Are you going to do any Bible study this week? If you lived in Eritrea, that could get you thrown in prison.

Since Eritrea gained independence in 1991, its government has grown increasingly ruthless. Ten years ago they banned all churches except those belonging to three denominations, forbidding them from meeting together under any circumstances. Up to 3,000 Christians are estimated to be imprisoned – including hundreds from one of the three approved denominations. Torture is rife, food, water and medicine are scarce, and conditions are appalling, with some prisoners simply locked in shipping containers or cramped underground cells.

Gao Zhisheng is a Christian human rights lawyer in China. Since 2005, he’s been repeatedly arrested and tortured. Shin Dong-hyuk was born in a labour camp in North Korea, his childhood shaped by the horrific scenes he witnessed every day. When he was a teenager, he saw his mother and brother executed.

Many thousands of people around the world are in prison today, just for their faith or for defending the faith of others.

PLEASE PRAY:

• That the prisoners would find spiritual strength under the ordeal they’re facing;
• That the Church would stand strong in prayer for them;
• That God would move in power to break down the prison walls and set the captives free!