Displaying items by tag: Asia

In Vietnam, Christian persecution comes from local and national governments plus tribal culture. Communist laws disadvantage the Christian minority and their implementation at the grassroots level leads to persecution from local officials. Roman Catholics are seen as suspect for their ties to foreign powers. Ethnic group leaders see Christians as traitors to the tribal culture and identity, and villagers often work with them to persecute believers. The Montagnards, Protestant Christians, are viewed with particular suspicion by officials. On 1 January 2018 a new law on belief and religion came into effect, but Christian leaders agree that little has changed. Its potentially positive provisions are being unevenly applied, and completely ignored in remote areas where ethnic minorities continue under heavy persecution. These are anxious times for believers. See https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/vietnam/

In a New Year speech, Kim Jong Un has said that he is prepared to meet Donald Trump at any time, while warning he would pursue an alternative course if Washington kept up sanctions on Pyongyang. He wanted an outcome that would be ‘welcomed by the international community’, but warned the US not to ‘misjudge our patience by unilaterally demanding certain things and pushing ahead with sanctions and pressure’. Kim also said the US should continue its halt to joint military exercises with South Korea and not deploy strategic military assets there. He also called for stronger inter-Korean cooperation, stating that he is ready to resume operations at a jointly-run factory park in the North Korean border town of Kaesong and to restart South Korean tours to the North's Diamond Mountain resort. Neither is possible unless sanctions are removed.

A fragile calm took hold in Hodeidah on 18 December, after sporadic gunfire between Houthi fighters and forces loyal to the government. Two days later it was being hailed by many as a positive step on the path to peace for the war-torn country. However the agreement is open to different interpretations by the warring parties. It talks of ‘mutual redeployment of forces’ from Hodeidah and other ports. The Houthis do not see this as meaning that they need to withdraw, while the other side thinks they must do so - a key point of contention. See. Everyone is praying that the truce will hold. The humanitarian situation is beyond atrocious. The majority of malnourished people don't know where they will get their next meal. Women can't produce milk for their children. People die daily. 22 million people need aid. 8.4 million face starvation. Pray for immediate co-ordinated availability and distribution of all that is needed.

A World Generation Gathering is about to see the Holy Spirit poured out in Jakarta between 23 and 26 January 2019. A similar event in South Korea in 2016 saw a wonderful move of God inspire and anoint all who attended and the ministries and the countries they represented. For an exciting report on that event, click the ‘More’ button. Please pray for all who will be in Jakarta’s prayer and worship celebration to hear God’s wake-up call on their lives. May every follower of Jesus have a heart prepared by the Holy Spirit, so that they share all that God is doing in their life boldly and powerfully in a way that millions more will be inspired to be Christ-followers. Pray for the anointing of intercession to fall on every speaker, musician, and delegate. Pray for all technology to be trouble-free, and for the funding and travel arrangements of all involved. See

Although Donald Trump and President Xi recently announced a trade agreement between the US and China, some believe 5G mobile networks might yet spark a further ‘trade war’. These mobile data networks will be rolled out commercially over the next decade, preparing the way for driverless cars and smart cities. Some say 5G technology, 100 times faster than today’s connections, could be a bigger leap forward than the original internet, and countries using it successfully will dominate 21st-century trade and commerce. Whoever builds and controls the new networks will take on huge political and economic importance. The US now wants to stop Chinese technology companies from taking a lead in this field. China is racing to gain a head start in these new technologies, and views 5G as potentially the key to 21st-century superpower status. See also UK article 3.

In Beijing, police have detained dozens of churchgoers and leaders of Early Rain Church in Chengdu, one of China's most prominent Protestant ‘house’ churches, in the latest government action against unregistered religious groups. Members of the church have been unable to contact pastor Wang Yi, the church's founder, or his wife, and church groups on the instant messaging platform WeChat have also been blocked. China's constitution guarantees religious freedom, but since President Xi Jinping took office six years ago, the government has tightened restrictions on religions seen as a challenge to the authority of the ruling Communist Party. The law requires that all places of worship register and submit to government oversight, but some churches have declined to register, for various reasons.

After a two-year battle to re-register their work, World Vision has been expelled from Pakistan, along with Catholic Relief Services and 16 other organisations, for ‘deliberately spreading disinformation’ and ‘non-compliance’. World Vision has handed over responsibility for poverty-reduction and health programmes to the state and has complied with a 60-day deadline to leave. They regret the effect that the cessation of their work will have on the vulnerable communities where they worked, but respect the Government's decision as to who may work in the country. They have worked in Pakistan for thirteen years, helping 800,000 youngsters. They are currently discussing the possibility of re-starting work under new legal frameworks which the government may introduce at a later date. Catholic Relief Services, a charitable arm of the US Catholic Church, had been helping provide food, education and clean water in Pakistan since 1954.

On 6 December, delegations from both the Yemeni government and the Houthi rebels began peace talks near Stockholm. Abdullah al-Alimi, a representative of the Yemeni government, tweeted that the conference was ‘a true opportunity for peace’. Mohamed Abdelsalam, who heads the Houthi delegation, promised to ‘spare no effort to make a success of the talks’. Pray for God to quell the scepticism of observers. Pray for the Yemeni government to resist launching an all-out attack on the key port city of Hudaydah, currently controlled by the rebels. The talks began encouragingly, with an agreement to exchange 5,000 prisoners: see

The high degree of Turkey’s religious nationalism places incredible pressure on Christians. The government doesn’t target Christians directly, but its nationalistic bias leaves little room for Christians to preach the gospel, which is considered an opposing message. Converts from Islam face social opposition, and often lead double lives to keep their faith hidden from family and community. If found out, they might be threatened with divorce and loss of inheritance rights, and all Christians face employment discrimination. Pray for Muslim-background converts to minister graciously and wisely to their families, especially if they are labelled and treated as traitors. Pray for evangelist David Byle who was refused re-entry into Turkey to be with his family. He had lived and preached there for 19 years and had experienced increasing harassment. See

Syria: 31 Days of Prayer - December 2018

It’s easy to master the art of ignoring other people’s pain when we don’t recognize their faces, and the chaos is not right IN our face. You didn’t ignore the pain of the Syrian people or the opportunity to join us, stepping into the gap 4 years ago this month with a 31 Day Prayer Focus.

Together we answered the call to what we sensed God asking, “If not you, who, and if not now, when? What are YOU waiting for?” Together we took action because a more urgent and radical response to the situation was needed from Christ’s Church. We believed God had dislodged something in the hearts and minds of Syrians, and it was now time for them to hear the good news afresh, like no other time in history.

It’s still their time NOW, and we can’t miss it. The Church can’t miss it. Or, is it another tragedy of neglect and callousness toward God himself?

What God has done in the intervening years is another whole story. Within 2 weeks, over 1,000 people were praying from over 100 Nations. We’re not sure how all that happened so quickly. We can only attribute that to the more than 200 of you who said you would become a Circle Starter -- and gathered groups of friends and family to pray with you.

Several 1,000’s were activated through the prayer initiative to go work among the refugees in the harsh camps, tent settlements, and cities of Europe, Lebanon, Jordon and Turkey. Many have come to faith along the journey and in new host countries. Many dollars were given for relief, evangelism and church planting efforts, as well as training new believers to reach their own people.

We’re convinced there is a future story too. In some ways, a lot has changed, but many things have not.

What has changed? Many have come to faith and are now being discipled and discipling others.

These are estimates since the violence erupted:
• 500,000 have been killed (Total population in 2011 before the war was 21 million)
• 1.8 million have been injured
• 5.6+ million have fled the borders
• 6+ million are internally displaced
What has NOT changed?
• They have no guaranteed safety
• They’re still victims of other people’s wars.
• For most, they still haven’t been integrated into their host nations - many without jobs or warmth during winter, and some still hungry.
• Most children are still not being educated 7 years later.

Yet -- GOD is still drawing many to Himself in the midst of the loss, pain, and chaos. He’s not asleep, distracted or off duty.

Now is not the time to give up. Will we let the hope of future generations dissipate because we stopped praying? We must persevere and capture the lessons we’ve learned and press into the future with fervent prayer for the Syrian people and the region. We believe there is too much still at stake.

Will you prayer-push with us once again a few minutes each day this December?

There is no better time than when it’s no longer in the news, and many have forgotten! Fire up those “prayer circles” once again. We will send out revised and daily prayer prompts and also have available a downloadable 31-Day prayer guide.

31 - Day Prayer Guide and Flipboard Magazine

You can click on the link here to download a printable pdf of the guide.

We launched a Flipboard Magazine to curate articles on the crisis. Click on the link here 

The Syrian Circle Team