International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

Pray for Nigeria

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

PROFILEPopulation: 177,155,754 (July 2014 est.)Religion: Muslim (50%), Christian (40%), Indigenous beliefs (10%)Government: Federal Republic, President Goodluck Jonathan

Pray for Nigeria

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

Persecution in NigeriaNigeria is Africa's most populous nation:• Christian culture in the south • Radical Islamic culture in the north, characterized by

massive riots, bombings and a plan to create an Islamic state

• When military rule ended in 1999, one-third of Nigeria’s states implemented Islamic law

• Sectarian violence has resulted in more than 14,000 deaths and hundreds of thousands of people displaced.

Pray for Nigeria

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

Persecution in Nigeria• Islamist extremist group, Boko Haram, an Al-Qaeda

ally, claimed the lives of at least 612 Christians in 2013 and many, many more in 2014.

• Thousands of cases of physical aggression were recorded and nearly 300 churches were destroyed.

• The 12 northern Sharia states are where Christians experience persecution and restrictions in schooling, abductions, forced marriages, denial of employment, clean water and healthcare.

Pray for Nigeria

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

Persecution in Nigeria• In 2009 Boko Haram vowed to rid the north of all

non-Muslim influence, including Christians• Since then, more than 3,000 people have been

killed• Religious riots are common in northern Nigeria• Churches, mosques, schools, homes, government

buildings and businesses are burned and destroyed by angry rioters during outbreaks of violence that often involve both Christians and Muslims

Pray for Nigeria

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

Persecution in Nigeria• Christian enclave of Chibok in Borno State was

thrown into chaos when Boko Haram militants entered a school building on the night of April 14

• Pretending to be soldiers, they assured the girls they were protecting them and ushered 270 victims into waiting vehicles.

• The girls were then driven deep into the forest. Approximately 40 managed to escape, but the whereabouts of the others remain unknown.

Pray for Nigeria

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

Persecution in Nigeria• The Christian Association of Nigeria has repeatedly

stated that Christians may take the law into their own hands to avenge Boko Haram's attacks and what it believes is an inadequate government response

• The Nigerian government has begun to station police and set barriers at church entry points, preventing a number of attackers from reaching their targets

Pray for Nigeria

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

Persecution in Nigeria• Despite the tragic situation the church is growing

in Nigeria. Missionaries are reaching out to Muslims and animists and seeing many become Christians.

Pray for Nigeria

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

Prayer Requests for Nigeria• Pray that the Body of Christ in Nigeria will continue to

multiply and mature despite persecution• Pray for those persecuting Christians: that God will

transform their lives• Pray for God’s protection for Christians in Nigeria who

are suffering persecution such as violent attacks from Boko Haram terrorists

• Pray for the release of the schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram, and for their protection

Pray for Nigeria

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

Prayer Requests for Nigeria• Pray for the authorities to work diligently for the

safe return of the girls to their loved ones• Pray that Nigerian Christians will stand firm in their

faith when they face persecution• Pray that the government of Nigeria will bring anti-

Christian terrorists to justice• Pray that God will transform the hearts and lives of

terrorists in Nigeria, and lead them to follow Him

Pray for Nigeria

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

Prayer Requests for Nigeria• Pray for God’s blessings on the work of Christian

missionaries in Nigeria, and that they will see a great spiritual harvest

• Pray that Christians in Nigeria will demonstrate the love of Christ as they face opposition

Pray for Cuba

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

PROFILEPopulation: 11,047,251 (July 2014 est.)Religion: Christian (Roman Catholic and Protestant): 56.5%, Non-religious: 25%.Government: Communist state, President Gen. Raul Castro.

Pray for Cuba

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

Persecution in Cuba• Communist rule, under Fidel Castro's leadership

(1959-2008), continues to impose restrictions on religious activity in Cuba

• Religious leaders are reluctant to say anything that could be construed as opposing the government in the fear that they will face repercussions such as a denial of permits from the Office of Religious Affairs

• Evangelical Christians have reported harassment, fines and arrests for conducting public gatherings

Pray for Cuba

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

Persecution in Cuba• Most religious groups report recent improvements• Religious activities are met with less opposition, and

people are able to import more religious material• While the construction of new church buildings have been

largely denied, many existing churches have undergone extensive “repairs”

• To accommodate the growth of Christianity and overcome the country's restrictions on new church facilities, many house churches are being established, likely numbering in the thousands

Pray for Cuba

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

Persecution in Cuba• Government agents, including state security and Communist

Party officials, destroyed the church and home of a pastor in the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba on July 2, 2014.

• Police entered with batons alongside a group of men carrying machetes at 6 a.m. while Pastor Esmir Torreblanca and his wife and small children, ages two and seven, were asleep. The family is now homeless

• Photographs show uniformed officers directing a bulldozer to level the church and home

• Members of the church who resisted had their IDs confiscated and were threatened with arrest

Pray for Cuba

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

Persecution in Cuba• Pastor Omar Gude Perez of the Apostolic Reformation has

consistently spoken against government policy• October 30, 2012: His open letter protested restrictions

on his pastoral activities and the government's refusal to grant him an exit visa.

• He also protested his three-year incarceration on false charges.

• Finally, on January 31, 2013, Pastor Omar and his family were granted asylum in the United States.

Pray for Cuba

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

Persecution in Cuba• Despite persecution from Cuba’s government, Churches

of the Open Bible have been flourishing in Cuba for 64 years.

• The Churches of the Open Bible is a group of missionary churches that was born before the revolution in Cuba.

• The seed was planted by an American missionary who left Cuba when Fidel Castro took power. The Church has become a truly indigenous missionary church that is well-respected by the Cuban people and recognized by and registered with the government.

Pray for Cuba

International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

Pray for Cuba• Ask God to provide wisdom to Cuba's church leaders,

specifically requesting that they will exemplify grace toward all governmental authorities while remaining bold in their presentation of the Gospel.

• Pray for the salvation of the current governmental leader, Raúl Castro, as well as those who work under his leadership.

• Pray that the believers of this country will not fear government persecution but live in unconditional surrender to the Lordship of Christ, and serve Him faithfully.