Sarah’s father imprisoned her for her faith, yet she was rescued. She became a follower of Christ after Christians invited her to church. When her Muslim father discovered her new faith, he locked her within his guarded compound and confiscated her phone. For 10 days, he asked her to return to Islam; she refused. Then he threatened to marry her to a Muslim man, saying her husband could then kill her. “Let your God save you from me,” he taunted. Sarah prayed to God, “Where are you? You said you would be with me, but I am here. What am I supposed to do?”
Read MoreBrother Yazan, once a jihadi, now serves Christ despite persecution. He served as a jihadi fighter with al-Qaida in Syria, then joined the al-Nusra Front, an Islamist group fighting a civil war against the Syrian government. At one point during the war, the self-proclaimed Islamic State (ISIS) began fighting against al-Nusra Front, upsetting Yazan. “How could two Muslim groups want to kill each other?” he thought. He soon ceased to be a jihadi soldier.
Read MoreBasma, who comes from a fervent Muslim family, placed her faith in Christ in 2018. As a result, her husband and brother began to abuse her violently. Eventually, Basma escaped from her family and took her two teenage children, who had also become Christians, with her. Basma said that if her brother and husband find her, they will surely kill her. Basma requests prayer for her son, who feels he cannot trust anyone, and for her daughter, because they live in constant fear that someone will turn them in.
Read MoreIshaq is active in evangelism and Bible distribution in the Arab nation where he was born, but his future there is tenuous. Ishaq was permitted to be in the country while his Eritrean father, who had lived and worked there for decades, maintained his official work status. But when Ishaq’s father died during the coronavirus pandemic, Ishaq’s residency visa expired, and he has been unable to renew it. Ishaq has not been arrested for his unofficial status but has been stopped by police numerous times. “If he were to be deported to Eritrea, where he has never lived, it could be very dangerous for him,” said a front-line worker.
Read MoreMonir and her Iranian Christian family were living in a neighboring country when she suddenly fell into a coma. An ER doctor said she had died from a massive stroke, so her family rushed her to a second hospital where a doctor said she was “as good as dead.” He gave her only a 3% chance of survival even with surgery. The family convinced him to try, but before he began, Monir’s family gathered around her to pray. A Muslim woman nearby asked what they were doing and then requested prayer for her mother who was about to undergo dangerous surgery.
Read MoreMany Muslims are ready to hear the gospel and experience the love of Jesus Christ. For more than two decades Peter Smith has prayed for the nation of Iran and connected with ministries reaching people and supporting persecuted Christians in the nation he and his wife “adopted.” Seeing the gospel go forth in the Middle East reminds Peter of the good soil that produced 30, 60 and 100-fold harvests in Jesus’ Matthew 13 parable. Persecution is rising in restricted nations across the Middle East; despite that risk, more Muslims are becoming followers of Christ. Listen as Peter shares the stories of how God worked in the heart of an Uber driver and a divorced woman. “When you adopt a country,” Peter says, “sooner or later you get to adopt the people.” Peter’s wife also has an international ministry—from their home in the United States. She asks the Lord each day for divine appointments and looks for gospel opportunities at the grocery store, in her neighborhood and wherever else the day takes her. Hear how she’s had gospel conversations with women from 54 different countries. Learn how you can pray specifically for Christians in Iran and across the Middle East as Peter shares what current events mean for Christians there and how to pray for what God is already doing. Go to TheRealStoryOfJesus.com to see one resource people are using to share the gospel in the Middle East—a resource also available in English. Hear the story of Peter “adopting” the nation of Iran during his first visit with VOM Radio. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast. Or you can listen each week—and get daily prayer reminders—in the VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.
Read More“Please pray that my parents will calm down and surrender to the Lord,” requested Amir, an Iraqi convert to Christianity. He recently learned that his enraged parents had shot his brother-in-law in the leg in retaliation for Amir and his family converting to Christianity and fleeing the country. Other members of Amir’s family have had to flee for their lives after converting from Islam. Despite the pressure and danger, Amir prays that more family and friends will come to know Christ as their savior.
Read MoreKhalida, her two sons and a daughter placed their trust in Christ years ago after having dreams about him. When Muslim extremists in their community heard about their conversion, they attacked the family and tried to kill them. The family barely survived. The enraged Muslims then formed a mob that attacked and burned several churches that were helping Khalida’s family.
Read MoreIn 2015, Zara, then 19, was abducted and horribly abused for several days by her kidnappers. Her entire Muslim family had become followers of Christ, and some Muslim extremists wanted to punish them. “They told her what they were doing was not a sin,” said a front-line worker, “but that it was their religious obligation because of her conversion to Christianity.” After her kidnappers released her, Zara and her family eventually fled to another country, but they continue to struggle.
Read MorePastor Maged was planting a church in a rural part of Egypt when his family came under severe persecution. Repeatedly they fled, and repeatedly they were pressured. Eventually, they were forced to live underground where raw sewage seeped into their basement living quarters. After some time, they relocated to another Arab nation where Pastor Maged is active in church leadership.
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