Every week we focus on how you can pray for the persecuted church. We often share with you a prayer request almost on a daily basis. Our The Voice of the Martyrs phone app is designed specifically to encourage you to pray for someone or a country daily. We post prayers every Friday for you to pray. We also share on our Persecution Podcast how you can pray for specific issues, so today I wanted to share with you an article about prayer that will encourage you in your prayer life.

Pakistan—Son of Blasphemy Law Opponent KidnappedLos Angeles TimesMicah 6:8The 28-year-old son of murdered Punjab governor Salman Taseer was kidnapped Aug. 26. Authorities have no suspects, and no ransom demands had been made by Shahbaz Taseer’s kidnappers. Governor Taseer was assassinated in retaliation for his opposition to Pakistan’s blasphemy law, which was used to convict Christian Asia Bibi of blasphemy against Islam. Bibi was sentenced to death for this crime. Taseer had called for Asia’s release before his death at the hands of his personal bodyguard, who said he acted in defense of Islam. This month, The Voice of the Martyrs intends to present UN and Pakistani officials with a petition signed by thousands of VOM readers calling for Asia’s release. Pray that God will use the “Call for Mercy” petition to help release Asia from jail and amend the blasphemy laws which are so often used against Christians in Pakistan.Iran—Pastor Freed on Bail; Others Remain in PrisonVOM ContactsIsaiah 26:1–3A pastor arrested and charged with blasphemy against Islam was released on bail on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2011. Pastor Matthias Haghnejad was arrested Aug. 17 while making a pastoral visit in the city of Rasht, Iran. He was held until his family paid $30,000 in bail. Pastor Matthias is free, but he still faces a trial on the blasphemy charge. Matthias and 10 other church members were detained earlier this year and charged for activities against the Iranian order. They were later acquitted. At least eight other Iranian Christian leaders are currently in prison. Ask the Lord for Pastor Matthias to be fully acquitted of the charges. Pray also for Youcef Nardarkhani, another imprisoned pastor, and for all Iranian Christians, who have faced increased pressure from the government since December.Kazakhstan—Christian Expelled, Another Fined for Unregistered ChurchForum 18 NewsMatthew 18:20A Christian man who is a Russian citizen but was a legal resident of Kazakhstan for 15 years was expelled from the country for his Christian activity, while the leader of a tiny church in western Kazakhstan was fined for unregistered religious activity. Because of his preaching at the Grace-Light of Love Church, an officially registered religious organization, Leonid Pan’s residency permit was not renewed by immigration officials in August. Pan is married to a Kazak citizen and has a two-year-old daughter from the marriage. His official notification said that Pan gave false information on his visa application regarding his church involvement. Meanwhile, a court gave a fine equivalent to $500 to Gennady Tsyba, a member of an unregistered Baptist church. The judge reportedly said he was forced to apply the law, which prescribes punishment for members of unregistered communities. Tsyba argues he can’t be considered a religious organization, since the church consists of four people.

Pastor Vahik Abrahamian, a 45-year-old Armenian Christian in the Republic of Iran, was reunited with his family after being released from prison on Monday morning, Aug. 29, 2011. According to reports obtained by Farsi Christian News Network (FCNN), Abrahamian’s health was severely damaged by the prison’s hygiene conditions, and his friends and family are concerned.

After serving two years in Chinese labor camps Labor Camp, five leaders of the Linfen house church have been released: Fao Fuqin, Zhao Guoai, Yang Caizhen, Yang Hongzhen and Li Shuangpin. Although each person experienced physical and psychological torment, they all feel strong, experiencing “glory in the midst of trials and tribulations,” reported ChinaAid Association.

A number of weeks ago we shared with you that The Voice of the Martyrs has a new website set up, in support of Asia Bibi. If you have yet to sign the petition for Asia Bibi at our A Called for Mercy website, please click on over and add your name today.

Yusuf Abdalla, 23, fled to Moshi, mainland Tanzania, after his family threatened to kill him in June. Having converted to Christianity in October 2010 after hearing the gospel on the radio, he was enrolled at a vocational school in Zanzibar city to learn tailoring when his family found out in March that he had left Islam. The beating he then received from family members left him with injuries to his head, hand and torso, as well as a serious mouth wound and substantial loss of blood, said an area pastor who requested anonymity. “The family then took back the tailoring machine which they had bought him,” the pastor said. “They also vowed not to support his training.” As soon as he had recovered enough to leave, Abdalla found refuge on the premises of the pastor’s church before staying at his home on May 5. Within two months, reports had reached Abdalla’s family that he was staying at the pastor’s house, and on June 10 they threatened to kill him, the pastor said. The church arranged for his escape to Moshi. Another convert from Islam, Juma Suleiman of Chake-Chake on the neighboring island of Pemba, is also facing death threats. Suleiman became a Christian just two months ago when Tanzania Assemblies of God pastor Yohana Mfundo preached to him while he was in prison, Mfundo said. Suleiman was released a little over two weeks ago, and family members have already threatened to kill him. He is now in hiding and plans to flee the island.

Last week we asked you to take the time to write Ilmurad Nurliev, who has been in prison over 370 days, and I am very happy to tell you that 8 more letters were written!!! Praise the Lord for your faithfulness to act!! A big thank you to all of you who did write! Thank you, thank you, thank YOU! The week before we had 7 letters written and this past week we beat that record by ONE. One more letter written to a prisoner can make a huge difference!

As Linh Dao and her mother approached the prison, she knew what she would do. But she would have to make it look impetuous, like the act of a young girl overcome by emotion.

Have you ever tried putting the toothpaste back into the tube? I tried it once in a middle school Bible study. Some of us thought we knew how to get the paste back –squeeze a little of the tube, suck in the paste, shove it to the bottom of the tube and repeat. It might be practical in theory, but it just didn’t work. It ended up everywhere, a greater mess than anything. It was between our fingers and on our clothes. Before we knew it, everything was sticky and smelled oddly like mint. I never put much thought into that experience —trying to put the toothpaste back into the tube. Until now… I have always known about the persecuted church. I grew up reading The Voice of the Martyrs newsletter. Actually my mom read it; I spent hours fascinated by the photographs. Mom always saved them and put them in a basket next to the couch. If someone grabs something to read, they usually find a VOM newsletter. I always thought VOM was a great organization with a great mission, but something happened this summer. The persecuted church changed from something I was aware of, into part of my identity. I feel hopeless — but forget the negative connotation. It is more like I’m “hopelessly in love.” I can’t explain how it happened, but I turned into a tube of toothpaste. My spirit pours out a love for my persecuted brothers and sisters. There is no way to put it back in without making a mess. I pray that you experience this change from awareness to identity — if you haven’t already. This change makes you love someone you may never meet. You desire to care for persecuted Christians and to share their testimonies with others. Toothpaste has a purpose. It cleans teeth and it freshens breath, thank goodness. My passion and love for persecuted Christians has a reason for too. I will write, I will speak and I will inspire others. My internship at VOM has come to a close, but my support for the persecuted church never will. “Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body,” Hebrews 13:3

Turkey (MNN) ? In the last days of August, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Turkey would relinquish all properties or current property values to Christians and Jews who had had land confiscated 75 years ago.