China, India, Iraq, Sudan, Vietnam, Prayer Requests & Intercession for Persecuted Christians

Intercessor Report / Prayer Points

February 2003

China - House church leader Guoxing "Philip" Xu has been sentenced to 18 months of re-education through labor. He was arrested on December 8, 2002.
Prayer Points: Pray for Philip and other Chinese believers who are in labor camps. Ask the Lord to strengthen them both physically and spiritually. Pray that they could share the love of Christ with fellow prisoners as well as with prison officials.

India - An American missionary was attacked by Hindu militants in Kerala on January 13. Joseph Cooper, 67, suffered a deep cut to his right palm as well as other injuries sustained from being beaten with sticks and cut with a machete. Indian Pastor Benson Sam and his wife were also injured in the attack. Upon being released from the hospital in Trivandrum, Mr. Cooper was accused of illegal preaching and ordered to leave the country.
Prayer Points: Pray for the healing of Mr. Cooper and Pastor and Mrs. Sam. Also pray for Pastor Sam's young children who witnessed the attack. Ask the Lord to change the hearts of the Hindu militants who perpetrated the attack. Also ask God to soften the hearts of government leaders who have taken increasingly anti-Christian measures to prevent conversions.

Iraq - With a US war against Saddam Hussein seeming imminent, Christians in Iraq are in need of our prayers. The ancient Assyrian Christian community, which still speaks the language of Christ, numbers about 1.2 million. There are also various Christian denominations operating in relative freedom throughout Iraq. Recently, Bible distribution programs have been carried out in Baghdad. Christians fear that a regime change in Iraq may worsen their situation, especially the Assyrians who fear they will be disenfranchised by both the Iraqis and the Muslim Kurds.
Prayer Points: Pray that President Bush would act with wisdom regarding a possible war with Iraq. Pray that the Christian community of Iraq would not be singled out for persecution because of attacks from the "Christian" West. Ask the Lord to use the current tense situation to spark a revival throughout Iraq.

Sudan - The Government of Sudan has violated a cease-fire agreement signed with the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) last October at Machakos. GOS troops and equipment have been deployed to several areas and SPLA spokesmen report fighting has occurred in the Upper Nile area near the Talisman and Lundin oil installations. At least 10 villages in Leer and Mayom Counties were destroyed between December 31, 2002 and January 5 of this year.
Prayer Points: Pray that current fighting would be stopped and that it would not be a major set-back in the peace process. Pray for Christians who are displaced from their homes due to air raids and ground attacks. Ask the Lord to raise up many pastors and evangelists to minister to the needs of the Southern Sudanese people.

Vietnam - On December 29, 2002 about 100 Hmong believers were conducting a worship service in Lai Chau province when police sprayed a poisonous gas into the crowd of Christians. All of the Christians had to be hospitalized after breathing the fumes. Four children died and another three babies were killed in the womb. Five people are still in critical condition and remain hospitalized.
Prayer Points: Pray that Hmong Christians could worship unimpeded and that their faith would remain strong under recent pressure. Pray for other ethnic minorities, like the Montagnards, who have also been persecuted by the Vietnamese government.

Thanks for your prayers and action.
International Christian Concern

Posted:  January 28, 2003