Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin – No. 251 – Wed 17 Dec 2003

———————————- REMEMBERING PRISONERS AT CHRISTMAS ———————————-

Many Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus in freedom and security, with family, singing, feasting and gifts. Many others spend Christmas with their joy overshadowed by fear of impending jihad or terror, or the threat of fines, beatings or imprisonment if they are caught meeting together. Other believers spend Christmas in prisons and labour camps, separated from their families, hungry and cruelly treated because of their faith.

Once again we raise the call to fulfill the prayer of Christ and be one (John 17:21). We, the body of Christ, the Church, are one body (1 Cor 12:12,13), one spiritual temple (1 Peter 2:5-8), one chosen people, one kingdom of priests, one holy nation belonging to God (1 Peter 2:9,10). We are one – we need to be one. The fact of our unity needs to be expressed in action.

‘Dear friends, I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this because of your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit.’ Romans 15:30

Do you want to receive a gift this Christmas? Ask God to give you, through the Holy Spirit, a love for your brothers and sisters that will compel you to join them in their struggle by praying for them.

———————————

WE ESPECIALLY REMEMBER those believers who will spend Christmas in third world prisons, many suffering severely, in appalling conditions, abused, tortured and beaten. We particularly remember those we have been upholding in prayer throughout the year, some of whom are in –

+~+ CHINA: we pray especially for Pastor Gong Shengliang and the South China Church prisoners, and Chinese Church historian Zhang Yi- nan. We pray also for the hundreds of pastors, evangelists and simple, faithful believers who suffer in Chinese prisons and labour camps, charged with illegal worship and subversion.

+~+ COMMUNIST SOUTH EAST ASIA: we pray for those who for their faith and witness and Christian leadership are imprisoned in the jails and labour camps of Laos and Vietnam.

+~+ ERITREA: we pray for at least 334 evangelical believers who are imprisoned for their faith in nine known locations across Eritrea. Many of these suffering Eritrean believers are mere teenagers. The believers are barbarically imprisoned in metal shipping containers. They are tortured and deprived of adequate food, sanitation and ventilation. Some are in underground isolation cells. Some were arrested for meeting together, some for possessing Bibles – all for being affiliated with banned non-Orthodox evangelical churches. To be released, all they need do is renounce their faith.

+~+ INDONESIA: we pray for Pastor Renaldy Damanik imprisoned in Palu, Central Sulawesi, especially as his appeal to the Indonesian Supreme Court was recently rejected, causing much frustration and heartache.

+~+ NORTH KOREA: we pray for an estimated 100,000 Christians who will spend Christmas in the world’s most appalling and cruel concentration camps. Life expectancy is short as starvation and violence are commonplace. Christians are regarded as political criminals. They are imprisoned with their families, often to the fourth generation to ensure political purity. They will probably not know it is Christmas.

+~+ PAKISTAN: we pray for the Christians incarcerated on blasphemy charges, especially remembering Anwar Masih (recently arrested), and Christian school-teacher Pervaiz Masih (arrested April 2001). Two other believers arrested in 2001 are still awaiting trial, while another four sentenced to either death or life in prison are appealing their lower court judgments. Not only are Pakistani prisons extremely unpleasant, they are extremely dangerous for Christians accused of blasphemy.

———–

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR:

* all the suffering imprisoned believers to be comforted by the Comforter (2 Corinthians 1), counselled by the Counsellor (John 14), given peace from the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9), and justice from the Giver of justice (Proverbs 29:26).

* the families of all imprisoned believers to know the love of God and the peace that passes understanding. Pray for blessings of joy and provision, for demonstrations of God’s mercy and love, so their hearts will be guarded and their faith encouraged.

* the political leaders of nations where Christians are imprisoned, that their hearts will be redirected by the hand of the Lord (Proverbs 21:1).

———–

In the midst of our Christmas celebrations, we believe it is acceptable to take a few moments out to remember and even shed a tear for our imprisoned brothers and sisters. We cannot see them, but their heavenly Father sees them.

‘Don’t forget about those in prison. Suffer with them as if you were there yourself. Share the sorrows of those being mistreated, as though you feel their pain in your own bodies.’ Hebrews 13:3

—————————————————- Previous RLPs may be viewed at http://www.evangelicalalliance.org.au/rlc/ If you downloaded this message from a website or it was forwarded to you, you may receive future editions by sending an empty e-mail to <>

Please send this RLP to others, with attribution to World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) Religious Liberty Prayer List <> —————————————————-

The WEA Religious Liberty Commission sponsors this RL Prayer List to help individuals and groups pray specifically and regularly for religious liberty issues, and in particular to uphold the Church where it is suffering persecution.

RL Prayer is moderated by Ron Clough, a commissioner of the WEA RLC and convenor of the Australian EA RLC.

Elizabeth Kendal researched and authored this message.