Though Egypts president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, has made encouraging gestures towards the Christian community and spoken up about the need for tolerance, the actual situation in Egypt with regards to human rights (especially religious freedom) is still very difficult and in need of much prayer.

• Sunday 25 June

The Coptic community in Egypt is one of the oldest Christian communities in the world, but they face daily harassment and intimidation just because of what they believe. Pray that God would grant them protection and peace today.

• Monday 26 June

Today, please give thanks for a new law that makes it easier to build churches: but this law only applies to churches (not all houses of worship), and it uses very vague criteria upon which an application could easily be refused. Please pray that these problems would be resolved soon.

• Tuesday 27 June

Please pray for Fatima Naoot, a secular writer who was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for ‘contempt of religion’ under Egypt’s harsh blasphemy laws, after she criticised the festival of Eid al-Adha on social media.

• Wednesday 28 June

It’s not just Copts at risk in Egypt. Baha’i followers are completely unable to meet openly or practise their faith in public, and their faith is not officially recognised as a religion. Pray for their protection.

• Thursday 29 June

Religious faith is often tied to national identity, meaning that those who aren’t Sunni Muslims are often seen as ‘un-Egyptian’. Today, pray that this attitude would change.

• Friday 30 June

Give thanks for the encouraging things that President Sisi has said about religious freedom in Egypt, particularly in regards to Copts, and that they’d be increasingly reflected in legislation and attitudes.

• Saturday 1 July

Father God, today we pray for Egypt and all Egyptians. We pray that you would grant them safety and protection, and that one day, Egypt would be a country of peace for all its citizens. Amen.