As you all know by now every week I share prayer requests that VOM sends to those who sign up for them. This week we have a lot to pray for, and especially on my heart personally, is prayer for those parents who lost their daughters this past week.
This is from VOM Canada's prayer alert...
Please pray for the families who are grieving the terrible loss of these young girls. Pray that the Lord will surround them with comfort and emotional healing. Pray that the pain the people are experiencing will not turn into increased violence again in Central Sulawesi. Pray also for physical and emotional healing for Noviana who is recovering from serious facial wounds. Finally, remember to pray that the perpetrators of the crime will be brought to justice and that they will know and respond to the love of Christ.
This prayer request focuses on a former Muslim who converted to Christ, and is now being persecuted.
Nigerian Cattleman Tortured for His Conversion Sardauna Anaruwa Sashi, once a devout Muslim, became a faithful follower of Christ earlier this year. Having learned of his conversion the police apprehended him on September 21. According to an October 31 report by Compass Direct, during four days of detention, the thirty year old resident of Paiko was severely tortured. He claims that at one point police beat him with their batons and almost killed him. It was only through the intervention of his pastor and a lawyer from his church that he was released. He is no longer allowed to care for the cattle of the Muslims he was working for since he has become an "infidel" in their eyes. Besides the loss of income he faces, Sashi's pastor has said that the Muslims will also never abandon their resolve to kill him. Sashi has reportedly received death threats since his release. While he fears for his life and the lives of his wife and relatives that have also turned to Christ, he testifies that he will never recant. Paiko is located in Niger state, one of Nigeria's northern states where sharia has been imposed. Pray that Sashi will continue to be strengthened in his walk with the Lord. Pray that his wife and family members will remain true to the Lord as well. Pray that he will have sufficient income to meet his needs. Pray also that the Lord will work to remove the resolve in the
Muslims' hearts to see Sashi killed. Pray that Sashi's testimony will be
such that his persecuters will come to Christ.
And another extremely important prayer request. This one particularily breaks my heart...
Suspect Flees Court in Pakistan On September 2, a 22-year-old Catholic woman, Ribqa Masih, from the village of Chak 86 was kidnapped, drugged and repeatedly violated over a period of several days. She was told that if she did not convert to Islam, she and her family would be killed. Two men have been implicated in the crime. On October 24, one of the suspects, Muhammad Kashif, was denied bail in a courtroom in Faisalabad. He immediately fled the courthouse. According to an October 28 report by Compass Direct, eyewitnesses said that the six police who were standing guard at building did nothing to stop him. Despite what appears to be police cooperation with the suspects, the Masih family and their lawyer are determined to seek justice for Ribqa. Please remember Ribqa as she agonizes over the incidents of her days in captivity. Pray that she will know full physical and emotional healing. Pray that the legal system will honour the need for justice in her case. Pray that the men will understand the depth of their need for God's forgiveness for their crime. Pray for courage and peace for Ribqa and her lawyer as they have received threatening telephone calls from Kashif since his escape.
Please pray and remember God can do all things.
