5 Ways to Pray for Christians on Libya

Libya has no central government. As a result, our brethren in Christ are discriminated against constantly, churches are forbidden from being erected and Christians are forbidden from publicly expressing their faith, or they run the risk of being attacked by Muslim terrorist groups. May of our brethren in Christ that try to leave wind up being victims of Human trafficking.

Here are 5 ways to pray for our brethren in Christ in Libya:

1.  Pray that Christian migrants in detention centers who are imprisoned (particularly from Sub-Saharan countries) will no longer feel the torture they receive there.

2. Pray that God grant governmental stability to Libya and the protection of the rights of minorities,

3. Pray that Libyan Muslim converts to Christianity will stand strong in the faith given that they face violence and intense pressure to renounce their faith from their communities and the government at last.

4.  Pray that the Christians living in the Tripoli region will shine their lights to the people there and they be drawn to Christ through them.

5. Pray that God give our brethren Libya (particularly, the migrant workers) the boldness to express their faith in general and in particular, preach the gospel, even at great risk to their lives.

May God restore to peace and order to the country of Libya for the sake of everyone and my brethren in Christ in particular.

Libyan Christians Remain Safe in Tripoli Amid Ongoing Battle to Oust Gaddafi

8/25/2011 Libya (Christian Post) – Christians in Libya are safe and well despite the ongoing clashes and imminent fall of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, according to a report released by Open Doors.

The report stated that following Gaddafi’s defiant call to his loyalists to fight the rebels trying to oust him, Christians met in Tripoli to pray for the country and the future of Christian populations in the region.

Gaddafi’s audio message called upon his loyalists to take Tripoli back from the “devils and traitors” that have overrun the country and fight until “victory or martyrdom.”

The call has been adding to fears expressed by global leaders and political analysts that a Tripoli “bloodbath” could be forthcoming.

However, Open Doors, a Christian persecution watchdog, has reported that Christians in the capital are coming together each day to pray and encourage each other and that thus far they have remained safe.

The group estimates that indigenous Christians in the country are very few, numbering just 150. However, the country did previously have a sizable Christian population of migrant workers prior to the protests against Gaddafi that began in February.

Most of the migrant workers that were Christian have now left the country, though pockets remain. Nevertheless, Open Doors reported them as “doing well” under the current chaotic environment.

The country coordinator for Open Doors spoke of the situation, saying, “Getting in touch with Christians in Tripoli is not easy. Phone service is off and on or not answered, but I understand that the internet is up in Tripoli again, so I expectcommunication opportunities will improve in the next few days.”

The organization is uncertain how Christians will fare in a Gaddafi-free Libya, saying in the report, “No one knows. The government will be Islamic, but the question remains how strict it will be and how strong fundamentalist influences will be shaping the new Libya(Source).”

Libya: Change likely to favor Christians

Then let the change come and let the number of Libyan brethren in Christ grow:

8/23/2011 Libya (Mission Network News) – Now that rebels have stormed Tripoli, there are growing rumors hinting that Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi could flee to Venezuela or Cuba.

In the meantime, the European Union welcomed the advance and called for Gaddafi to step down. Whether or not the state of Libya will remain the same over the next 72 hours is yet to be seen.

What makes this advance particularly significant in the six months of civil war is the absence of key leaders who defected over the last few weeks, leaving Gaddafi increasingly isolated. Could another assault force a reset of the conflict? That's unknown.

However, says Todd Nettleton with Voice of the Martyrs, change is likely to favor those seeking freedom, specifically, the Christians. Libya is ranked 25th on the Open Doors World Watch List, a spot earned because "there was heavy persecution, particularly of Muslim converts. There were some churches in the city of Tripoli that were allowed to be open, allowed to operate, but primarily they dealt with foreigners."

Libya adheres to Islamic law, and all citizens are Sunni Muslims "by definition." Conversion to Christianity is forbidden, and there are few native Libyan believers. Nettleton explains that "where you run into persecution is where a Muslim changes [his or her] faith and comes to Jesus Christ. Those are the people who face really heavy persecution."

The National Transitional Council is urging Libya to start an "all-inclusive" dialogue leading to democratic elections. Watchdog groups warn that the transition could bring more violence with it. Nettleton says, "There's just a lot of questions at this point, and we need to pray that Christians will be protected, that whoever ends up in government authority will provide protection, will recognize the rights of minority groups like Christians."

Currently, most Libyan Christians are forced to believe in secret and are afraid to meet with other believers. Small Christian communities do exist, mostly consisting of sub-Saharan migrants and Western expatriate workers. They've remained active throughout the longest periods of oppression. Nettleton says because of this, "In some cases, Bibles have been able to be delivered into Libya because of some of the upheaval. Maybe the border is not being as tightly monitored as in previous years. "

That's nothing new. With Gaddafi's strict control of the country, evangelism has been difficult and anyChristian literature that got into the country was smuggled in. At the crossroad of change, could there be more freedom? Nettleton indicates it's too early to know yet, but "we can pray about that as well, that Scriptures will go in and that Christian work can fill some of the voids(Source)." 

Libya war pushes Christian presence to the brink

I pray that the Christian community in Libya doesn't completely disappear. If it does, there will be no one to witness to the muslims there.
         (Reuters) – The Christian church in eastern Libya, which traces its roots back two millennia to the era of Christ, is fighting for survival because war has forced nearly all its worshippers to flee.

But Muslims in Libya’s rebel-held east are keen to show that Christians are still welcome, drawing a contrast with the Christian community’s turbulent history under Muammar Gaddafi, whose rule in the east was ended by mass protests in February.

Gaddafi has repeatedly predicted the triumph of Islam over Christianity in the world and likens NATO states launching air strikes against his military armour to “colonialist crusaders”. At the Coptic church in Libya’s second city of Benghazi, the main rebel stronghold, bearded and robed

Father Polla Eshak swings an incense burner among mostly empty pews for the worshippers who have not fled the fighting. Many Christians in Libya are Copts, an Egyptian sect, and the number going to Eshak’s church has shrunk to about 40 from over 1,000 before the revolt began. Eshak says it is fear of war, not persecution, that caused the exodus of Christians, nearly all of whom are foreign farmers, builders, nurses and other workers vital to Libya’s economy.

Najib Makhlouf, another local keeping an eye on the church, lamented the fate of the area’s Jewish inhabitants and said any sectarian violence today would undermine the rebel cause.

Clashes between Christians and Muslims in neighouring Egypt have become more common in Egypt since President Hosni Mubarak’s overthrow in February after 30 years in power.

There are also fears that al Qaeda could infiltrate Libya. Al Qaeda-linked groups conducted several high-profile attacks on Iraq’s Christian minority after the 2003 Iraq war. (Status)