Todd Nettleton with The Voice of the Martyrs, USA (VOM) says that in Libya, the Islamic faith makes religion is a common topic.

Because of this, Nettleton says that no matter the career, there are opportunities to have seed-planting conversations.

It’s also important that the unreached in Libya do not see Christianity as a Westernized or foreign thing and recognize that there are Libyans who are Christians.

“In the minds of a lot of people in that part of the world, that’s a pretty mind-blowing concept, that you could be a Libyan and be a follower of Jesus Christ,” Nettleton says.

“Certainly, it’s still an environment where you have to be very careful about overt kinds of gospel activity,” Nettleton says.

According to VOM’s Global Prayer Guide, Christian persecution in Libya primarily comes from friends and family and extremist groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood and the self-proclaimed Islamic State (ISIS).

“From the security standpoint, we do know of some Libyans who are currently in prison for their faith and have been sentenced to various lengths of time in prison,” Nettleton says.

Nettleton says the reason for imprisonment is likely not entirely due to their conversion but because the government saw a growing movement of Christians.

Like Libya, many countries in North Africa do not seem to receive media attention for the religious persecution.

To learn more about Christian persecution in different countries, Nettleton recommends using the Voice of the Martyrs Global Prayer Guide or the VOM app. These resources include information about persecutors, Christian life, and Bible accessibility.

Nettleton says that reading the entries equips people to pray for specific persecuted Christians in specific countries so that they may understand the situations and what they are praying for.

“The first step is to commit to praying, and however you’re equipping yourself or gaining more knowledge to do that, that’s great,” Nettleton says. “Voice of the Martyrs can help you do that, other ministries can help you do that, but it starts when we say, ‘Hey, I understand that I’m connected to these brothers and sisters who are suffering persecution, and I need to pray for them. That is a part of my responsibility as a member of the Body of Christ.’”

Some other strategic places to pray for right now include believers in northern Nigeria, Iran, and Eritrea.

“I always encourage people to pray for Eritrea. I think of seven pastors there who have been in prison there for more than 21 years,” Nettleton says.

Though religious persecution often goes underreported by secular media, it’s important to continue in prayer.

Nettleton hopes that the stories of what is happening in the world capture people’s hearts and make praying for others a regular part of their spiritual walks.

Please pray for Christians in Libya experiencing persecution for their faith that they will continue to show the love of Christ.

Pray that converts will find fellowship and encouragement in one another and that Libyans will witness to their families and friends despite the suffering it causes them.

Pray for Libya (Image courtesy of VOM USA)

“The USCIRF report helps to highlight countries where there are egregious violations of freedom of religion and belief. They’re the same countries where Christians suffer the most,” Dan Oleshani of Open Doors International says.

Religious freedom is a fundamental human right. Wherever it’s not protected, Christians face persecution. “Freedom of religion and belief is a fundamental right given to us by God. ‘Choose you this day who you will follow’ – the words of Joshua,” Oleshani says.

“Freedom of religion and belief coexist very comfortably with the quality of life. If you can’t choose where to worship, what to read, or who to congregate with, that’s a huge loss.”

Each year, USCIRF’s annual report and Open Doors’ World Watch List overlap. Afghanistan, Nigeria, and India appear in both places this year, along with China, Iran, and Syria.

(Screenshot of Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List)

“Countries designated for their lack of freedom of religion and belief are the same countries that we identify in the World Watch List for the persecution of Christians,” Oleshani says.

“There is overlap, and I think it’s a good thing, because the push by USCIRF and others for freedom of religion and belief also impacts the people that we are serving: persecuted Christians.”

Mandated by Congress, the USCIRF report helps inform State Department decisions. Actions can range from individual sanctions to economic pressure.

“It becomes important when the U.S. government and other Western governments take this report more seriously and apply pressure. It could be positive pressure or pressure that actually hurts. Then it starts to make a difference,” Oleshani says.

Prayer needs

USCIRF’s annual report and Open Doors’ World Watch List contain testimonies and statistics representing real people. Oleshani describes three ways to pray for them.

First, “Pray for those who are in authority” in countries that restrict religious freedom, Oleshani says.

“Part of [good governance] is allowing your citizens to choose whom to believe. That is an individual choice. It should not be dictated by a government.”

Persecuted Christians wrote much of the New Testament, including portions that exhort believers to intercede for governing powers. “Scripture, particularly Romans, was written when Rome was in power,” Oleshani says.

(Photo courtesy of Heart4Iran)

“Ancient Rome was a very oppressive government, so for the Scriptures to exhort us to do that (pray), it tells us that it is possible, and it is a good model.”

Second, Oleshani adds, “Pray for our persecutors, because the Lord is able to change their hearts, too.”

Third, “Pray that the understanding of the Bible will become more widespread,” Oleshani requests. “The Bible is a foundation for freedom of religion and belief.”

Header image of Nigerian church is a stock photo courtesy of Tosin Superson via Pexels.

“It’s pretty rough at the moment; military movement is pretty serious,” says FMI’s Nehemiah, adding that “challenging” developments require him to change ministry plans frequently as new obstacles arise.

Islamabad (Photo courtesy Pixabay)

An attacker targeted a busy court building in Islamabad yesterday, killing 12 and wounding dozens. A breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban initially claimed responsibility for the Islamabad bombing, though later denied it.

Terror linked to Taliban rule

The explosion came less than a day after militants attacked a military college in northwestern Pakistan. Nehemiah says Taliban rule in neighboring Afghanistan provides the perfect cover for attacks like these.

“The government or administration of the Taliban in Afghanistan has very little experience managing peace or building infrastructure. As a result, their rule has created an environment where extremist groups can regroup,” Nehemiah explains.

“This includes the Pakistani Taliban [or TTP], who frequently cross the border to carry out attacks inside Pakistan and then retreat into Afghanistan for refuge.”

Because militants receive shelter and resources in Afghanistan, Nehemiah says, “Pakistan continues to suffer from terrorist attacks targeting security forces, civilians, churches, Christians, or even the Shia (Muslim) minority.”

Moreover, “sustainable peace will require more than negotiation or ceasefire agreements,” he adds. “It demands a transformation of mindset and structure. The Taliban must go beyond their military identity and learn the principles of peace, building, governance, and coexistence.”

Crackdown slows ministry but not the Gospel

Volatility makes ministry work challenging as extra security measures hinder movement. Despite restrictions, Christians continue to bring the hope of Jesus to those in need. Pray for stability in Pakistan so Gospel work can flourish.

(Photo Courtesy FMI Pakistan)

“Pray for transformation in the hearts of extremists and political leaders, that the Prince of Peace will reign in the hearts of men,” Nehemiah requests.

“We believe that Jesus is the only hope for [the Taliban].”

In partnership with Keys for Kids, FMI continues work on audio recordings of Scripture and daily devotional content on MP3 devices in the Dari language. Pray for the resilience of FMI partners and the vocalists involved in the Dari recording project.

“We were about to start distribution in Afghanistan,” Nehemiah says, but rising tensions between the Pakistani government and the Taliban in Afghanistan have made cross-border travel nearly impossible. More about that here.

“Right now, we have the devices in Pakistan, but we are not able to ship [them] into Afghanistan. We have partners who always carry these devices with them into Afghanistan [but] they’re not able to do it.”

Learn how you can support FMI’s work in Pakistan here.

Header image depicts a busy street in Pakistan. Photo courtesy of FMI. 

Aimed at preventing renewed border clashes, discussions orchestrated in Qatar led to a brief pause in fighting. However, negotiations collapsed during the second round of talks last week.

“This ongoing conflict between Pakistan and Taliban highlights the deep complexity of achieving peace in this region,” FMI’s Nehemiah says.

“While there have been repeated calls for a ceasefire and reconciliation, the reality on the ground makes it extremely difficult to sustain peace.”

Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister blames Pakistan for the collapse, saying Islamabad’s demands were “not reasonable or feasible.” Meanwhile, Nehemiah points to the Taliban’s diplomatic naiveté.

Taliban fighters patrol Kabul, August 2021.
(Wikimedia Commons)

“Their entire framework of power and survival depends on conflict and control through fear, not cooperation or civic administration,” he says.

“After taking control of Afghanistan, the Taliban has struggled to transition from insurgency to governance.”

Faith amid conflict

FMI supports indigenous church planters in both countries, helping believers carry the Gospel to those who need it most. The ministry also operates a safe house in Afghanistan and provides discipleship training. Learn more here.

Right now, however, “Our partners, who have dual citizenship, are not able to travel inside [or] outside; they are just trapped,” Nehemiah says.

The Taliban’s brutal regime creates a hunger for the Gospel in Afghanistan. Pray that believers will have supernatural boldness to share the hope of Christ.

One pastor recently watched The JESUS Film with his tribal chief, FMI shared in a recent newsletter. Another pastor hands out 10 Bibles every day – an act which could get him killed if he were discovered – but he feels he’s not doing enough to meet the demand.

Subscribe to FMI’s prayer newsletter here.

Prayers for the faithful

Now that you know, how will you respond? “Please pray for financial, spiritual, and emotional resources for our partners,” Nehemiah requests.

“Ask God to provide for their needs and sustain their families as they serve faithfully under hardship.”

Pray that the Lord will surround FMI partners and their families with His divine protection as they serve in areas affected by violence, terrorism, and political unrest.

“When I was talking to our partner in Afghanistan, he quoted from Psalm 91:4, saying, ‘He will cover you with His feathers and under His wings you will find refuge. His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart,” Nehemiah says.

“This is what he’s telling his partners on the ground as he’s leading a very small congregation in Afghanistan.”

Header image is a representative photo depicting a Taliban fighter in Afghanistan. Photo courtesy of Global Catalytic Minitsries. 

“Just over a decade ago, Open Doors ranked India as number 32 on its list of the 50 most persecuted nations, and now India is all the way up at number 11,” Miller says. Learn more here.

“It’s definitely a very bold and courageous thing – to follow Jesus in India.”

Millions of people in India have never heard the name of Jesus and have no access to a Bible or church. Those who do follow Jesus risk everything for Him.

“When people become a Christian, they’re often cut off from their family,” Miller says. “They are prevented from getting jobs, and people have even lost their lives in India for their faith.”

(Photo courtesy of Mission India)

Mission India’s new devotional will introduce you to the faces behind these facts.

“It’s a seven-day devotional starting on October 27 through November 2, which is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church,” Miller says.

“Each day, we’re including stories and prayer points to help guide your prayers as you learn about this difficult situation,” she continues.

“We are providing stories of events that have taken place in the past year – real people who have been affected by real issues of persecution in India.”

Request yours here, and learn how persecution affects families. For example, “Bulesh and Maria became Christians after they attended one of Mission India’s adult literacy classes,” Miller says.

After these new believers made their new faith public, “Bulesh’s mom, along with other women from the village, chased the family out of their home. It’s hard to comprehend what that means for this woman to do that to her granddaughter at nine months old.”

Header and story images courtesy of Mission India. 

First, the new challenge. Rajasthan’s law, which received the governor’s final assent on October 8, opens the door wide for accusations.

“The Rajasthan law puts in place the possibility of life in prison for encouraging someone to change their religion, and anyone can report it,” says Todd Nettleton with The Voice of the Martyrs, USA. “You don’t have to have been present for the conversation. You don’t have to have been present in the church service where someone came to faith in Christ. You can file a report even if you know hardly anything.”

(Photo courtesy of VOM USA)

It’s “guilty until proven innocent.” For years, Christians have contended that India’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion and that these types of laws contradict it. But the Hindu nationalist-led government supports anti-conversion laws. That’s why all eyes are on the India Supreme Court for the case currently scheduled for November 4th. 

“They’re not considering the constitutionality of the anti-conversion laws yet, but they are considering putting a stay on the enforcement of the laws while they consider the constitutionality,” says Nettleton. He notes that the court date may be pushed back. 

Please pray! This one Supreme Court decision could remove the permission that anti-conversion laws give for persecution.

Nettleton spoke recently with a human rights attorney in India. “One of the questions I asked is, ‘If they put a stay on it [anti-conversion laws], then when would they decide if it’s constitutional or not?’ I was told that [it] could be months, it could be years, and honestly, they could never issue a ruling,” Nettleton says. 

However, never issuing a ruling could be like a decision against anti-conversion laws. “If they [the Supreme Court] didn’t want to take a controversial stand that these laws are unconstitutional, they could just leave the stay in place and then not ever issue a final ruling about the constitutionality,” Nettleton explains. “So this is a very significant time to pray for Christians in India, to pray for the Justices of the Supreme Court.”

Header photo courtesy of The Voice of the Martyrs USA. 

“We haven’t got to go to Cuba a lot, but we’ve had the opportunity to send 10,000 Spanish Bibles into Cuba and the surrounding areas,” says Woolford. “We’ve had the chance to put them on a container in Florida, getting to Cuba and then starting that distribution.”

Cuba is number 26 on World Watch’s list of 50 countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution. Church leaders and Christian activists who criticize the Cuban regime can face interrogation, arrest, physical violence, and imprisonment; the government often refuses to register new churches, forcing many to operate illegally, which makes them vulnerable to fines, property confiscation, and demolition.

“Our Mission Cry partner there on the ground, he has been beaten, he has been kidnapped and arrested, multiple times, and yet he continues to go back and distribute the word of God,” says Woolford.

According to the Cuban Observatory of Citizen Audit, crime is also increasing at an alarming rate. However, that’s not deterring Woolford.

“Crime’s on the rise due to economic hardship and a shortage of food and medicine and fuel. And so it’s so exciting to know that we have the word there, giving it to people that are in a bad way, those that are being persecuted, and then hopefully reaching those that are doing the persecuting and seeing a difference,” he says. “We’re going to continue to trust God and minister regardless of the violent crime and scams and targeted violence against people distributing the Word of God like our guy.”

“When we see the word of God being distributed, when we see lives being changed, if you can imagine stuff going out from Cuba to Costa Rica, Dominican Republic and Haiti, Venezuela, Colombia—seeing how God’s using that as a hub is truly miraculous.”

To learn more about the work Mission Cry is doing and how to support it, go to missioncry.com.

Header Photo courtesy of Mission Cry.

“When you have a program in Dari, it really turns heads,” he says, pointing out that heart languages allow for greater depth of communication than do regional languages. 

Willey says the programming is particularly important in Afghanistan, where girls are strictly banned from secondary or higher education. 

“Really the way that girls or women in the country will be able to access any education is through a madrasa, or a religious center, but of course this is not from a Christian worldview,” Willey says. 

In contrast, SAT-7’s programming is always grounded in a Biblical worldview, one that also celebrates literacy and a broader education. Beyond that, Willey says the content is culturally sensitive.

Photo is a representative stock image courtesy of ArmyAmber via Pixabay.

“SAT-7 is Christian content in the Middle East created by Middle Eastern Christians for the people of the Middle East, so the context is there, the understanding is there,” he says. 

Satellite TV remains ubiquitous in Afghanistan, allowing SAT-7 to cast a wide net in search of an audience. Even as the country makes headlines for internet restrictions, Willey says SAT-7 can work around the shutdowns.

“SAT-7 has other ways that we can deliver the great content, but it just may be digital content via satellite, which is virtually uncensorable,” he says. 

Please pray that this programming would serve as an open door for God’s Word to prick the hearts of women and girls across Afghanistan. Willey says it’s paramount for them to understand the Gospel. 

“But also, what Scripture has to say about their worth.” 

Would you ask the Lord to work in the hearts of Afghan women? Please pray that those viewing SAT-7’s programs would understand the value they have in the eyes of their Maker.

Featured photo courtesy of SAT-7.

The attacks spanned through the last week of September. Militants hit multiple villages in Cabo Delgado and Nampula provinces, leaving burned-out churches and homes in their wake.

Arimba, a coastal town in the northern Mozambique province Cabo Delgado. (Photo courtesy of dimitry/Unsplash)

The Islamic State Mozambique Province (ISMP) later released a gruesome 20-image photoset showing executions, shootings, and arson — a chilling display meant to sow fear.

“These militants would often separate Christians from other villagers and begin persecuting them,” says Floyd Brobbel with The Voice of the Martyrs Canada. “So this seems to be the case here, and they’re not shy about reporting what they’ve done. They’re claiming responsibility for these attacks.”

Mozambique’s northern regions have faced an Islamist insurgency for years. Despite military intervention from Rwanda and neighboring countries, the violence continues.

“They can blend in, and they can suddenly rise up and cause problems and attack communities, and then they’re gone again,” Brobbel explains. “So they’re hard to locate. They’re hard to pinpoint.”

Even amid devastation, the Church continues to stand. “There are churches that continue to minister in those hot zones. They need our prayers,” Brobbel says.

“We rely on the verses in Scripture and the promises in Scripture that tell us that the gates of Hell cannot prevail against the Church. So we need to be praying and remembering those [who] are in those regions and continuing to serve as salt and light. Pray that they would get a foothold for the Gospel and that we would see many of those who are militants against the Church would become followers of Christ.”

Brobbel adds, “For ministries, pray that the leaders would have wisdom and understanding in how to reach back into their communities…and finding ways to be able to target these groups with the Gospel.”

Ask God to strengthen believers in Mozambique’s war-torn north — and for their persecutors to become disciples of Jesus.

Learn more about how VOM Canada supports persecuted Christians at vomcanada.com.

Header photo courtesy of VOM USA.

Diwali is a Hindu festival primarily associated with the goddess of prosperity and marks the beginning of India’s fiscal calendar.

“We want to ask the body of Christ to join with us in prayer for the Hindu world during these Hindu holidays,” John Pudaite of Bibles For The World says.

To support this effort, request a free prayer guide from Bibles For The World here. “It’s a beautifully printed guide, and the theme this year is God sees, God heals, and God saves,” Pudaite adds.

“God sees the persecution, God heals – no matter how deep the wounds may be – and then God saves. Ultimately, we want all Hindu people to know of salvation through Jesus Christ.”

“God sees the persecution”

Christians face ever-increasing pressure from India’s Hindu nationalists. Learn more here.

“At the state level, the BJP is trying to put into action its plan for making India a Hindu nation, and in the process, denying the freedom of religion that is guaranteed by the Indian constitution,” Pudaite says.

“Things that are done in the name of, especially Christianity, can be considered or positioned as anti-national. This is a major concern.”

Emboldened by state-level anti-conversion laws, “we are seeing the Hindu activist forces attacking churches [and] home fellowships; [there are] one or two attacks a day,” Pudaite adds.

Furthermore, “new laws are extending to the internet, and any attempts to convert on social media are brought under their purview.”

(Photo courtesy of Bibles For The World)

Hope amid oppression

Pray for wisdom and strength for Christian leaders in India as they navigate the increasing persecution and restrictions. Ask the Lord to protect His people in India.

Pray that as Hindus celebrate the festival of lights, they meet a Christian who will introduce them to the Light of the World.

“We do see the body of Christ growing,” Pudaite says. “We see amazing reports of outreach [activities] happening in different parts of India. The Holy Spirit is still working across that country.”

Header image depicts Diwali lights in Delhi. (Photo courtesy Pratham Gupta/Unsplash)