In the trenches

Please pray for Pakistani believers

Earlier this year, former cricket star, Imran Khan, became the new prime minister of Pakistan. He has proclaimed that his preferred government is “the Islamic State as established by the Prophet Mohammad in Medina”. He has also vowed to defend the country’s strict blasphemy laws.

It’s not clear what this means for Christians who have been imprisoned for many years for allegedly defiling the name of Mohammad, and also considering the backlash to Asia Bibi’s release.

Furthermore, when choosing his new cabinet, Khan didn’t appoint a single member of a religious minority group.*

A local Christian said, “We see a new leader… who’s rooted in the same old extremism that has tortured Christians for decades. …We prepare for violence and challenges in the months ahead. …God has allowed this to happen. It can only be for the benefit of the Church.”

Please pray for strength for the Pakistani Church as they enter this new season of uncertainty. Pray that God will embolden them and give them wisdom as they seek to live out their faith under heightened persecution.

*World Watch Monitor. “No religious minority representative on Pakistan PM’s new cabinet.”

22 August 2018.