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As a new year begins, thank the Lord for the spiritual hope and practical aid that He has brought to His persecuted people during the past 12 months through the ministry of Barnabas Aid. Pray for our work in the coming year as we continue to respond to the urgent and desperate needs of so many suffering Christians in many parts of the world. Pray for wisdom, courage and endurance for all our partners on the ground as they serve their brothers and sisters so faithfully in Christ’s Name. And pray for persecuted Christians everywhere, that they will find strength and peace in the Lord.
Humanitarian experts fear that the global hunger crisis will worsen in 2025. Already, more than 300 million people are suffering acute levels of hunger, driven by armed conflict, economic problems, and natural disasters. Many of those enduring food shortages, malnutrition or stunting are our brothers and sisters in Christ. Pray that the Lord, who provides food (Psalm 145:15), will meet the needs of His hungry children. Ask for His continued blessing upon the work of Barnabas Aid’s food.gives project, as we seek to send food to hunger hotspots around the world.
“This training has given me hope,” says Janet, one of more than 1,700 Nigerian Christians who are benefitting from new vocational courses funded by Barnabas. The courses provide training in a range of trades and give disadvantaged believers, whose lives have been blighted by violent persecution, the skills to make a living. Janet’s father was killed in an Islamist attack on their village in Kaduna State, and the training she has received in tailoring will enable her to earn an income to support herself, her mother and her siblings. Pray that all the students will prosper from their training and that their success will strengthen Christian communities (Jeremiah 29:11).
“The support we are getting will help us to remain strong in our faith,” said Monday, a young Nigerian Christian who received counselling and discipleship while studying carpentry on a vocational training course funded by Barnabas. Monday’s village has been attacked several times by Islamists and his family and community live with the constant threat of renewed violence. Give thanks for our church partners who care for the spiritual and emotional needs of students. Ask that the students will always remember to lean on God, their strong tower and refuge (Psalm 61:3).
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the proclamation of Your Word throughout the world. We rejoice that there are now Christians in every nation on earth. We pray that the Church will be strengthened especially in lands where the hostility is greatest. May this new year witness a rich gathering of harvest as many put their trust in You and grow in faith, for we ask in the glorious Name of Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 4:13)
Please continue to pray for the Middle East and all its people, regardless of their religion, nationality, or ethnicity. The brutal conflict that has been waged across the region for more than a year has devastated millions of lives and now poses a serious threat to global peace. Remember especially our brothers and sisters in Christ, who are suffering the consequences of a war they did not start and have no means to end. We hold onto the hope that a day will come when the Lord will “make wars cease to the ends of the earth” (Psalm 46:9). May His peace reign in the midst of this suffering.
“This crisis is one of the heaviest we have ever faced,” said a Barnabas Aid partner in Lebanon. A year after the October 2023 Islamist atrocity that ignited the conflict, the violence spread to Lebanon in full force as Israel launched an attack against the Hezbollah terrorist group. Hundreds of thousands of Christians have been displaced, fleeing Beirut or their historic lands in the south. Many are without shelter and desperately short of food and essentials. Pray that the Lord will bless the efforts of Barnabas Aid as they work to meet the urgent needs of our suffering brothers and sisters. Ask God to provide for them and sustain those working to bring relief.
Lift up in prayer the students, families and staff of St Aphrem’s School in Bethlehem, which is partially funded by Barnabas Aid. The recent escalation in hostilities has caused great anxiety among the families, and tensions are high. Praise God for the continued work of the school despite these challenges, and for the 26 young Christians who graduated at the end of the 2023/24 academic year. Pray for peace, protection and strength for all those involved in the school’s ministry during these difficult times.
Give thanks for the release of Christian convert Mehdi Akbari from prison in Tehran, Iran. Mehdi was sentenced to ten years in prison in November 2020 for joining a “house church”. During his imprisonment Mehdi learned of the death of his only son, Amir, who was 18 years old – but he was informed too late to attend the funeral. Pray that he will remain free, and will be comforted in his grief for his son. Ask God to watch over all Christians in Iran, especially converts from Islam, and to lend strength to those who have been imprisoned for their faith.
Praise the Lord for the release of pastor Anooshavan Avedian in Iran one year into his ten-year prison sentence. Anooshavan was initially arrested in August 2020 for leading an unofficial “house church” in Tehran. This church was started following the forced closure of a Farsi-speaking church in 2013, which left congregants with nowhere to meet for worship. Give thanks to God for Anooshavan’s acquittal. Pray that the laws of Iran will be changed so that Farsi-speaking Christians, who are converts from Islam, will be free to attend church legally and practise their religion without threat of arrest.
Give thanks for the safe arrival and distribution of food.gives boxes to more than 800 Christian families in Jordan. The boxes, filled by Barnabas supporters in the UK, were distributed not just among poverty-stricken Jordanian believers, but also to Iraqi and Yemeni refugees who, under Jordan’s laws, are not allowed to work. Our project partner said believers valued the food.gives boxes especially because the dried food “makes large meals, and is filling with good nutritional value”. Pray for continued provision for our brothers and sisters in Jordan and ask the Lord to move mountains to enable Christian refugees to gain more secure status in the country (Matthew 17:20).
Lord Jesus, we intercede for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are compelled to keep their discipleship secret. We pray for Your protection for Christians in countries where confessing Your Name puts their lives in danger. Thank You for those who daily deny themselves, take up their cross and follow You, all the while having to exercise secrecy in worship. Please protect those who must live as secret believers or face death for apostasy. Enable them by the gentle action of Your Spirit to lead lives that honour You as light and salt in their communities. (Luke 9:23; Matthew 5:13-16)
International experts have noted an “alarming increase” in flogging and other forms of corporal punishment enacted by Afghanistan’s Taliban government. “There are credible reports of courts in several provinces denying defendants, including children, access to their lawyers,” said one human rights official. Christians are among those at particular risk – all are considered converts from Islam, and face death if their faith is discovered. Pray that the Lord will be a hiding place for His people who are surrounded by those who want to destroy them (Psalm 118:8-9).
At the time of writing Bangladesh is still facing political instability. The interim government (which was set up after mass protests led to the collapse of the previous government) is under pressure to set a date for new elections. Religious minorities, including Christians, remain concerned about a rise in Islamist extremism. Pray that the interim government will exercise wisdom in making plans for a transition of power and in combating extremism. Ask that the Lord will enable His people in Bangladesh to be an effective witness of Christ in difficult circumstances.
“The joy of seeing my children smile again is beyond words. We had lost hope, but the help from Barnabas Aid has shown us that there is still kindness in the world.” These are the words of Khalti, a young mother in Bangladesh. Her family received a month of food and medical supplies funded by Barnabas after her husband’s plot of land was destroyed by floodwater. Barnabas Aid provided emergency relief aid to 1,000 Christian families in the aftermath of these devastating floods that killed more than 70 people and displaced over 500,000 in August 2024. Give thanks that we have been able to help our brothers and sisters in need, and pray that they will continue to trust in the Lord to restore them to strength after their suffering (1 Peter 5:10).
The economy of Sri Lanka has stabilised since the end of 2023, say international experts, but some problems remain. As of October 2024 the economy had grown by 5% and inflation had fallen. Poverty, however, remains widespread. Around a quarter of households are experiencing food insecurity and consuming an inadequate diet. Sri Lanka’s Christians – around 8% of the population – are often among the poorest members of society. Pray that Sri Lanka’s economic situation will begin to improve, and that the Lord will continue to provide for His people.
Christians in the Buddhist-majority South Asian nation of Bhutan are not allowed to meet publicly for worship. Churches are not officially recognised by the government – they cannot own property or conduct outreach activities – and evangelism is illegal. Despite this, Christians can usually worship in private without fear of being arrested by the authorities or attacked by extremists. Ask that the Lord will continue to be an ever-present help (Psalm 46:1) to His people in Bhutan.
Widely regarded as a tropical paradise, the Maldives – a group of islands in the Indian Ocean – is also one of the most repressive Muslim-majority countries in the world. The country’s constitution states that “no law contrary to any tenet of Islam shall be enacted in the Maldives”. All non-Muslim worship is forbidden, whether carried out by visitors (most often holiday-makers or migrant workers), or by Maldivian citizens who the constitution assumes will be Muslim. Despite this assumption, there are a few indigenous converts who must live as secret believers or face reprisals both from the state and from their family and former friends. Pray for these Muslim-background believers, asking that the Lord will be especially close to them in their isolation, through His Holy Spirit.
Our Father in Heaven, we pray that you will watch over Your children in Eritrea, and particularly those who have been imprisoned for their faith in Your Son Jesus Christ. Only You, God, know how many Christians suffer in prisons there, and we cannot imagine the turmoil they are going through. Please remain close to them, granting them strength, patience and hope until they are released, because we ask it in the Name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Sudan’s civil war, which erupted in April 2023, has created one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises of recent years. Thousands have died in the conflict, and famine and disease have followed. In November 2024 international experts reported 28,000 cases of cholera and 836 deaths in the previous four months. There was also an increase in cases of dengue fever. Pray for an end to the conflict, that the people of Sudan will get the assistance that they so urgently need, and that the Lord will sustain our brothers and sisters throughout this time of hardship.
Barnabas has provided vital food and practical aid to 150 Christian families displaced by the conflict in Sudan. Praise God that our partners reached these families among thousands of civilians taking refuge on the border between Sudan and South Sudan. “Our situation is very difficult,” said Manara, a mother who fled the fighting in Darfur with her three children, “but I am so grateful to receive this support.” Pray that the displaced Christian families, and others, will receive protection, physical sustenance, warmth and medicine, as well as spiritual counsel and comfort.
The Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) arrested 95 Christians in early October in River Nile State, northern Sudan. SAF forces supposedly held the Christians, fleeing fierce fighting in their region, on suspicion of collaborating with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the other party in the ongoing civil war. The 25 women and 54 children are reported to have been released, but at the time of writing it is uncertain whether the 16 men are still held captive. Pray that our brothers and sisters will recover from their ordeal, and that any still being held will be released. Pray for the protection of many Christians and others displaced by the conflict.
Praise the Lord that Egypt’s government approved the licensing of 293 churches and church-affiliated buildings on 21 October. This was the 28th batch of approvals granted since the government committee overseeing the licensing process began work in 2017. Now a total of 3,453 churches have been granted licences out of the 3,730 that applied for registration after a Law for Building and Restoring Churches abolished Ottoman-era restrictions on church buildings in 2016. Pray that churches will be able to fulfil structural and safety obligations required to secure these licences. Pray also that the continuing legalisation process will not lead to increased hostility towards Christians from Islamist extremists.
Three Christian men were hospitalised in early November after suffering multiple stab wounds in an attack in a village in Minya province, upper Egypt. The stabbings were carried out by four Muslim men – some of the attackers were arrested. The incident follows a rise in intimidation and attacks against Christians in the area by Islamist extremists in the previous year. Pray in particular for the recovery of our three brothers, and ask that believers will be allowed to live and worship in peace and safety.
Libya remains deeply politically unstable, as two rival governments – the internationally recognised government in Tripoli and the parliament in the east – continue to oppose each other. At the time of writing, both claim the authority to run the country’s central bank. This stand-off could lead to an economic collapse and a crisis that may embolden armed extremist groups. Only the Lord knows how many Christians are in Libya, but there are a small number of indigenous converts from Islam as well as refugees from sub-Saharan Africa. Pray that there will be peace in Libya for all people, and especially our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Lord God, we pray for Christians who endure long periods of waiting during the judicial process for their loyalty to You. We ask You to sustain those brought before courts, cast into prison, facing long sentences. Please strengthen them with Your Spirit in their inner being as they await the beginning of a trial or endure a lengthy appeals process. Help them, Lord, to wait upon You and draw strength from the One who for the joy set before Him endured the cross is now enthroned in glory – we ask it in His majestic Name. (Ephesians 3:16; Hebrews 12:2)
“I never thought I would become a refugee in my old age,” reflects “Dachen”, an elderly Christian in Myanmar. Like many, he was forced to flee his home amid the ongoing conflict. Rejoice that more than 5,300 of our brothers and sisters in Myanmar have received Barnabas-funded support in the past year, often in IDP (internally displaced persons) camps that are hard to reach, many of which have been flooded in the rainy season. Pray that the Lord will protect and guide the steps of our project partners as they deliver essential aid to displaced Christians like Dachen.
“The God who knows everything knows our suffering and has used Barnabas Aid to provide us with food.” These words are from “Mya”, a Christian woman whose family was among 350 displaced by the Tatmadaw (Myanmar military) that Barnabas supplied with emergency aid, including rice, cooking oil and chickpeas. The families are from a Christian-majority area of Myanmar where the Tatmadaw has destroyed dozens of church buildings and hundreds of homes. Praise God for the provision and safe delivery of aid to displaced Christians. Pray that the conflict will cease and so enable them to return to their homes.
The Tatmadaw severely damaged a church in a bombing raid on the home village of Charles Maung Bo, a senior church leader, on 30 October. The whole of one side of the building in Mon Hla village, Sagaing Region, was destroyed and residents were twice forced to flee as drones were spotted. Mon Hla is home to 3,000 residents, most of whom are Christians. Give thanks that there were no casualties in this attack. Pray that Christians in Mon Hla will know the Lord’s protection and that attacks on such communities will cease. Pray that their trust in the Lord will drive out fear.
Ten people were killed in a volcanic eruption on Flores Island, a Christian-majority region of Indonesia, in November 2024. One woman died and several people were injured when a building belonging to the church collapsed. More than 10,000 people were affected by the disaster, and Indonesian authorities advised more than 2,600 families living in the area around the volcano to permanently relocate. Please pray for the bereaved and for the injured. Ask that the Lord will provide the means for those who need to move away from the danger and find a new place to live.
“The nation is near bankruptcy,” reported a Barnabas Aid project partner in a South-East Asian country. Poor harvests, economic troubles and natural disasters have combined to create a growing crisis. More than a quarter of those in rural areas are experiencing food shortages. Many Christians are among the impoverished or malnourished. Join us in our gratitude to our Father that more than 21,00o of our brothers and sisters in this country have received rice from a Barnabas-funded rice mill. Pray earnestly that this life-saving work will continue.
