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Lord Jesus, we praise You for Your glorious ascension into heaven, where You are now seated at the right hand of God the Father. We thank You that You continue to intercede for us and ask that Your Body on Earth will be the most receptive and effective channel for Your prayers, so that Your kingdom will advance. Thank You for the promise that because You are now in glory with the Father, we will do even greater works, whatever opposition and persecution appears. Give us grace to work for Your honour, for we ask in Your glorious Name. (1 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 10:12; John 14:12)
“The study and environment at my school is wonderful,” says Samsoon. He is one of many children from impoverished Christian families in Pakistan who are receiving a Christian education at a Christian school thanks to Barnabas Aid’s Living Streams sponsorship programme. The education these children receive gives them greater opportunity of getting a decent job and to break free of the cycle of poverty and illiteracy that has trapped their parents and grandparents. Give thanks also for the schools’ Christian teachers who, through their dedication, help strengthen the Church in Pakistan by ensuring a generation of youngsters grows up well educated and strong in the Lord.
“This was something out of my reach but thank you for believing in me and giving me an opportunity to make my dream a reality.” These words from Tania, a Computer Science student at Forman Christian College in Lahore, Pakistan, express her gratitude for Barnabas support to enable her to pursue her studies. Tania is one of 85 Christian students from impoverished backgrounds to benefit from a Barnabas-funded scholarship. Praise the Lord for the opportunity provided for these young believers, and ask Him to bless their studies to empower them to serve Him faithfully in the fields He has chosen for them in the years ahead (Jeremiah 29:11).
Pray for the release of Pakistani Christian Farhan Javed, who has been arrested for “blasphemy” despite having a mental illness which impedes him from fully understanding what this means. He was detained in January after it was alleged he had made derogatory remarks against Islam to a farmer in Sahiwal. Farhan’s family now fear for his life, as “blasphemy” allegations often provoke violence from Islamist extremists. Ask the Lord to watch over Farhan and his family, protecting them from violence. Pray that God will comfort Farhan during his imprisonment, and that he will be released soon.
Praise God for the acquittal of Christian Pakistani brothers Kalu and Tabish after their arrest on charges of “blasphemy”. They had been arrested in August 2024 after an accusation that they had desecrated the Quran – a charge which carries a life sentence. They were acquitted in January, when a judge ruled that there was no evidence against them. Give thanks for the acquittal and release of Kalu and Tabish, and ask God to watch over them and protect them from the mob violence which often follows “blasphemy” allegations.
Praise God for the return of Christian girl Saba Shafique to her family following her abduction from Lahore, Pakistan. Saba was taken hundreds of miles away, forcibly converted to Islam and married to her kidnapper. The abductor was identified as Muhammad Ali, a man known to Saba’s family. Legal representatives of the family accompanied police officers to rescue Saba from Ali’s custody. They were able to locate her, locked in a small room in a remote area. Police arrested her abductor. Saba disclosed that she had been subject to daily physical assaults by her “husband” and denied the right to contact her parents. She described her two-month ordeal as “living like a slave, completely helpless”. Give thanks for Saba’s rescue. Pray that the kidnappings and forced marriages of Pakistani girls will cease.
Hundreds of Islamists marched through the streets of Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, in March to demand that the country’s secular government be replaced with an Islamic caliphate. Before they were dispersed the protesters (who were supporters of the banned Islamist group Hizb-ut-Tahrir) chanted, “Caliphate! Caliphate!” Political instability has continued in Bangladesh following the collapse of Sheikh Hasina’s government in August 2024. Extremists within the Muslim majority have attacked both Hindus and Christians. Ask the Lord to bring stability to Bangladesh, for the sake of His people and all those who want to live in peace.
Lord God, thank You for empowering Your Church with the Holy Spirit. We praise You for His leading, guiding, teaching, counsel and gifts to build up Your people. We pray for the transforming work of the Spirit to help the Church throughout the Earth to be a powerful witness to Your majesty, particular in parts of the world where Your family suffers hardship and persecution. Please enable Your Church to be filled constantly with the Spirit to worship in ever-increasing depth of joy, to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, in whose precious Name we pray. (Acts 4:31; Ephesians 5:18-21)
Barnabas has provided emergency aid including rice, cooking oil and chickpeas to around 1,000 Christian families (approximately 5,000 people) in Myanmar. Many believers have been displaced during the ongoing conflict following the military coup in 2021, which was accompanied by an intensification in anti-Christian persecution by the country’s military. One church leader called the aid a “lifeline” for his community, “showing us that the global Church truly cares for its suffering members”. Give thanks for the provision of aid to remote areas where transport is difficult. Pray that God will protect His people in Myanmar (Psalm 34:7) and continue to provide for them and those charged with transporting aid.
“A total of 1,500 houses have been destroyed, leaving families homeless and struggling to survive,” said our project partner in Myanmar in an email to Barnabas. Five Christian villages close to the Myanmar border with India were laid waste following repeated air strikes and bombardments by the country’s military. Around 7,500 villagers from these farming communities have been forced to flee, including many who are elderly or very young. Pray that the Lord will bless the work of our project partners who are delivering Barnabas-funded emergency food supplies to this displaced community.
“I love praying, going to church, and learning all I can about Jesus!” says nine-year-old Srey Leak, who attends a Barnabas-supported education centre in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. The Buddhist-majority country is desperately poor, and the centre provides a safe space where children of the minority Christian population can get the education that they need, as well as growing in their faith. Praise God for the work of the centre in helping children break free from the cycle of poverty and illiteracy that traps other Cambodian children. Pray that with God’s grace, the centre can expand its work and help more Christian children.
A new cathedral on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, is close to being completed. The building replaces one torn down in 1975, the first year of Pol Pot’s brutal communist dictatorship. At least 1.2 million people, and perhaps as many as 2.8 million, died under the rule of Pot and the Khmer Rouge between April 1975 and January 1979. Christians, along with other religious communities such as Buddhists and Muslims, were among those targeted. Praise God that the rulers and authorities of this world can never destroy the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (Psalm 2:1-6).
Islamist extremists in West Java, Indonesia, held a protest in March outside a social centre that is being used as a meeting place for a Christian congregation. “We have used this venue since the 1980s, and we are currently in the process of requesting a building permit to designate it as our place of worship,” explained a church representative. Pray that the church will be able to get the permit that it needs, and that there will be peace and tolerance between Christians and the Muslim majority.
“I received your help right at the time I needed it,” said Pastor Irawan. “This makes me even more enthusiastic in serving God. Thank you very much. God bless you.” Pastor Irawan, from central Java, is among 300 pastors and evangelists in Indonesia for whom Barnabas has provided basic food items. Such support enables these church leaders, many of whom work second jobs, to maintain their ministry, often in Muslim-majority areas hostile to any Christian presence. Pray that the Lord will encourage His servants mightily and bless their work in building His Church in Indonesia.
Lord God, we thank You that the light of Your Gospel shines brightest in the thickest darkness. We pray that Your light will shine powerfully in Saudi Arabia, the birthplace and heartland of Islam. We ask You to encourage the small number of Saudi converts to Christianity to build themselves up in their most holy faith, even as they are forced to meet in secret. We pray that Your Church will flourish and grow even in the darkness, for we ask in the Name of the way, the truth and the life, our Lord Jesus Christ. (Jude v.20; John 14:6)
Fears are growing that Pastor Mojtaba Ahmadi, detained in Turkey on contested immigration charges since January 2024, faces imminent deportation back to Iran. Pastor Mojtaba, 57, a convert from Islam, fled persecution in Iran in 2013. In Turkey he has faced repeated difficulties in securing legal protection, as Turkish authorities have failed to grant him official refugee status or even conduct an interview regarding his case. Please ask the Lord to strengthen and protect Pastor Mojtaba amid such uncertainty. Pray that he will soon be released and the threat of deportation removed.
Church leaders have called for the release of Armenian prisoners still being held by Azerbaijan. In September 2023 the armed forces of Muslim-majority Azerbaijan launched an invasion of Nagorno-Karabakh, a self-governing Armenian Christian region within its borders. An estimated 120,000 people, almost the entire population of Karabakh, fled to Armenia. A statement about those still held by Azerbaijan said, “Many of them have been subjected to torture and degrading treatment, as documented by human rights organisations.” Pray for the release of these prisoners, and for the protection of Armenia from further aggression.
“Your support lifts our hope and spirits, reminding us that we are not alone in these difficult times.” These words from our project partner in Ukraine followed the successful distribution of essential aid to Christians living close to the front line. This consignment of aid provides for around 1,000 people and included dried food, blankets, sanitary towels, nappies, glasses and various other medical items. Give thanks for the safe transport of aid across dangerous terrain and its distribution to those in need. Pray that our brothers and sisters in Ukraine will be encouraged in their faith and kept from harm in the ongoing conflict.
New legislation that came into force in Kyrgyzstan at the beginning of 2025 has increased restrictions on freedom of religion or belief, including a ban on sharing faith in public. Churches or religious organisations seeking to obtain compulsory registration must now provide evidence of at least 500 adult founder members resident in a single region, rather than the minimum of 200 required previously. Pray for wisdom and discernment for church leaders to enable them to find ways for Christians to meet and worship in spite of the new restrictions. Ask that our brothers and sisters will not be discouraged, knowing the Lord will be with them wherever they are (Joshua 1:9).
Religious freedom experts say that laws restricting the activities of unofficial churches in China are only applied selectively. “Many activities, from religious discussions online to gathering in a house church or distributing unauthorised Christian publications, could potentially result in fines, detention, or worse,” reports China Source. “Yet concrete legal action against Christians is still relatively rare.” Pray that the relative freedom allowed to unofficial churches will not be taken away by the authorities. Ask that our Chinese brothers and sisters will continue to rest in the Lord whatever their circumstances (Philippians 4:11-13).
China’s official churches sometimes face greater pressures than unofficial churches. While a blind eye is sometimes turned to the activities of “house churches”, leaders in the official TSPM (Three-Self Patriotic Movement) churches must conform to the process of Sinicisation – that is, making Chinese, according to the Communist authorities’ understanding of what that means. In recent years, for example, pastors have been asked to study and teach their congregations about the speeches of President Xi Jinping. Ask the Lord, who gives wisdom and understanding to those who ask (Proverbs 2:6; James 1:5), to give such wisdom to Chinese church leaders as they navigate these challenges.
Our Father in Heaven, we ask that Your faithful followers in North Korea will know more of Your sustaining power. We praise You for their courage and perseverance in the hardest and harshest of situations for Christian believers in the whole world. Help us to learn from their example. Give us grace to cling to You and not to waver, no matter what we may have to endure and suffer. May we cheerfully deny ourselves, willingly take up whatever kind of cross is given to us, and follow You with faith, hope and love, to the glory of our Saviour’s Name. (Matthew 16:24)
The brutal murder of church minister Sylvester Okechukwu in Kaduna State, Nigeria, has renewed calls for improved security. Sylvester was kidnapped from his home, and his body discovered the next morning. Pray for the family and congregation of Sylvester, asking for comfort and strength during this challenging time. Ask that God will protect Nigerian church leaders who are facing persecution and shield them from harm. Pray also that He will bring justice to the land while strengthening the faith of Christians, filling them with courage, peace and hope.
Two young Christians were killed when Boko Haram, an Islamist terrorist group, attacked a community in the Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State, Nigeria. A woman was also injured as militants burned down a church building, shops and homes in Bazir village. The violence began just over a week earlier with raids on neighbouring villages, where another church and multiple homes were destroyed. Pray for the families mourning their loved ones, for healing for the injured, and for strength and courage for those living in fear. Ask for God’s protection over those still in danger and for peace to be restored in these communities.
Church leaders in the northern Nigerian states of Bauchi, Kano, Katsina and Kebbi have raised concerns about the closure of schools during the month of Ramadan. This is the first time that state authorities in Nigeria have ordered the closing of schools. “This decision, which affects not only Muslim students but also Christian students and Christian-owned schools, raises serious questions about the secular nature of our country and the rights of all citizens,” said one statement. The four states are among 12 in Nigeria that recognise sharia (Islamic law), but this is supposed to apply only to Muslim citizens. Pray that the state and federal governments of Nigeria will ensure that the religious freedom of Christians will not be made subservient to the Muslim majority in the country’s north.
At least 50 people died in floods that struck Zimbabwe in February. There has also been extensive damage to homes, schools and infrastructure. Christian-majority Zimbabwe was among the Southern African nations suffering acute drought and consequent food shortages; however, regions experiencing drought are vulnerable to flooding when rains do eventually come. At the time of writing Barnabas is working with project partners to develop a response to the flooding. Ask the Lord to bless our efforts to help and serve His people.
One Christian was killed and between 40 and 60 houses burned down when Islamic State (IS, ISIS, ISIL, Daesh) fighters attacked a village in the Meluco district of Cabo Delgado, northern Mozambique in March. Other attacks on civilians have been reported in the opening months of 2025. Islamic State Mozambique has been waging an insurgency in the north of the country since 2017, and in that time have killed more than 1,800 “infidel Christians”. Pray that the Lord will deliver His people from their enemies, from those who pursue them (Psalm 31:15).
“In Mozambique, people living with disability are among the most marginalised, stigmatised and excluded,” says our project partner, a Christian ministry based in Maputo, the national capital. It is estimated that three quarters of a million people in Mozambique live with disabilities. Many have no means of transportation, and are regularly subject to insults because of their condition. Working through churches and church leaders, our partner plans to provide specialised wheelchairs for adults and children with long-term disabilities and complex needs. With the generosity of our supporters, Barnabas is helping them achieve this. Pray that this project will enable many disabled Christians to feel God’s love through physical aid and give them the means to live their lives to the full.
Heavenly Father, we pray for Christians for whom life is especially difficult because of disability to body or mind. We ask that nothing will prevent them fulfilling their potential as children of God. We pray that, even in countries where Christians are a persecuted, impoverished minority, resources will be channelled to make them effective in Your service. We thank You for the assurance that Your power is manifest perfectly when we are perceived to be weak. We follow the example of the Lord Jesus Christ, whose grace is sufficient for us, in directing our prayers to You in His holy Name. (2 Corinthians 12: 9-10)
At the time of writing several shipments of food and other aid from the Barnabas .gives project are being planned, prepared, transported or distributed. Among the intended recipients are Christians in South Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Oceania. Pray that the Lord, who provides for His people through His people, will ensure the swift and unhindered delivery of this aid.
