Pastor Paul was doing gospel outreach in Northern India when he was arrested by police and accused of “forcing” Hindus to convert to Christianity. He wasn’t forcing anyone but only sharing with people who expressed a hunger to hear the truth. When police arrived, Paul and his coworkers weren’t having a service or studying the Bible; they were eating a meal. Still, it was considered a crime. “Which god are you praying to?” police asked. Little did Pastor Paul know that his faith would be tested as he heard that question repeatedly over the coming weeks. Pastor Paul and his three gospel coworkers suffered tremendously in police custody. Police threatened them constantly, putting fear in their hearts. They were repeatedly offered freedom if they would only renounce their faith in Jesus Christ. Police put the four Christians in a filthy prison cell that also served as the police station latrine. They allowed a mob of radical Hindus to beat them. Paul prayed that God would strengthen him. “Lord, please help me not to fear their words because You are in charge of every situation,” Pastor Paul prayed, “You controlled the lion’s mouth when Daniel went inside.” As Pastor Paul fervently prayed, the Lord provided him many opportunities to share his faith in Christ and the strength to stand firm against the enemy’s schemes. Listen as he shares his prayer for a forgiving heart when police threatened to beat him, stories of times the Lord gave him moments of relief, and how God sustained him even when his coworkers renounced Christ and turned their backs on him. The Lord opened fellow prisoners’ hearts to hear more about his faith as they watched Pastor Paul. Living out 1 Peter 3:15, he made the most of every opportunity to share the hope of Jesus Christ. Mistreatment and terrible prison conditions impacted Paul’s health; he thought he was going to die. When his wife was finally allowed to visit, he assumed it would be the last time he saw her on earth. He encouraged her to continue forward with Christ and not turn back, even if he died in prison. Paul had two final requests as he cried out to the Lord: to see revival in Uttar Pradesh state, and for the Lord to allow another pastor to be arrested and come and encourage him in prison. Tune in next week to hear the rest of Pastor Paul’s story and whether God answered his request. Pray this week for the Lord to give our brothers and sisters in India strength and courage to withstand Christian persecution and hold fast to their faith in spite of anti-conversion laws and unjust treatment by the Hindu nationalist government. The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily in 2026 for persecuted Christians in nations like North Korea, Nigeria, Iran and Colombia, as well as provide free access to e-books, audiobooks, video content, and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.
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A pastor’s daughter was shot by persecutors but has survived. Tribal spirit worshipers in a remote part of the DRC demanded that a Christian pastor hand over his church’s instruments for their occult practices. When he refused, they returned later to kill him. He wasn’t there, but his 21-year-old daughter Odette was. The attackers severed two of her fingers and told her to kneel so they could execute her. They shot her above her left cheekbone, and the bullet exited through the right side of her jaw.
Read MoreA Christian widow and her four children have been cared for by the global body of Christ after her husband’s martyrdom. Nasr’s decision to become a follower of Christ angered Muslims in his neighborhood, so Islamists affiliated with al-Qaida in central Yemen attacked him, dragging him out of his home and forcing his wife, Yasmin, and their four children to witness his execution.
Read MorePastors in Central Asia need prayers for encouragement amidst hardship. One pastor told a front-line worker that he felt lonely and discouraged. “He realized he needed to say ‘no’ to some things that he can’t take on and to delegate more,” said the worker. “He also longed for the opportunity to share his feelings and weaknesses with other pastors but knew they would tell him he shouldn’t be sharing his weaknesses with them.” Another pastor who serves in the region reported that his entire flock of chickens had been wiped out by disease.
Read MoreServing as the Regional Leader for VOM’s work in Latin America, Isaac Santiago tells what it’s like to be a Christian today in countries like Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Colombia. He has witnessed the shift since 2018 in Nicaragua—listed as a Restricted Nation in VOM’s 2026 Global Prayer Guide—through more laws that directly affect the church and severe restrictions and government pressure similar to what Christians face in Communist nations like Cuba and China. While some Christians in Nicaragua are weary and struggling to adjust to the new persecution reality, Christians in Cuba have dealt with such restrictions for more than 60 years. Isaac says pastors and leaders in the church there continue to be obedient to the Lord despite threats from their government. Isaac will also share thoughts on what the change in leadership in Venezuela means for the church there. In the last two years, he has seen a revival break out in the country and the gospel advance in many parts of the country. In Colombia, people in the cities are often oblivious to what is happening in the “red zones” where Christians are being persecuted by Marxist guerillas and other armed groups. With the current president of Colombia being a former guerrilla, persecution of the church has increased as guerrilla forces have become more powerful. Even though pastors are afraid, they are choosing to be faithful where the Lord has called them. Isaac will also share the miraculous story of a woman held at gunpoint for reaching out to youth in her area and bringing them to Jesus. To learn more about each of these nations and how you can pray, request your free copy of VOM’s 2026 Global Prayer Guide. Also, check out the new Spanish language podcast called VOM Radio: La Voz de los Mártires on Spotify, Amazon Music, Spreaker, and more! The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily in 2026 for persecuted Christians in nations like North Korea, Nigeria, Iran and Bangladesh, as well as provide free access to e-books, audiobooks, video content, and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.
Read MoreA Laotian Christian woman has been abandoned by her family and forced from her home for her faith in Christ. In 2022, Mai Yea visited her uncle, a Christian, who shared the gospel with her. She decided to believe in God. After Mai Yea returned home, her husband was angry. He beat her and threatened to kill her, fearing that her Christian faith would anger the house spirits. She returned to her uncle’s house and in 2024 went to live with her married son and his family. When Mai Yea’s husband visited and told his son that sickness would come because of Mai Yea’s beliefs, he kicked her out.
Read MoreDespite Benin having a significant Christian population of 30%, front-line workers were recently told they could not import audio Bibles into the country. “We have a shipment that had been repeatedly turned away by customs officials,” said a front-line worker about the devices that are very effective in a country with around 50% illiteracy. “We kept resubmitting the boxes for approval, and finally they told us that shipments of audio Bibles would no longer be allowed into the country.”
Read MoreAs the Taliban government is working to eliminate all religions other than Islam, pray that they will be won to Christ. “The secret police go to homes at random to look for evidence of people practicing a different faith,” said a front-line worker. “People are being detained and tortured and become vulnerable to revealing information. It is exhausting having to constantly look over your shoulder.”
Read MoreProtests have been going on for weeks across the nation of Iran. The Islamic government has cut off communication networks and attacked protestors; thousands have been killed. Dr. Mike Ansari, a board member of the World Iranian Christian Alliance and the outgoing CEO of Heart4Iran, joins VOM Radio this week with an update on the current situation in Iran and how persecuted Christians are still demonstrating Christ’s light and loving their neighbors even as the entire country is in turmoil. As happened during previous protests in Iran, Christians were among the first to be targeted by authorities. The Revolutionary Guard and Iranian government leaders see followers of Christ—especially those from a Muslim background—as apostate traitors to their nation and the Islamic Revolution. Dr. Ansari says despite being targeted for Christian persecution followers of Jesus are boldly serving and spreading the light of Christ. Some Christians are even risking arrest to bring injured protestors into their own homes to care for them. Learn what life is like for Christians in Iran right now, and how the government is using this organic uprising to target and persecute Christian believers. Dr. Ansari will also introduce listeners to the World Iranian Christian Alliance, and share how this movement is uniting Iranian Christian leaders to increase unity, cooperation and serve as a voice for Iranian Christians. He’ll also give us specific ways to pray for our Iranian brothers and sisters in Christ right now. You can get a copy of Dr. Mike Ansari’s book entitled Heart4Iran: The Forbidden Stories here. The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily in 2026 for persecuted Christians in nations like North Korea, Nigeria and Bangladesh, as well as provide free access to e-books, audiobooks, video content and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.
Read MoreFront-line workers in Kenya and Ethiopia report that distributing Bibles has provided new opportunities to advance the gospel in predominantly Muslim areas of the country. Last year, courageous Christians distributed 800 Bibles in 11 communities, some of which have been known to be hostile to the gospel. “Some of the beneficiaries of this Bible distribution included new believers from Muslim and traditional backgrounds whose lives would forever be impacted by the Scriptures,” a front-line worker said.
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