ireland diary

"There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3.28) Rates of sexual violence, harassment and child marriage are high in ###. This is having a devastating effect on the lives and futures of many women and girls. Pray for...

According to the United Nations, there are over 26 million refugees around the world - of which many hundreds of thousands are Christians displaced by persecution. Please pray for Open Door's partners as they continue to meet the growing needs of displaced believers with emergency relief aid and...

"These days there is relative peace, but uncertainty reigns in the hearts of people as the days unfold," says ###. "The economy is debt-ridden and completely dependent on foreign aid. Thousands have lost their jobs in the political upheaval. " Pray for those who have no access to jobs, that God...

"There's a huge humanitarian problem," shares ###, an Open Doors partner in the region. "Large numbers of families are living together in hiding - when the electricity goes, when something is broken, families in hiding can't ask anyone to help with the repairs." Pray for God's continued...

Please pray for ###, a Coptic Christian who has been sentenced to five years in prison for blasphemy after being found guilty of 'contempt for Islam'. Ask the Lord to sustain ### and pray for wisdom and influence for the rights group who are representing him. Thanks so much for praying, prayer...

Pray for ###, a Coptic Christian and human rights activist who was stabbed while trying to rescue his son ### - age ### - who was being held against his will by a Muslim neighbour. Pray for complete healing for ### and for his son ###, who is suffering from trauma. Thanks so much for praying...

Since 2017, at least 16 churches have been closed under a 2006 ordinance that requires non-Muslim worship to be held only in buildings licensed for that purpose. The licensing commission established under the ordinance has yet to issue a single licence. Pray that these regulations will be...

Thank the Lord that many Christians in ### are diligently sharing the gospel in Muslim communities and that many are coming to faith in Christ. Ask the Lord to protect new believers and help them to connect with Christian communities that can give them the support they need to overcome...

The Open Doors team in ### is aiming to strengthen nearly ### persecuted Christians by ### through training, trauma care and relief aid. One partner shares: "Pray that the Lord will establish the work of our hands and those we equip and that it will bear fruit to the glory of God." Thanks so...

### has lost both her sons. One was killed by Boko Haram and the other fled to escape the militants. ### and her husband are elderly and are too weak to farm for themselves, and are being cared for by their local church. Pray for God's guidance and protection for their son and that he will be...

As we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, ask God to pour out His Spirit on church leaders who share God's Word in extremely volatile areas of ###. Pray that they will be 'filled with the Holy Spirit and speak the Word of God boldly' (Acts 4:31), despite the threats of those who...

Please pray for ### - age ### - whose husband ### was murdered in ### last November. Open Doors is providing ### and her three children with practical aid and livelihood support. "I know I will not lack anything because my brethren are there," she says. "They will continue to help us and pray...

Please pray for the family of a pastor who went missing last September in an area where an armed group is active. Shortly after he disappeared, a man contacted the family to say that extremists had taken him. Pray for God's presence to sustain the pastor's family and pray for his release...

Church leaders are often targeted for persecution because it spreads fear in their congregations. Punishments include fines and detention, and this could be for offences such as illegal gatherings and having worship songs on their phones, Ask the Lord to sustain the health of church leaders...

There are proposals to make it harder to hold meetings away from state-registered places of worship. This would especially affect Protestant churches. It comes amid political instability in the country. Pray that the church will grow stronger and brighter despite these fresh challenges. Thanks...

Last December, ### and his family fled their home after villagers surrounded their house. The hatred was stirred by a Muslim leader, who said the family's Christian faith defiled the land. Pray that the family will quickly find a place that they can call home again. Thanks so much for praying...

### was in a taxi on her way home from church when her Muslim driver, realising ###'s Christian faith, sexually assaulted her and then beat her. She nearly died. ### needs long-term medical and psychological support to recover from this horrific ordeal. Pray for complete healing. Thanks so much...

After becoming Christians, a group of brothers from a Muslim family led some villagers to Jesus, much to the anger of the local iman. When the brother's elderly mother died, shortly after becoming a Christian, the iman blamed their new faith. The family is in severe danger. Please pray for their...

Christians from the Tausug tribe have their own translation of the New Testament. This year, Open Doors local partners began work on translating the Old Testament. Ask the Lord to sustain the team and guide them in their choice of words. Thanks so much for praying, Elohim bless you. Taken from...

Praise God that, in the past year, many young people have become Christians. However, choosing to follow Jesus can bring a lot of pressure from Muslim parents. Pray that God's Word and the Holy Spirit will guide and encourage these young Christians in their faith and witness. Thanks so much for...