Walk side by side with believers who have been persecuted for their faith. This unique devotional features more than 25 spiritual leaders from around the world who share not only their story, but their inspiration. Sign up to receive the Day by Day devotional. 

Prayer Points:

• Pray for peace and a new ceasefire to be put into place quickly in Gaza.
• Pray that Christian families will be reunited after being separated by recent attacks in Gaza.
• Pray for peace only the Lord can give for the surviving families and friends of the victims of the brutal attacks in the Congo.
• Pray that members of the accused rebel group LRA will be brought to justice and that their reign of terror and violence will end. 
 

Praying with you, 

Christina and the Prayer Force Team   

Open Doors USA
1-888-5-BIBLE-5
http://www.opendoorsusa.org/

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Please join in prayer for:

• Praise God for the success of Yousef’s case.  Pray that he and his family will not face any additional persecution due to this hard-won victory.
• Pray for other Christians in Egypt to be as brave and seek to change their religion on their identity cards. 
• Pray for Jhontu Biswas who continually shares the gospel in Bangladesh despite the persecution he receives for his faith in Christ.
• Pray for the persecutors of Biswas to repent of their ways and receive the gift of salvation.

Praying with you,

Michele and the Prayer Force Team

* News Source: Compass Direct News

Open Doors USA
1-888-5-BIBLE-5
http://www.opendoorsusa.org/

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Please Join In Prayer For:

• Parvisha and Sanam in Pakistan. Pray for God’s strength to help them endure judgment and criticism from their community.  Pray also for their family as they bravely stand alongside them.
• Pray for Saba and Aneela. Pray for Saba to be supernaturally protected from the mistreatment by her captors.  Pray for young girls in Pakistan and other parts of the world who face similar fears.  “I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.”  Psalm 34:4 
• The passing of our brothers Mogos and Mehari in Eritrea.  “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints.”  Psalm 116:15
• The many Christians in Eritrea that they feel God’s mighty presence.  Pray for Him to protect and comfort them that “We may boldly say: The Lord is my helper; I will not fear.  What can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:6.
  

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Please Join in Prayer for:

• Divinely inspired compassion and justness for Bin Saleh in Saudi Arabia and all who will be deciding his fate.  “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy… Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  Matthew 5:7, 10
• Thanksgiving to God for the boldness and courage of Christians like Bin Saleh and Martha Makkar to speak forth His truth in love without fear of consequence.  “…But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1Cor 15:57
• The Egyptians brothers who have been unjustly accused and sentenced to prison.  Pray for all Christians persecuted because of righteousness. Pray they are strengthened and encouraged daily.
• Love and mercy to prevail in Gaza. Pray that the humanitarian efforts will provide much needed relief and that it will pave a way for them to receive hope for salvation in Jesus Christ. 
  

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AP - A pastor shot and killed during his Sunday sermon deflected the first of the gunman's four rounds with a Bible, sending a confetti-like spray of paper into the air in a horrifying scene that congregants initially thought was a skit, police said.

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Father in heaven, have mercy upon our brothers and sisters living under the burden of persecution.  Send the comfort of your Spirit and empower them to reach out to

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Father in heaven, have mercy upon our brothers and sisters living under the burden of persecution.  Send the comfort of your Spirit and empower them to reach out to their oppressors with your love.  Remind them that they are not alone and keep us all in Your love until Your coming.  Amen.

Carl Moeller
President/CEO

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Open Doors USA - Serving Persecuted Christians Worldwide
We are an organization aimed at strengthening persecuted
believers worldwide through community development,
Bible & literature distribution, leadership training & education
and ministries of prayer and advocacy.

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NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Lisa Baumgartner Bonds, 410-230-2814, 443-722-2162 cell, lbonds@lwr.org

More food, water desperately needed in Sri Lanka - LWR responds

Baltimore, May 18, 2009 - Lutheran World Relief (LWR) partners working on the ground in Sri Lanka only have three to four more days’ supply of food to feed thousands of people displaced by violence between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

“Our partners are struggling to provide food to the swelling numbers of internally displaced persons (IDPs),” says Joanne Fairley, LWR’s Regional Director for Asia and the Middle East.

Fighting escalated this past weekend in the last LTTE controlled territory, sending thousands more civilians fleeing south in search of sanctuary amidst the announcement from the Sri Lankan military that LTTE leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran was killed.

The news of Prabhakaran’s death, and the LTTE’s subsequent surrender, elicited celebrations in the streets of Sri Lanka, however, thousands of people, namely Tamils, remain displaced and in desperate need of food, water and sanitation.

In addition to the thousands who have made it to a camp, there are an estimated 40,000 en route to camps. To meet the needs of the increasing numbers of displaced the government has had to open more safe zone camps. Those in the newest camps are not yet receiving food aid and the camps with which LWR are working have estimated that, feeding people at the current level, their food supply will run out within three to four days.

The rise in the number of displaced has put a strain on the already limited resources of the camps. In one zone, community kitchens intended to feed 400 people are desperately trying to accommodate upwards of 3,500. 

“The situation in these camps is quite desperate. There is simply not enough food for everyone and if we don’t respond swiftly, people will starve,” says Fairley.

In addition to widespread hunger, disease is a growing concern as many people arrived with only the clothing on their backs. While visiting a camp in Vavuniya, LWR staff encountered a woman caring for her sick infant grandson. During the visit the child became sick with diarrhea and the woman did not have adequate water to bathe the child and had only her clothes to use to clean him. The need for water, cloting and sanitary supplies is critical as overcrowding in the camps will likely lead to the rapid spread of disease.

Water access and storage are critical problems as there is currently not enough water for people to use to drink, bathe and cook. There is an urgent need for containers in which to collect water and for toilets.

Lutheran World Relief has already committed $50,000 in response to this crisis and is working with local organizations to distribute cooked food packets, provide supplementary food items for community kitchens, and provide water. An additional $500,000 is needed to mount a comprehensive relief effort, and LWR has issued an urgent appeal to its donors to contribute toward this effort.

“The news of the LTTE surrender is encouraging,” says Fairley. “However, the humanitarian aid community has to remain focused on the thousands of people who remain displaced and in need of food, water, and sanitation.”

Lutheran World Relief is accepting donations for the Sri Lanka crisis online at lwr.org/giving, via telephone at 800-LWR-LWR-2, or by mail at P.O. Box 17061 Baltimore, MD 21298-9832.

INTERNATIONAL DISASTERS:
Editors:  When listing organizations receiving donations for aid to survivors of major disasters outside the United States , Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands, please include:

Lutheran World Relief, http://www.lwr.org/, 1-800-597-5927

For information contact:
Lisa Baumgartner Bonds, 410-230-2814, 443-722-2162 cell, lbonds@lwr.org

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