VOM-USA Prayer Update for March 12, 2009
NIGERIA – Christians Killed, Homes Burned and Believers Displaced – VOM Sources
Numerous Christians were killed and more than 500 were displaced during violence against believers in Bauchi state, Nigeria, according to The Voice of the Martyrs contacts. Following Christians’ disapproval of Muslims’ using their church grounds for Islamic Friday prayers, Muslims set fire to their own mosque on Feb. 21, and blamed Christians. Muslims attacked Christians with guns, double-edged daggers and sticks and burned their homes. Pray for injured believers and for displaced Christians currently living in a school. Ask God to encourage them, and believe He will provide for their needs as most have lost all their possessions.
Read Psalm 91 for inspiration.
VIETNAM – Christian Worker Killed – VOM Sources
A Christian woman was killed by her son in North Vietnam following an argument about her belief in Christ, according to VOM sources. The mother accepted Christ, but the son who was not a Christian disapproved of his mother becoming a Christian. Recently, the conflict between mother and son developed into a big fight; and the son killed the mother. Pray for believers in North Vietnam concerned for their safety because of this incident. Pray for this family as they deal with the loss of their mother. Ask God to give the family strength to forgive the young man who killed his mother.
Read Romans 8:34-39 for inspiration.
INDIA – Christian Persecution Continues – VOM Sources
* CHHATTISGARH – On Jan. 5, police arrested 10 Christians, including Shankar Sona, an associate pastor, on charges of defiling a Hindu temple under Section 295 of the Indian Penal Code. On Christmas day, Bastar for Christ Church held a picnic attended by 150 Christians in Dendewada district. They left behind some food and plates on the picnic grounds and Hindu extremists collected these items and piled them inside a small Hindu temple and took photographs as evidence of defilement. They later lodged a complaint at a police station. The pastors were released on bail the same day.
* ORISSA – VOM contacts report that children in Kandhamal district will lose a year of school due to attacks against Christians in that district by Hindu extremists in August 2008. The attacks also destroyed education certificates and diplomas that believers need in order to either further their education or obtain jobs.
Pray for persecuted believers in India. Ask God to give them strength to forgive their persecutors, for the Lord to encourage and protect them.
Read 2 Thessalonians 1:3-5 for inspiration.