Sudan
Refugee Camps Bombed
The Islamic government of northern Sudan bombed two refugee camps in SOUTH SUDAN in November. Most of the refugees had fled from regions terrorized by the government of the north. A Christian ministry leader reports that one bomb fell in a schoolyard near hundreds of children, but failed to detonate.
Praise God for His protection! “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem…”
Church Builders Attacked
Earlier this year Muslims attacked believers who were building a church in northern SUDAN. The congregation continues to meet for worship despite not having a roof to protect them from rain and dust.
Praise God for their perseverance! “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
Churches Threatened with Demolition
Authorities threaten to demolish three church buildings in northern SUDAN. Officials have also called church leaders asking for information about their members and activities.
Pray that the congregations will remain firm in their faith. “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law…”
Christian Captive Escapes
A Muslim background believer in SUDAN escaped his captors on the day he was to be executed. Military forces had detained him in June because of his faith. He saw six fellow Christians executed. He is now in hiding and could be re-arrested or killed at any time.
Pray for wisdom and courage. “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”
Believers Attacked, Threatened
The Muslim government of northern SUDAN attacked and killed its own people in border regions inhabited predominantly by Christian African tribes. Church leaders in the capital have also been threatened by Muslims.
Pray that these believers will be more than conquerors in Christ Jesus. “For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”
Pastor Tortured, Imprisoned
UPDATE: A pastor was detained for a 2nd and 3rd time in SUDAN. He has been tortured, accused of opposing the Islamic government’s teaching and rules, and his life has been threatened. Now he is in hiding.
He says, “I ask God to help me remain strong in faith as well as [to help] my displaced [congregation] members and all Christian communities who are facing persecution.” Please lift up this request with him. “...you were ransomed...not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ.”
Congregation Afraid
Congregation members in northern SUDAN are afraid to meet for worship after Muslims burned their church building earlier this year.
Ask God to give the believers courage and freedom from fear. “Then He rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.”
Kidnapped Believer Escapes
UPDATE: A kidnapped Christian teenager in SUDAN escaped and was reunited with her family in July. Her Muslim captors beat her, raped her, and tried to convert her to Islam. Her widowed mother lost her job. The teen fears that criminals may still be trailing her.
Pray for protection, provision, and healing. “And in the time of their suffering they cried out to You and You heard them from heaven.”
Denied Citizenship, Jobs Lost
On July 13 the government of Northern SUDAN stripped Southern Sudanese of citizenship. Many working in the north have lost their jobs. Late last year the northern government declared that Sharia and Islam will be the main source for the constitution.
Ask God to provide for Christians who are still living in the north. “By a pillar of cloud You led them in the day, and by a pillar of fire in the night to light for them the way in which they should go.”
Church and Guest House Vandalized
A church and a guest house in SUDAN were vandalized and ransacked by Muslims. Windows and doors were broken and church property was stolen.
Pray that the congregation will have the safety, courage, and resources needed in order to rebuild. “He makes me lie down in green pastures.”
Serious Persecution in Northern Sudan
Believers in northern Sudan are in serious danger. Reports of persecution are coming from South Kurdufan, a state just above the border with South Sudan.
Believer Arrested and Tortured
In June a believer was arrested by intelligence agents in SUDAN and accused of being opposed to Islam. In prison they beat him and kicked him “like a ball.” Then they took him back to his house where they tortured him with sticks, guns, and knives and threatened to kill him. He says, “I prayed for God to be with me and forgive them.” They released him and warned him never to return to the town.
Praise God for his escape! “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.”
Seminary Student Shot to Death
On June 8 in SUDAN, a Christian seminary student was accused of being a Christian and was publically shot to death by agents of the Muslim government. Nearby believers were forced not to cry or they would also be killed.
Ask God to give them His comfort and peace. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me.”
“We Cannot Deny Christ”
When Ahmadi became a Christian, her family locked her in a room, shackled her to a chair, and beat her, telling her that she didn’t deserve to be a member of the family. Neighbors smuggled her food and water. When she told her brother about her faith, he stabbed her in the stomach and broke her leg. Despite her injuries, hospital workers were reluctant to help her because she was a Christian.
In a hospital she met Hassan, who would later become her husband.
Church Attacked, Pastor Tortured
Muslims shouting “Allah is greater!” opened fire on a church and its congregation in SUDAN in June. They took the pastor and tortured him for two days before finally releasing him.
Ask God to give the congregation courage. Pray for the pastor’s full recovery. “...the Lord Jesus Christ...will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body…”
Believer Murdered with Sword
In June in SUDAN, a young Christian man was murdered by a group of Muslims. His attackers used a sword.
Pray for comfort and courage for his family. “He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”
Christians Attacked and Injured
In northern SUDAN in May, masked men wielding knives attacked a Muslim background believer couple after their relatives learned of their conversion. The wife’s hand was pierced. She still has internal injuries from last year, when her brother learned she was a Christian and stabbed her in the stomach and broke her leg. Ask God to provide for the couple and their baby.
Pray that the wife will receive the treatment she needs. “But God, being rich in mercy...made us alive together with Christ.”
Arrest for Distributing Bibles
In SUDAN in May, a woman was arrested for possessing and distributing Bibles in a refugee camp. She is accused of converting Muslims to Christianity. She could also be tried for apostasy (leaving Islam), which is punishable by death.
Ask God for her freedom, and pray that her persecutors will see God's love through her. “...that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you.”
Islamic Law Endangers Believers
A “wave of hatred” against Christians in northern SUDAN is being reported. The president declared that the North will be 100% Arab and Muslim. He said that the constitution will be changed to make Islam the only religion and Sharia the only law.
Ask God to encourage and sustain believers in northern Sudan. “To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.”
Southern Sudanese Attacked
Mobs from northern SUDAN (predominantly Muslim) have attacked and killed hundreds of people returning to their homeland in southern Sudan (predominantly Christian). One woman watched armed swordsmen hack her daughter to death. Meanwhile, a group of Christians continues to bring aid and encouragement to the persecuted church in Sudan.
Ask God to help the believers stand fast in their faith. “You have given me the shield of Your salvation.”
Believer's Daughter Kidnapped
In northern SUDAN, a Christian widow still agonizes over her missing daughter, who was kidnapped by suspected Islamists last June. Police told her to convert to Islam if she wants her daughter back. Although her employers gave her permission to take time off to look for her child, they promptly fired her anyway.
Ask God to reunite her with her daughter and provide for her and her children. “...to You the helpless commits himself; You have been the helper of the fatherless.”
Terrorist Threat in Sudan
UPDATE: Southern SUDAN’s vote in favor of secession was officially announced on February 7.
Ask God to protect Christians from the Islamic terrorists who promised to punish them if the South separates. Pray also for Christians in the Muslim North, who may face a tightening of Sharia law. “I know your tribulation and your poverty…”
Continued Suffering from Bombing
UPDATE: In SUDAN, an eight-year-old orphan and her infant brother lost their only surviving parent in a November airstrike conducted by the Islamic government of the north. Now they are among more than 200,000 refugees in one southern district, many of whom eat leaves to survive and suffer from insufficient access to wells.
Ask God to provide for the refugees and equip believers to minister to their needs. “To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.”
Sharia Law and Jihadists Endanger Believers
This winter Muslim clerics called for Sharia law to be implemented throughout SUDAN. As tensions rose, thousands of Christians from the North fled to the South before the January 9th referendum. These refugees are in danger from attack by jihadists.
Pray for the safety of believers in both the North and South. “And there is salvation in no one else…”
Children in the Persecuted Church
Normally we tend to think of the persecuted church as comprising adult believers, but children can be equally hit by persecution, and their stories can be especially heartbreaking. A surprising number of the persecution incidents that Smyrna uncovered this past month (and that will be in the March prayer guide) involve kids and teens.
