Good morning Saints
It’s that time again when we are invited to go deeper and join in with a multigenerational 24 hours of prayer. One Church One Day begins at 7pm next Friday 1st March and ends at 7pm on Saturday 2nd and the theme in this time of Lent is above. Friday 1st is also the World Day of Prayer when people will gather around the world to pray for Palestine. Please see the link for details 2024 Theme and Country Palestine – World Day Of Prayer (wwdp.org.uk)
If you would like to be a part of this OCOD time of prayer please sign the white board or click on the link. It is a great encouragement for all to see who is praying throughout the night and day. https://signup.24-
New this month – there will be an opportunity to Soak in Scripture Together from the comfort of our own homes from 3-4pm on the Saturday. We can stand, sit, kneel or lie-down, screens off and muted, as we rest in verses from the Bible. A link for this will be shared nearer the time so please sign up if you would like to join in.
OCOD begins with an uplifting hour of Prayer & Praise Together, and yet again from the comfort of our own homes on Zoom 7pm next Friday night https://us02web.zoom.us/
Prayer is personal, so we can pray in any quiet, loud, sedentary, energetic, any way we choose to. If you feel able, please share any reflections following your time of prayer as these bless, inspire, encourage and build up the Body of Christ.
With love and prayers
Diane x
Prayers for Persecuted Christians (Open Doors)
North Korea is number one on the Open Doors World Watch List. Some believers from the country recently shared
how your gifts and prayers are sustaining and encouraging them, through underground networks in China.
“Thanks to you, we are like a jewel that’s buried in the ground yet will never lose its brightness.” That
beautiful image is shared by a North Korean Christian who is receiving help from Open Doors secret
fieldworkers, having managed to flee to another country.
Even after escaping, it’s far from simple for North Korean believers to live out their faith openly – but your
gifts and prayers are helping Christians keep going. As this believer says, they will never lose their
brightness.
Through underground networks in China, Open Doors supports North Korean Christians in a number of
ways. That includes food, medicine, clothes and other essentials – as well as Christian material, Bible
studies, safe houses and pastoral care. For persecuted men, women and children who have been given
so little in their lives, it truly is a God-send.
“We, North Korean Christians, have to walk the narrow road,” says a Christian from North Korea. “There
are persecution, trials and other troubles. Some waiver. Only those who view themselves in the mirror that
is God’s Word and who train their heart can walk this way.
“We run with strength to the beautiful future which our Lord has promised us. He gave us the certainty of
our salvation. We will get through the difficulties and help each other in unity.” He adds that North Korean
Christians can persevere thanks to the help of their foreign brothers and sisters, like you.
Another North Korean Christian shares how he sees the grace of God in the help that Open Doors secret
fieldworkers in the region are able to provide – and connects it to Isaiah 55:5: “Surely you will summon
nations you know not, and nations you do not know will come running to you, because of the Lord your
God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendour.”
“According to this scripture, our Lord has poured grace upon grace on the North Korean underground
church so that we can remain faithful,” the believer says. “This is more precious than our life. I’m so
grateful for the blessings we have received.
“We want to give thanks also for the lives of the people who have made this possible. We will move
forward with responsibility and duty. I believe that our future will be bright and abundant if we continue to
be faithful and pass on our faith to the next generation.”
He ends his message with a heartfelt blessing for Open Doors’ supporters. “I want to thank you for all the
items that you’ve given us. I pray that the blessing of the Father be with you, so that all may go well with
you and be in good health, and that it may go well with your soul.”
Another believer who has received this help agrees: “We pray you are well in the Lord. We praise Him for
His amazing grace upon the North Korean believers.”
We are simply overwhelmed by your amazing love.” He continues, “Thank you for taking care of the
North Korean believers. You are so concerned for us and love us so much. I’m happy to report that we are
doing well. We are simply overwhelmed by your amazing love. We want to thank you from the bottom of
our hearts. All North Korean believers are re-dedicating themselves to support one another.”
Give thanks for the ways in which God is upholding His children and using the gifts and prayers of Open
Doors supporters. *That North Korean believers will receive strength from the Holy Spirit to endure
persecution and hardships with strong faith. *For Open Doors secret fieldworkers to be ‘shrewd as snakes
and as innocent as doves’ (Matthew 10:16) as they support North Korean Christians.
When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, many Afghans were forced to leave the
country for their own safety. This included Abdulla, who you might remember from last year. In this
encouraging update, we hear what God has been up to in the lives of Abdulla and his family.
“A month ago, a man called us and asked a lot of questions about Jesus,” explains Abdulla* about the
new online ministry he’s set up since fleeing Afghanistan. “It turns out that he was from a radical Muslim
community but was very interested in learning about Jesus. That man is now ready to accept Jesus. ”The
resource involves Abdulla sharing the gospel in his native language through an online channel. “It’s
obvious that people are using it; we get phone calls very often,” he continues. “It is very encouraging that
we can serve such people through our internet resource.”
“I prayed and now I’m sure God is calling me and my family to serve here,” he shares. “I’m working on the
Christian internet resource. I know that many refugees from Afghanistan are already in Western countries,
even some of our friends, but we are not going. My wife and I decided to follow God’s calling.”
It’s not the only way Abdulla and his family are serving others. He works with other Afghan refugees and,
at the church they’re involved in, Abdulla leads a house group and Fatima (who works as a hairdresser at
a local salon) is involved in Sunday School.
Recently, Abdulla was invited to training organised by Open Doors local partners about countering false
teaching. “This training is so interesting and informative,” he says. “As a leader of a home group, I need to
know more about different heresies and how to deal with such things in ministry. I am very grateful for the
invitation; I learnt a lot.”
Please pray
· For continued safety for Abdulla and his family
· That Fatima will be granted citizenship, and that the couple can visit her parents in the Middle East and tell
them about Jesus
· For the family’s ministry and faith to keep growing.
Akram, a believer from a Muslim background in Bangladesh was arrested on 16 November 2023
when his relatives and members of the community made false accusations against him. He was freed on
bail on 7 January 2024 after 81 days in a local prison in northern Bangladesh.
When Akram returned home to his family, he spoke to Open Doors partners to express his thanks for their
– and your – support.
“I am thankful to all of you for continuously praying for me and for supporting my family in my absence,” he
said. “You supported my wife with encouragement and prayers and supported my family with food.
Because of your support, my wife was able to protect and carry our family burdens. Thank you very much
for whatever you have been doing for us.”
His family are very happy about his return; his children couldn’t stop hugging him and holding his hand.
Now Akram hopes to spend time recovering mentally and physically from his ordeal. He also asks for
continued prayer for them, and that they would be able to forgive those who falsely accused him.
PLEASE PRAY
· For a full recovery for Akram, and that he and his family will adjust well to normal life
· That Akram and his family will continue to trust in the Lord and be strengthened by the persecution they’ve
experienced
· That God will give them forgiving hearts toward their persecutors.