Thousands of Christians gather to pray for country


Tens of thousands of Christians
recently gathered for prayer in Egypt.
Photo: Dr. Wafik Wahba

On November 11, an estimated 70,000 Christians gathered for worship and prayer at St. Simon Church (also called the Cave church) in Cairo, Egypt, while millions more around the globe watched the live broadcast on TV and the Internet. From 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following morning, Christians from varying denominations focused their prayers on repenting, forgiving, and dedicating themselves to live consecrated lives.

The prayer event, the largest of its kind in Egypt's modern history, comes during a tumultuous time for the country. In February, the former president was forced out of office and Egyptians have since faced continuing chaos, brutality, and frustration. The culmination of this sense of despair reached an unprecedented level on October 9, when at least 26 people were killed and hundreds more were injured when army personnel attacked a large gathering of predominately Christian protestors (for more, click here).

Elections for the next house of parliament are set to begin on November 28. The elected parliament will be entrusted with the task of drafting a new constitution and establishing a new government. There are currently 25 parties competing for the nearly 500 seats in parliament, contributing to the complexity of Egypt's election process. These parties vary from Islamic fundamentalists to Marxists. Christians and Muslims alike worry that their dreams of a free and democratic country that respects religious freedom will be undermined by Islamic extremism.

Despite the unrest and uncertainty, Christians in Egypt are looking to the Lord for protection and guidance. A prayer movement has been growing for the past few years and is now spreading to churches across the country.

Pray that Christians in Egypt will place their hope and trust in Jesus Christ, who has been given all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). Ask the Lord to bless and protect His children in Egypt. Pray for continued unity among believers. Pray for peaceful and just elections.

To learn more about persecution in Egypt, go to the Egypt Country Report.

  • Country Information

    Population
    109,546,720 (2023 est.)

    Ethnicity (%)
    Egyptian (99.7), other (0.3)

    Religion (%)
    Islam (90), Christianity (10)

    Leader
    President Abdelfattah Said El-Sisi (2014)

    Government type
    Presidential republic

    Legal system
    Mixed legal system based on Napoleonic civil and penal law, Islamic religious law, and vestiges of colonial-era laws

    Source: CIA World Factbook

  • Pray for Egypt

    Pray on behalf of those who are facing economic and social challenges because of their Christian faith. Ask the Lord to provide for their spiritual and practical needs – further strengthening and emboldening them so they can effectively share the message of the Gospel with others in their communities. May the hearts of those who hear it be open and receptive to the wonderful truths contained in God’s Word.

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Egypt News

  • Christian Homes and Businesses Burned
    A water truck is working to douse a fire.
      

    Late into the evening of April 23rd, Islamic militants set fire to several homes and shops owned by Coptic Orthodox Christians in the village of Al-Fawakher, which is located in Egypt's southern Minya province. Although the attackers attempted to prevent the occupants from leaving their burning homes, thankfully there were no reported fatalities.

    Read more...

  • Temporary Church Building Burned
    Two images of a room full of chairs. In the first, the chairs are neatly arranged. In the second, the chairs and interior of the building are burned.
    The temporary church building before and after the arson attack.
    Photo: Christian Solidarity Worldwide

    Local Christians in the village of Misha'at Zaafaranah, located within Egypt's Minya Province, are working to get approval to build a place of worship. The required documents have been submitted to the authorities and, for the meantime, the group of believers were meeting in a temporary structure on the land belonging to the church.

    Read more...

  • Attack on Church Building Site
    Multiple crosses sit atop of a church roof.
    A Coptic church in Egypt.
    Photo: Flickr / Mark Fischer (cc)

    Since 2016, the government of Egypt has been slowly approving the registration of more than 3,700 church buildings that were operating without the required licencing. These buildings were established before 2016, during a time when permits were virtually impossible to get. Although the licencing process now being administered has been long and tedious, thankfully progress is eventually taking place.

    Read more...

  • An Additional 216 Church Buildings Legalized
    Saint Mark Church in Helipolis
    A church in Egypt.
    Photo: Flickr / Andrew A. Shenouda (cc)

    Seven years ago, the Egyptian government formed a committee to work through applications to legalize unlicensed church buildings. When the committee was first formed, there were 3,730 outstanding applications. Though the process has been exceedingly slow, thankfully that number has been gradually decreasing. To review previously posted reports on this situation, go to our country report.

    Read more...

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Persecution in Egypt
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Egypt: Former Muslim pays the price for becoming a Christian
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