Four in 10 people on earth have never heard the name of Jesus. Brother Harold, a gospel worker for 15 years among Muslims in Central Asia, joins VOM Radio this week to share what he’s seen and learned during seven years mobilizing missionaries to go into all the world.

Harold will share how his own daughter was called to full-time missions and offer advice and encouragement to parents sending out their sons and daughters to be gospel workers, knowing that some will never come back.

“There are about 450,000 Christian missionaries worldwide,” Harold says, “but only 15,000 go to the unreached, to the 3.4 billion unreached people.”

Today Latin American and African churches are on fire for Christ, sending out the greatest number of missionaries to the world. How can the church in North America come alongside these willing workers?

Listen as Brother Harold encourages local pastors to be involved and supportive of missions in their congregations, including practical advice to pastors. He will also encourage those of every age to be involved in missions and share the benefits of attending the Perspectives course that helps all believers understand their roles in the Great Commission.

Harold also shares a recent experience where he was convicted by God in a taxicab.

Pray for unreached people groups to hear the gospel and for missionaries to be sent into the harvest fields.

The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians throughout the year, as well as giving free access to e-books, audio books, video content and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.

“And he said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’” – Luke 10:2

Nathan and Kari have served as gospel workers in South Asia through different seasons of life. Today they serve as leaders there with the International Mission Board (IMB). Listen as they share how they arrived on the mission field from two very different upbringings. Nathan grew up in a family with generations in missionary service. Kari didn’t find Jesus until her 20s—after exploring Hindu and Buddhist teachings and spirituality.

Nathan and Kari understand the great need in South Asia for gospel seed planting, harvest and discipleship. The IMB reports that every year there are an average of 106 people groups engaged with the gospel for the first time.

“The gospel fire is burning,” Nathan says, “and it’s not waiting for foreign workers but in the hands of locals.”

Nathan and Kari will share how they equip both Western gospel workers and local believers to focus on the missionary task. In South Asia, Christian persecution continues, at times propelled by government decrees (like anti-conversion laws in India) and at other times coming from close family members of the believer.

Listen as Nathan and Kari share advice to those who are pursuing missions as the Lord calls and how personal spiritual disciplines help sustain us in the tasks the Lord has for us. Pray God will provide more laborers into the unstoppable gospel wildfires around the world. Learn more about the Four Fields mission philosophy at Four Fields of Kingdom Growth.

The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians throughout the year, as well as giving free access to e-books, audio books, video content and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.

With the call to invest his life in ways that will outlive him for eternity, Pastor Bennie, a ministry leader working in ten different nations in Asia and Africa, desires to finish well—just as he saw his parents do. His passion is discipleship for young people to raise up Daniels and Timothys who will use their voices for Christ.

Pastor Bennie has his own story of watching his father praising God while being beaten by militants. At the age of six, Bennie asked, “Why can’t my dad protect me?” Working with young people today, he hears similar questions like, “Why is my father serving God in prison? What was his crime?”

Listen as Bennie shares about gospel work in Sierra Leone, bringing medical teams to serve people who have never seen a doctor, and discipling the hearts of former Muslims growing into evangelists, pastors and church leaders.

“Our job is to saturate them with the gospel,” Bennie said. He even distributes Bibles to Muslim students, knowing that God’s Word will produce fruit.

You’ll learn more about Alpha Ministries’ discipleship program for young people and what happened when Bennie asked, “How many of you have gone through persecution?” He will talk about serving and praying for persecuted Christians in Myanmar, India, Bangladesh and other nations.

As Bennie meets with young, persecuted Christians, he is challenged as he hears their stories of persecution and suffering, yet encouraged by the faithfulness they exemplify despite imprisonment, rejection, and other abuse.

Never miss an episode! Subscribe to the VOM Radio podcast or download the VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.

In the eyes of the Chinese Communist Party, loving Jesus makes Christians “unpatriotic.”

Bob Fu, founder and president of China Aid, explains: “[The communists believe] you cannot love your country and love Jesus.”

Absolute government control of churches and other religious institutions continues to tighten in China as persecuted Christians are unwilling to comply with the doctrines of the Communist Party, which is expanding efforts to “Sinicize” the church. Listen to hear how pastors and church leaders are now being charged with fraud or other financial crimes, rather than charges relating to religion.

Bob Fu, author of God’s Double Agent, will also share an update on John Cao, who was released from prison last year but still is not free. The CCP continues to watch Cao’s every move, yet he continues to serve the Lord through a house church, daily prayer meetings, and a small Bible school — even baptizing new believers despite constant surveillance!

Pastor Wang Yi is now six years into his nine-year prison sentence. Like Richard Wurmbrand, who founded The Voice of the Martyrs and wrote hundreds of sermons in his head during his 14 years in prison, Wang Yi has written three books in prison. Wang also continues to pray daily through more than a thousand items on his prayer list. If you’d like to write letters of encouragement to Christian prisoners or petition their governments, go to www.PrisonerAlert.com.

Listen as Bob Fu shares how he stays personally encouraged despite constantly hearing of the sufferings of our spiritual family in China. He also suggests specific ways to pray for our Chinese Christian brothers and sisters.

The Voice of the Martyrs recently launched a new, daily podcast; Extreme Devotion is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians throughout the year, as well as giving free access to e-books, audio books, video content and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.

When Hope first mentioned to her husband the idea of moving their family to the Arabian Peninsula to continue their gospel work, Nagy’s reply was direct: “Never! Don’t mention that country to me again!”

It was a dangerous place for persecuted Christians. There were many questions and worries about moving there. But then God began to answer their questions, sooth their fears and confirm His call on Nagy and Hope, and their sons.

Last week, Nagy and Hope told the story of their life and ministry in Libya, including after ISIS took over parts of the country. They also shared that the day when God told them to leave Libya—immediately. The family returned to their home country, asking the Lord, “Where would You have us serve next?” Nagy and Hope expected a quick answer; they still had their bags packed, ready to serve when the Lord revealed where He wanted them to go.

But God didn’t call them to another place for six years. At that time they wondered why; today it’s clear God was preparing their family for what was to come.

Listen to hear how God revealed to Hope the country in the Arabian Peninsula where He was sending them, a country that was “not on our radar.” She’ll also share how she wrote down all the fears and worries she had about moving to that country—and how God answered her fears one-by-one, in the same order she’d written them down! Then God confirmed their call by revealing their destination to their sons, giving them also a clear sense of His calling.

Listen as Nagy and Hope share the openness they’ve found among Muslims on the Arabian Peninsula, and the persecution faced by new Christian believers there. They’ll also share specific ways you can pray for gospel workers in Libya and across the Middle East.

The Voice of the Martyrs recently launched a new, daily podcast; Extreme Devotion is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians throughout the year, as well as giving free access to e-books, audio books, video content and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.

Nagy and Hope grew up in the Middle East in families that followed Christ and encouraged them to serve God and be people of His Word. They were serving the Lord doing good work in their home country when they felt God’s call to go to another county in the region: Libya.

The transition was difficult and discouraging. They were forced to navigate a different community and expectations, and to learn a different Arabic dialect. With no fruit to be seen, Nagy and Hope were at times discouraged and disappointed. Yet God was working.

After months of gospel work, one lady came to Hope asking questions about the gospel. Nagy and Hope were excited! They felt it was worth it to be in Libya if only one person came to Christ! Then their new friend was detained and interrogated. She cut off all contact with Hope.

“It was hard,” Hope says, “but at the same time there was hope. Maybe the Lord would give us more opportunities.”

The Lord did bring about more opportunities, but they didn’t come without disappoints and hardship. Nagy and Hope will share more opportunities they had to disciple new believers and the obstacles they faced. When war broke out across Libya, the Lord still called them to stay, promising protection for their family and even their neighbors. God opened the hearts of many as they saw the Lord provide in their time of need.

Listen as Nagy and Hope share when the Lord clearly told them their time in Libya was over and they had to leave. Please pray for Libya and for the continued ministry of gospel workers in that country.

The first day of the new year marked the launch of a new, daily podcast from VOM. Extreme Devotion is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians throughout the year, as well as giving free access to e-books, audio books, video content and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.

Aaron Miller, Vice President of International Ministry at The Voice of the Martyrs, joins VOM Radio this week to look back at some of God’s blessings he and his team experienced during 2024 and to look ahead at nations where VOM’s work may change or expand in 2025.

Listen as Aaron recounts a visit to meet Christian widows in Nigeria. These women endured losing their husbands in violent attacks, yet they gathered to worship together and even prayed boldly for their persecutors to come to know Christ.

He’ll also share the story of a God-ordained encounter with a persecuted pastor’s son in southeast Asia—and the sadness of an unmet need when that pastor was imprisoned.

Aaron also tells us of meeting with a martyr’s widow who still boldly goes out to minister each week in the same area where her husband was murdered.

Looking ahead to 2025, Aaron will advise listeners how to pray for Christians facing persecution in Benin, Burkina Faso, Bangladesh and Syria. He’ll also tell how Christian persecution has changed in India, which led VOM to reclassify India as a restricted nation in the VOM Global Prayer Guide. Yet Indian Christians still boldly witness for Christ—even inside prison!

Finally, Aaron challenges listeners to continue to pay attention to the members of Christ’s body facing persecution in this new year—even though it can be painful to witness their suffering and loss. Aaron will suggest some specific ways to pray in these opening weeks of 2025.

The first day of the new year marked the launch of a new, daily podcast from VOM: Extreme Devotion is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet helps users pray daily for persecuted Christians throughout the year, as well as giving free access to e-books, audio books, video content and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.

Today The Voice of the Martyrs launched a brand-new podcast: Extreme Devotion.

Six days a week, Extreme Devotion will share a Scripture, a short story from a persecuted Christian, and an application thought. It’s a great way to spend a little time each day being inspired by the testimonies of our persecuted brothers and sisters. Every seventh day, the Extreme Devotion podcast will share one inspiring quote.

Enjoy this very first episode of Extreme Devotion, and subscribe today via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts

Last week we began a look back on some of the most moving moments on The Voice of the Martyrs Radio in 2024. This week, we continue to remember:

• A Central Asian pastor, Brother Silas, tells how quickly new believers in Jesus there expect persecution.

• Dr. David Kasali, founder and president of Congo Initiative, on making disciples in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as churches are targeted by Islamists and terrorist groups.

• As conflict in the Middle East unfolded this year, Ben Barrett, who served as a leader in VOM’s ministry in Israel, including Gaza and the West Bank, was reminded that our brothers and sisters there are people God has called us to serve.

• Brother Joshua, a pastor in Cuba, shares the price he and his family pay to share the gospel and serve the church even in the face of risks.

• Brother David, whose father is a pastor in Cuba, knew from a young age there was a price to pay for following Christ.

• Pastor “AZ,” from Kazakhstan, says the church there grew fastest during a wave of intense persecution.

• Sister Sara grew up in a Muslim family in Central Asia. She shares how God drew her to stories about Jesus then called her to make a decision to follow him.

• Hana shares thoughts about being reunited with her father, a pastor imprisoned in Eritrea for the past 20 years.

• Shino and Shania, ethnic Somalis and devout Muslims, came to faith in Christ after Shania had a dream. They became bold witnesses for Christ.

After hearing these brief excerpts, you’ll want to listen to the entire conversations with these guests. Click the links below or listen in the VOM APP.

• Brother Silas, a pastor in Central Asia

• Dr. David Kasali, founder and president of Congo Initiative

• Ben Barrett

• Brother Joshua, a pastor in Cuba, and David, a Cuban pastor’s son

• Pastor AZ from Kazakhstan

• Sister Sara, a Central Asian Christian

• Hana Mengisteab, daughter of pastor imprisoned in Eritrea for 20 years

• Shino & Shania, Somali Muslim Background Believers leading Somali Christian TV

We thank the Lord for allowing VOM Radio to encourage and challenge listeners all over the world this year. Thank you for listening and praying for our persecuted family in restricted nations and hostile areas around the world!

We’d love to hear from you! Let us know what conversation in 2024 most inspired your faith or equipped you to pray. You can also give online to support persecuted Christians through the work of The Voice of the Martyrs.

NEW PODCAST BEGINS JANUARY 1! Subscribe now to Extreme Devotion, a short, daily devotional podcast from The Voice of the Martyrs coming in 2025. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

On January First, The Voice of the Martyrs will launch a brand-new podcast: Extreme Devotion.

Six days a week, Extreme Devotion will share a Scripture, a short story from a persecuted Christian, and an application thought. It’s a great way to spend a little time each day being inspired by the testimonies of our persecuted brothers and sisters. Every seventh day, the Extreme Devotion podcast will share one inspiring quote.

Enjoy this trailer episode for Extreme Devotion, and subscribe today via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts so that you’ll be ready to begin on Day 1 as VOM launches the Extreme Devotion podcast on January 1.

Here’s the trailer episode for…Extreme Devotion.

This week, we look back on some of the most moving moments shared on The Voice of the Martyrs Radio in 2024:

• Aaron Miller, VOM’s Vice President of International Ministry, gives a glimpse of his time with an African ministry partner and an African word that describes how VOM serves persecuted Christians.

• Paul Dangtoumba, leader for YWAM’s work in Nigeria, shares his own story of persecution even before he was born and scars he bears today.

• An expert in trauma care, Brother Philip serves as a field minister in Africa, helping VOM respond to the spiritual and emotional needs of persecuted Christians.

• Jeff Woodke served as a gospel and humanitarian worker in Niger until terrorists took him hostage. Jeff and his wife, Els, share their experiences during Jeff’s six and a half years in captivity.

• On a visit to China, Brother Kevin and his family were told of the Hui people who had never heard of the gospel. God called them to go to the Hui, but as the Chinese government imposed more restrictions, their missionary work in China was forcibly ended.

• Luke and Kate served as medical gospel workers in Myanmar but were also forced to leave. They continue, from a distance, to see God bringing forth fruit.

• Hearing the gospel on a TV program, Brother Job came to faith. He was boldly sharing the good news via social media when he was kidnapped and threatened by terrorists.

• As a child, Pastor Nouh Yattara in Mali was drawn to the gospel by a simple gift of a ballpoint pen. He heard the gospel and decades later he still shares the hope he found as a child.

After hearing these brief excerpts, you’ll want to listen to the entire conversations with guests from 2024. Click on the links below to listen on VOMRADIO.net or listen in the VOM APP.

• Aaron Miller, Vice President of International Ministry at VOM

• Paul Dangtoumda, leader for YWAM’s work in Nigeria

• Brother Philip, field minister in Africa for VOM

• Jeff Woodke, taken hostage by Islamic extremists, and his wife, Els

• Brother Kevin, missionary to the Hui people in China

• Luke and Kate, medical gospel workers to Myanmar (Burma)

• Brother Job, gospel worker in North Africa

• Nouh Yattara, pastor in Mali

We thank the Lord for allowing VOM Radio to encourage and challenge listeners all over the world this year. Thank you for faithfully listening and praying for our persecuted family in restricted nations and hostile areas around the world!

We’d love to hear from you! Let us know what conversation in 2024 most inspired your faith or equipped you to pray. You can also give online to support persecuted Christians through the work of The Voice of the Martyrs.

NEW PODCAST BEGINS JANUARY 1! Subscribe now to Extreme Devotion, a short, daily devotional podcast from The Voice of the Martyrs coming in 2025. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

With Prime Minister Modi’s reelection, India has continued on the path to more restrictions against Christian ministry and gospel work. Christian persecution has moved from the village or community level to the national-government level under Modi’s direction. Because of these changes, earlier this year The Voice of the Martyrs changed how India is classified, from hostile area to restricted nation, a place where the government is the driver of persecution against Christians.

Despite increasing persecution for Christians in India, our faithful brothers and sisters there serve the Lord—no matter the circumstances.

Brother Vijay, a gospel worker from India, joins VOM Radio this week to share how Indian Christians are responding to stricter anti-conversion laws and other increasing persecution. Thousands of Christian ministries have been closed and/or had bank accounts frozen, forcing persecuted Christians to develop creative ways to continue ministry.

By staying the course, they demonstrate, “Our ministry is not dependent on money, but on God.”

Currently, at least 11 Indian states are enforcing strict anti-conversion laws. Some of those laws carry the threat of life sentences and hefty fines. Vijay will share stories of bold pastors persisting in their ministry after experiencing imprisonment — and one even after being thrown off a moving train!

With all these pressures, Brother Vijay explains the preparation to prepare pastors should they end up in prison, and how learning the Bible is the greatest tool for Christians facing trials. Pray for Christians in India that they would be encouraged and remain hopeful amidst increasing persecution.

Never miss an episode! Subscribe to the VOM Radio podcast or download the VOM App for your smartphone or tablet. You can also give online to support persecuted Christians through the work of The Voice of the Martyrs.

COMING IN 2025: Subscribe now to Extreme Devotion, a new short, daily devotional podcast from The Voice of the Martyrs, which will begin on January 1. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

It didn’t take long.

When Shino and Shania began showing their faces in their Somali-language Christian videos on the internet and using their real names, the response was immediate. Their videos were shown all over the world, and the persecuted Christian couple were called apostates and enemies of Islam. Their lives were repeatedly threatened.

Since they went public about their faith in 2016, Shino and Shania have had to move from house to house and country to country. Threats are constant, but God’s protection has been constant as well. By God’s grace, they are still broadcasting and sharing their faith with Somalis. “Look around.” Shania sensed God telling her early on in their ministry, “I am building my church among the Somalis. No one can stop it, and now is the time.”

Today, thousands of Somali people know their number and follow them on social media at Somali Christian TV.

Last week, Shania shared how the Lord drew her to himself and about the four years she prayed for her Muslim husband, who eventually came to Christ as well. This week the couple shares how their online ministry encourages Somalis all over the world, especially in Somalia where Christians are isolated due to Christian persecution, lack of churches and the difficulty of getting Bibles.  

Listen as Shino & Shania share feedback from former Muslims who used to hate and threaten them. They will also share how they continue to train new leaders and prepare others for persecution when it comes.

Pray for the nation of Somalia this week and for Shino and Shania’s continued ministry.

Never miss an episode! Subscribe to the VOM Radio podcast or download the VOM App for your smartphone or tablet. You can also give online to support persecuted Christians through the work of The Voice of the Martyrs.

Shino and Shania left Mogadishu, Somalia, as Muslims and refugees. They settled in Europe, where they became more devout in their practice of Islam.

Then Shania saw a video of radical Muslims in Iraq beheading a hostage in an orange jumpsuit. As they committed this horrific act they shouted praise to the god of Islam. Watching the video, Shania was horrified; she began questioning everything she’d been taught about Islam and Allah.

That night she had a powerful dream—a dream that ultimately led her to leave Islam behind and follow Jesus Christ. It was a dangerous decision, yet Shania began immediately to tell others of her new faith and encourage them also to follow Jesus.

Four years later, after seeing Shania’s faithfulness and love even in the face of intense Christian persecution, Shino also chose to follow Jesus.

United in faith, the couple became even more bold in their witness, putting their names and faces in online videos encouraging other Muslims to follow Jesus. The videos have produced lots of response: on one side are Muslims wanting to hear more about Jesus, while on the other are Muslims promising to violently punish Shino and Shania for their apostasy.

Listen as Shino and Shania share their testimony of coming to faith, and please pray for more Somali people—in Somalia and spread through other nations around the world—to meet Jesus Christ.

Never miss an episode! Subscribe to the VOM Radio podcast or download the VOM App for your smartphone or tablet to access VOM Radio each week, in addition to e-books, audio books and video content from The Voice of the Martyrs.

“Every time I doubt, ‘What’s the purpose of this suffering?’ I like to reread this and say, ‘My father actually chose the right cup.’”

As of November 19, Dr. Tekleab Mengisteab, both a medical doctor and pastor, has been imprisoned in Eritrea for twenty years. This week his daughter, Hana, is back on VOM Radio to share her father’s own words, which show clearly that he had counted the cost of serving Christ and knew he was likely to be arrested and imprisoned. Dr. Tekleab’s words, through his writings, books, and sermons, still inspire and encourage believers in Eritrea and around the world.

Listen as Hana shares how her father began a Christian magazine—not out of a desire to be a publisher but by simply writing letters to a young woman from his church who was going through a difficult season. That young woman began to hand-copy Dr. Tekleab’s letters and share them with other Christians where she was. Hearing how much those letters had encouraged believers, Dr. Tekleab launched The Bread of Life magazine in January 2000. He specifically formatted the magazine in a size that would fit in readers’ pockets.

Hana says her father had prepared to go to prison—including making sure his wife and daughters would be cared for.

Hana also shares how the Lord has been with her family as she, her mother, and her sisters fled Eritrea. God protected them and helped them to find a new home. Hana and her family harbor no hate for their persecutors but pray for them with love and forgiveness.

The same week Dr. Mengisteab was arrested, two other pastors from the Orthodox Church in Eritrea were also taken into custody. All three marked 20 years in prison this month. Please pray for Dr. Tekleab Mengisteab, Dr. Fitsum-Berhan Gebrenegus, and Rev. Gebremedhin Gebregergis, along with more than 300 other Christians currently imprisoned in Eritrea. Pray also for God’s comfort to be close to Hana, her mother and her sisters.

Never miss an episode! Subscribe to the VOM Radio podcast or download the VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.

Dr. Tekleab Mengisteab was a medical doctor and a leader in the World Health Organization for the nation of Eritrea. He was also an ordained minister in the Orthodox Church of Eritrea. Since November 19, 2004—20 years ago this week—Dr. Mengisteab has been a prisoner for Christ, imprisoned without charge or trial by the government of Eritrea. Today he is one of more than 300 imprisoned Christians there.

This week on VOM Radio Mengisteab’s daughter, Hana, shares the story of her father’s arrest and of God’s faithfulness to her and her family through the past 20 years. She will tell us how she has found joy amidst suffering, but also how she’s come to know that the Lord “welcomes my grief.”

In 2002, the government of President Isaias Afwerki outlawed evangelical churches. The Eritrean Orthodox Church was permitted to continue holding services. While Hana’s father was leading a legal church congregation, his ministry looked different than some others within that church structure.

“My father was a very faithful preacher of the gospel,” Hana says. “In his writing and teachings, he was calling for a transformation of the heart.” Dr. Mengisteab wanted Eritreans to have the gospel preached—and have the Bible—in their own, everyday language.

Hana was just six years old when her father was arrested. She remembers her mother and church elders at their home talking about her father being gone. “What did it mean that my father is in prison?” Hana wondered. Even after Dr. Mengisteab’s arrest, the church continued to meet and minister. Hana’s mom continued her church activities, risking her own arrest.

Only months after her father’s arrest, Hana found herself in police custody when authorities raided a children’s Sunday School meeting. Children as young as 12 were put in handcuffs, yet these young believers had been prepared for Christian persecution. They began to loudly sing praises to God.

The same week that Dr. Mengisteab was arrested, two other pastors were also taken into custody. All three will mark 20 years in prison this week. Please pray for Dr. Tekleab Mengisteab, Dr. Fitsum-Berhan Gebrenegus, and Rev. Gebremedhin Gebregergis, along with more than 300 other Christians currently imprisoned in Eritrea. Pray also for Hana and her family as they continue to learn how to grieve her father’s absence while also finding joy in serving the Lord.

Never miss an episode! Subscribe to the VOM Radio podcast or download the VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.

“Pastor Joe” was drawn to North Africa not by a call to gospel work but by his own dreams and interests. However, once he was there the Lord opened his eyes to the needs of the people and gave Joe a deep love for them. Ministry in North Africa is difficult, but as Pastor Joe and his family read the Bible, they see that it’s not about them. Rather it’s all about Christ.

“We are just the instruments,” says Joe. “We don’t count on ourselves; we count on God.”

As Muslims seek spiritual truth and come to Christ, they encounter challenges with unbelieving family and friends. Pastor Joe says that’s why the church is so important to help make up for the family and community new believers have lost by connecting them with new brothers and sisters in Christ.

One young lady had a difficult time approaching her family with the gospel message. Joe encouraged her to focus on living out Jesus’ love in front of her family members. Soon, her mother became curious: who was behind the changes she saw in her daughter’s life? Pastor Joe also tells the story of a brother who never misses church gatherings. He says, “I lost so much time not knowing Jesus! Now I want to learn as much as possible.”

Joe’s wife always says, “There’s no mission without sacrifice.” The couple are ready to answer questions about Jesus and Christianity from anyone who is seeking, although proselytizing is illegal in the restricted nation where they live.

Hear more stories from Pastor Joe and how he prepares new believers to face Christian persecution. He will also share the joy and hope that come as faithful believers live their lives for Christ on display to the people around them. Pray for Christians in North Africa and for Pastor Joe and his family as they continue their gospel work.

 Never miss an episode! Subscribe to the VOM Radio podcast.

With almost 90% of people in Bhutan identifying as Buddhists, those who follow Christ are a tiny minority. Pastor Rajiv, a church planter and leadership trainer in South Asia, works to reach Bhutanese people for Christ and knows what happens when someone follows Jesus in this restricted nation.

In Bhutan, the king is seen as both a political and religious leader. One of his duties is defending Buddhism in the nation. Becoming a Christian is seen as being a traitor to the country and the king. It’s also against the law, so Christians who gather together must do so in secret.

Yet being in fellowship with other believers is crucial to spiritual growth and perseverance. Pastor Rajiv reveals his heart for young people and shares how vital it is for them to meet together to study the Bible and pray with one another. Over the last ten years, God has made Pastor Rajiv’s prayers reality: there are now Christian groups that meet on all the college campuses in Bhutan.

Rajiv will share his own story of coming to Christ and how he was called into missions. He will also share stories of Bhutanese who have come to faith along with the pressure and Christian persecution they face from the government if they do not renounce Christ.

“When you want to live a radical life for Christ, you’ll be willing to pay the cost,” Rajiv says.

As you learn how to specifically pray for Bhutan and for Pastor Rajiv, pray with Christians all over the world for the persecuted church this month as part of the International Day of Prayer for Persecuted Christians. Also, be inspired by this year’s IDOP video, which features the Martinez family in Colombia.

Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast.

Fred and Karen, long-time gospel workers in Asia, share this week about the church in Brunei and the challenges they face daily to live boldly for Christ. Christians there can live comfortably—if they don’t share the gospel or attempt to witness to ethnic Malay people. Ethnically, the church there is primarily made up of Chinese, Indians and other expats.

It is illegal for ethnic Malay people to be present in a church, and many Christians are hesitant to speak about Christianity to a Malay person for fear of Christian persecution. With such strong repercussions for a Malay person following Christ, and for those who shared the gospel with that person, some Christians in Brunei have the mentality that the Malay will never choose Jesus.

The government, which censors information through every medium, always displays Islam in an attractive light—even publishing the names of Christians or people of other faiths who convert to Islam. There are financial and other enticements for non-Muslims to convert—and for Muslims to continue following Islam.

Listen as Fred and Karen share the story of a Muslim entering the house of a friend and seeing a Bible; the story illustrates the strong resistance Malay Muslims have toward anything Christian. Pray for God to move in the hearts of Malay Muslims, revealing himself in dreams and visions to them. Pray against the spirit of fear that has fallen on many within the church in Brunei. You may even want to book a plane ticket to go personally to pray on the ground in Brunei.

Never miss an episode! Subscribe to the VOM Radio podcast.

Middle East Concern was founded in 1991, in response to needs expressed by Christian leaders in the Middle East and North Africa. Through a network of ministry partners, Middle East Concern seeks to help Christians facing persecution across the Middle East and North Africa. They work to come up with strategies to improve conditions and protect rights of Christians with a goal of seeing Christians able to live out their faith in Christ freely.

Brother Rob, a researcher for MEC, shares with VOM Radio this week about his work and about persecution faced by Christians in the MENA region.

One of Rob’s areas of interest is Iran, and he will tell us about recent large-scale research that shows how many Iranians are questioning and even rejecting Islam since the Islamic Revolution. Many of those have become followers of Jesus Christ—despite the risk of persecution.

Rob also tells how God is bringing good out of Christian persecution in Türkiye (formerly Turkey) as Turkish Christian leaders are stepping up to shepherd the church after the expulsions of numerous foreign Christians. The Turkish government’s strategy since 2019 has been to designate Christians from other countries living in turkey as a “threat to national security” and force them to leave, causing upheaval to many families who’ve lived there for decades. David Byle was one of those pushed out of Türkiye after fighting the expulsion order through the court system.

Israel is another country where Rob monitors religious freedom and you’ll hear about challenges to gospel outreach there. Brother Rob will also share how we can pray for Israel, including Palestinian Christians in the West Bank and Gaza, as there is so much conflict there.

“The Christian community in this part of the world,” says Rob, “are the light and salt in these lands.”

Prayer is the central part of the ministry at Middle East Concern as they continue to seek God’s wisdom in each sensitive situation. Learn how you can pray specifically for Christians in Israel, Iran and Türkiye as Rob shares the needs of the church in these nations.

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