As we prepare for Sunday’s International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, let’s lift up our brothers and sisters facing extreme violence, persecution and hunger in Sudan, ranked #4 on Open Doors’ World Watchlist of most dangerous countries in the world for Christians to live.
Many Sudanese Christians have been murdered this year for their faith. One young man, Amin Ismail, son of Pastor Ismail Azzaz, was in Kobar Prison for over a year, even though he was found innocent of any crime. He was recently released, but his life is still in danger because an influential Muslim desires his wife. (International Christian Concern, October 23)
More than 100 churches have been damaged or destroyed in the 93% Muslim nation in North Africa since the start of the brutal war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces in 2023. “Many church buildings have been bombed, taken over and used as bases by militias and radical groups,” writes Open Doors.
“Converts from Islam live in constant fear and face intense threats, including social isolation, violence from militias and rejection from their families. Historical Christian communities suffer forced church closures, church-registration denials and even destruction of their buildings. Faith leaders and expatriates increasingly experience arbitrary arrest and detention due to the ongoing conflict.”
The war has terrorized Christians, Muslims and other people groups in the area, killing anywhere from 150,000 to 400,000, and displacing more than 14 million. Christians, who make up 4.5 percent (about two million) of Sudan’s 43 million, have faced attacks from both Muslim militants and fellow refugees, as they flee the violence.
“People are extremely traumatized, and this impacts our witness. Pray for Christians to receive emotional and spiritual healing from what they have seen in the war. It’s not just our buildings that have been broken down, but also our people.”
RAFAT SAMIR, A SUDANESE CHURCH LEADER AND CHAIRMAN OF THE EVANGELICAL COMMUNITY COUNCIL FOR SUDAN.
Read more persecution news from Sudan here:
- “As the brutal civil war in Sudan continues, ask God to bring about a peaceful resolution and help the church to be peacemakers in this war.
- “Pray for believers who suffer from the civil war and have been forced to flee, or who have no choice but to stay and hunker down. Ask God to protect them.
- “Pray that Christians in Sudan could carefully live as salt and light, and show that Jesus’ peace is a better way.
- “Pray for the future of the church in Sudan and wisdom for her leaders. Even if the warring parties are able to come to a peace resolution, neither are favourable towards the church.”
Lord, please be a Shield around every Christian, protecting them from harm and bringing their families to safety. Provide for all their needs and bring Christian pastors and aid workers to them and to the lost to bring healing and share the gospel. Make Your people a beacon of light in the midst of so much darkness, shining the way to salvation and eternal life, and showing the lost abundant love, joy and peace that can be ours in Christ, even in such tragedy. For those who have witnessed and endured terrible torture and abuse, please heal their hearts and minds. Be merciful to them, O Father. Set them free from nightmares, panic and fear. Plant deep within them faith, hope and love so fierce, fear must flee. Bring to justice those who rape, torture and kill. Replace lies with Truth, hatred with a desire for Love so strong extremists will lay down their weapons, repent and seek Your salvation. Give all Muslims a craving for a better way, for salvation, for a God who loves, heals and restores, for a nation that blesses its people, rather than destroying them. Meet Muslims in their dreams and give them visions of You. Open their hearts to Truth and give them courage to leave their traditions to follow Christ. Lift the veil from their eyes so they will see You as You truly are. Save lost Muslims by the millions, Lord. Make a way for the Bible to be translated into the languages of all 141 people groups yet unreached with the gospel. Multiply Your church and awaken every mind and heart to You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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