“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and he is attentive to their cry.”
CBN News recently reported that, in Nicaragua, 11 pastors and ministers who carried out a large-scale evangelism campaign to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ last year were imprisoned on false charges, and there is a movement for their release. They carried out evangelical activities in cooperation with Mountain Gateway, a US-based ministry, and there was an amazing revival.
However, after their evangelical work, Christian leaders were imprisoned and convicted of money laundering. The government sentenced the pastors to prison terms of between 12 and 15 years and a hefty fine of $80 million. Mountain Gateway strongly denies the charges, and Christian leaders have called the trial a “scam” and “persecution.”
They said Nicaragua’s authoritarian regime appears to have fabricated the charges because it felt threatened by active missionary activities. The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), which supports the legal defence of imprisoned pastors, submitted a request for preventive action on their behalf to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, calling it a “fraudulent conviction.”
The Alliance Defending Freedom said, “No person should be imprisoned or punished for their faith, but that is exactly what happened to these religious leaders,” and added, “We ask that the Nicaraguan authorities defend the human rights and dignity of these pastors and release them from unjust imprisonment.”
Rick Scott, Ted Cruz, Katie Britt, Tommy Tuberville and several other U.S. senators have also spoken out for incarcerated Christians, calling on the Biden administration to “implement strong, specific-targeted sanctions against a situation where the Nicaraguan government is repeatedly and increasingly severely violating religious freedom.”
Alabama Representative Barry Moore asked American Christians: Please, contact respective members of Congress and request them to step up the pressure to help jailed pastors by supporting House Resolution 1019, which has bipartisan support from four Democrats and more Republicans.
Resolution 1019 contains content urging the U.S. government to implement strong sanctions against the Nicaraguan government for unfairly imprisoning and persecuting religious leaders. In addition, Resolution 1019 protects religious freedom, demands the release of unjustly imprisoned pastors and ministers, and condemns the Nicaraguan government’s repeated and increasingly severe violations of religious freedom. (Source: Gospel Prayer Newspaper Comprehensive)
Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry. (Psalms 34:13-15)
God, thank You for allowing the United States to pay attention to the 11 pastors imprisoned in Nicaragua, where religious oppression is increasing. May You help the persecuted and imprisoned to regain their freedom through this effort. May You rebuke the evil scheme of the Nicaraguan government and Satan that constantly and repeatedly afflicts Christians. May You grant humility to the Nicaraguan government and consider the recommendations of the surrounding countries, so that they may abandon falsehoods and evil and repent and do good. May You strengthen the faith of churches that they continuously cry out to You as Your ears are attentive to them so that the gospel of the cross may be freely proclaimed in Nicaragua and become a nation Your peace abounds.
Prayer 24·365
prayer@prayer24365.org
