The Voice of the Martyrs USA: www.persecution.com
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.” Psalm 91:1–2
India—Pastor Attacked—Release International
Colossians 4:2
Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;
Pastor Hari Shankar Ninama, 65, was attacked by at least 10 men in Ambarunda village, Rajasthan, in northwest India. His attackers seized him while he was praying for a sick child in the village. The men, who accused him of forced conversions, stripped him and beat him with wooden clubs and their fists. They told him they would kill him if he continued his evangelism. Then they fled, leaving the pastor to walk naked to the nearest police station, five miles away. Fearing retaliatory attacks, Pastor Ninama’s family asked the police not to investigate the beating. Extremists have threatened to burn down his daughter’s house if the police prosecute. Pastor Ninama’s 40-member house church has not met since the attack, and Christians in the village fear more attacks. Attacks against pastors or church members have also occurred in five other Indian states so far this year. Thank God that Pastor Ninama wants to continue his ministry. Pray that God will use this event to strengthen the faith of the believers in Ambarunda.
Sudan—Islamists Suspected in Girl’s Abduction—Compass Direct News
Ephesians 6:18
…praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints…
Hiba Abdelfadil Anglo, the 15-year-old daughter of a Christian widow in northern Sudan, was kidnapped by suspected Islamic extremists in Khartoum eight months ago. The girl disappeared while returning from the Ministry of Education on June 27, 2010. Her mother, Ikhlas Anglo, a member of the Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church in Khartoum, said her daughter had gone to the education ministry office to get her transcripts for entry to secondary school. Two days after Hiba disappeared, her family received threatening telephone calls and text messages from the kidnappers demanding 1,500 Sudanese pounds ($560) for her return. Ikhlas and others say they believe the kidnappers are Muslim extremists who have targeted them because they are Christians. When Ikhlas tried to report her daughter’s abduction to police, they bluntly told her she must first leave Christianity for Islam. During this ordeal, Ikhlas also lost her job. Christians in northern Sudan fear what the future may hold for them after the Christian majority south secedes to become a new nation in July. Pray for the safe return of Hiba Abdelfadil Anglo, and ask God to take care of her family. Pray for Sudan as its leaders determine how to divide the country.
Afghanistan—Believer Remains in Afghan Prison—VOM Sources
Psalm 66:19
But certainly God has heard me;
He has attended to the voice of my prayer.
A pastor whose house was targeted by Hindu militants during anti-Christian violence in 2008 was recently found dead in Kandhamal, Orissa state, India. Police initially claimed that Pastor Saul Pradhan, 45, froze to death, but his relatives suspected murder. Officials have since detained two members of a radical Hindu group, Marda Pradhan and Baiju Mallick, in connection with his death. On the evening of Jan. 10, two Hindu men came to Pastor Pradhan’s house and asked him to come with them. The next day, Pastor Pradhan’s wife and a few villagers found his body lying near a pond in the jungle. His pants were torn, his mouth was bloody and his arms and legs looked twisted. Despite the battered state of Pradhan’s body, police claimed they had little reason to suspect foul play. The officials also claimed that there were no injury marks on Pastor Pradhan’s body. They refused to file a report of suspected murder and accused the pastor’s family members of “spreading rumors about murder in hopes of receiving compensation from the government” for the August 2008 attacks in the region. Praise God for Pastor Pradhan’s life and witness. Ask God to fill his loved ones with the peace that surpasses understanding in the midst of their grief. Pray that those responsible for Pastor Pradhan’s death will be brought to justice and will come to faith in Christ.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
VOM-USA Prayer Update for February 25, 2011
The Voice of the Martyrs USA: www.persecution.com
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Psalm 23:6
SRI LANKA—Pastors Attacked in Sri Lanka—VOM Canada
James 1:12
Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
Two pastors were attacked recently in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka. In early January, a pastor and his family discovered an intruder in their home in Galle district. The man shouted threats at the pastor and began to assault him. After hearing the screaming, the pastor’s elderly landlord arrived to help. The intruder then attacked the landlord before running away. Later, the pastor and his landlord lodged a complaint against the attacker with local police. The attacker was arrested, but he was later released with a severe warning after apologizing to the pastor and his landlord. On Jan. 23 in the city of Middeniya, Hambantota district, assailants broke the windows of an Assemblies of God church while the pastor and his family were inside. The pastor and his family were previously targeted in July 2008, when assailants set their house ablaze after threatening the pastor and his church. Pray that the witness of pastors and their families in Sri Lanka will draw unbelievers to Christ. Pray that these pastors will look forward to their crown of life in heaven as they persevere in these trials.
LAOS—Christian Widow Evicted by Son—VOM Sources
James 1:27
Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
A 50-year-old Christian widow was evicted from her son’s house recently because she refused to renounce her faith in Christ. The woman and her teenage daughter had lived with her son and his family in a mountain village for many years. The woman’s son is not a Christian, and he told his mother to renounce her faith in Jesus or he would kick her out of the house. When the woman refused, her son forced her and her daughter to leave. They had no possessions and nowhere to go, so they took cover from the chilly weather in the jungle at the edge of their village. Local Christians who learned of the women’s predicament came together to build them a small bamboo hut, but they still lack basic necessities. Thank the Lord for this woman’s faith. Pray that her faith will remain strong while she and her daughter endure this trial. Ask God to provide for her needs and to soften her son’s heart toward the Lord.
CUBA—Persecution Increases on Church Leaders—Christian Solidarity Worldwide
James 1:18
Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.
Pastors and Christian leaders in Cuba are reporting a shift in how the government treats Christians. The government appears to have moved away from higher profile forms of oppression, such as threatening to shut down or destroy churches, and is now focusing pressure on church leaders. Church leaders both within and outside of the Cuban Council of Churches (CCC) report receiving frequent visits from state security agents and Cuban Communist Party (CCP) officials. The CCC is an umbrella organization representing Protestant churches. These visits and meetings seem to have the intent of intimidating church leaders and making them aware that they are under close surveillance. Pray that church members will not be intimidated by government informants in their meetings. Pray that those under pressure will not yield to fear and that they will trust the Lord.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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