Two Christian couples in northern India were assaulted by a Hindu mob when they visited another Christian family to pray for them. Pastor Jehovah Das, 65, and Vinod Masih, 42, and their wives visited another family’s home to pray for their new baby. A group of radical Hindus found out about the visit and gathered a mob of about 50 people. They broke into the house and dragged the Christians out, slapping, punching and kicking them for several hours. They then searched the visitors’ car, pulled out Bibles and Christian literature, and forced the Christians to set fire to the materials.
Read MoreIslamists belonging to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) continue to attack and kill Christians in targeted assaults in the DRC. One pastor said his village has been attacked by the ADF three times over the last year, and every building belonging to Christians has been destroyed. In the first attack, the ADF killed 15 people inside his church and kidnapped 20. In the next attack, the ADF killed six people, including a church elder. When the ADF attacked a third time, the pastor said they were specifically looking for him.
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Brother Matthew was a worldly teenager when his mother decided she and her son needed to go to church. By the end of that first service, both of them had committed their lives to following Christ. As Matthew grew in faith, he was convicted and inspired by the Acts accounts of Paul’s missionary travels. Studying Paul’s efforts to take the gospel to the gentiles, Matthew began to ponder who were the gentiles in his generation, living far from the truth of Christ? As he began to ask that question in prayer, God laid on his heart the nation of Afghanistan. Matthew began taking steps towards service in that war-torn country, and repeatedly God confirmed His calling. Months later, Matthew was in Uzbekistan, serving with a church-planting effort and getting on-the-ground education in Central Asia ministry and culture. Listen as Matthew tells the stories of the people he met who experienced supernatural visions and encounters with Jesus. He’ll also talk about the risks of sharing the gospel among Muslims, and the miraculous story of how God helped him get approval for an Afghan visa from the Taliban consulate! Matthew will recount what it looked like when he arrived in Kabul—just a few years after Soviet tanks withdrew—and how the Lord led him to serve in a village as God faithfully guided, one step at a time. Pray this week for our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters in Afghanistan and throughout Central Asia. The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians in nations like North Korea, Nigeria, Iran, and India, 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 MoreIn 2025, a 16-year-old Pakistani Christian named Reena took a job at a restaurant to help support her family. An older Muslim man who worked there tried to convert her to Islam repeatedly, but she refused. In January 2026, as she was walking home, she was grabbed and forced into a van. Her family told authorities and tried to confront the man at her workplace but were told Reena had converted to Islam and married him.
Read MoreSince the beginning of 2026, more than two dozen Christians, including converts and church leaders, have been arrested and detained without any charges in a Middle Eastern nation. “Family members haven’t been able to contact them,” said a front-line worker, adding that at least three Christians disappeared without anyone knowing what happened to them. “The situation is bad. Families are struggling.”
Read MoreOn Dec. 24, 2025, Muslim leaders insisted on an official ban and pressured a local pastor in West Java province to cancel his church’s planned holiday worship services. Religious and government leaders cited the potential for attacks from radical Islamist groups but could not identify a specific threat. While a public announcement was made that the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day celebrations were canceled, the 70-member church decided to continue their services as planned. “I was indeed under pressure in the video [announcing the ban],” said Pastor Irianto Budy.
Read More“God, where are You working in aviation that I can participate?” Throughout his life, Steve Russell, CEO and President of Jungle Aviation and Relay Service (better known as JAARS) has asked the Lord what He had in store next. That pattern continued when he earned his pilot’s license; he wondered how the Lord would use that new skill to open doors for Kingdom impact. Little did he know God would use it to move him toward leadership in a global missions effort! Long before Russell arrived at JAARS, God was giving him experiences to prepare him for this season of service. Steve will share how the Lord led him from ministry as a youth pastor to the military, including leading a U.S. Army unit involved in the capture of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. Later, God moved him into government service, including in the State of Oklahoma and the U.S. House of Representatives. Now, at JAARS, he leads a worldwide mission working to facilitate delivery of God’s Word into the hardest-to-reach places in the world. Steve will also explain JAARS’ history and its historic connection to Wycliffe Bible Translators. Hear how you can pray for JAARS’ pilots, mechanics, and technicians, and other aspects of the ministry of JAARS. Also check out their podcast, Uncharted. The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily 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 MoreKazakh church leaders are reporting an upswing in harassment during church services by government officials. “In four different churches on the outskirts of Almaty since the end of December, police have showed up, interrupted services and demanded names and IDs,” said a front-line worker. He said that this seems like a new tactic: “In the past, pressure from the government has mostly been against radical Islam, not against churches.”
Read MoreCuban pastor Luis Guillermo Borjas requests urgent prayer for the release of his son from prison on fabricated charges. In June 2025, the pastor’s disabled son, Kevin, was conscripted into the army, an act that the family believes was retribution for their ongoing Christian ministry. Kevin was court-martialed when he could not complete his service and is now being held in a military prison in deplorable conditions without adequate food.
Read MoreChristians in Nigeria are being repeatedly killed and kidnapped by Islamists and bandit groups, even during worship services. In Nov. 2025, around 300 schoolchildren were taken from a Christian school in one state. In Jan. 2026, around 30 people were killed in an attack in the same area. And on Sunday, Jan. 18, 172 Christians were kidnapped as they participated in services inside three different churches in another state. “The situation seems to be getting worse for Christians in Nigeria,” said a front-line worker.
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