SYRIAN CHURCHES INVITE CHRISTIANS WORLDWIDE TO JOIN THEM IN DAY OF PRAYER FOR SYRIA

Most churches in Syria will unite in prayer next weekend in many places around the war-torn nation. This will be an extraordinary show of Christian unity in Syria, where the on-going civil war has claimed over 70,000 lives. Syrian Christians are asking their brothers and sisters around the world to pray and fast with them on the Day of Prayer for Syria on Saturday May 11. As Christians in Syria continue to suffer from the devastating effects of the two-year-old civil war including killings, kidnappings, homelessness, lack of food and shelter and closing of schools; they are also seeing that God’s hand is at work as all denominations are joining in passionate prayer.

“The Christian Church is experiencing a deep humanitarian crisis that is leading to the rapid loss of hope. In the face of violence and persecution, we are striving to keep our eyes on the Lord and seek His face for our country. Even in pain, suffering and death, God is using the Church to accomplish His plan.”

On Saturday, May 11, Christians from different denominations such as Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant/Evangelical are joining together in prayer and fasting to plead before the Lord for His mercy on Syria and an end to the violence. Due to the dangers of traveling in combat zones, Christians will be limited to local meetings planned all across Syria during this day. These groups will be meeting in homes, arenas and churches. Christians across Syria have asked that you join them in prayer on May 11. “Thank you for standing in the gap on behalf of the Syrian people and reflecting the love of Christ in your acts of worship.”

In Damascus, some of the churches will meet in an arena, but there will be prayer in several suburbs of the city. The entire Christian community in Aleppo and the surrounding area is gathering to pray. “This is a huge undertaking as a day of prayer with almost all denominations participating has never happened in Syria before,” said a Syrian church leader.  This is a fight for a nation that was one of the first nations in the world to be impacted by the message of the Gospel of Christ. They need us, the Global Christian Community to stand with them before God, to love and support them. Let us not let them stand alone.

The Church in Syria is asking us to pray for:

• The release of two Orthodox bishops, Yohanna Ibrahim and Boulos Yazigi,who were kidnapped April 23 in Aleppo, and many other Christians who are missing.
• Counseling for children who have been traumatized by the ongoing violence in Syria and the return of peace to this troubled nation.
• For the almost one-third of the Syrian population who are either refugees outside the country or homeless inside Syria.

Please find a list of prayer requests bellow, directly from the Christians living in Syria. Thank you for standing in the gap on behalf of the Syrian people!

• There are churches in Syria that have chosen to remain faithful to their responsibilities to reach out, despite the war. Pray for these churches.
• Pray also for the churches involved in relief work to needy families and refugees: prices for groceries and other necessities rose to an ‘unbelievable level’, a pastor wrote.
• There are limited quantities of food and other materials in Syria. Medication, for example, is in short supply. Pray for the Syrians that lack the medicine they need for their health. A contact reported, “A man in Aleppo saw his wife die, because he couldn’t find the medicine she needed.”
• Pray for women and children who always bear the brunt of war. Pray for mercy on Syrian refugees and internally displaced people as they faced a cold winter without any means of heating their homes as a result of the civil war, if having a home at all. They will be glad to anticipate the warmer summer days ahead.
• Pray that the Word of God will continue to be delivered. Transportation is really difficult so pray for safety as Christian materials are being sent throughout the country. Please pray for the people that received a Bible; may the Word of God bring comfort and change their lives.
• In this time of despair contacts in Syria notice that people search for the foundation in their lives; some Christians rediscover Jesus as the rock, but also Muslims discover the hope in the Gospel of Jesus and experience love from the Syrian churches. Pray for all the people who are receiving Christ during the crises in Syria. One example is sister A. in Aleppo. We cannot share her real name, but pray that the Lord will confirm His love for her.
• Pray that Syrian church leaders will find their comfort in the Lord and will also find the courage to stay in Syria to teach and take care of their flocks. May the Holy Spirit encourage and keep them and position strong Christians alongside them.