Pray for Christians Imprisoned in Libya
Not stand by while the Christians of the Middle East are being attacked.
Pray the protection of Psalm 91 over my brothers and sisters facing dangerous circumstances around the world.
Open Doors International released a report in May 2016 describing Libya as one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a Christian. The civil war in 2011 resulted in a divided government and the growth of the Islamic State. Both government forces and ISIS are hostile toward Christians, who have no religious freedom in Libya.
Rough estimates put the Christian population of Libya between 20,000 and 25,000. They are not allowed to hold church services, evangelize, or own Bibles. ISIS has built secret prisons where many Christians are held for months or years in terrible conditions. The captives are tortured, starved, and often forced to convert. And even conversion does not relieve them of their suffering and imprisonment.
Even when the Libyan military pushes ISIS out of an area, their prisoners are not released. Suspected of being collaborators, many Christians remain trappedin their cells. They feel hopeless and afraid, kept from their families and not allowed have contact with the outside world. No one will tell them if or when they might be released.
As Libya convulses with war and the struggle for power, these Christian prisoners are forgotten. They live in unsanitary conditions, without medical care, and are given hardly any food. Many of the women in these prisons have young children or are pregnant. They are clinging to their faith, and we need to lift them up in prayer.
Please Pray
- The faith of Christians imprisoned and persecuted in Libya will be strengthened.
- God will heal the sick and provide for every physical need of those in prison.
- The captives will be released and allowed to return safely to their families.
- The evil plans of ISIS and other terrorists in Libya will be defeated.