Day 13
Nepal
Just as Abraham was considered righteous because of his faith and his obedience, in the same way we pray, Dear God, that the Christian Believers across Nepal would also be known both for their faith, and also for their deeds. May their faith and their actions work together to share the reality that Jesus Christ has transformed their lives and that He can do the same for everyone. We pray today that many will come to know and put their faith in Jesus this week. We pray that those who are seeking but remain unsure, will experience something that convinces them that Jesus is worth following (The Bible, James 2:21-22).
Nepal is famous for the world’s tallest mountain range. Recovery from the devastating 2015 earthquake continues to be hampered by political infighting which has prevented the release of funds that were pledged. An extremely poor country, Nepal’s economy relies on international aid and tourism which suffered tremendously during the COVID-19 pandemic. Human trafficking and corruption remain major problems. Nepal and India are the world’s only Hindu-majority nations. Despite this, Nepal is officially a secular nation and freedom of religion was enacted in 2006, but persecution has intensified. Five years ago, new laws were introduced to prevent religious conversion. Only a few Nepali Christians have been charged and convicted under these laws, and a hand full of expatriate workers expelled.
Day 13
United Arab Emirates
Lord, we pray for the Emirati Christian Believers to take the example of
the faith of Abraham. Abraham was righteous. You called him Your friend and accepted him as Your own. It is not that he earned his place with You when he obeyed You. It was entirely by Your grace. Abraham received Your love with faith and obeyed You. Father, we Pray that the Churches in UAE will proclaim that anyone who has a real faith You will forgive all his or her sins. Make the Emirates to accept the faith that will lead them to be saved. Let them understand that the works complete the faith and show that it is genuine. We praise You that It is an answer to Your call, and the call is always to obey You (The Bible, James 2:23-24).
The UAE is a federation of seven states, on the eastern side of the Arabian Peninsula, called emirates, ruled by tribal chiefs called Sheiks or Emirs. The largest and richest of the emirates is Abu Dhabi with significant oil and gas reserves. The present Emir is Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan from 13 May 2022. Islam is the prominent religion practiced in the country. Apart from being the largest religion, it is also the official religion in Dubai, UAE. Around 76% of the population in the country are Muslims. Christians represent around 13% of the country’s population. The population of Christianity in Dubai seems to be growing with increasing immigration to UAE. Both Catholics and Protestants have a significant presence. Christians in UAE belong to different denominations, from Baptists to Anglican and Coptic. There are roughly 40 Churches and there is a freedom to provide Christians land to build Churches in the country.
