Pray for the Church in Egypt After a Series of Attacks.

Over the past few weeks, there has been a spate of anti-Christian violence targeting the Church in Egypt and leaving Christian communities across the country distressed and intimidated. Churches have been destroyed, Christians mobbed and attacked, sometimes publicly shamed, and their homes torched

However, there is no justice for the Christians who are suffering from this persecution. On the contrary, embattled Christians are usually forced into giving up their legal rights in favour of entering into a “reconciliation” process, in which local Islamic leaders conspire with local community leaders to curtail Christian victims’ rights and impose oppressive terms on the Christian community.

In effect, the “reconciliation” process is actually a way of covering up, if not actually condoning, the sectarian violence rather than putting an end to it.

However, despite the surge of anti-Christian violence taking place now, there have also been reports of Muslim communities defending their Christian neighbours. Villagers recently fought a church fire together, and in another incident, Muslims came to the defence  of a Christian church leader in the village of Qaryat Al Bayda, just south of Alexandria. He would otherwise likely have been murdered, as a local Christian activist said, “Had it not been for the intervention of our sane Muslim brothers, the minister could have died.” (See post https://pray.interserve.org/christian-commun…uslim-neighbours/) ‎

• Pray for Believers in Egypt as they are facing increasing persecution and attacks targeting their communities and property. Pray for protection for the Christian communities across Egypt.
• Give thanks for reports of Muslims helping their Christian neighbours. Pray that these attacks will actually bring Muslim and Christian communities closer together in their fight against violent extremism. Pray too for an end to the violence.
• Pray for the Egyptian government as it seeks to uphold the rights of Christians, for wisdom in implementing steps needed to see freedom of worship and speech for all people.
• Pray for justice for Christians affected by the violence. Pray for access to legal help and for their legal rights to be upheld, not taken away.
• Pray for the witness of Christian communities across Egypt at this time, for grace, love and forgiveness to flow as a “stream of livelong water” that will draw many to come to know Christ Jesus in this nation.

John 16 vs 33: “In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!’”

Source: https://www.barnabasfund.org/news