Please pray for believers in Bhutan

September 8-9 | Bhutan – In some of Bhutan’s provinces, neighbors do not welcome the presence of Christians, especially when they gather for worship and fellowship.

BHUTAN – located on the southern slopes of the eastern Himalayas, is landlocked between the Tibet Autonomous Region to the north and the Indian states of Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh to the west and south…. The land consists mostly of steep and high mountains crisscrossed by a network of swift rivers, which form deep valleys before draining into the Indian plains.

RELIGION – It is estimated that between two-thirds and three-quarters of the Bhutanese population follow Vajrayana Buddhism, which is also the state religion. About one-quarter to one-third are followers of Hinduism. Other religions account for less than 1% of the population.^[69] The current legal framework, in principle guarantees freedom of religion; proselytism, however, is forbidden by a royal government decision^[69] and by judicial interpretation of the Constitution.^[70]

Wikipedia makes no mention of Christianity. However, OPEN DOORS indicates that there are approx 16,500 believers meeting primarily in homes –

As the country moves from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy, the situation is likely to change for believers. The church in Bhutan is no longer an underground church, since Christians are allowed to meet in private homes without any interference from the authorities. However, Christians in remote villages encounter more difficulties. The government is exploring possibilities for church registration, but is also concerned to prevent evangelism and is considering an amendment to the penal code aimed at prohibiting ‘conversion by coercion or inducement’.

Pray that God will provide opportunities for believers in Bhutan to practice their faith without antagonizing their community. Pray that they will gain the good will and favor of their neighbors.

“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. (1 John 3:18)

Please pray for believers in Lebanon

September 6 | Lebanon – The potential of Christian TV is exciting. Some of the live programs have been made in parts of the Arab World where death is looming, and the response from the local population has been tremendous.

Pray that the Lord will speak to the hearts of people when they see these programs, and for people who are ready to sacrifice their own lives to bring the message of hope to them.

Christianity has a long history in Lebanon – see Wikipedia. Various Christian sects make up approximately 39% of Lebanon’s population – Wikipedia – however, politics and religion are fused and sectarian violence is a reality of life. Added to the tension is the civil war in Syria which threatens to spill over into Lebanon.

Please pray for protection and direction… a willingness to follow Jesus day-to-day.

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (Phil. 1:21)

Please pray for Iraqi believers

September 4 | Iraq – Continue to pray for the struggling church in Baghdad. It’s been another challenging year. The great thing is that the church is still reaching out in an amazing way. Pray also that the media will reach many people with hope, as there is very little of it in the city.

Wikipedia contains an extensive entry on Iraq – click here – and, in summary, the current turmoil is described here.

Overwhelmingly a Muslim country (95%), Religion in Iraq is described here. However, Christianity has a long history in Iraq – predating Islam by 500 years – click here.

OPEN DOORS describes the current plight of Iraqi’s 300,000 believers here –

Sectarian violence caused tens of thousands of Christians to leave the country in 2011. Christians feel that the government fails to protect them, with individuals being threatened, robbed, raped or kidnapped and churches being bombed. Iraq’s constitution says each individual has freedom of thought, conscience and belief, but there is no article on changing one’s religion and Islamic law forbids conversion of Muslims to other religions. In August, at least four churches were targeted by bomb attacks in Kirkuk. The situation in Kurdistan, for a long time considered a safe haven for Christians, has deteriorated due to Islamic extremism.

Please pray for Iraqi belivers – for the refugees, for protection, and for strength.

Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. (Ps. 25:5)

Please pray for Pastor Nadarkhani and the Iranian people

September 3 | Iran – Give thanks to God for the openness of many (young) people for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Please pray that this new generation will find real hope and perspective in their lives.

Wikipedia has an extensive entry on Iran (click here) and describes the religious demographics as follows:

Religion in Iran is dominated by the Twelver Shia branch of Islam, which is the official state religion and to which about 90% to 95%[230][231][232] of Iranians belong. About 4% to 8% of Iranians belong to the Sunni branch of Islam, mainly Kurds and Iran’s Balochi Sunni. The remaining 2% are non-Muslim religious minorities, including Bahá’ís, Mandeans, Hindus, Yezidis, Yarsanis, Zoroastrians, Jews, and Christians.[21]

The latter three minority religions are officially recognized and protected, and have reserved seats in the Majlis (Parliament). However the Bahá’í Faith, Iran’s largest religious minority,[233] is not officially recognized, and has been persecuted during its existence in Iran. Since the 1979 revolution the persecution of Bahá’ís has increased with executions, the denial of civil rights and liberties, and the denial of access to higher education and employment.[234][235]

Hinduism in Iran has a history stretching back to the Middle Ages. Presently, Hindus are known to travel to Iran, but the vast majority consist of migrant workers from India. Out of Iran’s population of 68,017,860, there are 68,017 recorded Hindus, making them 0.1% of the total population.[236] Some of the poetry of Sohrab Sepehri shows Buddhist influence, and another major contemporary poet, Ahmad Shamlou, translated a book of Japanese haiku poetry into Persian.

Open Doors explains the plight of Iran’s 450,000 Christians click here.

UPDATE: Pastor Nadarkhani – click here – please pray for Pastor Nadarkhani and his family… and all believers who are imprisoned in Iran. For more on Pastor Nadarkhani – click here.

We loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. (1 Thes. 2:8)

Please pray for Libyan believers

September 1-2 | Libya – Thank the Lord for new believers. Pray for them, as they are under a lot of pressure right away. Also pray for the seasoned believers, that they will stay strong in the Lord and will be shepherds for the new believers.

At least 30,000 Libyans died in he civil war which ousted Muammar Gaddafi and sectarian violence continues today – click here.

Wikipedia gives an overview of religion in Libya – click here.

Other than the majority of Sunni Muslims, there are also small foreign communities of Christians. Coptic Orthodox Christianity, which is the Christian Church of Egypt, is the largest and most historical Christian denomination in Libya. There are over 60,000 Egyptian Copts in Libya, as they comprise over 1% of the population.[208] There are an estimated 40,000 Roman Catholics in Libya who are served by two Bishops, one in Tripoli (serving the Italian community) and one in Benghazi (serving the Maltese community). There is also a small Anglican community, made up mostly of African immigrant workers in Tripoli; it is part of the Anglican Diocese of Egypt.

Open Doors describes the current plight of Christians in Libya here –

Under Gaddafi’s despotic rule, the situation for Christians was already extremely harsh. The secret police restricted church activities and evangelism was criminalised. But after the civil war that led to Gaddafi’s death, the future could be even worse for the church. Because of the unrest, 75 per cent of expat Christians left the country and it is not clear how many remain. The National Transitional Council is expected to implement Sharia and make Libya an even more Islamic state than before. Under their supervision the Saint George’s Church was ransacked when they took control of Tripoli.

Christians in Libya face a dangerous and uncertain future – click here for more detailed prayer concerns.

And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to
reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. (2 Tim. 2:2)