VOM Prayer Update for Feb 3, 2012

"praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints" - Ephesians 6:18

VOM-USA Prayer Update for February 3, 2012
On Thu. Feb 02 2012 at 12:08 PM Moderator wrote:
Vietnam--Four Christian Prisoners Released on "Vietnam Day"
Sources: VOM Contacts, Human Rights Watch

Psalm 146:6-8

Who made heaven and earth,

The sea, and all that is in them;

Who keeps truth forever,

Who executes justice for the oppressed,

Who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners.

The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;

The Lord raises those who are bowed down;

The Lord loves the righteous.

Within the next few weeks, VOM will provide medical checkups and any necessary treatment to four recently released Christian prisoners. The four men, who had been serving sentences of nine to 10 years each, were among 10,244 prisoners released in celebration of Vietnam's National Day on Sept. 2, 2011. One prisoner who was not released was 65-year-old Father Nguyen Van Ly. Father Nguyen received an eight-year prison sentence in 2007 but was released in March 2010 on medical parole after suffering three strokes. One year later, the government insisted that Father Nguyen return to prison, and on July 25, 2011, he returned to complete the remaining five years. Father Nguyen requires ongoing treatment for his health problems, which include a brain tumor and carotid atherosclerosis. Thank God for the release of the four Christians, and pray for their successful return to church and family life. Pray also for Father Nguyen's release and health.

Colombia--FARC Impedes Evangelism in La Macarena
Source: VOM Contacts

Joshua 10:25

Then Joshua said to them, "Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage, for thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight."

Members of the leftist FARC guerrillas have prevented VOM evangelist "Rolo" from entering La Macarena region with items such as radios, Bibles and Christian books, as violence in the area increases. "Aside from closing churches, they are burning buses" that try to come to the region, a VOM worker in the region said. "There are other towns that have the same problem right now," our worker added. Please pray for believers in the region around La Macarena, that God will preserve their lives and give them courage.

Sudan--Evangelist Beaten and Arrested
Source: Compass Direct News

Psalm 121

I will lift up my eyes to the hills—

From whence comes my help?

My help comes from the Lord,

Who made heaven and earth.

He will not allow your foot to be moved;

He who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, He who keeps Israel

Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your keeper;

The Lord is your shade at your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day,

Nor the moon by night.

The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;

He shall preserve your soul.

The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in

From this time forth, and even forevermore.

Police beat and arrested a church leader in Khartoum recently, amid increasing harassment of Christians in Sudan following the 2011 secession of the largely Christian South Sudan. Evangelist James Kat of the Evangelical Church of Sudan was arrested Jan. 17 on charges of using church property as his home. He was released on bail the same day. In a Jan. 3 letter to leaders of the Sudanese Presbyterian Evangelical Church, Sudan's Ministry of Guidance and Religious Endowments threatened to arrest all pastors who carry out evangelistic activities and fail to provide contact information for church leaders. About 350,000 people, most of them Christians, fled to South Sudan after its secession, and Christianity is now regarded as a foreign religion in Sudan. Pray for the few remaining believers in the north.

VOM-USA Prayer Update for June 17, 2011

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2 Corinthians 12:9&version=NKJVOn Wed. Jun 15 2011 at 09:14 AM Moderator wrote:

INDONESIA -- Mob Attacks Mission Training School

VOM Sources

Psalm 34:14

A mission training school in Jonggol, West Java, Indonesia, was attacked by a Muslim mob after Friday prayers recently. The 84 attackers, who arrived on motorbikes, rushed into the school and searched each classroom and dorm room. They removed every picture of Jesus and told the school’s staff that the school must close. Thankfully, classes were not in session that day, and no students were on the premises. The mob was accompanied by several policemen and soldiers from a nearby military base. Neighbors also noticed that the attackers were not from the local community. The school was established in 1999 with the purpose of training evangelists to bless Indonesia, and it has always maintained a good relationship with its neighbors. Fearing a domino effect of future attacks, mission leaders said they will follow up on the case. They urged Indonesian Christians not to retaliate, but to remain calm and to pray. Pray that God will touch the hearts of the attackers, and pray for peace in Indonesia.

IRAN -- Christian Held in Solitary Confinement

Release International, Mohabat News

2 Corinthians 12:9

Friends and family of a Christian father of two are calling for clarification of his case more than five months after he was sent to Tehran’s notorious Evin prison. Farshid Fathi, 32, has endured months of solitary confinement even though no court orders or instructions have been issued in his case. Farshid was detained by government security officials on Dec. 26, 2011, during a series of raids on Christians’ homes in Tehran. He was later transferred to solitary confinement in the 209th wing of Evin prison. According to Mohabat News reports, interrogators have used psychological torture in attempts to force Farshid to reveal details of Christian contacts. His wife and two young children -- Rosana and Barbod -- have been allowed to speak to him only once a week. Farshid’s family was forced to sell his father-in-law’s home in order to survive financially, and they have not been able to pay the bail to secure his release. Pray that God will enable Farshid to withstand this ordeal and endure the torture. Pray for comfort and financial help for his family.

LAOS -- Missionary Charged with Human Trafficking

VOM Sources

2 Timothy 3:12

A missionary to youth in Laos was recently charged with human trafficking. After 24 young people were detained while traveling to a Christian training conference in May, Brother K, a conference leader, went to the police station to seek their release. He was then arrested and charged with human trafficking, an offense that carries a fine of up to $6,000 and from 5 to 50 years in prison. Brother K denied involvement in human trafficking and invited the officers to visit the conference center to see what the students were being taught. Taken aback by his boldness and concerned that the offense would become known as a persecution case, police released the 24 students but detained Brother K. After bail was set, Brother K bargained to reduce the amount, and they agreed on an amount equal to three months’ wages. The youth held their training session at a hastily convened new location. Thank God for his protection of the students and for the boldness of their leader. Pray that Christian youth in Laos will passionately share the gospel with their neighbors.

VOM-USA Prayer Update for June 3, 2011

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5–6

Algeria—Seven Churches Face Closure—Compass Direct News

Isaiah 37:14–17

And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD. Then Hezekiah prayed to the LORD, saying: “O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God.

Seven churches in Algeria’s Bejaia province received notices on May 22 that they face closure because they have not registered with the government. The churches were warned that if they do not comply, authorities could use force. The governor of Bejaia, one of 48 Algerian provinces, also sent a statement to the president of the Protestant Church of Algeria informing him that all churches in Bejaia are illegal because they have not registered. Although the Bejaia churches have submitted the required registration documents, the government has not responded to their applications. Despite this intimidation, Christians plan to continue their services. “We expect that we may encounter the police,” said a church leader. Leaders say that some Christians have expressed fear, while others have questions. The Bejaia churches have mobilized their congregations to pray. Pray with them for all the churches and Christians in Algeria. Ask God to intervene especially in the Bejaia situation.

Pakistan—Millions Attend Religious Festivals—VOM Sources

Isaiah 35:5

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,

And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

Many Pakistanis attend Muslim, Hindu and Sikh festivals throughout the year. Several of these religious festivals attract up to a million visitors, and some who attend the Muslim festivals consider their attendance the equivalent of a hajj pilgrimage, one of the basic requirements of Islam. VOM-supported evangelists all over Pakistan aggressively share the gospel with people like those attending the festivals. Although their work is perilous, they continue on “with the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the prayers of all the VOM friends,” one evangelist writes. “Our main target is to give the gospel and the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ to win souls for him, and we have done it very faithfully.” Please pray that God will open the eyes of those attending the religious festivals and they will come to know the good news of Jesus. Pray also for the VOM-supported evangelists.

Uzbekistan—No Progress for Uzbek Prisoner of Faith—VOM Canada

Isaiah 44:21

“ Remember these, O Jacob,

And Israel, for you are My servant;

I have formed you, you are My servant;

O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me!

Persecution against Christians in Uzbekistan increased last month — from raids to fines to literature confiscation — underscoring the need to remember the nation’s believers in prayer. Tohar Haydarov, 27, has been imprisoned since his arrest in March 2010 and is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence for the “illegal sale of narcotic or psychotropic substances in large quantities.” It is widely believed that the charges were fabricated as a means of punishing Tohar for his religious activity. At last report, he had appealed the prison sentence but there had been no indication of progress. Pray that comfort and peace will reign in Tohar as he suffers for his faith. Pray that he will be assured that he is not forgotten, but that he is loved and remembered by God and His people. Pray that the charges against Tohar will be dropped and that he will be released.