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Give thanks that Almighty God has knit together believers from every part of the world in communion and fellowship with one another and with Him, through Jesus Christ the Lord. Pray that Christians who suffer persecution, poverty and hunger will be an example to those believers who live in safer parts of the world, as well as being a powerful witness to all those around them. Ask that they will be further filled with the Holy Spirit, and that He will sustain them in their Christian faith, until we all meet as one great multitude that no man can number, “from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9).
The Lord Jesus Christ taught that the world will hate His people because it first hated Him (John 15:18-19). This hatred is the source of all anti-Christian persecution, which will continue until His return. Our Lord also taught that those who endure until the end will be saved (Matthew 24:13). Pray for our brothers and sisters, wherever they are, who bear the brunt of the world’s hatred. Pray that their faith will be preserved, and that each one will endure to the end.
Lord Jesus, we lift before You those who have been bereaved through their loved ones’ martyrdom. We thank You that You are the resurrection and the life and for Your assurance that whoever lives and believes in You will never die. Please grant that those who mourn will be comforted by the certain knowledge that their loved ones have been faithful and that the death of Your saints is precious in Your sight. Please inspire and encourage those who remain behind to stay faithful to their calling and to draw strength from the One who comforts those who mourn. (John 11:25)
Bishop Nason Baluku, a senior church leader in western Uganda, says that Barnabas Aid’s Opportunity Africa initiative is bringing “long-term food security” to hungry Christians. Barnabas has funded the planting of 900 acres of faster growing, disease-resilient cassava – a staple crop in the region. Nearly 14,000 households were supplied with cassava stem cuttings. “This project will transform people’s lives,” added Bishop Nason. Cassava growing is just one of our Opportunity Africa projects. Give thanks for this long-term provision of food, and pray for the project’s continued success.
In another Opportunity Africa project, 800 households in Uganda have been supplied with female goats. The goats reproduce quickly, and the young can be sold to give an income. The goat’s milk can also be used or sold. Each animal’s manure can be used as crop fertilisers, and the goats can also provide meat and skins. “God is a loving and faithful Father who remembers and cares for His people,” said Eryeza, a 62-year-old church leader who gives thanks that his new goat will provide an income for him and his family when he retires. Join our brother in praising God for His love and care.
Dozens of Christians have been slaughtered by Islamists in recent months in north-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In North Kivu, the worst-affected area, at least 84 were killed by fighters from Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP) in July and August. At least five more were killed in the neighbouring province of Ituri. Lift up in prayer the bereaved and traumatised, and ask that the Lord’s promises will be their comfort even amidst such terrible suffering (Psalm 119:50).
ISCAP fighters have waged violence in the DRC provinces of North Kivu and Ituri for several years. In August, however, two Christians were killed in an ISCAP attack on a village in the province of Tshopo. The terrorists also killed three soldiers and burned down more than 50 houses. The incident raises concerns that Islamist violence is spreading to new areas of the country. Pray that the Lord will restrain this evil.
The Islamist insurgency in Mozambique shows no signs of coming to an end. International security experts have reported that Islamic State (IS – also known as ISIS, ISIL, Daesh) has placed its affiliates in Mozambique and DRC under the leadership of an HQ in Somalia. Fighters are moving freely between conflict zones in northern Mozambique and north-eastern DRC. IS poses a threat to all people, Muslims included, but Christians are at particular risk. Ask the Lord to rescue His people from evildoers and protect them from the violent (Psalm 140:1).
Join us in giving thanks that Barnabas Aid was able to meet the needs of 1,000 Christian households in an impoverished area of Kenya after flash floods and mudslides had left them without food and shelter. We provided emergency assistance of maize flour, cooking oil, beans and soap. Praise God for His provision in time of urgent need.
Lord God and Heavenly Father, we pray for our brothers and sisters in North Korea who must keep their faith hidden from the authorities, and often even from their own families. We ask that the Holy Spirit will be with each one who must live in such dreadful circumstances, and that He will strengthen their faith and their trust in You. For those in prisons and labour camps, we ask that they will be helped to endure all manner of abuse and hardship until they are welcomed into glory, for we ask it in the Name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
There are believed to be 38 million Christians who attend churches affiliated to the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM), China’s official Protestant church. Many others attend unofficial congregations, sometimes called “house churches”. All face difficulties. Leaders in the TSPM can face pressure to teach what the authorities want them to. “House churches” could be raided and closed down, with members sometimes arrested. Pray for the millions of our Chinese brothers and sisters. Ask the Lord to give them great wisdom in how to live and serve Him (Proverbs 2:6).
“God has provided a way for us to be a blessing to our community,” says “Pani”, a mushroom farmer in South-East Asia. “We hope to be an even bigger blessing in the future.” His is among more than 80 families for whom Barnabas has funded training to start small oyster mushroom farms. Praise God that this project is enabling Christians to earn a safe and sustainable living, and that they no longer have to risk eating wild poisonous mushrooms. Pray for more families to benefit from such training and to set up viable businesses.
“The women’s sewing project really helps reduce the risk of young Christian girls being sucked into a dark world of trafficking.” A Barnabas partner in South-East Asia emphasises how vital the acquisition of such skills is. At the time of writing, 68 women are receiving training in sewing and weaving. At centres where they receive daily Christian ministry, they are equipped with sewing machines with the aim of them setting up their own businesses on completion of their training. Give thanks for the lives of young Christian women being transformed by this venture and pray for the continued success and growth of this project.
A pastor in northern Laos paid the ultimate price for his faith when he was shot and killed in his own home. Pastor Thongkham Philavanh was chairman of the Lao Evangelical Churches group in his province. His wife, son and daughter were present when he was attacked, but were unharmed. Give thanks for Pastor Thongkham’s life and pray that God will use His servant’s sacrifice to advance the cause of the Gospel in Laos. Pray that his family and the Christian community he pastored will experience divine comfort and courage in wrestling with the pain of their loss.
Give thanks that six Christians in central Laos have been released from prison after a month’s imprisonment. Pastor Mum and five other church members had been arrested at a prayer meeting. In releasing them, the local authorities warned them to restrict their activities. Pray that all will recover fully from their ordeal and that the Lord will honour their faithfulness in strengthening His Church. Ask that they will be wise and yet innocent in taking note of threats issued and be guided to trust the Good Shepherd and be obedient to Him even in the midst of wolves (Matthew 10:16).
Lift up our marginalised and impoverished brothers and sisters in Laos and Vietnam whose homes and rice crops were destroyed on the brink of harvest by Typhoon Yagi in September. “Hundreds of already struggling rural Christian families have been hit hard,” said our project partner in the region. “It is heartbreaking to see this.” He thanked Barnabas for swiftly sending two tonnes of rice to afflicted families and funding for tools and machinery to clear mud slides. Ask the Lord to strengthen and comfort believers (Philippians 4:13). Pray that He will sustain and meet the needs of Christian families following the loss of the rice harvest, upon which they all depend.
Lord Jesus, we intercede for Your Church in Saudi Arabia and praise You for our faithful brothers and sisters who follow You in this heartland of Islam. We pray that You will light their paths and grant them discernment in an environment where leaving the majority religion is punishable by death. Thank You that You are the vine in whom we remain. Please enable Your branches in Saudi Arabia to remain firm in You and live fruitful lives amid the surrounding darkness, for we ask in Your precious Name. (John 15:5)
Regional conflict has caused anxiety and hardship among the Christian communities of the Middle East. In just one conflict-affected country, many have lost their jobs, and they worry about how they can provide for their families as food prices spiral. Here, Barnabas has provided warm meals along with parcels of food and hygiene items for 200 Christian families most in need. Our church partners, who prayed with believers as they distributed the aid, said families were “encouraged and strengthened” to receive practical and spiritual support. Join us in thanking God for the help He provides.
Christians who fled violence in Africa are being given help to build new lives in the Holy Land. Many of the 2,500-strong community of refugees from Eritrea, Sudan and Ethiopia live in poverty and still bear the physical and mental scars of their escape. Barnabas helps to fund an NGO that offers a range of support to refugees, including vocational training and education programmes for children and adults. Our partners provide food, psychological support to the traumatised, and advocacy assistance. Praise the Lord who “raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap” (1 Samuel 2:8).
Approximately 62% of households in Yemen are now experiencing severe food shortages, with some regions facing extreme levels of malnutrition. The humanitarian disaster that has blighted Yemen in recent years is worsening because of regional tensions. Aid agencies have reduced their activities in the country because of restrictions imposed in areas controlled by the Houthis, an Islamist group affiliated to Iran. Only the Lord knows how many Christians live in Yemen. They share in the overall suffering of the population while also experiencing persecution from extremists. Pray that the suffering of our brothers and sisters, and all people in Yemen, will be alleviated.
Christian convert from Islam Mojdeh Falahi, 36, was arrested in early September in Shiraz, southern Iran, on charges of “Christianity” and “illegal Christian activities”, and held in a detention centre run by the Ministry of Intelligence. At the time of writing her family were refused permission to see her and access to a lawyer was denied. Mojdeh’s two older sisters have previously been arrested and fined for Christian activities. Pray that charges against Mojdeh will be dropped and that she will be restored to her family. Pray for a just outcome for Christians facing spurious charges of endangering national security in Iran.
Poverty, political instability and the fear of persecution are among the reasons why Christians continue to leave their ancestral homelands in Iraq. Before the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 there were around 1.5 million Christians in Iraq. An increase in sectarian tensions meant that only 700,000 were left by the time Islamic State (IS, ISIS, ISIL, Daesh) seized a third of the country – Christians were among those subjected to violence and displaced from their homes. In recent years it has been estimated that only 150,000-250,000 Christians are left, and this number continues to fall. Lift up in prayer our brothers and sisters who have suffered so much.
Please pray for a Christian congregation in Beni Suef, Upper Egypt, after their church building was destroyed in a massive fire. The cause of the fire remains unknown. The five-storey building contained offices and a library, as well as housing three schools. A church leader said it was “divine providence” that none of the children who were in the building at the time were hurt, but ten adults were hospitalised as a result of the blaze. Pray that the injured will make a full recovery, that frightened children will be comforted, and for God’s providence following the loss of so many important facilities.
Lord Jesus, with thankful, joyful hearts we celebrate Your kingship and acknowledge You as King of our lives. We praise You that Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and that the glory of Your majesty endures. Help us, Lord, to submit our lives to You and allow Your righteousness to fill us as we grow in obedience and understanding. Please encourage our brothers and sisters who live in lands where they are persecuted for bowing to Your divine authority. Give them grace to follow You whatever the temptations to yield to mortal rulers when they oppose Your kingship, for we ask in Your glorious Name, King Jesus. (Hebrews 1:8; Revelation 11:15)
“Only God knows how we are going to survive until the next harvest next year,” said Georgina, a farmer in the Mudzi district of Christian-majority Zimbabwe. “I did not harvest anything after all my effort and using all our savings to buy seeds.” Zimbabwe is one of several southern African countries suffering a worsening hunger crisis caused by drought. People there report having no food to give their children. Ask the Lord to bring an end to this crisis. Pray that He will once again provide the earth with rain (Psalm 147:8).
Voters will go to the polls tomorrow in Christian-majority Namibia, another southern African nation afflicted with hunger and poverty. International experts have said that nearly half of the country’s population is experiencing high levels of food insecurity, and that more than 80% of the country’s food reserves have been used up owing to the worsening drought. Pray that the Lord will give guidance to whoever is elected to the Presidency and the National Assembly.
More than 5,000 churches have been closed down in Rwanda for failing to comply with government-mandated health and safety regulations. The closures follow a series of inspections that took place in July. Legislation passed in 2018 requires that churches have suitable fire-fighting equipment, adequate parking and appropriate hygiene facilities, among other requirements. Church buildings are also required to be soundproofed. Church leaders have acknowledged the need for some of these requirements but have criticised the speed of the closures and asked for more time to comply. Ask the Lord, to grant wisdom to Rwandan church leaders in navigating this difficult situation.
The ongoing civil war in Sudan is “a story of pain, suffering and innocent blood shed every day”, says a senior church leader in the north of the country. “Everyone suffers and wants an end to the war, but we do not have the tools to achieve it.” Estimates vary, but it is certain that thousands of civilians have been killed. As of July, 7.7 million people had been internally displaced and more than two million had fled the country. The following month the World Food Programme declared a famine at a camp in North Darfur where thousands of displaced people are sheltering – only the third time in 20 years that a fully fledged famine has been declared anywhere in the world. Pray for a swift end to this humanitarian disaster.
Christian-majority Ethiopia experienced prolonged drought from 2020 to 2023. This caused widespread food insecurity and was devastating for farmers. This period of drought was followed by floods from September 2023 to March 2024. The floods killed livestock and caused crop losses, which heightened the existing food insecurity. This hunger was compounded by conflict which has hindered Ethiopia’s economy – many people are now unable to afford even the bare essentials. As of September 2024, 10.8 million Ethiopians are at critical levels of food insecurity. Pray for our brothers and sisters in Ethiopia, that they will obtain enough food to sustain them, and that the Lord will give them strength through this time of great struggle.
Eritrea’s Marxist government exercises a tight grip on its population, which is roughly half Christian and half Muslim. Only three denominations of Christianity are legally allowed to be practised there: Eritrean Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Lutheran. Christians from other denominations are often subject to arrest and lengthy imprisonment, without charge or trial. Even those from the permitted denominations are often harassed and intimidated. Christians in prison are subject to beatings, starvation, degradation and torture. Ask the Lord to watch over the Christians in Eritrea. Pray that they will be allowed to practise Christianity freely, and all those wrongly imprisoned will be released. Pray for courage for those in captivity, that they never forget that the Lord is their fortress (Psalm 18:2), and they will have their reward in heaven (Matthew 5:12).
