Intercede with Us for the Muslim World!

But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you (1 Peter
4:13-14).
This week the newly released World Watch List revealed a dramatic increase of persecution against Christians around the
world in 2014. According to the president of Open Doors, who publishes the report, Even Christian-majority states are
experiencing unprecedented levels of exclusion, discrimination and violence. Those who suffer for Jesus' sake are blessed
but we need to pray for the salvation of those who are causing and who will answer for the suffering of God's people.

Today's Prayer Requests: From Students, Alumni, and Missionaries

CONGO-BRAZZAVILLE: An alumnus who directs a Bible school in this nation writes: Pray that the Church in
Congo becomes more aware of the advance of Islam in Congo. The government has a project to construct in
Brazzaville the largest mosque in Central Africa. Only some 1.3% of Congo's population follow Islam, but there is
increasing influence from the Arab world, particularly Qatar, who is building the mosque. Pray for the Bible school
personnel and student pastors, that the Lord will grant them wisdom as to how to approach this growing challenge and
minister effectively to Muslims and those who are influenced by Islam.
TOGO: A graduate asks us to pray for a brother, a converted Muslim, who is being persecuted by his parents and
who is no longer regularly coming to church. Please pray that the Lord will protect him and sustain him in his faith
and that his family will see Jesus and hope through his life.

In the News
On January 7, Open Doors' 2015 World Watch List was made public. This list ranks the top 50 nations where
Christians face the most hostility, and 2014 proved to be a year of increasing animosity and violence. Sub-Saharan
Africa especially saw worsening persecution. You can find the list and more information concerning the findings at
http://tinyurl.com/nle2esw, and this short video encourages us to pray: http://tinyurl.com/qcwcmyt. Let's intercede for
our persecuted brothers and sisters in these lands, for those who work among Muslims, and for the salvation of these
people for whom Jesus gave His life.

From Global Initiative*

Pray for wisdom for Malaysia's Christians. Of Malaysia's 30 million people, 61.2 percent are Muslim. A new law
restricts the use of buildings for religious purposes other than those of Islam. Also, according to Open Doors, In
November 2014, plans were implemented to put Sharia (Islamic law) courts on an equal footing with civil courts;
pray about the possible effects of this for Christians.

For Muslim Women**

Please pray that anointing for the new year refreshes the resolve of workers among Muslims in home and foreign
mission contexts.

Prayer Resources
*Global Initiative is a ministry of Assemblies of God World Missions, USA. Visit http://globalinitiativeinfo.com/ for information
about praying for Muslims and weekly requests.
**Muslim women need your prayers! You can join a prayer network and receive regular requests at http://sayhelloinfo.com/.
For suggestions on starting a prayer group, see http://waastjumaa.blogspot.com/2014/09/waast-jumaa-prayer-groups.html.
For a list of resources for prayer groups, see http://tinyurl.com/waastjumaa.
Find information and prayer requests concerning Muslims around the world at http://www.30-days.net/.
How should we pray for those imprisoned for their faith? Read http://www.elam.com/articles/How-to-pray-for-those-in-prison/.
For news updates concerning persecuted Christians, visit http://morningstarnews.org/, http://worldwatchmonitor.org/, and
http://www.releaseinternational.org/.
For prayer requests, visit http://www.opendoorsusa.org/pray/ and http://www.persecution.com/public/pray.aspx.
To help you answer Muslims' questions about Jesus and the Bible, explore http://answeringislam.org/.