Abubakar Shekau, leader of the Boko Haram.
(Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Africa (MNN) — From Sunday, May 25, to the following Sunday, June 1, the Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram destroyed 43 churches in northern Nigeria and killed at least 30 believers. Bent on establishing an Islamic state ruled by Sharia law, the Boko Haram has killed over 12,000 people–mostly Christian–since it launched its insurgency in 2009.

The violent Muslim-Christian divide isn’t limited to Nigeria though, says Greg Kelley, the Executive Director of World Mission. “Nigeria is really a microcosm of the [whole] North Africa situation,” he notes.

The push for control of Africa from radical Islamic groups, like Boko Haram and al-Shabaab, usually costs believers their lives. According to Kelley, the nine African nations between the Atlantic and Indian oceans are “a 5,000 mile [wide] swath that is some of the most volatile areas in the world.”

Yet, this is the expanse World Mission targeted for their Coast-to-Coast for Africa campaign. What exactly is the Coast-to-Coast for Africa campaign? Find out here.

“We’re targeting the persecuted Christians, and we’re targeting followers of Islam to bring them to the knowledge of Jesus Christ,” Kelley summarizes. They’re asking you and your friends to pray for their efforts on two specific days: June 8 and December 31.

June 8

(GDOP logo as shared on the Global Day of Prayer Facebook page)

World Mission is timing its first call-to-prayer to coincide with the 2014 Global Day of Prayer (GDOP). GDOP began as a day of prayer for South Africa in 2000 and then expanded its focus to the entire continent of Africa. In 2005, believers from 156 of the world’s 220 nations united for the first GDOP.

This Sunday, “Pray for Christians who are living in this zone where Christianity and Islam collide in northern Africa,” requests Kelley.

Ask the Lord to strengthen and encourage persecuted believers. Pray that Muslim hearts will be softened and that they will understand the Gospel Truth.

“There’s no one more zealous for the Gospel than a converted Muslim,” Kelley says. “They are very zealous of their religion. They’re praying five times a day, they’re fasting; they have their pilgrimage.

“When a follower of Islam becomes a Christian, they apply that same tenacity to the Gospel, and they are amazing missionaries.”

Even hardened Islamic extremists, inarguably the most radical in their Muslim faith, can’t overcome the power of the Living Word.

“We hear accounts on a weekly basis of Boko Haram individuals becoming followers of Jesus because they’ve opened their heart up to it,” says Kelley. “As long as the heart is soft and receptive to the Word of God, God is going to do a work in that person’s life.”

“We’re really trying to mobilize people around two specific dates where we can have an amazing impact in the continent of Africa.”

Will you stand with us and World Mission in prayer this Sunday? Join the event we’ve created on Facebook, and then share it with a friend!

December 31
It doesn’t take much to realize June 8th and the Global Day of Prayer are appropriate choices for World Mission’s prayer initiative. But, December 31 seems to lack the same connection.

New Year’s Eve signifies the hope of a new beginning, Kelley explains. “Almost more so than any other place, we need to come alongside our persecuted brothers and sisters [in Africa] and just give them hope and encouragement that there’s something new, something better coming,” he says.

“We’re really trying to mobilize people around two specific dates where we can have an amazing impact in the continent of Africa.”

To learn how you can pray for Muslims around the world on Ramadan, check out  30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World.

(Image courtesy Open Doors USA)

Nigeria (MNN) — According to a recent Associated Press report, a Boko Haram mastermind is getting life in prison for his terrorist activities.

Earlier this year, a Nigerian court found Kabiru Sokoto guilty of terrorism and murder. Reuters says he received a life sentence for plotting a failed July 2011 attack in the northwestern city of Sokoto, in addition to a 10-year sentence for failing to inform authorities of the Christmas attack on a Catholic Church.

Sokoto was initially thought to be the “mastermind” behind the Christmas Day bombing, but prosecutors could only prove that he failed to tell police the attack was going to happen.

Boko Haram attacks contribute greatly to Nigeria’s #13 spot on the Open Doors World Watch List, a ranking of countries where persecution is most severe. Since 2009, the terror sect has been trying to wipe out Christians in northern Nigeria and create a purely Islamic state.

Pray that Sokoto’s sentencing will not trigger more persecution against Christians.

The decision came last week, and Open Doors USA President/CEO David Curry says it’s not clear why this designation took so long.

“What is clear is that across the board, our government seems to be hesitating on calling out Christian persecution, wherever it’s happening across the globe,” says Curry.

“[The U.S. has] some geopolitical connections with these governments, in many, many cases, but yet we’re not encouraging them to crack down, try to protect Christians where persecution is happening.”

Boko Haram, whose name means ‘Western education is sin’, has been attacking churches and believers in northern Nigeria since 2009. The U.S. State Department designated three of Boko Haram’s top leaders as terrorists in June 2012, but stopped short of applying the label to the entire group.

“We would love to see more responsiveness on this point, and really calling it what it is when it happens, wherever it happens,” says Curry.

According to an official statement issued last Wednesday, the terror designations forbid a provision of “material resources” to Boko Haram and splinter group Ansaru.

“Without these kinds of designations, I don’t think people take them seriously,” Curry explains.

“They sort of sense that maybe they’re random; but these aren’t random attacks. These are planned attacks; these are targeted attacks in the northern part of Nigeria to eliminate, to squeeze out, Christianity in those regions.”

He hopes the designation means more than just words on paper.

“We hope that there’ll be dollars available, that there’ll be anti-terrorist training continuing for some of their police forces and military forces that will help to protect Christians there,” Curry states.

But the actions of Nigerian Christians speak volumes.

“Christians are praying there; they’re holding together in unity,” says Curry. “They are saying, ‘We have to find a spiritual solution, because a practical, physical solution seems to be so slow here on the ground’.”

Will you join them?

“Pray for those families that have been directly affected by loss of life,” Curry suggests.

“There are people, entire congregations, who’ve lost their church, their pastors have been killed. We want the freedom for people to go to church without fear of being hurt, without fear of the church being bombed.

“These are simple things that we don’t even think twice about here in the States, but would be very important things to pray for. Not just in Nigeria, but around the world.”

Find more ways to pray here.

The decision came last week, and Open Doors USA President/CEO David Curry says it's not clear why this designation took so long.

"What is clear is that across the board, our government seems to be hesitating on calling out Christian persecution, wherever it's happening across the globe," says Curry.

"[The U.S. has] some geopolitical connections with these governments, in many, many cases, but yet we're not encouraging them to crack down, try to protect Christians where persecution is happening."

Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is sin," has been attacking churches and believers in northern Nigeria since 2009. The U.S. State Department designated three of Boko Haram's top leaders as terrorists in June 2012, but stopped short of applying the label to the entire group.

"We would love to see more responsiveness on this point, and really calling it what it is when it happens, wherever it happens," says Curry.

According to an official statement issued last Wednesday, the terror designations forbid a provision of "material resources" to Boko Haram and splinter group Ansaru.

"Without these kinds of designations, I don't think people take them seriously," Curry explains.

"They sort of sense that maybe they're random; but these aren't random attacks. These are planned attacks; these are targeted attacks in the northern part of Nigeria to eliminate, to squeeze out, Christianity in those regions."

Curry hopes the designation means more than just words on paper.

"We hope that there'll be dollars available, that there'll be anti-terrorist training continuing for some of their police forces and military forces that will help to protect Christians there," Curry states.

But the actions of Nigerian Christians speak volumes.

"Christians are praying there; they're holding together in unity," says Curry. "They are saying, 'We have to find a spiritual solution, because a practical, physical solution seems to be so slow here on the ground'."

Will you join them?

"Pray for those families that have been directly affected by loss of life," Curry suggests.

"There are people, entire congregations, who've lost their church, their pastors have been killed. We want the freedom for people to go to church without fear of being hurt, without fear of the church being bombed.

"These are simple things that we don't even think twice about here in the States, but would be very important things to pray for–not just in Nigeria, but around the world."

Find more ways to pray here.

(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Battle lines have deepened since April, as Sunni Islamist militants kill increasing numbers of civilians to invoke “revenge” on the Shi’ite government. Since 2013 began, nearly 5,000 people have lost their lives in sectarian violence.

“The mujahideen (holy warriors) will not stand with their hands tied while the despicable project of Iran shows its ugly face in Iraq and the Levant,” the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) stated on a militant Internet forum.

The al Qaeda branches of Iraq and Syria merged in August to form this new group, which quickly rose up as the main opposition fighting President Basheer al-Assad’s reign in Syria. An analyst at the Center for International and Strategic Studies, Jon Alterman, recently told TIME Magazine that Syria’s civil war is playing a “huge part” in Iraq’s tension.

“You’re having jihadis from all over the world traveling to Syria, being considered surplus and being sent to carry out suicide attacks in Iraq,” said Alterman.

Statements made by U.S. officials seem to confirm this reality.

“Over the last two years, we’ve had an average of about 5 to 10 suicide bombers a month, in 2011 and 2012,” a senior U.S. official said at an August press briefing. “We’ve seen over the last 90 days the suicide bomber numbers approach around 30 a month, and we still suspect most of those are coming in from Syria…what that shows is a fairly sophisticated al-Qaida network.”

Canon Andrew Wright refuses to leave Iraq, despite escalating violence. (Story image courtesy Voice of the Martyrs Canada)

Voice of the Martyrs Canada works alongside St. George’s Church in Baghdad, supporting a variety of their projects: feeding programs, medical and dental clinics, etc. Spokesman Greg Musselman says their partner, Canon Andrew Wright, told him the last few weeks have been especially terrible.

“‘There’s no longer ‘rumors of war’, war is here,'” Musselman says Wright told him.

While the overall violence gripping Iraq is primarily between Shi’ite and Sunni followers of Islam, Musselman says Christians fall victim too.

“It’s definitely having a devastating effect on the Church, because of everything that’s happening with the rise up of militant Islam,” he states. “The Church has been so decimated and it’s become so small.

“Before the First World War, about 20% of the population in the Middle East was Christian. Now, it’s anywhere between 2 and 4%, and shrinking.”

In a recent interview, Musselman says Wright revealed a ‘shocking’ statistic.

“More than 1,200 people in his church have been killed since 2003,” says Musselman.

Click here to read a recent letter to Voice of the Martyrs Canada from Reverend Wright.

Born in England, Wright leads the only Anglican Church in Baghdad. Musselman says Wright has dedicated his life to the people of Iraq, and often tells them in times of turmoil, ‘I’m not going to leave you, don’t leave me!’

“But, now he’s hearing from many of them, including those very close to him…’You know what, it’s just too dangerous. We need to get out of here’,” explains Musselman.

“I confess that such statements drove me to tears,” Wright penned in a letter to Musselman.

“Then I remembered that He who has called me to this place will never fail me. As He remained with Daniel so he will remain with me.”

The rise of radical Islam in Iraq and the perseverance of Christ-followers like Wright point a conundrum.

“If all the Christians leave Iraq…where will the Light be?” asks Musselman.

“A million Christians have left the country, and that’s decimating what already was a fairly small Church…but even in the midst of all that, there are still those that are willing to stay and be the Light, and even start house churches…because they really believe that God wants them there.”

Want to know the best way to help them? It’s easy. Pray.

“There’s a number of things I think that we can pray for, but the number one thing is that fear would not overtake our brothers and sisters in Christ,” says Musselman.

Or, you can click here to send resources and other forms of encouragement to persecuted believers in Iraq through Voice of the Martyrs Canada.

“Just remember, these are our brothers and sisters in Christ. We’re not physically with them, but spiritually we are,” says Musselman. “We’re in this together; pray and as the Lord maybe tells some of us to go or to do something practical, we need to do that.”

Battle lines have deepened since April, as Sunni Islamist militants kill increasing numbers of civilians to invoke "revenge" on the Shi'ite government. Since 2013 began, nearly 5,000 people have lost their lives in sectarian violence.

"The mujahideen [holy warriors] will not stand with their hands tied while the despicable project of Iran shows its ugly face in Iraq and the Levant," the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) stated on a militant Internet forum.

The al Qaeda branches of Iraq and Syria merged in August to form this new group, which quickly rose up as the main opposition fighting President Basheer al-Assad's reign in Syria. An analyst at the Center for International and Strategic Studies, Jon Alterman, recently told TIME Magazine that Syria's civil war is playing a "huge part" in Iraq's tension.

"You're having jihadis from all over the world traveling to Syria, being considered surplus and being sent to carry out suicide attacks in Iraq," said Alterman.

Statements made by U.S. officials seem to confirm this reality.

"Over the last two years, we've had an average of about 5 to 10 suicide bombers a month in 2011 and 2012," a senior U.S. official said at an August press briefing. "We've seen over the last 90 days the suicide bomber numbers approach around 30 a month, and we still suspect most of those are coming in from Syria…. What that shows is a fairly sophisticated al-Qaeda network."

Voice of the Martyrs Canada works alongside St. George's Church in Baghdad, supporting a variety of their projects: feeding programs, medical and dental clinics, etc. Spokesman Greg Musselman says their ministry partner, Canon Andrew Wright, told him the last few weeks have been especially terrible.

"'There are no longer 'rumors of war:' war is here,'" Musselman says Wright told him.

While the overall violence gripping Iraq is primarily between Shi'ite and Sunni followers of Islam, Musselman says Christians fall victim, too.

"It's definitely having a devastating effect on the Church because of everything that's happening with the rise up of militant Islam," he states. "The Church has been so decimated and it's become so small.

"Before the First World War, about 20% of the population in the Middle East was Christian. Now, it's anywhere between 2 and 4%–and shrinking."

In a recent interview, Musselman says Wright revealed a "shocking" statistic.

"More than 1,200 people in his church have been killed since 2003," says Musselman.

Click here to read a recent letter to Voice of the Martyrs Canada from Reverend Wright.

Born in England, Wright leads the only Anglican Church in Baghdad. Musselman says Wright has dedicated his life to the people of Iraq, and often tells them in times of turmoil, "I'm not going to leave you. Don't leave me!"

"But now he's hearing from many of them, including those very close to him: 'You know what, it's just too dangerous. We need to get out of here,'" explains Musselman.

"I confess that such statements drove me to tears," Wright penned in a letter to Musselman.

"Then I remembered that He who has called me to this place will never fail me. As He remained with Daniel, so He will remain with me."

The rise of radical Islam in Iraq and the perseverance of Christ-followers like Wright reveal a conundrum.

"If all the Christians leave Iraq…where will the Light be?" asks Musselman.

"A million Christians have left the country, and that's decimating what already was a fairly small Church…. But even in the midst of all that, there are still those that are willing to stay and be the Light, and even start house churches…because they really believe that God wants them there."

Want to know the best way to help them? It's easy. Pray.

"There are a number of things I think that we can pray for, but the number one thing is that fear would not overtake our brothers and sisters in Christ," says Musselman.

To provide tangible support, click here to send resources and other forms of encouragement to persecuted believers in Iraq through Voice of the Martyrs Canada.

"Just remember, these are our brothers and sisters in Christ. We're not physically with them, but spiritually we are," says Musselman. "We're in this together. Pray! And as the Lord maybe tells some of us to go or to do something practical, we need to do that."

The Associated Press reports Islamic militants attacked the church in Yobe state just before dawn yesterday; the incident went unnoticed by nearly all major media outlets.

Dr. David Curry, President and CEO of Open Doors USA, points to the attack as the latest in a rising tide of persecution sweeping the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

"We've had situations in the last three weeks in Iraq, in Syria, in Pakistan, and now last night in northern Nigeria, where people are targeting believers," says Curry. "My greatest concern is that there won't be any pressure to follow-up on this attack.

"Attack after attack on Christians seems to go by the wayside."

Thousands have fallen in Nigeria alone at the hands of the Islamic terrorist group, Boko Haram. Their name means "Western education is sinful," and their four-year-old terror campaign seeks to rid northeast Nigeria of all who follow Christ.

Yobe is one of three northeastern states currently under emergency rule, as Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan tries to quell Boko Haram insurgents.

"The threat of terrorism in a few states in the northeastern part of our country has proven to be a challenge to national stability," Jonathan told UN leaders earlier this week. "We will spare no effort in addressing this menace."

Terror goes by a different name in the nearby Central African Republic: Seleka. This band of Islamic terrorists rose to national power in March following the ouster of former President Francois Bozize.

Their primary target soon became the Church.

"The various atrocities that preceded, accompanied, and followed Seleka's rise to power have been specifically aimed at the Christian population," states a letter from the CAR Evangelical Alliance to Seleka Islamist leader and CAR President Michel Djotodia.

"Churches and Christian institutions have been desecrated and plundered, priests and pastors have been assaulted, and nuns raped."

In CAR, 50% of the population is Christian and 15% are Muslim. Despite outnumbering the followers of Islam, Christian communities in CAR claim their Muslim neighbors are joining Seleka’s violent campaigns.

"It’s not like Christianity is a minority religion, but ever since the coup in March, the Muslims have increased their persecution of Christians," said Open Doors spokesman Jerry Dykstra in a July 5 article.

To the north, a similar situation unfolds as violence against Christians in Egypt reaches historic levels. Members of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) were quick to blame Coptic Christians for the July removal of MB proponent and former President Mohamed Morsi from office.

It was a summer of rage for many believers as they endured beatings, their homes and businesses were looted and destroyed, and churches were set aflame. In August, one church was forced to close its doors for the first time in 1,600 years.

And yet, most believers and secular media alike remain unaware of the deadly trend.

"Open Doors has been trying to raise this awareness among Western believers and the media in general," says Curry. "We believe it's worthwhile asking the question: 'Are these attacks coordinated?' Certainly they seem to be intentional and directed at believers.

"Over the last decades…the population of Christians in the Middle East has gone from 20% to 4%. Why is that? It is because there is a concerted effort to force Christians to convert. There is a concerted effort to persecute Christians, to drive them from their home."

As the plight of believers in the MENA continues on, largely unnoticed, you can take action.

"There are so many ways we can support the Persecuted Church," Curry states, "but you won't know how until you get this International Day of Prayer packet, an IDOP packet."

The International Day of the Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) gathers believers worldwide in continuous prayer for those who are persecuted. This year, IDOP falls on November 3.

"What we're asking is that every believer in the Western world that worships in freedom takes part on November 3rd in praying and supporting the Persecuted Church," explains Curry.

"We're not a political organization, but what we can do is rally believers to defend and to pray and support their brothers and sisters in the Persecuted Church."

Click here to request a free IDOP prayer kit, and Open Doors will mail it to you. Or, you can download the resources to your computer by clicking here.

Want to pray right now?

"Pray for safety of people who want to worship Jesus, who want to simply call themselves followers of Christ," Curry suggests.

"This is a hinge of history. If we don't stand up and have our voice heard on this issue, it may well get much worse."

There are protests in the streets, mass killings and the burning of towns and villages over differing opinions of religion and politics. More than 1,000 people have died and an estimated 3,500 people have been injured.

Christian Aid Mission, your link to indigenous missions, says there’s a way you can help Egypt’s Persecuted Church.

So far, Christian Aid says 80 churches, two bible bookstores, three Christian schools, and countless homes, businesses, and property have been vandalized or destroyed. They support several ministries that are sharing the Gospel and reaching out to unbelievers despite violent blows dealt specifically to them.

One of those ministries, the Bible Society of Egypt, watched two of their bookstores go up in flames during the first wave of attacks in mid-August.

“The attackers demolished the metal doors protecting the bookshops, broke the store windows behind them and set the bookshops on fire,” said Ministry Director Ramez Atallah.

“They did the same to many stores on those streets, as well as demolishing many parked cars.”

The Bible stores are located in the cities of Minia and Assiut in southern Egypt. Christians in those two cities have no other source of bibles and Atallah is determined to rebuild as the bookstores are in strategic locations.

In addition, the ministry is producing print and audio-visual scripture selections to address the present crisis both for comfort and to challenge believers and unbelievers during this difficult time.

Egyptian believers are encouraging their distraught brothers and sisters not to seek retaliation in the wake of the attacks. Instead, they ask for Christians in other parts of the Middle East and around the world to offer their support and prayers.

Please pray for Egypt’s violence to end. Pray that many will turn to the Lord for peace and accept Him as Lord and Savior. Pray protection for all Christian properties across the nation.

Click here to help persecuted believers in Egypt.

There are protests in the streets, mass killings, and the burning of towns and villages over differing opinions of religion and politics. More than 1,000 people have died, and an estimated 3,500 people have been injured.

Christian Aid Mission, your link to indigenous missions, says there's a way you can help Egypt's Persecuted Church.

So far, Christian Aid says 80 churches, two bible bookstores, three Christian schools, and countless homes, businesses, and property have been vandalized or destroyed. Christian Aid supports several ministries that are sharing the Gospel and reaching out to unbelievers despite violent blows dealt specifically to them.

One of those ministries, the Bible Society of Egypt, watched two of their bookstores go up in flames during the first wave of attacks in mid-August.

“The attackers demolished the metal doors protecting the bookshops, broke the store windows behind them, and set the bookshops on fire," said Ministry Director Ramez Atallah.

"They did the same to many stores on those streets, as well as demolishing many parked cars.”

The Bible stores are located in the cities of Minia and Assiut in southern Egypt. Christians in those two cities have no other source of Bibles, and Atallah is determined to rebuild as the bookstores are in strategic locations.

In addition, the ministry is producing print and audio-visual Scripture selections to address the present crisis both for comfort and to challenge believers and unbelievers during this difficult time.

Egyptian believers are encouraging their distraught brothers and sisters not to seek retaliation in the wake of the attacks. Instead, they ask for Christians in other parts of the Middle East and around the world to offer their support and prayers.

Please pray for Egypt's violence to end. Pray that many will turn to the Lord for peace and accept Him as Lord and Savior. Pray protection for all Christian properties across the nation.

Click here to help persecuted believers in Egypt.

Similar fears are growing in Lebanon.

A tit-for-tat conflict between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims has most Lebanese on-edge. Last week's mosque bombing–the first time mosques were targeted in a series of civilian attacks–underscores the deepening divide.

Though no group has claimed responsibility for the mosque bombings, the preacher at one mosque is a widely-known opponent of Hezbollah and the Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad.

At the same time, Syrians worried about an attack from the West are pouring across the border. Already playing host to a significant number of Syrian refugees, the country has seen an influx since threats of Western military intervention began earlier this week.

Kids Alive International has been working in Lebanon for 65 years.

"Yes, once again, Lebanon faces many challenges. But we're trusting God, once again, for His protection," says the VP of Operations for Kids Alive, Matt Parker.

"We're teaching the children that we have a God who will never leave them, who is trustworthy."

The message comes at a crucial time for what Lebanon calls "illegitimate children."

"Sometimes, that [term refers to] children that are born out of wedlock," he explains. "Sometimes, it's a case of refugees coming over and they're not registered. Therefore, their children are not registered."

Already marginalized, Parker says the conflict is putting an extra burden on these kids.

"It makes it very, very difficult for these children and for their families," he says. "The future is very bleak."

According to Parker, difficulties are the greatest for "illegitimate children" living in areas of abject poverty.

"These kids face enormous challenges, real stigma," Parker says. "There's a lack of educational and job opportunities for them; they're very much marginalized."

In a recent blog, a Kids Alive worker in Lebanon adds another layer of detail. He says citizenship and nationality are all based on who your father is.

"For the children of foreign nationals here in Lebanon–those that have been registered or legally resident, at least there is peace and stability in the knowledge of who they are," the worker wrote.

"For the children that are born 'illegitimately' or undocumented, they will have a difficult future and likely always be on the fringe of society."

Kids Alive is stepping in with practical help and an important message.

"We work with a number of situations like this in our Children's Home, in our school program," says Parker. "One of our goals is to show these kids that they really are valued: by us and by God."

Kids Alive workers are helping "illegitimate" children and their families get the documentation they need to enter school and access other resources. However, it's not an easy endeavor.

"If a child isn't registered when they're born, it's very difficult later on to get the paperwork that's needed," Parker explains. "It's a very long legal process, [and] it's very expensive."

Nonetheless, they have been able to get some children through the process and on their way to a brighter future. See more of what Kids Alive does in Lebanon.

"These kids do need a lot of prayer," says Parker. "Pray for our program, for our children, staff, that they would know God's peace at such a difficult time."

"Pray also for Kids Alive as we explore opportunities to expand our work, that…we can reach out in practical ways, and with the love of Christ in this needy land."