A church-run summer camp was raided on August 23rd, resulting in the confiscation of personal and church property, as well as the temporary detention of the pastor and his wife. The church in Gushi County in Henan, China was accused of organizing religious events without authorization. However, a church leader, Wang Guangming, said the students were actually learning music theory when the raid occurred.

Pray that Churches and ministries throughout China will favour in eyes of the communities they are serving. Pray that God will bless their endeavours to spread the Gospel and minister to one another, leading many to receive salvation in Christ.

Pray that the hostility of their opposers will dissipate, allowing these Christians to resume worship in safety and peace.  

(Source & Photo Credit : VOMC)

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A pastor’s teaching on suffering was timely for a young woman attending a discipleship seminar in Laos.

Sei Wang, 20, gave her life to Christ earlier this year, unbeknownst to her husband. One Sunday morning in June, he followed her to church and discovered her new faith. He berated her and hit her, but Sei Wang refused to leave because she deeply wanted to worship the Lord that day.

A few weeks later, Sei Wang got up early to attend a Christian seminar. She was surprised when her husband handed her a bag with her clothes in it. He told her she could go to the seminar but could not return home. He also told her that if she continued to go to church, he would beat her. Sei Wang was not scared and went ahead to attend the seminar. After the pastor leading the conference shared on suffering from 1 Peter 4:12-14, she stood up and gave her testimony.

We praise God for young Sei Wang’s courage and faith in the Lord.

Pray for Sei Wang’s husband. Pray that God will remove his heart of stone and replace it with a heart of flesh that will be receptive and responsive to God. Pray that he will receive salvation in Christ.

(Source & Photo Credit : VOM)

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Pastor Zafar Bhatti has been in prison since 2012 after being charged for sending text messages that offended certain people in the community. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2017. You can read the full story in our March/April 2020 Stand! magazine.

Pastor Zafar, a diabetic, suffers from eyesight problems and has had 2 minor heart attacks in 2019. He experienced another heart attack on 3rd September. Although he received swift medical attention and is now recovering, there are concerns for his physical and mental well-being.

Due to threats from fellow inmates, Zafar is presently being held under tight security. He is appealing against his sentence, but the hearings have been repeatedly delayed. However, his faith in Christ remains strong.

Please pray that Pastor Zafar will be proven innocent and released from prison. Pray for his safety whilst he remains in prison and that he will receive timely and proper medical treatment. Pray that God will care and provide for his wife Nawab Bibi, who has had to struggle to make ends meet to support herself and their children in the absence of Pastor Zafar.

Pray that the hearts of Pastor Zafar’s opposers will be radically transformed and they will witness God’s light shining through Pastor Zafar’s life and countenance. As he continues to faithfully express the love and goodness of Christ, may many others in Pakistan come to a point of repentance and salvation in Christ.

(Source & Photo Credit : VOMC)

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Pastor You Guanda, of Dianqian Church in Xiamen city, and his wife are facing possible charges for choosing to homeschool their own children instead of sending them to public school for education. The Dianqian Church’s worship services were disbanded last year and the church facility demolished earlier this year.

Pray for Pastor You and his family. Pray that God will protect them and give them the wisdom to handle the situation. Pray for strength and courage to weather the challenges they are facing now.

(Source : CBN News, Photo Credit : Internet)

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Christians in India are facing horrific levels of violence inspired by intolerance against Christianity. On August 21st, “Prasanna Kumar” (whose name has been changed for security reasons) was attacked and brutally beaten by 10 men for nearly 2 hours in Uttar Pradesh. He was accused of forcibly converting people to Christianity. The men pulled Pastor Kumar from his motorcycle and threw him to the ground, where they relentlessly kicked and beat him with wooden clubs.  They also promised to kill him if he ever returned to the village.

In another Indian state, Badaguda, Odisha state, followers of traditional tribal religions have blamed the prayers of Christians for driving away their gods. One village headman told a pastor, “When you pray, our gods leave us. So you must stop praying. We will not let you conduct prayers inside the village.” The Christians had to erect a temporary shelter for worship outside the village, but it was later destroyed and the church members beaten. These Christians were accused of “disturbing the peace” and threatened with arrest should they continue to gather for worship.

Pray for Pastor Kumar and many other Christians who are facing persecution because of their faith in Christ. Pray that they will receive both physical and emotional healing, and be strengthened in the Lord.

Pray that the Lord will strengthen and protect His followers as they rebuild their Christian communities, share their stories of faith, and encourage others who have experienced the trauma of persecution.

Pray against discrimination and intolerance towards Christians and that justice will prevail in every case where our brothers and sisters were falsely accused.

(Source & Photo Credit : VOMC)

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