An Indonesian Christian was not allowed to renovate her house if she intend to use it for Christian purposes. The believer received a letter from the local village council of Ngastemi village, telling her that her Christian activities had caused unrest in the village. “It is prohibited to hold Christian meetings and/or prayer meetings … in order to create a harmonious atmosphere between people, especially in Karangdami colony,” the letter said.

Pray that this woman along with other believers in her village will come to an agreement with authorities about practicing their faith in Christ. Pray for wisdom to handle the situation.

(Source & Photo Credit : VOM)

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Do you recall how the members and pastors of Early Rain Church in Chengdu, Sichuan, were arrested and the church raided in December 2018?.

Pastor Wang Yi, founder of Early Rain Church, is currently serving a nine-year prison sentence. The location where the congregation used to meet has since been demolished and all future gatherings have been banned. Despite these measures, church members sought alternative ways to continue meeting for worship and to share the message of the Gospel.

On October 11th, Xuewei Jia was taken for interrogation because he participated in a retreat service. According to his social media account, he was forced into a van, verbally abused, and interrogated for eight hours before being allowed to return home.

Li Yingqiang, an elder of Early Rain Covenant Church, and fellow church member, Xiao Luobiao were participating in an online worship session when their home was raided on the morning of October 25th. Both Pastor Li and Xiao were detained until afternoon. Pastor Li was forced to delete all tweets from his Twitter account and ordered to remove the listed names of all his followers.

Although Pastor Li and his family moved away from Chengdu to Leshan, which is about 180 kilometres away, the harassment continued and the lease he signed for the rental of his current home was ordered to be rescinded. He is once again forced to leave his home.

Pastor Li has requested for prayer, “May the Lord provide us a place…(helping) us lean on His grace and guidance as we take each step…so we can bear witness to His justice and mercy.”

Please pray that the Lord will provide Pastor Li and family with protection and a safe new home to live in. Pray that as they wait for God’s leading, they will be filled with renewed strength and encouragement to face daily challenges.

Pray also for the other members of Early Rain Covenant Church during this season of heightened persecution, including the imprisoned Pastor Wang Yi. While praising God for their unwavering faith in the midst of difficulty, continue to prayerfully uphold them so that they will have the courage and resolve to remain obedient to our King.

Pray that God, in His abundant mercy, will touch the hearts of His opposers, in hopes that they too will walk in the love and salvation of Christ.

(Source & Photo Credit : VOMC)

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Khampang came to salvation in Christ after witnessing God’s goodness and after being healed of an ailment.

In his village, there are only two other Christians, and both experienced harsh reactions from their families because of their faith in Christ. One young man was disowned by his family whilst the other Christian, a teenager, was kicked out of his family home. Both young men were forced to leave the village.

Community leaders did not punish Khampang because he is an elder in the village. However, they still persecuted Khampang by convincing his wife that his decision to become a Christian was illegal. As a result, she refused to sleep in the same bed as Khampang and she would give him small either portions of food or nothing at all. When Khampang recently met with VOM partners, large tears rolled down his cheeks as he shared how his family had rejected him.

Pray for Khampang and the two Christians who were forced to leave the village. Pray that they will find peace and comfort in the Lord during this difficult time.

Pray that God will soften the hearts of their family members and they will be reconciliation. Pray that Khampang and the two Christians will continue to remain faithful to God and trust in His sovereign plan in their lives.

(Source & Photo Credit : VOM)

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Pastor Aikhun and about 120 pastors and Christians in Northeastern Myanmar were arrested in 2018.

In prison, Pastor Aikhun spent most of his time with a metal chain attached to his ankle, causing long-term bone damage and pain. He also contracted a skin disease. Upon his release, his skin ailment cleared up after receiving treatment. However, he continues to experience excruciating pain in his leg as doctors were unable to provide any effective treatment. Recently, Pastor Aikhun was elected principal of a Bible college and is eager to take on his new responsibilities.

Pray for healing for Pastor Aikhun’s leg so that he may continue serving the Lord.

Pray that God will anoint him with divine wisdom to lead the Bible college to effectively equip many saints in the Lord for ministry and bring glory to God. Pray that as Pastor Aikhun obeys the Lord’s call in his life, both he and his family will be greatly blessed.   

(Source & Photo Credit : VOM)

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Christian leaders in Syria are struggling to operate fully after years of trying circumstances and constant instability.

War, economic struggles, and now coronavirus all contribute to a constant influx of displaced peoples in need. The church staff who have been serving the displaced, including Pastor Zaki in Damascus, are exhausted. It is a constant battle to discern who to trust and who to help. However, Pastor Zaki reports that though things are hard, there is an unprecedented openness and acceptance to the gospel from locals in Syria.

Pray that those who are serving tirelessly will receive renewed strength. Pray that as they wait upon the Lord, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31).

Pray that Pastor Zaki and his ministry team will be anointed with great wisdom and discernment as they minister and many in Syria will receive the truths of the gospel and come to salvation in Christ.

(Source & Photo Credit : VOM)

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