 Pray for the safety of Christians in Saudi Arabia who gather for private worship services. Photo: ThePatRyanReport / Flickr |
While attending a worship service in the private rented home of a fellow believer, 53 Ethiopian Christians were arrested by Saudi authorities in Dammam, the capital of the country's Eastern Province. The incident, which took place at about 10 a.m. on February 8, 2013, included the arrests of three church leaders. During a hearing in an Islamic court, authorities alleged that the leaders were converting Muslims to Christianity.
In an annual 2012 report, published recently by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, is the following statement which accurately summarizes the country's overall situation: "The Saudi government persists in banning all forms of public religious expression other than that of the government's own interpretation of one school of Sunni Islam; prohibits churches, synagogues, temples, and other non-Muslim places of worship; uses in its schools and posts online state textbooks that continue to espouse intolerance and incite violence...." You can learn more about the political situation there by going to the Saudi Arabia Country Report.
Please uphold these Ethiopian Christians and other believers in Saudi Arabia where intolerance and violence pose as constant threats to their freedom of worship and personal belief in our Lord Jesus. May He personally take up their cause, working out His very best plan for their lives and future (Jeremiah 29:11), while also touching the hearts of the country's authorities and citizens so that they may experience His wonderful plan for their lives as well.
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