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Persecution Watch: Praying for Believers in Myanmar
(Voice of the Persecuted) You’re invited to join us on Thursday, May 25, 2023, in a prayer conference call for the persecuted church hosted by Persecution Watch.
Myanmar: Population: 55.2 million, Christians 4.4 million
The situation in Christian areas has taken a turn for the worse since the military took control in February 2021. Fighting has increased across the country and the Christian minority is bearing the brunt of these attacks. More Christians than ever have become internally displaced people or refugees and are living in camps or churches without adequate food and healthcare.
The daily reality is that Christians do not enjoy the same rights and legal protection as the Buddhist majority. Christians are often victims of violent attacks conducted with impunity. Even in predominantly Christian states like Chin State and Kayah State, long-established churches have suffered attacks and Christian aid workers and pastors have been killed. Government forces attack Christian villages and churches, while Buddhist monasteries remain largely untouched.
Converts to Christianity also face persecution from their Buddhist, Muslim or tribal families and are shunned from community life. Communities that aim to stay ‘Buddhist only’ make life for Christian families impossible by barring their access to community water resources. Non-traditional church groups experience opposition too, especially those located in rural areas and those who are known for proselytizing.
The ongoing civil war between Myanmar’s ethnic armed groups and the military is disproportionately affecting Christian communities in majority Christian states such as Chin, Kachin, Karen, and Kayah states. In Kachin State and Northern Shan State, where fighting is escalating, Christians are being killed, detained, and forced to flee.
Converts from a Buddhist, Muslim or tribal background face the strongest pressure to renounce their faith, especially from their family and community. The small number of Christian converts from a Muslim background who live among the Rohingya Muslim community are especially vulnerable, and face persecution both because of their ethnic affiliation, and because their Muslim families and communities put them under enormous pressure to return to Islam.
2022 brought the country further than ever from a solution to the violent conflict which started when the army staged a coup on 1 February 2021. Fighting has continued and, in some parts of the country, increased and the Christian minority is among those bearing the brunt of attacks. Christians have been killed and churches attacked and destroyed. The government has much work to do to become more inclusive of ethnic and religious minorities, including Christians.
- Pray that God will touch and soften the hearts of the Military Leaders and out peace and reconciliation on their minds.
- Pray for reconciliation between religious groups in Myanmar and an end to the habitual discrimination against Christians.
- Pray for the protection of the thousands of vulnerable people who are now refugees or internally displaced due to the ongoing conflict.
- Thank God for the success of the persecution survival training which has brought hope, encouragement, and resilience to Christians. Pray for survival training to continue.
- Pray to the Lord to protect believers and churches targeted by the military.
- Pray to the Lord that He will encourage church leaders who struggle with the horrific memories of the violence and cruelty they had witnessed.
- Pray for the Christians who converted from Buddhism and Islam, ask the Lord that they will be protected from violence and oppression.
- Pray that God will strengthen each believer and revive their spirits that have been daunted by Myanmar’s turmoil.
- Pray for the believers, in a very hostile climate, reach out to bring the Good News to the lost.
- Pray that believers sense God’s presence and know that we are praying for them.
- Pray for the beliers to be able to love and forgive their persecutors.
- Pray for the NGOs, who working through local partners, strengthens persecuted believers in Myanmar through literature distribution, discipleship programs, livelihood support and various forms of training.
- Pray that persecution and violence will not stymie the growth of Christianity in Myanmar. That the forces of darkness will not prevail and that the Lord will greatly increase the numbers of believers.
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 prison
- For 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
- UPDATE (March 17, 2023): Ryan Koher, a pilot for the U.S.-based ministry Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), and two of the ministry’s South African volunteers were released from a Mozambican prison Tuesday afternoon, the organization announced. The trio had been held at a high-security prison inside the southeastern African country for four months. Their release is a provisional one and they are required to remain in the country, while their case is still ongoing, according to MAF. Koher is said to be “doing well” following his release and has spoken multiple times with his wife, Annabel, and his two sons since his release, the ministry said. Source
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 Leader
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 of 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?
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 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
NOTE: Please fill out the form in the sign-up link below to be included 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.
Day 15: Praying for Muslims during Ramadan – DHAKA
(Voice of the Persecuted) You are invited to join us on Wednesday, April 5, 2023, in a prayer conference call for the persecuted church hosted by Persecution Watch.
What is DHAKA like? A sprawling megacity with growing influence.
The capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka is one of the world’s largest and most densely populated cities. It has exploded from 335,000 in 1950, to 20 million today! Many believe that Dhaka has the world’s worst traffic, worst pollution, worst infrastructure, and is the most stressful and crowded city on the planet.
Yet, Dhaka’s residents are among the most optimistic and hospitable people. And though the garment factories (sweat shops) are helping create an urban wasteland, they are giving some sort of livelihood to hundreds of thousands of women.
As the economic, political, and cultural center of Bangladesh, Dhaka is full of amazing markets, great street food, and friendly people. Even those who hate living there, love the city. Once known as the Vienna of the East, there are thousands of boats crossing its three rivers and many lakes. There are many charming old palaces, old city neighborhoods, and parks.
WHY IS DHAKA SIGNIFICANT?
Though the area has been inhabited for over 1500 years, it did not gain prominence until it became the capital of the Muslim Mughal Empire’s province of Bengal (1608-1704). Since then, its fortunes have risen and fallen, and it only began to flourish when it became the capital of independent Bangladesh in 1972.
Since then, the city has developed rapidly into a world-class city, even though it is one of the poorest cities in the world with more than half of its people living in poverty.
Dhaka is known as a city of mosques. About 90% of the inhabitants are Muslim. Bangladesh was initially a secular state (like India) from 1971-1988, but then it became a Muslim state. Until recently, its moderate version of Islam was a model for the world. But political Islam is increasingly influential throughout the country. The city is becoming a haven for radicalized Muslims seeking to rule the country in accordance with Islamic law.
WHAT IS GOD DOING IN DHAKA TODAY?
The majority of the officially recognized Christians in the country are from Hindu and tribal backgrounds, including approximately 7% in Dhaka, who are concentrated in a few Christian “ghettos.”
In general, ministry is moving positively forward but much slower than hoped. Of the 120 or so evangelical ministries in the country, only about 30 are focused on Muslims. It has only been since 2000, when the Bible was translated into Muslim idiomatic Bengali, that ministry among Muslims started bearing significant fruit. Even so, there are thought to be fewer than a thousand Muslim background believers among Dhaka’s 20 million people.
Bangladesh is relatively secular and open for Christian ministries, but officials frown on foreigners working with Bengali Muslims. There have been efforts to share the Gospel through media, but with very little response. Persecution from the Muslim community is much less in Dhaka, since there is much less sense of community than in other areas. Secularism and consumerism are the biggest threats to faith in Dhaka.
In this Prayercast video, Jesus opened the eyes of Ludva Raman who learned that Jesus ALONE is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and no one comes to the Father except through Him.
Let’s pray with Ludva the same revelation for these many million Muslims in Dhaka.
Together let’s watch and pray
PRAYER POINTS
- Pray for opportunity and courage for the small body of believers to share their faith.
- Pray for the Gospel to reach every Muslim people group, even the most alienated.
- Pray for those persecuting Christians to become disciples of Jesus Christ.
The Lord’s servant,
Nadia Dybvik, Persecution Watch Prayer Conference Call Leader
Prayer Conference Call Details
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
From any location 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#
Recommended: For those who may be subject to added charges for conference calls. Please download the app, it’s free!
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 of 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 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 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 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.
NOTE: Please fill out the form in the sign up link below to be included 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.
Day 14: Praying for Muslims during Ramadan- Bangladesh
(Voice of the Persecuted) You are invited to join us on Tuesday, April 4, 2023, in a prayer conference call for the persecuted church hosted by Persecution Watch.
As the fourth largest Muslim populated nation, this is our next stop.
Islam claims them as their greatest missionary success. The beautiful Bengali – most of whom live in Bangladesh – are the largest unreached people group in the world!
QUICK FACTS
Continent: Asia, Capital City: Dhaka, Government: Parliamentary republic,, Population: 164,098,818, Religion: 89%, Hindu 9%, Buddhist 1%, Christian 1% POPULATION IN UNREACHED PEOPLE GROUPS: 99%
SUMMARY
Each year monsoon rains cause waist-high flooding over one-third of Bangladesh. These storm surges bring murderous winds and squalls that prohibit the building of a strong permanent infrastructure. But they also replenish the silt that fuels the subsistence farms on which the majority of Bangladeshis rely. Rising sea levels have the potential to displace almost 20 million in Bangladesh by 2050. This constant struggle with nature has caused most to live on less than one dollar a day. Because of this, many children work, and girls are married at young ages. Lack of opportunity has forced many to migrate to cities where they work predominantly in garment factories with few safety regulations that are seldom enforced. Bangladesh is in the top ten most populous countries, with a population density in the top twenty. These realities only compound the nation’s issues.
With the help of international development assistance, Bangladesh has shrunk its poverty rate, improved health and education, and reached the World Bank’s lower middle income status. However, pollution, poor safety standards, waterborne diseases, lack of infrastructure, and low literacy rates persist. Their exports (mostly garments) have surpassed $25 billion, which has greatly helped their economy. Bangladesh is a democratic republic, but ranks 120 out of 183 on the corruption perceptions index. Conflict between the two rival political parties often causes long periods of instability and turnover.
Bangladesh declared Islam its state religion in 1988. Today 89% of the population is Muslim. The religious freedom guaranteed by the Constitution is beginning to erode. Political parties are split along religious lines and often give in to Islamic and tribal pressure to imprison and confiscate the property of those who do not conform to local religious or ethnic practices.
The Christian population (1%) experiences bouts of persecution and oppression, and missionaries are prohibited from traveling freely. However, with so many environmental, social justice, and humanitarian needs, many Bangladeshi churches have practically shown the love of Christ through relief work. God has used their efforts to grow His Church, especially among low caste Hindus and formerly unreached people groups.
It has been 200 years since William Carey went to them as a missionary. Though they revere his memory, significant spiritual breakthrough has yet to come.
We pray for over 150 million Muslims living in Bangladesh!
In this nation we pray for them through cyclical monsoon rains, pollution, poor safety standards, waterborne diseases, lack of infrastructure, low literacy rates, persecution of minorities, and constant political violence.
MOST OF ALL we pray for significant spiritual breakthrough. As William Carey believed, we must pray fervent, united prayer and expect great things for these beautiful Bengali people whom Jesus loves. Together let’s watch and pray along with Prayercast.
PRAYER POINTS
• Pray for long-term transformation in the tragic battle against extreme poverty.
• Pray for an outpouring of servants willing to reach out to Bengali Muslims in the name of Christ.
• Pray for God to raise up spiritually mature leaders in the church who are committed to authentic discipleship.
South Asia is one of the most populous Muslim areas in the world – but that does not mean God is silent! As we pray for the Muslims of South Asia, remember they are first people whom God loves – not defined by any political or religious idea.
Anwar was one such Muslim. Watch his story here. https://www.prayercast.com/anwar.html
ACTION STEPS
WATCH Anwar find assurance of his salvation!
CELEBRATE the curiosity that God puts in our hearts!
PRAY for millions of Muslims across South Asia to seek after and follow Jesus!
Michael Laird, Persecution Watch Prayer Call Moderator.
Prayer Conference Call Details
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
From any location on your phone
Time:
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#
Recommended: For those who may be subject to added charges for conference calls. Please download the app, it’s free!
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 of 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 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 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 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.
NOTE: Please fill out the form in the sign up link below to be included 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.
Day 11: Praying for Muslims during Ramadan – Delhi
(Voice of the Persecuted) You are invited to join us on Saturday, April 1, 2023, in a prayer conference call for the persecuted church hosted by Persecution Watch.
Delhi is one of the largest and most crowded cities in the world. With a Hindu majority and Muslim minority, violence has been an issue. In recent years, Delhi’s streets were erupting with violent protests over a new citizenship law that Muslims view as discriminatory.
Islam has been part of India’s cultural and religious heritage since the 12th century. And Delhi has been the center of Islamic authority and influence ever since.
What would happen if this center of Islamic worship and learning experienced an outpouring of God’s Spirit? What if multiplying movements to Jesus broke out in each of Delhi’s historic Islamic communities?
WHAT IS DELHI LIKE?
Among Delhi’s broad tree-lined boulevards, beautiful estates, parks, historic imperial buildings, government buildings, and gleaming sky-scrapers, are over-crowded older neighborhoods built in ancient times, as well as many densely populated slums. The vast, bustling, over-crowded, and never-sleeping city is filled with countless motorized rickshaws, cars, and buses.
The National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT) includes New Delhi, the capital of India. 27 million people call the Delhi metropolitan area home, making it the third largest urban area in the world. Despite long-standing efforts to limit air pollution, Delhi is among the most polluted cities in the world. The climate is a both humid and hot.
The people are 82% Hindu, 13% Muslim, and 3.5% Sikh. Other religious groups each account for less than 1%. Even though Delhi is a wealthy city, there is widespread poverty.
WHY IS DELHI SIGNIFICANT?
The first Muslim empire in India was founded in Delhi in 1206, and Seven Dynasties of the “Delhi Sultanate” ruled north India until 1526. Muslim Sultans in Delhi ruled the Hindu majority in parts of India for 650 years.
Today there are seven Muslim neighborhoods established by those dynasties. After that, the Mughal Dynasty (1526-1857), which at times controlled almost the entire continent, ruled from Delhi until they were conquered by the British. Before the bloody partition of Pakistan and Bangladesh from India in 1947, one of the great human tragedies of the twentieth century, all Muslims in the subcontinent were led from Delhi.
Today, numerous national and international Muslim organizations are based in the city. The decrees issued by Ahmed Bukhari, the Imam of Jama Masjid in Delhi (India’s largest mosque), hold great sway among Muslims nationwide. Muslims in India often feel increasingly marginalized and powerless. Governmental policies have tragically encouraged increasing numbers of violent mob attacks by Hindus against Muslim “cow-killers.” Muslims generally keep low profiles across India.
WHAT IS GOD DOING IN DELHI TODAY?
In each of the Muslim communities established by the Seven Dynasties, there are at least a handful of believers, and in some, there are regular gatherings of people studying the Bible. There are people ministering in Muslim enclaves across Delhi. Others are ministering in the communities surrounding the tombs of Muslim saints. Yet, there does not appear to be any sizeable movement of Muslims to Christ in the city.
Good work is happening among refugees from Afghanistan and Pakistan, and there are small gatherings of Pashtun and Dari believers. Many creative types of outreach are happening. It is difficult for foreigners to serve as missionaries, and most take on creative access roles. Most of the senior workers have been forced out of India in recent years.
There is a small amount of persecution of believers by their families and communities, with the usual pattern of believers being expelled from their families, losing their children, their jobs, etc. But there is significant freedom for Muslims to become Christians in India, since Muslims fear Hindu government harassment much more than a few Muslims leaving Islam.
Hundreds of millions of Muslims across South Asia need to know the love of Jesus Christ! And Delhi has significant influence over most of them. And so we pray!
PRAYER POINTS
- Pray for courageous Gospel witnesses in every Muslim neighborhood and ghetto.
- Pray for the love of Jesus, through His followers, to meet urgent physical and spiritual needs.
- Pray for Muslim students to search for Truth and find it in Jesus.
As we prepare to pray, please watch this 4:22 minute Prayercast video.
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 prison
- For 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 report here
- UPDATE (March 17, 2023): Ryan Koher, a pilot for the U.S.-based ministry Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), and two of the ministry’s South African volunteers were released from a Mozambican prison Tuesday afternoon, the organization announced. The trio had been held at a high-security prison inside the southeastern African country for four months. Their release is a provisional one and they are required to remain in the country, while their case is still ongoing, according to MAF. Koher is said to be “doing well” following his release and has spoken multiple times with his wife, Annabel, and his two sons since his release, the ministry said. Source
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
Valerie Creekmore, Persecution Watch Prayer Call Moderator
Prayer Conference Call Details
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
From any location 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 of 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?
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
NOTE: Please fill out the form in the sign up link below to be included 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.
Day 10: Praying for Muslims during Ramadan – India
(Voice of the Persecuted) You are invited to join us on Friday, March 31, 2023, in a prayer conference call for the persecuted church hosted by Persecution Watch.
India is a country that occupies the greater part of South Asia. One of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world, with many religions, sects, castes and tribes.
Continent: Asia, Capital City: New Delhi, Government: Federal parliamentary republic, Population: 1,339,330,514
Religion: Hindu 73%, Muslim 14%, Christian 5%, Ethnic religions 4%, Sikh 2%, Agnostic 1%, Buddhist 1%
POPULATION IN UNREACHED PEOPLE GROUPS: 95.6%
SUMMARY
India captivates and overwhelms the senses of all who visit with its vibrant colors, immense crowds, and stimulating smells. One of the largest and most diverse countries in the world, India is filled with more than 2,500 distinct people groups who speak over 19,500 languages and dialects. The most commonly spoken language is Hindi.
A staggering one billion-plus people are dispersed over one million square miles. Tremendous recent economic growth has led to India’s increasingly important role in global affairs. Yet the permeating and ever-present reality of extensive poverty remains. There is more human need in India than in any other country. Approximately 196 million people, 14% of the population, are malnourished. Roughly 30,000 children in India are orphans, and about 10% of the population lives in abject poverty.
“Castes” that assign people to a social stratum based on birth have led to many horrific human rights abuses. Though officially outlawed, caste discrimination continues to hold great influence over the culture and remains a major bar to social mobility. To this day, it is difficult for people of lower castes to find jobs, no matter what their education or background.
India’s infrastructure is unreliable, and political corruption is rampant. Overpopulation also makes pollution and sanitation unmanageable. These contribute to deadly realities such as contaminated water and widespread diseases such as cholera, typhoid, hepatitis, and more.
When it comes to the spread of the Gospel, India has the most unreached people groups in the world. In fact, 95% of Indians have never heard of Jesus! While Hinduism is practiced by roughly 80%, only about 2% identify as Christians. But because of the sheer size of the population, even minorities (Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs) number in the millions each.
Historic manuscripts and oral traditions say Christianity was introduced to India by the Apostle Thomas in 52 AD. The legacies of other Christian workers like William Carey and Mother Teresa have left a mark on the nation, and Christian communities have made significant contributions in education, health, and social sectors. Yet, Christianity is still often seen as a threat to the traditional Hindu way of life.
Hindu nationalist groups and the political Bharatiya Janata Party want to make India a “Hindu Rashtra” — or “Hindu Nation.” Anti-conversion laws make it increasingly dangerous to share the Gospel. Those who choose to follow Jesus are often threatened with losing their status, jobs, homes, and even lives. Several Christian organizations have been forced out, leaving many bereft of physical and spiritual aid. However, despite the intense persecution, Indian Christians are courageously persisting as the hands and feet of Jesus to their neighbors.
India has the third largest Muslim population in the world. Over 200 million Muslims call India home. Yet they are still a minority and treated as such.
Indian Muslims have experienced discrimination in areas including employment, education, and housing. They also face religious violence. Women and children are not exempt from the suffering.
It is one of the most accessible Muslim nations. Yet there are few full-time Christian workers serving among Indian Muslims. Too few are willing to engage them.
How will they hear unless somebody tells them? Let’s pray they hear of Jesus.
Please watch this 4:34 minute video.
God is actively drawing Muslims to Himself. As we pray for the Muslims of India, remember that each one is a real person whom God loves dearly.
“Shahana” was one of those people.
As a young Muslim girl, “Shahana” knew what she believed. Even when a Christian friend would argue with her about Jesus, she knew better than to trust a Christian.
But soon the suffering and pain her family felt began to make her question Islam. “Shahana” prayed for her family and followed the Quran faithfully. But her prayers were not answered. Where could she turn?
Weeping, “Shahana” prayed that if God were real, He would show Himself to her. Will “Shahana” find the answers she is looking for in Islam? Or will she find courage to listen to her friend about Jesus?
Click the link to listen to Shahana’s story. Watch “Shahana’s” Story
PRAYER POINTS
- Pray for the cultural barriers of the caste system and Hinduism to be overcome by the Gospel.
- Pray for the Good News of Jesus Christ to reach every village and town.
- Pray for justice and hope in a nation plagued by oppression, poverty, and disease
- Pray that millions of Muslims in India would find hope in Jesus!
- PRAISE God for believers who persistently share their faith even when rejected!
The Lord’s servant,
Nadia Dybvik, Persecution Watch Prayer Conference Call Leader
Prayer Conference Call Details
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
From any location 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 of 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 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
NOTE: Please fill out the form in the sign up link below to be included 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.
Day 6: Praying for Muslims during Ramadan – Pakistan
(Voice of the Persecuted) You are invited to join us on Monday, March 27, 2023, in a prayer conference call for the persecuted church hosted by Persecution Watch.
Dear Prayer Warriors, join us as we pray for Pakistan on the prayer conference call, tonight.
QUICK FACTS
Continent: Asia, Capital City: Islamabad, Government: Federal parliamentary republic, Population: 238,181,034,
Major People Groups: 40% Western Punjabi (Lahnda); 12% Sindhi; 10% Southern Punjabi; 8% Eastern Pathan; 7% Urdu
Religion: Muslim 96%, Christian 2%, Hindu 1%
Language: Lahnda, Pushto, Sindhi, Urdu, Baluchi
GDP Per Capita: $4,600
Literacy Rate: 58%
POPULATION IN UNREACHED PEOPLE GROUPS: 99%
SUMMARY
Pakistan is a complex blend of old and new. Ancient Islamic influences predate the country itself. It is home to Taxila, one of the oldest universities in the world. Dozens of distinctive cultures are also scattered through the various tribes in the Karakoram Mountain range. With a fusion of diverse customs, this nation finds unity through the predominantly shared Islamic faith on which it was founded.
After Pakistan’s formation in 1947, it went to war with India over the Kashmir land. Though this conflict only lasted from 1947 to 1948, the region remains contested to this day. Despite its rich culture, Pakistan is a poor nation with bleak economic outlooks. An estimated 35% of the people live in poverty, and children are often pulled out of school to help provide for their families. Substance abuse is rampant; this is the most heroin-addicted country in the world.
Pakistan was also the seventh country to successfully develop and test nuclear weapons. In addition, terrorism has brought widespread devastation, killing thousands and hindering any economic development.
From as early as 2005, Pakistani schools have been targeted by the Taliban, and hundreds of students have been killed. Fragile government control has allowed the Islamic State and many other Islamic terrorist groups to thrive. Tribal lands, which are largely outside the government’s control, have become safe havens for lawlessness and a regrouping point for the Taliban.
Over 95% Muslim, with a Sunni majority, Pakistan is the third largest Islamic nation – and the center of the unevangelized world. Despite constitutional guarantees of religious freedom, this is one of the world’s most persecuted nations. Though it is less than 2% of the population, Christianity is the second largest religious minority.
Countless Christian villages dot the Punjab heartland, with a significant population in the southern city of Karachi. But Bible translation remains very difficult, and only a few of the seventy languages have a completed New Testament. With much of the country controlled by Islamic fanaticism, believers face extreme persecution and are often among the poorest. Yet, in the face of conflict and despair, prayer movements are rising up, and Muslims are increasingly coming to Christ!
Please watch this 4:40 minute video
PRAYER POINTS
• Pray for the spiritually oppressed in remote areas to encounter the Gospel.
• Pray for the Church to multiply in the power of the Spirit as persecution intensifies.
• Pray for the strongholds of Islamist extremism and terrorism to be demolished and rendered powerless.
The Lord’s servant,
Nadia Dybvik, Persecution Watch Prayer Conference Call Leader
Prayer Conference Call Details
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
From any location 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#
Recommended: For those who may be subject to added charges for conference calls. Please download the app, it’s free!
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 of 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 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
NOTE: Please fill out the form in the sign up link below to be included 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.
Day 5: Praying For Muslims during Ramadan – The Sunda
(Voice of the Persecuted) You are invited to join us on Sunday, March 26, 2023, in a prayer conference call for the persecuted church hosted by Persecution Watch.
Dear Prayer Warriors, join us as we pray for the Sundra, tonight.
WHO ARE THE SUNDA?
Thirty-eight million Sundanese live in the western third of the island of Java, with three million more living in Lampung, Sumatra. The majority of Sunda still live in villages, where most work as tenant farmers.
Because the volcanic soil is some of the most fertile in the world, for centuries the Sunda have not had to work very hard to produce a crop, which other Indonesians argue has led to laziness.
Muslim traders traveling to Southeast Asia in the 15th century brought Islam along with their merchandise. Gradually the “old” animist religious practices of the region combined with the “new” Islam to create the Folk Islam practiced by the majority of Sunda today.
Muslim identity runs deep among this people group. Even though most only go to the mosque on high holidays, “to be Sunda is to be Muslim.” If one is no longer a Muslim, one is no longer a Sunda, and can therefore be kicked out of the local community.
Please watch this 4:42 minute video.
WHAT ARE THE SUNDA’S GREATEST STRUGGLES?
The Sundanese are being left out of economic advances in Indonesia, even though they are located mostly in Jakarta and Bandung, the fastest-growing regions of the country. Reasons for this include their poor work ethic, lack of value for education, lack of leadership abilities, and high divorce rate.
Factory managers will bring in whole villages of Javanese rather than hire local Sundanese. When they migrate to cities, the majority of Sunda tend to work in lower-level jobs. The ideal Sundanese job is a government worker: the work is not hard, it is guaranteed for life, and, in the right position, riches come quickly through corruption.
Although they look happy on the outside, Sundanese are dominated by fear and shame, often stemming from parents who did not demonstrate sacrificial love. Sadly, this dysfunction can sometimes carry over into relationships between pastors and Sundanese Christians.
Sundanese Muslims are attracted to the experience of authentic love, even if that love is from a Christian.
Tomorrow we will continue with Ramadan day 5. Join us as we pray for Muslims to fully know Jesus Christ, the savior of the world, and follow him.
WHAT IS GOD DOING AMONG THE SUNDA?
Christian resources are readily available, including the Scriptures, the Jesus Film, and Christian programming on the internet and local TV.
The Sundanese church (approximately 35,000) is growing slowly. Many are open to the gospel, but there is no large movement to Christ. Discipling believers is difficult. Leadership development is slow because of the negative cultural characteristics the Sunda bring with them, which impedes church growth. There is no focused outreach to the 3 million Sundanese diaspora in Lampung.
If a husband and wife come to faith together, they often hold firm; single individuals rarely do. New converts face intense psychological pressure to return to Islam, first from family and then from the larger community. While they are often kicked out of their local community, the Sunda do not tend to hold grudges. After time, believers can often return to their community, albeit as second-class citizens with no inheritance. There is little physical violence against believers.
PRAYER POINTS
- Pray for the light of Christ to expel the darkness of the Occult and its practices.
- Pray for multitudes of Indonesian believers to bring the Gospel to the Sunda.
- Pray for entire families to hear the Gospel and follow Jesus together.
The Lord’s servant,
Nadia Dybvik, Persecution Watch Prayer Conference Call Leader
Prayer Conference Call Details
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
From any location 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#
Recommended: For those who may be subject to added charges for conference calls. Please download the app, it’s free!
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 of 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 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
NOTE: Please fill out the form in the sign up link below to be included 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.
Day 3: Praying for Muslims during Ramadan
(Voice of the Persecuted) You are invited to join us on Friday, March 24, 2023, in a prayer conference call for the persecuted church hosted by Persecution Watch.
Dear Prayer Warrior’s, join us as we pray for Jakarta tonight.
WHAT IS JAKARTA LIKE?
The Special Capital Region of Jakarta is the heart of a massive urban conglomerate that includes more than 30 million people. After Tokyo, greater Jakarta is the second largest urban area in the world!
Jakarta proper, a port city on the north coast of the island of West Java, has a hot, humid, tropical climate. It was built on low-lying drained swampland and is sinking almost 7 inches per year. It suffers serious flooding from the 13 rivers flowing through it. Despite some large squares and gardens as well as some mass transit systems, the city is clogged with motorcycles, scooters, and cars, which cause unending traffic slowdowns and serious air pollution.
Jakarta’s economy is built on trade, financial and medical services, commerce, administration, industry, and (mostly domestic) tourism. There are more than 83 malls, and Jakarta has the most square footage of shopping space of any city in the world.
WHY IS JAKARTA SIGNIFICANT?
There has been settlement on the site of Jakarta since the early 5th century. Europeans arrived in 1513, and after the Dutch defeated the British, the Dutch named the city Batavia, and made it their Indonesian capital in 1619.
The Dutch East India Company developed powerful and prosperous trade and shipping businesses while the Netherlands controlled the country for more than 300 years. Following a brief period of Japanese control during WWII, the city was made the capital of newly independent Indonesia and renamed Jakarta (“victorious city”) in 1949. As the capital region, Jakarta exercises wide influence within the country and around Southeast Asia.
The city is very diverse. The five largest ethnic groups are the Javanese (36%), Betawi (28%; local Jakarta people), Sundanese (15%), Chinese (7%), and Batak (3.5%). Indonesian is the official and dominant language, with English the second most widely spoken. Most people use their own ethnic language at home.
Though Islam dominates the religious scene in Jakarta (83.5%), there are other large religious communities: Protestantism (8.5%), Catholicism (4%), and Buddhism (3.8%).
WHAT IS GOD DOING IN JAKARTA TODAY?
Indonesian Muslims often pride themselves on their tolerance of religious diversity. However there have been increasing numbers of attacks on churches throughout Indonesia, including in Jakarta.
In a widely publicized 2017 case, Ahok, the Chinese Christian governor of Jakarta, was convicted of blasphemy by the supreme court for publicly quoting the Quran and was sentenced to two years in prison. The influence of Islamists is clearly growing in the city and country.
Nevertheless, about 13% of Jakarta is Christian! Christians have freedom to worship, and they are usually able to openly practice their faith within certain places and with limited parameters. Of the twelve largest congregations in Indonesia, about half are in Greater Jakarta.
Reports of many rapidly growing movements to Christ among Muslims in Indonesia has the government concerned.
But the extent of these movements in urban areas such as Jakarta is unclear. This is a time of growing harvest – and of growing persecution of converts to Christ.
Please watch the short video 4:26 minutes
PRAYER POINTS
- Pray for access to the Gospel in the many unreached people groups represented in the city.
- Pray for the Indonesian Church to overflow with a passion to reach Muslims.
- Pray for spiritual revival in Jakarta that transforms this nation with the world’s largest Muslim population.
Tomorrow we will continue with Ramadan day 4. Join us as we pray for Muslims to fully know Jesus Christ, the savior of the world, and follow him.
The Lord’s servant,
Nadia Dybvik, Persecution Watch Prayer Conference Call Leader
Prayer Conference Call Details
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
From any location 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#
Recommended: For those who may be subject to added charges for conference calls. Please download the app, it’s free!
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 of 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 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
NOTE: Please fill out the form in the sign up link below to be included 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 