“We carry around the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be revealed.”
[Jan.23.2022] Christians in Libya are facing increasing difficulties due to the government’s continued anti-Christian measures, Open Doors said recently.
According to Open doors, the Libyan government banned Christmas and New Year celebrations celebrated by Christians in December last year.
A movement to confiscate Christmas decorations was implemented national wide. Local police shut down all stores that were selling the seasonal decorations.
The government claimed that it was because such festivities of Christmas and New Year did not represent the religion or beliefs of Libyan Muslims, and the state-run media proudly quoted such announcements from government officials and aired them.
Libyans as well as Arab Christians who were celebrating the New Year in a city near the capital of Libya have been arrested by the police.
A member of Benghazi Fatwa Committee (BFC) has declared that celebrating a Christian festival is rebellious against Islam. Such a declaration shows a continuing discrimination pattern against Christians.
In addition, Libya’s Ministry of Religion last year called on the Information and Communication Agency to “close down and ban various websites that encourage young people to follow other religions, atheism, and demonic worship.”
Meanwhile, Libya was ranked 4th in the 2022 Persecution of Christians List by Open doors.
In response, Open Doors requested prayers in the new year of 2022, saying that discrimination against Christians continues to appear in more diverse patterns.
Prayer Points
- Pray that Libyan Christians may come to know the peace of Jesus and the comfort of the Holy Spirit to seek the power of our Heavenly Father to face persistent discrimination.
- Pray for protection from persecution against Christens who have converted from Islam.
- Pray that religious tolerance will be extended to Christians from the Middle East and Southern Sahara. (Source: Gospel Prayer News).
We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. (2 Corinthians 4:8-10)
Father God, please help believers in Libya, who are being persecuted by the government’s anti-Christian measures, to hold fast to the Cross by which they will not be crushed or destroyed even though they are hard-pressed on every side. Let them not be discouraged by the continuing discrimination and may they always carry around the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may be revealed through them in the earth, so that those who believe and are saved may increase. Protect converts from Islam and Arab Christians, and grant them freedom of worship in this land.
Prayer 24·365
prayer@prayer24365.org
