Christians fleeing religious persecution

Please pray for Christians around the world who are
fleeing their countries because of their faith.

Christians around the world are fleeing for their lives, and they are now facing opposition in the very places they seek refuge.

The Australian Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission recently released a Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin requesting prayer for the safety and refuge of Christians forced to take flight because of their beliefs.

Christians fleeing Eritrean persecution and totalitarian government have normally made for Egypt and Yemen. Both, however, are no longer considered safe havens for Christians.

Barnabas Aid reports about 500-600 Eritrean refugees are currently being detained by authorities in Egypt, while another 100-200 are in the hands of traffickers. Eritreans seeking refuge in Israel must cross the Sinai Desert. The journey is perilous because of the conditions and the risk of running into bandits or traffickers.

North Korean refugees in search of the Christian-organized “underground railroad” instead fall into Chinese captivity. The Chinese security forces return them to North Korea to be executed or jailed.

In the Ivory Coast, Christians are fleeing ethnic, religious and political cleansings enforced by the government. While some Christians remain despite the risks, others live as refugees in Liberia.

The increasing violence along Sudan’s North-South border is leading to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of predominantly Christian Southerners. As their home regions are bombed, many Christian families are being left with nowhere to turn.

Please join us in praying for our persecuted brothers and sisters!

• Pray God will keep them safe as they flee; hidden from wild animals, people-traffickers and criminals; and sustained while in oceans, deserts, dangerous cities and other hostile environments.
• Pray the Holy Spirit will sanctify them as they seek their place in the purposes of God, confidently looking to Jesus, as He is well able to meet their every need.
• Pray particularly for those who are currently in the hands of jailers or unscrupulous people-traffickers. May the God of all grace, mercy and justice draw these vulnerable believers into His presence, deliver them from violence and brutality and restore their liberty and security.