• Sep. 28, 2023 | Togo

    New Believer Attacked by Sorcerers

    [182] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Abraham.
    Abraham was assaulted by sorcerers for his decision to follow Christ.

    A young Christian in Togo was severely beaten recently by local sorcerers who were angry that he had become a follower of Christ. Abraham, who lives in a village where sorcery and human sacrifice are practiced, is currently hospitalized for wounds he suffered in the attack. Pray for his physical recovery as well as his healing from mental and emotional trauma. Read More.

  • Sep. 28, 2023 | Nepal

    Hindus Harass Christians in Remote Village

    [98] prayers in [8] nations have been posted for Pastor Amrit.

    Local Hindus vandalized a church in an isolated area of Nepal recently and threatened its pastor, but the church continues to meet for worship and fellowship. When a group of Hindus busted the church's windows with rocks in the middle of the night, the pastor, Amrit Mahara, began sleeping in the church to protect it from further damage. A short time later, the Hindus interrupted a worship service to demand that the church stop meeting. Read More.

  • Sep. 28, 2023 | Jordan

    Christian Woman Beaten by Muslim Husband

    [115] prayers in [10] nations have been posted for Ghazal.
    Christians in Jordan sometimes face violent persecution from their families because of their faith.

    After a woman in Jordan became a Christian, her Muslim husband began to beat her frequently. Ghazal, who left Islam to follow Christ, was beaten so severely recently that she had to be hospitalized. "He knocked her front teeth out," a front-line worker said, "yet she is holding fast to her faith." Read More.

  • Sep. 21, 2023 | Burkina Faso

    Christian Widow Threatened by Animist Family

    [191] prayers in [11] nations have been posted for Femke.
    Children in Burkina Faso often work with their widowed mothers crushing rocks.

    Femke was married to a village witch doctor for 33 years and was terrorized by demons. The spirits would drive her mad and tell her information her husband would use in his fortune-telling. When he died suddenly, she sought spiritual freedom. A pastor prayed for her, and she was healed of all demonic oppression. Read More.

  • Sep. 21, 2023 | Laos

    Christian Teens Resist Family Persecution

    [159] prayers in [12] nations have been posted for Ton and Tan.
    Ton and Tan

    Ton, 18, and Tan, 16, are teenage sisters who became Christians and have been harassed repeatedly for this decision. Recently, their mother said that she will sell her daughters to any men who make an offer. Their older sister has also begun trying to bribe them into a life of prostitution with offers of phones and jewelry. The mother pressures the girls to prostitute themselves and regularly mocks their faith. Read More.

  • Sep. 21, 2023 | India

    Young Man Stands Firm in Faith Amid Ongoing Pressure

    [146] prayers in [9] nations have been posted for Ajay.
    Christians in India remain firm in faith amid ongoing pressure from their communities.

    Ajay, 24, has been pressured by his community and the police to return to Hinduism. The police arrested him and brought a false charge against him in an attempt to make him recant his faith. He was jailed for 9 days. Despite the ongoing pressure, Ajay has persevered in his faith. Read More.

  • Sep. 14, 2023 | Nepal

    Attack by Hindu Radicals Broadcast on Social Media

    [202] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Shiva and Kamleshor.
    Members of a threatened church continue to fellowship together.

    Shiva and Kamleshor are leaders of a group of 20 Christians who have been meeting for fellowship in a Maithili-speaking region of Nepal. On June 24, a group of more than 40 Hindu radicals surrounded the home where they were meeting to threaten and mock them, live-streaming their abusive actions on social media for three hours. These brothers were discouraged but thankful for the body of Christ remembering them in prayer. Read More.

  • Sep. 14, 2023 | Morocco

    Lack of Access to Bibles Limiting Discipleship

    [145] prayers in [9] nations have been posted for Moroccans.
    Nearly all Moroccans are Sunni Muslims, and Christian converts face opposition from their communities as well as the government.

    Only a fraction of 1 percent of the population of Morocco are Christians, and lack of access to Bibles limits the growth of Christian communities. "Believers and seekers in this country face a shortage of physical Bibles and are usually obligated to interact with God's Word in an online or digital format, which is not accessible for everyone," a front-line worker said. Additionally, new followers of Christ are often threatened by family members, discriminated against by landlords, and forced to relocate unexpectedly. Read More.

  • Sep. 14, 2023 | Mexico

    Pastor Continues Evangelism in Face of Opposition

    [143] prayers in [8] nations have been posted for Pastor Filadelfo.
    Pastor Filadelfo led this sister (far left) to Christ after praying for her to be healed.

    Pastor Filadelfo, a former drug trafficker who is now an evangelist, has been jailed repeatedly for his gospel witness and was kicked out of his village for refusing to renounce Christ and return to the traditional religious practices of the village. Because of the prayers and support he has received through VOM, Filadelfo is able to continue to share the gospel in Southern Mexico, praying for the sick and providing Bibles to believers who don't have one. Read More.

  • Sep. 07, 2023 | Ethiopia

    Former Muslim Sheikh Sells Pineapples for Christ

    [184] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Abdu.
    Abdu uses his job as a pineapple seller to tell others about Christ.

    Abdu grew up wanting to be an Islamic scholar, so he attended schools focusing solely on the Quran. After studying the Quran for 15 years, he became an Islamic teacher. But in 2022, he met an old friend who had become a follower of Christ. The friend shared the gospel with Abdu on numerous occasions, and Abdu began to question his beliefs. Eventually, Abdu put his faith in Christ. His enthusiasm for teaching the Quran waned, and local Islamic leaders noticed. Read More.

  • Sep. 07, 2023 | India

    Faithful Father and Daughter Stand Alone

    [149] prayers in [9] nations have been posted for Drithi.
    Drithi and her father remained firm in their commitment to Christ amid opposition from Hindu radicals.

    On November 25, 2022, Drithi was worshipping with about 25 other believers when the service was interrupted by a group demanding that the congregation members return to Hinduism. Many of the believers were beaten, including Drithi and her father. Because of this event, 14 of the families returned to Hinduism, leaving Drithi and her father as the only believers. Read More.

  • Sep. 07, 2023 | Turkey

    Congregation Seeks Approval to Establish Place of Worship

    [130] prayers in [9] nations have been posted for Place of Worship.
    Christians in Turkiye hope to renovate this building.

    Christians in eastern Turkiye are often isolated with limited opportunities to fellowship openly with other followers of Christ. But a small Protestant church in eastern Turkiye, in an area close to the Syrian border populated mainly by Kurds and some Syrians and Iranians, has developed a good relationship with a long-standing Orthodox church. Its leaders are willing to allow the young church to repurpose one of their dilapidated buildings, but doing so will require the approval of local officials. Read More.

  • Aug. 31, 2023 | Pakistan

    Faisalabad Mob Targets Christians, Churches

    [187] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Pakistan Christians.
    Muslim extremists damaged or destroyed 25 churches during a recent riot in Pakistan.

    On Aug. 16, a mob of 5,000 Muslim extremists rampaged through Jaranwala, a city in the Faisalabad district, reacting to allegations that two young Christian men had desecrated a copy of the Quran and insulted the prophet Muhammad. Rioters attacked Christian neighborhoods and churches throughout the city. The mob burned or severely damaged 25 churches and 89 homes; hundreds of Christians fled either because their homes and belongings were destroyed or in fear of further attacks. The mob dispersed hours later only after the government dispatched police and soldiers into the area. Read More.

  • Aug. 31, 2023 | Iran

    Many Place Their Faith in Christ Amid Unrest

    [141] prayers in [10] nations have been posted for New Christians.
    Many Iranians are learning the truth about Christ through Christian satellite television broadcasts.

    A young woman killed in September 2022 while in the custody of the Iranian religious police led to a spontaneous uprising. "Iranian women wanted their dignity back," a front-line worker said. In Iran, girls as young as nine can be given in marriage, and a woman's testimony in court is worth only half a man's. Front-line workers report that the young woman's death has caused many Iranians to continue to grow disillusioned with their repressive Islamic government and search for truth elsewhere. Read More.

  • Aug. 31, 2023 | Cameroon

    Elder Christian Murdered in His Sleep

    [149] prayers in [11] nations have been posted for Cameroonian Christians.

    On July 10, militants from the Islamist group Boko Haram snuck into the home of a 75-year-old Christian and killed him in his sleep. This brother is described as a businessman and an active, faithful member of his local church. His family believes that the militants entered the home around 1:00 a.m. and slit his throat. Read More.

  • Aug. 24, 2023 | Mali

    New Christian Family Pressured to Leave Village

    [211] prayers in [19] nations have been posted for Kalifa.
    A Baptism in Mali

    Kalifa and his family were all Muslims living in a Muslim village. But then, Kalifa placed his trust in Christ during an evangelistic outreach earlier this year, becoming the first Christian in his village. When others in Kalifa's Muslim community learned about his newfound faith in Christ, they began to persecute him and his family with verbal insults and physical attacks. Read More.

  • Aug. 24, 2023 | Bhutan

    Bible for New Believer Transforms Family

    [145] prayers in [11] nations have been posted for Pema Ongma.
    Reading the Bible transformed Pema Ongmo's family.

    Pema Ongmo, 27, was raised in an animist family and had never heard about Christ until a friend shared the gospel and invited her to church. Her father, a village leader, found out and forbade her to read the Bible the pastor had given her. But she started reading the Bible secretly and began to follow Christ. Her mother became ill, and her father spent all the family's resources looking for a cure. Pema told her father that the Jesus she read about in the Bible healed many people. Read More.

  • Aug. 24, 2023 | Iran

    Mass Arrests of Christians

    [164] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Iranian Christians.

    Nearly 60 Iranian Christians were swept up in a sudden wave of arrests across the country in mid-July, crippling ministry work. "Most ministries have stopped their activities," said a front-line worker. His comments follow reports of three Christians arrested in Tehran on May 9, 2023. Agents of the Islamic Revolutionary Court arrived that morning with search warrants and confiscated mobile phones, laptops, books and pamphlets. Read More.

  • Aug. 17, 2023 | Mexico

    Church Planters Face Unrelenting Pressure

    [222] prayers in [19] nations have been posted for Mateo and Elena.
    Mateo, Elena, and their two daughters have endured attacks against their health, safety and livelihood because of their gospel work.

    Mateo and Elena are church planters advancing God's kingdom in Central Mexico. Elena was diagnosed with a rare brain aneurysm that required surgery. However, in the most recent round of tests, the doctors found that the aneurysm had been healed. One even called it a miracle from God. Still, Elena and Mateo continue to face enormous pressure to stop their gospel outreach, including threatening phone calls, an unexplained fire in their house, and spiritual attacks on Elena and their two young daughters. Read More.

  • Aug. 17, 2023 | Ethiopia

    Church Attacked by Militants

    [153] prayers in [11] nations have been posted for Church Attacked.
    A church member's car was destroyed.

    On Sunday, April 3, 2022, militants from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church attacked a Protestant church in western Ethiopia, the second time in less than a month a Protestant church in that area had been attacked. The attackers injured many Christians and burned buildings. One church leader said, "We were hurt because of our faith in Jesus Christ. We are ready to accept any trial and persecution that comes to us because of our faith." VOM helped this congregation rebuild as they continue to witness for Christ in their community. Read More.

  • Aug. 17, 2023 | Bangladesh

    Evangelist Beaten for Testimony at Rally

    [160] prayers in [10] nations have been posted for Juhel.

    During an Islamist gathering denouncing Christianity and encouraging anti-Christian activity, Juhel stood up and shared his testimony about his faith in Christ. Some in the crowd listened with interest because of his reasonable and gentle approach, while others expressed opposition and anger. Some in the group invited Juhel to speak again in the mosque, planning to attack him there. When he turned them down, they planned an ambush instead. Read More.

  • Aug. 10, 2023 | China

    Elderly Evangelist Plants Seeds in Restricted Minority

    [201] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Elderly Evangelist.
    Evangelists in China must traverse remote and difficult terrain to share the Good News about Christ.

    Pray for one Christian woman who has been instrumental in sharing the gospel with a highly restricted minority group. Though she has never received formal training, and despite the physical demands on her frail body, she has been a faithful witness to advance God's kingdom to this people group. Read More.

  • Aug. 10, 2023 | Colombia

    "Red Zone" Pastors Out of Contact

    [147] prayers in [9] nations have been posted for Christian Brothers and Sisters.
    Ministry in Colombia's "red zones" is dangerous and difficult.

    A front-line worker in Colombia reported that he has lost contact with several pastors in the Sucre area in recent months. The state of Sucre is one of Colombia's "red zones," where Marxist guerrillas and paramilitaries exercise violent control over large areas. These groups have recently imposed new restrictions against Christians and churches. Read More.

  • Aug. 10, 2023 | Benin

    BENIN - Pastor's Wife Killed by Islamists

    [161] prayers in [9] nations have been posted for Pastor Amadin.
    Typical homes in Benin

    Pastor Amadin leads a church in a Muslim community in northern Benin. Three Islamic extremists visited his house while he was away and his children were in school. The men attacked his wife with acid, pouring it into her eyes and forcing her to drink it. When neighbors heard her screaming, they rushed to the house, and the attackers fled. Read More.

  • Aug. 03, 2023 | Bangladesh

    Woman Finds Freedom After Traumatic Attack

    [192] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Raissa.
    Raissa had been unable to go into the village without being reminded of the attack.

    When Raissa was a teen, she was kidnapped and raped by a group of Muslim men who wanted to punish her father, a Christian pastor. For years, Raissa felt trapped in her home, unable to leave without being taunted, threatened and retraumatized by her attackers, who had faced no consequences. Raissa asked for help relocating to a larger city where she could be free of her attackers and pursue education and a career. Read More.

  • Aug. 03, 2023 | Korea, North

    Defectors Experience God's Word Through Dance Therapy

    [132] prayers in [8] nations have been posted for Dance Therapy Class.

    North Korean defectors in South Korea are participating in a dance therapy class focused on the Bible to know the word of God and guide them in overcoming trauma. One student looking for a place to learn about traditional Korean dance discovered this dance therapy group, and she is now learning about a personal relationship with Christ through it. Read More.

  • Aug. 03, 2023 | Uganda

    Students Killed by Islamists in Attack on Ugandan School

    [149] prayers in [7] nations have been posted for Boarding School.

    On Friday, June 16, shortly before midnight, Islamic militants believed to be part of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) attacked a boarding school in the western Ugandan town of Mpondwe, located on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The militants killed 37 students with machetes and through arson of dormitories. They also killed four adults and abducted six students, forcing them across the border into the DRC where the ADF is based. Read More.

  • Jul. 27, 2023 | Pakistan

    Protests Threaten Christians Across the Country

    [191] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Haroon Shahzad.
    Anti-Christian rallies and processions continue throughout Pakistan in protest of a Quran burning.

    After a June 28 incident in Sweden in which pages from the Quran were publicly burned, protests have swept across Pakistan. The prime minister urged the organization of large rallies and convened a joint parliamentary session on July 7 to protest the burning. During these rallies, angry protesters desecrated crosses and insulted Christianity. Christians across the country are bracing for attacks. Read More.

  • Jul. 27, 2023 | Laos

    Teacher's Faithful Witness Leads to Job Loss

    [138] prayers in [9] nations have been posted for Nyok.

    Nyok has taught for 14 years, serving the last six years as director of her village's elementary school. A jealous coworker cursed Nyok, and she began to experience pain. When she prayed to accept Christ, the pain disappeared. Word spread at school that she was a Christian, and Nyok was warned by her administrators, the district education director and the Ministry of Education that, because her job is a government position, she could not follow a "western" religion. Nyok shared her testimony and refused to renounce her faith in Christ. Read More.

  • Jul. 27, 2023 | Burkina Faso

    Pastor Murdered by Islamist Extremists

    [142] prayers in [9] nations have been posted for Pastor Hamidou.
    A typical home in rural Burkina Faso

    Hamidou felt the call of God to spread the gospel. So he left the safety of his home in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, to take the gospel to the northern part of his nation. Though radical Islamists are active in that region, he moved there with his family and planted a church. Read More.

  • Jul. 20, 2023 | China

    Church Trains Pastor for Ministry to Restricted Minority

    [182] prayers in [12] nations have been posted for Training for Pastors.
    China has more than 185 million Buddhists, including many minority groups that are considered restricted.

    An underground church in China has developed a discipleship relationship with a family from a highly restricted people group in a sensitive location. This family is part of a small fellowship of Christians that has suffered rejection and persecution within their community. As leaders of the church train the father to evangelize and pastor his people, pray for the security of this family as well as receptive hearts among their community, which has not had a strong Christian witness before now. Read More.

  • Jul. 20, 2023 | Libya

    Imprisoned Christians Could Face Death Penalty

    [158] prayers in [8] nations have been posted for Imprisoned Christians.

    Front-line workers request prayer for eight Christians in Libya, including six Libyans and two foreigners, who have been imprisoned for their faith: "Please pray for these believers who have recently been imprisoned to stand firm in their faith as they endure persecution for the name of Christ." Read More.

  • Jul. 20, 2023 | Bangladesh

    Teen Finds Hope, Future in Christ

    [147] prayers in [9] nations have been posted for Shebona.
    Many families in Bangladesh work from generation to generation on the same plantation.

    For generations, Shebona and her family have lived on and worked land for tea plantations. They age without dreams or aspirations, expecting to lead the same life as their parents and grandparents. But one girl who worked with Shebona on the plantation was different, more joyful; Shebona learned that she was a Christian. This girl shared some literature with Shebona and connected her to two front-line workers who led her to Christ. Read More.

  • Jul. 13, 2023 | Nepal

    Hindu Monks Experience Peace in Christ

    [229] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Pastor Amar.
    Hindus in Nepal are learning about Jesus through Bible distribution efforts.

    Pastor Amar Thapa reported that he received 25 Maithili language SD cards two months ago through one of VOM's projects. Six Hindu monks in one of the villages in the district where he was working watched a video from the SD cards and learned about Jesus Christ. Read More.

  • Jul. 13, 2023 | Morocco

    Leaders Seek Spirit of Unity Among Christian Communities

    [155] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Christians Seek Spirit of Unity.
    The large mosque in Casablanca, Morocco

    Morocco is ruled by a monarch who is purportedly a direct descendant of the prophet Muhammad and intends to govern the nation with Islamic principles. No church buildings exist in Morocco, and Bible distribution and missionary activity are not allowed in the country. Read More.

  • Jul. 13, 2023 | Eritrea

    Eritrean Christian Burials Delayed or Denied

    [149] prayers in [11] nations have been posted for Pastor Tesfay.

    Pastor Tesfay Sium Yihdego died in early April at the age of 58 after serving ten years and two months in an Eritrean prison because he was a faithful Christian minister. He suffered from a brain tumor that developed while he was incarcerated. Prison officials decided to release him early after it became clear that he would not survive his condition. Read More.

  • Jul. 06, 2023 | Sudan

    Christians Killed, Ministries Damaged by Warring Factions

    [204] prayers in [11] nations have been posted for Sudanese Christians.
    A church in Khartoum set on fire during recent fighting.

    Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds wounded in Sudan's capital, Khartoum, since gun battles erupted in April between two heavily armed groups vying to control the country. From 1989 to 2018, Sudan was ruled by radical Islamic dictator Omar al-Bashir, who sought to exterminate Christians and some ethnic African groups. Read More.

  • Jul. 06, 2023 | Nigeria

    Potential Political Instability, Islamists Pose Danger to Christians

    [166] prayers in [8] nations have been posted for Danger to Christians.
    This child's parents were recently killed by militant Fulani Muslims.

    A new Nigerian president was inaugurated in May, despite rivals claiming that the presidential election was marred with irregularities. Amid the political instability, Christians continue to be attacked, kidnapped and killed in various parts of the country. Read More.

  • Jul. 06, 2023 | Korea, North

    Camp Ministers to Young North Korean Defectors

    [152] prayers in [8] nations have been posted for Camp Ministry.

    For many North Korean defectors who successfully reach South Korea, adjusting to life outside the strict control of the North Korean regime can be difficult and overwhelming. According to one North Korean Christian who is ministering to defectors, such difficulty leads many defectors to succumb to hopelessness and materialism. Read More.

  • Jun. 29, 2023 | China

    Mayflower Church Members Granted Asylum

    [196] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Mayflower Church.
    Prohibitions against raising their children in the Christian faith was a motivating factor for the Mayflower Church in the decision to leave China.

    After more than three years of seeking refugee status, the 63 members of Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church, commonly referred to as the Mayflower Church, were granted asylum and arrived in the U.S. on April 7. Pastor Pan Yongguang led his congregation to South Korea in late 2019 to escape the harsh persecution they experienced at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Read More.

  • Jun. 29, 2023 | Burkina Faso

    Pastor Abducted

    [165] prayers in [12] nations have been posted for Pastor Laurent.
    One of the hundreds of churches in Burkina Faso recently destroyed by Islamic militants.

    In February 2023, jihadists burned and destroyed Pastor Laurent's church in eastern Burkina Faso. Then, in March 2023, jihadists abducted Pastor Laurent when he traveled to attend a regional pastors' meeting. As the kidnappers forced him into the bush, he sent one text to his family, who haven't heard from him since. Read More.

  • Jun. 29, 2023 | Bhutan

    JESUS Film Project Extends to Unreached in Bhutan

    [138] prayers in [9] nations have been posted for Jesus Film Project.
    Buddhist prayer flags fly over a city in Bhutan.

    In the kingdom of Bhutan, only a small minority - about 25,000 people - are Christians, and only about a quarter of the country's 20 provinces have any local churches. Nidup and some fellow pastors have launched the Love Bhutan Initiative, sending Bhutanese Christians as missionaries into the parts of Bhutan least reached with the gospel. Read More.

  • Jun. 22, 2023 | Congo, Democratic Republic of the

    Christian Child Burned, Orphaned in Attack

    [238] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for Christian Child Burned.
    A missions plane flies over eastern DRC

    Militant rebel groups in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) occasionally raid villages, burn buildings, and murder residents. Eight-year-old Divine is one of their victims. In June 2022, rebels entered her village and burned several churches and homes. Read More.

  • Jun. 22, 2023 | Bhutan

    Brother Loses ID and Work, Keeps Gospel Focus

    [142] prayers in [10] nations have been posted for Brother Karna.

    Because Brother Karna is a Christian, the government of Bhutan refuses to issue him a citizenship ID, without which he is unable to find a job. He reported that authorities often confiscate the crops of Christians who do not have IDs, knowing that these Christians do not have a legal way to protest this treatment. Read More.

  • Jun. 22, 2023 | Arabian Peninsula

    Convert to Christ Attacked, Brought to Court

    [161] prayers in [11] nations have been posted for Bassam.
    Women walk through a market in Bahrain

    When Bassam committed his life to Christ, it enraged his Muslim wife. She couldn't believe he had changed his religious beliefs as their country of residence is less than 1% Christian. She immediately kicked him out of the home and sent family members to attack him; they beat him and burned his car. Read More.

  • Jun. 15, 2023 | Bhutan

    Outreach to Children Reaching New Generation

    [192] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Children's Bible Clubs.
    Children in Bhutan are hearing the gospel and coming to faith through children's Bible clubs

    Though evangelism is restricted in the isolated, majority-Buddhist country of Bhutan and believers face serious consequences when their faith is known, Christians continue to boldly share Christ. Front-line workers in Bhutan report that many children's programs impact churches throughout Bhutan. Read More.

  • Jun. 15, 2023 | Togo

    Islamists Threaten to Kidnap Pastor a Second Time

    [155] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Pastor Kidnapped.
    A home in a rural village in Togo

    Several years ago, a group of militant Fulani Muslims based in Burkina Faso crossed the border into neighboring Togo, raided numerous villages, and kidnapped a pastor. Read More.

  • Jun. 15, 2023 | Korea, North

    Young Christian Missing for 14 Years in Prison Camp

    [176] prayers in [12] nations have been posted for Kyung Jae Kim.
    This is the last photo of Kyung Jae Kim before his arrest and disappearance in September 2008.

    In September 2008, one day before 19-year-old Kyung Jae Kim planned to escape from North Korea, security forces raided his home and arrested him. The raid was part of an operation to gather Christians who had been carrying the gospel secretly into North Korea for many years. Read More.

  • Jun. 08, 2023 | Burkina Faso

    Village Attacked Second Time

    [230] prayers in [21] nations have been posted for Burikina Faso believers.

    In April 2020, 13 churches in southern Burkina Faso were attacked and severely damaged or destroyed by followers of traditional religions. Many of the communities, including the village of Obire, have been planning to rebuild. On February 27, 2023, armed bandits attacked Obire again, killing three people. Read More.

  • Jun. 08, 2023 | India

    Unrest in Manipur Exposes Christians to Attacks

    [151] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Christians in Manipur.

    The Indian state of Manipur is experiencing mass protests and fighting among indigenous tribal groups and ethnic Meiteis. The government is considering granting Meitei people the same government benefits as the tribal groups, which has led to widespread demonstrations and fighting. Read More.

  • Jun. 08, 2023 | Laos

    Believers Detained by Village Leaders

    [163] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Village leaders in Laos.
    Tribal communities in Laos often pressure Christians to return to spirit worship.

    On Feb. 13, 2023, village authorities gathered a group of 21 Christians from a minority tribal group in Laos, detaining them at the district meeting hall. The head of the village called them traitors for believing in a religion that does not belong to their ancestors and demanded they renounce their faith in Christ. Read More.

  • Jun. 01, 2023 | Malaysia

    Upcoming Hearings in Case of Missing Pastor

    [225] prayers in [20] nations have been posted for Susanna Koh and family.
    Susanna Koh and her family have been searching for years for answers about her husband's disappearance.

    On Feb. 13, 2017, Pastor Raymond Koh was abducted off the streets of Malaysia. In 2019, Malaysia's Human Rights Commission issued a report blaming the abduction on the "Special Branch" of Malaysia's police. No one has since been held accountable, and Pastor Koh's whereabouts and condition remain unknown. Read More.

  • Jun. 01, 2023 | Ethiopia

    Increasing Access to Bibles in Native Languages

    [149] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Ethiopians without Bibles.
    Amharic Bibles ready for distribution

    Though Ethiopia is a majority-Christian nation, many Ethiopians lack access to Bibles in their native languages. VOM is working with front-line ministers to give Bibles to every Ethiopian Christian, including Bibles in native languages such as Amharic, Omoro and Tigrinya. Read More.

  • Jun. 01, 2023 | Bhutan

    Christian Workers Deprived of Citizenship

    [141] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Pastor Nidup, Pastor Deki and Ratno.

    In the kingdom of Bhutan, where Buddhism is regarded as the only acceptable religion, Christians are often refused citizenship cards and other official documents needed for employment, education and most necessities. Pastor Deki and her son, Ratno, have been denied citizenship cards because of their Christian work. Read More.

  • May. 25, 2023 | Mexico

    Church Planting in the "Circle of Silence"

    [236] prayers in [19] nations have been posted for Aaron.
    Aaron is a front-line worker in a region of central Mexico where there is little gospel witness for Christ.

    Aaron is one of many church planters advancing God's kingdom in the "Circle of Silence," an eight-state region in central Mexico of nearly 23 million people with less than 1% evangelical witness for Christ. There is a strong culture of Christo-paganism, which is a syncretistic blend of ancient pagan practices and Roman Catholicism, and front-line workers like Aaron are often opposed by those hostile to the gospel. Read More.

  • May. 25, 2023 | Algeria

    Churches Closed, Pastors Facing Increasing Pressure

    [164] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for imprisoned pastor.
    Algerian officials close a church in 2019.

    Christians in Algeria report suffering from a systematic campaign of government persecution. Since the end of 2017, the government has reportedly closed 30 of the 47 Protestant churches in the country. Read More.

  • May. 25, 2023 | Afghanistan

    Front-Line Worker Requests Prayer for Christians, Taliban

    [163] prayers in [11] nations have been posted for isolated Christians.
    Pray for those living under Taliban rule in Afghanistan. Photo Credit: World Watch Monitor

    Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021, life for Christians is difficult. Most Afghan Christians fled, but some remained. "It is very challenging for the normal Afghan and very, very hard for Christians," a front-line worker shared. "Persecution has escalated from the government, local religious authorities, family, and community, and it is still escalating." Read More.

  • May. 18, 2023 | Laos

    Christian Threatened by Village Leaders

    [205] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for Kham.
    Christian brothers meet with Kham to encourage and pray for him.

    When Kham, a Khmu believer in Laos, planned a thanksgiving celebration for the new year, community elders confronted him and gave him an ultimatum: They forbade him from worshiping the Christian God and demanded that he cancel the celebration. Read More.

  • May. 18, 2023 | Ethiopia

    Church Building Destroyed

    [163] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Bokore Full Gospel church members.
    The remains of the Bokore Full Gospel Church

    In September 2022, Muslim extremists attacked the Bokore Full Gospel church in southeastern Ethiopia. Islamists set it on fire, destroying the building and everything inside; fortunately, no church members were hurt during the attack. Read More.

  • May. 18, 2023 | India

    Father and Young Daughter Injured in Hit-and-Run

    [168] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Prakash and Lavanya.
    Prakash and Lavanya were forced to crash by a three-wheeled vehicle.

    Prakash, Sangeetha and their daughters, Lavanya (8) and Shalini (5), belong to a Hindu community in Karnataka State, India. Lavanya was born with severe disabilities, including paralysis, and no medical treatments helped. The family met a Christian pastor who shared the gospel with them and prayed for the child. Lavanya began to recover and was eventually able to walk; then, the whole family came to Christ. Read More.

  • May. 11, 2023 | India

    Christian Family Rejected by Village

    [225] prayers in [21] nations have been posted for Hema, Chanda, and Manish.
    Christians in India often lose access to community resources, such as water and communal pastures for livestock.

    In the Bastar district of Chhattisgarh State, India, Christians face increasing pressure and violence for following Christ. Hema; her 16-year-old daughter, Chanda; and her 13-year-old son, Manish, are the only believers in their village since coming to faith in Christ two years ago. Village neighbors repeatedly tried to force them to reconvert to Hinduism, but they remained strong in the Lord, so the village excommunicated them. Read More.

  • May. 11, 2023 | Ghana

    Young Man Disowned for Becoming a Christian

    [182] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Noah.
    Noah

    Ghana is a majority-Christian nation, but animistic beliefs are practiced in some areas. As a boy, Noah was chosen by his father to take over as the family's shaman, responsible for carrying out occult rituals upon his father's death. Through the witness of Christian friends, Noah gave his life to Christ. Read More.

  • May. 11, 2023 | Turkey

    Greater Interest in God's Word Amid Earthquake Tragedy

    [152] prayers in [12] nations have been posted for Earthquake survivors requesting Bibles.
    Local Turkish Christians Operating a Makeshift Kitchen for Earthquake Survivors and Emergency Workers

    Within days of the Feb. 6 earthquake that devastated eastern Turkiye, Turkish Christians rushed from other parts of the country to help. "One church group used their hands to dig people out of the rubble," a front-line worker said. Others set up emergency kitchens and shelters. Read More.

  • May. 04, 2023 | Mexico

    Front-line Workers Warned to Stop Evangelizing

    [226] prayers in [19] nations have been posted for Mateo and Elena.
    Mateo, Elena, and their two daughters have been threatened for their faithful witness for Christ.

    Mateo and Elena are church planters in Central Mexico. Their town is in a region known as the "Circle of Silence," where Christians are routinely opposed by those who follow a syncretistic blend of Catholicism, animism and the occult. The couple has experienced hostility from their community because of their witness for Christ. Read More.

  • May. 04, 2023 | Laos

    Four Families Pressured by Authorities

    [154] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Christians cut off from resources.

    Four Christian families in one village in the Luang Prabang area of Laos have experienced increasing persecution since placing their faith in Christ in 2021. Village leaders have mocked them, threatened to lock them into their homes, and cut them off from community resources and government aid if they do not renounce Christ. Read More.

  • May. 04, 2023 | Sri Lanka

    Family Land Confiscated for Buddhist Temple

    [157] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Pastor Priyantha and Dinesha.
    A Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka

    Pastor Priyantha and his wife, Dinesha, planted a church in Sri Lanka in 2016. They faced severe opposition from Buddhist monks, villagers, government officers and the police. Read More.

  • Apr. 27, 2023 | Burkina Faso

    Couple Receives Replacement Bible After Attack

    [202] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for Displaced Christians.
    Christians in Burkina Faso receiving their new Bibles

    Christians have been a primary target of Islamists in Burkina Faso since April 2019 when approximately 70 Christians were killed and five churches attacked. In 2022, Islamist activity increased in the southwestern part of the country, resulting in numerous destroyed churches and the murder of several pastors. Read More.

  • Apr. 27, 2023 | India

    Families Forced into Jungle as Homes Are Looted

    [151] prayers in [10] nations have been posted for Evicted Christian families.
    Evicted Christian families prayed for their persecutors.

    In December 2022, seven Christian families in Chhattisgarh State, India, were twice summoned by the village council and warned to reconvert to Hinduism. Both times, the families refused to turn away from Christ. After the second meeting, villagers visited each family's home, first taking their household goods and then physically removing the believers from the village, warning them not to return. Read More.

  • Apr. 27, 2023 | Afghanistan

    Ministry Continues Amid Taliban Restrictions

    [158] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Christians ministering despite the Taliban.
    An Afghan man and boys

    On August 15, 2021, the Taliban, a radical Islamist military group, took control of Afghanistan. The impact on the small Afghan Christian community was immediate and severe. "It was just like in Acts, chapter 8: ‘On that day a great persecution broke out against the church and all but the apostles scattered," said a front-line worker. Read More.

  • Apr. 20, 2023 | Laos

    Churches Provide for "God's Daughter" in Need

    [229] prayers in [20] nations have been posted for Ya and her children.
    Construction begins on a new house.

    When Ya put her trust in Christ in 2019, her husband and his parents abused and rejected her, believing she would bring down the anger of the spirits. After Ya's husband divorced her. sending her and their three children away, she turned to her parents for help. Read More.

  • Apr. 20, 2023 | Nepal

    Wife of Threatened Evangelist Suffering After Trauma

    [176] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Jagat Wagle's wife.
    Jagat took refuge in the mountains of Nepal when his life was threatened.

    Jagat Wagle was transformed from a violent career criminal to a passionate evangelist when he encountered Jesus in the Bible given to him by a stranger in 1996. Since then, he completed Bible school, became a pastor and now shepherds more than 300 believers. Read More.

  • Apr. 20, 2023 | Iran

    Recently Released Prisoners Face Hardships

    [167] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Released prisoners.
    Saheb (Zaman) Fadaee was recently released from an Iranian prison.

    In February 2023, the Iranian government released thousands of long-held prisoners during a general pardon. Those released included several Christians imprisoned for practicing their faith. Read More.

  • Apr. 13, 2023 | Central African Republic

    Caring for Orphans Amid Civil War

    [229] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for orphan caretaker.
    Children at a CAR camp for Internally Displaced People

    Christians have suffered greatly from civil war in the Central African Republic (CAR) since 2012. They are targeted and attacked by Muslim rebels who accuse them of assisting militias that have carried out revenge killings against Muslims. They have been driven from their towns and villages as attackers loot and destroy their homes and churches, forcing tens of thousands into emergency camps for Internally Displaced Peoples (IDPs). Read More.

  • Apr. 13, 2023 | India

    Christians Targeted by Hindu Mob

    [167] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Christians in Chhattisgarh State.

    Six Christian families in a village in Chhattisgarh State, India, have experienced community pressure from the time of their conversion. They were socially excluded, and the adults lost their jobs. On August 18, 2022, Hindu radicals disrupted their church service and took the Bibles of all the believers. Read More.

  • Apr. 13, 2023 | Vietnam

    Harassed, Imprisoned for Christ

    [172] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Imprisoned Christians.
    In Communist nations, even Christians involved with government-registered churches experience significant pressure.

    Three brothers in Christ and their families in southeast Asia have faced severe persecution from government authorities. The men are now serving prison terms for their faithfulness to Christ. Read More.

  • Apr. 06, 2023 | Congo, Democratic Republic of the

    Healing Through Trauma Ministry

    [231] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Rebecca.
    Rebecca at Bethesda

    In 2019, Rebecca, her husband, and their three children were kidnapped by rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). She managed to escape with her youngest child, but her husband and older children haven't been seen since. Read More.

  • Apr. 06, 2023 | Laos

    Evangelist Fearlessly Faces Police

    [167] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Kam.
    Kam is a faithful witness for Christ, even faced with threats and curses.

    When Kam was told in January 2023 by a police officer to stop following Christ and evangelizing, he boldly responded that he would not stop believing in Christ, no matter what happened, and that nothing could stop the work of God. Read More.

  • Apr. 06, 2023 | Nepal

    Saved from Fear, Rejected by Family

    [164] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Deepa and Surya.
    Deepa with her son

    Deepa and her husband, Surya, were overwhelmed with fear when witch doctors predicted an early, unnatural death for Surya. When Deepa confessed her fear to her brother, a Christian, he shared the gospel and led Deepa and Surya to place their trust in Christ. Deepa and Surya shared a house with Surya's parents and grandparents, who were devout Hindus. Read More.

  • Mar. 30, 2023 | Laos

    Livestock Slaughtered After Christian Remains Faithful

    [222] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Jai and Tai.
    Jai and his wife, Tai, lost all of their livestock for refusing to deny Christ.

    In 2019, 80 people in 13 Christian families lived in Jai's village in Laos. As one of the village leaders, Jai knew that these Christians were facing persecution from village authorities and the police. But Jai's parents were believers and urged him to consider Christianity. Read More.

  • Mar. 30, 2023 | Central African Republic

    Thousands Traumatized in the CAR

    [159] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Traumatized Christians.
    A pastor's destroyed home

    A vicious civil war in the Central African Republic (CAR), fought among multiple political factions, including some extremist Muslim groups, has forced more than half a million people to flee their homes. Many of the displaced are Christians who live in camps for Internally Displaced People (IDPs). Read More.

  • Mar. 30, 2023 | India

    India's Bastar Region Sees Surge in Anti-Christian Violence

    [155] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Christians facing increased violence.
    Recent anti-Christian rioting in Bastar has led to the destruction of churches and homes.

    Over the last several months, hundreds of Christian brothers and sisters in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh State, India, have been forced to leave their villages because of their faith. Read More.

  • Mar. 24, 2023 | Benin

    Pastor's Leg Broken by Voodooists

    [248] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Pastor Michel.
    Pastor Michel with his crutch

    Pastor Michel leads a small church in northern Benin. In September 2021, around 60 Voodooists who live in his village arrived at the church during a service. The occultists broke down the church door and smashed its windows. They then ordered the Christians to stop worshiping and praying. Read More.

  • Mar. 24, 2023 | Pakistan

    Christian Artist Seeks Asylum Following Attack

    [165] prayers in [12] nations have been posted for Pious.
    Christian converts in Pakistan face severe repercussions for leaving the Islamic faith.

    Pious is an artist with a Muslim background who trusted in Christ about five years ago. As a result of his faith in Christ, he lost his job and faced much pressure from his family. In April 2021, attackers kidnapped, chained and beat him before cutting his throat. Read More.

  • Mar. 24, 2023 | Iran

    Illegal Bibles Change Lives in Iran

    [159] prayers in [12] nations have been posted for those receiving Bibles.
    Delivering Bibles in Iran, one at a time

    Owning, printing, importing or distributing Bibles in Iran is illegal. Since they are so difficult to obtain, Bibles are treasured by Iranian believers, and few have their own copy of God's Word. Despite the prohibitions and scarcity, Christians in Iran are working on placing copies of God's Word into people's hands. Read More.

  • Mar. 16, 2023 | Eritrea

    Eritrean Christians Imprisoned for Decades

    [239] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for Imprisoned Christians.
    Haile Nayzgi, one several Christians imprisoned in Eritrea for more than 18 years

    Eritrea is governed by a totalitarian regime that seeks to control every aspect of life. In 2002, the government outlawed every form of religion except Islam, Orthodox Christianity, Roman Catholicism and the Lutheran Church. All other religious groups are illegal, and the government maintains control of approved churches. Read More.

  • Mar. 16, 2023 | India

    Pressure Increasing on Tamilnadu Churches

    [172] prayers in [12] nations have been posted for Pastors in Tamilnadu.
    Tamilnadu pastors pray for land to build church buildings.

    In Tamilnadu, the number of persecution events rose dramatically in 2022. Pastors and evangelists have been chased away from villages, beaten, and robbed. Many churches conducted in rented buildings are being forced to close by Hindu radicals pressuring property owners. Read More.

  • Mar. 16, 2023 | Laos

    Family, Village Drive Away Christians

    [167] prayers in [12] nations have been posted for Lerm and Dow.
    Lerm and Dow are rebuilding their life after being evicted from their village.

    On April 4, 2022, Lerm and his wife, Dow, accepted Christ and started to attend church. A few months later, Dow's father, who was the head of a nearby village in their province in northern Laos, found out and demanded that they renounce Christ. Read More.

  • Mar. 09, 2023 | Benin

    Church Destroyed on National Voodoo Day

    [232] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for church congregation.
    The pastor in front of the destroyed church building

    Benin is considered the birthplace of Voodoo. Occult practices, including idol worship, sacrificing animals, and wearing special talismans believed to ward off evil, are widespread. Voodoo is so commonly practiced in Benin that it has a National Voodoo Day on January 10. Read More.

  • Mar. 09, 2023 | Laos

    Christian Wife Endures Persecution from Husband

    [182] prayers in [11] nations have been posted for Fone.
    Fone prays for the salvation of her husband.

    Fone is a trader with two children in a northern province of Laos. After she accepted Christ in March 2014, her husband began to abuse her physically, verbally and emotionally. He forces her to visit Buddhist temples with him and has often threatened to kick her out of their home. Read More.

  • Mar. 09, 2023 | India

    New Believers Forced to "Reconvert"

    [171] prayers in [10] nations have been posted for Pastor Maan's church members.
    Ghar wapsi, or forced reconversion to Hinduism, is a common practice.

    Pastor Maan, who ministers to tribal people in Andhra Pradesh state, requests prayer for members of his church who are being forced to leave the Christian faith by Hindu radicals and local leaders. Read More.

  • Mar. 02, 2023 | Nepal

    Wife Abused, Threatened for Faith in Christ

    [245] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Goma Kunwar.
    Goma Kunwar

    Goma Kunwar was very sick, but medical doctors and witch doctors alike were baffled and could not heal her. Christians in her village prayed for her, and God healed her. Her husband tried to dissuade her from going to church, but she wanted to attend out of gratitude for her healing. In spring 2022, she accepted Christ and was baptized. Read More.

  • Mar. 02, 2023 | Nigeria

    Front-Line Workers Request Prayer amid Ongoing Attacks

    [187] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for traveling front-line workers.
    A destroyed home in Nigeria

    Nearly all Christians in northeastern Nigeria have lost family members or friends in attacks by Boko Haram or Fulani Islamic militants. Entire congregations have been displaced, and many pastors have been forced to leave the region. Thousands of Christians remain in camps designated for internally displaced people (IDP). Read More.

  • Mar. 02, 2023 | Tunisia

    New Churches Emerging After Government Reforms

    [166] prayers in [11] nations have been posted for Christian community in Tunisia.
    A rooftop scene in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia

    Though 99% of Tunisians are Sunni Muslims, a small but thriving Christian community exists within the country. After the "Arab Spring" uprising in 2011, which originated in Tunisia, the government became the first in North Africa to enact religious freedom reforms. Read More.

  • Feb. 23, 2023 | India

    Faithful Pastor, Family Targeted by Radicals

    [259] prayers in [21] nations have been posted for Pastor Nithin and Sathya.
    Nithin and Sathya

    Pastor Nithin has led a church in Karnataka state, India, for 15 years. For years, small attacks like broken windows and official warnings about loud singing or the display of a cross occurred. Read More.

  • Feb. 23, 2023 | Syria

    Syrian Christians Face Challenges on Multiple Fronts

    [186] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Aaron and Khalil Hassan.
    Islamic militants destroyed this farmer's crops.

    Aaron and Khalil Hassan are two brothers who fled to Lebanon after the self-proclaimed Islamic State (ISIS) chased them from their apricot farm. While in Lebanon, they heard the gospel and placed their faith in Christ. When they returned to Syria, they found their farms pillaged; ISIS had chopped down the apricot trees and used them for firewood. Read More.

  • Feb. 23, 2023 | Benin

    Christian Woman Asks for Prayer After Alleged Curse

    [195] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Izegbe.
    Izegbe in the hospital

    Izegbe is a former Muslim who was seriously ill. Some friends told her that Jesus could possibly heal her sickness, so she met a pastor who told her the gospel. "Islam never gave me any satisfaction," she said. "But Christianity gave me peace inside." Read More.

  • Feb. 16, 2023 | Turkey

    Massive Earthquake Kills Pastor and Wife Among Thousands

    [236] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for orphaned son of pastor.

    At 4:17 A.M. local time on Monday, February 6, 2023, a massive earthquake shook eastern Turkiye and Western Syria. The quake, registering 7.8 on the Richter scale, caused thousands of buildings, including many multi-story residential buildings, to collapse. Tens of thousands of people died as a result, and Christians in Turkiye's larger cities report being unable to contact their relatives in the earthquake zone. Read More.

  • Feb. 16, 2023 | Central African Republic

    Front-Line Workers Serve Christians in IDP Camp

    [171] prayers in [10] nations have been posted for Christians waiting on relief supplies.
    Children in a CAR camp for internally displaced people

    Christians have suffered greatly from ongoing civil war in the Central African Republic (CAR), where thousands have been forced from their homes. "These people are often the poorest of the poor," said a front-line worker. "Entire villages have been destroyed, and people have had to flee with nothing. Some were digging up roots to have something to eat in order to survive." Read More.

  • Feb. 16, 2023 | Nepal

    Teen Follows Christ Despite Family Pressure

    [194] prayers in [12] nations have been posted for Himal Paudel.
    Himal Paudel

    Himal Paudel, 15, grew up in a Hindu family. His aunt shared the gospel with him, and he placed his trust in Christ in September 2022. Himal's family have applied significant pressure to stop him from attending church, and his father, who works abroad, has repeatedly called and threatened him that he would be disowned and kicked out of the house. Read More.

  • Feb. 09, 2023 | Sri Lanka

    Pastor's Home, Church in Danger

    [187] prayers in [10] nations have been posted for Pastor Ranjan and church members.
    Pastor Ranjan

    When Pastor Ranjan of Naula, Sri Lanka, approached local authorities for a permit to build a worship place, they refused. He then built an extension on his house to serve as a place of Christian worship. Under the influence of local Buddhist monks, police and government officials have declared the space an illegal worship place. Read More.

  • Feb. 09, 2023 | Sierra Leone

    Local Officials Destroy Large Church

    [184] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for church members without a building.
    A village in Sierra Leone

    On January 11, 2023, local officials notified the pastor of a 400-member congregation to vacate their building immediately. The worship center had stood for more than 15 years on land legally purchased in a Muslim-majority region. But five years ago, Muslims who were unhappy that a large Christian church stood in their community filed a legal case against the church. Read More.

  • Feb. 09, 2023 | Nepal

    Abused Teen Finds Refuge, Hope

    [195] prayers in [11] nations have been posted for Khushi Rai and sisters.
    The Rai sisters

    Tara Rai, 36, placed her trust in Jesus Christ in 2020, and she took her eldest daughter, Khushi, now 16, with her to church. Tara Rai's husband then beat her because of her faith in Jesus and demanded that she give it up. She left for Dubai to work as a housekeeper, hoping to earn money to support her children on her own. Read More.

  • Feb. 02, 2023 | Nepal

    New Converts Driven from Their Homes

    [243] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Anu Dani and Prakash.
    Anu, along with her husband, obediently took the risky step of being baptized.

    Anu Dani earned money by predicting people's future as a seer. When her young daughter grew very ill and no other efforts healed her, she took the girl to a Christian church. The pastor prayed, her daughter was healed and Anu immediately put her faith in Christ, turning away from her occult practices. Read More.

  • Feb. 02, 2023 | Burkina Faso

    Christians Killed at Christmastime

    [189] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Surviving family members.
    One of many vehicles and buildings destroyed by militant Islamists in Burkina Faso recently

    On the day after Christmas in 2022, suspected Islamic militants attacked a Christian family in the village of Obire in Burkina Faso. The attackers shot into the house, killing four young people inside and injuring two others. Read More.

  • Feb. 02, 2023 | Lebanon

    Prayer for Refugee Ministries

    [171] prayers in [10] nations have been posted for Syrian refugees.
    Food distribution at a Lebanese refugee camp

    Lebanese church leaders request prayers as they minister to refugees. More than 1 million Syrian refugees have entered the country since 2012, increasing Lebanon's population by nearly one-fourth. Despite hardship, many evangelical churches in Lebanon not only welcomed but also cared for Christian and Muslim refugees with limited resources and few rights in the country. Read More.

  • Jan. 26, 2023 | Niger

    Motorcycles Bring God's Word to the Desert

    [227] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Christian workers.
    A front-line worker shares the gospel in Niger.

    Nigerien Christians are using motorcycles and audio Bibles to bring the gospel to people living in the desert. Only 35% of the population is literate, so audio Bibles are a particularly effective ministry tool. Read More.

  • Jan. 26, 2023 | Sri Lanka

    Assault on Pastor Leads to Charges Against Him

    [181] prayers in [12] nations have been posted for Pastor Tony.
    The majority of Sri Lankans are Buddhist.

    On Sept. 21, Pastor Tony Benjamin of Anuradhapura province in Sri Lanka investigated a noise outside his gate and was assaulted by two men with a shovel, demanding that he stop his religious activities. He was able to crawl back into the house before the men began breaking windows and causing other damage. Read More.

  • Jan. 26, 2023 | Somalia

    Islamist Violence Increasing in Somalia

    [166] prayers in [12] nations have been posted for Front-line workers.

    The radical Islamic group al-Shabab has increased its attacks in Somalia. Early in 2023, more than thirty people were killed, and several homes were burned after a car bombing in a small village north of Mogadishu. On October 30, 2022, two massive car bombs exploded in downtown Mogadishu, killing around a hundred people and injuring more than 300. Read More.

  • Jan. 19, 2023 | Nepal

    Christian Family Discriminated Against After Landslide

    [207] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Displaced Christian family.
    Landslides can cause severe damage in Nepal's mountainous areas.

    Following devastating rains and landslides in Mugu district, Nepal, the Christian family of one front-line worker faced additional hardship because of their faith. After villagers' houses and fields were destroyed by the landslides, they made temporary shelters from plastic tarps. Read More.

  • Jan. 19, 2023 | Pakistan

    Evangelism Team Opposed, Threatened with Violence

    [170] prayers in [11] nations have been posted for Evangelism team.
    Evangelism in Pakistan has drawn the ire of Islamic legal scholars.

    An evangelism team based in Peshawar, Pakistan, conducted outreach into many cities in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region in the summer of 2022. Some of the materials distributed during the outreach efforts were discovered by Islamic religious leaders, and an ulama, a meeting of Islamic religious legal scholars, convened to organize against the evangelism. Read More.

  • Jan. 19, 2023 | Congo, Democratic Republic of the

    Children of Martyred Missionaries in Danger

    [189] prayers in [10] nations have been posted for Children of Kanyamanda and Odette.
    The four orphaned children

    Islamic militant groups have declared parts of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) under Islamic law, and militias have kidnapped, enslaved or killed Christians. In October 2014, Islamists attacked a town where Pastor Kanyamanda and his wife, Odette, served as local Christian missionaries to a remote tribe. Read More.

  • Jan. 12, 2023 | Uganda

    Shunned Believers Receive Training

    [211] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Christian converts.
    Graduates receive sewing machines in Uganda

    Muslims who trust in Christ often face severe consequences. They can be rejected by their families, lose jobs and homes, and even be killed. In Uganda, VOM is helping front-line workers provide job training and equipment to support Christian converts who have been shunned by their communities. Read More.

  • Jan. 12, 2023 | Sri Lanka

    Church Continues to Bless Persecutors

    [168] prayers in [10] nations have been posted for Ayesha Lambious and Anura.
    Ayesha Lambious (right)

    In 2000, Ayesha Lambious started sharing the gospel in an unreached area of Sri Lanka. Soon 25 to 30 people gathered regularly with her, so she and her husband, Anura, planted two churches in majority Hindu areas. Persecution has been constant in their lives. Read More.

  • Jan. 12, 2023 | India

    Christians Singled Out in Government Survey

    [163] prayers in [10] nations have been posted for Christians from Hindu backgrounds.

    In Andhra Pradesh state, officials are conducting a survey to identify all Christians who have come from Hindu families, married a Hindu or are conducting Christian activities. Read More.

  • Jan. 05, 2023 | Nepal

    Woman's Witness Impacts Entire Village

    [240] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for Bimala Thokar.
    Bimala looks forward to the day when her Nepalese village has its first church.

    Bimala Thokar came to faith in Christ in 2021 through the witness of her daughter. The Buddhist people of their Nepalese village disapproved of Bimala and her family becoming Christians and sharing the gospel with others. Local Buddhist monks called the police to accuse Bimala of "evil practices" and illegally spreading the Christian religion. Read More.

  • Jan. 05, 2023 | Kenya

    Christians Hope to Build Church

    [169] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for church members without a building.
    Christians meet under a tree

    A church in a Kenyan town with a significant Muslim population has met for years underneath a tree, and the group desperately needs a building. The church was founded in 2017 by a Kenyan missionary in the yard of his first convert. Front-line workers said, "The Kenyan missionary who started the church received a lot of intimidation and mockery. Read More.

  • Jan. 05, 2023 | Egypt

    Discipleship Risky Yet Necessary for New Converts

    [176] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Christians from Muslim backgrounds.
    A busy market street in Cairo

    In Egypt, a person's religion is labeled on their national identification card. If someone decides to leave Islam and become a follower of Christ, they cannot change their ID card. This creates challenges for churches to minister to converts who are still officially Muslims. Read More.

  • Dec. 29, 2022 | Sri Lanka

    Church Attacked, Continues to Meet

    [219] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Pastor Srikanth and congregation.
    Pasikuda Christians who were injured when a Hindu mob attacked them

    After the 2004 tsunami, the Sri Lankan government relocated survivors from Pasikuda to another village. Pastor Srikanth, among those relocated, shared the gospel there, and many accepted the Lord. In 2019, Hindu villagers began to oppose the worship in Pastor Srikanth's home. Read More.

  • Dec. 29, 2022 | North Africa

    40,000 Bibles Reach North African Nation

    [177] prayers in [12] nations have been posted for Bible distributors.
    Bibles in storage awaiting distribution

    Front-line workers thank God that officials allowed 40,000 Bibles printed in a local language to enter a North African nation. "We encountered numerous unexpected obstacles within the last month in trying to clear the container out of the port," said one front-line worker. Read More.

  • Dec. 29, 2022 | Laos

    New Believers Face Persecution for Choosing "Foreign" Religion

    [173] prayers in [12] nations have been posted for Linh and Keon.
    Christianity is unwelcome as a "foreign" religion in Laos.

    Two Laotian men, Linh and Keon, heard the gospel from Christians in their respective villages. Though afraid of the police and knowing that conversion could cause much trouble for them, they attended a worship service and prayed with the pastor to accept Christ as Lord. Read More.

  • Dec. 22, 2022 | Nigeria

    Trauma Ministry Impacts Widows

    [204] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Tina.
    Tina and one of her daughters

    Front-line workers are providing trauma services in regions of Africa where militant Islamists regularly attack Christians. According to one front-line worker and a trained counselor in Africa, traumatized people often live in a state of hypervigilance where even small cues can trigger significant "fight or flight" responses, such as panic attacks. Read More.

  • Dec. 22, 2022 | Turkey

    16-Year-Old Beaten for Wearing a Cross

    [168] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Attacked teen.
    The young man had a front tooth smashed and replaced with a partial denture.

    Türkiye (Turkey) hosts the largest number of refugees in the world, around 4 million, mainly from Syria and also from Iraq and Iran. Numerous churches in Türkiye minister to these refugees, one of which reported that a teenager from a family of Christian converts was recently assaulted. Read More.

  • Dec. 22, 2022 | Benin

    Shaman Regularly Interrupts Church Services

    [172] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Harassed Christians.
    A village in Benin

    Benin is the birthplace of voodoo, and witchcraft is deeply ingrained in local culture. Many Beninese view Christianity as a threat to their traditional beliefs. One Christian church has been targeted by a fetish priest intent on disrupting the church's worship services. Read More.

  • Dec. 15, 2022 | India

    Pastor in Chains After Being Taken "for Questioning"

    [232] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Pastor Sawan.
    Pastor Sawan was chained to a hospital bed while he was sick.

    Pastor Sawan leads a church in western India. During a service, police entered the church building with members of the radical Hindu group Bajrang Dal, removing Pastor Sawan and an elder of the church "for questioning." Read More.

  • Dec. 15, 2022 | Afghanistan

    Afghan Christians Need Protection, Provision

    [172] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Front-line workers.

    Front-line workers request prayers for Afghan Christians living in the country and for those who have fled to neighboring countries for protection. "The crisis in Afghanistan is not over," said one Afghan Christian leader recently. Read More.

  • Dec. 15, 2022 | Mozambique

    Christians Attacked in Nampula

    [162] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Attacked Christians.
    An example of buildings recently destroyed by militant Islamists in Mozambique.

    Attacks by militant Islamic extremists continue in northern Mozambique. On September 6, 2022, militants attacked two districts in Nampula Provence, beheading six Christians and shooting to death an 83-year-old Italian nun who had served as a missionary in the area since 1963. Read More.

  • Dec. 08, 2022 | Congo, Democratic Republic of the

    Christians Poisoned, Threatened

    [246] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Luuando Yombo.
    Luundo Yomba's husband and relatives were poisoned

    Luuando Yombo's husband was an elder in their church in the Ubwari Peninsula in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Her mother and brother also served at the church in an area with a large Muslim population. In 2021, Muslim neighbors provided food for church members. After eating the food, the church members grew ill and believed the food had been intentionally poisoned. Read More.

  • Dec. 08, 2022 | India

    Nine Christians Detained for Attending Thanksgiving Service

    [159] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Christians in Legal Trouble.

    A group of believers met for a service of thanksgiving after a significant healing, some of them traveling more than 200 kilometers [124 miles] to attend the service in Madhya Pradesh. Local members of a Hindu radical group noticed the assembly. Read More.

  • Dec. 08, 2022 | Lebanon

    Economic Crisis Impacts Ministry Efforts

    [146] prayers in [12] nations have been posted for Front-line workers.
    A Woman Receiving an Aid Pack in Lebanon

    In August 2020, a massive fertilizer explosion in Lebanon's capital, Beirut, killed more than 200 people, rendered 300,000 homeless, and caused 15 billion dollars in damage. In 2019, the government defaulted on its debt and many banks collapsed; today, utilities are regularly cut off and rents are rising. Read More.

  • Dec. 01, 2022 | India

    Pastor Jailed on False Charges

    [209] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Pastor Jawahar.
    Pastor Jawahar and his wife

    On Dec. 26, Pastor Jawahar was sitting in his home in western India, talking with members of his church, when Hindu fanatics-including police officers-burst in, accusing the Christians of trying to convert Hindus by fraud. Read More.

  • Dec. 01, 2022 | China

    Jailed Ministers Missing Since Arrest

    [154] prayers in [12] nations have been posted for Lian Changnian, Lian Xuliang, Fu Juan.

    On Aug. 17, police arrested six adults and one child from the Xi'an Church of Abundance, aggressively searched their homes, and interrogated them at the police station before sending them home. The next day, the six adults were rearrested and charged with illegal gathering and illegal fundraising. Read More.

  • Dec. 01, 2022 | Cote d'Ivoire

    Christians Stripped, Churches Destroyed

    [173] prayers in [12] nations have been posted for Christians in Grahipla.
    One of the churches destroyed on July 31, 2022

    Followers of local animist traditions in the village of Grahipla had planned an initiation ceremony on July 31, 2022, and told Christians not to worship that day. Local Christians decided the threat would not stop them. But on that day, animist initiates attacked five churches, three of which were holding services. Read More.

  • Nov. 24, 2022 | Ethiopia

    Church Rebuilt after Attack

    [192] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Isayas and other church members.
    One of the Many Ethiopian Christian Homes, Businesses, and Churches Destroyed in Recent Years

    Two years ago, extremist Muslims launched attacks on Christians in the community where Isayas lives. They torched Christians' crops, homes and possessions and destroyed the church where Isayas and others worshiped Christ. The Christians fled the area but later returned and bought land on which to rebuild their church. Read More.

  • Nov. 24, 2022 | Laos

    Sister Flees, Finds Refuge and Hope

    [155] prayers in [12] nations have been posted for Rung.

    When 18-year-old Rung and her brother left their village to find work, they were employed by a Christian family whose example won Rung and her brother to the Lord. After they returned to the village, their mother became ill, which was blamed on their Christian faith. Read More.

  • Nov. 24, 2022 | Nepal

    Believing Wife Beaten, Burned for Church Attendance

    [178] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Gita.
    Gita's husband destroyed her hymn book when he couldn't find her Bible.

    Gita has believed in Jesus since she was 11, but her parents gave her in marriage to a Hindu man 20 years her senior. She is an active member of a local church despite her husband's opposition. Twice he has destroyed the Bibles given to her by the church, and he has beaten her many times for attending church. Read More.

  • Nov. 17, 2022 | India

    Pastor and Son Ambushed in the Jungle

    [212] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Pastor Nahtiya and son.
    Pastor Nahtiya (left) and the two men injured in the attack

    Pastor Nahtiya, his son and other church members had worshiped together and were walking home through the jungle when they were ambushed by Hindu radicals throwing stones at them. Some were able to break away only to be attacked again by villagers wielding axes, sticks and other tools. Read More.

  • Nov. 17, 2022 | Nigeria

    Pastor Martyred by Islamists

    [161] prayers in [11] nations have been posted for Pastor Ibrahim's family.

    In recent years, Fulani militants have been attacking Christian areas of northern Nigeria, regularly kidnapping, injuring, and killing thousands of people. To protect their town, Pastor Ibrahim Isa and a group of men guarded it throughout the night. Read More.

  • Nov. 17, 2022 | Iran

    Christian Wounded, Churches Unable to Meet Amid Civil Unrest

    [157] prayers in [11] nations have been posted for Iranian believers.
    Christians in Iran often gather for online worship services.

    Protests erupted across Iran following the recent death of a 22-year-old woman in police custody. The Iranian government has responded to the demonstrations with force and brutality. When soldiers shot at a group of protesters and hit a passing bus, an Iranian Christian was wounded. Read More.

  • Nov. 10, 2022 | Middle East

    Martyr's Widow Seeks Favor with Government

    [253] prayers in [19] nations have been posted for Pauline Ayyad and family.
    Pauline Ayyad

    Rami Ayyad, who operated the only Christian bookstore in Gaza City, was abducted and brutally murdered by Islamic extremists in 2007. At the time, his wife Pauline was pregnant with their third child. Not long after Rami was killed, Pauline and her children left Gaza and sought safety in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. Read More.

  • Nov. 10, 2022 | Central Asia

    Schoolteacher Fired After Placing Faith in Christ

    [191] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Ali.

    Ali is a schoolteacher in Central Asia. He became a Christian recently, and he was excited to share the good news with one of his colleagues. Read More.

  • Nov. 10, 2022 | Nepal

    Christian Woman Kept at Home by Relatives Opposed to Christianity

    [180] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Sita.

    Sita is a 65-year-old woman and the only believer in her family. She was an active member of the church, but three years ago, her son married a woman who is aggressively opposed to Christianity. Read More.

  • Nov. 03, 2022 | India

    Family Home Burned by Hindu Radicals

    [266] prayers in [19] nations have been posted for Lalu village family.
    A family stands in the remains of their burned home.

    A large family in Lalu village, Madhya Pradesh, India all became Christians about 15 years ago. One Sunday in February, while the whole family was at an early church service, a neighbor ran in to report that their house was burning. Read More.

  • Nov. 03, 2022 | Cote d'Ivoire

    Muslim Fathers Reject Their Christian Children

    [210] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Yacouba and Flora.
    Flora outside her home

    Two Christians were rejected because of their faith. Yacouba was hit by a car and paralyzed. He followed Christ after Christians in his village prayed for him and he was healed. Yacouba's father then wanted to kill him, so he fled to a local church. Read More.

  • Nov. 03, 2022 | Afghanistan

    In Hiding from the Taliban

    [210] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Ali.

    Ali rejected Islam and had been searching for the one true God since he was 15. A friend provided him with a Bible, and through God's Word, Ali found what he was looking for: "I don't know very much about Jesus, but I enjoy His presence every day, and I won't give Him up for anything in the world!" Read More.

  • Oct. 27, 2022 | Nigeria

    Evangelist Badly Injured in Attack

    [227] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Rev. Adamu Ardo.
    Rev. Adamu and His Family

    On March 17, 2018, Rev. Adamu Ardo was on an evangelistic outreach when a group of young Muslim men broke into the house where he was staying and attacked him and a Muslim friend. Read More.

  • Oct. 27, 2022 | Lebanon

    Church Planter Questioned by Authorities

    [155] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Pastor Bassam.
    Aid distribution in Lebanon

    More than one million refugees have flooded into Lebanon because of the civil war raging in neighboring Syria. Pastor Bassam recently opened a new church near the Syrian border to minister to refugees and others in that region. Read More.

  • Oct. 27, 2022 | India

    Christians in Gujarat Receive Warning After Prayer Meeting

    [154] prayers in [14] nations have been posted for Christians in India.

    In Gujarat, India, an unfamiliar man stopped a group of Christians walking home from a prayer fellowship meeting at a fellow Christian woman's house. Read More.

  • Oct. 20, 2022 | Niger

    From Muslim Shaman to Evangelist

    [223] prayers in [17] nations have been posted for Idrissa.
    Idrissa being baptized.

    Idrissa had mastered the mystical arts of his region. He regularly mixed occultic enchantments with Muslim traditions to cast spells upon people. But when a Christian evangelist visited his town and Idrissa tried to cast an evil spell on the minister, it had no effect. Read More.

  • Oct. 20, 2022 | Central Asia

    Christian Man Loses Livelihood for Faith

    [165] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Brother Ismail.

    Brother Ismail was fired from his well-paid job when his employer discovered his faith in Jesus. Read More.

  • Oct. 20, 2022 | India

    Pastor Sent Home to Die After Severe Beating

    [195] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Pastor Rajan.

    Pastor Rajan is an impoverished day laborer with three children, ages 2, 7 and 13. He also pastors four house churches. During a church service at his father's house, local members of Hindu nationalist groups burst in and beat him severely. Read More.

  • Oct. 13, 2022 | Nepal

    Elder Assaulted, Church Displaced Due to Hindu Opposition

    [206] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Purna Maharjan.
    A shouting Hindu man threw mud in Elder Purna's face.

    A local church met on their leased property recently when an angry Hindu man interrupted, ordering the congregation to stop their Christian activities. He then dragged one of the elders out and hit him in the face with a fistful of mud. Read More.

  • Oct. 13, 2022 | Nigeria

    Christian Widows Helped by Global Body of Christ

    [164] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Grace and Saratu.
    Grace and Her Children

    Front-line workers are ministering to many Christian women in Nigeria who lost their husbands in attacks by Islamists in recent years. Grace was five months pregnant and had two other children when militant Fulani Muslims attacked her community, shooting indiscriminately and killing her husband, Musa, as he walked to work. Read More.

  • Oct. 13, 2022 | Iran

    Lives Changed Through Online Ministries

    [157] prayers in [13] nations have been posted for Christians taking online courses.
    A Woman in Iran

    Internet conferencing services are powerful tools for front-line workers to reach and train Christians in restricted countries. One web-based course offered live lessons focused on spiritual healing. The class profoundly impacted one Iranian woman: "The lesson examined Bible verses on forgiveness. We also discussed the power of unforgiveness on our emotions," she said. Read More.

  • Oct. 06, 2022 | India

    Woman Shot by Brother-in-Law for Refusing to Renounce Faith

    [243] prayers in [18] nations have been posted for Mata Devi.
    Mamta Devi with her son

    Mamta Devi has faithfully followed Jesus for three years. Since her conversion, she has faced opposition from her family members and neighbors. She lives with her husband and his parents and brothers. Read More.

  • Oct. 06, 2022 | Laos

    Christian Teens Remain Firm Despite Family Pressure

    [177] prayers in [16] nations have been posted for Ton and Tan.
    Ton and Tan

    Since accepting Christ, Ton, age 17, and Tan, 15, have been harassed for their decision by their mother and older siblings. Their mother and the rest of the family are aggressively pressuring the girls to travel to Vientiane to prostitute themselves and send the money back to the family. Read More.

  • Oct. 06, 2022 | Burkina Faso

    New Believer Feared Kidnapped and Forced into Marriage

    [176] prayers in [15] nations have been posted for Assetou.

    Assetou became a Christian while training to become a hairdresser. When she completed her training, she returned home, and her parents, who practice an animistic, traditional religion, were unhappy with her new faith. Read More.