Prayer Conference Call Details
6 nights a week, Monday through Saturday, on your phone
USA Time Zone:
9:00 PM Eastern
8:00 PM Central
7:00 PM Mountain
6:00 PM Pacific
Call in number: (667) 770-1476
Access Code: 281207#
MOBILE APP: Free Conference Call HD also provides a quick and easy way for you to dial into conference calls without having to remember the dial-in credentials. Save all your conference call dial-in numbers and access codes using this free app. With the Free Conference Call HD you can instantly dial into a conference call via 3G/4G data network and or regular mobile carrier. Google Play link or App Store – iTunes
If you are experiencing any difficulties joining the call, please let us know.
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 two 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 2015 and has been part of the core ever since. Before becoming the prayer call leader, she served in the role of prayer moderator since 2016. 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 was 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 are invited to the conference call and 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 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 Call Moderator Team
NOTE: Please fill out the form in the sign up at link below to be added in our distribution list to receive urgent prayer requests, prayer points, notification of special prayer events and special guest speakers.
Note to Voice of the Persecuted (VOP) readers: The Persecution Watch prayer team is also the prayer team of Voice of the Persecuted. SIGN UP today.
Pray for Mali, Burkina Faso, DCR, Nigeria, Mozambique, Somalia
(Voice of the Persecuted) You are invited to join us tonight in a prayer conference call for the persecuted church hosted by Persecution Watch.
Islamic Extremists are exploiting the instability in sub-Saharan the countries.
The main drivers are the Islamic extremists who have taken advantage of military coups and the resulting breakdown of governance and security, which enabled the Islamic groups to grow and flourish. This explains why the number of these sub-Saharan countries with extremely high violence has risen from 13 to 15.
Furthermore, there is another threat emerging in sub-Saharan Africa, and those threads come from China and Russia. African governments spent more than 1 billion dollars per year on surveillance equipment which will strengthen the capability of governments led by rulers with absolute power as well as the military Juntas. The sophisticated Chinese surveillance technology, as we know, is a tool for repression of religious freedom and increases the influence and power of autocratic leaders.
Also, a part of the Wagner group – a private military contractor with connections to the Russian government is known for their ruthless activities to counter Islamic extremism and active in countries like Mali and Burkina Faso as well as manipulating economic factors such as mining.
Christians find themselves in the crossfire of these groups.
Prayer Points
- Pray to the Lord to raise up Christian leaders to restrain the extremist exploitation of regional instability.
- Pray to the Lord that He will bring leaders together to have them work out conflicts to a peaceful resolution.
- Pray to the Lord that HE will guide and protect His believers in these countries where it is dangerous to be a Christian.
- Pray to the Lord to protect Christians who speak out against violence, a hedge of protection around them.
- Pray to the Lord to confuse and distract Islamic extremists who plan attacks against Christians.
- Pray to the Lord that MBB will feel empowered and remain strong in faith and able to resist hostilities from family and neighbors.
- Pray to the Lord that ambiguous laws to restrict Christian activities are abolished, such as illegally shake the faith of a Muslim.
- Pray to the Lord for the Christians who have been displaced due to violence to be connected to NGOs for spiritual and physical support.
- Pray to the Lord that NGOs provide persecution awareness training as well as trauma counseling for the people who lost loved ones or were subject to violence.
- Pray to the Lord that Pastors and elders will be effective in covert ministry that support the saints.
- Pray to the Lord that He will open doors for evangelism and believers can boldly share the good news.
- Pray to the Lord that Islamic majorities and radical Muslims will be unable to stop the growth of Christianity.
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.
- Pastor Wang Yi to be released from prison, for his family and for the church.
- Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani from Iran, as he and his family are adjusting from his release from prison, that they may know what God’s will is for them now. Pray for the trauma they had to endure. UPDATE: According to Article 18, once sentenced to death for his “apostasy” has been “pardoned” and released after nearly five years in Tehran’s Evin Prison but told Nadarkhani that he still faces flogging (30 lashes) and two years’ exile 2,000km from his home. Read the report here.
- Armenian Genocide Happening Again. Read full report here: Genocide and Forced Deportation: Nagorno-Karabakh
- 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 Conference Call Moderator
Please forward prayer points to your church, prayer groups and others who will pray.
Prayer Conference Call Details
Monday through Saturday, 6 nights a week
USA Time Zone:
9:00 PM Eastern
8:00 PM Central
7:00 PM Mountain
6:00 PM Pacific
Call in number: (667) 770-1476
Access Code: 281207#
MOBILE APP: Free Conference Call HD also provides a quick and uncomplicated way for you to dial into conference calls without having to remember the dial-in credentials. Save all your conference call dial-in numbers and access codes using this free app. With the Free Conference Call HD, you can instantly dial into a conference call via a 3G/4G data network and or regular mobile carrier. Google Play link or App Store – iTunes
If you are experiencing any difficulties joining the call, please let us know.
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 two 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 2015 and has been part of the core ever since. Before becoming the prayer call leader, she served in the role of prayer moderator since 2016. 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 are invited to join the conference call and share the trials they are facing. The team serves to encourage them by washing their feet in Spirit led prayer. Time is 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 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 Call Moderator Team
NOTE: Please fill out the form in the sign up at link below to be added in our distribution list to receive urgent prayer requests, prayer points, notification of special prayer events and special guest speakers.
Note to Voice of the Persecuted (VOP) readers: The Persecution Watch prayer team is also the prayer team of Voice of the Persecuted. SIGN UP today.
Persecution Watch: They Choose to Follow Jesus
(Voice of the Persecuted) You are invited to join us, tonight, in a prayer conference call hosted by Persecution Watch.
Please Read the following reports.
Christian Refugee Mother from Sudan Attacked for Her Faith
JUBA, South Sudan (Morning Star News) – Among the 8 million people who have fled military conflict in Sudan is a mother who lost two babies to illness and was beaten for putting her faith in Christ. Fatima Adam, 41, said she still has pain in the joints and bones of the leg that her Muslim …
Muslim Suspected of Killing His Christian Mother, Relative Says
Uganda (Morning Star News) – A Muslim in eastern Uganda is suspected of killing his mother last week by putting pesticide in her food for refusing to leave her Christian faith, a relative said. Sulaina Nabirye, 50, of Kamuli, Kamuli District, put her faith in Christ on Feb. 10, and since then her 31-year-old son …
Young Christian Woman Killed by Muslim Family Member
Uganda (Morning Star News) – The Muslim brother of a 19-year-old woman in eastern Uganda on March 29 killed her for putting her faith in Christ, sources said.
Join us on the prayer conference call to pray for those suffering extreme persecution for their faith in Christ.
For His Kingdom,
Nadia Dybvik, Persecution Watch Prayer Conference Call Leader
Prayer Conference Call Details
6 nights a week, Monday through Saturday, on your phone
USA Time Zone:
9:00 PM Eastern
8:00 PM Central
7:00 PM Mountain
6:00 PM Pacific
Call in number: (667) 770-1476
Access Code: 281207#
MOBILE APP: Free Conference Call HD also provides a quick and easy way for you to dial into conference calls without having to remember the dial-in credentials. Save all your conference call dial-in numbers and access codes using this free app. With the Free Conference Call HD you can instantly dial into a conference call via 3G/4G data network and or regular mobile carrier. Google Play link or App Store – iTunes
If you are experiencing any difficulties joining the call, please let us know.
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 two 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 2015 and has been part of the core ever since. Before becoming the prayer call leader, she served in the role of prayer moderator since 2016. 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 was 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 are invited to the conference call and 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 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 Call Moderator Team
NOTE: Please fill out the form in the sign up at link below to be added in our distribution list to receive urgent prayer requests, prayer points, notification of special prayer events and special guest speakers.
Note to Voice of the Persecuted (VOP) readers: The Persecution Watch prayer team is also the prayer team of Voice of the Persecuted. SIGN UP today.
Photo: Sharon Tate Soberon on Flickr
Muslim Suspected of Killing His Christian Mother, Relative Says
(Morning Star News) – A Muslim in eastern Uganda is suspected of killing his mother last week by putting pesticide in her food for refusing to leave her Christian faith, a relative said.
Sulaina Nabirye, 50, of Kamuli, Kamuli District, put her faith in Christ on Feb. 10, and since then her 31-year-old son had tried to persuade her to return to Islam, said the relative, whose name is withheld for security reasons.
“During the month of Ramadan, she complained of her son pressuring her to stop attending church and revert back to Islam, since he was studying to become an imam at Bugembe Mosque,” the relative said. “When she refused to convert back to Islam, he stopped visiting her at her house and threatened to chase or even kill her.”
Nabirye’s fears led the source to make frequent visits, praying with and encouraging her to withstand the threats.
“She had peace and joy and was encouraged by the sermons from the pastor,” the source said.
The threats from Nabirye’s son, Arajabu Mukiibi, intensified during Ramadan, and the source was present when Mukiibi visited on April 9 to tell Nabirye that his wife would prepare dinner for them.
“At 7 p.m. he came with food, which he gave to us, and he left,” the relative said. “I was praying and fasting, so I did not eat the food. Shortly after eating the food, Sulaina started vomiting, and then followed diarrhea. I tried what I could, but things were worsening, I called a nearby clinic officer who came with medication. He tried to put her on drip, but all was in vain.”
Nabirye died that night at 2 a.m., April 10. The relative’s bitter weeping and wailing at Nabirye’s death alerted neighbors, who arrived to learn of the tragedy.
The source had the food tested at a medical clinic and discovered that it contained Methanol, a toxic alcohol used as an industrial solvent and pesticide.
“Her son did not come to help his mum,” the relative said. “He and his wife who were living close by did not show up. This made me conclude that he is the one who planned the poisoning.”
Area people have condemned Mukiibi for allegedly taking his mother’s life for becoming Christian and have vowed to take revenge, the source said. Relatives planned to file a report with police.
Nabirye, whose husband died in an auto accident in 2019, is also survived by a second adult child.
Nabirye attended church services every Sunday after putting her faith in Christ, the source said.
“On Feb. 9, I shared with her the Christian faith, and the following day we attended an open-air preaching,” the relative said. “After the preaching, she requested the pastor to prayer for her salvation. She was prayed for and received Jesus as Lord and Savior.”
The killing was the latest of many instances of persecution of Christians in Uganda that Morning Star News has documented.
Uganda’s constitution and other laws provide for religious freedom, including the right to propagate one’s faith and convert from one faith to another. Muslims make up no more than 12 percent of Uganda’s population, with high concentrations in eastern areas of the country.
Young Christian Woman Killed by Muslim Family Member
(Morning Star News) – The Muslim brother of a 19-year-old woman in eastern Uganda on March 29 killed her for putting her faith in Christ, sources said.
Namukuve Sawuya had come to faith through a Christian Union Fellowship at her high school, a relative said. When her father, 60-year-old Alhaji Muzamiru, noticed she was not attending Muslim prayer times during Ramadan, he became angry and called her and her six siblings together at their home in Nawaningi village, Bulamagi Sub-County, Iganga District.
Muzamiru asked her why she had not attended the prayers, the source said.
“Namukuve kept quiet for a while and later replied that she had converted to Prophet Issa [Jesus Christ],” the relative said. “This angered her elder brother, Abdul Rahim Munaabi, and he got hold of a wooden chair and hit her on the head. She cried out once, saying, ‘Oh Mum,’ and then stopped breathing.”
Her mother was away checking on a relative who was ill in Naluwerere, the source said.
“Namukuve’s body was removed from the house and dumped in a swamp near the River Naigombwa,” the relative said.
Rice farmers in the swamp discovered the body and informed police. Officers took it to a mortuary for autopsy and were investigating the crime.
Sawuya’s body, abandoned in the mortuary, was buried on hospital land, the source said.
Evangelist Beaten
In neighboring Mayuge District also on March 29, Muslim extremists severely beat a Christian as he was preaching at an outdoor market, sources said.
Timothy Wambi, a 26-year-old father of two children, also lost his motorcycle as the assailants set it on fire in the attack at the Kyoga trading center, said Pastor Jimmy Tibiringwa.
The attack occurred after Good Friday worship services at about 5:30 p.m., said Moses Mweru, who accompanied Wambi.
“Arriving at the trading center, we started preaching the message of the crucified Christ,” Mweru told Morning Star News. “Two Muslims came and asked us many questions and said we were not permitted to preach at Kyoga center during the holy month of Ramadan. We were not given time to answer any of their questions, and immediately they started beating us with sticks.”
Mweru managed to escape, he said.
“My friend was badly beaten, with bleeding on his forehead, and he sustained a fractured left hand,” Mweru said. “A local leader rescued us, who made a telephone call to security personnel who arrived immediately, but unfortunately by the time they arrived, our motorcycle had been damaged and set ablaze.”
Wambi’s children are ages 4 and 6.
The attacks were the latest of many instances of persecution of Christians in Uganda that Morning Star News has documented.
Uganda’s constitution and other laws provide for religious freedom, including the right to propagate one’s faith and convert from one faith to another. Muslims make up no more than 12 percent of Uganda’s population, with high concentrations in eastern areas of the country.
Christian Refugee Mother from Sudan Attacked for Her Faith
(Morning Star News) – Among the 8 million people who have fled military conflict in Sudan is a mother who lost two babies to illness and was beaten for putting her faith in Christ.
Fatima Adam, 41, said she still has pain in the joints and bones of the leg that her Muslim husband struck with a metal rod two months ago at a refugee camp in South Sudan, where they had arrived after fleeing Khartoum in June 2023.
Adam was asleep at a makeshift shelter of the Gorom refugee camp outside of Juba when he attacked her, she said.
“Didn’t I order you to renounce your new faith and come back to Islam?” he told her, having learned that she had continued attending worship services inside the camp, she told Morning Star News.
The beating required her to be rushed to a hospital, where she was under medication and other treatment for a week, she said.
Adam had accepted Christ at an evangelistic event a few weeks after her arrival at the refugee camp in June. She said her husband, noting she no longer recited Muslim prayers five times daily, learned of her new faith in January and began threatening her.
“I will kill you if you continue to follow this Jesus of yours – do not go the church again, and stop taking my kids to the church,” he told her.
The refugee camp lacked adequate food, safe drinking water and sufficient primary health care for the swelling refugee population, and soon after arriving Adam lost two babies in succession, one 6 months old and the other 1 year old. They died due to insufficient medical care, she said.
Adam has two other children, one of them a 22-year-old son who as a civilian went missing in Khartoum after fighting broke out between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) a year ago.
“Pray for my son to be found, because he went missing due to the war in Sudan,” she said.
Fighting between the RSF and the SAF, which had shared military rule in Sudan following an October 2021 coup, has terrorized civilians in Khartoum and elsewhere, leaving more than 14,600 people dead and displacing an estimated 8 million others inside and outside the country.
Christian sites have been targeted since the conflict began.
The SAF’s Gen. Abdelfattah al-Burhan and his then-vice president, RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, were in power when civilian parties in March 2023 agreed on a framework to re-establish a democratic transition the next month, but disagreements over military structure torpedoed final approval.
Burhan sought to place the RSF – a paramilitary outfit with roots in the Janjaweed militias that had helped former strongman Omar al-Bashir put down rebels – under the regular army’s control within two years, while Dagolo would accept integration within nothing fewer than 10 years. The conflict burst into military fighting on April 15, 2023.
Both military leaders have Islamist backgrounds while trying to portray themselves to the international community as pro-democracy advocates of religious freedom.
In Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, Sudan was ranked No. 8, up from No. 10 the previous year, as attacks by non-state actors continued and religious freedom reforms at the national level were not enacted locally.
Sudan had dropped out of the top 10 for the first time in six years when it first ranked No. 13 in the 2021 World Watch List.
Following two years of advances in religious freedom in Sudan after the end of the Islamist dictatorship under Bashir in 2019, the specter of state-sponsored persecution returned with the military coup of Oct. 25, 2021.
After Bashir was ousted from 30 years of power in April 2019, the transitional civilian-military government had managed to undo some sharia (Islamic law) provisions. It outlawed the labeling of any religious group “infidels” and thus effectively rescinded apostasy laws that made leaving Islam punishable by death.
With the Oct. 25, 2021 coup, Christians in Sudan feared the return of the most repressive and harsh aspects of Islamic law. Abdalla Hamdok, who had led a transitional government as prime minister starting in September 2019, was detained under house arrest for nearly a month before he was released and reinstated in a tenuous power-sharing agreement in November 2021.
Hamdock had been faced with rooting out longstanding corruption and an Islamist “deep state” from Bashir’s regime – the same deep state that is suspected of rooting out the transitional government in the Oct. 25, 2021 coup.
The U.S. State Department in 2019 removed Sudan from the list of Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) that engage in or tolerate “systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom” and upgraded it to a watch list. Sudan had previously been designated as a CPC from 1999 to 2018.
In December 2020, the State Department removed Sudan from its Special Watch List.
The Christian population of Sudan is estimated at 2 million, or 4.5 percent of the total population of more than 43 million.
Photo: Juba, South Sudan. (Umar sheriff habibullah, Creative Commons)
Pray for Believers in Nigeria
(Voice of the Persecuted) You are invited to join us tonight in a prayer conference call for the persecuted church hosted by Persecution Watch.
How are Christians persecuted in Nigeria
Christians in Nigeria continue to be terrorized with devastating impunity by Islamic militants and armed ‘bandits’ – particularly in the north and central regions of the country. The attacks are often brutal in nature and can involve destruction of properties, abductions for ransom, sexual violence, and death. Believers are stripped of their livelihoods and driven from their homes, leaving a trail of grief and trauma.
More believers are killed for their faith in Nigeria each year than everywhere else in the world, combined. Men and boys are often specifically targeted, to undermine the growth of Christian families in the future. Women and girls face abduction and sexual violence, with the knowledge that sometimes their communities reject them when they come home.
Violence by Islamic extremist groups such as Fulani militants, Boko Haram and ISWAP (Islamic State in West African Province) increased during the presidency of Muhammadu Buhari, putting Nigeria at the epicenter of targeted violence against the church. The government’s failure to protect Christians and punish perpetrators has only strengthened the militants’ influence. The implications of the new president, Bola Tinubu, are not yet clear.
Christians living in the Sharia (Islamic law) states of northern Nigeria can also face discrimination and tremendous pressure as second-class citizens. Believers from Muslims backgrounds often experience rejection from their own families and pressure to renounce their new faith. source
Prayer Points:
- Thank God for the courageous faith of believers in Nigeria, who refuse to deny Christ despite the dangers they face.
- Pray for an end to the violence inflicted by militant groups across Nigeria.
- Pray that God would open the eyes of the Nigerian government so that they realize it is religious warfare and not just mere attacks on civilians.
- Pray that God would protect His people from the militants who try to kill them, abuse them or steal their lands.
- Pray for the restoration of lands which have been stolen from believers, hindering their livelihood.
- There has been so much bloodshed and injustice! Pray for the healing of communities and families who have been constantly bombarded by the enemy. Pray that God would continue to strengthen them.
- Pray that pastors and other leaders would be strengthened in the inner man not only for themselves but also armed with wisdom to lead their flocks.
- Pray for the safe return of those women and children who have been kidnapped. Pray that they will be received into their families and communities with love and not scorn because they haven’t done anything wrong.
- Pray that the recruitment programs used by militants would fail and that their armies would be significantly weakened.
- Pray that the believers would be able to forgive those persons and groups who have harmed them continually.
- Many of the persecutors believe that their actions are pleasing to God. Pray that they will come to the saving knowledge of the truth and turn from their wicked ways.
- Pray that the civilians of the northern states of Nigeria would grow to abhor sharia law and blasphemy laws and that both would be abolished.
- Pray that NGO’s and those in the field can reach more survivors of violence and abduction with trauma care and persecution survival training.
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.
- Pastor Wang Yi to be released from prison, for his family and for the church.
- Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani from Iran, as he and his family are adjusting from his release from prison, that they may know what God’s will is for them now. Pray for the trauma they had to endure. UPDATE: According to Article 18, once sentenced to death for his “apostasy” has been “pardoned” and released after nearly five years in Tehran’s Evin Prison but told Nadarkhani that he still faces flogging (30 lashes) and two years’ exile 2,000km from his home. Read the report here.
- Armenian Genocide Happening Again. Read full report here: Genocide and Forced Deportation: Nagorno-Karabakh
- 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
Shonla-Jay Payne, Persecution Watch Prayer Conference Call Moderator
Please forward prayer points to your church, prayer groups and others who will pray.
Prayer Conference Call Details
7 nights a week on your phone
USA Time Zone:
9:00 PM Eastern
8:00 PM Central
7:00 PM Mountain
6:00 PM Pacific
Call in number: (667) 770-1476
Access Code: 281207#
MOBILE APP: Free Conference Call HD also provides a quick and uncomplicated way for you to dial into conference calls without having to remember the dial-in credentials. Save all your conference call dial-in numbers and access codes using this free app. With the Free Conference Call HD, you can instantly dial into a conference call via a 3G/4G data network and or regular mobile carrier. Google Play link or App Store – iTunes
If you are experiencing any difficulties joining the call, please let us know.
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 two 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 2015 and has been part of the core ever since. Before becoming the prayer call leader, she served in the role of prayer moderator since 2016. 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 are invited to join the conference call and share the trials they are facing. The team serves to encourage them by washing their feet in Spirit led prayer. Time is 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 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 Call Moderator Team
NOTE: Please fill out the form in the sign up at link below to be added in our distribution list to receive urgent prayer requests, prayer points, notification of special prayer events and special guest speakers.
Note to Voice of the Persecuted (VOP) readers: The Persecution Watch prayer team is also the prayer team of Voice of the Persecuted. SIGN UP today.
Back From Our Mission Trip – Join Us On The Call Tonight
(Voice of the Persecuted) You are invited to join us, tonight, in a prayer conference call hosted by Persecution Watch.
We are back from our Mission trip to North Africa and the Middle East through Livingstones International. We are so excited to share our experiences with you. God chose a team of 7 and led us as we went by faith and not by sight. Now our lives are forever changed
One of the questions our Brothers and Sisters in Christ asked,
“You knew there is a war going on?”
We answered, yes and their response, “And you came anyway?”
“When God calls us, we need to obey.”
They were deeply touched that we cared for them so much. We could see from their eyes that they were encouraged and deeply moved.
“Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.” Hebrews 13:3
Before we left, each one of us shared our heart, our desires, and expectations for the trip.
Praying Friends,
I began traveling to be with persecuted Christians 42 years ago. t was on that first trip to “smuggle” Bibles into China that the Believers there said, “Please pray for us – not that the persecution will end, but that we will remain faithful.” I have heard this echoed countless times over the years. That’s what they ask for – prayer, not for money or visas to America.
They understood that to follow Christ meant persecution. They believe in and have taught me the power of prayer. They see this power daily in their difficult lives and have allowed me to see it too.
So, my goal, my vision, and the vision of Living Stones International is to go and meet the persecuted, listen to their stories, and share their information with churches here in the US. Our aim as a ministry is to inspire and challenge all of us to pray for them.
Hebrews 13:3 is the verse God has given me for our ministry.
That is why I travel, why Brother Dave travels, and now members of our team travel. We are planning a trip to North Atrica and the Middle tast very soon.
We will be visiting Christians who have been persecuted just for being Christians.
They are discriminated against, fired from their jobs, hassled in the streets, deprived of their property and homes, and sometimes killed.
We will also be visiting with Muslims who have become Christians. They face even more severe persecution because according to Islamic or Sharia law, they are apostates, considered to be traitors to Islam. They can face legal issues, and their governments can imprison them. Their own Muslim families can shun them, divorce them, torture them, and threaten to kill them to try to force them to become Muslim again. Their Qur’an states that if a Muslim leaves Islam and refuses to become Muslim again, they should be killed. I have met with Muslim background Believers (MBB’s) who have later been killed by their own families.
I asked the members of the traveling team to share a bit about their desires, expectations, and their heart for this trip. My hope is that you will remember to pray for each of us during our trip. Please pray that God will move in a mighty way as we travel to encourage the Body of Christ in the Middle East and North Africa.
In His glad service.
Dr. Pat
I’m excited and honored to be able to meet and encourage some of the heroes of the Christian faith in the Middle East. I hope to encourage them by hearing their stories and letting them know that they are remembered and prayed for.
Michelle
I am going on this trip because, Who am I? Who am I to be a Christian, born into freedom and relative prosperity, while my counterpart on the other side of the world is suffering? Who am I to be given this life when my brothers and sisters were given such a different one? Who am I? And what will I do with this freedom? | will go. I will serve them.
Karen
I am going on this trip because, Who am I? I am so blessed to work with this ministry! In 2022, my husband, Patrick and I traveled with the team to the Middle East and it was life-changing! It was amazing to meet our persecuted brothers and sisters and also our faithful ministry partners, face to face! We found that we have a family in all the places we visited! They are standing strong and sharing their faith, despite facing opposition and persecution. It is so inspiring and challenging. We are very thankful to have this opportunity to go back!
Kim
I am going to the Middle East to reconnect with our partners and visit some of the people that they work with. They have incredible faith and are fearless in their life in Christ!
Patrick
I hope the Lord will really speak to my heart, to open it up really wide to feel what the persecuted Christians feel.
Also, to meet the people that do not know the Lord but are open to receive Him. All we can do is to sow the seed.
George
A year ago, after so many years, God called me to a mission trip that I thought it was not His will for me to go. My heart was full of joy and excitement. I believe during this time; He has been training me for a time such as this to go with Pat and Kim on this mission. It is a privilege for me to go with the rest of the team also, so that I could experience God at work and be able to meet my brothers and sisters whom I have been praying for.
I desire so much to help and encourage them. I love them so dearly for they are the ones who have been an encouragement to me through the years by their testimony of Faith and obedience to Jesus, through their suffering and persecution. Like them, I will walk by Faith and not by sight.
To God be the Glory!
Nadia
Tonight, the team of 7 will share some of our experience and how God has touched and changed our life. Meet you on the call!
The Lord’s servant,
Nadia Dybvik, Persecution Watch Prayer Conference Call Leader
Prayer Conference Call Details
7 nights a week on your phone
USA Time Zone:
9:00 PM Eastern
8:00 PM Central
7:00 PM Mountain
6:00 PM Pacific
Call in number: (667) 770-1476
Access Code: 281207#
MOBILE APP: Free Conference Call HD also provides a quick and easy way for you to dial into conference calls without having to remember the dial-in credentials. Save all your conference call dial-in numbers and access codes using this free app. With the Free Conference Call HD you can instantly dial into a conference call via 3G/4G data network and or regular mobile carrier. Google Play link or App Store – iTunes
If you are experiencing any difficulties joining the call, please let us know.
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 two 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 2015 and has been part of the core ever since. Before becoming the prayer call leader, she served in the role of prayer moderator since 2016. 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 was 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 are invited to the conference call and 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 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 Call Moderator Team
NOTE: Please fill out the form in the sign up at link below to be added in our distribution list to receive urgent prayer requests, prayer points, notification of special prayer events and special guest speakers.
Note to Voice of the Persecuted (VOP) readers: The Persecution Watch prayer team is also the prayer team of Voice of the Persecuted. SIGN UP today.
VOICE OF THE PERSECUTED 