Two of my friends recently attended a conference to learn about outreach ministry to Muslim women. They had the opportunity to visit a local mosque. They did not participate in the prayers, but they were still welcomed by the Muslim women. My friend shared with me that the hospitality the Muslim women displayed astonished and humbled her. She didn’t expect to be welcomed at all, but instead, the women warmly greeted her, asked questions about her life and her family, and demonstrated an openness that went beyond her expectations.

At least 17 people were killed April 11 in Aleppo, Syria, when rebels from al-Nusra Front launched missiles into a Christian neighborhood.

Local authorities in Chiapas, Mexico, recently issued an official warning to Pastor Antonio Cruz Rodas, ordering him to stop evangelizing in the area. Pastor Rodas has also received death threats.

Today marks the beginning of Lent, celebrated by many Christian traditions around the world. The Lent celebration is a reference to the 40 days Jesus spent fasting and facing temptations by Satan in the wilderness. Traditionally, it is a time which Christians devote to prayer in order to draw closer to God in the days leading up to Easter. Here are 40 ways you can pray for your persecuted brothers and sisters:

Many American churches have abandoned the practice of "Prayer Meetings," weekly gatherings of believers to seek the Lord and lift up the needs of their congregation and the world. But prayer meetings to lift up persecuted Christians are still happening every week among believers from all over the world—online.

I am not an alarmist, nor am I a prophet. But as I listen to and read a cross-section of materials emanating from the Western (primarily American) church I am aware that there are those who recognize a trend toward the persecution of Christians in the West. The form of the persecution will be different perhaps than other parts of the world. At some point it may converge with global persecution and take on more violent forms.

The Muslim world is in the midst of celebrating Ramadan, the most holy time on the Islamic calendar. For Christians this is a strategic time to pray for Muslims around the world to come to know Jesus Christ in a personal way.

With this month's newsletter VOM invited readers to adopt a front-line worker by agreeing to pray regularly for that person for a minimum of one year. (If you didn't receive the newsletter, you can sign up for a worker here.)