VOM-USA Prayer Update for April 23, 2010

Prayer is the pulse of life; by it the doctor can tell what is the condition of the heart. The sin of prayerlessness is a proof for the ordinary Christian or minister that the life of God in the soul is in deadly sickness and weakness." - Andrew Murray

"praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints" - Ephesians 6:18


On Tue. Apr 20 2010 at 01:09 PM Moderator wrote:
PAKISTAN — Hindu Background Believers Harassed — VOM Contacts

Christians who have left Hinduism and accepted Christ have been harassed, verbally abused and beaten by Muslims in Pakistan, according to VOM contacts. On Sept. 11, 2009, “Mahir,” a VOM contact in Pakistan, distributed 200 VOM Action Packs, 200 Triumphant Church books and 55 New Testaments to Hindu tribal people in Pakistan. That day, five Hindus were baptized in a water tube that supplies water to nearby fields. “On the same evening, 15 fanatic Muslims, including Muhammad Akram Muhammad Aslam, Muhammad Nadeem and their fellows came to Mahir and verbally abused her and stopped her visiting this village,” VOM contacts said.
Later that night, the Muslims visited Kishan, a Hindu background Christian, and threatened him.
Kishan shared his testimony with the Muslim men and told them the wonderful changes Christ had brought to his life. The men did not harm Kishan, but Muslim extremists later attacked and beat Kishan’s son “Hassan.” Kishan’s testimony touched the heart of a fanatic who was one of the persecutors. “‘Bashir’ and his family are seekers, and they have accepted Jesus Christ and have secretly been praying for their faith to grow strong,” VOM contacts said. Praise God for the strong faith of these believers in the face of persecution. Pray that God will give them boldness to continue serving him and sharing their testimony. Praise God for Mahir’s faithfulness, and pray for her protection.

Psalm 18

CHINA UPDATE — Court Rejects Uyghur Christian’s Appeal — ChinaAid Association

On March 16, The People’s High Court of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region rejected an appeal from Uyghur house-church leader Alimujiang Yimiti, according to ChinaAid Association. In October 2009, Alimujiang was sentenced to 15 years in prison for “providing state secrets to overseas organizations.” One of Alimujiang’s lawyers believes Alimujiang’s Muslim background plays a large part in the case. “We are fairly sure that there are a lot of factors which are totally outside the law that have influenced the investigation of this case. This is very clear from the procedures that were followed within the courts and from the final decision,” another lawyer said. Pray that Alimujiang, his wife and their two sons will rest in the knowledge that God is in control. Pray that God will protect and strengthen Alimujiang while he is in prison, and pray that the authorities will act justly in this case.

Psalm 23

IRAN UPDATE — Iranian Christians Await Court Ruling — Elam Ministries

Maryam Rustampoor and Marzieh Amirizadeh, Iranian Christians who were arrested by security forces in March 2009, await the results of an April 13 court hearing, according to Elam Ministries. The women, who were accused of being anti-government activists, were conditionally released from the notorious Evin Prison in November 2009. Maryam and Marzieh have been receiving medical treatment since their release from prison, but they remain weak and suffer from various illnesses. The outcome of the April 13 hearing was unknown at last report. Pray that God will protect Maryam and Marzieh physically and spiritually. Pray that they will recover completely from their illnesses and remain bold in their witness for Christ. Pray that all charges will be dropped.

Psalm 91