#icommittopray

Pastor Liang Ziliang and several other church members in Heshan, Guangdong, were distributing Christian brochures and carrying anti-abortion banners in a local park when police began to photograph them. That night, Liang and his wife, Li Yinxiu, were called to the police station and detained on arrival. Following their arrest, police searched their home without a warrant. Their family later received two criminal detention notices accusing Liang and Li of violating Article 80 of China’s criminal law and organizing and supporting illegal gatherings. They are currently being held at the Heshan Municipal Detention Center. Members of the couple’s house church are very concerned about their arrests. Pray that Liang and Li will grow stronger in faith and feel God’s presence in jail. Pray that they will be released soon and be able to continue sharing the gospel and God’s love for the unborn. Pray that their house church members will remain committed to the gospel despite their anxiety.

Three churches in Surabaya, Indonesia, were attacked by suicide bombers from a single family on Sunday, May 13, resulting in at least 13 deaths. Two teenage boys from the family rode motorcycles into the Santa Maria Church and detonated explosives at 7:30 a.m., five minutes before their father drove a car packed with explosives into the Surabaya Center Pentecostal Church. Shortly afterward, the man’s wife and two daughters, ages 9 and 12, approached the Diponegoro Indonesian Christian Church and detonated a bomb when they were stopped by a security guard. At least 13 people died, not including the attackers. Pray that Christians in Indonesia will remain united.

(Pray For Two Christians Arrested After Sharing Literature)

A Pakistani Bible school student was arrested and detained for a day after giving Christian literature to a Muslim man who had asked for it. Samir was in the market with a friend when a Muslim shop owner asked for a set of his Christian books. After Samir gave them to him, the shop owner called police. Police then questioned Samir and his friend, confiscating their literature, money and phones before taking them to the police station. The two Christians were locked in an interrogation room for nearly 12 hours, until being released by a higher ranking officer who said he respected Christians. While in detention, the men prayed and recited as many Bible verses as they could remember. Both men continue to share the gospel with Muslims today, and Samir said the experience has made them even bolder.

A pastor serving one of India’s minority tribal groups was murdered last week by suspected Maoists. About 25 masked men abducted Pastor Abraham Topno from a taxi he was riding in, and the pastor’s beheaded body was found hours later along with a note signed by a communist rebel group operating in nearby Odisha state. According to a longtime friend of the pastor, he specifically chose to serve among the minority tribal group, despite the dangerous and challenging environment. His church had recently grown in number to about 60 believers. Pray for the pastor’s family and for Christians in the area.

(More than 200 Killed in Attacks on Christian Villages)

Muslim Fulani herdsmen attacked 10 Christian villages near Jos over the weekend of June 23–24, killing more than 200 people and displacing thousands. Several widows who had lost their husbands and homes in previous attacks have again lost their homes and been separated from their children. A statement issued by the Fulani Nationality Movement (FUNAM) said the attacks were in retaliation for previous attacks on Fulani people. “Any attack on a single Fulani is an attack on all,” the statement read. “Any of such attacks must be countered with triple measure.” Pray that God will comfort believers in Plateau state and remind them of His unfailing love. Pray that He will change the hearts of those who want to retaliate with new attacks, and pray for the VOM-supported widows.

(Pray for Christian Widow who Resisted Parents' Wishes to Marry a Muslim)

A young Christian widow’s family tried to force her to get remarried to a Muslim, but instead she chose Jesus. During her first marriage, Muna and her husband secretly converted from Islam. Muna’s husband died when their daughter was 8 years old. Muna’s family quickly insisted she remarry. They gave her a choice between two Muslim men. As she agonized over the decision, a speaker on a Christian television program she watched provided godly wisdom. The speaker said believers were not to be unequally yoked and that marriage is a holy covenant with God. “I knew then I must take a stand and trust that God will help me,” Muna said. The speaker’s words gave Muna the courage to tell her parents she would not remarry and to move out of their home so she and her daughter would have more freedom to worship. Pray for Muna and the many secret believers like her who are ministered to by godly television programs.

(Pray for Christian Orphans Abducted After Sharing the Gospel)

Several orphans from the Pa’O ethnic group were abducted by angry Buddhists in February 2017 after they distributed gospel tracts during a large Buddhist festival. The orphans, who live under the care of a Christian worker, had distributed gospel tracts in 18 Pa’O villages before being confronted by Buddhist monks at the festival. When the monks called for their arrest and attempted to shave their heads, the youth fled to their home with the Christian worker. But the monks sent villagers and Pa’O rebel army officers after the orphans, and four of them were taken. One managed to escape and return to his native village, while the other three were detained and had their heads shaved. After 10 days, another of the orphans was able to escape and return home. The two remaining boys are thought to be detained in a Buddhist monastery. Pray that the orphans will continue to grow in faith and that their evangelistic efforts will bear fruit and lead others to Christ. Also pray for the Christian worker as he cares for additional orphans and raises them as followers of Jesus.

(Pray for a Family Facing Persecution Following Their Daughter's Death)

A family that recently converted from Hinduism to Christianity has faced protests and threats from the community for burying their 7-year-old daughter, who died from an illness on Feb. 26, on their own land. Hindus in the community, who traditionally burn their dead, have protested the burial and threatened the local pastor. With help from police, the family was finally able to bury their daughter. VOM supported the grieving family and their pastor. Pray that this family of new believers will grow in faith and be a shining light for Christ in their village as they continue to mourn their daughter’s death.