Under the Saudi Arabian male guardian system, the men control the women’s lives from birth till death. The system traditionally required women to obtain permission from a male guardian, typically a father, husband, brother, or son, for various vital decisions and activities. These could include marriage, travel, obtaining a passport, and even accessing specific medical procedures.

Pray for the authorities to take more effective steps to end discrimination against women in Saudi Arabia. Pray for the complete eradication of the ‘male guardianship system’ in the country.

Father GOD, hear the groaning of the women in Saudi Arabia and rescue them from human oppression (The Holy Bible, Exodus 6:6).

As persecution is on the rise, Saudi Arabia moved to 13th position in the World Watch Report 2023 by Open Doors for Christian persecution. Mohammed bin Salman is the crown prince of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia, the home of Islam, has outlawed Churches and punished Christian worship for decades. The kingdom’s 1.4 million Christians meet in secret places. According to the human rights report, Saudi Arabia held the presidency of the G20 in 2020 despite the country’s longstanding human rights abuses. The Saudi-led coalition continued a military campaign against the Houthi rebel group in Yemen that has included scores of unlawful airstrikes that killed and wounded thousands of civilians. The majority of the Christians in Saudi Arabia are foreigners who temporarily live and work in the country. They are severely restricted in sharing their Christian faith with Muslims and in gathering for worship, which entails the risk of detention and deportation.

The Chinese grabbed a large parcel of land in Bhutan’s deeply culturally significant Beyul Khenpajong area. The tiny state of Bhutan has the weakest armed forces in the world. They do not have any capabilities to repel Chinese aggression. Bhutan depends significantly on her neighbor to the east, India, for Air Defence, Border Security, and Energy. The recent fallout from Chinese-built airports not being able to secure permission to use Indian airspace seems to be the trigger for their latest aggression. China also wants to bully Bhutan into cutting ties with India to gain key infrastructure projects in the Himalayan state.

Pray for God’s protection of Bhutan and her borders from Chinese aggression (The Bible, Psalm 71:4). 

Pray for God to raise His Children in India to deliver decisive measures for Bhutan’s border security (The Bible, Psalm 5:11).

Bhutan is a small South Asian country wedged between India and China. It is predominantly Buddhist while hosting a reasonable Hindu presence. The Christian population is minuscule, and the majority of attempts at outreach failed. Bhutan ranks 40th in the Open Doors Persecution Country List for 2023. Despite its small population, the lack of reliable job centers increased unemployment to 18% this year. There is little scope for tent ministries due to this predicament. However, it also increases the opportunity for Bhutanese youth to venture beyond the borders to India or China, where Christian Missions have some presence.