Pray for the Suffering Parts of the Body of Christ
Part of our calling as Christians is to intercede for this world in prayer. We lift up those who suffer to the Almighty and ask for His help. But how do we know who to pray for?
Of course, we pray for our family, friends, and other people whose needs we know about firsthand. Many of us also pray for the victims of faraway catastrophes – wars, famines, natural disasters – that we learn about in the secular media.
Unfortunately, if our prayers are informed only by what we hear about in the news, we risk neglecting to pray for those who should be closest to us – the thousands around the world who are killed, beaten, raped, imprisoned, and discriminated against because of their identification with our Christian faith.
The Bible tells us that these victims of religious persecution are brothers and sisters in Christ. They are parts of the worldwide Body of Christ to which we belong. “When one part suffers” the Apostle Paul tells us, “all parts suffer with it”. (I Cor. 12-26)
You can make a difference – by encouraging prayer for the world’s persecuted Christians in your weekly worship services and prayer meetings.
CSI can help. Every month we publish the names and details of Christians who suffer for their faith. These cases are intended to be used in prayers of intercession. They can help direct our hearts and minds to specific individuals and many others that suffer similarly for their faith.
We will also share the good news of the liberation of Christian prisoners, slaves, bonded labor, and victims of human trafficking, so that you can life up prayers of praise and thanksgiving as well as intercession.
The monthly prayer calendar can be found on the “Prayer Initiative” page of the CSI website.
Wishing you the Almighty’s blessing,
Dr. John Eibner
International President
Prayer topics for May
Sunday May 5, 2024: IRAN
Iranian-Armenian pastor Anooshavan Avedian (61) is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence in Evin Prison, Tehran. He was arrested along with two Christian converts when around 30 intelligence agents raided a private Christian gathering in Narmak, North Tehran on August 21, 2020. A request for a retrial was rejected in August 2022. Anooshavan presented himself to Evin Prison on September 18, 2023.
We pray for Anooshavan to be freed, and for Christian converts in Iran to be allowed to practise their faith in peace.
Sunday May 12, 2024: PAKISTAN
Sadia Aslam, 17, and her elder sister Safia, 20, were abducted by three men while attending a party at a school on February 24, 2024. Both girls were drugged and raped by the men. The police were able to locate and free Sadia on March 6 through sim card tracing, but Safia’s whereabouts remain unknown.
We give thanks for Sadia’s return, pray for Safia to be freed, and remember all victims of abduction and forced marriage in Pakistan.
Sunday May 19, 2024: BANGLADESH
Lovelu Sadek converted to Christianity 10 years ago and became a pastor. Because Lovelu shared his faith openly, the family began to face opposition. In February 2024, Lovelu’s name was added to a list of people accused of blasphemy by Muslim extremists and he was jailed. Lovelu has now been bailed, but the charges against him have not been dropped.
We pray for protection for Lovelu and all Christian converts in Bangladesh.
Sunday May 28, 2024: MYANMAR
Hkalam Samson, a former Baptist leader and human rights advocate, was sentenced to six years in prison in April 2023 after speaking out about the oppression of minorities, including Christians, in Myanmar. On April 17 this year, he was pardoned and freed in an amnesty. However, within a matter of hours the military detained him again.
We pray for Pastor Hkalam in detention and for protection on the Christian minority in Myanmar.