Somalia (MNN) ? As if in answer to the capture of 300 Al-Shabaab members last month in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, the attacks on civilians have gotten more extreme and more public.

Thank you all for praying for this weeks prayer requests, even though it is Black Friday and most people are shopping to their hearts content. I'm thankful that you have remembered the persecuted church today and would ask that you would share these requests with your praying friends.

This year as we contemplate all of the blessings that the Lord has given us, I would like to just remind you of the awesome goodness of who Jesus is. As Christians, we rejoice that we have a real living God and King and we know that all who desire to truly live a godly life in Christ Jesus, will be persecuted. That's a promise in scripture that may not be a touchy feely promise, but honestly, it is a promise and we see it daily here on the blog.

We have shared numerous times about the plight of Pastor Benham Irani who is suffering for his faith in Christ, while in an Iranian prison and today I wanted to just remind you about him and ask you to write a letter and pray for him and his family.

A few days ago we posted on our The Voice of the Martyrs You Tube page a lengthy interview with a former Muslim who came to Christ. I want to encourage you to take time to watch this video and hear a powerful testimony of how Christ came into the heart of this Muslim and now how he is standing firm for Jesus Christ having lost so much.

Yesterday Todd Nettleton, who is the Director of Media Development for The Voice of the Martyrs, appeared on In the Market with Janet Parshall to discuss the latest news with the persecuted church.

Good news for Rimsha Masih today as it's being reported by CBN News that she has been acquitted of blasphemy charges after a Muslim cleric accused her of burning the Islamic holy book. In which the cleric was later accused of fabricating evidence.

The Coptic Patriarch is a highly-respected spiritual leader of about 8 million Coptic Christians living in Egypt. His role is significant for Christians seeking to cope with religious and social discrimination as the Islamist-majority parliament drafts a new Egyptian constitution.

Nigeria (MNN) ? A decade ago, Christians in Nigeria worried about persecution on an annual basis, says Voice of the Martyrs USA. But in 2012, they're being attacked nearly every week. Even the simple act of attending church on a Sunday puts a believer at risk.

Here it is almost Thanksgiving, which means that we're all thinking about the nice delicious turkey and gravy and mashed potatoes we're all going to eat this week. This is also the time of year where we all focus on what we're thankful for. I'm seeing friends on Facebook and Twitter doing a countdown and saying something every day they are thankful for, which is a wonderful thing, because it means that the focus is on what is good and lovely, just as we're taught to focus in Scripture.