Day 11
Laos
Laos, in the Name of Jesus Christ, we bless you today to be set free from the spiritual bondages of Buddhism and traditional religions. May many be delivered from this darkness this year.
Bless the Church with exemplary pastors who have theological study and ministry experience.
Bless those who persecute the Church with a conviction in their spirits, a recognition that they are doing wrong.
Lord God, we pray that Christians will know how to disciple others in their churches, among their friends and coworkers, in villages and cities. We pray that discipleship will build real and lasting relationships with the living God (The Bible, Colossians 3:16).
Laos is a Southeast Asian communist country with strong ties to neighboring China and Vietnam. Despite liberalization during the early 1980s and inviting foreign investments, Laos remains very restrictive of religious freedoms. Christianity faces severe persecution from the community, local administrations, and the Laotian government. Facing imminent unemployment due to persecution, Christian youth often lean towards narcotic addictions. Churches have to register with the government. Not all church registrations are approved. Those without approval meet secretly. Christian girls are illegally trafficked across the border to China as brides.