articles

Pray for the top 5

“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.”

In 2008 millions of Christians face persecution because of their faith in Christ. This article highlights the 5 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, arranged in order of severity. Some face physical violence and death; others contend with unjust imprisonment, denial of religious liberties such as the rights to worship and share one’s faith, and discrimination in employment and education.

These facts should encourage prayerful action on behalf of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Christians facing persecution are strengthened by knowing they have not been forgotten or forsaken by the family of God. This article aims to encourage consistent prayer for God’s people in these 5 countries so that they can echo the words of the Apostle Paul two thousand years ago:

“What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us—he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus’ sake, which makes Jesus’ life all the more evident in us.”

1) North Korea
For the sixth year running this is the most difficult country in the world in which to be a Christian. The government isolates the
population from the wider world. Christians face brutal persecution and may be beaten, arrested, tortured, or killed. There are up to 500,000 believers; at least a quarter are imprisoned in prison camps. Some join other North Koreans in taking enormous risks to flee to China, but police in both countries often arrest refugees and those helping them.

Prayer
Ask God to strengthen His people and surround them with His love and peace.
Believers long to reopen the churches and worship God in freedom. Pray that God would move in power and set the prisoners free.
As Open Doors campaigns for China to respect the rights of refugees, pray for a positive response.

2) Saudi Arabia
With a legal system based on a strict interpretation of Shariah law, citizens are denied the freedom to choose or change their religion. Apostasy (conversion to another religion) is punishable by death. Public non-Muslim worship is prohibited. Non-Muslim worshippers
who engage in such activities risk arrest, imprisonment, lashing, deportation, and sometimes torture. There are very few Saudi believers; nearly all Christians here are expatriate workers — several were arrested in 2007.

Prayer
Pray for the witness of the informal expatriate house churches.
Pray for Saudi Arabian secret believers who are cut off from other Christians.
There is a need for Christian literature in Arabic and other languages. Pray that these would become available.

3) Iran
International tension over Iran’s nuclear programme is still high. Armenian and Assyrian Christians are recognised religious minorities guaranteed religious freedom, but many believers report imprisonment, harassment, and discrimination. They must not share their faith with Muslims. Many church services are monitored by the secret police. In 2007 Muslim-background believers and house church leaders were arrested for conducting
religious activities in their own homes.

Prayer
Pray for Muslim-background believers who often lack the resources they need to grow in faith. Many face the death penalty for embracing Christianity.
Pray that God would strengthen the faith of those who have been arrested and interrogated.
Pray for the impact of Christian communications through satellite television and the internet.

4) Maldives
There are very few believers in the country, which is one of the least evangelised on earth. Made up of a chain of nearly 1,200 islands in the Indian Ocean, Islam is considered an important tool in strengthening government power and national identity. It is prohibited to practise any other religion. Converts to Christianity
could lose their citizenship. Foreigners are allowed to practise their religion in private if they don’t encourage citizens to participate, but no churches can be opened.

Prayer
Pray for the handful of indigenous believers who live out their faith in complete secrecy. They face many pressures from the society around them.
Bibles and Christian materials cannot be imported. Pray that God’s Word would be heard in the country.
Pray that God would reveal himself in miraculous ways in the Maldives and establish His Church there.

5) Bhutan
Officially, the Christian faith does not exist and Christians are not allowed to gather for worship, not even with other families. Building churches is forbidden and visas are denied for religious workers. Only Buddhist religious texts are permitted within the country. Yet the Church is growing steadily and many are being baptised in secret, despite pressure from family, community, and Buddhist monks to reconvert and attend Buddhist festivals. It is
estimated there may be 13,000 Bhutanese Christians.

Prayer
Pray for courage for the believers who face discrimination at school and in the workplace.
Pray that new believers would remain strong despite pressure from their family to reconvert.
With the first democratic elections in 2008, pray that these will bring new opportunities to share the Good News in a spiritually dark place.