**Prayer Topic: Persecuted Christians in Cuba (Latin America) Despite the change in leadership in 2018, churches in Cuba face unrelenting pressure from the government, which remains committed to communism’s atheistic ideology and views churches as a threat to the revolution begun by Che Guevara and Fidel Castro in the 1950s. Cubans are poor, and the government seeks to control every aspect of their lives. In April 2021, Miguel Diaz-Canel was announced as Raul Castro’s successor as first secretary of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party — the first time the country has been governed by someone other than a Castro since the revolution. Then in July 2021, Cubans protested their deteriorating living conditions and called for an end to dictatorship. Most Cubans are atheists. A significant number of Cubans engage in superstitious and spiritist practices, including the Afro-Cuban religion of Santeria. The government is the prime persecutor of Christians. Unlike the overt violence Christians faced during the Communist Cuban Revolution, more subtle methods of persecution are now used by the Cuban government, largely out of concern for its global reputation. Christian leaders are often summoned by government officials for questioning or detained up to 48 hours to pressure them, and churches are demolished by hired gangs so the government can deny responsibility. Legal church buildings are seized, and no new church buildings have been legally built in the country since the revolution. Many believers meet in illegal house churches, often extensions of the pastor’s home or shaded structures in the backyard of a family’s home. Churches continue to grow through active evangelistic activity, but some believers have never owned a Bible because of government oppression. Though no Christians are known to be imprisoned in Cuba, many are closely watched and are effectively under house arrest. In addition, Christians are often denied jobs and educational opportunities. Though great strides have been made in Bible distribution, access remains restricted. In 2017, Cuba allowed the purchase and sale of Bibles only to members of the ecumenical Protestant church organization, but most Christian literature remains illegal. There are no Christian bookstores in Cuba. There is a shortage of Bibles, which even when available can cost a third of a worker’s monthly income. *The Scripture for today is found in the insert of your bulletin: Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. (MARK 10:29-30) Prayer by Pastor Chester: Our Father, we lift up to You our Cuban brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ in Latin America. Lord, we pray for the spirit of atheism to be broken. We pray the spirit of superstition, communist ideologies, the false spiritist practices will be proven powerless, and the Cuban people will turn from their ways and seek Your face. Father God, we speak against every stronghold of violence and opposition from the governmental authorities against Your gospel and Your people to stop in the powerful name of Your one and only Son our Lord Jesus! We pray that churches closed by civil authorities will be opened again. We pray for Cuban Christians held for interrogation and harassed and fined will be released, untouched, and provided for. We pray for Bible distribution to be successful for all those whose eyes and ears are opening to You. We pray for the house churches meeting secretly in the backyards of their homes – Father, hear their worship, be glorified in their praises, and sustain their passion and love for Your Son that grows stronger with persecution. We pray especially you guard the children, the homeless children, the vulnerable youth of Cuba – Lord, have mercy and protect them from the evil one. Fill us with a greater burden to pray for our Cuban brothers and sisters. Make us Your house of prayer for all nations. We do not take for granted today Your grace and freedom in gathering to worship You. Lord, we long for the same in this distant land. In the risen Lord and Savior of the Cuban people, Jesus Christ’s name we pray, Amen.
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**Prayer Topic: Persecuted Christians in Benin (west Africa) Benin is a small country bordering western Nigeria. It is the birthplace of voodoo, and Christianity is viewed by many in the north as a threat to their traditional beliefs. Every village and many homes in the north have a designated place for animal sacrifice (and sometimes human sacrifice). Voodoo is an official religion, and Voodoo Day is a public holiday. Witchcraft is deeply ingrained in the local culture and is openly practiced. Christianity is considered a foreign religion that steals a community’s youth and prevents them from being properly initiated into the local tribes. Every village chief serves as both a political leader and a voodoo priest. About 30 percent of the people in Benin are Christians. Nearly 40 percent practice ethnic religions, and another 30 percent are Muslims. Believers are persecuted by their family and community. Persecution is prevalent in the north. New converts to Christianity are beaten and sometimes killed, while church buildings are routinely destroyed. Villages keep evangelists out and prevent construction of new churches. Bibles are available, but they are hard to find in rural areas. *The Scripture for today is found in the insert of your bulletin: You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (MATTHEW 5:13-16) Prayer by Pastor Chester: Our Father, we lift up to You our Beninese brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ in west Africa. Lord, would You break the strongholds of voodoo, witchcraft and superstition that has gripped this nation. In the all-powerful name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we speak against these demonic realms with the authority of King Jesus – from every city to every village to every home in Benin. Open their blinded eyes, their deaf ears, to see and to hear of the once-for-all sacrifice in the blood of Your only Son Jesus – and not by any other sacrificial means – that can save them from their all their sins and impending death. Help Beninese believers grow in their faith with audio Bibles in their own language. We pray for those who are persecuted by their families with witchcraft curses to remain faithful in the gospel, to not be moved in their love for You and the power You give them over the idolatry around them. We pray every voodoo priest will bend their knee to our Great High Priest Jesus, who is the only one worthy to be our Mediator and Redeemer. Fill us with a greater burden to pray for our brothers and sisters in west Africa. Make us Your house of prayer for all nations. Fill our hearts with overflowing thankfulness for the freedom and privilege we cannot take for granted today in gathering to worship You. Lord, we long for the same in this distant land. In the risen Lord and Savior of the Beninese people, Jesus Christ’s name we pray, Amen.
**Prayer Topic: Persecuted Christians in Azerbaijan (Asia/Europe) Azerbaijan is a small nation between the boundaries of west Asia and east Europe, surrounded by the Caspian Sea and mountainous terrain. Formerly part of the Russian Soviet republic, the country gained independence upon the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Although Azerbaijan is rich in oil and gas reserves, corruption and the country’s authoritarian government have impeded economic growth. Nevertheless, poverty has been reduced and the country’s infrastructure is gradually improving. 85 percent of Azerbaijanis are Shiite Muslims and 2 percent are Christians within a population of over 10 million. Families are the main persecutors of Christians. Azerbaijan has a shame-honor culture in which those who leave Islam are considered to have brought shame on the family. The government also pressures Christians with heavy fines. For many years now, churches have been denied the ability to register legally. Secret police attend and sometimes raid church meetings, which the government classifies as illegal. In 2015, the government published a list of banned religious books that included the Old Testament. Those caught with banned religious literature are fined. The government is tightening restrictions and often asks church leaders to submit lists of members’ names. Some pastors and leaders feel this is an attempt to gather information for later use against church members or pastors. Many Christians faithfully share Christ with neighbors and family members despite legal pressure and possible fines. Bibles are difficult to obtain. Churches can purchase them, but they cannot be printed legally. The Scripture for today is: We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. (2 CORINTHIANS 4:8-12) Prayer by Pastor Chester: Our Father, we lift up to You our Azerbaijani brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ in west Asia and east Europe. We pray Your hand of power will remove the restrictions that the government imposes on them. By Your providence, remove the heavy fines of the government against them. Uplift those who have lost their income. Let them be all the more bold to preach the name of Jesus even in the face of financial loss, and let no financial burden hinder Your work from pressing forth to more souls in need of You. Continue to turn hearts to you, even when met with persecution from their families. Let their joy in honoring Your Son outweigh the shame they bear before persecuting family members. Guard the hearts of the front-line missionaries in small towns and the churches gathering faithfully. Fill us with a greater burden to pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ. Fill our hearts with greater thankfulness for the grace we have to freely gather and worship Christ today, the same freedom in Jesus that we long for in this distant land. In the risen Lord and Savior of the Azerbaijani people, Jesus Christ’s name we pray, Amen.
**Prayer Topic: Persecuted Christians in Venezuela, South America The authoritarian Venezuelan government is hostile toward Christian outreach, and Marxist guerrillas operate freely along the country’s border with Colombia. The Scripture for today is: But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled. (1 PETER 3:14) Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (PSALM 23:4) Prayer by Pastor Chester: Our Father, we lift up to You our Venezuelan brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ in South America. We pray that Christians in Venezuela will be discerning and remain faithful to Christ when faced with atheistic Marxist ideology. We pray that Venezuelans will recognize the emptiness and darkness of Marxist ideology and turn to Christ. We pray for a great hunger for Your Word among Venezuelan Christians, and pray that they will each have access to a Bible. Lord, we grieve for Venezuela, and the hostility and violence that pervades the country with no reference given to You as their God, Creator, and Savior. We pray especially for the young children – protect them from the evil one. Let us never take for granted the grace we have today to gather and worship You in freedom and life, the same we long for in Venezuela. In the risen Savior of the Venezuelan people, Jesus Christ’s name we pray, Amen. |
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