International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
Pray for Nigeria
PROFILE
Population:
177,155,754 (July
2014 est.)
Religion: Muslim
(50%), Christian
(40%), Indigenous
beliefs (10%)
Government: Federal
Republic, President
Goodluck Jonathan
International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
Pray for Nigeria
Persecution in Nigeria
Nigeria is Africa's most populous nation:
• Christian culture in the south
• Radical Islamic culture in the north, characterized by
massive riots, bombings and a plan to create an
Islamic state
• When military rule ended in 1999, one-third of
Nigeria’s states implemented Islamic law
• Sectarian violence has resulted in more than 14,000
deaths and hundreds of thousands of people
displaced.
International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
Pray for Nigeria
Persecution in Nigeria
• Islamist extremist group, Boko Haram, an Al-Qaeda
ally, claimed the lives of at least 612 Christians in
2013 and many, many more in 2014.
• Thousands of cases of physical aggression were
recorded and nearly 300 churches were destroyed.
• The 12 northern Sharia states are where Christians
experience persecution and restrictions in schooling,
abductions, forced marriages, denial of
employment, clean water and healthcare.
International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
Pray for Nigeria
Persecution in Nigeria
• In 2009 Boko Haram vowed to rid the north of all
non-Muslim influence, including Christians
• Since then, more than 3,000 people have been killed
• Religious riots are common in northern Nigeria
• Churches, mosques, schools, homes, government
buildings and businesses are burned and destroyed
by angry rioters during outbreaks of violence that
often involve both Christians and Muslims
International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
Pray for Nigeria
Persecution in Nigeria
• Christian enclave of Chibok in Borno State was
thrown into chaos when Boko Haram militants
entered a school building on the night of April 14
• Pretending to be soldiers, they assured the girls they
were protecting them and ushered 270 victims into
waiting vehicles.
• The girls were then driven deep into the forest.
Approximately 40 managed to escape, but the
whereabouts of the others remain unknown.
International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
Pray for Nigeria
Persecution in Nigeria
• The Christian Association of Nigeria has repeatedly
stated that Christians may take the law into their
own hands to avenge Boko Haram's attacks and
what it believes is an inadequate government
response
• The Nigerian government has begun to station
police and set barriers at church entry points,
preventing a number of attackers from reaching
their targets
International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
Pray for Nigeria
Persecution in Nigeria
• Despite the tragic situation the church is growing
in Nigeria. Missionaries are reaching out to
Muslims and animists and seeing many become
Christians.
International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
Pray for Nigeria
Prayer Requests for Nigeria
• Pray that the Body of Christ in Nigeria will continue
to multiply and mature despite persecution
• Pray for those persecuting Christians: that God will
transform their lives
• Pray for God’s protection for Christians in Nigeria
who are suffering persecution such as violent
attacks from Boko Haram terrorists
• Pray for the release of the schoolgirls kidnapped by
Boko Haram, and for their protection
International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
Pray for Nigeria
Prayer Requests for Nigeria
• Pray for the authorities to work diligently for the
safe return of the girls to their loved ones
• Pray that Nigerian Christians will stand firm in their
faith when they face persecution
• Pray that the government of Nigeria will bring antiChristian terrorists to justice
• Pray that God will transform the hearts and lives of
terrorists in Nigeria, and lead them to follow Him
International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
Pray for Nigeria
Prayer Requests for Nigeria
• Pray for God’s blessings on the work of Christian
missionaries in Nigeria, and that they will see a
great spiritual harvest
• Pray that Christians in Nigeria will demonstrate
the love of Christ as they face opposition
International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
Pray for Cuba
PROFILE
Population:
11,047,251 (July 2014
est.)
Religion: Christian
(Roman Catholic and
Protestant): 56.5%,
Non-religious: 25%.
Government:
Communist state,
President Gen. Raul
Castro.
International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
Pray for Cuba
Persecution in Cuba
• Communist rule, under Fidel Castro's leadership
(1959-2008), continues to impose restrictions on
religious activity in Cuba
• Religious leaders are reluctant to say anything that
could be construed as opposing the government in
the fear that they will face repercussions such as a
denial of permits from the Office of Religious Affairs
• Evangelical Christians have reported harassment,
fines and arrests for conducting public gatherings
International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
Pray for Cuba
Persecution in Cuba
• Most religious groups report recent improvements
• Religious activities are met with less opposition, and
people are able to import more religious material
• While the construction of new church buildings have
been largely denied, many existing churches have
undergone extensive “repairs”
• To accommodate the growth of Christianity and
overcome the country's restrictions on new church
facilities, many house churches are being
established, likely numbering in the thousands
International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
Pray for Cuba
Persecution in Cuba
• Government agents, including state security and
Communist Party officials, destroyed the church and
home of a pastor in the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba
on July 2, 2014.
• Police entered with batons alongside a group of men
carrying machetes at 6 a.m. while Pastor Esmir
Torreblanca and his wife and small children, ages two
and seven, were asleep. The family is now homeless
• Photographs show uniformed officers directing a
bulldozer to level the church and home
• Members of the church who resisted had their IDs
confiscated and were threatened with arrest
International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
Pray for Cuba
Persecution in Cuba
• Pastor Omar Gude Perez of the Apostolic Reformation has
consistently spoken against government policy
• October 30, 2012: His open letter protested restrictions
on his pastoral activities and the government's refusal to
grant him an exit visa.
• He also protested his three-year incarceration on false
charges.
• Finally, on January 31, 2013, Pastor Omar and his family
were granted asylum in the United States.
International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
Pray for Cuba
Persecution in Cuba
• Despite persecution from Cuba’s government, Churches
of the Open Bible have been flourishing in Cuba for 64
years.
• The Churches of the Open Bible is a group of missionary
churches that was born before the revolution in Cuba.
• The seed was planted by an American missionary who left
Cuba when Fidel Castro took power. The Church has
become a truly indigenous missionary church that is wellrespected by the Cuban people and recognized by and
registered with the government.
International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
Pray for Cuba
Pray for Cuba
• Ask God to provide wisdom to Cuba's church leaders,
specifically requesting that they will exemplify grace toward all
governmental authorities while remaining bold in their
presentation of the Gospel.
• Pray for the salvation of the current governmental leader, Raúl
Castro, as well as those who work under his leadership.
• Pray that the believers of this country will not fear government
persecution but live in unconditional surrender to the Lordship
of Christ, and serve Him faithfully.
International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church