(Voice of the Persecuted) You are invited to join us Wednesday, March 20, 2024, in a prayer conference call for the persecuted church hosted by Persecution Watch.

Population of Christians in Nicaragua: 6,506,000 (95%)

Persecution Type:

• Dictatorial paranoia
• Communist and post-Communist oppression
• Organized corruption and crime

What does persecution look like in Nicaragua?

Hostility toward Christians in Nicaragua continues to intensify, with those who speak out against President Ortega and his government viewed as destabilizing agents.

The situation has deteriorated significantly since 2018, when widespread protests broke out against the country’s dictatorial regime. Christians have been among those to raise their voice—but it’s coming at an alarming cost.

Christian leaders have been harassed and arrested, Christian properties seized, Christian schools, TV stations and charities closed, and churches monitored and intimidated. Even those who provided shelter and medical assistance during the protests in 2018 continue to suffer retribution years later. Last Easter, police banned processions during Holy Week. Recent changes to the law have been used to label church leaders as terrorists and coup-plotters, and there are suggestions that the government wants to control church affairs such as tithes and offerings.

The government’s aim is not simply to silence the voice of Christians but given their influence in the country, to hinder their credibility and stop their message from spreading.

It should be noted that while many Christians are in the firing line, there are a minority of believers who either out of fear or conviction are choosing to keep quiet. Among some church communities, this is causing division, which is arguably playing further into the government’s hands.

Who is most vulnerable to persecution?

Given the government’s totalitarian control over Nicaragua, persecution is present throughout the country and at all levels. Those who express opposition to the government’s dictatorial measures are likely to face verbal and physical aggression from government officials and other regime supporters.

What has changed this year?

In the last year, the situation for Christians continues to deteriorate rapidly. The government, led by President Ortega and his wife, regularly attacks dissident voices—especially those in the church, due to its voice of authority. Church leaders (mainly from the Roman Catholic Church) and some committed believers are frequent targets of government hostility and face prosecution, arbitrary arrests, unjust sentences, expulsions, forced exile, closures and confiscation of church properties they manage. The situation has gotten bad enough that it has driven condemnations from the international community.

Source: Open Doors World Watch List

Prayer Points:

• Ask God to soften the hearts of President Ortega and his government and cause them to stop targeting Christians

• Pray that church leaders under surveillance  will be given wisdom and courage as they serve their congregations and communities.

• Pray that believers will be united and the spirit of fear would not overcome them

• The government’s aim is not simply to silence the voice of Christians but, given their influence in the country to hinder their credibility and stop their message from spreading. Pray that the message of the gospel would continue to influence and change lives despite persecution

• Pray that those who are suffering for speaking out would be empowered in their faith rather than become despondent.

• Pray that the Christian properties seized would be returned

• Pray that the facilities closed- Christian schools, TV stations and charities would be reopened affording the opportunity for growth and expansion in the knowledge of God.

• Pray that during the upcoming Holy Week/Easter, churches would be able to share the message of the cross to  a dying Nicaragua.

• Pray that the international community would not just be observers  but would use their influence to bring changes to the atrocities the Christians in Nicaragua are suffering.

• Pray that God would heal all hurts and give believers continued wisdom, courage and protection as they follow Christ in an increasingly hostile environment.

• Unity is strength. Pray that the church would be united in these difficult times.

• Pray that God would work through Open Doors to strengthen the church to stand strong for Jesus.

• Pray for financial assistance to Open Doors, that they can continue to provide Christian literature, emergency relief  aid and legal advice   to the 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.

• 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

Eulese Griffith, 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 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.

Image by Derek Cory from Pixabay