Open Doors Prayer Calendar

Open Doors
Prayer Calendar
May 2012
Pakistan
1.
Pray for Asia Bibi (the first Pakistani woman to be sentenced to death for allegedly speaking
blasphemous words against the prophet Muhammad following a dispute with other Muslim
women labourers). May she experience Christ’s comfort in prison and hold on to God’s
promises as she longs for her family.
India
2.
3.
Pray for Christians in Mandla, Anuppur and
surrounding tribal areas of central India to
remain steadfast in their faith. Recently many
tribal Christians have been threatened and
pressured to recant their faith as Hindu
fundamentalists have stepped up their efforts
to ‘Hinduize’ the tribal belt.
Pray for the Christians in the Kashmir valley.
The past months have been very traumatic
for them as four pastors have been blacklisted
by the dubious Sharia court and have been
sentenced by the same court not to enter the
valley anymore. Believers from a Muslim
Background are affected most, because they
are constantly under pressure to recant their
faith. Pray that they would remain bold in Christ
and that they will stand firm in the Lord.
Syria
4.
Pray that the leaders of the Syrian Church will stay in the country even though the
situation is so bad that many Christians only want to get out and not even take anything with
them. Pray that these leaders will be empowered to be leaders during this difficult time.
Qatar
5.
Pray for a solitary Believer from a Muslim Background who yearns for fellowship with other
Qatari believers. Pray that the Lord will use and encourage him to establish a Qatari prayer
group and to build the Church of Jesus in Qatar.

Arabian Peninsula
6.
7.
Pray for two secret believers who have no spiritual support. One lives with a secret police agent,
while another one is constantly being watched (even phone calls and Internet usage are being
monitored). Pray that the Lord will provide them with opportunities to have contact and fellowship
with other secret believers.
Pray for those couples in the Arabian Peninsula who are having significant difficulties in their
marriages. Pray that they will stand in God’s truth as they work through these challenges.
Iran
8.
9.
10.
Believers from a Muslim Background cannot attend
the remaining traditional churches in Iran. Some
believers do not have a fellowship or house church
to attend. Pray that they will get encouragement
from Christian programs broadcast through satellite
TV and that the Spirit of God will strengthen them in
their new-found faith.
Some Christians have lost their jobs after the authorities
placed pressure on their employers. Pray that
those who have lost their jobs will find alternative
employment.
Pray for the pastors who still minister in Iran despite the severe government repression.
Pray for their protection and wisdom from God.
Iraq
11.
12.
As summer is starting and temperatures are about to rise to between 40 and 50 °C, pray for the
spiritual comfort and protection of the Christians in Iraq. Pray that summer activities, such as
Christian youth camps, will be encouraging events for both the attending youth as well as
for their churches.
Pray for the spiritual climate in Iraq in general, that Christians will feel that their Shepherd is
looking after them. Give praise to God for the continual Christian activities, such as Bible
distributions, training and other activities that are taking place throughout the country.
Tunisia
13.
Moufid placed his faith in Jesus after he managed to get hold of a Bible. He followed Jesus for a
year and a half before he met another believer. The peace that he found in Jesus and the daily
reading of the Bible have sustained him. Pray for Moufid and believers like him; may they fall
deeper and deeper in love with Jesus as they continue to spend time in God’s Word daily.
Libya
14.
Pray for love to abound between believers in Libya. Pray that their relationships will be an
example to unbelievers and that many will hunger and thirst after true love that can only be
found in Jesus Christ.

Colombia
15.
José Miguel Izquierdo has been abandoned by his wife because of his Christian beliefs. She was
forced by her parents to faithfully follow her non-Christian traditions. He is now responsible for
raising their children and he hopes to rebuild his life. He said that he would not change his life
despite the persecution and consequences that this has brought to him and his family. Pray for
José and his children; may they as a family grow in their relationship with the Lord. Also pray for
reconciliation between José and his wife.
China
16.
In Southwest China the dominant religions are Buddhism and Pantheism (the belief that
everything has its own spirit). Therefore idol worship is embedded in the culture and statues
are commonplace. Besides the religious barrier, culture and language are a discouragement for
eager ministry workers. Pray that these ministry workers will persevere to reach the unreached
in this area. May God prepare the hearts of the unreached to receive the Good News.
Afghanistan
17.
Pray for wisdom and for opportunities for the believers in Afghanistan to witness to their
families about Jesus. They experience enormous resistance from their families.
Tajikistan
18.
Pray for the ministry of local Tajik Christians to disabled people, as well as to families with
children who have Down syndrome. May God draw many families to Him as they see His love
through the care given to these children.
Turkmenistan
19.
20.
Pray for several Christian families in a small village in Turkmenistan. The community is hostile
toward the Christians. They also threaten to kill the Christians if they send their children to
school. However, these families also testify that persecution is strengthening their faith.
Pray that the Lord will give them wisdom regarding how to deal with this situation, as well as for
courage to remain firm in the Lord.
President Berdymukhammedov, who was re-elected on the 12th of February 2012, has
promised political reforms in his country. Pray that the Church will really experience an
improvement of their difficult situation.
Uyghur Region
21.
22.
23.
Pray for the small Uyghur Church in Xinjiang. Both the state and society place them under a lot
of pressure. Pray that they will hold on to the Lord, despite these difficult circumstances.
Pray that the Lord will give the Uyghur Christians wisdom on how they can meet together for
Bible studies. Also pray that the Lord will protect them when they meet.
Pray for the development and production of literature and discipleship materials in their own
language, especially on mp3s. Also pray for the distribution of these mp3s in this region, as it is
very difficult to bring these items into the country.

24.
Pray for Alimjan who is serving a 15-year prison term in the capital Urumqi. Also pray for
Alimjan’s wife, Gulnur, and their two sons as they try to cope with this situation. Pray that the joy
of the Lord will be their strength. Also pray for Alimjan’s mother’s health.
Uzbekistan
25.
26.
Sometimes it is difficult for students to attend Bible training sessions as some of them
experience persecution. Due to the intense situation some training sessions are held at night.
Pray for the protection of the students and teachers during these training sessions.
Pray for an evangelist in the country who is regularly summoned to the police office to
account for his Christian activities. His wife is also under pressure and it seems as if the police
are trying to find witnesses against them to build up a criminal case. Pray for wisdom for the
couple to know how to handle this pressure.
Nigeria
27.
Pray that the Lord will
uphold and strengthen
Christian children that are
marginalized in school for
their faith in Jesus. Pray
that God’s grace will be
upon their parents to
support and encourage
their children.
Uganda
28.
Pray for Umar Mulindi who is currently in Israel for specialized treatment after Muslim
extremists splashed acid in his face. May God heal him both physically and emotionally. Also
pray that the Lord will enable him to forgive the aggressors.
Tanzania
29.
Pray for the efficiency of the Open Doors projects in Tanzania. May it have a positive and
permanent impact on the Church leadership and the believers of this country.
Somalia
30.
Pray for the secret believers that daily face hardship in this very dangerous country. When a
secret believer is exposed as being Christian, the result is almost always death. But Somali
believers remain strong in the faith. Thank God for these Christians’ testimonies, may the Lord
continue to shower His grace on them.
Southern Philippines
31.
Open Doors knows a Christian couple who is committed to helping Tausug believers. They are
not surprised when they receive threats. On a few occasions they have had to maintain a low
profile in order to avoid imminent danger. Pray for this dedicated couple; may the Lord bless
them and keep them and shine His face upon them.